Can We Really Hear From God?

What does a spiritual awakening actually feel like? And how do we know when God is speaking to us through signs, intuition, prayer, dreams, or divine encounters? In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Conversations That Make a Difference, Sharlotte Brian joins Teresa Velardi to share her extraordinary spiritual journey following a life-changing retreat in 2011.

Sharlotte opens up about:
✨ Hearing God’s voice through prayer and journaling
✨ Spiritual gifts, prophetic visions & divine confirmations
✨ Waking at 3AM during “God’s Power Hours”
✨ Out-of-body experiences and supernatural encounters
✨ The loneliness that can come with spiritual awakening
✨ How gratitude, surrender, and faith transformed her life
✨ Writing devotionals inspired by divine guidance
This heartfelt conversation explores how God can work through ordinary people in extraordinary ways and how every person has gifts waiting to be awakened.

Whether you’re exploring spirituality, seeking healing, questioning your purpose, or longing to reconnect with God, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and powerful insight.
✨ “We were created on purpose, for a purpose.” ✨
 

If this resonates with you: Like, subscribe, and share with someone who could benefit from it today.

Resources for Sharlotte Brian:
Website: https://www.sharlottebrian.com/
Instagram @LivingProofSociety
Facebook: SharlotteJacksonBrian
Books by Sharlotte Brian on Amazon:
Hopelessly Devoted To You: https://amzn.to/431q2Zv
Prophetic Writings: Secrets from My Prayer Closet: https://amzn.to/4tqp3x4
Do You See What I See: https://amzn.to/4tHfqKB

Stay in Touch with Teresa Velardi:
SUBSCRIBE to this channel for more inspiring conversations, author spotlights, and heart-centered teachings. Tap SUBSCRIBE and turn your notifications ON. www.conversationsthatmakeadifference.com
New episodes every Tuesday

AEP = Authentic Endeavors Publishing
www.authenticendeavorspublishing.com
Our mission is to communicate with purpose, create with authenticity, and gather a global community rooted in gratitude. We strive to inspire leadership and offer heartfelt encouragement through meaningful writing, empowering every voice to shine and every story to make a lasting impact.

The Daily Gift Book Series - Each book is a compilation of real stories from real people, designed to uplift, encourage, and remind you that you’re never alone on the journey.
Visit: www.dailygiftbookseries.com or look up Teresa Velardi on Amazon

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Transcript

Conversations That Make A Difference with Teresa Velardi

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Welcome to Conversations That Make a Difference with your host Teresa Vellari. We believe that authentic, meaningful, and diverse conversations are the glue that binds us together. Our discussions remind us we have the power to update, challenge, stretch, and invite dynamic glue. Join us for conversations filled with gratitude, values, abundance, authenticity, and faith. Here's the host of our show, Teresa Valorant.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Hey everyone, and welcome to another edition of Conversations That Make a Difference. I'm here with Charlotte Bryan, and I'm excited to talk about her new book and a lot of other things that we won't reveal until after we say our prayer. We start with a prayer every time we come together. So we'll start with the serenity prayer. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. It is by God's grace that we are fabulous, blessed, and highly favored, living in our greatness, using our gifts and talents to make a difference in the lives of others with passion and purpose. And all of God's great universe is conspiring in our favor. And together we gratefully say Amen.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

Amen. Amen. That was wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

Yeah, thank you. That's great. So yeah, we just open like that every week.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

I love it. I love it. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:22

Thank you for having me on. Thank you so much. I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Charlie, you're welcome. I'm so excited to have this conversation with you. And so that the people know a little bit about you. I'm just going to read your bio

Sharlotte Brian - Cheerleader to Author by Divine Design

SPEAKER_01 2:32

if that's okay. Okay. Yeah, sure, sure. So Charlotte Bryan is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University and a former USLFL pro cheerleader for the New Orleans Breakers. From the outside, Charlotte appeared to be to lead the quintessential, all-American Southern life that many little girls could only dream of. However, beneath the surface, she battled deep pain that few knew about. Everything changed for her after a godly, transformative experience at a weekend retreat. Now she inspires others through her writing, using her journey to uplift those around her. Charlotte is the author of prophetic writings, Secret Visions, excuse me, Secrets from My Prayer Closet, and Do You See What I See? True Stories of Her Prophetic Visions, which is available on Amazon, both available on Amazon and in her books. She will you'll get a glimpse of how Charlotte's spirituality and transformative experiences activated her spiritual gifts that include encounters with angels, out-of-body experiences, one of my favorite topics, OBEs, words of knowledge, and Holy Spirit guide to guided journaling sprinkled with light humor. Her work is also publicized through podcast shows. Add another one to your list, and speaking events. And for almost 10 years, Charlotte has enjoyed sharing her inspirational writings with her community, which appears weekly in a newspaper, a column called Words from Above in the Point Coupe Coupe banner newspaper, and New Roads, New Orleans, excuse me, New Roads, Louisiana. And Charlotte's story is featured in several books. You can find more about Charlotte through her interviews on podcast shows, book signing events, as well as other media outlets. Her newest book, which is one of the things we're here to discuss today, is called Hopelessly Devoted to You, a 90-day devotional to Jesus Christ. And it has been released on Amazon. You can find the link in the um information in the description to this video. And you can find Charlotte Jackson Bryan on Facebook and Instagram at Living Proof Society. Charlotte, I'm excited to have you on conversations that make a difference.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Thank you. I'm excited to be here. I really am. Yeah, I've been it's been wonderful working with you. It really has been.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

It's been fabulous. Yeah, it's been wonderful working with you too. I love it when um when you know God puts people who are connected soul to soul together. Yeah, because we each have we each have the gift to be able to write and to speak and to do the things that we were blessed with. And that's one of the things, you know, using our gifts and talents that were highly favored to do that, to live the life that um he created us to

Sharlotte Brian’s Transformational Spiritual Awakening

SPEAKER_01 5:41

live. Agreed.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Agreed, 100%. And you know, when all this started, I didn't even know that I could write. I had no idea that it was just after this retreat, it's just started happening, and it's been an amazing experience so far. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

So yeah, so I know that we've talked, we've talked about a lot of different things. And yeah, so let's just go there. So when did you actually start to write? When was that how long ago was that retreat? And when did this this gift that you have for writing actually show up for you?

SPEAKER_02 6:15

So um I'll kind of back it up just a little bit. Um, I

Searching for God in the Midst of Pain

SPEAKER_02 6:20

had um, I was kind of like a lot of people, end up in sort of like a toxic environment where I had some toxic people around me, and some of my friends had toxic people around them. And then, you know, just kind of not not very happy. And I was ready to just move on and just kind of stop all that and try to find something that can heal me. And I was really searching for God, but I didn't know where to search for him. And so ironically, I did I used to do interior design, design work, and my last client, this is how clever God is. My last client was a marriage and family counselor. And so my husband and I, who had kind of a little toxicity going there too, you know, we you know, it just happens that way. But we were both ready to make some changes, and I was really, really ready

The Retreat That Changed Everything

SPEAKER_02 7:10

to make some changes in my life. So anyway, long story short, I go to this retreat, and the last client that I had, her name, uh, well, I don't want to give her name, but anyway, she she was given retreats, and she told me, she said, Charlotte, you are ready. I can tell you're ready to to you know to find God and to to get healed. So I went to this retreat, and on the last day of the retreat, I was afraid to get prayed for, and finally I stepped forward to get prayed for.

Speaking in Tongues for the First Time

SPEAKER_02 7:41

And the other girls at the retreat knew that I was holding back. They all came around me like little angels. I'm telling you, it was like little angels that were around me. And um, the girl that I was telling you about that hosted the retreat, she said, Girl, she said, You're gonna get ready, you're getting ready to speak in tongues. And I'm like, what is that? So she said, Lift your lift your head. Somebody said, Lift lift your chin up. And I started speaking this language that I didn't even know anything about it. Like it just bubbled up and bubbled up and bubbled up and bubbled up. And um that's when it all started. So um, to continue on, I ended up going after retreat. I went home and that prayer language just continued on until I had um broken blood vessels underneath my tongue. That's how much I did it when my husband went to work and my kids went to school. Of course, I didn't do it in front of them, but um then around

Writing Messages in the Prayer Closet

SPEAKER_02 8:34

um golly, probably it was really soon after the retreat, I ended up waking up, like I was woken up at three o'clock in the morning, and I had this overwhelming unction to find a private spot in my home. And I had a you know, house full of kids, my husband, a dog. And so I just went to my closet because I had my own closet, my husband had his own closet. And when I went into the closet to re thought, I had this, it was like this um, it's like a a blanket of energy went over my head and my shoulders and down my back. And I just had this overwhelming unction to write. And so I started writing, and that's how it happened. And I started writing things. Yes, I started writing and I'm writing and writing and writing, and then every day this would happen. And then, can I tell you a little something else too? So

Receiving a Divine Message for Her Sister

SPEAKER_02 9:28

then I started hearing. Um, and this might sound strange to some people, but this is really, you know, what happened. So getting up at three o'clock in the morning and just feeling this wonderful blanket of energy coming over me, and I just felt like it was God's presence just brimming in the room that I was in, and um got my notepad out and started writing again, and then I would hear a name Rhonda, Rhonda, Rhonda. As I was writing, I just because it wasn't me that was writing, it was just coming out, pouring out of my as soon as I put pen to paper, it would just pour out into the paper. And it was a message for I felt like for Rhonda, but I know a lot of Rhonda's, and I'm I know so kind of was like, well, you know, which Rhonda is this? And all of a sudden, a picture of my sister, Rhonda, flashed in front of me and then it just faded away. So I knew those messages that I had written down and I carry a note with the book with me everywhere I go because I get messages all the time. Um, I so I knew that message was meant for her, and um, and I gave her that. So, can I tell you a little bit more about that story too? Yeah, go ahead. Um Yeah, that's what we're hearing. I know that's what we're doing.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

I want to I want to also just preface I want you to go ahead and continue, but the biggest question that we had for this show is can we really hear from God? Well, if any of you are listening, you're hearing that we can really hear from God in the story that Charles is telling.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Yes, yeah. I mean, I can stop, you know, I I can stop and

Can We Really Hear From God?

SPEAKER_02 11:00

so I think it's just being is just having a surrendered spirit is is really and and spending time alone and clearing your thoughts. So we'll go into that and I can I can finish the story later,

Creating Sacred Space to Listen for God’s Voice

SPEAKER_02 11:11

but um just clearing your thoughts if you go into a private spot in your home or even in your car or before you go to work, um, have a little notebook. And if many people can't, you know, get their tasks off their mind. So just write those tasks quickly down. And just like you are at at a beach where you can smell things and hear things and feel things, um, write all your tasks down that you you know have on your mind. Maybe burn a candle if you're at home to have that smell where you can kind of get into this um this mood of hearing from God. I have a special candle that I've used is Orleans number nine, and to me it smells like God. That's what it that's what it smells like. So, because I burned it every time from the very beginning, even at that retreat, that's what they had at the retreat. So to me, that's my favorite smell, and that's that's what smells like God to me. Um, and then

Why Quiet Time Matters More Than Ever

SPEAKER_02 12:04

um just spend quiet time, you know, put uh basically put a prayer of protection around you because it says you need to pray a hedge of protection around you, and that's what I do. In fact, God gave me even uh a stronger prayer of protection for me. Um, and then um just pray to the Lord, and you know, our prayers are unctions unto the Lord, and most people forget to sit quietly so you can hear. And once you start hearing, whatever you hear, just write it down. It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not, just start writing down, and then you'll find that you know your words become sentences and those little phrases become, you know, bigger sentences, and then it starts becoming paragraphs. And I've gotten up to 22 pages worth of information for either uh yeah, yeah. So you just have to just have some dedicated time to do that, and it really does work.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Yeah, and so that's what you described basically when you went into your closet and you got this information, and then your sister Ronda. So continue your story from where you actually saw her face, and what did you do with that information?

SPEAKER_02 13:16

So, and she I have permission to tell the story, so I'm gonna tell the full story, not just you know, sugarcoat stuff. Okay,

How One Letter Changed a Life Forever

SPEAKER_02 13:24

so my sister was incarcerated at the time. She had made some mistakes in her life, and I had written her a few times, so I had her address. But on my end, because I had heard her name and I knew this message message that I had written down was for her, I had her address. And you know, no nobody in my family had ever experienced anything like this. It was a big adjustment for our family for this to be happening to me because no one was exposed to any of this. So privately I just mailed through the letter because God just continues, just kind of tug on you like a little girl's, you know, dress. You've got to send it to her. It's time to send it to her, it's time to send it to her. So I'm like, oh my gosh, you know, what is she gonna think whenever she gets this letter? And so I briefly said, Look, you know, I don't know if you know this about me, Rhonda, I haven't written you in a while, but um, but I think this message is for you. And in fact, I know it is for you. And but on her end, I had no idea that she had been praying for a sign from God. She'd been praying for a sign for God, and she knew when that letter arrived that uh that sign meant that she would go and apply for a faith-based, a faith-based dorm to be able to get into the faith-based dorm, which only had like I can't remember what she said the number was, but anyway. So when she got that sign, she got the letter and she read it, she goes, That's my sign, and she applied, and now she texts hundreds of people that she's she's done her her her time, she came out, and her whole life has changed. She she wrote anyway, it's things like that. That's why I love giving messages to people. And the book that I've written, or it's a lot, it's a lot of those messages, just edited versions of them. And so it doesn't just apply to Rhonda, you know, it's it's to a lot of people, and um, it just really means a lot to me because I I get visions as well, and um, and I just describe the vision and it comes out kind of more poetic, and it's kind of cool, it's pretty kind of cool.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

I think it's really cool. Absolutely. Absolutely, you know, I just don't let me just uh let me just say that. Um no, Charlotte is not weird. No, Charlotte isn't weird. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

Well, you know, my kids and my husband thought that at first. They thought they were like, what has happened to my mom? My husband's like, what has happened to my wife? But I am normal, I'm totally normal. And um uh yeah, I just still can't believe this kind of stuff happens, even to this day. When I get a message for someone, I'm you know, I still get little butterflies before I give it to them, but it's always a beautiful uh response and just been a really incredible experience, really has.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

So and I think that sometimes um sometimes people get messages they don't realize they get messages or they get words that they didn't think they were gonna say, but when you say them to someone, they will say, Oh my goodness, that answers a question for me. Or, you know, I was just thinking that blah, blah, blah. And you say something that puts them on the path to um, like you said, a different life. Your sister has a different life, different life, yeah. Um changed your life on the path to a journey toward God themselves. I

Waking at 3AM: God’s “Power Hours”

SPEAKER_01 16:40

want to ask something, uh, because I I a lot of people have this same this same thing. What's with three o'clock in the morning? Why does God wake us up at three o'clock in the morning? What is the deal with that? It's in this book.

unknown 16:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

I didn't know that, but the explanation isn't funny. You would say that, and that was not planned. Whoever is online now, that was not planned. But it's I call it God's power hours. Um, it's from three to six. And if you if you think back on it, when Jesus went to pray, typically it was in the morning, he would go to morning prayer. And um, I do believe God is most active. Jesus, the angels, and God are most active during the three to six hour. And that's when he woke me up. I and I would pray in my prayer closet for two hours at a time, which is very, I know that's weird, but yeah, for for three hours at a time or two hours at a time at three o'clock in the morning. Wow. Yes. And I will tell

Learning to Recognize Divine Confirmations

SPEAKER_02 17:33

you this also for for those who who do decide to try to uh do some of the things I recommended. Um, before I give a message to someone, I make sure I get at least two to three confirmations. And confirmations look like um just like for today. Uh yesterday I got I, for some reason, a lot the number 11 pops up. Anytime I need a confirmation, the number 11 pops up. So, do you know

Meaning Behind Repeating Numbers & Signs

SPEAKER_02 17:59

that we were at a restaurant, we were seated at table 11, and my husband was trying to figure out the ticket, and it there was a number 11 in the ticket, and then our room number yesterday. This is this is wild, it was 416. Four plus one is five, five plus six is 11. We didn't even stay at that room, we're in a new room now, so that's why that's why we're in a hotel room right now in Colorado because my husband's having some procedures done. So it's things like that, you know, that you know, okay, I'm on the right path, and I'm supposed to be talking to you today. And it just gives you comfort that you can release this information if you know, if you do get a message for someone, or if you just get a message for yourself, and um, God will show you the way, He will show you the way.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

It's funny that you say the 11s. Somebody yesterday, a very dear friend of mine, um, said to me, They she and her family were traveling and the 11s were popping up all over the place. So uh and a lot of times I'll see 1111 in the morning, I'll see 1111 at night. There's something about that number that is just like, okay, I'm listening, I'm watching, you know, something about that number. She said, So I think I I went and bought a lottery ticket.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Oh, there we go. Well, I don't know if it's supposed to be used for that, but that's okay. I hope she went. Did she win? Did she win anything?

SPEAKER_01 19:23

But you know what? What's funny now that I'm thinking about it, um, there was something that she was waiting for, um, for the possibility of a donation to um an organization that she's associated with. And she texted me a little while ago and told me that that money came through. Well, there we go. See, that's the distance. That's what I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

And it may not be numbers, it could be other things for other people, but for me, it's typically numbers. Or if it's a word that you've an unusual word that you've heard, and all of a sudden you hear it three or four times over a day or two period, then I know that I'm supposed to release the the information to that person. And I don't take it lightly either if I have to give a message for someone. And I always tell them that it's between me and you and God, and that's it. I don't go blab the you know information, and that usually calms the person down somewhat to know that it's it's very private, and like I said, these were edited versions, there's nothing personal from the uh for the messages you know that I've gotten for other people because it's very personal, it can get very, very personal. So God knows everything, he knows everything.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

He knows everything, exactly. So

What's Inside the 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' book?

SPEAKER_01 20:32

let's talk about some of the entries that are in here. How we um I know that you know you have um you have formatted this in such a way that it begins with a scripture, um, it has the devotional, which is a reading um that you have written, something you have written and relating to that um that uh scripture, if you will, and then it closes with a prayer. So do you want to choose one of your favorite ones that is in here and read it for people to get an example of what they can find when they get their own copy of Hopelessly Devoted to You? Oh my goodness, I'll end up crying, Teresa.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

I will cry. I will. Please don't make me do it. All right, I'm telling you, I tried to read it to my husband, and he tried to read one to me, and we both teared up and started crying. I will start, I will start crying. I will. I'm telling you, I will.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

So, how about all right? I'll I'll let you not do it. All right, so I would like for you to tell me which one that you want me to read, and I'll go there and I'll read it for you.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

Okay, let's see. Um, The Scent of a King. Try that one.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

The scent of a king.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

Yes. Hold on, let's see. That's in the beginning. Or there's a a light one called dog spelled backwards as God, which is really cute.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

So if you don't want to cry, you can do that one. And that one's on page 26. I'm sorry for for wimping out on you, but I will cry. I'm telling you to let me do this. Don't

SPEAKER_01 22:01

You know what? Here's the thing with crying. Um, I have to tell you that a lot of times, you know, like when I'm and I have my quiet time in the morning, um, and I have to admit, I've been allowing the busyness of life to take up my space

Hearing God Through Prayer, Journaling & Silence

SPEAKER_01 22:17

in the morning. So um, but when I have my quiet time in the morning and I feel really um centered and focused. And I love what you said about whatever you have on your mind, if you've got that list, the to-do list, the shopping list, get it all out of the way so that, and if something comes up, just write it down and move it out of the way. Um because the focus is so that you can focus on what it is before you that God wants you to hear. And I I don't believe that there's anything random. I think that I know that the daily scripture, if you read like um the U Version Bible app, for example, as you can drop on your phone and you'll get a scripture a day. It shocks me how whatever the scripture is fits right into what I need for that particular moment. So, all right, let's go. Let's go, Doug. Are you gonna do the Cent of the King or you are you gonna do that?

SPEAKER_02 23:09

You're gonna do C and you don't want to cry either.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

So then I can't tell everybody you made a host of conversations that make chickens cry.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Well, I just we went through some of them yesterday, and my husband's like, What is happening to me? I'm like, I don't

God Spelled Backward is Dog

SPEAKER_02 23:27

know.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

So so all right, so dogs build backward is God. The scripture is Genesis 28, 15. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Dogs can't talk, but can communicate love in any language without speaking a single word. Dogs mirror the attributes of God, which is why dogs spelled backward is God. Dogs watch over you. Number one, have you noticed how much your dog checks on you? Your dog will suddenly appear in a room you're in. Even if you move from one room to another, it will locate you, then with great satisfaction, trot back to its bed as if thinking, okay, all is good. I see you. I can go back to my bed and rest now. Then throughout the day, it will return for several more checks. God's attributes are similar. Read Genesis 28:15, what I just said, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Two dogs love unconditionally. Like God, a dog keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13, 5. God, dogs love you whether you ignore them or play with them. Like God, your pet easily forgives any wrongdoing. They always want to be near you and they love you unconditionally. 3. Dogs are faithful until the end. Like God, a dog loved is patient and kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13, 4 and 7. Whether you're gone for 10 minutes or 10 days, your pup will greet you with the same enthusiasm by wagging his tail and jumping for joy. Your dog loves you and is faithful to you until the end. Four dogs accept you just the way you are. Just like God, your dog loves you for exactly who you are, flaws and all. It does not care if you are attractive, homely, big, skinny, tall, or short, your pup loves you for who you are, not what you are. Dogs are defenders. A guard dog will lay down his life to defend you, which is exactly what God did for you through Jesus Christ. Greater love has no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15, 13. God defends us now and forever. God proved his love and devotion to you by laying down his life through Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, who that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3 16. And the prayer is God, thank you for your precious dogs because they closely resemble your characteristics. They're a gift from heaven. Now I understand a portion of your love and why many people enjoy reading this quote. I wish you were the person my dog thinks I am.

SPEAKER_02 26:38

See, that's lighthearted, but and you didn't cry.

SPEAKER_01 26:42

No, I didn't cry because the whole time I'm reading this, I'm seeing my grandpuppy who was here for the weekend, walk through the door, come to the door, sleep. I woke up in the morning, it was at the foot of my bed, he was sleeping on my bed. Um, and I just it was just surrounded with with uh puppy love, if you will. Um during the whole time that he was here. And it's absolutely right. They don't, they just love you for who you are, and people, if more people could get that concept, yeah, that you know, I'll I'll go to God when I'm better. No, you go to God with all of your junk, and he takes all that junk and he transforms it, transforms you so that um you can be the person he created you to be.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Right, absolutely, absolutely. I mean, uh I truly believe that. And and so that was a really lighthearted one. There's a lot that are uh very heartfelt um and kind of emotional. So it's and there's even even some in here that are uh, you know, how to pray for a friend or how to um, you know, a forgiveness prayer if you need to, if you're yeah, struggling with forgiveness. In fact, it just pop that just popped open right now, a forgiveness prayer. Um, and even gives, you know, I gave some blanks on filling the person's name in so that you can actually say the prayer. And these these really work because forgiveness, you know, as you know, is so very important. And just, you know, kind of things like that. So it's it's it's a variety of different things. And you know, here's one here, his name is Jesus. That's on page 106. Um, he had no servants, yet they called him master, his name is Jesus, he had no degree, yet they called him teacher, his name is Jesus, he had no medicine, yet they called him healer, his name is Jesus, he had no army, yet kings feared him. He won no military battles, yet he conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified, crucified him. He was buried in a tomb, yet he lives today. He is soon. I'll start getting emotional after that. So I you know, I just keep I just start getting, you know, it's just it's a lot of um I just I really like a Valentine love letter from heaven. That's my favorite, favorite, favorite. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Okay, so there's a lot of them in here that are um that will just just touch your heart and soul, and that's exactly what God wants to do. Touch your heart and soul. So he he gives

Spiritual Gifts & Talents: We All Have Them

SPEAKER_01 29:19

the gifts. I always say this we were all given gifts and talents so that we would live the best life that he wanted us to live when we came here. Um it was a divine plan. It was a divine plan. We may get sidetracked, we may go off the path or whatever, but he always finds a way to bring us back to who he created us to be. And once we recognize that, um, and we use those gifts and talents, we have beautiful things happen in our lives, beautiful things. And he provides the whole way. One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29, 11. And people who listen to my show have heard me say that for I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope in the future. And then the other thing is with God, all things are possible, you know. So for you think if you think you cannot do something, just lock arms with God and He'll take you through whatever it is that is before you to do. And it's just and surrender, you know.

SPEAKER_02 30:17

That that was the biggest thing uh during that retreat. And and I would recommend people go to retreats because I just recently had a friend, a male friend, my husband's really good friend, who just went to a retreat because he too is at that point in his life where okay, I can't, I can't this do this no mo. I'm done. Like I am, I'm done. And um, he ended up going to the acts retreat. I don't know if y'all have that in your area, but it's uh, and I'm not Catholic, he's Catholic, but he hadn't been going to church, and and you know, God is not he's in church, but he's everywhere. You don't have to just go to a building, he's he's everywhere. So he went to this retreat and he was touched very, very powerfully. So that's one way to, you know, really hear from God and just really spending time, um, dedicating some time aside, whether it's 10 minutes to begin with, and then you increase it to 15 to 20, and kind of oh, and I I don't know if I mentioned the the music. Um kind of like at the beach, I was giving that uh that example of the smell where you burn a candle, then you you know you stick your feet in the sand, you know, you put a blanket maybe around you. Um and then also I at the beginning when I first started doing all the or when God really called me into the closet, um, I would play some a few songs that had um worship music that was you words, and then I started playing instrumental because you just want to hear just the very faint background, and that just so that you set up this environment to hear God. And then once you're used to that and you're really accustomed to it, you don't always have to go into that closet. You can hear anytime anywhere, and we hear them anywhere, anyway, you know, anyway, but a deliberate and intentional uh way to hear from God. That's a good way to start.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

I think the biggest thing with the the closet, the prayer closet, or the designated space where you can just find that place of calm and serenity is simply to be alone with him, yes, in whatever capacity you can at that moment. Um,

Gratitude, Faith & Discovering Your Purpose

SPEAKER_01 32:20

and sometimes, you know, like for me, my my path um started with my learning to find things that I was grateful for, gratitude first. Gratitude, yes. And uh, and that's when that's when the Daily Gift Book series started,

Daily Gift Book series

SPEAKER_01 32:37

by the way.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

Oh wow, I didn't realize that. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

I was sitting at the Potter's Wheel one day and I was like, all right, God, is this what you want me to do for the rest of my life? Make these pots? Is that is that it? I know we're supposed to leave the world a better place and a more beautiful place. And is this it? The pottery. And I heard there's books, and then I got the daily gift and then gratitude first. So that's how this was born. Gratitude first, right? Daily gift book series. Now, Charlotte has written in two of these so far. Um, not this one, but um, she came she came in with the daily gift of peace, I think, right? Or a daily gift of peace and then friendship, inspiration, yeah, three. So it's three, yeah, right peace, friendship, and inspiration. But if you see the way that these came about, the titles, the way that they came about, gratitude first, right? Yeah. So if I if I go to if I go to the Bible and I look at the the one of the best examples of gratitude and how it will create an abundant life is the Sermon on the Mount. And when Jesus said 5,000, he took those five loaves and two fish from that little boy's lunch, looked to the heavens, thanked the Father for what he had. And he said was thank you. And it fed 5,000 with 12 baskets left over. Yes, amazing. Amazing, amazing. So gratitude first, that brings hope. Okay. Do you think that brought hope to those people on the mountain? Do you think so? And then kindness, the you know, they they play on one another, so a grateful heart becomes more hopeful, which becomes more kind, which brings a sense of peace, right? Daily gift of peace, a daily gift of uh friendship was next. And that I they believe from that peaceful place, you can you can create better friendships, and now the next one coming is the daily gift of inspiration, and um is due to come out at the end of June. But um, yeah, it all starts.

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Yes, and I I noticed what you said, and I didn't mean to erupt you, but um I noticed what you said. You said it was just a a couple of words, you know, it was gratitude. You heard the word gratitude, you heard books, or I don't know if it was more than that, but that's what you just said. So, see, it can be just it starts off with little words, and it's not this booming voice. I guess some people it can be, but it's just this little that in your spirit, like he speaks to you in your spirit, and you're like, wait, what was it? Why did I hear that word? And just write that down, just take a little note and then ask later, you know, what is this about? And then you'll get your answer, and it really does happen.

SPEAKER_01 35:17

It does, it happens, and you and and at first you'd say, Oh, well, that was really odd, or that was really weird, or how, or how how did I know that? Um, you know, and it's just and and everybody who wants to hear from God can hear from God. Yes, there are gifts of the spirit. Charlotte got got a prayer language. Um, not everybody gets that.

SPEAKER_02 35:41

Not everybody does, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Um, but there are other gifts that that people have um that can that can really uh enhance your relationship with God and your relationship with other people.

Why Community Matters During Spiritual Growth

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Because you know, a lot of people will say, um, oh, I don't, I don't need, I don't need you to tell me whatever. I don't need to be part of a group, I don't need to go to a retreat, I don't need to be with other people, whatever. But you know what, Charlotte, God didn't make us all together on this planet so that we could be by ourselves, He made us for community.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

And you know, I think I think that's why um COVID was so devastating for so many people, because we we are in Ably wanting to be together, even if you think about it, you go to a restaurant and you're sitting next to someone, you don't know them. You don't know these people, but just feels good to be around other people, you know. And well, I after all this happened to me, I had to sequester myself for like nine months because I couldn't be around crowds. Because every time I'd go into a building, I I would feel like I would know things about people. And I found out later, you know, that when I would go into crowds that I knew, you know, she had had an argument with her husband. I knew what they'd argued about. She's pregnant. Oh my gosh, she didn't know that yet. It was just overwhelming. It it was overwhelming. Talk about my family thinking I'm weird, sister. You have no idea. Like you do not even know what I went through, and that's only like a little pinch of what happened. I had all my gifts opened up all at one time, and I had to try to deal with all of it. I really had to work with someone one summer to help me tone it down after being open for about four and a half years.

Spiritual Gifts: Discernment, Healing & Prophetic Insight

SPEAKER_02 37:20

Yeah, but um, but yeah, your gifts are there. God has one or several for every single person on earth. Every single person on earth.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

And even like the work that you do, um, you know, some people, some people have um the creative gene. I think you can like me, I I'm a creative. So between the writing, the um the the pottery, the I just have a creative spirit. Always have, I always have. Can can make something out of nothing. Um, put pieces together to see the beauty and the little stuff that's around. You can you can put the pieces together to make something beautiful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:04

People have a gift of um, you know, discernment, discernment. People can really discern, go into a room and or or listen to someone speak and just you know, have this this gift of discernment. If you know, that's really important too. That's a really important gift. Um, even you know, gift of miracles and um gift of healing. Yeah. Um you know, I've experienced that myself. Not that I have that gift, but I have experienced that that someone got healed when I prayed for them. Uh, and that was pretty amazing. Um, words of knowledge, you know, you you hear of people, like you said, that one word that you might say to someone that just completely changes their heart, like they were contemplating over that maybe earlier in the day or earlier in the week, and you say that very word to them, and it just they know that God must have been speaking through you to them, right? And that's really that's really special. And they start thinking, well, maybe there is a maybe there is a God.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Yeah, yeah. Maybe I'll just, you know, let's talk a little bit about. I want to not to not to um change the subject. I think there's I think there's some pieces about this in here. Remember when I got to the your your um

Out-of-Body Experiences & Supernatural Encounters

SPEAKER_01 39:15

bio and I said out-of-body experiences? Yes, yes. So that I I have to tell you, that um fascinates me and near-death experiences fascinate me. How people have I mean, I have a family member who was who flatlined for a period of time. And first thing oh first thing you asked is did you see the white light? What happened? What did you see?

SPEAKER_02 39:46

You can tell me, you can tell me. I'm not gonna tell anyone, just tell me.

SPEAKER_01 39:50

But but what I discovered is some people actually don't remember if there was something that happened in that gap of time, some people don't remember. So now out-of-body experiences to me is something else where I mean, people talk about astral projection and different like and different belief systems and whatnot. And they talk about you know, having left their body, or I I know somebody who actually had a Lazarus experience and was where she literally died and rose, you know, she was gone for a period of time, and she literally got up and walked.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

And I would love to speak to that person. Who that's interesting, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

Doesn't remember a thing, it happened when she was a young child, and doesn't remember, doesn't remember anything in the in the gap of time that oh oh I see.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

So her family her family told her about this, but she doesn't remember the time like when she was basically dead, is what you're saying, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:52

She knows that she was gone, but she doesn't remember anything that happened to her or her spot her, you know, her spirit, her soul during the time that that had happened. But um, I just I just find this fascinating. So can you speak it? Is there anything in here, anything in this book that speaks to any of those experiences that you might uh point a reader who's interested in that too? In the out-of-body experience in here?

SPEAKER_02 41:19

Yeah, yeah. Um, let me think. Well, I'm gonna tell you what happened to me, and that's in the that's in this book. Exactly what happened to me at with an out-of-body experience was in that book. So you let me tell you. I'm so curious. Yes, absolutely. So I uh after the retreat, this the lady that invited me to the retreat, um, she invited me to her prayer group every Friday. Um, I told her what some things that had happened, and we ended up having uh a saxophone player come because she was she played keyboard. I didn't tell you that part. She was a keyboard player, so she really could bring in the the Holy Spirit so powerfully into the room. It was just unbelievable. But so we ended up inviting a saxophone player to come in, and Teresa, as soon as he played a note, because she started playing keyboard, as soon as he hit a note, this one note, all of a sudden, and I had my eyes closed. We all were, you know, in prayer. I had my eyes closed, and I could feel my my body coming out. I could feel it coming from my ankles rising up from my ankles, me coming out of my head, rising past my ankles, past my calves, past my knees. And I saw, and this sounds so crazy. I don't care if it sounds crazy. I don't care anymore. You know, at this point, I just don't care anymore. So um, and then uh it would appear to me, you know, the eye of a hurricane. You've seen a hurricane where it's the clouds are spinning around and there's a center in the hurricane. I was heading towards that. I knew that I was going into this eye. It wasn't a hurricane, but it's this golden light that was spinning in the top of the room. And I was afraid, I kept thinking to myself, and this is where doubt comes in. I should have never done this because I really wanted to continue to continue with this experience. But as soon as I started lifting up and I saw this beautiful swirling clouds of golden light, I I was gonna go towards it and I started thinking, nobody's gonna know that I'm gone. Where am I, where what is my body, what's gonna happen in my body? I'm out of my body, and I came right back down into my body. But after, yes, after that, um there was somebody that was at that uh that prayer group, and God revealed to me that he was about to get divorced, and of course he knew that because he was already had filed for divorce. He gave me the hair color, eye color, and um ages of his children, what was going to happen to him, why his property there was just like lot of information that's the very last story in this in this book right here. So um there was a lot that happened with that. And I've had um another out of body experience too and that's gosh that's in this book too. So that but that one was intentional. This one wasn't that the one I just described was spontaneous. The other one I started investigating like you like what is going on? How does this happen? The other one was intentional. And so when I started coming out out of my body I got this gonna sound so crazy girl. I I don't I came out of my body and I went through the the rafters in the house I could see the cellulose I've never told anybody this well spoke so anyway I could see the rafters I could see the sheetrock and everything as I was going out of the building and then my phone rang and I came back down into my body but here again after that I um the story in here lines up with why I got that. So it's very prophetic uh after effects after a out-of-body experience so and you tell me we wouldn't have anything to talk about my husband's gonna kill me because I told so much stuff but you know you're I'm he's under he's under uh anesthesia right now so he can't hear me so this is good.

SPEAKER_01 45:25

I wanna I want to just bring it back down to you know this might sound weird to a lot of people this might sound weird but I bet you that if we got quiet and thought about anything that was even similar to some of the things that we're talking about that you may have had an experience of your own that maybe this conversation is bringing a little bit of clarity to you know I I believe that um you know here's the other thing too we are all connected we are we are all one we are all uh we are all children of the most high whether we recognize it or not and each one of us we were made for community we were built we were we were we are called children of God and as long as as long as you have that belief in your heart and soul um you know pay attention to your life and what God does with your life and we won't know anything I don't believe we'll we'll know exactly the reasons why until we get to the other side of eternity but the bottom line is we are purposeful beings planted here for a purpose we were created on purpose for a purpose um by a very purposeful God and I believe that that every one of us if we pay attention can live the life that we were created to live and and and and although some of what Charlotte is sharing sounds a little bit um bizarre trust me when I tell you I know other people who have had much more bizarre situations happen to them than what I know about Charlotte so far. So but I but I love the fact I love the fact that you have this gift to write such beautiful devotions and you know there's something here for everyone um you know God's celestial art just look at the sky for goodness sake look at the sunset every day look at the sunrise in the morning uh he paints a new picture for us every day every day that's absolutely true that's very very true yeah I definitely wasn't expecting to talk about those things because that's a little bit woo-woo in some people's in some people's minds but hey we went there and that's fine that's okay yeah but you know what I'm gonna hear from from this conversation I'm gonna hear something from people that I know who listen and they're gonna say you know I never really thought anything about that experience I had with blah blah blah but oh my word when Charlotte said blah whatever it came it came to me that you know we all have a little bit of the God gene and the gods absolutely and you know that there's something else in here too um God is in our DNA something about DNA I can't remember the title of that one but see it the things that you're talking about it it really hits a lot of what you just said in that just said in oh I don't know that but anyway it says God is in our DNA that's one of them and it's just interesting some some are very very heartfelt and kind of more poetic others are like prayers and others are a little bit more informational so but it's all fun and lighthearted so yeah and she has a great sense of humor by the way if you can't tell Charlotte has a great sense of humor lighthearted and you know every one of us has um has our own belief of who God is and what God's doing for us.

SPEAKER_02 49:07

Yeah and that's okay you know that's the way it is there's different churches for different people and I respect all of them because you know the best church to go to is the one that you hear from God most from and that's the church that you should be in because um and that's just my feeling on it but anyway I just enjoyed this so much.

SPEAKER_01 49:28

Yeah well we we still have a few minutes to fill so if there's somebody who is listening and I'm sure there are people who are listening who um are um curious we've learned a little bit we've learned a lot about you in this in the short period of time that we've been together on the show. What's next? What do you have coming next? I know that this is only one of several um so what do you what's next for Charlotte?

SPEAKER_02 49:55

So yeah I we there is an another devotional in the wings um and that's gonna be uh probably in the fall or next year I'm I'm imagining the fall um and then there's another one after that as well so I think the title to the next one is going to be see what I was in my prayer closet the Lord said to me um golden leaves of glory grace your face and I still don't know what that means but it just it just means it just makes me feel incredible but I don't know what it means. So I guess I need to go into prayer do what I'm suggesting other people do and I'll find out what that means but that is the title I think you helped me with that title um um golden leaves of golden leaves of glory to grace your face and so that will definitely be the title to one of them and see all I do is say something to you and you're like oh we could do this and we can do that. So this is what so much fun working with you.

SPEAKER_01 50:53

See and and God puts people together for the purposes of having being able to do the work that we were created to do together in order to be able to make a difference for everyone who might might have the experience of reading whatever it is that is before you of being part of whatever it is that that we're putting together. I I'll never forget when you gave me when you gave me the um you want to want to say how this

The Story Behind the Naming of 'Hopelessly Devoted to You'

SPEAKER_01 51:19

came about the title of this came about oh yes well I don't know if it's I know I was working diligently trying to trying very very hard to get this converted into um some of my writings for the newspaper converted into uh devotionals and I mean I was hitting the pavement girl I was trying so hard and I remember you saying Charlotte you know you're very devoted to this you know you've just we need to put that in a title and I was like okay that's fine so I'll let you finish the rest of it if you want to so I'm I'm having this conversation with her about this this devotional and all of a sudden I'm hearing Olivia Newton John in my head singing hopelessly devoted to you and I went what and I loved it from the first time I heard it yes it was fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 52:08

It was you are very very creative and it's been a lot of fun working with you it really has and I mean that from the bottom of my heart it's been a lot of fun and you know you told me you know my mom passed away last year and that was really hard and I have another son that we really struggled

Healing Through Writing, Prayer & Devotionals

SPEAKER_02 52:22

with last year. And it was a tough year last year. But you know staying um staying in the word and and doing all the conversions and um even more writings that I got even while we were you know last year you know went by it really it really kept my spirits up. And you kept my spirits up because you kept saying just relax. It's gonna be it's gonna come out in the time it's supposed to come out because I was ready.

SPEAKER_01 52:46

I was ready to get it out like three months after we were talking

God’s Timing vs. Our Timing

SPEAKER_01 52:49

right but we all we all do we know that God's timing is always perfect. And for anybody who doesn't believe that think back to a time in your life when you so wanted something to happen and it didn't happen. But then when it did happen it was so much bigger than you imagined it to be it was so much more fun more gratifying more um whatever intense you know it it just god's timing is always perfect.

SPEAKER_02 53:18

I believe that with every part of my being and you know that's it's amazing you would say that too because I don't know if you know all the titles in it in it but uh God answers prayers in three ways you just said what what's in here um when God says yes when he says yes immediately when he says not yet because it's not the right timing right and he says um I have something better in mind for you so yeah that's perfect and you know those these things that are better in mind for you my goodness you know you want it one way and then God says no I've got this great thing over here for you and that's what the beauty of just believing you really have faith to believe that he's got you and he's he's gonna he's gonna he's all of God's promises are true and they will they will come true for you and that's I have had an insatiable desire for um the things of God and I I did before like I said I was searching before 2011 when I went to that retreat but since then I I have an insatiable hunger for God and it's never left me. Yeah it's really true.

SPEAKER_01 54:27

Yeah

How God Uses Pain to Redirect Our Lives

SPEAKER_01 54:28

so yeah I agree going back to the I have someone something so much better for you or someone so much better for you. Yes yes I stood at the altar and I was asked that question Teresa you take this man to be your husband and I stopped and I heard God say Teresa don't do this and I looked around at all the people who had come to my wedding from all over the place and I'm waiting I'm just looking and the priest asked me and remind you this is a priest who told me not to be late to the wedding and I was an hour late you should have just kept on going down the road limousine was yeah and and and he read all the wrong scriptures that I had spent so much time picking out um and then I turned and I looked and he asked me again do you take this man to be your husband and I heard God say Teresa I have something so I have someone so much better for you. Oh my goodness and then but but I didn't know what I was dealing with back then. I didn't know what I was dealing with back then. And so when that happened and I said yes anyway I felt the bottom drop out I felt I literally felt a physical sensation that I had made a mistake um and then I thought everything happened everything that happened following that was punishment for not listening to God at the altar.

SPEAKER_02 55:59

But you know wait there's something good to be learned from that because I'll tell you my story because I was married before as well and the same things happened to me I had a dream um well let me finish okay we'll go back to the dream in a minute so with that feeling that you had and that hearing that you had see you hearing from God now in the red in in you trace your life back to things that you deal with now and you get that same guttural feeling or those red flags um or you know God maybe saying something don't do this now not now it could be just be that not now and you you will obey now right right exactly so I had a dream so my husband that I'm that I'm married to now we've been married for 34 years we dated for eight years and um well I broke up with him I broke up with him and um I so I broke up with him and I ended up getting married and he got married and we got back together later but when I uh before I I got married I had a dream I was in a wedding gown and I was walking through a pool of water and I got to the end of the pool of water and the veil and I turned around and I thought that it was going to be Brett who I married to now that I was going to marry and when I pulled the veil back it wasn't him it was somebody else and see that was really a warning dream but I didn't know God well enough to know that that's what that was don't marry don't marry someone you know when you know it's supposed to be Brett I should have married Brett at from the beginning and I married somebody else and it was a complete disaster oh my gosh yeah and then and then you have to then you have to you have to think about okay so what can I learn from this I may I took made this choice God will never abandon us and we don't have a but a couple minutes left so God will never abandon us but I made this choice and how and as I came through that like how did I come through this I came to writing in my journal every single day learning how to be grateful for the life for what was good in my life rather than what was bad in my life oh that's good so everything

Encouragement for Anyone Feeling Spiritually Lost

SPEAKER_02 58:09

that there is reason for everything even if you have not listened you will be taken on a path I believe that will bring you still back to the purpose that you were created for had I not left that situation this would not be happening.

SPEAKER_01 58:25

This none of this would be happening you're right yes very it's all wonderful and Charlotte I just have to say thank you a huge thank you all the way around for coming to me with your stories coming to giving me the opportunity to be part of your journey and bringing the message of your love for God out into the light of other people on you know who will read your your writings and who will on the daily have some time with God because you took the time to listen to the prompting of your heart and put this book together and those that have you you've had before and those that will come from here. Thank you thank you thank you for being part of this I so appreciate you for being show today.

SPEAKER_02 59:10

I've enjoyed it so very much and I I appreciate you and asking me to come on and and just working with me in my life this last what year or two that we've been together and I just I'm feel very very blessed very very blessed.

SPEAKER_01 59:24

I do as well and for all those you are listening go to Amazon get the book the link is in the description and um find it on amazon.com hopelessly devoted to you by Charlotte J. Bryan Charlotte with an S. And in the meanwhile I'm gonna say thank you to every single one of you who listened to the show may each of the words that you heard today make a difference in your life and may what you say to other people make a difference in theirs. Make sure that you're having good conversations with yourself as well because every single one of them makes a difference.

SPEAKER_00 59:59

We'll see you next time that brings us to the close of another episode of Conversations That Make a Difference with host Teresa Vellardi. We want to sincerely thank you for tuning in and sharing your time with us today. Our greatest hope is that today's discussion inspired your personal growth encouraged you to share your unique gift and gave you the courage to write your own magnificent story. If this message resonated with you let's keep the conversation going. Take a moment to like comment and subscribe on YouTube and follow us on our conversations that make a difference Facebook page this will ensure you never miss a moment of inspiration. We air new episodes every Tuesday at 5 p.m Eastern time don't forget to like comment and subscribe it truly helps us reach and empower more people until next time keep making a difference we look forward to welcoming you back next Tuesday to our next conversation