When God Leads You Somewhere Unfamiliar | A Conversation with Dr. Patrice Carter

Today's Guest: Dr. Patrice Carter
Location: North Carolina
Occupation: Ordained Prophet, Board Certified Life Coach, Author & Founder of Breakpoint Coaching Collective
Favorite Theme: Trusting God through seasons of reconstruction and spiritual growth
Listen If: You're walking through an unfamiliar season, struggling to hear God's voice, or learning to trust God one step at a time.

Have you ever found yourself following God, yet everything around you suddenly feels unfamiliar?

In this episode of the Speak Daughter Podcast, Samantha sits down with Dr. Patrice Carter for a powerful conversation about what it means to trust God through seasons of spiritual reconstruction. Together, they unpack what happens when God begins stripping away old identities, expectations, and routines in order to rebuild something stronger.

From learning to hear God's voice in new ways to embracing vulnerability, slowing down, and choosing relationship over religion, this conversation is filled with practical encouragement for anyone navigating an unexpected season.

If you've been questioning where God is leading you or wondering if you're still on the right path, this episode is a reminder that unfamiliar doesn't mean you've wandered—it may be evidence that God is doing a new work within you.

In This Episode, You'll Hear About

• What spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction really look like
• Learning to trust God's leading when the path feels unfamiliar
• Why relationship with God is more important than religious performance
• How busyness can distract us from hearing God's voice
• Discovering new ways God communicates during different seasons
• The importance of vulnerability, community, and receiving help
• Trusting God's heart—even when you can't trace His hand

Meet Our Guest

Dr. Patrice Carter is an ordained prophet, Board Certified Life Coach, Certified Holistic Health Coach, mentor, speaker, author, and entrepreneur with more than four decades of leadership experience spanning business, healthcare, military service, and personal development.

She is the Founder and CEO of Breakpoint Coaching Collective, LLC, where she equips and certifies Christian Life Coaches while helping leaders discover purpose, strengthen their faith, and lead with confidence. Alongside her husband, Dalton, who serves as COO, Dr. Carter is passionate about developing people through coaching, mentorship, and biblical leadership.

A proud Military Spouse and U.S. Army Reserve Veteran, Dr. Carter holds a PhD in Organization and Management, an MBA, an MSA in Healthcare Management, and a BS in Management. She is also the author of SUPERb Woman: From Bad Girl to God's Girl, Rainbows in Dark Places, and 65 Ways to Be Successful in Business.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Dalton, and is a proud bonus mom to Miles, Destiny, and Desire.

Connect with Dr. Patrice Carter

Website: https://drpatricecarter.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpatricecarter/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrice.s.carter/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpatricecarter

Breakpoint Coaching Collective:

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Remember — don’t just listen, live it. Make yourself available to God and watch Him work in your life in ways you never imagined.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome back to the Speak Daughter Podcast. It's definitely been a minute since my last episode. I want to say that's probably in March. And lots has happened. Lots has happened. As many of you know, um, I was pregnant and in April gave birth to my fourth baby a few weeks early. Had a few complications and whatnot, and then went straight into my other kids getting out of school and just navigating all of that. So lots of craziness. Um, it's been a whirlwind the last few months, and I mean I I'm excited to pick back up and share more of my journey and more of what it is I feel God brings me to and brings me through with you guys. I'm going to be as transparent as I possibly can be within this episode because I feel like it's something, it's not new. I think every believer kind of comes to a point where things don't go as they think it will after, you know, kind of sort of Hey y'all, welcome back to the Speak Darta podcast. I'm back and it has been a few months since my last episode. I want to say the last one was in March. Definitely not at all intentional, but life happens, as many of you guys know. So I was pregnant with my fourth baby and had some complications in March. Ended up delivering her early and then in May swung right into the end of school year chaos for my other three kids. And just kind of taking it day by day and honoring my capacity to do things intentionally, you know, definitely in a different space, a weird space, if you will. It's not one that I've I've experienced before, but I am looking forward to kind of sharing the journey with you guys. And of course, as always being as transparent and honest as I can with that experience. But like I said, we are back and I'm excited to be. There's a lot that I feel the need to share based off of like just what's gone on in the last couple of months. As you guys know, we've been talking about the good path and what that looks like. Of course, that's different for everyone, right? But as a believer, God wants us to be on the good path, the good path that He has laid out for us as individuals, right? And when I got that theme, I'm gonna say it was last year, I had no idea. I had no idea what I would experience uh this year as a result of that, right? I'm gonna do a quick uh recap here and then I'll hop into what we're talking about for today's episode. For a really long time, I was like, no, on any more kids. We had three kids, 15, 6, and 5, and I was totally fine with that, right? But my husband kept kind of like, we could do one more, we can do one more in hopes that we would uh have a boy. I was still just very no, right? But in the beginning of last year, one of my prayers was just God's will, like whatever you say, God, like whatever you say is what I'm gonna do. It's whatever you say, but just lead me, right? And as I continued to pray that prayer, my heart got softer towards the conversation of having more children, and eventually it ended up being a yes, got rid of my birth control, got pregnant, and of course, lots of excitement around that, right? And just really trusting, like, okay, God, like this is what you want for us, you know, this is what you want for me, and trusting that that's part of the good path, right? Wasn't something that I anticipated happening. I didn't, you know, past me, couldn't have possibly imagined that me last year would have, you know, said yes, you know, to the possibility of having another child in the middle of everything else that I have going on in in in my world. But nonetheless, I did it and it's like, okay, trusting God, right? Trusting that this is the good path, trusting that I'm doing what it is that He wants me to do, right? Fast forward to this year, of course, being pregnant, the complications, got through them, right? Deliver the baby, she's healthy, you know, and of course, settling in, right? Settling into being a new mom again and all of those things. And that does not look the way that I planned. So today's episode is all about how to navigate like the unexpected after you've given God your yes, right? I think we know things aren't always going to be perfect and we're not always going to be happy with the things that we experience, right? But what happens when the result of your yes is something that you feel is heavier than you can carry, or it is heavier than you can carry, you know? How do you navigate that and doing it in a way that honors who you are and honors God and continues to point you back to Him? So just a little backstory, right? I believe a hundred percent in postpartum depression. I think that that is something that every woman experiences to some extent. With my first two kids, didn't experience any of it, right? My son, I definitely experienced it a little bit, and that's kind of where it not that it wasn't real to me with my first two, but that's really where I was like, okay, whoa. Just lots of roller coaster emotions. And I remember so vividly, just a quick story. One day we were going to my brother-in-law's house, and like we stopped at Starbucks. And I remember like we're driving, and I just feel like waves of emotions, and we're in the line at Starbucks in the drive-thru, and I'm just bawling my eyes out. My husband's like, What is wrong? And I'm like, I don't know. I don't know. It was the first time that I've ever experienced it, and thankfully got through that season, right? But I remember talking with my husband. I can absolutely see now how women can get stuck there, right? I believe my faith in God pulled me through, and I believe the support from my husband pulled me through at that time, but it was something I was like, I never want to experience it again. And in the beginning of our pregnancy, that was one of the things I was like, I just don't know what that's going to look like. So I'm weary, right? Just like that's not what I want. So, of course, fast forward to present day delivering my baby. And it was probably, I mean, it was like three weeks before we could really settle in because she had to be readmitted back to the hospital. I had stuff with my complications as well to deal with. So it's gonna be like three weeks in, you know, when we really got to kind of like be at home and settle, which was completely opposite because I had this whole Instagram worthy, you know, concept in my mind of what it was gonna be, you know, and it just wasn't, right? Of course, settling into motherhood again, I start feeling those really big, heavy emotions. And there was one where I was just I was sitting here in my room and I was crying and I was praying to God, and I'm like, God, like, why, you know, I I gave you my yes, but why would you bring me here if this is what you knew would happen, you know? And I didn't get an answer. I haven't gotten an answer yet, but it does lead me to how I navigate, how I'm navigating in real time just unexpected circumstances that came that have come from like my honest yes to God. It's just that simple, right? So yeah, that's that's that's what we're talking about is navigating the unexpected that comes from your yes to God, right? And again, I I don't think that it's unique. I do think that every believer at some point experiences this, you know, in when they do the thing that they feel is tough or they do the thing that God is calling them to do and they're they're uncertain, you know, the unexpected does happen. But this is specifically talking about how you handle your mental space and how we're handling our emotional space in the middle of this. And it doesn't just relate to postpartum, right? That's where I'm at right now, but it doesn't just relate to that. You can apply what we're talking about today to any of it, right? So ultimately, we know that when we say yes to God, right? He there is no promise that everything is going to be perfect, right? But we do have the promise that he will be with us in the middle of it, right? And and that he will direct our path and that his plans are good and that we can trust him. We we know that to be a fact, right? So God's word tells us that in surrender, right, that he will guide us and he'll direct our path, and that he's with us and that we can trust him and that we can count on him to pull us through no matter what it is that we're experiencing, right? Those truths, right, tell us that the outcome of ultimately the outcome of what we're going to experience will be for his good. So to point people back to God, right? And to give hope and encouragement and faith in the middle of their situations, right? So we can trust that what we go through is good. But from a human perspective, right, the outcome, when you're in the middle of it, you're not looking at like, you know, somewhere down the line, I'm going to tell this story to someone and they're going to be built up or they're going to turn back to God, or they're going to, you know, their faith is going to be reignited. We're not thinking about those things in the middle of what it is that we're going through. And I feel like that's that's just real and that's just honest, right? So how do we keep our faith? How do we keep hold of, like, I said yes to yes to you, God, because I trust you. I said yes to you, God, because I know that you have a purpose and a plan. I said yes to you because I know that your word tells me that your plans are good. How do we hold on to those things in the middle of what could be like a really low and dark place? I think for most, well, for all of us, right? Like we start out like on fire with our yes. You know, I remember saying yes to God last year and just be like, okay, God, like whatever you say, got my birth control taken out, like whatever you say, you know, whatever you whatever you deem to happen is what's going to happen. And I was like excited, excited about the possibility of what's to come, right? So it's kind of like we start out after we give our yes to God, like on fire and excited. And we're just like, all right, you know, God's got me. Whatever is gonna happen is what's gonna happen, and I trust him, right? And then we put our money where our mouth is and we just get to work, right? Whatever the steps it is that we need to take to back up our yes is what we do. I think he uses our humanity to try to kind of distract us from the yes that we previously gave, right? Because if we're hanging on to the yes, then that yes will bring us back to, okay, God, you said I could trust you. You said you have a purpose, you have a plan, you said that you're for me, right? So if he can, if the enemy can shake our faith and distract us or deter us to try to put us on a different, like, and somewhere along your surrendered yes to God, the unexpected happens, right? And I think the enemy uses the unexpected things that kind of attack our minds and our emotions. He uses them to shake our faith, to distract us, to deter us from the vision, to stop any forward movement of any sort, right? And I think we have to be, we have to pay attention because his most effective attacks, at least for women, I believe, are not going to be like in the things that we see around us, right? But it is going to be within our minds and within our emotions. He knows that those are two areas if he can get in there and kind of scramble things around, like with worry or doubt or anxiety or depression or, you know, poor self-image, or, you know, if he can put all of these seeds in there, he can absolutely stop our forward movement in our yes, whatever that yes is, you know, and apply that to where it is that you are, right? Whatever yes it is that you've given to God, there's a specific seed that the enemy will try to plant if he hasn't planted it, right? That puts you in a place where you don't feel like you can move forward, you know, or it really does stop you, you know. And I think in for me in this space, there's lots of there's good days and there's lots of not so great days, right? And I think I'm gonna be very careful when I say this, because I I believe in mental health and I believe in, you know, medical professionals providing guidance and instruction, right? But I firmly believe that for a believer, depression is something that the enemy uses specifically to keep us from moving forward. If you think about like the word depression in itself, it looks like just pushing everything down on you to where you're you're weighted and you can't do anything, right? That's the one of the best ways I can think to stop a believer from moving forward in the things that they've said yes to God about, you know. And in my life specifically, right, like talking to my husband, like, you know, I have the podcast and I have business and I have the kids and you know all of these things. And my husband's response is, well, just go lay down and do nothing. You know, it's okay to do that. And yes, it is okay to take a beat, right? And and to make sure that you're honoring your own capacity. But I think that as a believer, when you know that there is an assignment, there's you have to understand the difference between taking a rest and like being refreshed in that and stopping everything, if that makes sense. Because I feel like that's where the danger is. And that's one of the things that I was telling him is I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if I create a habit out of just laying around and doing nothing and so sitting and soaking in these emotions, that I'm not going to get up. And it's just not a place that I wanted to be. And it took a moment, it took a little bit for me to kind of realize, like, okay, I see what's going on, you know, there's things that I started out this year doing, you know, um, like a coffee and connection, like in my in my community, of course, the podcast, you know, being in my word, you know, continuously like being in prayer and stuff. And it's like there's things that I've started out that I know will move the kingdom and my assignment forward. So how does the enemy what's the best way for him to stop me, right? Is to put me in a place where I feel like I just can't. And it's okay to feel those emotions. It's okay to be in that space, right? But I think that it's even more important for us as believers to find the way out of it. And I don't think that it's something that we can do, but I do think that there are some things that can help us, right? I I believe that it is like the Holy Spirit, it is God, is it's his presence that will help to bring us out and kind of clear the fog so that way you can see what the enemy is doing clearly enough to be able to counter his attack, right? So, like the big question is like, how do you navigate that? Like, how do you navigate the really low, dark places? And I think the first thing that I've really hung on to is just taking it to God. You know, uh God isn't afraid of our big emotions. He's not afraid of our like scary questions and the things that we wouldn't normally ask our spouse or our best friend or whatever the case may be. He's not afraid of those things and he invites us to bring them to him so that he can provide the answer, provide a different perspective, provide, allow his presence to sh or to give you the answers. You know, it's almost like stumbling through the dark in a dark room and like someone's trying to lead you out of it using their voice, right? Like you have to do your part of that. Like it, you have to be able to make a noise to for them to know that you're there in that dark place and ask for help and ask for the the guidance to be able to get out of it, right? Uh so I think that's that's like the biggest thing is taking it to God. Like, doesn't matter what it is that you're asking him for. He's not afraid of it, he won't shame you for it, he won't be mad at you for it, he won't be like, hey, you big dummy, you should know this. But I think that that is the most important thing is being bold enough to say, God, like I'm in this place and I don't know what to do. I've it's dark and it's lonely, and I feel like I just can't get up. I feel like I'm beaten down, I feel sad, I feel anxious, I'm so worried about, you know, everything. I'm I'm I'm doubting the possibility that I'm gonna get out of all of and anything that I'm going through, right? Taking it to God is what allows him to be able to make the way, you know, forward for you. The next thing would be getting in your word. And of course, like that is something that every believer should be doing. But specifically, when you were going through something, when you ask God to show you something in his word that's going to help you through, he will give it to you. The answer to the question, the solution to the problem, whatever it is that you're looking for, you can find it in his word. It's an instruction manual, you know. And for me, I started reading in Psalms and it's like, God, I just need like an anchoring scripture. I need something. And there's lots of, I have like a memo in my phone of lots of passages in Psalms, but the one that I have clung to is Psalms 34 and 4. And that is my anchoring scripture for where it is that I'm at and what it is that I'm going through. And I've put it in my own words, and when I feel low, the lowest of low, or even just a little uncertainty, or a little like, okay, what am I doing? Reflecting on Psalms 34 and 4 just brings a certain level of peace for me. And Psalms 34 and 4 says, I sought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. And I've put that into my own words to kind of speak to my own situation. So for me, it's I I looked for God in the middle of what I'm going through. And he understood where I where I'm at, and he provided the way out for everything that was weighing on my mind. So I think the next thing would be getting in your word. The word is our instruction manual. Anything and everything that we need an answer to, we can find in the word. And when you're reading your word or before you read your word, pray and ask God to show you where to start or where to go. Right. And if you don't hear anything or you don't feel led in any specific direction, just start reading. I would say in Psalms or in Proverbs. There's good place, good places to start, right? But for me, I in the middle of everything that I'm experiencing, I started reading through Psalms, like just looking for an anchoring scripture, like, God, just give me an anchoring scripture. And I found it in Psalms 34 and 4, which says, I sought the Lord and He answered me. He provided the way out. So I put it into my own words to kind of just speak to where it is that I'm at as my anchoring scripture. And that sounds like I looked for God in the middle of what I'm going through. He knows exactly where I'm at, and he's provided the way out for everything that's weighing on my mind. And when I'm in the lowest of the low, that scripture just it reminds me like I may be feeling angry or sad or anxious or overwhelmed or overstimulated. Insert whatever emotion you need to insert there. But it encourages me to look for the way that God has already provided out. And if I'm sad, sometimes like that way out is like my kids, you know, just being silly and like the joy that they have, you know, if there's like anger or overstimulation or overwhelm that I'm feeling, sometimes that way out looks like talking to my husband, and he's like, okay, well, how can I help? You know, and maybe there is one thing that I can give him to do that kind of helps solve that, right? But the the bottom line of it for me, the why it anchors me is because it keeps me going back to God for the solution. It keeps me going back to him to say, okay, this is where I'm at. You know where I'm at. God help me to see the way out. And it's not a one and done. I've definitely learned it's not a one and done. But I can do that 50 times in an hour. And each time, like there's a little bit of a piece of an answer or a piece of the solution that I get, or a piece of whatever it is that's going to help like respond to what I'm feeling on the inside, you know? And it's kind of Of, like, just a revolving door, if you will. Like, I can go back as many times as I need and use that scripture to help me out of wherever it is that I'm at. And that's powerful. And I think that is why it's so important for us to, in the middle of heaviness in our minds and our emotions as women, it's important for us to go and find that scripture that's going to anchor us in that time. Because if we get that anchor, we can drop that anchor as many times as we need. And that builds your faith. It it helps you to be encouraged. It continues, it's a reminder, it's a continued reminder. So I can't like stress that enough. Get in your word, bring up a note or a voice memo, however it is, put it on a post-it on in your on your mirror, in your refrigerator, whatever it is that you have to do, but find that anchoring scripture and use it and continually go back to it anytime those emotions, that mental state, that heaviness comes to you. Because ultimately, again, it's it's not just, oh, I'm having a bad day. You know, I think that the enemy kind of has tricked us, and oh, I'm just having a bad day. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed. No, he knows if he can attack you and attack your mind and attack your emotions, everything around you is impacted. Your children, your job, your business, your relationship, your household. It can be up-ended just with what is going on in your mind and in your emotions. So the word, find that anchoring scripture. I cannot stress it enough. And I think the last thing is speaking what you know even when you don't see it. And I think this has been so, so, so important. It's just as important as getting in your word, right? Because when you get that anchoring scripture, you can apply it in this way of saying, like, God, I feel X, but your word says X. And because of that, I am X. So the last thing I would say is speaking what you know even when you don't feel it. So faith isn't pretending that what you're going through isn't happening, but it is acknowledging where it is that you are and trusting and speaking and being on the other side of it. Right. And for me, it's it's as simple as kind of connecting my anchoring scripture with talking to God about it and and declaring what I know based off of what he's saying in his in his word. So for me, that kind of look, I'll just give an example, right? Like, God, I feel sad right now. I feel so sad. I feel alone, but I know that your word tells me that you provide a way out for everything that is weighing on my mind. And because of that, I know that there's joy that I can find in my day. You know, I know that there's people who love me. I know that I'm victorious. I know that I'm strong. I know that I'm smart. I know that, you know what I mean? All of these things you can insert your anchoring scripture and your truth in all of that based off of what is in his word. And just speaking that in those moments is is everything that you possibly could need to help just kind of shift where you're at, you know? It's it's definitely interesting just kind of watching how God is kind of just leading me through it, you know. And again, I I can't stress it enough. It's it's not a one and done. None of what I'm saying is like you do it once and then you're good, you know, forever. It is a daily, like anytime I feel I'm feeling, you know, anytime I'm feeling opposite of what I know God wants me to feel, or being anytime I can recognize I'm in a space that is opposite of where I should be, is when I'm using these things. So if I can leave you with three things that kind of sum up this episode and just what I've learned from where I'm at right now, it would be number one, continuously go to God. Take everything to God. He's not afraid of your questions or your big emotions or you being angry or overwhelmed or sad or whatever the case may be. He's not afraid of it. Just continuously go to him and trust that he will provide the way out. Number two is find your anchoring scripture. The answer to the problem, the hope, you know, your the building up of your faith, the encouragement, the light at the end of the tunnel, I promise you can find it in scripture. Find that anchoring scripture, put it in your own words so that it speaks to where it is that you are. Um, and then number three is speak what you know, not what you're experiencing, because speaking what you know creates the atmosphere for what you're believing for. So continuously putting those three things together and just doing it as many times as you need in a day makes all of the difference. Right? At the end of the day, the enemy doesn't want us to move forward. He doesn't want us to see what is going on in our minds and our emotions as an attack from him. He doesn't want us to recognize that, but and do it as many times in a day as you need. And I promise you, I promise you, each and every time you will find what you need. You'll get what you need for where it is that you're at. So I think I'm gonna wrap this episode up there. But I pray that this just provides that hope, that encouragement, the path forward for where it is that you may be. Share it with someone who you know that may be struggling as well. And I will see you guys in the next one.