Ep 50 - Your Testimony Has Power

In this week’s episode of Messy But Motivated, I’m opening up about some of the spiritual warfare I’ve been walking through lately and why I believe the enemy works so hard to keep us silent.

We talk about the incredible importance of sharing your testimony—not because we have it all together, but because God uses our messy stories to point people to Him. Someone out there needs to hear what the Lord has brought you through.

I also share why having a strong church community isn’t optional. We were never meant to fight spiritual battles alone, and surrounding yourself with other believers can make all the difference when life gets heavy.

This episode also touches on a deeply personal subject: my relationship with my dad. It’s not an easy conversation, but it’s one the Lord has continually placed on my heart to share. We’ll discuss how our earthly fathers can shape the way we view our Heavenly Father—and why God’s love remains perfect, even when our earthly experiences aren’t.

If this episode encouraged you, would you consider sharing it with someone who needs it? Your support helps this message reach more people.

Want to sponsor a future episode? Email me at melinda@mrsmotivated.com.

If you’d like to support the podcast and help us continue creating episodes and providing Bibles to those who need them, you can donate through my buy me a coffee link below.

📖 Book mentioned in this episode:
Life Principles Daily Bible 

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Thank you for being part of the Messy But Motivated family. Remember—God isn’t looking for perfection. He’s looking for obedience.

Thanks for being a listener, stay blessed friends. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Messy But Motivated. I am your host, Melinda. Welcome everybody. Today I made notes because listen, it's gonna be jam-packed, but it's gonna be good stuff. I promise it's gonna be good stuff. I have been under, I'll just start with this. I have been under some type of spiritual warfare. Now, listen, if you've been following me for a long time or listening to my podcast, you know this isn't new, okay? Now, some spiritual battles aren't so bad, and others, man, they're pretty bad. Um, you know, before I have had it so bad where my pastor had come over and put some anointing oil on me and listen, um, hands-on all the things because it was bad. Um, it wasn't so much this this time, but it was still pretty bad. Uh the nightmares are where he gets me. He knows where he can get me. Um, now he'll never win, so I'm always going to fight. I'm never gonna surrender to him, but he's very convincing in the moment that that is what it is. It is what it is. And it always goes back to this where I'm at is kind of like the same thing every time, and that's what messes with my head. So I woke up and I went to my holy water and I was like doing all the things with it. My husband looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't care. Listen, no, I woke up and I was like, what just happens? I like first off, and then I had to wait three days to go to service at church. So that's I guess one thing that really is not good because when I lived back in Iowa, I was able to just go into Pastor Jason's office and I had before many times and been like, hey, um, this is happening. And he would put hands on me and pray. And um, you know, even my small group, they would put hands on me and pray. But here it's kind of like, oof, so I will tell you, I went to church on Sunday and I had been praying, you guys, because I'm I'm trying to get myself out of this because I know the Lord's with me. I know he is, and he's like standing there and he's like, we're gonna get through this. It's fine. Um, I've equipped you, put on your armor, you're fine. Like, we're gonna get through this. But I need like it's like one of those things where I know he's with me, but I want somebody else there with me. And that's why I was like, all right, when I go to church, I'm gonna feel like when I walk in there, I'm not the only one on the battlefield. And that's exactly what it felt like. It was walking up there. Okay, first let me he he does his sermon, and of course he's like, if you need somebody to come up and, you know, and pray or whatever. And I didn't go. And the Holy Spirit was telling me the whole time, like, girl, you need to go. And I'm like, I'm not going. I'm not going. Me and me and the Holy Spirit, we fight a lot. Okay, we go back and forth because he tells me to do things, and I'm like, listen, I'm not, I I can't. Well, there was no at the end of that service, it was, you know, you get one last chance to go up there and like, you know, meet him at the altar and you know, get prayer and hands-on. And I wasn't even controlling myself at that time because listen, the Holy Spirit was like, No, you're going, like, drug me up there. And the minute I went up there, I was just kind of like, at first, I was like, Why am I up here? You know, they don't understand. Nobody understands, you know, because I at that moment I was letting other things like tell me I was stupid for going up there. I was why pe everybody's staring at you. You you look like an idiot right now. All these things were going through my mind. And then I was like, Turn them off, turn them off, turn them off. And I was just telling God, I'm like, turn this off, like let me know why I'm here right now. Like, let me know why I'm standing up here, why you dragged me up here, all the things. And they came and laid hands on me, and it was almost like, and I know this sounds crazy, but I like started like it was almost like hyperventilating crying. And I was like, what is happening right now? And they were saying all the right things, and mind you, you guys, I have not talked to these people, okay? I they don't know, they know the basis of me. They know the basis, they know like I'm I do social media or whatever, but and I have I have a podcast, but they it's like they knew the battle I was I was facing at that moment because the things they were saying were exactly like spot on with my battle. My battle is waking up every day and doing this, getting on social media, spreading the word, doing I know I'm gonna keep doing it. Don't get me wrong, I will never stop spreading the word until the day I am laid in the ground. But I want you to know it is not easy. It is not easy, it is a hard job. If I'm not seeing mean comments, I'm I'm getting the backlash over here from people looking at me like I'm crazy. I'm getting the people who would contact me and be like, hey, let's hang out until they see my my my Facebook and my content, and then it's just like they don't want to hang out anymore because they think like I'm gonna come to their house, I guess, with holy water and like I don't know what they're what they think. But the amount of people who have just done that, like on pages, they'll be like, hey, I'm looking for friends, and then I will like message them, and then the next thing you know, it's like ghosted because they looked at my profile and they're like, No, mm-mm, nope, she talks about the Lord, not happening. And um so it's just been it's hard. It's really hard, but I mean, uh, they knew what I needed at that moment, and God, I I truly believe the Holy Spirit was like, listen, go over to her and say these things because they were saying the things that I needed them to say. And I I walked out of there, I felt 50 pounds lighter. I did. I walked out of there and I was like, whoa, I didn't know how much I needed that, but I needed it, and I'll tell you, I do feel great today. I came home, we wrote, uh, I had to write a seminary paper and just all the things, but I just want you to know something. A lot of you are like, I don't need to go to church, I don't, and you're right, you don't. We are the church, but I want you to understand that sometimes we need we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to come to battle with us. We need other people to put hands on us and pray over us. Yes, we can fight our battles. Yes, uh the Lord is with us as we fight. Yes, we have our armor on. But man, I can tell you when I walked out of there, I felt 50 pounds lighter. I felt as if we did win the battle. I felt like us three walked in there and that was all I needed. One person on one shoulder, the other was on the other. And I swear I felt like they were just like um holding up Samuel's arms. I felt like they were like, listen, I know you're weak right now, and I'm gonna hold them up and I'm gonna fight for you. Because when I walked out, I felt like we had won the battle. So please just know the importance of going to church is not just you to hear the sermon, it is that community. Those people who are gonna be like, I know, because guess what? He's in the room right now and he's telling me that you need these words. He's telling me that I need to be here with you and fight with you. Like, you have got to understand that. There are so many of you that are like, I don't want, I get it. I was that girl. I didn't want to go to the church. I did not want to go to the church. I was like, I can do this at home. I can do this at home. I can watch Joel Osteen, Joyce Myers. I'm fine. I can do that in the comfort of my own home. I can pour myself a coffee, and I could just sit here and don't get me wrong, there are days that that that was great. But where are they when I need somebody to pray over me because I'm having night terrors? Where are they when this spiritual battle is so heavy that I don't want to get out of bed? Where are they when my marriage is rough and I have nobody else to go to? And the Lord says you need to go in and let my community pray over you. Where? Where is Joyce? Where is Joel? You have to understand that it's not us just saying you need to go because people get this wrapped up in their they want your money, they want your money. Listen, you give what you want to give. If you don't want to give nothing, don't give nothing. Do you understand that? Like you don't have to give anything. Is it is it very, very um biblical to give? Absolutely. It is. And and those people who say, oh gosh, that's all they want is my those are the people I know off the bat. You are not, you don't know the Bible. I know right off when when people talk about tithing or not giving or whatever, I I know right off the bat you you don't know the Bible. You're surface level. And I'm not there's nothing against it because I was surface level. But when you really go into it, you learn that the reason that we give is because we are thankful. He's provided. We're bringing something to the table, okay? We're bringing it to the table. We're saying here, you've given me all of this, Lord. I'm gonna give you this. And and that church is gonna use it to give that school supplies. Like, that's what our church is doing right now. They're giving school supplies, they're gonna give school supplies. Oh, guess what? Around Thanksgiving, guess what they're gonna do? They're gonna give everybody uh vouchers to go go to the grocery store and get dinner for Thanksgiving, dinner. Like those are things that you are putting your trust in the Lord and you're saying, here is my money. Now, I don't give every time I don't give a huge amount. I want you all to know that I don't. I think me and my husband have never been a part of a church where we actually are within the church, like they take it out of our income. We have not. We come and we tithe that day because I like I ask the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I'm like very giving, and I don't know. We'll be at the ATM and I'm like, Mike, just get out this much. And he's like, Really? I said, Yeah, I don't know. I'm feeling it. I feel like the that the Lord's telling me we need to give that much, and he's like, Okay. Um, and sometimes it ain't a lot. It isn't a lot, but I want you to know it isn't all about money because a lot of you are like, but I don't have the money to give. And you're right, not a lot of us do. But you know what you can give? Your time. That's what you can give. There are so many people that don't tithe, but they they'll go and they'll work in the nursery. They'll stand at the door and they open the door. They'll they'll be the ones putting the putting the chairs together before the service. God sees it all. So so so many of you get wrapped up in that. I didn't even want to go down this rabbit hole. I'm really sorry. I I I I swerved, but it's heavy on me. Y'all need to stop thinking that the church just wants your money. Now, there are some churches out there that have given a bad name. That's why it is so important to do your homework. Don't just walk into any church and say, I'm a part of this church now. And then the next thing you know, they're over there sacrificing donkeys. And you're like, wait, I thought that was in the Old Testament. Listen, you'll need to use your discernment and be like, okay, match it to the Bible. You need to say, is this biblical? What they're saying up there, is this biblical? I should be able to open my Bible and what he's saying should be in the Bible. And if it's in there, that's a good church. Now, discernment's gonna tell you if you're in a in a church that isn't right for you. I mean, y'all just saw, I experienced that. Now, does that mean that's a bad church? No, it wasn't for me. God knows what I need. God says, I need you in a smaller church, girl, because what you there, great people, you met some great people, the great connections, but it's not what I need for you. You are still at this level down here, Melinda, and I need, I need, you need a small church. You need people that you could text, you can sit walk into the church, and and that pastor's available to you. You don't need to be looking at a screen and seeing somebody um doing a sermon from a different church. Like you need to be, you need, you need to see somebody up there preaching the word. You need to see you need that. And um he's right. I needed my pastor to put my his hands on me yesterday and pray over me. I needed that. So just know it it isn't all about the money. Um, yeah, there are some bad eggs out there, but do your homework. And if you have the Holy Spirit within you, that discernment's gonna red flag it right away and say, ooh, this ain't for you, girl. You need to go somewhere else. And that's okay. Go somewhere else and pray on it. Pray on it. I so many of you are like, I just don't, I don't know. Did you pray on it? Did you pray on it? Because if you didn't pray on it, you ain't gonna know. There are so many times where I even get wrapped up in that myself. I'm like, I don't know. I don't know what to do. And then I sit there and I'm like, wait, I hadn't even prayed on it. He's sitting over there and he's like, Yeah, you don't know because I haven't told you yet. You didn't ask. Can you ask me? So, anyways. Alright, sorry. I was getting sidetracked. I had to stop and I had to pray. I had to pray. I was getting sidetracked. Okay, so uh bottom line there is it's not all about the money, guys. And uh dig into the the the theology behind tithing um and giving, and and you're you'll understand it and just know that it's not all about money. Um, okay, so with that being said, I want to tell you about the paper that I wrote last night because I literally took what six hours, four to six hours, I want to say. I had to stop and make dinner um writing a paper for seminary. We had to write a paper yesterday on the old testament, and I just want you to know, my eyes are so opened now to so much of the old testament. So many of us, we I I know me. I skipped over that old testament. I'm like, we're in the new testament, we're in the new covenant, okay? I don't need to know about the listen, go read it, go read it. I know you don't want to, but go read it and read it in a Bible where you'll understand it. King James, listen, that's a little hard. Maybe you need to go to the NIV or the ESV, and then you're gonna hear people say, that's that listen, calm down. If that's how you're gonna understand it, go go read it in one of those. But it's important to read. I had come prepared to talk to you about the paper I just wrote in seminary. And I will tell you, I just looked at my notes and I'm like, do you feel comfortable enough talking about it? And I'm still learning about it. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it. So I'm gonna ex nay that. Now, don't get me wrong, here's what it's about. I'm telling we're learning about the Old Testament and how important it is to actually read the Old Testament. And I have learned a lot. I've learned that a lot of us think it's a whole book of like old rules and all that, and really no, there's so much more behind it. And it's important to read it because then you start to understand why Jesus came. But yeah, I don't know enough to speak on it. I don't. I'm I you know what? I I have enough in me right now to tell you guys when I'm not ready to speak on something. And right now, I'm not ready to speak on that. Okay, I don't want to teach something that's not correct. So I'm gonna probably write a few more papers on it and dig into it. I don't think I know enough right now to speak on it. Anyway, so anyway, okay, so you're like, all right, let's move on. So let's move on. I wanted to talk about this. Now, this has been so heavy on me, and I know a lot of you are gonna listen to this and you are gonna be like, oh my gosh, she's talking about this. I am. All right. This is between me and the Lord, okay? But one thing I have always promised y'all is I'm always gonna be open with you guys, whether it be on social media, I'm gonna just be real, I'm gonna all the things. So here we go. I lately have been feeling like the Lord has been teaching me a few lessons. And one of those lessons is this many of you know that my relationship with my father has not always been the best. It's been a roller coaster ride, I think, my whole life. Like I think I've talked to him once within the last two years. Like it's never, it's it's just never been good. Okay. And there's many things that have gone into that. But once I started following the Lord, he pretty much told me, Hey, like, I'm your father. Like that's your earthly father, but I am your father. Like, don't, don't be upset with him. Look at me. I promise you I'm gonna take care of you. So I look at him in a whole different light now. And he doesn't believe in the Lord, and so I pray on that a lot, you guys. I pray on it all the time because I talk to my sisters and um my little sisters and who are still around him all the time. And you know, I'll ask every now and then, like, how's dad or whatever? And they'll be like, uh, you know. And they said in the past, like, you know, yep, dad still doesn't believe or whatever. And I'm like, okay, that's fine. But I'm like, what am I doing? Am I pushing him away or am I bringing him closer to the Lord? Because with me coming on this podcast, and I I say, um, you know, I just it is what it is. I don't really have anything to say about him. Um, he wasn't a good dad. I think that's pushing him away because he did do a lot of good things in my childhood. So this episode, I want to touch on those because he did do a lot of good things. He was he had a lot of flaws and he still has a lot of flaws, but he's human. And if there's one thing I've learned about this walk with in my faith, it is none of us are perfect. And some of us were handed some really crappy lives, and then we're just like, here, get out of it. And some of us are strong enough to say, you know what, I'm not gonna, this isn't going to be me. I'm gonna change. I'm gonna do, I'm gonna be a better mom, I'm gonna be a better dad, I'm gonna do this better than what I came from. A lot of people don't think that way. And so, who am I to sit over here and judge him for the way he raised us? Me and my sister and brother. I know a lot of my memories are from him taking us to Disney World when I was younger. Us going over to his house and and riding our bikes all day. Like, there were things. I remember he took us to Galena one time and we had Christmas there. Like, there are, I don't want to come on here and people think, and I'd hey, let me tell you, this is not a conversation me and him had. I have not had a conversation with him, nobody. This is between me and the Lord. That is why I'm here saying this today. I don't want him to ever think that the Christian way is to just cut somebody off and say, that that's just what it was. Now the Lord is my listen, I get yes, he is. That is my father, okay? And I'm homesick for him, okay? And I truly believe that in order for him to even be open to the Lord, is for me to set the standard and say, hey, I love you. I do. No matter what, you're my dad. I know that you were dealt a horrible deck of cards, a horrible hand. Like you, you it was not easy for you. Growing up was not easy. And I know some people say he did the best he could, you did the best you can, but I don't like when people say that because you can always do better. I just don't want people to think that he's a bad dad. Because he was never a bad dad. Did he were there things that he could Yes? Just like me and you though. I think his priorities just weren't straight, and that's where it hurt. I think that's where the hurt came in for me, my brother, and my sister. Because we wanted to feel loved by him, and we didn't get that. We didn't get that. It was mainly like buying things or taking us on trips that you know that's how he showed his love to us. And so my main thing is I don't want people to come on here and be like, oh, she he's just a horror. No, he's not. He's not a horrible person. I believe that he just he his priorities were other things when they should have been his children. And that's the bottom line. That's it. I I I don't think there's anything to it that we can change. Obviously, we can't go back and change time. What's gonna change me being on here and saying he was this, he was that, he was the no. That's gonna do nothing. For him getting closer to Christ or me getting closer to him, anything like that. It's not, it is just, it's silly. So I've sat with the Lord in silence and I've said, you know, what is it that I need to do? And part of it was come on here and tell the people he's not a horrible person. Now I don't know if he he listens to this and he needs to hear that. He's not, though. He's not a horrible person. I think he, like I said, his priorities were just not his children. And you know, uh, it is what it is. But we only have this life right here. This one that we're in right now, that you're watching this in. And one day I'm gonna go up there to heaven. And I just I know that the Lord's gonna say, Thank you for being obedient, and letting people know that it's okay to have a father that maybe wasn't there for you, or a father that was absent, or a father that was, you know, just materialistic with things, like giving you things, buying you with money, all those things. Thank you. Thank you for telling everybody that it's okay to have that, and point them towards the one who is their father and will be there no matter what. And and and that's my that was what I wanted you to do. So this is me telling you, you might have a father that is like mine, you might have one that is it wasn't present, you might have one that is just you know narcissistic, whatever it may be, maybe abusive, all those things. But what you need to understand is that is just your earthly father. God used him to get you here. You have a father waiting for you in heaven, and he's gonna have open arms. And one day you're gonna understand all of it. But right now, you don't. We don't. But understand that the love that the Lord has for you is unlike any love that that earthly father could give you. So stop holding grudges against that human who couldn't give you even a quarter of what your father in heaven could give you. Take it as it lies and move on. Take it as it lies and move on. All right, enough with that. What I really want to talk to you guys about today, because you're like, wait, wasn't that what no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I prayed on this because I'm like, okay, you guys know I say this every time, but I pray before I start this. And I'm always like, tell me what you need me to tell them. And he took me to this, so let me open the section that he took me to. He took me to Acts 27, 25. Keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. And it says, When times become difficult, those who do not have a relationship with God can take courage from those who do, if believers maintain and display their trust in the Lord. Paul's faith encouraged many unbelievers, and many came to know Jesus Christ as their savior through his consistent testimony. And it kind of like clicked with me because I'm like, oh yeah. Our pastor was actually talking about the power of your testimony and how important it is to share your testimony. And he's so right. Because so many of us have these amazing testimonies, and you'll never hear about them unless you actually know them, or you or you're sitting with them and like it just comes up, or whatever the case may be. Like, I I know somebody had sent me their testimony online, and it was such a beautiful testimony, and I'm like thinking to myself, this needs to be told. Like, why are we not set? But so many people, just like that person, don't share it. And God's like, you keep praying for all these things, and I I want to deliver, but you haven't even shared the one time I came through for you, big time. You haven't even shared that. You haven't even shared how your marriage was a complete disaster, and I came through. And now, and now it's amazing. Now you guys are stronger than ever. You haven't shared that. You haven't even shared the time that your your kid was sick, and and you prayed over them and prayed over them all night, and then the next morning, miraculously, your baby's fine. You haven't even told them about the time that the doctor said, hey, this looks precancerous. We need to do a biopsy. And you prayed and you prayed, and guess what? It came back, and there was no cancer. You didn't even, you haven't told them anything. You haven't told them about the time that uh you made it home and come to find out there was a horrible car accident. And if you would have left 10 minutes earlier, 10 minutes earlier, that would have been you. But I had you forget your keys on the counter and I had you looking for them, and instead you were mad. You were so mad you were having to look for those keys, but I did it on purpose. You're not even telling people about that. So why am I gonna keep doing all of these things for you if you ain't you're not even gonna turn around and tell anybody? Tell people your testimony. It is so important. I I know I I kind of like every now and then when I meet people, you know, if especially in a small group or whatever, I'm very open with my testimony. I am very open with it. I was a dumpster fire. I was a dumpster fire before the Lord put his hands on me. I listen, I was a mess. It's actually embarrassing to look at on social media because I recorded it all. And it's I'm kind of regret that I vlogged all of it, but then I look back and I'm like, man, I've come far. I have come so far. So it's kind of a blessing to look back at and be like, girl, you had orange hair. What were you doing? What were you doing with that orange hair? Get out of here! What were you doing? I was trying to cover up the fact that I was relying on drugs and alcohol, the fact that I was crying at night, I was crying myself to sleep because I didn't know how to deal with my MST. The fact that I was having night tears, I was I was a mess until one night I decided I was gonna take my own life, and the Lord stepped in and said, We ain't doing that. We are not doing that. So and now today I look at myself and I'm like, wow, we've come so far. Because it was since that day. He he cut all those chains, those chains were broken that day. I had never done drugs again. Never. Like it is just and and anything I need work, I need to work on, I just come to him and I say, Hey, I need to stop lying. How can I say just these little fibs, like how and he and he works on me. There's just so many things that I've had to bring to him and lay him at his feet. And I've had to say, Hey, I need help with this. Help me. And he's like, Okay, that's all I was waiting for. That's it. That's it. That's all I wanted was you to say that you needed help with it. I'm a good father, I'm gonna help you with it. But you need to, you need to want it. And I'm telling you guys this because I've heard personally some amazing testimonies. Now, maybe, maybe you're not a talker. Maybe you're like, okay, I don't want to share my testimony because I'm not really a talker, Melinda. Okay, there's this thing called Facebook. I know it's weird. It's this thing, Facebook, and sometimes people make these posts. I don't know, they're called posts. You can write things and then post it, and then everybody can kind of see it, and then people can share it and all the things. Now, every now and then I get somebody's testimony on there, and I read it, and I'm like, that was beautiful. That was freaking beautiful, and the courage it took them to write it and post it. Wow. I'm not asking you to get the microphone and stand here and say, I was addicted to porn and now I'm not. I'm not asking you to do that. And I know if it's something like that, you're like, I don't want to tell people about that. That's embarrassing. What do you mean? That's not who you are anymore. My past is embarrassing, it is so embarrassing. And I know one day my kids are gonna see who I used to be. But I pray that who I am now trumps all of that. They're gonna say, look at my mom today. Wow, mom, you were a mess. Yes, I was. But look who saved me, the Lord. That's a testimony in itself, because I was a mess. So post it. Post it. We technology is can be used in so many amazing ways, and I think sharing your testimony online is honestly an amazing one. And if you decide to do it, tag me. Tag me at Mrs. Motivated2025 because I'll read it, I'll comment, I'll do all the things, I'll share it. But definitely, you guys just share your share it, okay? I I'm gonna challenge you to do that. Uh, our pastor challenged us to do it, and I'm already like, man, I feel like mine's out, it's in the open, it's all the things. Um, so yeah, I think my my full testimony, you guys, I think it's episode six on here, or maybe 11. Six or eleven, I don't know. Um, but you'll see it. It says my testimony. You just go listen to it. That's still when I was in the trenches taking grenades. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Now I'm just in a, I always say this, I'm not in the trenches taking grenades anymore. I'm just in a field taking water balloons, dodging them. But you guys, another thing I want to talk about, and this just came to me. This isn't even something that I was like, we need to talk about. I'm gonna need all of you to stop thinking that just because somebody follows the Lord that they can't be funny. Cause let me tell. I have always had a a personality like this. I'm a funny person. I think I'm funny. I feel I'm a goofy. Okay, I'm goofy. I like to be goofy. I am not taking things too serious, okay, you guys. I'm not. I don't take things seriously because listen, we are all in this together. It is, I hate to say this, but it's a shit show. What are we doing? We are disasters. I don't care who you are, we are disasters, okay? So if I can make fun and have a good time with it while we're in this disaster, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. So I'm just sometimes I'm very funny. I think I'm funny. Am I funny? I don't know. And I'll make these funny videos on TikTok or whatever, and I'll get I'll literally get messages, you guys, that are like, you are representing the Lord. You shouldn't act like that. Act like what? Act like what? I have the Holy Spirit within me. I can promise you that. And and if it was something that the Holy Spirit says, don't act like that, I promise you I would feel it and I would not be doing it. Okay? And and the Holy Spirit would make sure of that. But the Holy Spirit that I hold within me is saying, be you, girl. Show them you can have a good time and still follow the Lord. Show them that you can have one glass of wine and still be a good time. Show them you don't even need the alcohol. Show them you don't have to do drugs in order to have a good time. Show them that you can still be funny and still be following the Lord. I promise you, the amount of messages I get, I'm like, you guys, I don't even respond anymore. I don't, I used to, I don't anymore. So don't bother. Don't bother. I'm just like, hold on. So I can't make people laugh and follow the Lord. That doesn't make no sense to me. Make it make sense, please. Huh. Okay. So yeah, I just wanted to touch on that because one thing I'm never gonna stop doing is trying to make people laugh. That's like my favorite thing to do. It's my favorite thing to do. Because you guys, we are all messy. If this is called messy but motivated, I don't know if you know that. This podcast, messy but motivated. Listen, we are all messy. I don't care who you are, you are messy. You might portray to everybody that you're not, but I promise you, you are. We all are. So I'm just trying to normalize it. Stop, you guys. I'm gonna continue to be funny. I'm sorry if you think that's not biblical. Um, there are things I want you to know that the Lord has slapped me with that I have said before. Oh, don't tell me like crop tops. Remember, I was wearing crop tops? Mm-hmm. The Lord said, mm-hmm, we ain't doing that. I said, Oh, okay. He said, No, get rid of all of them. I said, Oh, okay. Oh man, all right. So there are things. There are things. And I want all of you to understand that this is a process for me, too. I understand that me sitting here on this podcast or me being online sharing the gospel, people are looking at me. I get it. And they're always gonna have something to say. Guarantee somebody's gonna say she has holes in her jeans, she's not she's not a Christian. But guess what? I promise you, I'm a Christian. You will know them by their fruit. You will know them by their fruit. Um, and that's all I say on that. Life is already hard, let's not make it harder. It's okay. Be yourself and follow the Lord. He will correct you as time goes. You wearing that crop top with the He gonna correct you. Have y'all, when's the last time y'all seen me in leggings? Listen, I loved leggings. Yeah, he corrected me. I told my husband that one day. I said, I put leggings on and man, I felt convicted. I don't even know what it was. He said, from leggings? I said, I know. Said I know. No, I still have some because I said I'm gonna wear them at home. I still haven't, but it might be that one day you're sitting there with everybody and everybody's drinking, and you decide you're gonna stop at that one drink, and you're like, Why am I doing that? Usually I drink four. It's just he's gonna work on you. He's your partner. He's gonna, he's gonna help you. I highly encourage that you ask for help. Say, hey, I want to be a good time and not have to drink a lot. Hey, I want to be able to go to the club and not get drunk. Hey, I because I still want you to be around those people. That's the thing. I still want you to be around the people who need to see you. Be the example. Be the example. Let people look at you and say, how is she having a good time? We've all, we're all three sheets to the wind, and she's had one drink tonight. And she's still dancing and having a good time. How is she still? Didn't her grandpa die a week ago? How is she still over there smiling? I'd still be depressed and bad. Didn't she just say that her son was diagnosed? I don't understand why she's smiling over there. Make it so that your faith is so strong. People wonder, what is she doing different? What is she doing that I don't know about? What she's doing is she's following the Lord. Everything. She has given everything, her finances, everything to him, the marriage, all of it. She laid it at his feet. And she's trusting him. No matter what the outcome is, her faith will never sway. She will always be faithful. She will always have strong faith. Let them see that. Let people wonder what is going on over there in that house. Pretty sure she just said both of her dogs died and she's sick with the flu. And yet she just posted something saying the Lord is amazing. Make it make sense.

unknown 40:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

Alright, guys. I love you so much. I hope I felt like I was everywhere today. And I know I there were some things I skipped over because I really I feel bad about that, but I do not feel comfortable speaking about what I wrote in my paper. I know, guys. Sometimes I write papers and I'm like, can I teach that yet? And today was not a teachable moment. I don't think I'm ready to teach that yet. In due time. In due time. If you want to sponsor this podcast, remember you can reach out to me at melinda at missesmotivated.com. Or you can go ahead and in the description of this, you will see it's called Buy Me a Coffee. You go in there and guess what you do? You just go ahead and donate, and it will come to this podcast. I am also in the works of something big right now. I I'm not we're not talking about it quite yet. Um, but in due time, you will know about it and you will understand why we needed that money or all the donations. And I promise it's to benefit others. Um, but as of right now, I'm not ready to speak on it. And I don't think, yeah, that I that we're gonna stop right there. I'm not ready to speak on it because it's not uh we're still at the very beginning, but just know that something very big is coming, and I'm super excited about it. And any donation that we get through Buy Me a Coffee will sponsor our podcast. I say R, like I have somebody it is, I guess I have the Holy Spirit in me. There we go, R. Podcast and anything that we are doing moving forward. So, all right, guys, and as always, I will link this below, this amazing book, because I love it. Today was July 28th, and I just went there and that's where I found what I talked about. So you can just go to the date that you are uh currently in and read that portion, and by the end of the year, you read the whole Bible. It's kind of awesome, and it gives you life lessons and teachable moments and all that. So, alright, guys. I hope you have an amazing rest of the week, and I will see you next Monday. Bye.