Pressed Into Purpose
"Pressed Into Purpose" explores the transformative journeys of individuals who discovered their calling through life's challenges and triumphs. Each episode features intimate conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds who share how they identified their unique purpose, overcame obstacles in pursuing it, and experienced profound personal transformation as a result.
We dive deep into the pivotal moments, unexpected detours, and guiding principles that shaped our guests' paths. Whether through career shifts, personal crises, spiritual awakenings, or gradual realizations, these stories illuminate the various ways purpose reveals itself.
More than inspirational tales, these conversations offer practical insights for listeners questioning their own direction, feeling stuck, or seeking greater meaning. Join us as we uncover how being "pressed" by life's circumstances often reveals our most authentic purpose and highest potential.
Pressed Into Purpose
Finding Purpose Through Faith and Resilience with Rhonda Denise Robinson
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This episode highlights Rhonda Robinson’s journey of perseverance and purpose. Our conversation explores themes of resilience, accountability, and the importance of community in navigating life’s challenges and discovering one's divine calling.
• Rhonda's inspiring mission through Beauty for Ashes
• The significance of saying "yes" to God in trying times
• The impact of accountability and supportive communities
• Strategies for decluttering life to hear God’s voice
• The power of knowing one’s identity in Christ
• Emphasizing the importance of facing and embracing personal struggles
Listeners are encouraged to actively seek their purpose while leaning on faith and community.
Thanks for listening!
Until next time, continue to press into your purpose!
Let me wipe my nose one more time. I said you can hear every breath that I take, jesus, every breath you take.
Speaker 2Destiny Film and.
Speaker 1Media and their great mic-age. Bless the king. These are good mics, very good mics. Are we ready to go?
Speaker 2I've been recording all day Five minutes, and I just started recording. Oh okay, I was about to say because you Alright quiet on the set oh jeez Let me get that out, okay, and I'm just doing it. Alright, quiet on the set. Cameras are rolling and I'm coming on one. One is ready and we're coming on two. All right, valeria, now okay.
Speaker 1So if there's anything you want to, address to the people Look at that camera.
Speaker 2That's your personal camera. Okay, that's your personal camera. It's just a two-shot and if you want both, you want to look. You know, I just cut to it.
Speaker 1Okay, so I'll start here, then I'll turn there, okay.
Speaker 2All right and action.
Podcast Interview With Rhonda Robinson
Speaker 1Hello, my name is Valeria Wright, the creator of Pressed Into Purpose. Pressed Into Purpose is a podcast dedicated to examining the journey toward discovering, embracing and living out one's purpose. In each episode, my guests will provide their perspectives on how they identified their purpose and the ways in which accepting and pursuing it has influenced and transformed their lives. What is purpose? It's the ultimate aim or goal. To sum it up, it's the reason why you were created, or why you exist. Prestige to Purpose is based on two scriptures Jeremiah 29, 11, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, sayeth the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end and 2 Corinthians 4, verses 8 through 10,. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. We are hunted down. We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down but we are not destroyed Through suffering. Our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. So let us meet today's guest, our first guest on the podcast President to Purpose. Her name is Rhonda Robinson.
Speaker 1Rhonda Denise Robinson is the Executive Director of Beauty for Ashes BFA. In this role, rhonda manages the Board of Dire directors, a team providing programs and events that support low-income families and high-risk youth. Beauty for Ashes Corp is an organization that seeks to empower and inspire people and high-risk youth of all walks of life that have experienced some form of brokenness through single parenting, marriage, divorce, financial devastation, insecurities and other life-gripping challenges. Bfa provides outreach services, career services, resume review, mentoring and coaching conferences, quarterly workshops and other projects and events that will empower people to move past the state of being broken into a state of restoration in all areas of their lives and ultimately see their beauty through the pain of traumatic life experiences. A big believer in giving back, rhonda is always looking for ways for her organization to serve and give back to the less fortunate. Professionally, rhonda has been a human resources leader for over 15 years in corporate America as well as in the nonprofit sector. Rhonda takes pride in providing excellent customer service to the employees that she supports and is always available to go beyond the call of duty. Rhonda has worked as an HR professional for McDonald's Corporation, allstate Catholic Charities and FedEx Express.
Speaker 1As the vice president of human services and, I'm sorry, as the vice president of human resources and programs at Easterseals, serving Chicagoland and the greater Rockford. Her goals I am so sorry the rest of that did not come through, I don't know why. Oh, hold on, wait a minute. So I'll start at as the as the vice president, give me one second. We were so close. Go in there. Get my note, bio. Ah, here we go. In Greater Rockford, her goals include coaching and mentoring leaders, executive coaching, creating processes and systems, training and development and facilitating change in the organization. Rhonda holds an MBA in business and a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational management from Concordia University, chicago. She has been married to her best friend, dwayne Robinson, for the past 10 years and has two incredible daughters, brianna Winbush, 32, and Brittany Winbush 28. Please help me welcome our first guest, the very first guest of the podcast Preston to Purpose, rhonda Robinson.
Speaker 2Rhonda welcome. Thank you so much, Valeria. I am so glad to have you here. I'm excited to be here, Really excited. Thank you for this amazing opportunity.
Journey to Purpose
Speaker 1It is.
Speaker 2We have known each other for oh five years, five or six, five or six years and we met at church.
Speaker 1Yes, and we were in new members class. Yes, and in new members class, we realized that you know our love for Jesus and our love for laughter. Yes, it brought us together.
Speaker 2And our love for singing. We later found out. That is right, that is right.
Speaker 1So we had so many things in common. And listen, learn those scriptures, honey. That was rough, it was, it was. So we had so many things in common and listen, learn those scriptures, honey. That was rough, it was, it was. But we made it. But we made it and we became full partners.
Speaker 2We did. You know what I'm saying we did.
Speaker 1So I am. Ever since I met you, it has felt like we have known each other for years, agreed, and I am some of the things we've talked about. So many things, yes, over these last few years, and we have connected in so many ways. Yes, and I love you because you are able to cut right through all of the foolishness that we enjoy so much, all of the foolishness that we enjoy so much, and you can get, and you hear from the Lord and you you get right in it. Okay, I love that about you Because sometimes you know we need to just get right on in there and cut to it and be like thus, saith the Lord so that we can get together.
Speaker 1But I am really excited about this talk today. I'm really excited about what God has done in your life and I'm excited for you to share with the people all the things that God has done in your life. So I'm going to start with our first question, which is throughout your life, you've had some challenges and some triumphs. As you have walked through this, what do you believe is your purpose?
Speaker 2So, first of all, thank you again, valeria, for the opportunity. I am indeed grateful and very proud of you and your yes, you know. In regards to this first question, I think that one of my purposes probably more the most important purpose is to be a light for others. I get a joy in pushing, coaching other people, not just professionally, but also in my personal life. I think that I have been extremely blessed to have people that have stretched me.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2And so the way that I give back is doing the same for others, even when they don't want to be stretched.
Speaker 1Amen, oh goodness.
Speaker 2And I think you know. I think in doing that, it allows us to walk into what true purpose really looks like. I am learning as I get younger and younger Come on. It is not good to waste time, and so I think it's important to really chime into what is really, what makes you get up in the morning. What could you do for free?
Speaker 2Why do you do what you do and for me you know being that coach, that advocate, that cheerleader for others, I get such a high off of that. I love seeing people connect dots for themselves.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2And so that's one of the reasons why I love just being available for people and to develop them to be the best they can be.
Speaker 1Okay, so you talked about being a pusher, being an encourager and a coach. When did you first discover that that was something inside of you?
Speaker 2Great question. I'm an only child, and so my mom and dad just poured everything that they had into me, even when they didn't have it, and so one of the things that I naturally saw my mom, the oldest of eight, do is pour into her siblings and her family. Okay, and so it was very easy for me to model that as I watched my mom model it, and so I think just early on in life, I knew that there was something different about Rhonda Denise. I also knew that my mom and dad had another child prior to me that did not make it, died at birth, and that child was born with umbilical cord around his neck, jesus, and a year later I was actually born the same identical way, and God spared me.
Speaker 2Oh, my gosh, and so my mom would always remind me, Valeria, of the importance that you made it for a reason. Jesus, yes, you did, and so I am always reflective of that experience.
Speaker 1You about to take me out already, I did not know that. Okay, carry on, carry on.
Speaker 2I'm always reflective of that experience that I didn't die like my brother, but God spared me for such a time as this.
Speaker 1Wow, yes, he did. For such a time as this. Wow, yes, he did. Yeah, that is like a just from the very beginning of your life.
Speaker 2Before the foundation of the world.
Speaker 1God knew what he had for you.
Speaker 2Absolutely.
Speaker 1He knew, he said for I know the plans I have for you.
Speaker 2Jeremiah 29, 11. I'm just saying the scripture that this is based off of. Listen.
Speaker 1And he said he knew us before we were even in our mother's wombs, that's right.
Speaker 1And so he protected you. That's right To bring you, not just through birth, not just through childhood, but to this very moment where you are now impacting lives in so many different ways. You are impacting lives with your secular job, which you know human resources, I mean. People are literally hired and fired because you sit in the room. You see what I'm saying. You are leading that charge and then also, with Beauty for Ashes, you are helping people to pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward. I mean, so what can you share? A story or a time where well, let's start here, where was Beauty? How was Beauty for Ashes birth? Such a great question? That is what the people want to know.
Speaker 2Yeah, how was Beauty for Ashes birth. Such a great question. That is what the people want to know. Yeah, so in 2020, very life-changing year for me my mom was diagnosed with cancer around May or June of 2020.
Speaker 2And my mother was a woman of faith and believed God, did not choose to have natural medicine, but she stood on her faith and, flat-footed, stood on her faith that God would heal her this side or on the other side, and also in the same year, we just had some family challenges, very traumatic challenges in my immediate family that took me to a very deep place in the Lord. And in 2020, it was just a very strange year and I heard the Lord say BFA was to be birthed. Because I was going through a lot of traumatic situations. I questioned God because it was such a hard year between mom, between other things that were going on, and finally gave God a yes in October of 2020. And in saying yes, things didn't get better, valeria. They actually got worse, and the worse that they became, the stronger my yes became, and I can look back now, four years later, and tell you that I was shaking, saying yes. Look back now, four years later, and tell you that I was shaking, saying yes. I was crying daily saying yes, getting repeated calls from people that had negative news, and still it was yes.
Speaker 2And, as I stated earlier, mom stood on her faith that she would be healed this side or the other, and God did the other. And so Christmas day 2020, mom was gone and it was still yes. Valeria and BFA continued to do the work and mom was able to see some of that before she left. And the other piece to that is mom not only saw a piece of BFA, but the other part of my heart that was broken. In 2020, mom saw her granddaughter healed, and so I'm grateful that 2020 came with a lot of challenges, a lot of heartache, a lot of hard news, but at the end of 2020, my mother, who loved me and her grandchildren, and my dad saw all of us whole.
Speaker 1Hallelujah.
Speaker 2And saw me walk into purpose with beauty, for ashes Come on and saw her Brittany Chanel Wimbush.
Speaker 1Come on.
Speaker 2Walk out of danger into God's marvelous light. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, listen, yeah, grateful, ooh Grateful, we shall see it. Hallelujah, hallelujah, listen, yeah, grateful.
Speaker 1Ooh.
Speaker 2Grateful.
Speaker 1We shall see it.
Speaker 2Yes, listen Absolutely.
Speaker 1In the land of the living.
Speaker 2And I want to just add December the 19th, I was at a Beauty for Ashes event and I got a call from my dad and he had been calling a couple times and I'm like, daddy, you know I'm at an event, right, right? So I'm going to answer the third time, right? So I answered the phone and my dad said something's wrong with your mom, and so what I didn't know at the time is I left my BFA event and I drove to my parents' house and my mom she was alert but in pain on the floor, and Brittany was right there. She saw Brittany and we took her to the hospital. Her last words to me was where's your dad? That was her last words Where's your dad.
Speaker 2Cause get concerned about others. I said daddy's in the car. I said I'm about to take him home. She said, okay, that was the last time I saw her alive, Wow. The beauty of that, though, is the day before she saw Brittany, and she said Brittany, is that you? Are you good? And Brittany said yes, Grandma, All right. And the scripture that comes to my Valeria is Romans 8 and 28. All things.
Speaker 1All things.
Speaker 2Are still working together for our good, for our good, and so in that moment it was for our good, and my mother used to always say it is well, it was well.
Speaker 1Listen.
Speaker 2It was well.
Speaker 1Whether she was speaking it in faith or whether she was speaking it because she saw it right.
Speaker 2Then that's right All is well, all is right.
Speaker 1All is well All is well, all is well Wow.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Wow, you are, listen, your your life and your journey, and that that year of 2020 was a challenge for a lot of people, for a lot of people, yes. For so many different reasons.
Speaker 2Absolutely.
Speaker 1For you to, for us to be in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and you go through all of those things on top of that. That's right. And you still gave God a yes. Yes, that that's the part. So how? Because, listen, god speaks sometimes and we're like, well, lord, I don't want to do that, but you got past what you didn't want to do and you said yes anyway. How were you able?
The Journey to Surrendering to God
Speaker 2to do that From saying no for so many years. You know, sometimes it takes us a long time to get to that yes, and I remember as like a young adult, 1920, saying out loud God, I'll give you the Y-E, but I'm keeping the S, and so I'm just being honest.
Speaker 1And this is why we're friends.
Speaker 2Rhonda did Rhonda. I just being honest, and this is why we're friends. Rhonda did Rhonda. I'm being honest. I did me Growing up in the church PK. I knew what not to do but I did it anyway because I'm going to keep the S and so by the time I got 40-ish, the S started kind of coming. Okay, I understand why you need the entire three letters. Yes, because a lot of times we go around these mountains and these valleys that we choose. It ain't the devil, come on, it's us. It was Rhonda.
Speaker 2Tell the people again the spoiled, only child that I know was best for me, it was me. Yeah, and so if God had to allow those things that happened in 2020 to get the S, he got the S. Wow, and I'm grateful that my mom was still here to see BFA to see, brittany, yes, and I'm grateful that he didn't touch anything else because I gave him the S. Okay, god, you can have it all. You can have it all.
Speaker 1Listen, before we started, we were singing. I say, yes, that's right Lord. Yes, yes, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2He knows what to do to get the yes.
Speaker 1He knows what it takes for us to get to yes, absolutely. Oh my gosh, that's such a familiar story. Different situation, but a familiar story, just even in my current day saying yes, there have just I mean, we're talking about the month of November I understand.
Speaker 1God had to get me together because I was like God, I will do what you want me to do, how you want me to do it. No, no, that's not what I said. I said, god, I will do whatever you want me to do, every way, except for that one. Yeah, that's what I said, I get it. I will do whatever you want me to do, every way, except for that one. Yeah, that's what I said, I get it. And um, yeah, in November. Uh, he took me to the word.
Speaker 2You know um and the word that rings true every day, all day was about those children of Israel.
Speaker 1You see what I'm saying and how it was an 11 days journey. That's right To get to the promised land. How many years? It took them? 40 years. Why yeah, because they chose to do things their way, their way, that's right. And so, yeah, I said, okay, god, okay, yeah, all right. So you want me to do it. You not only want me to do what you want me to do, but you also want me to do it how you want me to do it.
Speaker 1That's right, so I don't get a choice in that that's right. So I surrender, and so, yeah, this is part of that surrender. Amen, amen.
Speaker 2There's a scripture that says many are the plans of Valerian Rhonda, but it is the.
Speaker 1Lord's plans. Come on, that shall prevail.
Speaker 2That shall prevail, I stand on that word so often from small things like God. On Saturday I want to go to Target and I want to go here and he will completely shift because it's not about us.
Speaker 1Because he cares about the little things he does. People think that he only cares about the large things, but no, god cares about all the intimate details of our lives. Because everything matters. That's right.
Speaker 2It all matters In the hands of the one that created us Correct, and we forget that sometimes. We forget that a lot of times we forget it of the one that created us Correct and we forget that sometimes we forget that.
Speaker 1A lot of times we forget it.
Speaker 2The one that created us, that we are created. That's right In his image?
Speaker 1Yes, in his likeness, that's right, that's right, you know so. But he gives us that free will. That's right, and sometimes our free will, yes, will we hold on?
Speaker 2to that. That's right, that's right and we don't submit it back to him.
Speaker 1That's right, but he is waiting for us to submit back to him, so he continues to press us, that's right. He continues to press us, that's right. He continues to press us. That's right.
Speaker 2That's right.
Speaker 1He continues to press us until the oil that he wants to come out of our lives begins to flow On your life. Okay, so I witnessed you becoming a minister in the Lord's church. Amen, and it was. I know that that was another yes. Yes, and it was another level of sacrifice. Yes, can you tell me how you came to accept that call on your life?
Speaker 2Yeah, sure, as I said earlier, both my mom and dad were pastors and so all I know is church. And at my former church, jw James AME in Maywood, Illinois, just doing a shout out, one of the pastors, founder Lucille Jackson, would always mistakenly call me my mother's name, reverend Dorothy, and then she'd look at me and go, oh, that's Rhonda. But I realized it wasn't a mistake and others around me knew that and she knew it and I ran from that because I didn't want the reverend on my name. I ran for it for a long time, very, very long time, because in my opinion I was doing the work, I didn't need the title.
Speaker 1Come on, okay, okay.
Speaker 2Just my truth.
Speaker 1Okay, okay.
Speaker 2My truth, and as a preacher's kid, I saw my mom and dad go through a lot Front row seat With the people. Front row seat With the people. Front row seat Us.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2The people. But finally, I knew that it was time and I also knew that I needed to do it and to do it right. Yeah. But even in the yes Valeria I'll add this piece my husband and I were not in the same church, okay, and so even as I was going through the class, I felt the nudge of the Lord say that this would not be where I would be forever. Okay, because I knew he wanted us together.
Speaker 2Yeah, and so I'm grateful that, through the yes, through a year and a half of the ministerial class, god did it. Okay, and my husband was there to witness it. Amen. But I also knew that that was probably going to be it. That would be some of the last moments in that ministry for me. Yeah, because it wasn't about the title, it was about the yes. Yeah, and so I'm grateful to say that we are now together, amen. And so I'm grateful to say that we are now together, serving, worshiping in the same ministry, growing, really just seeing God do amazing things in our marriage in 10 years that we've never seen.
Speaker 1Come on, because when we give God a yes listen, he says seek ye first the kingdom of. God and his righteousness and all the things he'll be added unto you, that's right. So listen when we put God first, when we prioritize him, which is giving him that yes then everything else has to line up.
Speaker 2But let me tell you what happens in that yes, okay, when you start to make the yes, that's when the press gets even harder. You are telling the truth Because, god, you want me to leave a familiar place to go with my familiar husband. Got it, okay, but unfamiliar territory by myself. So now the press is like, oh, it's really a press, yeah, and it's out of comfort. But I could hear the Lord say do you trust me?
Speaker 1Why does he always ask us that?
Speaker 2Because we live sometimes as if we don't and we say things and we operate as if we don't. Yeah, and I'm guilty.
Speaker 1I promise you, I'm guilty Same same. You said something there, we. You said something there. We say God, I trust you.
Speaker 2Oh God, I trust you. We say the scripture trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Speaker 1Lean, not to your own understanding in all that way Acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path. Oh God.
Speaker 2I trust you.
Speaker 1But then our actions that come after that, completely opposite. Completely opposite, or negating what we just professed Guilty, what we just said I'm guilty For sure what we just confessed and spoke forward. Why is it that you think we do that? We're scared.
Speaker 2First of all, I can only talk for Rhonda. I am a control freak. I'm a baby control freak. No comment. There I'm learning you can't control this Right. God is in control. Yes, period Period no Period. God is in control. Period period no period with a base on it period.
Speaker 1God is in control.
Speaker 2I'm learning, so am I it's a day to day learning. It's a day to day relinquishing the control. I'm not in control. I can't see God what you see.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2And because I can't see what you see, why am I trying to control that? I can't see it. Your sovereignty, you can. In your sovereignty, you see that yeah.
Speaker 1You see what's coming ahead. You see what's coming ahead. You see what's coming.
Speaker 2You see who's coming.
Speaker 1You see, who's leaving? Yes, God, I got to trust you and the continued yes helps us to be prepared. That's correct For what he knows is coming. That's correct and we don't If we continue to give him a yes. That's not saying that we're not going to have challenges, Of course. It's just saying we'll be better equipped for the challenges because we've said yes.
Speaker 2That's right.
Speaker 1He's not going to. There's a scripture it's about. Basically, I can't think of the scripture, but he's not going to. Let us be caught unawares, that's right, that's right. But the only way we can not be caught unawares is if we are staying in his faith, which is prayer, which is studying his word. That's right, because that's what he has given us so that we can be equipped, empowered. That's our roadmap. Yeah, that, equipped, empowered.
Speaker 2That's our roadmap.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's the roadmap, that's our roadmap. So what kind of advice would you give to someone who is struggling right now with that yes? What would you say to them? Are the steps to surrender or to the yes?
Discovering Your Purpose and Impact
Speaker 2You know, one of the things that's really important, Valeria, is having the right accountability people in your life. That is key. You have to have the right voices in your spirit, in your ear, and I'm not going to over-spiritualize that. I'm going to be honest and say there are people sometimes that are so common to us as friends, as family, that may not be speaking what you need to hear. And if you have friends, slash family, your inner workings, your tribe, your community. If they are allowing you to stay comfortable, that's the wrong community.
Speaker 2If you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that there is a different press purpose on your life, you need the right individuals that will push you to be that that God has called you to be and that is a daily surrender. That is being honest with yourself and with others, but that's also surrounding yourself with the word of God, with prayer, with fasting, but then also that accountability person that can say hey, you, what are you doing? And give you deadlines, give you timelines, make sure that you are fully persuaded to be all that God has called us to be. Yes, we do not have time to waste.
Speaker 1We don't, Because I listen. It's been said since I was a child Jesus is coming soon, he's coming soon, but it has not changed. That's right. Jesus is still coming soon and it's sooner now than it was when I was a child when we were children sooner now than it was when I was a child, when we were children.
Speaker 1So we have to, as they say in the church, be about our father's business, because that's the whole purpose of us being on earth is to fulfill the will of God, and we do that through our service to others. As we surrender to God, he allows us to be of service to others in so many different ways. You talked about how you are a pusher and encourager, a helper, all those different things, but you can't do that unless you're equipped to do so. So can we talk a little bit about your equipping stage? What? What were some of the things that helped to equip you along the way?
Speaker 2You know, I was a single mom, uh, for about 10 years or so. Um, I divorced my children's dad in 1990 something and in that season I learned very quickly how God was a best friend, was a provider, was a shepherd.
Speaker 2I learned how God can equip you to do what it is he's called you to do. I also learned how to pray something as simple as God provide my daughters with everything a two-parent household would have. And in that season I learned how he equips, Come on. And so I think it's because of that place, that place of really being by myself me and Jesus and those two daughters I learned what equip really, really means. Okay, I also learned the importance of having again the right people. I'm an only child, as I said earlier, and so I started early praying for sisters, and God has done that. He has blown my mind with the women of God. He's placed in my life, including you, and to be able to have others to look up to and to model and to see their faith grow and walk into purpose. We're doing a recording as we speak. Because of your yes, God will equip if you ask. That's the key. Sometimes we're afraid to ask.
Speaker 1That is true.
Speaker 2Because with asking comes a lot of responsibility. The responsibility, yeah, but he will equip if you ask if you're ready, yeah. Here's the other thing about being a pusher. Sometimes people don't want to be pushed listen, who are you telling?
Speaker 1listen, um, listen, I am a. I am a pusher as well, and so in my early years, listen, I was pushing everybody about everything because you need to be the best that you can be honey. Listen, no, no, no, you shouldn't. You're satisfied here. No, no, no, no, no. You need to be here, you need to do this, you need to be going forward and doing this and doing this. And you know what I realized?
Speaker 2Some people are very fine. Listen yes.
Speaker 1And content. That's right. In where they are, that's right. And you know what? If that's the choice that they have made, it is okay.
Speaker 2It's okay. It's hard for us pushers, though, to let that go Very hard, but I've learned I can't want it more than you. That part I can't.
Speaker 1That part Because it frustrates us. It is so frustrating and now I'm out of the grace of God.
Speaker 2Come on, because now I want to cuss you out. I'm sorry, uh-huh, come on. What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you wasting time? Why are you wasting time? That's not for us to do?
Speaker 1It is not because we did not give them the purpose God did. That's right. And who are we to say what their purpose?
Speaker 2is Because now I've stepped over into a whole nother role.
Speaker 1You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 2And out of.
Speaker 1God's will Exactly Period. And the other part of that is everybody, as much as we want in this generation, as much as we want everybody. I'm an entrepreneur, I'm a leader generation as much as we want everybody. I'm an entrepreneur, I'm a leader, I'm a visionary, I'm this and I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that. If everybody is leading, who will follow? That's right, that's right and if everybody has a vision. Who's going to push?
Speaker 2the vision? Who's going to?
Speaker 1execute it. Who's going to execute the vision that's? Right so we need everyone, everyone to pour into what God has given us. So you have the people. You're surrounded by, the people who are helping you to push BFA, the vision that God has given you.
Speaker 1I am surrounding myself with people that are helping me to push the things that God has put on the inside of me, including this pressed into purpose, and we have to honor the grace that not only is on our lives, but the grace that's on other people's lives, because everybody has a tribe, everybody has a circle of influence. That's right. And so what are you doing in your circle of influence? That's what we, that's what we really have to get to, because in this purpose, we are impact where every listen. We are impacting our circle of influence, our part of the world. That's right. We don't. Everybody is not called to be, everybody's not called to the masses, that's right. That's right. Some people are called right here, that's right. In the local area, that's right. To impact lives and let's stop taking that for granted.
Speaker 2That's right.
Speaker 1That's right. Like everybody's not going to be Oprah, that's right. Everybody's not called to be Oprah, that's right.
Speaker 2You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1Some of us are called I think about. I think about my parents and your parents and the lives that they have impacted in their circle of influence, and the people who have grown, the people who have been saved, the people who have been set free, the people who have been encouraged just because they said yes in their circle of influence.
Speaker 1And so that's really what I want people to get as we have these conversations Take the nugget and understand what your purpose is, how to get to your purpose so that you can have the impact that God has called you to have.
Speaker 1Whether you are the administrative assistant that's sitting at the desk that has the joyful hello, that has the, I'm ready to help. Or you're the CEO that has the vision, or you are the custodian that is cleaning the place so that, when everybody comes, there's not garbage everywhere but it's a clean place to be, that's right. Whatever God has called you to do, let's go out, and do it, that's right. Let's be who God has pushed us to be. That's right. So I just went on a whole little. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1It's okay, it was needed. I went on a whole little. I'm sorry, it's okay, it was needed. I went on a whole little thing, but so I want to get back to you and I want to get back to so. You talked about how your circle matters. You talked about how spending time with God matters. You've talked about how sacrificing and pushing that plate matters. You talked about how studying the word matters. Is there anything else that you feel is important for the people to know? To get to that?
Speaker 2yes, I think the other piece to that is identifying what is my purpose. So if I'm going to say yes, I need to have an ear to hear, and a lot of times we have a lot of clutter in our lives, in our minds. There's a lot of noise in the earth, and so one of the things that I've learned just most recently I can't watch everything on TV.
Speaker 2I can't listen to everything on social media. I have to be very clear Just the last couple of months, the Lord has pulled me off Facebook. There's a lot of noise on FB, a lot of noise in TikTok, a lot of noise on YouTube, so I've been very, very quiet on purpose. I'll post maybe once a week and then I'm off. Okay, Because I want to make sure that what I'm doing glorifies God one and that my motive is always pure.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Those with a pure heart shall see God, and so in your yes, you want to make sure that you can really hear God and declutter the clutter.
Speaker 1Declutter the clutter.
Speaker 2Declutter the clutter.
Speaker 1And clutter being not just your life, but all that you are, you're taking in, that's right your ear gates, your eye gates. Yes, all the things that we are taking in. It really does matter.
Speaker 2It matters that we are taking in. It really does matter, it matters.
Speaker 1I remember a season in my life where I was all about the housewives and you know, still say, say, say, say but I'm watching the housewives and I saw some of those things coming out of me.
Speaker 2And I was like.
Speaker 1That's not even who I am. I don't even like it when I see that.
Speaker 2But that's what I was ingesting. It's so funny you said that, valeria, because there is one housewife that I was recording faithfully the last couple of years, and last year the Holy Spirit said, not this year, and I stopped recording it because what I was seeing was not only getting in my spirit, it was in my house. Yes, this is now sound in my atmosphere yes, exactly. That doesn't represent the kingdom and so you have to.
Speaker 1Once you push the things out, now you have to fill up with the word that's right things out. Now you have to fill up with the word. And so what? How do you fill up with the word on a on a daily basis? I mean, I know we're not walking around, you know? Oh, bless the King hallelujah every day.
Speaker 2We're not, you know we're not.
Speaker 1We're not, you know, just walking around in prayer all the time. So what are practical ways that you are able to clear the declutter and have a continuous.
Speaker 2Yes, you know, one of the things that I've just started, probably the last four months or so is reading a book. Months or so is reading a book, and so I picked up a book called Dangerous Prayers that stretches your prayer life to a whole nother level that you just believe God for anything and everything by praying dangerous prayers, being very open to the Lord, being very vulnerable, and so one of the things that I'm trying to do is get out of the TV and start reading more Christian books, but also listening to the word of God, and so not just reading but also having it in my ear. I love that. It's audible now you can get it anywhere audible. Also, just being able to watch Christian movies like get it out of kind of that normal, and this is not my everyday, I don't want to say like I'm this, but I will say that I'm being just more mindful and selective of what I'm listening to, what I'm watching.
Speaker 2I sit a lot of times just in quiet. Valeria, I'm very grateful for the space that I have at home. Sometimes it's in the bathroom, sometimes it's in my closet, sometimes it's in the office home.
Speaker 2Sometimes it's in the bathroom, sometimes it's in my closet, sometimes it's in the office, but I'll sit just before the Lord just to hear and to be really still. One of my favorite scriptures is Psalms 46 and 10, be still and know that I am God. Being still in God's presence is uncomfortable. Sometimes it is Because our mind is so naturally just tweaked to I got to do this, I got to do this, I got to go here. I got to, and so I purposely make myself be still. Yeah, I turn the phone face down so I cannot see it. I don't have an Apple watch on. I don't want to hear. It's just me and God. Okay, and that is every single day. Okay, on purpose. Wow, it's just me and God.
Speaker 1Okay, and that is every single day. Okay, on purpose. Wow, that's good, that's good. I definitely try to spend some time in quiet but, like you said a lot of times, the noise in our minds. It takes a moment to get quiet.
Speaker 2It does Even when you're quiet.
Speaker 1Yes, it takes a moment for your mind to quiet down and for you to not hear your yourself or the thing.
Speaker 2The list of things you have to do um, but to hear God.
Speaker 1And I don't want to be so super spiritual that we that we like gloss over things. So I know a question that somebody is going to ask is well, how do you hear God, how do you know that it's God?
Speaker 2that is speaking.
Speaker 1So can you give us some insight into that?
Speaker 2Yeah, so one of the things that you will know that it's God is that his word will back it up. Right and sometimes, you know I used to. When I was a babe in Christ, I used to pray things like Lord, let me see it on a billboard, lord, let me see it outside. And he will not always give the burning bush just the reality, but sometimes he will send a Valeria to speak a word that he's already said to me and I'm looking around the room like, oh me.
Speaker 2And he will send a random person, and or not, to confirm his word. If it is of God, it will match the word of God. Absolutely If it is not of God, it will not match the word of God. Just very clear, black and white. But you got to know.
Speaker 1You got to know the word, the word of God in order to be able to discern that's right, what is and what isn't.
Pressing Into Purpose
Speaker 1That is right, and so that's why it's important for us to study that's right and show ourselves approved. That's right, you know, yeah, that's good, that's good, that's good, okay, okay. So pressed into purpose. We've talked about ministry. Yes, we've talked about BFA. We've talked about just family challenges. What would you like to leave with the people when we talk about being pressed into purpose? What would you like to leave with the audience on today?
Speaker 2I think one of the things that I would say is one just knowing who you are, I have a sister in the Lord. I'm going to give her a shout out Miriam Berry, years ago, when I was going through my first marriage and it was broken. I was broken and I had these two little girls to raise and I didn't know who Rhonda was. And Miriam would always remind me of the Word of God Rhonda, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2I didn't know what that meant, Valeria.
Speaker 1I just didn't.
Speaker 2All I knew was that I was a mother, okay, and I was a wife. That was broken at the time, and she would drill that into me often. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You're fearfully, you're anointed. And the more she said it, valeria, the more I began to believe it, and so I would start there. I would say to this audience you have to know what God says about you is true. His word says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Speaker 2His word says that you are blessed. His word says you are healed. His word says you are deliberate. I could keep going.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And the only way you'll know what his word says is by getting in the word of God Absolutely. And so that's the first thing If you don't know who you are in Christ, you must get to know who you are in Christ so that you can find purpose. Yeah, if you don't get to know God, you will never find purpose. You will go from this to that, and I'm a firm believer and my life speaks it. I've had job after job looking for purpose, not realizing every job there was purpose. I was running from it, but once I stopped and I realized this was not just about being an HR professional, it was about God getting the glory through whatever assignment. And you said earlier, if I am one that sweeps the floor, if I'm the CEO and everything in between God, how do you get the glory?
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2How does purpose come out of what you've assigned me to do in the earth? Yeah, that is the question, and the answer is only found in his word Absolutely.
Speaker 1Amen, Amen. Well, I just want to. Well, before I even close out, do you have any questions for me or any thoughts for me?
Speaker 2Yeah, you know. One of the things I would ask Valeria is how did you get here? You, you know, I think your S is already given to the Lord, cause we're sitting here and you said it started in 2020, but how, today, did this come to pass?
Speaker 1Wow, that's a very loaded question, loaded question.
Speaker 1But I got here today because I have, in different stages of my life, said yes, in some way, when I was younger, all the way through I was raised in a Christian home with both my parents and a father a deacon, mother a missionary, evangelist and they were both Bible teachers, and so at a very young age they taught us the word of God. And so, when I tell you, I was serious about the father, I was serious about my walk with Christ, and so all the way through elementary school and really in high school, I was on fire for Jesus. Talk to anybody that knew me during that time. They might have thought I was a bit extra because I was.
Speaker 1But listen, I was like listen, you need to know Jesus and if you don't, you're on your way to hell. I don't want you to go to hell. You know I'm saying so. You need to get together, because you know we need to, we need to be with Jesus, you need to be saved, and but if I fat so so I was I was on fire. I was on fire and all through my 20s I was on fire. I was on fire and I got married and I was still on fire. But marriage brings out some different things and so we had some challenges in our marriage and I was like God, but I've done everything that you told me to do. I've been following your word, I've been keeping your commandments, and so I don't understand why you know I'm going through these things because I felt like I shouldn't be going through these things because you know.
Speaker 2I'm following the word.
Speaker 1And that's something I would want people to know. Don't think that because you've given God a yes, that because you've surrendered, that you are not going to go through trials and challenges, because the difference between the believer and the non-believer is we know that God is with us through the challenges, but at that time I was not.
Speaker 1you know, I wasn't, I wasn't really feeling all that, and so me and God you know, we had a lot of conversations and fast forward through my marriage, a couple of separations and, at that second separation in 2020, that is where I really surrendered for real Amen. So you were pressed Listen.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 1I was pressed and pressed some more. You got some oil.
Speaker 1And I had to. I had to, I had to Come to terms with. This was not about me. And so when I finally really surrendered and I said God, whatever you want me to do, amen. However you want me to do, amen. However you want me to do it, I'll do it. Show me what you have for me. What do you want from me? And he began to download all these different things into me. And the Bible talks about witty ideas and inventions. And I remember sitting on my couch in that apartment by myself and, um, I just hurt breast into purpose and I was going through so much ronda, like I didn't want the marriage anymore.
Speaker 1Yeah, I didn't. I didn't want to do it anymore. But god said something different, absolutely, and I finally had to surrender to what God said and not what Valeria wanted or didn't? Want. That's right, and so when I began to surrender, even before we started this, one of the things I told you, one of the things that came up was the prayer for my husband.
Speaker 1I remember a time when I didn't want to pray for him. I didn't want to pray for him, I didn't want to pray for our marriage, but that was exactly what God was telling me to do, and so I finally had to surrender, and every day. I cried. I cried while I prayed the prayer that God had laid on my heart and as I cried, every day got a little bit better, which means every day God was breaking down a little bit more of my wall that I had put up of what I didn't want to do, and so when I heard God say pressed into purpose, I was like, well, what do?
Speaker 2you want me to do with that?
Speaker 1He said a podcast and I said, god, there are a lot of people out here talking about a lot of different things and we don't need another voice out here in the world.
Speaker 2Isn't it funny how we tell God what he needs. The creator, the king of kings, the lord of lords, listen, we tell him.
Speaker 1I said, god, there doesn't need to be another voice out here, there's enough. There's millions of podcasts. I don't need to be out here in podcast land. Here we are. But here we are four years later that's right Recording the first episode and from 2020 to 2024, more challenges have come up, that's right.
Speaker 1But I know that this is God's will. Yes, because he didn't. He never let it go, that's right. He continued to drop nuggets. He continued to have people like you in my life to ask me, to hold me accountable. Didn't you say the Lord said what are you doing with what the Lord said? Are you still going to do such and such? You know, I mean got birthed BFA and you in 2020.
Speaker 1And you held me accountable and still hold me accountable and grateful. I didn't neither one of us, really wanted to do either of the things, all of that, but we now know. Yes, we now know that our way is not the way. That's right.
Speaker 2Period For certain. That's right. We're now clear, we're clear, we're clear.
Speaker 1The God's way is the way, and so I got here because I surrendered, but I also had people like you to hold me accountable and to pray for me, and I have a wonderful husband who supports me in all of my endeavors. And I listen 2020, I wasn't saying that, but in 2024, I am grateful and thankful for the journey that God has taken us on as a couple, but then also that he's taken me on personally, because he had to get me to full surrender, yes, and every day he wants full surrender, that's right, and some days we get it right Some days.
Speaker 2we don't, that's right.
Speaker 1But thank God for another day with breath in our body and grace and mercy, and grace and mercy. Yes, yes, that he allows us to have another opportunity that our body and grace and mercy and grace and mercy, yes, yes, that he allows us to have another opportunity.
Speaker 1That's right, to do what he's called us to do and fulfill that's right, our purpose, that's right. So, god, we thank you, yes, lord, for never allowing us to be comfortable, yes, and complacent, in a place that you've not called us to. We thank you that you challenge us and that you press us to continue to move into purpose. We thank you that you've given us all purpose.
Gratitude and Blessings
Speaker 1We thank you that you've given us all a unique purpose, lord God, in the earth, to impact our circle of influence. So, father, I thank you for this time. We thank you for this time, we thank you for this conversation, we thank you for just all the nuggets that have come from it. And, lord God, we, we give you glory, honor and praise and we will continue to press into our purpose in Jesus name Amen. Thank you, thank you, I love you so much.
Speaker 2I love you so much, I appreciate you so much, and it's only up from here for you.
Speaker 1Amen. It's only up from here, ditto. I look forward to seeing all the other things that God is going to birth out of Rhonda Denise Robinson. Thank you. Thank you, valeria, god bless you. God bless you. God bless you, and thank you all for listening. Thank you for tuning in to Precedent, to Purpose the podcast, and we will see you on the next episode.