trustworthy x PRESERVE with Ashleigh Brophy

Meet Ashleigh Brophy, creative director of Preserve Magazine and a fellow sister in Christ that Sarah and Mary Beth have recently gotten to connect with for an uplifting conversation about the freedom that comes when we know where our faith is placed. Join us as we discuss how the Gospel is not an accessory, it is our whole life. 

Resources:

Preserve Magazine

The Preserve podcast

Preserve on Instagram

@thisistrustworthy

trustworthypodcast.com 

 Email us listen@trustworthypodcast.com

Transcript

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18.854625 23.094625 Well, hello there, Ashleigh Brophy. Welcome to Trustworthy Podcast.
23.094625 25.494625 Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
25.494625 27.734625 And Mary Beth, welcome to you too.
27.734625 29.974625 Thank you. Thanks for having me too, Sarah.
29.974625 32.534625 You have to have me every time, but thank you for having me again.
32.534625 36.294625 I do. It wouldn't be Trustworthy Podcast if you were not it.
36.294625 41.334625 Well, we're excited to introduce our listeners to Ashleigh Brophy today.
41.334625 45.334625 We've just been so excited to be able to connect with you, Ashleigh.
45.334625 48.134625 And you're on the opposite side of the country from us.
48.134625 54.134625 We're in Pennsylvania. You're on the West Coast, but I think in God's good providence,
54.134625 56.614625 he had our paths cross. Yeah.
56.614625 60.614625 And we're excited for you to kind of introduce yourself to our listeners in
60.614625 65.814625 and how I think our discussion today will be a little bit about how, you know,
65.814625 70.934625 three of us have have a lot in common and are working in different ways toward the same end.
70.934625 74.614625 So yeah, can you just give us your little elevator pitch?
74.614625 76.374625 Who is Ashleigh Brophy? And what do you do?
77.334625 80.534625 Yeah, thank you. So yeah, Ashleigh Brophy.
80.534625 84.614625 And I am the creative director and technically founder.
84.614625 88.054625 I kind of stick with creative director of Preserve Magazine.
88.054625 94.934625 And Preserve is an editorial style fashion and lifestyle magazine for Christian women.
94.934625 99.974625 It was created to have an edifying alternative to secular magazines.
99.974625 104.534625 Definitely just a God-inspired project that we've been working on.
104.534625 107.094625 And we're excited to see where it goes.
107.094625 112.694625 Yeah, and it's a beautiful magazine and website that you have.
112.694625 117.814625 And what would you say is kind of the mission of what you're doing?
117.814625 121.174625 I know you have the magazine. You have a couple other things that you do.
121.174625 122.694625 You have your own podcasts as well.
122.694625 123.814625 Yes.
123.814625 129.094625 Talk a little bit about what's up, broader mission and what all do you have going on in addition to the magazine?
129.894625 135.494625 Yeah, the name preserve came out of wanting to preserve the truth
135.494625 140.054625 in the hearts and minds of women through this specific platform.
140.054625 143.494625 So my background is I went to design school.
143.494625 146.614625 I knew since I was younger that I wanted to be a fashion designer.
146.614625 153.494625 I loved anything high-end couture like formal wear.
153.494625 159.734625 That was really what I felt led to create and was just really inspired by.
160.694625 167.734625 And so that that was my path and during that path I had this deep struggle with
167.734625 172.534625 what does this look like as I started really pursuing my faith for myself?
172.534625 180.614625 What does it look like to be in the industry of fashion but also have a strong conviction and
180.614625 185.974625 and not just have my faith be something that was like an accessory in my life but really be
185.974625 192.134625 transformational and be the core of who I am and then what I'm doing come from that.
192.134625 197.254625 So I had a lot of questions and a lot of prayers and God brought it about later.
197.254625 205.174625 I had a later time to do the magazine and it started with a few pieces that I
205.174625 211.654625 had created and asked a few women to share their stories and to wear the pieces and we did photo shoots
211.654625 217.974625 and it was really fun and really special because each of those garments had ministered to the
217.974625 227.014625 women that I had asked to wear it and I had created them with them in mind and each piece it was
227.014625 233.094625 really interesting. It spoke to them very differently but to the exact season that they were in.
233.094625 239.814625 So so beautiful and I just loved how God was able to show me that design could be this very
239.814625 249.974625 intimate personal transformative process and then through that introducing the magazine is a place
249.974625 260.214625 to share stories, editorial storytelling and fashion and artists that are all have that same
260.214625 267.974625 desire which is to preserve God's goodness, God's truth who he is, his character in the hearts and
267.974625 278.774625 minds of believers. That was a beautiful sort of overview of not only what I see when I look at the
278.774625 285.174625 fixtures in your magazine but also kind of your heart and sort of what drew you in to to be able
285.174625 292.294625 to do this. I love what you said design can be deeply personal and when you know someone and you
292.294625 302.214625 have a connection with them you can really create something that is just exactly for them and that
302.214625 311.814625 makes me think of our loving Heavenly Father, the creator of the universe and how alive we feel
311.814625 318.614625 when we're creating because we are made in his image but just love this sort of how you've found
318.614625 325.254625 that in your own life and that isn't that just the perfect picture of how he has created us
325.254625 330.854625 in this world for us and even continues to create within our lives giving us opportunities such as
330.854625 337.414625 this conversation that we're having right now you know to continue to just encourage and and build
337.414625 345.574625 us up and help us achieve more of the person that he knows we can be I guess yeah. Yeah.
347.734625 355.014625 Yeah. I was thinking about how I don't do any of those things that you were just talking about.
355.014625 362.614625 I do not have an eye for design. I do not know how to do fashion but in previous times when we've
362.614625 368.614625 talked to you it's like we all need those different parts that everybody brings to the table.
368.614625 373.494625 I need people who can show me beauty in new ways. I need people that can
374.854625 380.694625 design and do things creatively differently than I can and I'm sure you need people in your life that
380.694625 386.614625 have other strengths that you may not have and so I think that is part of the beauty too of
386.614625 390.534625 what you're accomplishing with this magazine but also
390.534625 397.094625 we've talked a lot on this season of our podcast about this sense of community
397.094625 403.334625 and how crucial that is for everyone but specifically how do we do that as believers and following
403.334625 409.814625 Jesus and so maybe we could hear from you kind of on that idea of community.
409.814625 417.494625 How would you describe the community that you've come to the table with today like what does that
417.494625 423.254625 look like in your background? How did that form you as a young woman? Yeah. How would you describe
423.254625 431.014625 that community coming up? Yeah. It's a great question and really fun and timely because my mom and I
431.014625 440.294625 had just been kind of reminiscing on the church that we that I grew up in when I
440.294625 446.854625 was a little bit older so my mom became a Christian when I was in middle school or maybe a little bit
446.854625 452.454625 earlier than that but roughly around there and she was you know had no idea and was just seeking
452.454625 458.454625 at that time so it was a lot of new for our family but the church that we were um became a part of
458.454625 467.014625 was really amazing in a lot of ways it wasn't um theologically deep but they knew the grace well
467.014625 472.374625 and they loved people really really really well and I think that's so amazing because you see in
472.374625 477.494625 scripture that you can have all the knowledge you can have all the things but if you have not love
477.494625 486.694625 you have nothing and so I love that they truly accepted Christ death for themselves and out from
486.694625 493.574625 that they loved people so so so well and so I would say my the people that my community growing up
493.574625 504.774625 from that time was very secure loving full of joy really just there to dig in and like serve
504.774625 512.854625 one another I mean there's so many examples I could go into but I know that for me when I was in
512.854625 518.134625 middle school going into high school I kind of was on my own journey our family had went through a lot
518.134625 526.934625 of different traumas and I wasn't sure how I felt about Christianity I had an idea in my mind of what
526.934625 535.494625 it was and I would pray these prayers of God I believe in you but I don't know if I want all this
535.494625 540.294625 stuff like I don't know what this is I didn't really know but I was like I don't know if I want it
540.294625 547.254625 and I don't think I fit into it because I don't have a perfect life and I have you know I make mistakes
547.254625 553.494625 and this and that so I had this false perception in my mind and I I can't say it was from any specific
553.494625 559.574625 person or this or that I think it was just lies that the enemy had just kind of tried to put in
559.574625 567.574625 and so you know it would be my brother and I who are like we just we don't live perfectly and we
567.574625 572.614625 can't dress we don't want to dress perfectly and this and that and so it's it was fun to see
572.614625 578.534625 when I'm when I got older looking back how that it's just such a funny prayer but like God knew
578.534625 584.854625 my heart at the time and he led me through that season and and ultimately I understood I started
584.854625 591.174625 to understand the grace and that it wasn't what my false idea and my mind of what Christianity was
591.174625 598.454625 but through that season I mean the people from our church just loved us so well and
598.454625 606.054625 loved me so well and constantly was praying for me and it was really those like the constant love
606.054625 614.374625 that I felt through our community was what brought me back to not brought me back but really brought
614.374625 621.014625 me to the point when I was at my lowest that I was like okay God I went searching in my mind like
621.014625 626.854625 well I do not feel okay I feel a very at the lowest point in my life and like what what's gonna help
626.854625 632.294625 and I felt pretty hopeless and as like I felt like it was the Holy Spirit looking back like
632.294625 637.654625 it just like rolling all these images in my mind of all the people who said I'm praying for you
637.654625 643.174625 I love you or who always smile that mean no matter what I was if I had my headphones in at youth group
643.174625 649.494625 and didn't really want to pay attention I was that kid and they still loved me so much and accepted me
649.494625 654.934625 and weren't like you shouldn't be here or whatever like they just accept me as where I was at and so
654.934625 659.814625 and it brought me it made me realize in my lowest season like that's what I want to be a part of
659.814625 665.174625 whatever that is that's what I want to be a part of and that's what I want to seek out and so
665.174625 672.534625 my mom had a big role in that as well just seeing how my mom was always so just trusting that
672.534625 679.494625 God was gonna take care of us no matter what season we were in and and so just her belief in his
679.494625 687.014625 provision was also a really key play in me just being like okay God I'm all in now I I have already
687.014625 691.894625 I've always believed in you but I'm gonna get a Bible for myself and then I'm just gonna seek you
691.894625 699.174625 out and whatever that looks like and I wasn't I never looked back from there I decided in my mind
699.174625 708.854625 that that was the only way I was gonna go um so community had such a big play and in me actually choosing
708.854625 719.574625 to believe in will follow the word really and want to have a relationship with God and to pursue
719.574625 726.214625 the kingdom okay all you parents and youth leaders that see these
727.334625 733.254625 teenagers with a chip on their shoulder and headphones and there's your reminder to keep loving them
733.254625 740.454625 I tell I tell people all the time I just had a mom recently and she was like I told her not to
740.454625 744.854625 trust like that to this event and something and there was something else she's like she's
744.854625 751.014625 still in with this and I'm like I was the same way and I turned out okay I was like I honestly turned
751.014625 756.614625 out better than okay because all those people prayed for me I would say that's at the end of the day
757.254625 763.654625 it was they loved me genuinely not just like him and a mustard up and fake it like they genuinely
763.654625 769.654625 just love me where I was at which comes from accepting Christ death for themselves and then and knowing
769.654625 776.454625 God loves them and then they prayed they always reminded I remember they people would come up to me
776.454625 781.414625 like I'm praying for you everybody all my mom's friends and all they're they're like I'm praying
781.414625 787.974625 for you and I feel like okay cool thank you appreciate it and they feel like we're you out with God
787.974625 792.454625 and I always prayed to God but I never told anybody that I just feel like I don't know I'm not
792.454625 798.694625 really sure because I just I didn't know how I wanted to dialogue about that yet so but it's funny
798.694625 804.054625 because as soon as I was all in I was like I'll talk to anybody about it now but so that switch can
804.054625 810.454625 happen all right so I just encourage moms and I'm like well I wonder if I'll ever probably need that
810.454625 815.494625 encouragement but I always just remind them like it's okay just keep praying for them like I was there
815.494625 824.854625 and I'm okay so yeah it's true it's really true so that was sort of a backstory what made Ashleigh
824.854625 832.214625 Brophy tell us now and at this point in your life as you're working with preserve not only the
832.214625 837.894625 print magazine but your website and your podcast and I know there's some other things that you're
837.894625 844.614625 doing what does your community look like now who are your rider die or who would you bring under
844.614625 851.494625 that umbrella kind of describes that for us please yeah is it great question very interesting um our
851.494625 857.414625 community right now it's interesting we're in a huge transition um we've been in a huge transition
857.414625 862.214625 for a while so our community is very spread out so it looks different in the day-to-day which has
862.214625 871.654625 been interesting but I have a few key people in my life one being my mom my husband my husband's
871.654625 878.854625 parents and then uh one or two close friends so it's it's smaller but they are people that
878.854625 888.214625 love the truth we'll always speak the truth and love they're honest they don't do the fluffy stuff
889.654625 895.414625 but they love they love hard and um I think the biggest thing for me is that they
895.414625 902.534625 always always put the truth first so I'm because that's that's where we get refined
902.534625 910.294625 is when the truth is spoken first and had there's a respect and a reverence for the word of God
910.294625 917.014625 so for me that's I don't know if that it does that answer the question yeah it does
917.814625 927.654625 yeah it really does it sounds like you have experienced enough of life to know what it is and who it is
927.654625 934.454625 that you need to have in your life close to you we're the sum total of the five people we spend the
934.454625 940.774625 most time with and so it sounds like you've got some great people around you yeah I'm so grateful
940.774625 947.574625 I look back and I'm like it was only God only God that I ended up in the marriage that I did
947.574625 955.574625 with the in-laws that I have they are incredible with they're so knowledgeable of the scriptures and
955.574625 961.974625 and I've learned so much from them and I'm so grateful for them and my mom and all the people so yeah
961.974625 965.814625 but that's just a definitely a god thing God just works that out for
965.814625 972.774625 yeah for you and for anybody that is seeking out the kingdom of God he will just put people in your
972.774625 979.574625 path that are gonna fill that need for me I really was like God I really want to understand the word more
979.574625 985.254625 I want to know what you're actually saying because when I was young girls like I don't get it I don't
985.254625 993.094625 get how all these stories come together and he's definitely put the right people and there's other
993.094625 1001.334625 people who have been key players in my life for sure but the day to day would be the you know the few
1001.334625 1009.174625 the five that I really had mentioned so when I'm hearing as you're describing them and how they
1009.174625 1015.654625 contribute to your life it seems to echo a lot of what you're valuing and what you're doing with
1015.654625 1023.974625 the magazine that it's that honoring of God's word it it's the building up of women it is seeing
1023.974625 1029.814625 people for who they are and appreciating that and bringing some beauty there I'm wondering
1030.614625 1038.054625 what do you see as the need for Christian women in this space that you're hoping the magazine can
1038.054625 1048.134625 kind of help fill and maybe edify can you talk about that a little bit yeah I think that it's interesting
1048.134625 1055.174625 the timing of us really kind of going full on with preserve because media has continued to get
1055.174625 1063.654625 faster and faster and faster so preserve really being also something that can be sat down and a slow
1063.654625 1072.694625 quiet space to think and be inspired and be encouraged because a lot of times we go to social media
1072.694625 1079.014625 right to be inspired to see the creative things because there is there's so much fun there's so much
1079.014625 1088.694625 creative so many creatives on there and I think that having something to be inspired I mean I loved
1088.694625 1095.574625 magazines growing up but it didn't match my beliefs when I got older and so having something to be
1095.574625 1102.134625 inspired to be encouraged to point them back to their identity in Christ to have stories that
1102.134625 1109.894625 are reminding them of God's goodness of reminding them just even if the person isn't sharing their
1109.894625 1115.894625 specific God's story in whether it's just about their business but like the thread throughout
1115.894625 1120.694625 it is that God's provision through their life so just just just being reminded of those testimonies
1120.694625 1128.454625 and of other people walking in that in those different spheres have influence and seeing God's
1128.454625 1135.574625 provision and seeing how that can also be for you so my hope is that people are inspired in in the sense
1135.574625 1143.334625 of oh wow I see how God worked in them for their business or for their journey of being an artist
1143.334625 1151.174625 or being a designer or whatever platform it is that they would be inspired in that way and then
1151.174625 1158.054625 encourage because of it's it always comes back to their their faith and believing in who God is and
1158.054625 1164.854625 that God got them where they are and even more than that that it would remind them that they don't
1164.854625 1172.134625 need to chase the world but to really chase the kingdom and that God is going to when they chase
1172.134625 1178.614625 the kingdom and they seek first the things of God that then they're calling their gifting is going
1178.614625 1188.134625 to be clear and they're going to be able to walk in that competently so that's that's what I hope
1188.134625 1193.574625 that people get out of it we spend a lot of time praying over the magazine and it's you know it's
1193.574625 1199.414625 not going to be perfect we do our very best to do it in such a way that we feel like is going to
1199.414625 1206.454625 encourage and inspire and honor God too but it's definitely not going to be perfect but we've heard
1206.454625 1212.294625 you know people give us a lot of great feedback and even from issue one which was a while back people
1212.294625 1217.894625 will still say like I was rereading it and it was such a blessing and that's so encouraging to me
1217.894625 1226.454625 just to know that it's hitting home to whatever degree what do you think Christian women specifically
1226.454625 1231.494625 because you know Sarah and I that's kind of our our primary audience with this podcast and we
1231.494625 1240.054625 feel like a lot of them as you're saying we are flooded with things that don't make us stop and think
1240.054625 1244.454625 right we're flying through our days we're flying through content that's pushed at us
1244.454625 1253.734625 or that we're seeking out and just that need to slow down and process and think and do that with
1253.734625 1260.294625 other people what do you see as kind of the needs and for Christian women today in terms of
1261.334625 1267.974625 maybe that but in community and kind of as you're moving through your business and your life and
1267.974625 1272.934625 everything that you're encountering and you know I know West Coast Life is different than East Coast
1272.934625 1278.054625 Life so what are the kind of things that you're seeing that Christian women need right now?
1278.054625 1286.614625 It's a great question I'm not the know-all but I can tell you from my experience what I'm seeing and
1286.614625 1295.334625 experiencing but I think more than anything is to really feel settled and who we are in Christ
1295.334625 1304.614625 I think there's a lot of pull to look a certain way to act a certain way to be on trend to
1304.614625 1311.494625 have it all together and I know there's like it's always changing so it depends on the circle the
1311.494625 1319.654625 group that you're a part of and there's trends now where it's more you know be just who you are but
1319.654625 1325.174625 but it more than just that because that's still kind of worldly just be who you are it's like
1325.174625 1331.814625 who does God say you are because that's where the transformation happens that's where like your heart
1331.814625 1337.574625 can actually settle and there and there's an element that you can experience that
1337.574625 1344.054625 to a certain degree of just be who you are but like who but then you ask the question like who am I
1344.054625 1349.494625 like who am I really because what happens is you go through all these changes so maybe you figure
1349.494625 1354.294625 out who you are in your 20s and then then you then you get married and you have kids and like
1354.294625 1364.214625 there's this always evolving door of who who you are but what stays the same is who you are to God
1365.414625 1372.294625 who you are as a believer and for in the community right we're talking about community and so
1372.294625 1382.214625 in the body of Christ you would always be the same to every other believer because if you're
1382.214625 1389.174625 seeing each other as God sees each of us then you are always going to say well Christ died for that
1389.174625 1396.774625 person she's a child of God she's loved she's chosen she's forgiven she's right so that identity
1396.774625 1402.454625 always stays the same within the body of Christ so us towards each other in the body of Christ
1402.454625 1409.414625 and then God towards us like that's what that's who we are and so I think that is so important
1409.414625 1417.814625 because when we settle into that we are truly able to walk in our gifting we are truly able to
1417.814625 1428.134625 thrive in life because we are not distracted by trying to be something else or even trying to figure
1428.134625 1436.454625 out who we are to the world or even to ourselves once you settle into just who I mean God makes it
1436.454625 1441.574625 easy it's just here who this is who you are and you accept it and then you just you you feel settled
1442.614625 1453.174625 so I think primarily it's that and then and then all the conversations about what you should look like
1453.174625 1459.094625 or what you should be doing all those just kind of fall away because it doesn't it doesn't really
1459.094625 1465.814625 matter and there's no comparison it's just this is what this is who I am to God and then you'll
1465.814625 1472.694625 feel inspired to do what you need to do and and all the other stuff is just doesn't really matter as much
1472.694625 1484.774625 that's a great answer I think that women everywhere is struggle with the same thing and
1484.774625 1494.454625 like whether they're believers or not right but yeah I mean we are chosen people we are to be
1494.454625 1503.094625 a city on a hill so we need to figure out how to settle into that how to rest in that place
1503.094625 1511.974625 how to put on that identity but have it be not just an accessory you mentioned faith is not
1511.974625 1518.214625 an accessory right but that it's it's the fullness of who you are
1519.494625 1525.334625 this is just a little rabbit trail but I was my mind was wandering I was wondering if you could
1525.334625 1532.294625 sort of tease out the metaphor if we think of an outfit and you said that faith is not an accessory
1532.294625 1537.094625 of course certain accessories make an outfit or you can even build an entire outfit around an
1537.094625 1543.494625 accessory yeah or a whole room but can you just for fun and this is totally putting you on the spot
1543.494625 1550.134625 but can you sort of tease out that metaphor so faith is not a statement ring or a scarf or a bag
1550.134625 1559.254625 or whatever then what would it be that's a great question I would say that it would be
1559.254625 1569.814625 I would say it would be the actual garment that you're wearing because and I just envision because
1569.814625 1576.774625 right I said I was always drawn to being a high-end designer of formal wear
1576.774625 1583.254625 and I just imagine right like that verse where it says that you are clothed in righteousness
1583.254625 1594.614625 yes and so when I mean I would say that just when you first walk up to someone right typically
1594.614625 1603.974625 that's what see is like just I just see this like beautiful gown where it fits the person it's them
1603.974625 1610.694625 it's all a part of them and then the accessory is just something that is added that is just like oh
1610.694625 1616.854625 this is extra this is that just helps it it makes it it's but I don't know I don't know if it works
1616.854625 1625.654625 out perfectly but yeah the added accessory was really just that I think so often we are just like
1625.654625 1633.734625 oh I'm doing my life and then here's my faith that is kind of like I say I'm a Christian or like
1633.734625 1641.414625 it's cool to have it on my bio on Instagram or to go whatever that looks like free can be different
1641.414625 1653.334625 but to actually know that your life is because of Christ it's it's it's not just something that you
1653.334625 1660.694625 add on that it's just like oh I just go to church on Sundays it's it is your life it is the essence
1660.694625 1672.694625 of who you are now as a believer and and so I mean I would see it as the the actual garment that you
1672.694625 1682.214625 are wearing that was made especially for you by a designer who knows you yeah and just yeah yeah
1682.214625 1688.534625 and and you're just living and breathing it like I have I it's something that I can see in my mind
1689.734625 1697.014625 but to actually articulate it would be challenging that's not as easy for me there's a reason why
1697.014625 1703.974625 I'm really good at putting stuff together and I'm writing and designing but you asked me to be like
1703.974625 1709.494625 an eloquent speaker and I'm like I'm not quite there I know it's I think you did a pretty good job
1709.494625 1715.494625 of yeah of describing that I just I just have a picture in my mind of just this gorgeous gown
1716.054625 1722.934625 early vintage Hollywood you know not in like 2026 but maybe like in 1943 or something like that
1722.934625 1730.134625 or well okay let's do post-war in 1952 yeah huh anyway well that was fun thank you for playing
1730.134625 1738.854625 the little game it made me think too that because you kind of hinted around at this that there are
1738.854625 1748.214625 ways that we can as Christians try to try to put on our faith to fit whatever's happening in the
1748.214625 1756.214625 world to fit the trend to fit the mood to fit the whatever it is yeah and that it that whole concept
1756.214625 1763.814625 has to be flipped but it's we're not starting with how can I be a Christian in this this around that
1763.814625 1770.214625 the world is appreciating right now it's no what does it mean to be a Christian what does it mean to
1770.214625 1777.574625 follow Jesus how am I walking in that way and then be in the world but not of it that there is
1777.574625 1784.854625 beauty in this world because God is a beautiful creator and we can speak into that and be involved in
1784.854625 1793.334625 it and glorify the Lord through it but it's I get we were saying it's if that's the driver of your
1793.334625 1799.734625 life it's going to look very different than if you're trying to fit your faith into what
1799.734625 1807.974625 the world says is the good thing of the moment does that make sense yeah it does yeah it definitely does
1807.974625 1813.174625 and I mean as you were saying that too it was just thinking when you're wearing that garment too
1813.174625 1818.374625 it's like you can't hide it where I was like an accessory you can kind of put it down
1818.374625 1825.174625 pick it back up where whereas we could this just gorgeous gown that you're wearing that's made
1825.174625 1830.454625 perfect for like you're just gonna walk with that confidently and beautifully and and you can't
1830.454625 1837.174625 just be like oh let me just just put it over here for a second and then pick it back up or maybe
1837.174625 1846.054625 it never goes out of style either never goes out of style yeah and so yeah it really is flipped when we
1847.334625 1855.414625 really experience when we allow ourselves to experience the transformation that comes from believing
1855.414625 1867.014625 you start to it's a natural just change within you where you want your whole life to be about
1867.014625 1873.574625 the truth and you don't want it to just be this accessory I don't think people do it on purpose
1873.574625 1878.054625 I want to say that I don't think people are like intentionally like oh I'm just going to just make
1878.054625 1886.534625 this an accessory that looks good I think that people are just where they're at and when when their
1886.534625 1891.254625 heart you know God's slowly working each of us and I says because that's what he did for me is like
1891.254625 1895.814625 slowly kept working me until the point where something just shifted and I was like I'm all in
1895.814625 1900.614625 and I want nothing else I don't care what my life looks like I don't care if I never
1901.334625 1907.494625 become a designer I don't care about this this and this and there was a lot of pressure for me I
1907.494625 1915.094625 remember that my I knew I wanted to be a designer since I was like five six seven like I would
1915.094625 1920.454625 like sketch on a little note pad and so my whole family knew and I was a go getter so they were always
1920.454625 1925.654625 saying like like my aunts my uncles and people were always like oh Ashley's going to go far and
1925.654625 1932.134625 Ashley's going to be a designer and so when I got to that point in my life I felt this extreme
1932.134625 1942.054625 pressure in my mind of well wait everyone is expecting me to be this and then I realized wow
1942.054625 1949.094625 I might like I my identity is wrapped up in this and I almost felt like I was trapped or like
1950.614625 1956.774625 if I don't do this if I don't follow through then I'm I failed and I didn't do what everyone expected
1956.774625 1964.054625 me to do or what I knew I wanted to do but I had that moment and I had to decide in my mind
1964.054625 1974.374625 do I want to keep this path that's seeming it's just proving not fulfilling or do I want to just
1974.374625 1982.534625 say who cares who cares what people think who cares if I made it or not who cares and and just go down
1982.534625 1989.494625 this path with God that I have no idea what it's going to look like and so I really thought about it
1989.494625 1993.894625 and then I and I chose that so I think we come to that pinnacle point though God keeps working us to
1993.894625 1999.814625 where we decide like what do we want our whole life to be about do we want it to be about the truth
1999.814625 2007.334625 do we want it to be about the Word of God living in us and the kingdom and and our faith in Jesus
2007.334625 2013.414625 or do we want it to just be oh I have this and it helps me sometimes when I'm
2013.414625 2021.494625 going through life and it gets hard so well speaking of being settled I know in my own life that
2021.494625 2029.334625 knowing that I'm building my life on the foundation of Jesus Christ wearing that garment
2029.814625 2033.814625 of faith that that is the basis for for my outfit for my life
2033.814625 2040.214625 I can just breathe yeah
2040.214625 2048.214625 is it suddenly decisions are so much easier so much yeah like you don't need to try to figure out
2048.214625 2056.374625 every situation you just need to know what it is to live for the Lord and then the decisions make
2056.374625 2066.854625 themselves yeah and I think we can feel that as we mature into our relationship with God more
2066.854625 2075.014625 and more which just comes over time and being in the Word both together we start to feel that you
2075.014625 2084.694625 start to feel when you get a little off-track in your mind and then when you come back to okay I don't
2084.694625 2091.974625 need to figure it all out I don't need to look this way I don't for me like I last last year when
2091.974625 2099.014625 we were launching issue two I went through a season that had never dealt with before but this extreme
2099.014625 2111.654625 pressure um of just feeling like I had to have it all figured out and it was so much
2111.654625 2116.374625 pressure for me and it was not put on by anybody else it's just the adversary pushing against me and
2116.374625 2123.174625 but it was heavy and it was really challenging and I was falling into it and then I remember and we
2123.174625 2129.094625 were in a really busy season so that also made it really hard when you're go go go go go go it's hard
2129.094625 2134.694625 like God didn't design us to be so busy his then we do we're just distracted we're in
2134.694625 2141.254625 in just like a habit of all the things and we're not slowing down to really pay attention
2141.254625 2146.534625 to get checked by the Holy Spirit like hey slow down or hey like you're thinking this way or whatever
2146.534625 2151.254625 and so when things kind of did slow down and I recognized and I was like whoa and so
2151.254625 2155.974625 over the holidays I told my husband I was like I need to create a lot of space so I did like nothing
2155.974625 2160.934625 for like three weeks where I did absolutely nothing because I was like I just need to create space to
2160.934625 2167.974625 get my my head in the right because I can feel that I'm off I feel off and so you start to feel
2167.974625 2172.054625 that and then you come back and then like what you're saying like I feel like I could breathe again
2172.054625 2178.134625 and I had clarity of oh wow like the enemy was really trying to just press me in this way and
2178.134625 2185.014625 I learned from that season of like I never want to be that busy to where I can't
2185.014625 2192.134625 I don't have a chance to just like think and renew my mind in the day to day it's like no worth it
2192.134625 2198.134625 yeah and I often have heard that that's one of our enemy's favorite tricks is to make us busy and
2198.134625 2207.894625 distracted oh it works oh it totally does yep and then if you have more kids that it's it is it is it
2207.894625 2213.174625 is it hard it does get harder I used to spend like long hours in the word and I loved it I would just
2213.174625 2217.974625 sit and read and my husband was like how can you sit and read for so long and I was like I just love
2217.974625 2224.054625 it but then having kids it's harder to do that so then adjusting to the new season of what is my
2224.054625 2230.774625 Bible time look like what is my my alone time look like it's it's very interesting but but God
2230.774625 2236.534625 works in all this season so it's not to be discouraged you can have a busier season and I also see
2236.534625 2243.014625 where there's benefits of right the more you sweat and practice the less you bleed in battle so
2243.014625 2247.734625 preparing because you will have a bit busier seasons it's not to say you shouldn't like you'll
2247.734625 2255.094625 never have a busy season you may but but there's also caution of okay within that season are there
2255.094625 2259.494625 things that actually have to happen or can you kind of cut those out so you're a little less busy
2259.494625 2263.894625 but you're are going to have busier seasons so when you do have the slower seasons really
2263.894625 2270.614625 preparing and preparing your heart and your mind by just continuing to absorb the word and think
2270.614625 2276.134625 about what God says and and cleaning from the past seasons as well so that you have that wisdom to
2276.134625 2281.894625 walk forward into the next season in a different way I've found that I actually have certain times
2281.894625 2287.894625 of the year I can do some extra Bible study where I just can't do that in other times of the year
2287.894625 2294.694625 and so I just say okay this is my time that I'm going to study this and then just preparing for it
2294.694625 2301.494625 and in giving also I think too and this is something that comes up a lot in conversations with friends
2302.294625 2308.934625 letting yourself off the hook like not holding yourself to such a high standard I think is women we
2308.934625 2314.534625 try to be everything to everybody all the time and we take the world on our shoulders and we
2314.534625 2321.094625 we have help you know we have not only the Lord but we also have the community around us you know
2321.094625 2326.454625 mean our our sisters in Christ and even if it's just talking to somebody about something that's
2326.454625 2332.854625 spinning in my head or just asking for help for something simple um sometimes I don't always do that
2332.854625 2340.294625 yeah and now it's not funny how we can we just keep we keep thinking that we have to do it all
2340.294625 2344.854625 yes and even sometimes our husbands will be like hey can we just do this like first season
2344.854625 2350.454625 with postpartum our second my husband was like why don't we just get like a mommy's helper like a
2350.454625 2355.894625 a friend's teenage daughter just help you just for like two months postpartum just so so you don't
2355.894625 2362.534625 feel like everything's yeah I was like what no no I should be like I should be able to he's like just
2362.534625 2367.174625 let me yeah I feel like just let's let's do it and it was so helpful it was just a little bit it was
2367.174625 2372.294625 just like you know two two to four hours a week for the first three months and it was just so it
2372.294625 2377.734625 helped with my older one and do like a project or something and it just it did it helped alleviate
2377.734625 2383.334625 things where I didn't feel like my oldest wasn't getting any attention at all but it it took that
2383.334625 2390.374625 okay like I don't have to it's okay doesn't mean I'm failing it doesn't mean anything else it's just
2390.374625 2397.094625 that's okay it's just a season so it reminded me of what you said about your community growing up
2397.094625 2404.054625 that when when we experience that freedom for ourselves that we're known we're loved we have a
2404.054625 2412.614625 purpose God designed us to be who we are it frees us up to love the people around us well which is
2412.614625 2417.494625 exactly what those people are doing in your life they weren't judging you you know they weren't
2417.494625 2421.974625 freaking out like sometimes I do as a mom I'm like oh no my kids are doing this thing they're gonna
2421.974625 2427.574625 they're never gonna turn out well you know it's like hey we don't have that much control as much
2427.574625 2435.334625 as we like to think we do and be like there's the freedom that comes from knowing who we are in
2435.334625 2442.854625 Christ just overflows into blessings for those around us and I think that that's that's what you
2442.854625 2446.934625 experienced growing up was that grace and that love from a community who knew who they were and
2446.934625 2455.814625 had the freedom to love others well yeah it's so true I when I actually this is a few years
2455.814625 2463.574625 ago maybe five now when I actually started to understand what it meant that Christ died for me
2464.214625 2470.854625 so before that like I knew I like in general in theory when I grew up previous to becoming a Christian
2470.854625 2476.374625 my family it was went to a Catholic church and so I remember all the stained glass of like stations
2476.374625 2483.654625 of the cross and so I I always knew but it was still kind of this in theory like this guy died
2483.654625 2489.334625 for me and so I really spent a lot of time and I had that realization with God I'm like what does
2489.334625 2499.974625 that really mean to me and so I dug really deep in that season and I can say genuinely from that
2499.974625 2505.974625 season I felt like there's that verse where it talks about getting a new heart right I honestly felt
2505.974625 2513.094625 like even though I was a believer up to that point born again but that was a shifting point for me
2513.094625 2522.854625 to genuinely like my heart changed where I really understood wow like the depth not totally
2522.854625 2528.374625 obviously because words always we're always growing in it but I understood to a greater level the
2528.374625 2536.934625 depth of Christ death for me and how and I'm just like and then you just become an awe of like I
2537.574625 2543.254625 was this this and this and I even just I thought this way and I thought that way and I was really
2543.254625 2548.534625 rebellious in my mind even if I didn't necessarily do or something rebellious I was in my heart in my
2548.534625 2555.174625 mind I was and so I'm like but God you're saying you just still loved me even while we were so even
2555.174625 2562.614625 while we were all mankind far off enemy strangers of God right it says in Romans that you sent your
2562.614625 2566.454625 son to die for us it wasn't when we were doing everything right it was when we were doing everything
2566.454625 2571.814625 absolutely wrong that you were like I'm gonna send my son to die for you to to be the perpetuation
2571.814625 2578.214625 for your sins and when I started to understand that my I genuinely feel like my heart changed where
2578.214625 2589.014625 I have so much compassion and empathy and love for people and I can just see people um where they're
2589.014625 2595.254625 at and I'm like I don't have judgment towards them because it's like who am I to judge and not
2595.254625 2603.414625 that I did before um per se but it was just this truly just this like I will see people and I just
2603.414625 2612.054625 want to cry because I will see the hurt and the hardship in their eyes and I'm like I'm so grateful
2612.054625 2621.494625 that Christ died for us so that that season just still just awes me because it really does feel like
2621.494625 2628.294625 you get a new heart uh on a heart that's really truly like just soft and loving and and really made
2628.294625 2635.174625 after the heart of God to where you really can love people well because before that I think
2635.174625 2643.494625 it would be more situational um and it was easy I would say it was easier to judge someone
2643.494625 2648.854625 where it's like why are they doing that or like I don't get this but then through that transformation
2648.854625 2653.974625 process I think there was also just growth and discerning things and and seeing people really
2653.974625 2662.374625 beyond the physical being able to see like okay they're doing this but what's really going on in
2662.374625 2672.614625 their heart um and that has helped me immensely to just love people well um because before that
2672.614625 2677.414625 I think it was a little could be a little bit more mustering it up at the time I wouldn't have said
2677.414625 2682.614625 that but looking back now I'm like yeah it was a little bit more of like mustering it up and now it's
2682.614625 2689.974625 just like this genuine overflow yeah just like sometimes when you're interacting with someone and
2689.974625 2695.894625 they put on a certain front or they say oh everything's fine are you just in conversation and then
2695.894625 2700.854625 the spirit prompts you to ask a question or give them a word of encouragement or something and then
2700.854625 2710.374625 they just like you just know like yeah and and I think too that that's like when we do love the Lord
2710.374625 2717.094625 when we do you know give ourselves over when we do become believers and we submit to whatever he has
2717.094625 2723.574625 for us I believe that that's our role is to love other people for sure and so he gives us those
2723.574625 2729.414625 opportunities like he says his eyes right in his heart or we can see people because that's what our
2729.414625 2740.454625 job is yeah love because he first loved us yeah exactly well we don't want to keep you too long we
2740.454625 2747.814625 appreciate you spending time with us today but where can people go to find preserve magazine you
2747.814625 2757.894625 can find us on instagram at preserve.magazine you can find us on our website preserve magazine.co
2758.534625 2766.854625 we also have our podcast on our website as well as apple podcast and Spotify and we have our youtube
2766.854625 2773.334625 it's a work in progress but we do have a in-person interview with Carly Jean Brandon on there which
2773.334625 2780.134625 is super fun to listen to so those are a few different spots that you can find us and I hope that
2780.134625 2786.694625 anybody that does find us and look for us that they are encouraged and really at the end of the day I
2786.694625 2795.254625 hope that it ignites a flame in you to seek after the kingdom of god in whatever way I don't know
2795.254625 2802.054625 what that would be for you specifically in your life but that it would kind of reignite or ignite
2802.054625 2809.974625 that flame to to go after the kingdom because it's worth it wow what a call there what a wish I'm
2809.974625 2822.214625 sort of at a loss for words so maybe I'll just edit that part out that's okay we are just so
2822.214625 2829.414625 grateful to have had you on the podcast today we both have been looking forward to this for
2829.414625 2835.254625 quite some time I think probably all three of us just a little behind the scenes listeners we had
2835.254625 2839.814625 three of us had a conversation a while back and after like an hour or something we're like why
2839.814625 2847.894625 didn't we just record that it was it was really good but no just glad to have this time to start to
2847.894625 2852.774625 understand a little bit more of who god's called you to be and the work that he's calling you to
2852.774625 2861.494625 and and just enjoying this cross country beautiful relationship that we've started just kind of
2861.494625 2868.214625 working in the same field right yeah working for the same goal to ignite that flame yeah and build
2868.214625 2875.014625 the kingdom for a trustworthy god that's right amen I love that it's definitely super fun to meet
2875.014625 2882.294625 you guys and to be connected because I love just when it's that god connection you can feel it you
2882.294625 2889.334625 can feel that there's that like mind and this and that felt of the truth with one another so the truth
2889.334625 2893.574625 of the scripture and I mean that's what we're about and what you're about is just how that can be
2893.574625 2900.214625 applied to everyday life whether you're sinking really the waves or just sailing on top yeah
2900.214625 2911.654625 well thank you listeners for tuning in I'm Sarah and I'm Mary Beth and I'm Ashleigh and this is trustworthy
2911.654625 2914.794375 [BLANK_AUDIO]