Loving God and the World + How I’m Tackling my Bachelorette Weekend

In this episode, Dayna opens up about the reality of following God in your 20s and the tension that comes with it. Loving God while still navigating real life, friendships, and environments that do not always align can feel confusing and even isolating at times. Through honest reflection and biblical truth, she unpacks what it means to live in the world without being shaped by it.

As she prepares for her upcoming bachelorette trip, she shares how she is approaching it with intention rather than fear, offering a practical and relatable look at what it means to walk with God in everyday moments. This episode is for anyone who feels caught in between who they used to be and who God is calling them to become, reminding listeners that transformation is not about perfection, but about continually choosing Him.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Buckle on up, besties. We are back in our Bibles. Welcome or welcome back to the podcast. My name is Dana. If you are new, um, and whether this is your first time joining or 21st time joining, I believe. I think we're on episode 21. I feel like I say this at the beginning of every episode. Like you would think I'd check, but I don't. I'm not like I'm literally just here for the vibes. Like, I I didn't even know what I was talking about until like two days ago. Like, I don't plan my episodes. I don't know if that's like bad to tell you guys. Like, I am literally the most type B go with the flow, it'll figure itself out kind of person. If you don't already know that about me, like now you know. And probably a lot of my content like now makes sense. I am very is type C a thing because I feel like in my brain, I am a Virgo at heart. Okay, I was born in September and I am like type A in my head. Like I have a million running to-do lists in my head. Sometimes I get them onto paper or in my notes app, and then I live life like a type B. So honestly, it's a little stressful, but we have God on our side so we can accomplish anything. Hello. Uh, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, whatever time it is when you are listening. And if it is Friday, if you're listening on podcast day, then happy Friday. I am so incredibly happy that you are here. May God bless you and your family, your loved ones, and your day. Um, and if you are new, again, just thank you so much for being here. Do not forget to follow along so you don't miss an episode. And again, my name is Dana. I am a 29-year-old Christian who is learning to just get a little bit more deep into her faith and also build her relationship with God. And I have been showcasing this and just sharing my journey over on TikTok and Instagram ever since last June. Um, I get married to the love of my life in June of this year, which is insane. We are like, I don't know, 60 days out or something crazy. So I am looking forward to that. But that is essentially what kind of like jumpstarted my faith journey because I really just want to build my home and my lifestyle and my marriage around Christ as it should be. So I'm taking y'all along with me on this journey. So if you're not already, please make sure to follow along on TikTok and Instagram. And then also don't forget to follow on along on this podcast so that you don't miss any episodes. Um, today we are gonna talk a little bit about just like being a Christian in your 20s and what that means for us and some of the struggles that we might be facing. And I just want you to remember before we start that hopefully some of y'all relate or resonate with some of these uh statements and these things that I really want to open up and talk about. And I just want to remind you guys that you are not alone. You're never alone. Okay, because number one, you always have Christ with you. Amen. Thank the Lord, praise Jesus. Um, and also there's resources, right? And there's people like um, you know, me and our our friends here on the podcast, like that you can always talk to or chat with and um, you know, open up to. So I just never want you guys to feel alone and just feeling like maybe you're, you know, not enough or that your journey is, you know, behind or whatever it may be. I know that being in your 20s is hard, and I know a lot of my audience may not be in their 20s. I know that we have a very wide range. Hallelujah. Um, there's lots of y'all listening, but some are younger, some are older, whatever the case may be. I think we all struggle a little bit with just comparison and that kind of thing. So I'm hoping that this episode helps one of y'all out. And before we get into it and before we get started with everything, I would love for y'all to join me in a prayer. So if you can, bow your heads, close your eyes. Lord Jesus, thank you so much for bringing me together with my friend on the other side of this podcast today, Lord. I pray that you are watching over them and their loved ones and their day. I pray that you continue to guide us, me and my friend on the other side. I pray that you remind them that you are with them and that they can do all things through you, Jesus, and that you are ready to have a relationship with them, whether they have already opened up to you or they are yearning to open up to you and to know you and your love, Jesus. I just pray that you reach out and that you remind them that you are here and you are ready for them. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. All right, you guys, let's get into it. What an exciting episode today, honestly, because um I think this is honestly just fitting in really well with my timeline because I am headed to my bachelorette trip next weekend. And I just, it's been a little heavy on my heart lately, just like planning my outfits and um just putting together like some of the activities and things like that and planning content even too. Um, I'm just realizing I'm like, okay, we have to approach this in a certain way. Um, and it's not just because of my content and in my personality and who I am on the internet, of course, but also just because of who I am and who I'm trying to be through my relationship with God, right? So I just I wanted to be open and honest and share that journey, you know, this part of my journey with you guys. So here is the thing. This is the thing. I feel like no one really tells you about the fact that like being a Christian in your 20s or maybe in your teens, your late teens, I don't know. Like this whole shift, again, I feel like I don't know. At the beginning of this episode, I was like, I want to call out like people that are like me, people that I can relate to, people in their 20s, right? But in reality, I think no matter what age we are, like we always face just hard times. And I just I want you guys to understand that like being a Christian, period, you know, it's it's not always clear-cut and it can be difficult. You know, like you love God and you want to live for Him, you want it so bad, but at the same time, you're still figuring out your life and your habits and your friendships and your environments, and sometimes it feels like you're being pulled in two different directions, and I think that that's totally normal, and that's something that as we will see in a lot of the scriptures that um have been pulled for this episode, like it this has been happening since the beginning of time, right? Like Paul is writing about this, like it is in the Bible, it is in First Corinthians, it is in um Romans, like we've we've heard this time and time again. So again, you are not alone. Um, and if I'm being honest, I'm feeling you know that tension a lot right now, and and lately just dealing with um, I don't know, like I feel like you know, if you've been married before, then you probably know, but like I just feel like a lot of like tension and emotions have been brought up in the past couple months, and it's just testing my my patience, it's testing who I am as a person, it's testing my relationships with certain people, it's testing just me as a whole. The only thing that it's really not tested that I feel like is the relationship that I have with uh Danny, which is really nice. Like, thank goodness. Um, I feel like he's someone I can like easily vent to and we can talk to and we agree on a lot of things. So, like, I don't know, I just you know, this time when we're in like crunch time, there's a lot going on and the stress is high. And so um it's definitely, you know, pulled me in two different directions. Some days I feel very, very close to God and I'm ready to lean on him and I'm feeling great and I'm very spiritual and I'm ready to get in my Bible and I'm excited, and I'm excited to film a video, and I'm excited to share my faith with you guys, and other days I'm like, where are you? Like, I'm so stressed, and I I like I want so badly, like I will force myself to put on my worship playlist, and I just can't get into it. And it's just like one of those things where I try really hard to just put aside my feelings because you can never rely on like your feelings to determine your faith. But man, like it can just be it can be tough. So I think right now, like I'm just feeling like I'm in the thick of it and really feeling that tension right now because I am, you know, one of my main stressors right now is just the bachelorette trip next week. And now that we're this close, I'm actually starting to get really excited. But like two or three weeks ago, I was stressing, okay? And when I take a step back now and look at it with like that wider lens, I'm like, what were you stressing about? Like, you're gonna be with literally your best friends. My mom and my mother-in-law are coming. I'm so excited. Like, trips in general kind of stress me out, freak me out. I don't really love going on planes, I don't like being away from home. But I think that I'm gonna love like being with my best friends and like my closest family. Like, I think that I should feel safe and good. I'm just, I know I'm gonna miss Danny, but I am getting off track. It's just, it's brought up a lot of thoughts. Like, what does it actually look like to follow God in moments like this? I think that in moments like this, this is where faith really gets real. Like, especially in your mid to late 20s or whenever that shift is where you're starting to like settle down, maybe you're finding your husband, maybe you're starting to have children. Um, you know, maybe you're like you've just graduated. Like anytime where you feel that big shift, like it's not just Sunday mornings, it's not just getting up and going to Catholic school every day. Like, you know, as as a kid, like faith was just a routine. And now it's like, no, I'm like making this choice genuinely every single day to get up and do this and to read my Bible and to try my very best to put God at the center of every single day and to listen to my worship music over secular music when I can, and to, you know, turn my thoughts into prayers. And something else I wanted to share with you guys that I've like I've seen Jesus really moving in my life in two different ways, like primarily over the last year. One of them, wow, I'm really gonna forget. I know that one of them is like when I look at somebody and I immediately think a judgy thought, and I want to like cast judgment on somebody else, which first of all, I think I've always done a very good job of like keeping that to myself. I would never walk up to somebody and blatantly like say something rude, of course, to their face. But I know that ever since I was little, I have been very, very guilty of thinking things about people when I know nothing about them. It's wrong. And I feel like that's something I've been convicted of lately. And I have done such a good job, or I should say Jesus has done a good job on me because I notice that whenever I start to think something, I immediately think, like that is one of God's children. It's almost like someone's in my head going, Hey, that's that person belongs to God. God made that person. And I feel like it's something that my mom used to tell me a lot when I was younger. Like, if I were to point something out, or I would be like, Why does that person have this mark or this color hair, or you know, whatever? When you're like a toddler, and she'd be like, That's how God made them. And I feel like I've been like just be feeling convicted of that lately and just like been hearing that a lot lately. When I start to think something like rude about someone, I'll be like, that is how God made them, and that is God's child that I'm talking about. And I just pray for them silently. And I think that that is just really cool. Like just a testimony, I guess, at how, you know, if you let God in, like the things that he'll he'll clean up in your life. Um, hello. If if this is your first episode, I go off on tangents a lot. So let's get back into the script. But yeah, just kind of um looking like you know, getting into the idea of like this is where faith is getting real, and it's not just Sunday mornings or going to church as a routine, it's not just opening up a Bible app in the morning, it's integrating God and your faith into the trips that you go on and the music that you listen to and the conversations that you're a part of. This is something I'm working so hard on. Maybe the reason that I haven't improved very much in my like conversations and my gossiping is because God's still working on like my thoughts. And like maybe I need to change my thoughts for like once my thoughts start to change, maybe my words will then follow. Maybe that's why I feel like I've made no progress with my words, but um, it's true. It's the way that you show up in environments that you know it if they don't reflect your values, like what are you doing? And I've been thinking a lot about this trip coming up, and again, nothing about it is inherently bad. I mean, a bachelorette trip I obviously has the stereotypes and the stereotypical, like, you know, party and last hurrah and whatever, and that is, I know in my heart that's not how I'm looking at it, and my friends know me, like that's not what this is about. Obviously, it's celebrating, it's fun, it's you know, my best friends, some of my family. Um, but I've also just like felt this quiet conviction of like, okay, but how are we gonna show up differently? How is this party, this bachelorette party with friends from every different era of my life going to be different than when I partied with them in college, right? When I partied with them in high school. Um, sorry if you can hear my dog like chewing to get out of his crate in the background. Um, he's throwing a fit because he's a golden retriever, and that's what golden's do. I've given him so many treats this evening, trying to get him to calm down, and nothing is working, and it's fine. It's totally fine. Um, but yeah, how am I gonna show up to this differently than I than I have in the past? Not in a way that isolates me, not in a way that makes me like better than anyone. I'm not showing up to this trying to be like holier than thou. Like I never want anyone to think that of me. Um, I just want to show up in a way that actually reflects my current relationship with God. And I just be careful because people, there's some of these girls like I haven't seen in a long time. Like they're friends from college or maybe long-distance friends that like I'm getting the excuse to like hang out with them and meet up with them, and they're flying in for me, and I think that's really special. And I just I want to show up as my best self, but also they've been following me on social media, right? And they see that I'm on this journey and the way that I act and the words that come out of my mouth and the things that I wear, it's all a direct relation or all a direct reflection of my relationship with God. And in my opinion, like I can't just show up with my boobs out, like talking like a sailor. They're gonna be like, You haven't changed at all. And what testimony is that to my God, right? Like, our God, what what testimony would that be if I, you know, they're like, wow, you've been really into the word and really into God and everything for the last you know year and you've been building this relationship, but I see no change in you. Like I just told you guys, like how I've been feeling changed, right? So that needs to be now reflected on the outside. And I'm feeling like a little bit of pressure, but not so much. Like, I know that God's got me, so it's gonna be fine. Um, so yeah, let's get into some scripture. Romans 12, 2 says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And I used to read that, like, I know I've read that verse before, and I th like just thought it meant completely removing myself from anything that was worldly, which is near impossible, right? So I'm realizing now that it's less about like where you are and more about who you are while you're there, because we like it's impossible to not be worldly. We're living in the world, right? We can always retreat. Remember how Jesus always retreat retreated to pray, like anytime he performed a miracle or after he preached, he would always go to a quiet place and he would pray. So we can be living in the world and go to go to these things, go to these outings, hang out with these friends, whatever it may be, and still have quiet time with the Lord. That's the goal, right? But we can't really take ourselves out of the world, we can't control everything that is around us. So realizing that you can control what you can control, right? So you can be in that same environment, but just not be shaped by it, right? It's more about who you are when you are there. So, what can you do to improve yourself when you are in those situations and in that environment? And if you've ever felt that internal back and forth that we were talking about at the beginning, um Paul talks about it in Romans 7, 15. He says, This is one of my favorites. I talked about this in um last week's, or no, maybe this wasn't what I talked about in last week's. I think first Corinthians is what I talked about in last week's episode. But Paul in Romans 7.15 says, I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And that might sound really confusing, but he's essentially just saying, like, I don't understand why I'm doing this. Like, what I want to do, I end up not doing, but I do what I hate. Like, think about this like in a different term, like maybe working out, right? You know you need to get up early and go to the gym. That's how you're gonna make it work. You need to get up, go to the gym, work out, and feel good and get a good sweat in before work. You know you need to do that and you want to do that. You want to be that person, okay? But you don't do it. And instead, you do what you hate doing, which is sleeping in, feeling sluggish, and you can't get out of that. You cannot get out of that loop. Okay, this is important. Like Paul is saying this hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years ago in his letter to the Romans, right? I do not understand what I do for what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. You're not alone. Okay, this has been going on forever. Christians feel this way, and it's it's normal. This verse makes me feel so seen. And I hope that if you haven't heard it yet, that that makes you feel seen as well. Because being a Christian in your 20s isn't like I have it all together now, right? It's I know what is right. I now know what I'm supposed to be doing, but I'm still learning how to live it out, and that is okay. So the question then becomes, how do I actually live this out? Right. And this is the verse that I almost jumped ahead to. I talked about this in last week's episode. If you haven't watched it or listened to it, you should go back and listen to it because it was a really good one. It's 1 Corinthians 10 23. And coincidentally, um, Paul also wrote Corinthians. So Paul is famous for writing letters to the churches, and in Romans, that's obviously the Roman church, and then this is the Church of Corinth. So he's writing to um the people in the Church of Corinth in 1023. He says, I have the right to do anything you say, but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything, but not everything is constructive. That is the shift. Okay. It's not always about, is this a sin? Like, is what I'm doing wrong? Is this a sin? It's about is this drawing me closer to God or further than him? That's it. Point blank, black and white, it's that simple. Stop focusing so much on what the book said, like, wait, I want to take that back. Cause obviously the book I'm saying, like the Bible, we should obviously be listening to. When I say the book, I'm talking about like a playbook. Like, that was just the words that came out of my mouth. Like, everybody wants to just follow these rules and like have the set law, and it's like not. And I think that that's why that's the beauty of religion and spirituality is like everybody has a different relationship with God. There's really like no right or wrong way to some degree, and you need to do what it is that makes you feel good and makes you feel connected to God. Okay. What convicts me is not what's gonna convict you, and vice versa. And honestly, thank goodness, because then we would all be being convicted of the same thing. This world would be boring, everyone would be the same. And can you imagine if we felt conviction for like every sin that we've ever done? Like, how exhausting would that be, right? So I just want you guys to like hear that again. You know, you have the right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial. It's not always about what is a sin and what's not. And if you're like sinning and oh, that person's a sinner, like you don't know them, you don't know their relationship with God, and you that's between them and God. Okay. I hope that that makes sense. So going into this trip, I'm not going in with fear and I'm really not going in like trying to be perfect. There's a couple things, obviously, I have been working really, really hard on my health, my overall just like fitness and what I've been eating and putting into my body. I want to feel good for not only this bachelor art party, but also this season. Like I have a shower coming up, I have my wedding coming up, and I want to feel good. I want to feel my best self. So I'm going to be trying very, very hard to not be perfect, right? But to just keep living out those habits as best as I can when I go on this trip. Um, I'm in the habit of working out every day. I make sure to get movement in every single day. Um, and I try to fill my body with whole foods and foods that make me feel good. Now, typically on a bachelor at party, you're drinking, right? You're eating not so great foods, you're enjoying eating out, and I just want to make sure that I don't fall into some of my old bad habits that where I kind of turn into a glutton, so to speak, when I go out and I kind of get into this like headspace of, oh, I'll never be back on this trip again. Like, I'll never get this back, like I'll never be able to go out to eat at one of these restaurants ever again. Like I am in this part of Florida for like the first time and last time ever. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, you almost treat it like it's just like a now or never thing. And that's not true. Like, yes, this is my one and only bachelorette party, but like I see these girls all the time, these are my friends. Like, I don't need to go all out and have this huge like bash and go crazy and then feel like crap all three days because I went too hard to prove like what am I pro like what am I doing? Like, who am I doing that to prove to? Like, there's no reason for me to get to like get into that that head space. Does that make sense? So I am going in with intention, okay? And for me, that looks a lot like being mindful of how I carry myself, um, what I'm wearing. Just I've I've been um very infamous to wearing lots of like low-cut stuff, and this is my bachelorette party. Like, I am about to be a wife, I am about to be someone's wife, I'm about to be a bride. Like, this is not the time to like just whip them out. Okay, like if you're picking up what I'm putting down. So, along that note, obviously, I want to be just aware of what I'm participating in, how much participating I'm doing. I want to be very mindful about the alcohol intake. Um, I haven't drank in a a good amount of time. Like, I think I've had like a beer or a glass of wine here and there, but genuinely, like, I don't remember the last time that I really let myself like go. And I am a little bit nervous. I know the crowd I'm gonna be around and all that, but I have faith in Jesus and in my prayers, and I know that I can use that as a strength in this season, right? Because if I can get through this bachelorette trip without letting loose, like I can get through anything, right? Like, this is supposed to be a trip and a party like celebrating me, and I'm going to be able to get through it and have a much better time than I would drinking and being crazy because I have God on my side. Like, this is very different than like a college frat party, right? Dana's so different now. And so yeah, I'm just I'm trying to stay grounded in who I am now, not who I used to be on that note. And honestly, just staying connected to God even while I am there. Like, I'm bringing my Bible. Um, I have a couple friends that will participate in a Bible study with me in the morning, which I think is very cool. We have a really awesome gym on site that I get to use. Like, I'm Very excited. And I think that there's definitely parts in my habits and routines that I have here at home. Um, from you know, walking to the gym to the Bible, that, you know, even to my breakfast, like that I can still practice when I am on my trip, right? Praying in the morning, just checking in with God throughout the day. And I I'm not just like leaving it him at home because I'm on a trip, if that makes sense. So if you are in your 20s or in that shift right now, maybe you've just entered college or something and you're feeling this tension, just know you're not fake. Imposter syndrome is real, you're not failing, you're just in the middle of this transformation. And transformation is uncomfortable. It's very uncomfortable. It's outgrowing things, it's questioning things, it's learning how to live differently. And that is okay to be taken one decision at a time. Okay. You don't have to isolate yourself from the world, but you also don't have to become it. Okay. Do you hear me? You do not need to completely isolate yourself from the world, but it also does not mean that you have to become like the world. All right. I think that being a Christian is less about having perfect behavior and more about having a heart that keeps coming back to God. Okay. Even in the middle of real life, even on a bachelorette trip, even at a party, even at your worst moment or your hardest day or your most anxious thought. Like it's all about having that heart that knows how to come back and rely on God. I hope that you guys enjoyed this episode. I am gonna love you and leave you here. Um next week. I will obviously be gone, but there will be a podcast still going up. So I will be pre-recording that and then obviously like scheduling it for you guys to have. Um, but just keep in mind, obviously, I'll be pretty uh away probably from social media next week. So um let me know your thoughts. Obviously, you can leave them in the comments down below. I love reading them, or also DM me on Instagram if you want to speak with me directly. I love chit-chatting with you guys and getting your guys' feedback on the podcast episodes. And especially if you ever have an idea of something that you want me to chat about. I love, love, love getting your um DMs and just like writing that down and keeping that in my back pocket for podcast episodes. I also want to let you know if you missed my Instagram story. I would love to do like a write-in submission type of podcast where you guys can share anonymously your testimonies because I think it's really fun when I like whenever I'm feeling just like dull or maybe down, like in my walk or in my journey. I love to look up people's testimonies and just remember, like, and remind myself of how true of a God we serve, right? And so let me know if you'd be interested in submitting your testimony. You can DM me on Instagram. As always, I love, love, love you guys so much. Make sure to share this podcast with a friend or a family member, maybe somebody who is new to the faith or is trying to grow more um deeply in their faith. I love you so much. Jesus loves you, and I will see you so soon.