February 25, 2025 • 32 mins
This episode revolves around finding strength and gratitude amidst life's trials, sharing personal stories of hardship and resilience. We discuss how to practice gratitude and faith in difficult times, emphasizing that challenges can serve as opportunities for growth.
• Personal stories of trials and hardships
• Importance of practicing gratitude during tough seasons
• Experiences surrounding the birth of our premature daughter
• Navigating challenges during the pandemic
• Building faith and endurance through struggles
• Life lessons from difficult moments
• Embracing joy in adversity
• Importance of supportive relationships during tough times
• Faith as a sustaining strength in trials
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, what's up everyone?
Hey, today's conversation isfor anybody that's going through
any tough trials.
You may be in trouble right now.
You may be in a dry season.
You may be in a hardrelationship that feels like
there's no way out.
You may be going through somefinancial hardship.
You may be in some situationsright now where you think there
is just no way out.
And I know, for us, as theAirstills, we've gone through a
(00:22):
lot of hardship in the last 20years, the last five years since
the pandemic.
You know, financially speaking,physically speaking, in our
relationships, like with ourchildren, we've lost loved ones.
You know we've had torediscover our purpose and find
ourselves and really determineGod, where are you calling us to
go in life?
You know, really finding ouridentity, and we've gone through
(00:44):
some really dry seasons, yeah,gone through some really dry
seasons where we just thoughtthere was no way out.
And so if you resonate, if anyof that is resonating with you,
this conversation, I do believeit is for you.
We're still here today, we'restill smiling, we still have joy
, that's right we still havepeace, and what we want to do is
today, we want to share withyou all the things that we have
(01:06):
done in our household to make itthrough the valley, to make it
through tough and dry seasons.
We're going to talk about thathere in a minute.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, so if you are excited for this conversation,
hit that like button.
You guys know why we're alreadyhere.
We are here to help you grow adeeper relationship with God,
others and yourself, so you canhit that heart button show us
some love.
We got one of our followers andhe shows us love every episode
and it is just so like gratefulfor us to feel that support and
(01:37):
love.
So if this is something that'sadded value to your life, that's
a way that you can add value toours and just to encourage us
to keep going.
So, hit that heart button, hitthat like button.
Make sure you're subscribed sothat you see our new episode
every week.
But we love y'all.
Let's dig crew.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So if you're ready, let's dig, let's dig, let's dig.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So I, when we were talking about these moments in
our marriage, moments in ourlife together, um, that have
been some of the most difficultseasons.
I truly think that when we hadBrooklyn, our daughter, uh, in
January of 2020, she came nineweeks early Um, she was
(02:18):
premature.
It was just literally chaos.
Honestly, we never had had thatexperience before.
We didn't have a name pickedout, we didn't have a crib.
We didn't have baby shower.
We didn't have nothing.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Exactly so, if anyone can remember the pandemic days.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well prior, like before, pandemic days, yeah,
pandemic days.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
So this baby girl.
We were planning in 2019 thatwe were finally going to get
pregnant again.
We moved around so long andthis time we were like we're
ready to have a baby.
So January 2020 comes andDanley has had a few
complications right, the doctorput her on bed rest, pelvic rest
we're not going to talk aboutthe pelvic rest, this episode.
But you went on rest yes, atthe beginning, and then you got
(03:02):
preeclampsia yes, and that hithome really hard for us.
And then I'm traveling, I'm inother countries, going through
all this stuff, and the doctorstell you okay, there's a risk.
You know you're at high risk.
All these type of things.
You have this stuff to take.
Your blood pressure was hard toreally control, to get it under
control.
Well, one night I come backhome from like Africa or
(03:25):
something like that.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, I feel like.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
South Africa.
Over the weekend you weren'tfeeling good, something was
really off on you, so we decidedto take you to the ER, take you
to actually to go see yourdoctors to see what's going on.
They ran some tests here andthere and they're like we're
actually going to keep you thenight.
This is January 2020, which isinteresting.
We're actually going to keepyou the night.
This is January 2020, which isinteresting because we're still
(03:47):
planning trying to plan babyshowers, all these things.
We don't have a name for thisbaby girl and they say you're
staying the night.
The next day your results comeback and it blows our mind
what's going on?
High risk, your blood pressure,it's hard to get it controlled.
It was wild how it all happened.
I actually, a couple of daysbefore that, heard that my
grandmother passed away and Iremember someone knocking on my
(04:09):
door in the middle of the nightBoom, boom, boom, boom, boom,
boom, boom.
Someone's knocking on my door,boom, boom, boom.
I thought it was in my dreams.
I heard knocking in my dreamsand I'm like what's going on?
I get up it probably is what 5am in the morning, yeah, so
maybe 4 or something like that,I don't remember and I get to
the door and it's one of ourfriends, jackie.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Shout out to Jackie.
Shout out.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Shout out to Jackie.
She's been rocking with us.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
We can never tell this story without giving a
shout out to Jackie.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Let's go Shout out to Jackie knocking on my door.
She's like Daniley's having ababy.
I'm like what are you talkingabout?
No one's called me.
I went to my phone and turnedout I had about 30, 40 missed
calls.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Million missed calls.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Missed calls, and I still actually have your voice
memos from that day.
Five years later, really, Istill have them.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I've never listened to them.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
I never listened to them either.
Actually, I didn't know you hadthem.
I, this baby girl, and Brooklyncomes nine weeks early, three
pounds, three ounces, living inthe NICU for six weeks.
We have this baby that didn'tcome home with us, which was
tough because our first son, he,was a NICU baby too.
(05:16):
So we're two for two, both kids, and I remember you feeling so
much like shame.
I remember you feeling like youfailed.
I remember you beingdisappointed in yourself and
your body frustrated with God.
Why would this happen?
Our baby didn't even have aname.
We had to cancel baby showers.
None of it made sense.
All the while, we had no idea.
(05:38):
Literally two months later, amonth later, that the pandemic
was coming in.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
March.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
So crazy, yeah, and I remember us going through a
really hard time, you cryingevery single night.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Y'all.
My face was literally raw fromthe tears, like I just had tears
pouring down my face all day,every day.
Like going from our apartmentto the hospital going to feed
Brooklyn.
They'd only let like she wouldfeed every four hours but you
couldn't hold her like twofeedings back to back because it
was too much stimulation forher.
(06:09):
Like all these things that likeonly NICU families kind of
resonate with and know.
Um, but it is so unnatural fora mother to be separated from
her newborn baby that earlyperiod.
It's just not natural and so itfeels like the worst ripping
(06:29):
apart you could imagine.
It feels completelyheart-wrenching to just go home
with empty hands.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
How did we make it through that season?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Tough season of having I remember specifically,
like sitting in our bedroom myface is soaked with tears.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We were about to go pick up Jordan from kinder I
think he was in kindergarten atthat time and I I remember you
looking at me and you were likebabe, like she's good, she's
fine, like she's not in any lifethreatening danger, she's with
(07:07):
the best nurses that could takecare of her.
And you were just saying likelet's make the best of this time
, like let's go on day dates,let's go walk around and shop,
let's go do this, let's go dothat, let's take Jordan here and
there.
And I remember sitting therethinking that all sounds amazing
.
I'd love to.
I just don't know that I can,and it truly was a conscious
(07:31):
decision of like.
Okay, I guess I can try to walkaround the mall tomorrow.
I guess I could try to go tolunch with you the next day I
guess.
I could try to take Jordan tothe park, even though that feels
super painful.
But it was one foot in front ofthe other of just making a
conscious decision of okay, I'mgoing to make the best of this
(07:52):
time and know that my daughteris safe and she's being taken
care of in the best way possible.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
That's literally it.
You nailed it.
It's making a consciousdecision to get out of the hole,
to get out of the pit, to getout of the valley.
Some people like to have theselittle pity parties and I know
it was hard right, you just hada baby that came nine weeks
early To be clear, and most ofthe time when people feel that
way and get stuck, it'scompletely validated.
And that's why I said I know itwas hard.
(08:18):
You just rightfully so.
Your baby came nine weeks early.
We had no baby shower, we hadno name for her for three days
it was hard.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
It's not what you expected, it's not what you
planned.
You came home babyless.
I had to like mourn that I waswalking around my apartment
complex pregnant and then, allof a sudden, I wasn't pregnant
but I didn't have a baby with me.
Like people were confused.
I had to mourn so much aboutthat.
Like that I wasn't so pregnantand got miserable.
Like that my stomach was gone.
Or like there were so manythings that I truly had to
(08:52):
grieve and let go of, but I hadto literally let go of it.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So that I could move forward, and I think some people
forget that at the bottom of amountain there's a valley, or
the other way around.
People forget that at the topof a valley there's a mountain,
meaning like you don't, like youdidn't have to stay there.
I know there's a season that wewent through there, but my job
(09:21):
as your husband was to say hey,babe, there's a mountain that
we're about to go over.
There's a way to see it, likethe sun is coming out.
Our baby girl is healthy.
She made it to 31 weeks, towhere her brain was already
developed, to the point wherethere was no risk.
Yeah.
There was no risk for braindamage or anything like that,
(09:41):
right?
Wow, and here's how we did it,me as your husband.
I decided to start counting allthe blessings.
Yeah.
Counting what we have.
I think so many people.
They just want mountaintops,they just want all the blessings
, but don't realize that life isa blessing.
Yeah, and our baby girl wasalive.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, and healthy.
She's what they call a feederand a grower Like she genuinely
just needed to eat and grow, andthat there were other moms in
the room that didn't have that,that peace and that safety of
knowing your baby's not going topass while you're gone, like
that was genuinely something Ihad to hold on to.
(10:23):
I remember there was thismoment.
One of the things that NICUbabies have to go through a lot
is their brain is not fusedtogether where it reminds them
to breathe, and so Brooklyn hadmoments where in the NICU she
would just stop breathing, andthe first time she did it to me,
she turned blue.
The alarm started going off.
The nurses told me like sit herup, rub her back to stimulate
(10:47):
her, to remind her body tobreathe, and it was a really
scary moment.
I don't think you were therewith me at that time and I
remember leaving that day and Itold the doctor like it was
crazy.
I just wanted to like throw herup in the air and freak out.
And I remember him saying butyou did it.
He was like there are moms thatgenuinely do that, they freak
(11:09):
out.
He was like you handled it likea pro and it was such a light
bulb moment of like.
It doesn't exactly mean whatI'm feeling was the problem.
It was my reaction and mychoice of staying calm and
handling situations.
So the same thing of this of Ican have the feelings of this is
unfair.
(11:30):
I I'm frustrated, I'm angry,I'm sad, I'm grieving, but it
was my choice in this situationto say that I'm going to choose
that it's a beautiful day.
I'm going to go walk with my,with my six-year-old that I have
here with me.
I'm going to choose to go walkwith my husband and have lunch
with him.
Like there was so much.
It was such a light bulb momentof like.
(11:51):
Yes, your feelings are allvalid.
So in these hard seasons, inthese tough seasons, what you're
going through is probably veryvalid, but you get the choice to
choose something different thanwhat your emotions are telling
you in this season, and that'swhat I had to do.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
That year, 2020, was a hard year for us because that
was the year our marriage was onthe line.
Yeah.
We considered divorce, weconsidered separation, we
started entertaining the idea ofwhat would it look like if you
were to take one kid, I was totake one kid.
What we're going to do with thecar?
Sort of entertaining all thesethoughts.
Who's going to stay inCalifornia?
(12:28):
Who's going to move where?
Are you going to move toIndiana?
We're going to move to florida.
Am I going to stay there?
We started considering that andthat year was so hard because it
felt like all the walls wereclosing in on us.
It felt like we were trying toquarantine for 14 days, which,
off the record, we never did.
But there's that.
All right, don't come for me.
All y'all doesn't.
Oh my gosh, you're the reasonwhy it spread.
Okay, relax.
(12:49):
What I'm saying is like it was ahard year for us.
Yeah, every single one of ushave a choice and I could sit
here and say my marriage is hard.
We're considering divorce,we're considering separation.
This is not working out and Ifound still a little slither in
the relationship to be able tofind gratitude, and I really
(13:12):
think for people that reallywant to get out of dry seasons,
or maybe not even getting out ofit.
If you have a desire to make itthrough a dry season, if you
have the desire to make itthrough your trials, what you
have to do is you have to find aposture and a position of
gratitude, find something to begrateful for.
(13:33):
So for us, I'm like man.
Okay, this is wild, ourmarriage isn't working out.
And you know what I said, I amgrateful.
Why am I grateful?
Because you and I both agreedon marriage therapy.
We still found something to begrateful for, and I remember
that night, thinking like manI'm grateful because wifey, I'm
(13:54):
grateful because wifey wants todo therapy.
I want to do therapy.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Some couples can't even get to that point Very true
, a lot of them get stuck atthat point.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
They get stuck.
And so, like practicinggratitude, I want to challenge
everybody like learn to startpracticing gratitude.
You're going through a hardtime.
I remember that one time, yo,when you know, early on in our
marriage, like money was sotight and you went to the
cheapest grocery store to getgroceries and you had no money.
(14:23):
You didn't have enough moneyand the person behind you paid
for your groceries.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
It was like Valentine's day weekend.
I thought I had exactly enoughmoney in the account for just
what I needed to get us to payday, and then when I went to use
my card, I guess a bill hadgone out that morning and so I
didn't have any of it.
Um, and so the lady behind meshe was like oh, I'll get it for
you.
It was like happy Valentine'sday, and I was so humbled and
(14:52):
embarrassed but I literally hadto go to my car and just cry out
and say, okay, thank you, godfor blessing us with just a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Some people decide to give their fist to God and say
God, you're the one that didthis.
God, you're the one that causedthis.
Why God?
Why God?
Why Versus?
Thank you God, I ate today.
Yeah, thank you Lord, I stillhave a place to sleep.
Yeah.
Like for you, it was thank youGod, you still provided I didn't
have enough and the personbehind me covered me.
(15:22):
Like you said, it's humbling.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It's humbling, it's embarrassing.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
It's embarrassing, it checks your pride but you have
a decision to make.
Yeah, how do you want to seethis?
Do you want to see this througheyes of anger, frustration,
pride or just humbly?
Speaker 2 (15:37):
grateful, grateful, even in this season.
Recently, I've shared thatwe've taught the kids to be
thankful for every single day.
Like Lord, we've ended our dayof saying, God, thank you that
you gave us everything we neededfor today.
There are lots of other thingswe're like private school and
(15:59):
sports and cars and all theseother things that we have that
wrap our minds around the need,but today, thank you that you
gave us everything that weneeded for today.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
You remember that time I had to shift the thinking
of our son when he was started,like starting to pray dear God,
help us do this, dear God, helpus do this, help me do it, you
will, you will, you do it.
And I said and I remember onetime finally stopping I said,
son, when you pray, don't everstart your praise like that,
ever again.
And he's like how should Istart my praise?
I said you start every singleprayer with thanksgiving, a
(16:36):
posture of gratitude, every timeyou go to pray.
Lord, thank you for today,thank you for everything that
you've done, thank you forproviding, thank you for never
letting us go, thank you thatwe're always on your mind.
Like it starts to change theposture of your heart when you
start practicing gratitude.
Even while being in the middleof a dry season tough trials,
(17:00):
hardship, financial hardship,marital problems, relationship
issues you can still count itall joy.
I want to read this Hold on.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Don't mind my fancy cup, guys, because someone
blessed me with a fancy cup formy sparkling water and I love it
, so don't mind my fancy cup,let's go, Okay.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Um, still again, if you're liking this conversation,
hit that like button.
Um, I want to read this.
So, James, chapter one.
It says this brothers andsisters, he says, when troubles
come your way, consider it anopportunity for great joy, For
you know that when your faith istested, your endurance has a
chance to grow.
(17:39):
I love how I said like considerit an opportunity.
Consideration is big because youcan look at your situation, you
can look at your problems andyou have a choice.
How do you choose to see this?
He says there's an opportunityfor your faith to grow.
So he said consider it anopportunity for great joy.
Your endurance has a chance togrow.
(17:59):
So let it grow, For when yourendurance is fully developed,
you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
So how do we go through hardtimes?
How do we go through trials?
How do we go through hardship?
How do we go through hardship?
It's considering it anopportunity for great joy.
So we sit here and we count ourblessings.
(18:21):
We count all of our blessings.
The Bible says in order to be aruler of much things, you want
a lot of blessings.
Start counting your littleblessings While you're in that
valley, while your bank accountdoesn't look the way you want it
to look, while yourrelationship is in need of
restoration, while you're stilltrying to find yourself, while
you're lost out there and youdon't know your identity.
(18:41):
Consider this an opportunity tocount your blessings, count
your joy, because in time, inendurance time, your faith will
be tested.
And when you become complete,it says right here, you'll
actually need nothing.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
I think it's important, too, to mention that,
even when you have struggle andyou get through one struggle,
that does not mean thatstruggles end.
And so for us walking throughall of these instances, number
one, they build our faith forthe next one, so that we know,
god, you, you came through thistime when you uh, we had our
(19:18):
only car break down and needed awhole rebuild of the what part
we.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
We had to get a transition or transmission
rebuild.
We had to get a transmissionrebuilt on our jeep and we was
the only car we had.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, so we had to rely on our, our community to
give us rides to work and hereand there and and then that day
we had someone walk money to ourdoor to like help pay for it.
So things like that build ourfaith for the next one.
But it truly is a skill andthat's what I like about that
(19:52):
scripture.
It said that your endurance hasa chance to grow, because now
that we're going throughdifferent difficult seasons as
life doesn't stop beingdifficult you just learn to
handle it better.
We've learned to makeadjustments in those tough
seasons of slowing down, findingthe moment.
So sometimes, when it's anemotionally heavy season, we
(20:14):
will make the choice of okay,let's take the kids to the park
for an hour or two and leave ourphones at home.
Or, hey, let's do this so thatwe could just have a little
breath.
Or let's change up our routinefor the kids.
Like there's little things thatwe have learned to do.
Like a few weeks ago on aSaturday, I had just gotten home
(20:35):
from working doing someclient's hair and the kids were
here.
We were going to go dosomething that night I don't
remember, but you literally camein and we're like, do you want
to walk to the gas station?
And I was like, actually I wantto take a nap.
I was tired, I was exhaustedand I was like, but yes, and we
got up and we just went for athree block walk.
But, man, it made the time slowdown.
It made you realize that it wasa beautiful day, the sun was
(20:58):
setting, the birds were chirping, literally all of those things,
and it completely shifted myfocus from being exhausted that
day to I'm really glad we didthis, and me and you just got to
have a conversation for 20minutes while we got some steps
in.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
That's crazy.
I want to challenge somebody.
So you're probably in arelationship right now, you're
probably in a situation, you'reprobably in a bind, you're
probably in a tough trial rightnow.
You're probably going through atest and you know your faith is
being tested right now and whatthis is saying, what this is
saying right here.
Really consider how to look atthis.
(21:34):
We have an option.
The Bible says to take thoughtscaptive.
So if you have a thought inyour trial, in your troubled
moments right now, if you have athought, you have a decision to
make.
You want to go left or do youwant to go right?
So many people are led by theirfeelings.
You might be in a hard timeright now and I'm not trying to
(21:55):
sit here and discredit it.
I'm not trying to sit here andsay, man, what you're going
through is not hard when you hadthat baby nine weeks early.
I'm not going to say, babe,forget about it, it's nothing,
it was hard, but we have aconscious decision to make.
You can consider this anopportunity to grow your faith,
or you can just go ahead and sayyou know what this sucks.
Woe is me.
(22:16):
This is a failure.
I don't want to live again andsome people meditate on those
thoughts and I really want tochallenge people like the trial
that you're in right now.
I like to call them trialsbecause you're being tested,
you're going through something,and here's what you're being
tested in it's in your endurancelevel.
Because the thing is, if you goto the gym right now and you
pick up a 35 pound or 50 poundand you keep picking it up every
(22:39):
single day next week, thatweight did not get lighter, you
got stronger.
Yeah, that's right.
People think, oh, this isgetting easy.
No, the level of it is stillthe same.
You're getting stronger andthat's why he said like you have
a chance for your endurance togrow and fully be developed.
(23:01):
So he says in verse four so letit grow and you'll be complete,
needing nothing Next time yougo to the gym and you pick up a
weight that you feel like yo,this is really heavy.
It's heavy right now.
It doesn't get lighter nextweek.
You get stronger and that'swhat we did.
We got stronger in our marriage.
Our endurance was just beingtested and we were just letting
it grow.
Letting grow.
(23:21):
I said it to people all thetime in leadership.
So whenever you go throughsomething so most people
consider it an L for loss, Iconsider it an L for lesson
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
You say it all the time.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
I say it all the time I say, well, enjoy the L.
Well, that's messed up.
P, no, no, no, I'm talkingabout L for lesson.
You're being tested, right now,it's true.
And your endurance have anopportunity to grow, so let it
grow.
I'm being tested right now, man.
I'm being tested in so manysituations right now in my life,
and I have an option, I have anopportunity.
It's a chance to count all myjoys, count all the blessing,
(23:54):
count, everything that God hasdone.
And I realized like, oh my gosh, I am in need of nothing.
You know what I'm saying?
Crazy huh.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
It is crazy.
I would also encourage you ifyou're going through a
challenging season, whether itis like we talked a little bit
about my hands and I wentthrough a really hard season
where I had something to likepsoriasis, eczema type stuff
breakout on my hands and it wasso bad I couldn't even do hair,
(24:24):
I couldn't work.
Um, it went start.
It started to have one partwhere it was going sepsis on my
finger, like it could havegotten really, really bad.
Um and so since then it's beena little bit over a year now and
I will still have some flareups.
But when I think about theoption of I can live my life how
I need to, there were times Icouldn't do the dishes, I
(24:44):
couldn't do my kid's hair.
Now I can do my kid's hair, butI have to wear gloves, like I
have can do the dishes, but Ihave to choose when, like, I
have to make conscious decisions.
But I'm so grateful that I canstill work and that I can still
do my day-to-day things, and sowhat I've chosen to do is
literally stand on the promisesof healing for my hands.
So a few nights ago it woke meup.
(25:07):
I was scratching and I got upand first I prayed for my hands
before I got up and then I feltI needed to anoint my hands with
oil.
So I got up and I got theanointing oil and I put it on my
hands and I prayed for it.
And then I got up and I got theanointing oil and I put it on my
hands and I prayed for it, andthen I ended up not being able
to go back to sleep that night,and so I'd continue to read
(25:31):
about communion and how the Lordtruly gives us full healing
because of his body being brokenfor us and that in the blood of
Jesus we can be healed.
And so I'm still walking in thathealing.
I haven't received itcompletely.
Sometimes you'll see my handsare super red, sometimes you'll
see me scratching while we're onvideo.
So it is a conscious thing thatI'm still choosing to walk
through.
But I'm standing on hispromises of healing to know that
(25:53):
my healing will come.
And so if you are in a hardseason, if you're going through
a challenge whether it'srelationship, healing, emotional
, whatever it is stand on thepromises that are in the word,
because the Bible says his wordcan never return void.
He cannot lie.
He is a man that cannot lie.
He is a God that cannot lie.
So if you said that my bodywill be healed, my body will be
(26:16):
healed.
If you said that every needthat I have will be met, then
every need that I have will behealed.
If you said that every needthat I have will be met, then
every need that I have will bemet.
And so I want to read thisscripture from Matthew 6.
And I think I've actually evenchosen to read the scripture
before because it's one of myfavorites.
But it says Matthew 6, verse28,.
And why do you worry aboutclothes.
(26:37):
See how the flowers of thefield grow.
They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not evenSolomon, in all his splendor,
was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes, thegrass of the field which is
here today and tomorrow isthrown into the fire, will he
not much more clothe you, you oflittle faith?
(26:59):
So do not worry saying whatshall we eat or what shall we
drink or what shall we wear, forthe pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly fatherknows that you need them.
I love that part.
He knows that you need them,but seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all thesethings will be given to you as
(27:22):
well.
So for wait, hold on.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Oh, you still reading scripture.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow We'll worry aboutitself.
Each day has enough of troubleof its own.
I just what is worry going todo to you?
What is worry going to add toyou, literally, except stress
and wrinkles?
Y'all?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yup, and y'all can see right here on my face, ain't
got not one wrinkle.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
I sleep like a baby.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's not fair.
That's because black don'tcrack.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Thank you for saying it.
And.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I wear a lot of cocoa butter, Cocoa butter.
And yeah, there's a newshipment from P Diddy's Baby
Pierre oh my word, you cannotmake that joke.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
We're going to get flagged.
That's it, y'all, we're goingto get flagged.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Look, all I'm saying is we all have a decision to
make.
How do you want to see yourtrial right now?
How do you want to see yourvalley right now?
How do you want to see thetroubles that you're in right
now?
It's either an L for loss orit's actually an L for lesson,
like let your endurance grow,stand on God's word, stand on
(28:23):
his truth, seek for God'skingdom and what he wants for
you, and everything else will beadded.
That's what we just read rightthere.
It's one of our favoritescriptures in our household Seek
God first you make a decision.
Don't meditate on those negativethoughts, all the negative
thoughts that keeps coming inyour mind and thinking like I'm
nothing, I'm never going to getout of this.
This situation sucks like.
(28:43):
Renew your mind and say youknow what?
No, god, you're in control andgod, you have plans for me and
god, you want to see me succeed.
If you can take care of thebirds and the lilies, the grass,
why would you not take care ofyour children?
I know you love me.
I know you have plans for me toprosper.
Stand on those words, meditateon those words.
Get yourself some betterfriends.
Get yourself some people thataren't miserable, comforts, that
(29:05):
can actually walk alongside youand help you meditate on the
truth.
Count every single one of yourblessings right now.
If things are hard for youright now in your relationship,
thank God that you're in arelationship.
Start praying for that personthat you're with right now.
If you can't stand your job andyou want to be out of your job,
thank God for giving you a jobLike.
(29:26):
Stop giving complaints andstart giving thanks, and I
guarantee you, family, you'llsee your situation change and
most of the time, it'll be yourperspective of the situation
that changed and your endurancewill be tested.
It'll grow.
It'll grow.
Give it a chance to grow, andyou'll be in a situation where
you actually are needing nothing.
(29:46):
I love how Paul says in theBible that he's learned to live
with anything.
He's learned to live with muchand nothing.
Wow, what a man who's been ableto stand in positions where he
allowed his endurance to grow,his faith to be tested so true,
and living in a situation whereyou actually need nothing.
This is how, family, this ishow we've been able to come out
(30:10):
of our situations.
This is how we've been able totrust God, practicing gratitude,
thanksgiving, while being in avalley, while being in a tough
situation, everything that yougo through is not just for you,
it's for someone else to heartoo.
So you have an opportunity towalk out a story that can change
somebody else's life.
So that's all I got for today,man.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
All right, y'all.
So I hope that this encouragedyou.
That was really what we wantedto do today was to encourage
someone to keep going, to keepwalking, but to walk in
gratefulness, walk inthankfulness, and that is
exactly how you walk out of thattroubling season and that
challenging season and know thatyou will be better for it,
because the endurance will bebuilt, the faith will be built.
(30:50):
And now, then, the next timethere's challenging seasons, it
won't be the same.
It's just like Pierre said,that weight will feel lighter,
not because the weight waslighter, but because you were
stronger.
Yeah man, we love y'all, let'sdig.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Wait, hold up, now Hold up.
Leave a comment.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Oh my gosh, leave a comment.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
I'm playing Yo leave a comment.
Danley didn't mention thisearlier.
If you're listening to this onSpotify, you're listening to
this on Apple, be sure to leavecomment, subscribe to the page
to send it to somebody.
Hit us up on Instagram, hit usup on TikTok.
Facebook not so much.
Send us an email we want tohear from you guys but more
importantly, like, send us alittle comment.
(31:26):
Let us know if theseconversations have been a
blessing to you.
It allows us to know, like okay, we're on track.
We don't want to bebacktracking and we don't want
to be off track.
We want to make sure that weare giving you guys value to
your lives.
You know, while we're here,we're here to help you grow a
deeper relationship with God,others and yourself.
So let's dig, crew.
Keep on digging and we will seey'all next time.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I don't trust you.
Now I'm like bye.
Hey, what's up everyone?
Hey, today's conversation isfor anybody that's going through
any tough trials.
You may be in trouble right now.
You may be in a dry season.
You may be in a hardrelationship that feels like
there's no way out.
You may be going through somefinancial hardship.
You may be in some situationsright now where you think there
is just no way out.
And I know, for us, as theAirstills, we've gone through a
(00:22):
lot of hardship in the last 20years, the last five years since
the pandemic.
You know, financially speaking,physically speaking, in our
relationships, like with ourchildren, we've lost loved ones.
You know we've had torediscover our purpose and find
ourselves and really determineGod, where are you calling us to
go in life?
You know, really finding ouridentity, and we've gone through
(00:44):
some really dry seasons, yeah,gone through some really dry
seasons where we just thoughtthere was no way out.
And so if you resonate, if anyof that is resonating with you,
this conversation, I do believeit is for you.
We're still here today, we'restill smiling, we still have joy
, that's right we still havepeace, and what we want to do is
today, we want to share withyou all the things that we have
(01:06):
done in our household to make itthrough the valley, to make it
through tough and dry seasons.
We're going to talk about thathere in a minute.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, so if you are excited for this conversation,
hit that like button.
You guys know why we're alreadyhere.
We are here to help you grow adeeper relationship with God,
others and yourself, so you canhit that heart button show us
some love.
We got one of our followers andhe shows us love every episode
and it is just so like gratefulfor us to feel that support and
(01:37):
love.
So if this is something that'sadded value to your life, that's
a way that you can add value toours and just to encourage us
to keep going.
So, hit that heart button, hitthat like button.
Make sure you're subscribed sothat you see our new episode
every week.
But we love y'all.
Let's dig crew.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So if you're ready, let's dig, let's dig, let's dig.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So I, when we were talking about these moments in
our marriage, moments in ourlife together, um, that have
been some of the most difficultseasons.
I truly think that when we hadBrooklyn, our daughter, uh, in
January of 2020, she came nineweeks early Um, she was
(02:18):
premature.
It was just literally chaos.
Honestly, we never had had thatexperience before.
We didn't have a name pickedout, we didn't have a crib.
We didn't have baby shower.
We didn't have nothing.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Exactly so, if anyone can remember the pandemic days.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well prior, like before, pandemic days, yeah,
pandemic days.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
So this baby girl.
We were planning in 2019 thatwe were finally going to get
pregnant again.
We moved around so long andthis time we were like we're
ready to have a baby.
So January 2020 comes andDanley has had a few
complications right, the doctorput her on bed rest, pelvic rest
we're not going to talk aboutthe pelvic rest, this episode.
But you went on rest yes, atthe beginning, and then you got
(03:02):
preeclampsia yes, and that hithome really hard for us.
And then I'm traveling, I'm inother countries, going through
all this stuff, and the doctorstell you okay, there's a risk.
You know you're at high risk.
All these type of things.
You have this stuff to take.
Your blood pressure was hard toreally control, to get it under
control.
Well, one night I come backhome from like Africa or
(03:25):
something like that.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, I feel like.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
South Africa.
Over the weekend you weren'tfeeling good, something was
really off on you, so we decidedto take you to the ER, take you
to actually to go see yourdoctors to see what's going on.
They ran some tests here andthere and they're like we're
actually going to keep you thenight.
This is January 2020, which isinteresting.
We're actually going to keepyou the night.
This is January 2020, which isinteresting because we're still
(03:47):
planning trying to plan babyshowers, all these things.
We don't have a name for thisbaby girl and they say you're
staying the night.
The next day your results comeback and it blows our mind
what's going on?
High risk, your blood pressure,it's hard to get it controlled.
It was wild how it all happened.
I actually, a couple of daysbefore that, heard that my
grandmother passed away and Iremember someone knocking on my
(04:09):
door in the middle of the nightBoom, boom, boom, boom, boom,
boom, boom.
Someone's knocking on my door,boom, boom, boom.
I thought it was in my dreams.
I heard knocking in my dreamsand I'm like what's going on?
I get up it probably is what 5am in the morning, yeah, so
maybe 4 or something like that,I don't remember and I get to
the door and it's one of ourfriends, jackie.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Shout out to Jackie.
Shout out.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Shout out to Jackie.
She's been rocking with us.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
We can never tell this story without giving a
shout out to Jackie.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Let's go Shout out to Jackie knocking on my door.
She's like Daniley's having ababy.
I'm like what are you talkingabout?
No one's called me.
I went to my phone and turnedout I had about 30, 40 missed
calls.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Million missed calls.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Missed calls, and I still actually have your voice
memos from that day.
Five years later, really, Istill have them.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I've never listened to them.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
I never listened to them either.
Actually, I didn't know you hadthem.
I, this baby girl, and Brooklyncomes nine weeks early, three
pounds, three ounces, living inthe NICU for six weeks.
We have this baby that didn'tcome home with us, which was
tough because our first son, he,was a NICU baby too.
(05:16):
So we're two for two, both kids, and I remember you feeling so
much like shame.
I remember you feeling like youfailed.
I remember you beingdisappointed in yourself and
your body frustrated with God.
Why would this happen?
Our baby didn't even have aname.
We had to cancel baby showers.
None of it made sense.
All the while, we had no idea.
(05:38):
Literally two months later, amonth later, that the pandemic
was coming in.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
March.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
So crazy, yeah, and I remember us going through a
really hard time, you cryingevery single night.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Y'all.
My face was literally raw fromthe tears, like I just had tears
pouring down my face all day,every day.
Like going from our apartmentto the hospital going to feed
Brooklyn.
They'd only let like she wouldfeed every four hours but you
couldn't hold her like twofeedings back to back because it
was too much stimulation forher.
(06:09):
Like all these things that likeonly NICU families kind of
resonate with and know.
Um, but it is so unnatural fora mother to be separated from
her newborn baby that earlyperiod.
It's just not natural and so itfeels like the worst ripping
(06:29):
apart you could imagine.
It feels completelyheart-wrenching to just go home
with empty hands.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
How did we make it through that season?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Tough season of having I remember specifically,
like sitting in our bedroom myface is soaked with tears.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
We were about to go pick up Jordan from kinder I
think he was in kindergarten atthat time and I I remember you
looking at me and you were likebabe, like she's good, she's
fine, like she's not in any lifethreatening danger, she's with
(07:07):
the best nurses that could takecare of her.
And you were just saying likelet's make the best of this time
, like let's go on day dates,let's go walk around and shop,
let's go do this, let's go dothat, let's take Jordan here and
there.
And I remember sitting therethinking that all sounds amazing
.
I'd love to.
I just don't know that I can,and it truly was a conscious
(07:31):
decision of like.
Okay, I guess I can try to walkaround the mall tomorrow.
I guess I could try to go tolunch with you the next day I
guess.
I could try to take Jordan tothe park, even though that feels
super painful.
But it was one foot in front ofthe other of just making a
conscious decision of okay, I'mgoing to make the best of this
(07:52):
time and know that my daughteris safe and she's being taken
care of in the best way possible.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
That's literally it.
You nailed it.
It's making a consciousdecision to get out of the hole,
to get out of the pit, to getout of the valley.
Some people like to have theselittle pity parties and I know
it was hard right, you just hada baby that came nine weeks
early To be clear, and most ofthe time when people feel that
way and get stuck, it'scompletely validated.
And that's why I said I know itwas hard.
(08:18):
You just rightfully so.
Your baby came nine weeks early.
We had no baby shower, we hadno name for her for three days
it was hard.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
It's not what you expected, it's not what you
planned.
You came home babyless.
I had to like mourn that I waswalking around my apartment
complex pregnant and then, allof a sudden, I wasn't pregnant
but I didn't have a baby with me.
Like people were confused.
I had to mourn so much aboutthat.
Like that I wasn't so pregnantand got miserable.
Like that my stomach was gone.
Or like there were so manythings that I truly had to
(08:52):
grieve and let go of, but I hadto literally let go of it.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So that I could move forward, and I think some people
forget that at the bottom of amountain there's a valley, or
the other way around.
People forget that at the topof a valley there's a mountain,
meaning like you don't, like youdidn't have to stay there.
I know there's a season that wewent through there, but my job
(09:21):
as your husband was to say hey,babe, there's a mountain that
we're about to go over.
There's a way to see it, likethe sun is coming out.
Our baby girl is healthy.
She made it to 31 weeks, towhere her brain was already
developed, to the point wherethere was no risk.
Yeah.
There was no risk for braindamage or anything like that,
(09:41):
right?
Wow, and here's how we did it,me as your husband.
I decided to start counting allthe blessings.
Yeah.
Counting what we have.
I think so many people.
They just want mountaintops,they just want all the blessings
, but don't realize that life isa blessing.
Yeah, and our baby girl wasalive.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, and healthy.
She's what they call a feederand a grower Like she genuinely
just needed to eat and grow, andthat there were other moms in
the room that didn't have that,that peace and that safety of
knowing your baby's not going topass while you're gone, like
that was genuinely something Ihad to hold on to.
(10:23):
I remember there was thismoment.
One of the things that NICUbabies have to go through a lot
is their brain is not fusedtogether where it reminds them
to breathe, and so Brooklyn hadmoments where in the NICU she
would just stop breathing, andthe first time she did it to me,
she turned blue.
The alarm started going off.
The nurses told me like sit herup, rub her back to stimulate
(10:47):
her, to remind her body tobreathe, and it was a really
scary moment.
I don't think you were therewith me at that time and I
remember leaving that day and Itold the doctor like it was
crazy.
I just wanted to like throw herup in the air and freak out.
And I remember him saying butyou did it.
He was like there are moms thatgenuinely do that, they freak
(11:09):
out.
He was like you handled it likea pro and it was such a light
bulb moment of like.
It doesn't exactly mean whatI'm feeling was the problem.
It was my reaction and mychoice of staying calm and
handling situations.
So the same thing of this of Ican have the feelings of this is
unfair.
(11:30):
I I'm frustrated, I'm angry,I'm sad, I'm grieving, but it
was my choice in this situationto say that I'm going to choose
that it's a beautiful day.
I'm going to go walk with my,with my six-year-old that I have
here with me.
I'm going to choose to go walkwith my husband and have lunch
with him.
Like there was so much.
It was such a light bulb momentof like.
(11:51):
Yes, your feelings are allvalid.
So in these hard seasons, inthese tough seasons, what you're
going through is probably veryvalid, but you get the choice to
choose something different thanwhat your emotions are telling
you in this season, and that'swhat I had to do.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
That year, 2020, was a hard year for us because that
was the year our marriage was onthe line.
Yeah.
We considered divorce, weconsidered separation, we
started entertaining the idea ofwhat would it look like if you
were to take one kid, I was totake one kid.
What we're going to do with thecar?
Sort of entertaining all thesethoughts.
Who's going to stay inCalifornia?
(12:28):
Who's going to move where?
Are you going to move toIndiana?
We're going to move to florida.
Am I going to stay there?
We started considering that andthat year was so hard because it
felt like all the walls wereclosing in on us.
It felt like we were trying toquarantine for 14 days, which,
off the record, we never did.
But there's that.
All right, don't come for me.
All y'all doesn't.
Oh my gosh, you're the reasonwhy it spread.
Okay, relax.
(12:49):
What I'm saying is like it was ahard year for us.
Yeah, every single one of ushave a choice and I could sit
here and say my marriage is hard.
We're considering divorce,we're considering separation.
This is not working out and Ifound still a little slither in
the relationship to be able tofind gratitude, and I really
(13:12):
think for people that reallywant to get out of dry seasons,
or maybe not even getting out ofit.
If you have a desire to make itthrough a dry season, if you
have the desire to make itthrough your trials, what you
have to do is you have to find aposture and a position of
gratitude, find something to begrateful for.
(13:33):
So for us, I'm like man.
Okay, this is wild, ourmarriage isn't working out.
And you know what I said, I amgrateful.
Why am I grateful?
Because you and I both agreedon marriage therapy.
We still found something to begrateful for, and I remember
that night, thinking like manI'm grateful because wifey, I'm
(13:54):
grateful because wifey wants todo therapy.
I want to do therapy.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Some couples can't even get to that point Very true
, a lot of them get stuck atthat point.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
They get stuck.
And so, like practicinggratitude, I want to challenge
everybody like learn to startpracticing gratitude.
You're going through a hardtime.
I remember that one time, yo,when you know, early on in our
marriage, like money was sotight and you went to the
cheapest grocery store to getgroceries and you had no money.
(14:23):
You didn't have enough moneyand the person behind you paid
for your groceries.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
It was like Valentine's day weekend.
I thought I had exactly enoughmoney in the account for just
what I needed to get us to payday, and then when I went to use
my card, I guess a bill hadgone out that morning and so I
didn't have any of it.
Um, and so the lady behind meshe was like oh, I'll get it for
you.
It was like happy Valentine'sday, and I was so humbled and
(14:52):
embarrassed but I literally hadto go to my car and just cry out
and say, okay, thank you, godfor blessing us with just a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Some people decide to give their fist to God and say
God, you're the one that didthis.
God, you're the one that causedthis.
Why God?
Why God?
Why Versus?
Thank you God, I ate today.
Yeah, thank you Lord, I stillhave a place to sleep.
Yeah.
Like for you, it was thank youGod, you still provided I didn't
have enough and the personbehind me covered me.
(15:22):
Like you said, it's humbling.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It's humbling, it's embarrassing.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
It's embarrassing, it checks your pride but you have
a decision to make.
Yeah, how do you want to seethis?
Do you want to see this througheyes of anger, frustration,
pride or just humbly?
Speaker 2 (15:37):
grateful, grateful, even in this season.
Recently, I've shared thatwe've taught the kids to be
thankful for every single day.
Like Lord, we've ended our dayof saying, God, thank you that
you gave us everything we neededfor today.
There are lots of other thingswe're like private school and
(15:59):
sports and cars and all theseother things that we have that
wrap our minds around the need,but today, thank you that you
gave us everything that weneeded for today.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
You remember that time I had to shift the thinking
of our son when he was started,like starting to pray dear God,
help us do this, dear God, helpus do this, help me do it, you
will, you will, you do it.
And I said and I remember onetime finally stopping I said,
son, when you pray, don't everstart your praise like that,
ever again.
And he's like how should Istart my praise?
I said you start every singleprayer with thanksgiving, a
(16:36):
posture of gratitude, every timeyou go to pray.
Lord, thank you for today,thank you for everything that
you've done, thank you forproviding, thank you for never
letting us go, thank you thatwe're always on your mind.
Like it starts to change theposture of your heart when you
start practicing gratitude.
Even while being in the middleof a dry season tough trials,
(17:00):
hardship, financial hardship,marital problems, relationship
issues you can still count itall joy.
I want to read this Hold on.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Don't mind my fancy cup, guys, because someone
blessed me with a fancy cup formy sparkling water and I love it
, so don't mind my fancy cup,let's go, Okay.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Um, still again, if you're liking this conversation,
hit that like button.
Um, I want to read this.
So, James, chapter one.
It says this brothers andsisters, he says, when troubles
come your way, consider it anopportunity for great joy, For
you know that when your faith istested, your endurance has a
chance to grow.
(17:39):
I love how I said like considerit an opportunity.
Consideration is big because youcan look at your situation, you
can look at your problems andyou have a choice.
How do you choose to see this?
He says there's an opportunityfor your faith to grow.
So he said consider it anopportunity for great joy.
Your endurance has a chance togrow.
(17:59):
So let it grow, For when yourendurance is fully developed,
you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
So how do we go through hardtimes?
How do we go through trials?
How do we go through hardship?
How do we go through hardship?
It's considering it anopportunity for great joy.
So we sit here and we count ourblessings.
(18:21):
We count all of our blessings.
The Bible says in order to be aruler of much things, you want
a lot of blessings.
Start counting your littleblessings While you're in that
valley, while your bank accountdoesn't look the way you want it
to look, while yourrelationship is in need of
restoration, while you're stilltrying to find yourself, while
you're lost out there and youdon't know your identity.
(18:41):
Consider this an opportunity tocount your blessings, count
your joy, because in time, inendurance time, your faith will
be tested.
And when you become complete,it says right here, you'll
actually need nothing.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
I think it's important, too, to mention that,
even when you have struggle andyou get through one struggle,
that does not mean thatstruggles end.
And so for us walking throughall of these instances, number
one, they build our faith forthe next one, so that we know,
god, you, you came through thistime when you uh, we had our
(19:18):
only car break down and needed awhole rebuild of the what part
we.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
We had to get a transition or transmission
rebuild.
We had to get a transmissionrebuilt on our jeep and we was
the only car we had.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Yeah, so we had to rely on our, our community to
give us rides to work and hereand there and and then that day
we had someone walk money to ourdoor to like help pay for it.
So things like that build ourfaith for the next one.
But it truly is a skill andthat's what I like about that
(19:52):
scripture.
It said that your endurance hasa chance to grow, because now
that we're going throughdifferent difficult seasons as
life doesn't stop beingdifficult you just learn to
handle it better.
We've learned to makeadjustments in those tough
seasons of slowing down, findingthe moment.
So sometimes, when it's anemotionally heavy season, we
(20:14):
will make the choice of okay,let's take the kids to the park
for an hour or two and leave ourphones at home.
Or, hey, let's do this so thatwe could just have a little
breath.
Or let's change up our routinefor the kids.
Like there's little things thatwe have learned to do.
Like a few weeks ago on aSaturday, I had just gotten home
(20:35):
from working doing someclient's hair and the kids were
here.
We were going to go dosomething that night I don't
remember, but you literally camein and we're like, do you want
to walk to the gas station?
And I was like, actually I wantto take a nap.
I was tired, I was exhaustedand I was like, but yes, and we
got up and we just went for athree block walk.
But, man, it made the time slowdown.
It made you realize that it wasa beautiful day, the sun was
(20:58):
setting, the birds were chirping, literally all of those things,
and it completely shifted myfocus from being exhausted that
day to I'm really glad we didthis, and me and you just got to
have a conversation for 20minutes while we got some steps
in.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
That's crazy.
I want to challenge somebody.
So you're probably in arelationship right now, you're
probably in a situation, you'reprobably in a bind, you're
probably in a tough trial rightnow.
You're probably going through atest and you know your faith is
being tested right now and whatthis is saying, what this is
saying right here.
Really consider how to look atthis.
(21:34):
We have an option.
The Bible says to take thoughtscaptive.
So if you have a thought inyour trial, in your troubled
moments right now, if you have athought, you have a decision to
make.
You want to go left or do youwant to go right?
So many people are led by theirfeelings.
You might be in a hard timeright now and I'm not trying to
(21:55):
sit here and discredit it.
I'm not trying to sit here andsay, man, what you're going
through is not hard when you hadthat baby nine weeks early.
I'm not going to say, babe,forget about it, it's nothing,
it was hard, but we have aconscious decision to make.
You can consider this anopportunity to grow your faith,
or you can just go ahead and sayyou know what this sucks.
Woe is me.
(22:16):
This is a failure.
I don't want to live again andsome people meditate on those
thoughts and I really want tochallenge people like the trial
that you're in right now.
I like to call them trialsbecause you're being tested,
you're going through something,and here's what you're being
tested in it's in your endurancelevel.
Because the thing is, if you goto the gym right now and you
pick up a 35 pound or 50 poundand you keep picking it up every
(22:39):
single day next week, thatweight did not get lighter, you
got stronger.
Yeah, that's right.
People think, oh, this isgetting easy.
No, the level of it is stillthe same.
You're getting stronger andthat's why he said like you have
a chance for your endurance togrow and fully be developed.
(23:01):
So he says in verse four so letit grow and you'll be complete,
needing nothing Next time yougo to the gym and you pick up a
weight that you feel like yo,this is really heavy.
It's heavy right now.
It doesn't get lighter nextweek.
You get stronger and that'swhat we did.
We got stronger in our marriage.
Our endurance was just beingtested and we were just letting
it grow.
Letting grow.
(23:21):
I said it to people all thetime in leadership.
So whenever you go throughsomething so most people
consider it an L for loss, Iconsider it an L for lesson
Right.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
You say it all the time.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
I say it all the time I say, well, enjoy the L.
Well, that's messed up.
P, no, no, no, I'm talkingabout L for lesson.
You're being tested, right now,it's true.
And your endurance have anopportunity to grow, so let it
grow.
I'm being tested right now, man.
I'm being tested in so manysituations right now in my life,
and I have an option, I have anopportunity.
It's a chance to count all myjoys, count all the blessing,
(23:54):
count, everything that God hasdone.
And I realized like, oh my gosh, I am in need of nothing.
You know what I'm saying?
Crazy huh.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
It is crazy.
I would also encourage you ifyou're going through a
challenging season, whether itis like we talked a little bit
about my hands and I wentthrough a really hard season
where I had something to likepsoriasis, eczema type stuff
breakout on my hands and it wasso bad I couldn't even do hair,
(24:24):
I couldn't work.
Um, it went start.
It started to have one partwhere it was going sepsis on my
finger, like it could havegotten really, really bad.
Um and so since then it's beena little bit over a year now and
I will still have some flareups.
But when I think about theoption of I can live my life how
I need to, there were times Icouldn't do the dishes, I
(24:44):
couldn't do my kid's hair.
Now I can do my kid's hair, butI have to wear gloves, like I
have can do the dishes, but Ihave to choose when, like, I
have to make conscious decisions.
But I'm so grateful that I canstill work and that I can still
do my day-to-day things, and sowhat I've chosen to do is
literally stand on the promisesof healing for my hands.
So a few nights ago it woke meup.
(25:07):
I was scratching and I got upand first I prayed for my hands
before I got up and then I feltI needed to anoint my hands with
oil.
So I got up and I got theanointing oil and I put it on my
hands and I prayed for it.
And then I got up and I got theanointing oil and I put it on my
hands and I prayed for it, andthen I ended up not being able
to go back to sleep that night,and so I'd continue to read
(25:31):
about communion and how the Lordtruly gives us full healing
because of his body being brokenfor us and that in the blood of
Jesus we can be healed.
And so I'm still walking in thathealing.
I haven't received itcompletely.
Sometimes you'll see my handsare super red, sometimes you'll
see me scratching while we're onvideo.
So it is a conscious thing thatI'm still choosing to walk
through.
But I'm standing on hispromises of healing to know that
(25:53):
my healing will come.
And so if you are in a hardseason, if you're going through
a challenge whether it'srelationship, healing, emotional
, whatever it is stand on thepromises that are in the word,
because the Bible says his wordcan never return void.
He cannot lie.
He is a man that cannot lie.
He is a God that cannot lie.
So if you said that my bodywill be healed, my body will be
(26:16):
healed.
If you said that every needthat I have will be met, then
every need that I have will behealed.
If you said that every needthat I have will be met, then
every need that I have will bemet.
And so I want to read thisscripture from Matthew 6.
And I think I've actually evenchosen to read the scripture
before because it's one of myfavorites.
But it says Matthew 6, verse28,.
And why do you worry aboutclothes.
(26:37):
See how the flowers of thefield grow.
They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not evenSolomon, in all his splendor,
was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes, thegrass of the field which is
here today and tomorrow isthrown into the fire, will he
not much more clothe you, you oflittle faith?
(26:59):
So do not worry saying whatshall we eat or what shall we
drink or what shall we wear, forthe pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly fatherknows that you need them.
I love that part.
He knows that you need them,but seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all thesethings will be given to you as
(27:22):
well.
So for wait, hold on.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Oh, you still reading scripture.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow We'll worry aboutitself.
Each day has enough of troubleof its own.
I just what is worry going todo to you?
What is worry going to add toyou, literally, except stress
and wrinkles?
Y'all?
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yup, and y'all can see right here on my face, ain't
got not one wrinkle.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
I sleep like a baby.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's not fair.
That's because black don'tcrack.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Thank you for saying it.
And.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
I wear a lot of cocoa butter, Cocoa butter.
And yeah, there's a newshipment from P Diddy's Baby
Pierre oh my word, you cannotmake that joke.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
We're going to get flagged.
That's it, y'all, we're goingto get flagged.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Look, all I'm saying is we all have a decision to
make.
How do you want to see yourtrial right now?
How do you want to see yourvalley right now?
How do you want to see thetroubles that you're in right
now?
It's either an L for loss orit's actually an L for lesson,
like let your endurance grow,stand on God's word, stand on
(28:23):
his truth, seek for God'skingdom and what he wants for
you, and everything else will beadded.
That's what we just read rightthere.
It's one of our favoritescriptures in our household Seek
God first you make a decision.
Don't meditate on those negativethoughts, all the negative
thoughts that keeps coming inyour mind and thinking like I'm
nothing, I'm never going to getout of this.
This situation sucks like.
(28:43):
Renew your mind and say youknow what?
No, god, you're in control andgod, you have plans for me and
god, you want to see me succeed.
If you can take care of thebirds and the lilies, the grass,
why would you not take care ofyour children?
I know you love me.
I know you have plans for me toprosper.
Stand on those words, meditateon those words.
Get yourself some betterfriends.
Get yourself some people thataren't miserable, comforts, that
(29:05):
can actually walk alongside youand help you meditate on the
truth.
Count every single one of yourblessings right now.
If things are hard for youright now in your relationship,
thank God that you're in arelationship.
Start praying for that personthat you're with right now.
If you can't stand your job andyou want to be out of your job,
thank God for giving you a jobLike.
(29:26):
Stop giving complaints andstart giving thanks, and I
guarantee you, family, you'llsee your situation change and
most of the time, it'll be yourperspective of the situation
that changed and your endurancewill be tested.
It'll grow.
It'll grow.
Give it a chance to grow, andyou'll be in a situation where
you actually are needing nothing.
(29:46):
I love how Paul says in theBible that he's learned to live
with anything.
He's learned to live with muchand nothing.
Wow, what a man who's been ableto stand in positions where he
allowed his endurance to grow,his faith to be tested so true,
and living in a situation whereyou actually need nothing.
This is how, family, this ishow we've been able to come out
(30:10):
of our situations.
This is how we've been able totrust God, practicing gratitude,
thanksgiving, while being in avalley, while being in a tough
situation, everything that yougo through is not just for you,
it's for someone else to heartoo.
So you have an opportunity towalk out a story that can change
somebody else's life.
So that's all I got for today,man.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
All right, y'all.
So I hope that this encouragedyou.
That was really what we wantedto do today was to encourage
someone to keep going, to keepwalking, but to walk in
gratefulness, walk inthankfulness, and that is
exactly how you walk out of thattroubling season and that
challenging season and know thatyou will be better for it,
because the endurance will bebuilt, the faith will be built.
(30:50):
And now, then, the next timethere's challenging seasons, it
won't be the same.
It's just like Pierre said,that weight will feel lighter,
not because the weight waslighter, but because you were
stronger.
Yeah man, we love y'all, let'sdig.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Wait, hold up, now Hold up.
Leave a comment.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Oh my gosh, leave a comment.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
I'm playing Yo leave a comment.
Danley didn't mention thisearlier.
If you're listening to this onSpotify, you're listening to
this on Apple, be sure to leavecomment, subscribe to the page
to send it to somebody.
Hit us up on Instagram, hit usup on TikTok.
Facebook not so much.
Send us an email we want tohear from you guys but more
importantly, like, send us alittle comment.
(31:26):
Let us know if theseconversations have been a
blessing to you.
It allows us to know, like okay, we're on track.
We don't want to bebacktracking and we don't want
to be off track.
We want to make sure that weare giving you guys value to
your lives.
You know, while we're here,we're here to help you grow a
deeper relationship with God,others and yourself.
So let's dig, crew.
Keep on digging and we will seey'all next time.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I don't trust you.
Now I'm like bye.
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