June 22, 2025 • 62 mins
What happens when God interrupts your comfortable college life with an unexpected divine encounter? For Bailey Johnson, a single phone call changed everything when a stranger prayed over her, revealing intimate details of her life that no one could have known.
Bailey's journey from softball player to spiritual seeker unfolds as she candidly shares the messy reality of finding faith in college—those exhilarating early days of devotion followed by difficult seasons where she felt torn between her newfound faith and campus social pressures. With refreshing honesty, she describes attending church hungover, questioning if God even wanted her there, and the shame that often followed these contradictions.
When an unexpected pregnancy during her senior year left Bailey facing motherhood alone, her faith was tested in profound ways. Now raising a two-year-old son, she reflects on how parenting has become one of her greatest spiritual teachers: "He speaks to me through my kid like no other." This transformative experience led her to create both a 21-day devotional called "Desiring Him" and launch the "Coffee Christ in Real Life" podcast, where she interviews fellow believers about their authentic faith journeys.
What makes Bailey's testimony so compelling is her willingness to acknowledge the non-linear nature of spiritual growth. "You're going to go through different seasons of being super on fire for God, and you're going to go through seasons where you feel really far away," she explains, offering encouragement to listeners navigating similar challenges. Her powerful reminder that "good fruit takes time" creates space for those wrestling with their own inconsistent spiritual journeys.
Whether you're a longtime believer, someone curious about faith, or somewhere in between, Bailey's story demonstrates how God pursues us even when we're running in the opposite direction. Her journey reminds us that transformation isn't about perfection but about keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus through every valley and mountaintop.
Ready to hear more authentic faith stories? Follow Bailey's podcast "Coffee Christ and RealLife" on Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify, and be sure to subscribe to Life Beside Christ for more conversations that bring faith into everyday life.
Find them here!
Instagram: @coffee.christ.and.reallife
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1mTS8OS0pwOuhQFAvVTJ9t?si=028f1196f0454d1f
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@CoffeeChristRealLife
We love hearing from our listeners whether it's criticism, advice, or just thoughts on the conversation we had. Find us or reach out to us here:
•Email: lifebesidechristpod@gmail.com
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•Intro/Outro Music: "Our Days" by David Hays
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to the Life Beside Christ podcast.
I think we got a good one foryou today, the last one.
If you haven't, I did ahorrible job.
I don't think I posted anythingon social media about when I
posted that episode.
So if you haven't listened tothe last episode with David and
(00:28):
Adam, go back, listen to it.
It was a good one.
And then, since I always forgetthis at the end, find us on
Instagram at life beside Christpodcast or email us at life
beside Christ pod at gmailcom.
Um, like I said, I think we'vegot to go into today.
We have a guest.
Her name is Bailey Johnson, Iguess an old friend.
(00:52):
We went to high school togetherin Iowa and then part of why
she's on the podcast today is totalk about something new that
she started and I'll kind ofhand it over to her.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
This is Bailey Johnson.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Yeah, me and Levi go back tothe good old high school days.
It seems like this shouldn't beas far as it actually is.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I know, Like it was.
How many years is that?
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well, I mean seven.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
This is my.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I just finished my fourth year teaching four years
of college, so nine plus yearsago.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Now it's yeah, that's really weird to think about,
not fun to think about honestlyno, it means we're getting old,
um, but yeah, I I met Levithrough school, um, and I could
probably attest for both of usthat we're not the same people
that we used to be then as weare now.
So we'll probably get to learna little bit about each other on
(01:54):
this episode and just kind ofhow God has worked in our life.
I'm a mom to a littletwo-year-old.
He's kind of in a crazy toddlerstage right now, so I'm
constantly chasing him around.
After I graduated high school,I moved to Minnesota.
(02:15):
I played softball at afour-year school up here and
then thought I was going to bemoving back to Iowa after I
graduated and I did for a yearand then God brought me right
back here.
So I've been here for aboutalmost two years or two and a
half years now and I work at theschool that I graduated from
(02:36):
and yeah, that's kind of whereI'm at yeah, plenty of things to
keep you busy, right so Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
So we've talked a little bit about this, but I'm
going to kind of let Baileyshare as much or as little as
she wants about, I guess, herintroduction to God and Jesus.
I think the timing of both ofour stories, I guess and meeting
Jesus was relatively similar inthat we didn't grow up in the
(03:07):
church.
But I'll let you kind of sharea little bit more about how that
all started for you.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, yeah.
So Levi and I had previouslytalked about it, but I didn't
really grow up going to churchLike I knew of God.
It was never like I didn'tbelieve in God, but I never knew
you could have like a personalrelationship like I have with
him today.
It was more so I thought youjust go to church, do, you know,
do good things and then you getto heaven, type of thing.
(03:35):
I'd go to like Wednesday nightchurch here and there, but I
would never consistently go andyou know I'd pray when I needed
things go and you know I'd praywhen I needed things, um.
So I think the turning point forme was um, going to college.
(03:55):
You know you're on your own,you are used to having your
parents around doing all thelittle things for you and, um,
it was funny because before I,like, actually gave my life to
Christ, I remember, um, I gotthis devotional from one of my
high school coaches in softballand it was a Jesus Calling
devotional and I just brought itto college with me and then I
noticed I found myself actuallyreading it in my dorm rooms and
then starting to pray a littlebit.
(04:15):
So I was like praying and stuffbefore I actually realized I
was doing all that.
And then it kind of took somesuffering and some trials for me
to find God.
I was in a relationship forabout two years and it ended up
(04:35):
just kind of going south anddidn't end very great, but it
led me to the best thing andthat is Jesus.
So how I got saved is kind of afunny story.
I actually was kind of in anargument with my boyfriend at
the time and he was trying tosave the relationship.
I was about ready to just belike, yeah, I'm done with this,
(04:57):
and he was like I really needyou to talk to this guy.
And I had no idea what he wastalking about.
I was like what is this guygonna do for our relationship?
Anyway, I was like whatever, soI'm talking to this guy and he
was trying to like kind of giveus advice on our relationship
and whatnot.
And he was just like, can Ipray for you?
And I was like Sure, so hestarted praying for me and then
(05:20):
he just started praying all ofthese things about my life that
like nobody knew about.
And I'm sitting there just likeshocked, like and I would say
that was the first time where Iwas like okay, god is really
real.
Like nobody should have knownthat stuff.
And so I ended up giving mylife to Christ on the phone that
night and didn't really knowlike what was going to happen
(05:43):
next or like what that lookedlike.
And didn't really know likewhat was going to happen next or
like what that looked like.
But after that I left thatrelationship.
I just I knew that's not whothe Lord had for me and it
wasn't perfect after that by anymeans.
But I did find a church that Ireally liked and they welcomed
me like family and I had Godjust like specifically placed
(06:03):
the right people in my life todisciple me and just really show
me what a real, truerelationship with God looks like
.
It wasn't religion, but it wasa relationship.
And so, yeah, and at the time,like I mentioned, I'm in college
, so right away I'm on fire forGod.
Fire for God.
(06:29):
I created a blog, I got baptized, like I did all the things and
like I felt really close to Godat the time but still was just a
baby in my faith, like tryingto figure it all out, and I'm
sure you can probably relate tothis a little bit.
Just like college life, it's soeasy to get lost in the crowd
and follow what everybody elseis doing.
And so I went from being onthis like mountaintop to all of
(06:49):
a sudden, I saw myself in avalley and I was chasing men, I
was chasing alcohol and justnumbing, numbing all the pain,
really Like I didn't.
Maybe I wasn't thinking that,but that's what I was doing
because it felt good at the timeand so I kind of just pushed
myself away from God and then Ireally fell into just shame and
(07:12):
guilt and thought God was mad atme.
Yeah, um, so, yeah, and thenthat was kind of what my junior
and senior year looked like likeI'd still go to church, I was
more than likely hung over, andthen sitting there like dang,
why would God even want me to behere right now?
Um, and then my senior year ofcollege was probably one of the
(07:33):
tougher seasons that I wentthrough in my walk.
Um, I got into anotherrelationship and, um, I ended up
finding out I was, and I toldmy son's dad at the time, you
know, that I was pregnant andhis decision right away was to
not have the baby.
(07:54):
And I knew deep down, like thatwas not God's plan for my life.
And so I ended up going throughthe pregnancy by myself and
what I guess I shouldn't sayabout myself.
Like I knew God was there allalong, but I did have some
amazing parents who helped methrough the whole thing, like
they were even in the deliveryroom.
(08:14):
They, they went through it all.
And so I'm I'm really blessedthat I have the support system
that I do, because not everybodyhas that.
So, yeah, and now I'm, I'm hereand something I'd say about a
year and a half ago.
That's when, yeah, a year and ahalf ago something in me it was
(08:34):
totally just God, but somethingin me just switched it.
I don't know what it was, butmy heart posture just changed,
like I just did a 180 in my life.
I quit doing the things that Iwas.
So half in, half out, I waslike I need to take this
seriously, like I can't.
You know, I have a child thatGod is trusting me to raise and
(08:56):
disciple and I can't live likethis anymore.
So, yeah, it's like I said, ithasn't been easy or perfect, but
I'm here and I'm beingsanctified and pruned every day.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, that's one of the things that I was kind of
thinking about before.
This was how conflictingcollege is for, like, especially
a new christian.
Like, yeah, there are plenty ofpeople who are christians who
go to college, but I just likethe college life, I guess the
(09:33):
temptation is everywhere,everywhere, especially like like
I didn't live on campus, so Ithink that took away a little
bit of some like, some of thethings for me.
But, like, especially if you'reon campus and living on campus,
um, just to just to be, I guess,immersed in in college and like
(09:55):
I, there are times where, likeI didn't even go to campus, like
and I wasn't really there.
But then there was plenty oftimes where the temptation of
things was was very abundant,and it's, it's.
You're on your own.
You're an 18, 19, 20 year old?
Uh, you're on your own, you getto make your own choices, um,
(10:20):
and deal with the deal with theconsequences at your own, like
however you want, you know, andnot necessarily everything's
life or death, obviously, butit's just when you're coming
into your faith.
It's two very different sidesof it, I guess sides of it.
(10:44):
I guess it is that time and Ithink, both of us kind of coming
into our faith as we got intocollege and after we started
college it was, I don't know.
I'm not going to say it wouldhave been easier to know Jesus
before college, but it wouldhave maybe helped.
(11:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
It is a, that is a, it's just a conflicting life, I
guess, yeah it it makes me thinkof.
I don't have my Bible.
It's in the other room, but Iwant to look it up on my app,
but it reminds me of romans 7.
Um it.
It basically talks about justlike you have your flesh, like
waging against you.
Um, I think it's romans 7 yeah,where?
Speaker 1 (11:37):
I mean?
Is it where the fight is not?
Speaker 2 (11:41):
against oh or um, it's romans 7, romans 7, 14.
So the trouble is not with thelaw, for it is spiritual and
good.
The trouble is with me, for Iam all too human, a slave to sin
.
I don't really understandmyself, for I want to do what is
right, but I don't do it.
Instead, I do what I hate.
(12:02):
And so it just makes me think,like you, you know, once you you
give your life to Christ andyou have that relationship to
God, like that conviction, likeyou might not be convicted about
things right away, but heslowly starts to show you like
the way to live.
And that was the hardest thingbecause, but I also saw, like
(12:23):
looking back on it now, I'm likehardest thing because, but I
also saw, like, looking back onit now I'm like, wow, I was
actually growing, though becauseyou don't realize those things
are wrong until you know Christ,and like you don't want to do
those things.
So I I look at it in adifferent way now, like it can
be easy to sit there and likecondemn yourself and let the
enemy tell you all these lies,but like really you're growing
(12:43):
because you're wanting to dowhat, do what God wants you to
do, and be obedient.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah, I think about and plenty of people say it, but
I don't know if you everlistened to the Unashamed
podcast with the Robertsons.
But I think Phil would alwayssay something along the lines of
to people who.
He would baptize people and sayit's going to get a lot harder
now, once you're like, once yougive your life to Jesus.
(13:10):
The sin that you were doingbefore it didn't just magically
appear in front of you.
It's the same sin, but nowyou're kind of like fighting
with that sin and you know it'swrong and you're still kind of
um, letting your flesh kind oftake the control of that, and
(13:33):
it's just definitely it'sconvicting, it weighs on your
heart a little bit and, like yousaid, it's it's only to help
you realize that what I'm doingis not helping me grow closer to
Jesus, it's not helping me livea very Christian life, I guess.
But yeah so I guess that kindof does that kind of lead us up
(14:01):
into what you're gettingyourself into now.
What's your go ahead?
I'll let you Okay.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Um, yeah, so now where am I at now in life?
Um, life Now.
I actually recently started apodcast with a friend of mine
from church, and I can kind oftell you how that started.
(14:32):
So, my friend Sarah, I didn't,to be honest, I wouldn't have
even called her a friend at thepoint that I knew her because we
were just more of acquaintances.
Like I knew she went to ourchurch.
We have a kid that's the sameage, and so I remember picking
my kid up one day from thetoddler room and she was like
hey, like I need to talk to you,I just have to tell you
(14:53):
something that's been on myheart.
And I was like okay.
And so she told me about thisdream that she had of another
lady at our church, gave hertestimony in front of, in front
of the church, and everybody wasjust like super blessed by it
and whatnot.
And she's like I kept likepraying on that and like what
God meant by that.
And all of a sudden one day Iwas just driving and God
(15:14):
whispered like podcast withBailey and she was just so
confused by it because she'slike I don't even really know
Bailey, like what do you mean?
And so I was okay, like I wasdeep down.
I was super excited becauseI've always wanted to do that.
I really like to talk, I'm apeople person, and so I was like
that's really cool.
So I prayed about it and weboth were just like in alignment
(15:36):
with it and everything kind ofGod just kept opening doors and
just doing what he does whenit's in his will.
And so, yeah, now we justrecorded our third episode
tonight and really our wholepurpose behind our podcast it's
called Coffee Christ in RealLife is to have like tough, real
(15:58):
conversations with people.
Me and Sarah actually have onlyspoke once in our.
Our plan is to just have peopleon um each time and just let
people share their story, um,and just show God's glory and
all of it.
Um, and, of course, drinkingcoffee, like we had coffee at, I
(16:19):
think, 6 pm tonight, um, so,yeah, it's just been really cool
to see how, how god has justorchestrated it all, um.
So yeah, it's it's a work inprogress.
We don't really know what we'redoing I still don't um like
(16:39):
editing and stuff.
I have no clue.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I'm just very grateful for the app that we use
because I don't know what I'mdoing well, as you can see, I
spent an extra 45 minutes beforewe recorded tonight dealing
with tech stuff that I don'teven know if I really fixed.
But yeah, I get that for sureyeah but it is.
It's a it's a fun thing to getinto because it's something, one
(17:03):
you have complete control overthis and in talking to other
people about Jesus, which isalways a great thing, so I guess
.
So my question is something Iwas thinking about as we've done
our podcast and we've talked alittle bit about it, but I kind
(17:25):
of have this question what doyou want to get out of your
podcast?
Not what, like what do you wantfrom it?
Yeah, um honestly, what do youhope to get from it?
I, I guess.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, honestly, I think for me it's truly to like
people have some really coolstories and I truly don't think
everybody gets to like becausenot everybody is like a public
person, they don't like to shareeverything on social media or
whatever, like to shareeverything on social media or
(18:06):
whatever.
And so I think something that Ifeel like the Lord really has
gifted me with is connectingwith people, and I'm a part of
our connect team at church.
Like I like finding people who,like this sounds really weird,
but like if I see if there's agroup of people and I see
somebody sitting alone, like Ifeel drawn to that person
because I don't want them tofeel like they don't know
anybody or they're they'resitting alone or they feel
(18:29):
awkward, Like I don't like that.
So I just really have a heartfor, like people who don't feel
heard or people who don't feelseen.
Um, because I've been there andI've I've been where it feels
lonely, I've felt shamed by,like, my circumstances, and so I
(18:50):
just have a heart for peoplewho are lost because, truthfully
, like our podcast, isn't evenknow where they're at in their
faith, you know, to just askquestions and give a chance to
potentially share my testimonywith them to be able to help
them.
Or you know, you never, younever know what's on the other
(19:13):
side of that obedience.
So we do pray, um, before wehave somebody on.
Then we ask the Holy spirit tolike bring somebody to our mind.
You know, and if it's not inGod's will like, then it won't.
That's not who we need for thatepisode or whatever.
So that's that's my hopes is tocontinue to reach the lost and
go leave the 99 to go get theone.
(19:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
So that's cool.
I guess I should have askedthis before.
But who would like?
Who are you hoping to?
Who do you hope listens to yourpodcast?
Is it the new christian?
Is it the christian who's wisein their faith and mature?
Is it for everyone?
Is it more geared towards women.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Whatever like yeah, um, honestly, I would say I want
it to be for everyone.
Like my grandpa, my grandpalistens to it Like it's, it's
we've only had women on there,but like I guess I don't know if
I should share this, but anyway, I had a dream the other night
(20:19):
about a series of our podcasts.
Like it was really cool, wewere going through a series of
it was called something likerelationships and we were doing
we were hosting different peoplein different seasons of like
singleness, dating, marriage,like a younger couple and then
somebody who's you know furtheralong.
Um, so, truthfully, like I seeit being like a very broad
(20:44):
audience that you don't have tobe a believer.
Um, you can.
I have a pastor that I listenedto sometimes and he always says
you can belong before youbelieve, um, and so I truly want
people to feel like that, likeI want to talk about a wide
variety of topics culture,motherhood, parenting wide
(21:07):
variety of topics culture,motherhood, parenting, you name
it but just as long as God getsthe glory in all of it, because
I've done things in life and onsocial media where it wasn't for
God's glory, it was for myglory and I truly I don't care
how many followers, likes views.
I really don't care care like.
I truly feel like my heart is inthe right spot, like if this
helps one person.
That's what matters.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
So that's kind of where we're at with it that's
kind of we've had similardiscussions on our podcast is
like if it, if one personlistens to it, and it helps them
, or even I think this podcastprobably helped me more than
maybe anyone who's ever listenedto it.
(21:48):
Just because it won it, itdoesn't force me in a way that I
don't want to, but, like, Ihave to read my Bible more, have
to open it more, I have to be alittle more diligent in my
note-taking and stuff like that,and it only benefits me in
knowing and understanding theBible and growing closer to
(22:09):
Jesus.
But yeah, like you said, it'snot.
Oh my gosh, I want the wholeworld to hear me talk about this
.
I want the whole world to hearabout Jesus and if that's one
person, at a time then that's,that's what it is Right.
(22:32):
So I guess you kind of answeredthis.
But the other question I hadwas what do you hope others get
from your podcast?
And you kind of said that.
But if you had any more to add,you can go ahead um, I would
say, like that, your storymatters.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
You know, there's I, I've I know people who haven't
had all of these traumaticexperiences and they're like,
well, I don't really have atestimony.
And it's like, no, you do havea testimony.
And um, so I, I think I wantpeople that are listening, you
know, no matter what you hear,like you, your story still
matters and God is still writingyour story.
(23:14):
And um, yeah, I, I want peopleto feel like they have something
to share and um, and it's, it'scool that, like even people
that, like, we went to highschool with yeah it's so cool
that I might not talk to them,but they're like oh, I listened
to your podcast.
I'm like wait what I?
Know it's, yeah, it's so coollike I love that, so that's
(23:37):
always something that likeencourages me, because I'm like
you really don't ever know who'slistening and paying attention
yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
It is interesting to think about and, um, yeah,
you'll get like an email or atext from someone that you've
not talked to in years orsomething like that and like,
hey, listen to your podcast.
Or like, hey, it's cool thatyou started this um.
And so, like you said, someonethat maybe in high school they
(24:06):
as well, at least to yourknowledge, wasn't a believer, or
like a, wouldn't considerthemselves a follower of christ,
that they're like, hey, I'm,I'm going to church now, I
believe in jesus too, and it'slike it's yeah, it's pretty cool
to just one, to connect withpeople that are also following
Jesus and people you know andcare about yeah, I think I
(24:29):
actually remember.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I actually think I commented or I messaged you when
I seen your podcast come out Ithink it was a little over a
year ago and I was like, oh mygosh, levi loves Jesus.
Like I got so excited becauseit's so cool, because, you know,
we just know each other for howwe were in years ago and so I
just got so excited.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
So it's stuff like that that just makes me happy
well, so, and I think I wetalked the other night or last
night, but, um, I told you this.
It was, I think, during itmight have been my freshman year
of college or sophomore year,but there are times like I'd see
you post something on yourstory on instagram or like you
(25:10):
talking about jesus.
I'm like, hey, there's someoneI know, like I was friends with,
and they're talking about jesuslike that's that's just.
It's cool that, um, it's not,it's not confined to people that
um again, that maybe youwouldn't expect to see, um, yeah
(25:32):
, outside of the people that yousee regularly, I guess.
But yeah, it was either timeswhere I would see that or other
people post stuff and I'm likeit, it's cool to see that One,
that people, and it's a goodthing.
I guess.
If, like, I didn't grow upgoing to church, it's great.
(25:53):
It's great that I can stillmake that choice now and grow
closer to Jesus.
So you're always happy when yousee other people making that
same commitment.
I guess.
And we all struggle.
It goes up and down and uh, itgoes in waves.
I talked about this kind oflike visual in my head.
Uh is actually um.
(26:13):
Who was?
Who was the driver's ed teacherthat owned um?
Speaker 2 (26:19):
bret yeah.
I forgot Uh Beckman.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, I think, I think, is that right, roger?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
No, it was, it was the, it was the female.
Oh, Marjorie, or whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah, if she was a cold air.
I don't know why.
I had, like a year or two ago Iwas driving to a wrestling meet
and I was I think I waslistening to some no, I was
probably just listening tonothing, I just drive in silence
but I had like this just kindof like visual in my head pop up
(26:59):
and it went along withsomething she said while I was
driving.
I remember driving, like doingdriving time on the interstate,
and I was kind of like turningthe wheel back and forth, not
like crazy, right, I was incontrol of the vehicle, but like
I was trying to stay soperfectly in the lane and she's
like you're, you're looking.
I remember her saying lookfurther ahead on the road, don't
(27:22):
quit.
Looking right over your hoodand like look further up.
And then you're, you're looking.
I remember her saying lookfurther ahead on the road, don't
quit.
Looking right over your hood,look further up.
And then you're like lookingfurther up in the road.
Now we don't think about itbecause we've driven so much,
but as a 15 or 16 year old doingthat and it just like in my
head it kind of connectedrandomly, I don't know why my
driver's ed, like driving timepopped into my head with
(27:42):
something she said.
You can apply that to your walkwith Jesus the same way.
If I'm going to look at what'sright in front of me every step
of the way, yeah, it's going tobe a little bit rougher than if
I just look ahead and trust thatJesus has a plan and kind of
(28:03):
just go with it, instead oftrying to perfect everything on
the on the road and stay rightin the middle of the lane, cause
it's, it's not going to happen.
You're going to have, you'regoing to have things that you
struggle with and and that kindof knock you out of that lane or
whatever.
But it was, that's a, it's avisual that I don't know why
it's it happened or why it cameto my head, but it's one that
(28:27):
pops in my head often.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Yeah, no, that's really cool and, yeah, very
applicable to life.
Yeah, who would have thoughtthat would have came in handy?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
years later.
Um, yeah, I don't really knowwhat we're talking about before
that.
What were we talking about?
Um?
Speaker 2 (28:47):
I think we were just talking about um.
What were we talking about?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
I don't know.
I guess we can move on a littlebit and come back to it.
Another thing oh, we were justkind, so I've not been good
about we've only uploaded likeonce a month, I would say like
(29:16):
every other episode.
I'd like to get more regularand more often, but we just
haven't yet.
Um, but I was like in my head awhile ago.
I was like Bailey would be agood one to have on, and she
keeps.
You know, in my head.
A while ago I was like Baileywould be a good one to have on.
She's obviously a believer andis not afraid to talk about it
(29:39):
or share it.
But you had recently, I don'tknow a couple months ago.
It was another time where I waslike, okay, this would be a
great time to reach out toBailey and see if she would want
to be on the podcast.
I just didn't.
I put it off, but you made yourown devotional.
What was that like?
And you want to talk about thata little bit?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, honestly, it just popped in my head to like
start writing, and I've alwaysbeen a journaler, like I love
writing.
Sometimes I feel like I canwrite, like write what I'm
trying to say better, I don'tknow, um, but yeah, I just it
(30:18):
felt it on my heart and I justconsistently um, it's a 21 day
devotional called Desiring Him,and I got the name.
I was actually reading thisbook and it just kept talking
about John 15, where it justkept saying, like remain in me
and I in you.
And I just kept like thinkingI'm like you know, like we can't
(30:43):
get to that point if we aren'tlike seeking him and truly like
desiring him.
And I used to just use God as achecklist, like, oh, I just
need to spend time with him.
But, the more I like grew in inmy walk and the more I read my
Bible, like I started changingmy perspective to read my Bible,
Like, okay, what can I knowabout God?
(31:04):
Because I think selfishly wecan read the Bible and make it
about us.
Yeah.
Um, and so just to just say,okay, I read my bible today, you
know, and then say you know Idid this, you know but yeah so
many people use like I mean evenmyself included like we just
check it off, like, oh, I wentto church, okay, yep, it's like
(31:25):
no satan loves that we just usechurch as our one time of the
week to spend with god, right?
so, um, so yeah, I, that's kindof where I got the name of it
and then I just I let god bringa topic to my mind each day, and
so each day has like a littledevotional, and then there's
(31:48):
like reflection questions thatyou can ask yourself, cause I
really wanted it to be like yes,I wanted to share my story, but
I also wanted the reader tolike have a moment to sit and
apply it to their life.
Even if you didn't go throughthe same thing, like there's
questions in there that reallylike make you sit and think.
So, yeah, it was kind of funny.
When I released it, we ended updoing like a corporate fast at
(32:13):
church and it was a 21 day fast,and so some of the ladies that
I go to church with they werelike did you plan this?
Like did you plan thedevotional to be 21 days?
And I was like no, so it wasjust really funny to see, like
some of the people that itimpacted.
And you know, just, and it'sit's honestly nice for me, I can
(32:35):
give it as a gift to people.
It's free, I don't wantanything for it.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
People can still get that or find it.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yeah, I have a link in my bio for just anybody who
comes across my page, like ifyou want to download it, you can
.
It's just a free pdf, um.
So, yeah, um, maybe one dayI'll write another one.
It's not in the plans right now.
But you know, I I would like tomake another one someday with
(33:08):
more of like a journal type ofdevotional, so giving more of
like a reading and then aresponse type of thing.
So, um, yeah, that's cool soyeah, if you want to know
anything about me, it's all inthere so is that?
Speaker 1 (33:24):
was that before the idea of the podcast same time
after?
How did that kind of align withgetting to the podcast?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Yeah, that was before the podcast.
So I probably worked on thisdevotional.
Looking back on it now I haveno idea how I did it, but I was
finishing up my master's thispast fall and that's when I
started.
The devotionalional was towardsthe end of the semester, so I
(33:54):
probably started it in likeOctober, november ish, and I
released it in January.
So yeah, it was, it was beforethe podcast.
The podcast kind of came about,I, I'd say, in March of this
year, um, and it took a whilefor us to like really pray and
(34:15):
plan and it, just, like I said,it all worked out.
We record in her basement, um,and she has a cute little like
setup down there.
So, yeah, um, yeah, it wasn'tin my like my plans at all.
It definitely the Lord put iton my heart because I would have
never like thought to do that.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, so yeah, that's .
It's pretty cool that I mean Idon't know if I would trust
myself to be able to when I'vestarted writing, I guess stuff.
I go on and on and on, Like Idon't know if I could have put
my words in a compact way thatpeople would actually read.
But that's cool that you didthat.
So if you don't have anythingelse to share about, I guess
(34:59):
kind of at the front of yourmind about the podcast, I have a
few questions to just talkabout that.
I enjoy asking people,especially people that didn't
grow up in the church.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yeah, I don't really have anything else to say
besides like I think it's reallycool what you're doing and just
your podcast, and you know forhow long you've been doing it.
Like it's cool to see you stickwith it and I'm sure it blesses
people that you don't evenrealize.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So I just wanted to say that as an encouragement and
yeah, yeah, it's pretty fun andeveryone, like when we've had
guests on here, they're like, ohmy gosh, that was so fun.
I'm like I'm stressed about it,so I'm glad you had fun.
But yeah, I'm stressed about it, so I'm glad you had fun.
But yeah, it's enjoyable justto sit and talk with people and
(35:52):
I don't know, I guess not to putyou on the spot, but have you
ever had a time where youweren't in a church setting or
something like that, where youhad a conversation about Jesus
with someone?
Like that's such a differentfeeling and there's almost a
little bit of like adrenalinebehind it, like with it because
(36:13):
you're nervous and stuff likethat it's a different setting
than that.
I don't know it just kind of.
I don't know why it popped up,but it just is there.
Is that ever had been a momentfor you?
Speaker 2 (36:24):
yeah, honestly a lot um that's good the job that I,
and that's it's something.
It's funny because it fear ofman is something I struggle with
.
You know, like, I can post onmy own personal like, instagram
and stuff and like.
I have no problem with that.
Yeah, because, like the peoplewho follow me, like, if you want
(36:45):
to follow me, that's on yourown choice.
You can unfollow.
If you want to follow me,that's on your own choice.
You can unfollow me.
If you want, like.
If you don't want to see mystuff, I'm not offended by that,
um, but like, in person,one-on-one with somebody, like,
especially like where I work.
I work at a public university,um, and there's a lot of
(37:07):
different, you know, views andcultures and just religions that
are there, and the biggestthing that, like, the Lord has
really challenged me with is onebeing bold and also like
learning how to love peoplebetter, because I think the
church as a whole.
We can be so quick to judge andcondemn, and myself included,
(37:32):
I've, I've, I've done that, um,and it's hard, because how are
we ever gonna bring peoplecloser to Jesus if we're not
acting like him?
You know we were, we were lostand and then God found us.
You know, like, so we need tobe, you know, resemblances or
like a reflection of him.
(37:52):
Um, so yeah, it's actually.
It's funny because I have theseconversations and just these
promptings by the holy spiritall the time, and it's not like
a.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
You have to share the gospel with this person, but
like like oh my gosh, give yourlife to jesus right now or
you're gonna die.
It's because it's, I thinkthat's what people.
I think that part scares peoplea little bit.
It's like, oh my gosh, I haveto tell them that if they don't
believe in jesus they're goingto
Speaker 2 (38:16):
hell, it's like you don't have to it doesn't have to
be that uh I know, even thoughsometimes I want to say that
because people will come in myoffice and they have all these
problems and like in my head I'mlike, oh, you just have an
answer for you, but yes, but noteverybody.
You know the gospel isoffensive.
It's, it's the truth.
It's not gonna sit well withpeople like who wants to hear
(38:38):
that they're a sinner and youare.
You're doing wrong like nobody,but it's the truth and um.
So yeah, I'm faced with that alot.
I actually I heard somebody sayone time like you should have a
five minute version of yourtestimony, a 10 minute version
and like a 30 minute version,because you don't ever know,
like how much time you're goingto have talking to somebody and,
(39:01):
like I said, it doesn't alwayshave to be the gospel, it can
literally be how God rescued youand how God saved you, how God
rescued you and how God savedyou.
So, yeah, I'm trying to thinkof an example.
For example, I guess I have aneighbor who lives next to me
and she's been living there foralmost a year now and I've been
(39:22):
living in my house for almost ayear now and I remember somebody
.
So the house that my neighborlives in is rented and her
landlord was mowing her lawn andI know her landlord because I
work with her landlord and I waslike oh, hey, so-and-so, and we
were talking she's like youknow, a faculty, like a
professor, lives in this house,right, and I was like what?
Like no way.
(39:42):
And so I was like, okay, that'sreally cool to know.
And so then I see her walkingoutside and I, just being the
people person I am, I like go upto her and I'm like, hey, like
I didn't know, you work at SMSU,I do too, and so she's like you
do.
And so we got to talking andshe just like opened up to me
like right away, and was talkingabout, you know, marriage
(40:03):
problems and all of these things.
And, um, I was like, can I?
Like I said I don't know if youbelieve in prayer, but like,
can I pray for you and just prayover your marriage?
And so she's like you're aChristian.
And I was like, yeah, and she'slike I don't really know where
I stand, but you know.
And so I was like that's okay,like you don't, you don't have
to know that.
And so, um, it was so cool,because I'm not kidding you, a
(40:27):
week later I was, I had beenpraying for her, like I just was
like you know, lord, like it'sno coincidence that you put her
right next to me, and she cameup to me when we were both
outside and she's like can Icome to church with you on
Sunday?
And I was like what?
Like?
So she came and the message wasliterally perfect.
It was just about, like yourfaith being the on the solid
(40:51):
foundation.
And then she was just like youknow, I really want to, like, I
want to know Jesus, and I waslike, oh my gosh, like I just I
couldn't believe it.
And so it's little moments likethat where, like, if you are
just obedient to that littleprompting like what the Lord
will do, so yeah, that's great,but don't get me wrong.
I have moments where I have notobeyed the Holy Spirit and like
(41:12):
backed out because I was scaredof what people were going to
think.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, I think that's when I think of times where I've
had conversations with people.
There's times where maybe Istarted the conversation but I
didn't go as far as I felt likeI should have.
And not in a way like you said.
It is the truth, so we shouldbe sharing the truth with people
(41:34):
.
I also don't want to like scarepeople away with how I present
it Not in what Jesus has to sayin the Bible, but I don't want
to say it in a way that detersthem or scares them away.
And I think of a couple ofconversations, but one cool one
I had was I was on a car rideback.
(41:57):
I think for our listeners Ithink I've talked about this
before, but I was in a car rideback from.
It was a wrestling tournamentover Christmas break and I was
sitting in the passenger seat.
The guy driving was one of theother coaches and we were just
talking about stuff and hestarted talking about a video
(42:23):
game that he was playing andit's like a, like a conquer game
, whatever.
And he's like tell me about it,try to like get me to start
playing it and whatever.
And he's like yeah, and one ofthe like you can win by like all
these different ways, whateverhe's like.
And then one of the ways thatyou can like beat the game is,
uh, by like spreading yourreligion in the game.
(42:47):
So I was like what a weird likewhat a weird entry here.
But here we go.
I was like I was like what doyou think, do you have?
Do you have any beliefs?
Like, do you do you follow anyreligion?
Do you talk like go to churchor anything like that?
I can't remember exactly how Isaid it, but I was like it was
such a like, if it was in amovie, like the movie would have
(43:07):
paused and be like well, herewe go like this is.
It couldn't be any more clear tohave this conversation here.
It's just like um and it waslike the next two hours.
So we sat there talking aboutum, the bible and christianity
and stuff like that, and I don'tknow exactly if that
(43:28):
conversation changed the way hethought or believed, but it was.
Yeah, I guess it was just kindof the point in having the
conversation with someone whichis a little scary to to do
sometimes yeah, it makes methink of um, I actually was just
talking to somebody about this.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Where did it go?
It's in 1 Peter and it talksabout says in 1 Peter 3, 15,
says instead you must worshipChrist as Lord of your life and
if someone asks about your hopeas a believer, always be ready
to explain it, but do this in agentle and respectful way, and
(44:10):
so that's where I think it getsyou know, we can be so quick to
point out what everybody else isdoing wrong, but like we should
be doing it in a loving way,because we want them to
experience the same right lovethat we experience yeah, it
comes off.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
It can come off in a way that does seem like you're
attacking them.
It's like no, I, I I don't wantthis to sound like I'm I'm
trying to come at you about thisit's I want you to experience
the love of jesus.
That's, that's that's theextent of this.
That's as much as uh any of usneed, and and the rest will
follow, but yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
Yeah, and like you were talking about, you know,
you didn't know what that, whathappened after you had that
conversation?
And that is always the hardestpart, because I saw this quote
one time and it was likesometimes you don't get to see
like the outcome, you are justplanting the seeds you know, um,
(45:11):
and so you never know whattouch.
They say on average it's like 17touches, like true touches,
until someone really is like,okay, I, I'm kind of interested
in this God thing, you know, orI'm kind of interested in
learning more about Jesus.
So you never know what numberof touch you might be.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, so yeah, that's cool.
Yeah, um, one question I liketo ask um especially again, like
, like I said, both of us havingfairly similar timelines and in
our walk and coming to Christ,what was something that, as a
new Christian was was maybe it'smore than one thing, but like
(45:54):
you struggled with from thebeginning, and that not
necessarily like a sin, but justbeing a follower of christ yeah
, um, yeah, um.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
In the beginning I would say because of like, the
time in my life that I was in,it was sin, because would say
like.
I would say like, fearing Godand not fearing man.
(46:39):
Like I, I always wanted to justfit in, I always wanted to be
liked and and seeked validation,you know, and that like stems
it.
There's always a deeper root tothose struggles and for me it
was just dealing with like,rejection and dealing with um.
You know people not agreeingwith you know me and what I was
(47:01):
trying to do.
So I'd say it was being okaywith not being liked.
You know, especially, Iremember I used to look at
people who followed Jesus.
I'm like that's weird, likethey're just Jesus freaks, and
now I'm one of those.
And so, um being learning to beokay with rejection, that is
probably just the hardest,because everybody wants to be
(47:22):
liked per se.
Um, but it's I w.
I'm reading this book.
It's called Rejection andPraise um by Bob Sorge.
I think is how you say his name.
Anyway, um, he literally talksabout it's either, it's Jesus
plus nothing.
You have to be okay, like as ason and as a daughter.
(47:44):
That God is the only approvalthat you need.
You don't need your coworkersapproval, you don't need your
husband's approval, like so.
And I'd say it's not evensomething that I just dealt with
and I didn't.
I don't struggle with thatanymore.
I still struggle with that.
So, yeah, I'd say that wasprobably the biggest thing of
becoming a new believer, andeven with, like, family members
(48:07):
you know like be growing up in anot in a christian household
and again, not like dogging onmy parents or anything like my
parents are great people and myfamily is great people and
actually the lord has likereally worked from my walk, yeah
, to theirs, so it's really cool, um, but it's hard, you know
(48:29):
it's.
And now that I'm raising a kidin a different way than I grew
up, they're like why are youdoing this?
Or I'm like well, we don'twatch this because I think it's
demonic or whatever it is, youknow.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
So it's, you're going against culture and it's hard
yeah, yeah, I always talk aboutit, but like, even still,
somewhat now, prayer, likepraying, was the hardest for me
to not necessarily say, okay,I'm going to spend time in
(49:00):
prayer, but it was like, oh mygosh, I can't even put my words
together, I don't know what I'msaying, like, why would God want
to listen to me?
I can't even put my wordstogether, I don't know what I'm
saying.
Why would God want to listen tome?
That was a lot of my thoughts,is okay, I'm not going to do
this because God doesn't want tohear me ramble and then start
thinking about my day orwhatever else might happen as
(49:22):
I'm praying and just go off in amillion different ways.
And be like, oh yeah, where wasI?
I was praying and not thinkingabout the 10 of the 10 other
things that happened today.
That was a struggle for me atthe beginning and and still I,
like you said, something that Idefinitely do now is not getting
, I guess, complacent in in howI'm praying, when I'm praying,
(49:47):
how often, but that wasespecially early on.
That was one thing that washard for me was it doesn't have
to be this perfectly sculpted,that's I don't know what I was
saying.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Sculpted.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
Yeah, sure Put together put together prayer.
I guess, and because it's,that's if it had to be perfect
every time like.
Just think about how theconversations you have with your
friends or the conversation I'mhaving now, rambling on about
stuff, it's like that's how youconnect with people.
It's not um it's not thisperfectly worded uh essay or
(50:26):
prayer that that god wants tohear.
He wants to be uh close to youand you know and have a personal
relationship with you, so it'sokay if prayer is a little messy
that was yeah, and he wants tohear about your day.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
Yeah, like I talk to him all the time.
When I'm getting annoyed atwork, I'm like god, I need you
right now.
I need you to like, calm medown, because I want to react in
a fleshly way, right, you know,but like he cares about all the
little details yeah, that's um,and then like to go along with
that.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
I because I don't.
I guess the the past, I don'tknow six or seven years have
gone, faster than I realize, butI kind of in my head still kind
of consider myself a newerChristian Probably.
I guess I don't know, not thatit matters.
(51:22):
But another thing kind of alongwith that that I've realized
recently is as a struggle, isthat the way and what we pray
for isn't going to be answeredthe way we want it to always and
being okay with that andlearning how to, learning how to
be okay with that, that theanswers and the prayers are
(51:45):
going to be answered in the waythat God needs them to be and
not how we want them to be.
Speaker 2 (51:51):
That's hard.
We say that, lord, have yourwill and have your way, and then
he does it the way I went to alittle bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Because it's like at this point, you know, I feel a
little bit more mature in myfaith and as a Christian.
Then I obviously did sevenyears ago as a freshman in
college, being introduced toJesus, Um, and but the struggles
are still very prevalent, thethey don't go away just because,
(52:23):
oh, I've been a believer forseven years now.
Um, they just kind of becomemore advanced and like we talked
about I don't remember if wetalked about it earlier or the
other day was like, okay, you'rea believer now, All right, game
on.
You're going to start uh havingsome problems.
You know dealing.
You're a believer now All right, game on.
You're going to start uh havingsome problems.
(52:44):
You know dealing with thingsand things popping up that
really get after you.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Yeah, I feel like the closer you get to God, the more
warfare like whether it's withyou or your family or your job,
whatever it is like there'salways going to be an attack
when there's anointing on yourlife.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Um, one of my favorite questions to ask is and
this can be uh ever or justrecently, but is there like a
favorite Bible verse or a bibleverse that you look back to
often?
Speaker 2 (53:31):
um, yeah, I have a few, but I'll have to go with
proverbs 31 25.
I got it tattooed on me when Iwas in college, um, and I put on
my my arm that I looked at whenI would go up to bat um, just
like as a reminder.
But the verse is she is clothedin strength and dignity and
laughs without fear of thefuture.
(53:51):
And, um, truthfully, it just isa reminder to me like I can do
all things through Christ and Idon't have to, you know, stay
stuck in the past and I alsodon't have to fear what's to
come.
Like, truthfully, just livingin the moment and leaning into
Christ and knowing that he's gotit all figured out.
(54:13):
Yeah, so, yeah, that's kind ofbeen one that's really stuck
with me.
That was like literally rightwhen I was first saved.
Within months, I got that verseum tattooed.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
So I always kind of lean back to uh, revelations 320
, I think it's, because again,it's kind of a visual thing, but
it's he starts.
Here I am.
I stand at the door knock.
If anyone uh hears and lets mein, then I will eat with them.
It's, it's I the the visual forme of Jesus standing at the
(54:49):
door knocking he's not going tohe?
can he, definitely can he, buthe, uh, he's not always going to
just barge into your life and,uh, there might be things that
happen that maybe feel like that, but inviting Jesus into your
(55:09):
heart and in your life isdifferent.
And he's there and he's juststanding there knocking at that
door and no matter how manytimes we may shut that door in
his face, he's going to standthere and and keep knocking,
which is like I said.
I think it's a visual thing forme.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
That verse always kind of comes to my mind yeah,
and it's yeah, like you said,it's a choice that we have.
You know, even the people thatwe share the gospel with, or
share our testimonies with, like, at the end of the day, like
it's their choice, and you know,god gave us that choice.
So yeah yeah, that's a good,good one all right.
Speaker 1 (55:48):
Well, we're getting close to an hour here, so I'm
gonna give kind of a couple Idon't know a handful of kind of
just rapid fire questions.
You don't have to delve intothem too much if you just want
to give your answer and then, uh, we'll probably go ahead and
wrap it up um favorite christianpodcast hmm, uh, I don't know
(56:18):
if you've ever listened to this,but with the perry's okay
jackie hill perry and prestonperry really good got it.
Uh go to worship song right now.
Speaker 2 (56:33):
It's mighty name of jesus is what I believe it's
called mighty name of jesus whosings?
It you know, know, let me pullup my Spotify really quick,
because it's like a.
It's just a, really, I don'tknow, I just love it.
And once I find something thatI know it's like yeah, on repeat
(56:53):
, yeah, mighty Name of Jesus, bythe Belonging Co.
Speaker 1 (56:58):
Got it Favorite all-time movie.
Speaker 2 (57:14):
Oh, belonging co got it favorite all-time movie oh,
um, that's tough, honestly, likecheaper by the dozen like I
really like that movie umfavorite christian movie or show
um, I mean, you can't go wrongwith the chosen yeah the chosen
um, but my favorite movie,christian movie, oh I don't, the
(57:34):
shack.
Have you ever seen the shack?
Yeah, yeah yeah oh, that onewill get me in my tears.
Speaker 1 (57:40):
Yeah, it was.
Yeah, it's a good one, largechurch or small church?
Speaker 2 (57:51):
I'd say I don't know.
I kind of go to a medium sizedchurch, so I'm going to choose
medium sized church because Idon't want it to be too small,
but I don't know it to be toosmall, but I I don't know when
it gets really big.
Speaker 1 (58:04):
I feel like I don't know everyone and I like to
really like, like I said earlierconnect with people yeah, um,
another one I like to ask isthere anyone in the bible that
you see yourself in a lot?
Speaker 2 (58:24):
that's tough it is um , because the answer for me is
like all of them, yeah, um, Iwould say like not and always,
but kind of paul, like I feellike he's very compassionate and
like really cares for like thechurches that he's writing to
(58:44):
and stuff, and so I would say,for me, I, I think of myself in
that way, kind of like I'm, I'mvery I've think about others a
lot more.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
Yeah, um, where do you see God?
That's a little bit of a longeranswer, maybe.
Speaker 2 (59:06):
Where do I see God?
Yeah, like in my life or yeah.
Um, I'd say, like for theseason that I'm walking in right
now, I see and hear him themost in parenting.
Like he speaks to me through mykid, like no other, because
I'll be telling my kid to dosomething and you know the holy
(59:26):
spirit's, like Bailey, you don'teven do that.
Like you can't tell your kid todo something that you're not
doing and I'm like oh okay, yeah, um, so definitely parenting
yeah, and then last thing Iguess I'll ask is any advice For
our podcast.
Speaker 1 (59:45):
I kind of see anyone can listen to it, but I feel
like it's more geared towardsthe newer Christian, the younger
, not as mature in their faithChristian.
So do you have short, quick orlong, I don't care.
Uh, advice to a newer, youngerChristian.
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Um, I have a lot um the.
This sounds really like simple,but trust the process.
Like you're going gonna gothrough different seasons of
being super on fire for god, andyou're gonna go through seasons
where you feel really far away,or you like I have moments
where I'm like god, I reallydon't want to do this anymore,
(01:00:31):
like this is hard, this like amI even doing this thing right?
You know, um, and there is nolike right way, but just just
continue to keep your eyes, likeyou were talking about earlier,
keeping your eyes on thestraight and narrow path and on
Jesus, and it's Jesus plusnothing, literally Jesus plus
(01:00:51):
nothing and knowing that ourgoal in life is to be like Jesus
and, as you know, jesus isperfect.
And so think of your life asit's just sanctification,
refining.
You know you're going to haveto go through the fire to become
purified and so, um, yeah, goodfruit takes time.
Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
Yeah, Awesome.
So well, this was a lot of fun.
Um, tell everyone, I guesswhere can, where can people find
your podcast, or find you andyour host or your co-host?
Give us all the details.
Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Yeah, so me and my co-host, sarah, can be found on
Instagram.
Our Instagram name is CoffeeChrist in Real Life, and then
you can also find us on youtubeand spotify.
Our name on both of thosechannels is also coffee christ
and real life.
There's no um and sign, it'sthe and spelled out um.
(01:01:53):
So, yeah, if you want to giveus a listen, we'd appreciate it
yeah, go go ahead and go listento them.
Speaker 1 (01:02:01):
We'll put them in our description, um, and then I'll
try to do better about posts oninstagram and stuff like that
when this is up and tag them init.
But yeah, this has been a lotof fun and good catching up with
you.
Thanks for coming on yeah, yeah, thanks levi yep, all righty.
Uh, we'll see you guys nexttime.
Welcome back to the Life Beside Christ podcast.
I think we got a good one foryou today, the last one.
If you haven't, I did ahorrible job.
I don't think I posted anythingon social media about when I
posted that episode.
So if you haven't listened tothe last episode with David and
(00:28):
Adam, go back, listen to it.
It was a good one.
And then, since I always forgetthis at the end, find us on
Instagram at life beside Christpodcast or email us at life
beside Christ pod at gmailcom.
Um, like I said, I think we'vegot to go into today.
We have a guest.
Her name is Bailey Johnson, Iguess an old friend.
(00:52):
We went to high school togetherin Iowa and then part of why
she's on the podcast today is totalk about something new that
she started and I'll kind ofhand it over to her.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
This is Bailey Johnson.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Yeah, me and Levi go back tothe good old high school days.
It seems like this shouldn't beas far as it actually is.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I know, Like it was.
How many years is that?
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well, I mean seven.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
This is my.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I just finished my fourth year teaching four years
of college, so nine plus yearsago.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Now it's yeah, that's really weird to think about,
not fun to think about honestlyno, it means we're getting old,
um, but yeah, I I met Levithrough school, um, and I could
probably attest for both of usthat we're not the same people
that we used to be then as weare now.
So we'll probably get to learna little bit about each other on
(01:54):
this episode and just kind ofhow God has worked in our life.
I'm a mom to a littletwo-year-old.
He's kind of in a crazy toddlerstage right now, so I'm
constantly chasing him around.
After I graduated high school,I moved to Minnesota.
(02:15):
I played softball at afour-year school up here and
then thought I was going to bemoving back to Iowa after I
graduated and I did for a yearand then God brought me right
back here.
So I've been here for aboutalmost two years or two and a
half years now and I work at theschool that I graduated from
(02:36):
and yeah, that's kind of whereI'm at yeah, plenty of things to
keep you busy, right so Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
So we've talked a little bit about this, but I'm
going to kind of let Baileyshare as much or as little as
she wants about, I guess, herintroduction to God and Jesus.
I think the timing of both ofour stories, I guess and meeting
Jesus was relatively similar inthat we didn't grow up in the
(03:07):
church.
But I'll let you kind of sharea little bit more about how that
all started for you.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, yeah.
So Levi and I had previouslytalked about it, but I didn't
really grow up going to churchLike I knew of God.
It was never like I didn'tbelieve in God, but I never knew
you could have like a personalrelationship like I have with
him today.
It was more so I thought youjust go to church, do, you know,
do good things and then you getto heaven, type of thing.
(03:35):
I'd go to like Wednesday nightchurch here and there, but I
would never consistently go andyou know I'd pray when I needed
things go and you know I'd praywhen I needed things, um.
So I think the turning point forme was um, going to college.
(03:55):
You know you're on your own,you are used to having your
parents around doing all thelittle things for you and, um,
it was funny because before I,like, actually gave my life to
Christ, I remember, um, I gotthis devotional from one of my
high school coaches in softballand it was a Jesus Calling
devotional and I just brought itto college with me and then I
noticed I found myself actuallyreading it in my dorm rooms and
then starting to pray a littlebit.
(04:15):
So I was like praying and stuffbefore I actually realized I
was doing all that.
And then it kind of took somesuffering and some trials for me
to find God.
I was in a relationship forabout two years and it ended up
(04:35):
just kind of going south anddidn't end very great, but it
led me to the best thing andthat is Jesus.
So how I got saved is kind of afunny story.
I actually was kind of in anargument with my boyfriend at
the time and he was trying tosave the relationship.
I was about ready to just belike, yeah, I'm done with this,
(04:57):
and he was like I really needyou to talk to this guy.
And I had no idea what he wastalking about.
I was like what is this guygonna do for our relationship?
Anyway, I was like whatever, soI'm talking to this guy and he
was trying to like kind of giveus advice on our relationship
and whatnot.
And he was just like, can Ipray for you?
And I was like Sure, so hestarted praying for me and then
(05:20):
he just started praying all ofthese things about my life that
like nobody knew about.
And I'm sitting there just likeshocked, like and I would say
that was the first time where Iwas like okay, god is really
real.
Like nobody should have knownthat stuff.
And so I ended up giving mylife to Christ on the phone that
night and didn't really knowlike what was going to happen
(05:43):
next or like what that lookedlike.
And didn't really know likewhat was going to happen next or
like what that looked like.
But after that I left thatrelationship.
I just I knew that's not whothe Lord had for me and it
wasn't perfect after that by anymeans.
But I did find a church that Ireally liked and they welcomed
me like family and I had Godjust like specifically placed
(06:03):
the right people in my life todisciple me and just really show
me what a real, truerelationship with God looks like
.
It wasn't religion, but it wasa relationship.
And so, yeah, and at the time,like I mentioned, I'm in college
, so right away I'm on fire forGod.
Fire for God.
(06:29):
I created a blog, I got baptized, like I did all the things and
like I felt really close to Godat the time but still was just a
baby in my faith, like tryingto figure it all out, and I'm
sure you can probably relate tothis a little bit.
Just like college life, it's soeasy to get lost in the crowd
and follow what everybody elseis doing.
And so I went from being onthis like mountaintop to all of
(06:49):
a sudden, I saw myself in avalley and I was chasing men, I
was chasing alcohol and justnumbing, numbing all the pain,
really Like I didn't.
Maybe I wasn't thinking that,but that's what I was doing
because it felt good at the timeand so I kind of just pushed
myself away from God and then Ireally fell into just shame and
(07:12):
guilt and thought God was mad atme.
Yeah, um, so, yeah, and thenthat was kind of what my junior
and senior year looked like likeI'd still go to church, I was
more than likely hung over, andthen sitting there like dang,
why would God even want me to behere right now?
Um, and then my senior year ofcollege was probably one of the
(07:33):
tougher seasons that I wentthrough in my walk.
Um, I got into anotherrelationship and, um, I ended up
finding out I was, and I toldmy son's dad at the time, you
know, that I was pregnant andhis decision right away was to
not have the baby.
(07:54):
And I knew deep down, like thatwas not God's plan for my life.
And so I ended up going throughthe pregnancy by myself and
what I guess I shouldn't sayabout myself.
Like I knew God was there allalong, but I did have some
amazing parents who helped methrough the whole thing, like
they were even in the deliveryroom.
(08:14):
They, they went through it all.
And so I'm I'm really blessedthat I have the support system
that I do, because not everybodyhas that.
So, yeah, and now I'm, I'm hereand something I'd say about a
year and a half ago.
That's when, yeah, a year and ahalf ago something in me it was
(08:34):
totally just God, but somethingin me just switched it.
I don't know what it was, butmy heart posture just changed,
like I just did a 180 in my life.
I quit doing the things that Iwas.
So half in, half out, I waslike I need to take this
seriously, like I can't.
You know, I have a child thatGod is trusting me to raise and
(08:56):
disciple and I can't live likethis anymore.
So, yeah, it's like I said, ithasn't been easy or perfect, but
I'm here and I'm beingsanctified and pruned every day.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, that's one of the things that I was kind of
thinking about before.
This was how conflictingcollege is for, like, especially
a new christian.
Like, yeah, there are plenty ofpeople who are christians who
go to college, but I just likethe college life, I guess the
(09:33):
temptation is everywhere,everywhere, especially like like
I didn't live on campus, so Ithink that took away a little
bit of some like, some of thethings for me.
But, like, especially if you'reon campus and living on campus,
um, just to just to be, I guess,immersed in in college and like
(09:55):
I, there are times where, likeI didn't even go to campus, like
and I wasn't really there.
But then there was plenty oftimes where the temptation of
things was was very abundant,and it's, it's.
You're on your own.
You're an 18, 19, 20 year old?
Uh, you're on your own, you getto make your own choices, um,
(10:20):
and deal with the deal with theconsequences at your own, like
however you want, you know, andnot necessarily everything's
life or death, obviously, butit's just when you're coming
into your faith.
It's two very different sidesof it, I guess sides of it.
(10:44):
I guess it is that time and Ithink, both of us kind of coming
into our faith as we got intocollege and after we started
college it was, I don't know.
I'm not going to say it wouldhave been easier to know Jesus
before college, but it wouldhave maybe helped.
(11:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
It is a, that is a, it's just a conflicting life, I
guess, yeah it it makes me thinkof.
I don't have my Bible.
It's in the other room, but Iwant to look it up on my app,
but it reminds me of romans 7.
Um it.
It basically talks about justlike you have your flesh, like
waging against you.
Um, I think it's romans 7 yeah,where?
Speaker 1 (11:37):
I mean?
Is it where the fight is not?
Speaker 2 (11:41):
against oh or um, it's romans 7, romans 7, 14.
So the trouble is not with thelaw, for it is spiritual and
good.
The trouble is with me, for Iam all too human, a slave to sin
.
I don't really understandmyself, for I want to do what is
right, but I don't do it.
Instead, I do what I hate.
(12:02):
And so it just makes me think,like you, you know, once you you
give your life to Christ andyou have that relationship to
God, like that conviction, likeyou might not be convicted about
things right away, but heslowly starts to show you like
the way to live.
And that was the hardest thingbecause, but I also saw, like
(12:23):
looking back on it now, I'm likehardest thing because, but I
also saw, like, looking back onit now I'm like, wow, I was
actually growing, though becauseyou don't realize those things
are wrong until you know Christ,and like you don't want to do
those things.
So I I look at it in adifferent way now, like it can
be easy to sit there and likecondemn yourself and let the
enemy tell you all these lies,but like really you're growing
(12:43):
because you're wanting to dowhat, do what God wants you to
do, and be obedient.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah, I think about and plenty of people say it, but
I don't know if you everlistened to the Unashamed
podcast with the Robertsons.
But I think Phil would alwayssay something along the lines of
to people who.
He would baptize people and sayit's going to get a lot harder
now, once you're like, once yougive your life to Jesus.
(13:10):
The sin that you were doingbefore it didn't just magically
appear in front of you.
It's the same sin, but nowyou're kind of like fighting
with that sin and you know it'swrong and you're still kind of
um, letting your flesh kind oftake the control of that, and
(13:33):
it's just definitely it'sconvicting, it weighs on your
heart a little bit and, like yousaid, it's it's only to help
you realize that what I'm doingis not helping me grow closer to
Jesus, it's not helping me livea very Christian life, I guess.
But yeah so I guess that kindof does that kind of lead us up
(14:01):
into what you're gettingyourself into now.
What's your go ahead?
I'll let you Okay.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Um, yeah, so now where am I at now in life?
Um, life Now.
I actually recently started apodcast with a friend of mine
from church, and I can kind oftell you how that started.
(14:32):
So, my friend Sarah, I didn't,to be honest, I wouldn't have
even called her a friend at thepoint that I knew her because we
were just more of acquaintances.
Like I knew she went to ourchurch.
We have a kid that's the sameage, and so I remember picking
my kid up one day from thetoddler room and she was like
hey, like I need to talk to you,I just have to tell you
(14:53):
something that's been on myheart.
And I was like okay.
And so she told me about thisdream that she had of another
lady at our church, gave hertestimony in front of, in front
of the church, and everybody wasjust like super blessed by it
and whatnot.
And she's like I kept likepraying on that and like what
God meant by that.
And all of a sudden one day Iwas just driving and God
(15:14):
whispered like podcast withBailey and she was just so
confused by it because she'slike I don't even really know
Bailey, like what do you mean?
And so I was okay, like I wasdeep down.
I was super excited becauseI've always wanted to do that.
I really like to talk, I'm apeople person, and so I was like
that's really cool.
So I prayed about it and weboth were just like in alignment
(15:36):
with it and everything kind ofGod just kept opening doors and
just doing what he does whenit's in his will.
And so, yeah, now we justrecorded our third episode
tonight and really our wholepurpose behind our podcast it's
called Coffee Christ in RealLife is to have like tough, real
(15:58):
conversations with people.
Me and Sarah actually have onlyspoke once in our.
Our plan is to just have peopleon um each time and just let
people share their story, um,and just show God's glory and
all of it.
Um, and, of course, drinkingcoffee, like we had coffee at, I
(16:19):
think, 6 pm tonight, um, so,yeah, it's just been really cool
to see how, how god has justorchestrated it all, um.
So yeah, it's it's a work inprogress.
We don't really know what we'redoing I still don't um like
(16:39):
editing and stuff.
I have no clue.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I'm just very grateful for the app that we use
because I don't know what I'mdoing well, as you can see, I
spent an extra 45 minutes beforewe recorded tonight dealing
with tech stuff that I don'teven know if I really fixed.
But yeah, I get that for sureyeah but it is.
It's a it's a fun thing to getinto because it's something, one
(17:03):
you have complete control overthis and in talking to other
people about Jesus, which isalways a great thing, so I guess
.
So my question is something Iwas thinking about as we've done
our podcast and we've talked alittle bit about it, but I kind
(17:25):
of have this question what doyou want to get out of your
podcast?
Not what, like what do you wantfrom it?
Yeah, um honestly, what do youhope to get from it?
I, I guess.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah, honestly, I think for me it's truly to like
people have some really coolstories and I truly don't think
everybody gets to like becausenot everybody is like a public
person, they don't like to shareeverything on social media or
whatever, like to shareeverything on social media or
(18:06):
whatever.
And so I think something that Ifeel like the Lord really has
gifted me with is connectingwith people, and I'm a part of
our connect team at church.
Like I like finding people who,like this sounds really weird,
but like if I see if there's agroup of people and I see
somebody sitting alone, like Ifeel drawn to that person
because I don't want them tofeel like they don't know
anybody or they're they'resitting alone or they feel
(18:29):
awkward, Like I don't like that.
So I just really have a heartfor, like people who don't feel
heard or people who don't feelseen.
Um, because I've been there andI've I've been where it feels
lonely, I've felt shamed by,like, my circumstances, and so I
(18:50):
just have a heart for peoplewho are lost because, truthfully
, like our podcast, isn't evenknow where they're at in their
faith, you know, to just askquestions and give a chance to
potentially share my testimonywith them to be able to help
them.
Or you know, you never, younever know what's on the other
(19:13):
side of that obedience.
So we do pray, um, before wehave somebody on.
Then we ask the Holy spirit tolike bring somebody to our mind.
You know, and if it's not inGod's will like, then it won't.
That's not who we need for thatepisode or whatever.
So that's that's my hopes is tocontinue to reach the lost and
go leave the 99 to go get theone.
(19:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
So that's cool.
I guess I should have askedthis before.
But who would like?
Who are you hoping to?
Who do you hope listens to yourpodcast?
Is it the new christian?
Is it the christian who's wisein their faith and mature?
Is it for everyone?
Is it more geared towards women.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Whatever like yeah, um, honestly, I would say I want
it to be for everyone.
Like my grandpa, my grandpalistens to it Like it's, it's
we've only had women on there,but like I guess I don't know if
I should share this, but anyway, I had a dream the other night
(20:19):
about a series of our podcasts.
Like it was really cool, wewere going through a series of
it was called something likerelationships and we were doing
we were hosting different peoplein different seasons of like
singleness, dating, marriage,like a younger couple and then
somebody who's you know furtheralong.
Um, so, truthfully, like I seeit being like a very broad
(20:44):
audience that you don't have tobe a believer.
Um, you can.
I have a pastor that I listenedto sometimes and he always says
you can belong before youbelieve, um, and so I truly want
people to feel like that, likeI want to talk about a wide
variety of topics culture,motherhood, parenting wide
(21:07):
variety of topics culture,motherhood, parenting, you name
it but just as long as God getsthe glory in all of it, because
I've done things in life and onsocial media where it wasn't for
God's glory, it was for myglory and I truly I don't care
how many followers, likes views.
I really don't care care like.
I truly feel like my heart is inthe right spot, like if this
helps one person.
That's what matters.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
So that's kind of where we're at with it that's
kind of we've had similardiscussions on our podcast is
like if it, if one personlistens to it, and it helps them
, or even I think this podcastprobably helped me more than
maybe anyone who's ever listenedto it.
(21:48):
Just because it won it, itdoesn't force me in a way that I
don't want to, but, like, Ihave to read my Bible more, have
to open it more, I have to be alittle more diligent in my
note-taking and stuff like that,and it only benefits me in
knowing and understanding theBible and growing closer to
(22:09):
Jesus.
But yeah, like you said, it'snot.
Oh my gosh, I want the wholeworld to hear me talk about this
.
I want the whole world to hearabout Jesus and if that's one
person, at a time then that's,that's what it is Right.
(22:32):
So I guess you kind of answeredthis.
But the other question I hadwas what do you hope others get
from your podcast?
And you kind of said that.
But if you had any more to add,you can go ahead um, I would
say, like that, your storymatters.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
You know, there's I, I've I know people who haven't
had all of these traumaticexperiences and they're like,
well, I don't really have atestimony.
And it's like, no, you do havea testimony.
And um, so I, I think I wantpeople that are listening, you
know, no matter what you hear,like you, your story still
matters and God is still writingyour story.
(23:14):
And um, yeah, I, I want peopleto feel like they have something
to share and um, and it's, it'scool that, like even people
that, like, we went to highschool with yeah it's so cool
that I might not talk to them,but they're like oh, I listened
to your podcast.
I'm like wait what I?
Know it's, yeah, it's so coollike I love that, so that's
(23:37):
always something that likeencourages me, because I'm like
you really don't ever know who'slistening and paying attention
yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
It is interesting to think about and, um, yeah,
you'll get like an email or atext from someone that you've
not talked to in years orsomething like that and like,
hey, listen to your podcast.
Or like, hey, it's cool thatyou started this um.
And so, like you said, someonethat maybe in high school they
(24:06):
as well, at least to yourknowledge, wasn't a believer, or
like a, wouldn't considerthemselves a follower of christ,
that they're like, hey, I'm,I'm going to church now, I
believe in jesus too, and it'slike it's yeah, it's pretty cool
to just one, to connect withpeople that are also following
Jesus and people you know andcare about yeah, I think I
(24:29):
actually remember.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I actually think I commented or I messaged you when
I seen your podcast come out Ithink it was a little over a
year ago and I was like, oh mygosh, levi loves Jesus.
Like I got so excited becauseit's so cool, because, you know,
we just know each other for howwe were in years ago and so I
just got so excited.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
So it's stuff like that that just makes me happy
well, so, and I think I wetalked the other night or last
night, but, um, I told you this.
It was, I think, during itmight have been my freshman year
of college or sophomore year,but there are times like I'd see
you post something on yourstory on instagram or like you
(25:10):
talking about jesus.
I'm like, hey, there's someoneI know, like I was friends with,
and they're talking about jesuslike that's that's just.
It's cool that, um, it's not,it's not confined to people that
um again, that maybe youwouldn't expect to see, um, yeah
(25:32):
, outside of the people that yousee regularly, I guess.
But yeah, it was either timeswhere I would see that or other
people post stuff and I'm likeit, it's cool to see that One,
that people, and it's a goodthing.
I guess.
If, like, I didn't grow upgoing to church, it's great.
(25:53):
It's great that I can stillmake that choice now and grow
closer to Jesus.
So you're always happy when yousee other people making that
same commitment.
I guess.
And we all struggle.
It goes up and down and uh, itgoes in waves.
I talked about this kind oflike visual in my head.
Uh is actually um.
(26:13):
Who was?
Who was the driver's ed teacherthat owned um?
Speaker 2 (26:19):
bret yeah.
I forgot Uh Beckman.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, I think, I think, is that right, roger?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
No, it was, it was the, it was the female.
Oh, Marjorie, or whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah, if she was a cold air.
I don't know why.
I had, like a year or two ago Iwas driving to a wrestling meet
and I was I think I waslistening to some no, I was
probably just listening tonothing, I just drive in silence
but I had like this just kindof like visual in my head pop up
(26:59):
and it went along withsomething she said while I was
driving.
I remember driving, like doingdriving time on the interstate,
and I was kind of like turningthe wheel back and forth, not
like crazy, right, I was incontrol of the vehicle, but like
I was trying to stay soperfectly in the lane and she's
like you're, you're looking.
I remember her saying lookfurther ahead on the road, don't
(27:22):
quit.
Looking right over your hoodand like look further up.
And then you're, you're looking.
I remember her saying lookfurther ahead on the road, don't
quit.
Looking right over your hood,look further up.
And then you're like lookingfurther up in the road.
Now we don't think about itbecause we've driven so much,
but as a 15 or 16 year old doingthat and it just like in my
head it kind of connectedrandomly, I don't know why my
driver's ed, like driving timepopped into my head with
(27:42):
something she said.
You can apply that to your walkwith Jesus the same way.
If I'm going to look at what'sright in front of me every step
of the way, yeah, it's going tobe a little bit rougher than if
I just look ahead and trust thatJesus has a plan and kind of
(28:03):
just go with it, instead oftrying to perfect everything on
the on the road and stay rightin the middle of the lane, cause
it's, it's not going to happen.
You're going to have, you'regoing to have things that you
struggle with and and that kindof knock you out of that lane or
whatever.
But it was, that's a, it's avisual that I don't know why
it's it happened or why it cameto my head, but it's one that
(28:27):
pops in my head often.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
Yeah, no, that's really cool and, yeah, very
applicable to life.
Yeah, who would have thoughtthat would have came in handy?
Speaker 1 (28:37):
years later.
Um, yeah, I don't really knowwhat we're talking about before
that.
What were we talking about?
Um?
Speaker 2 (28:47):
I think we were just talking about um.
What were we talking about?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
I don't know.
I guess we can move on a littlebit and come back to it.
Another thing oh, we were justkind, so I've not been good
about we've only uploaded likeonce a month, I would say like
(29:16):
every other episode.
I'd like to get more regularand more often, but we just
haven't yet.
Um, but I was like in my head awhile ago.
I was like Bailey would be agood one to have on, and she
keeps.
You know, in my head.
A while ago I was like Baileywould be a good one to have on.
She's obviously a believer andis not afraid to talk about it
(29:39):
or share it.
But you had recently, I don'tknow a couple months ago.
It was another time where I waslike, okay, this would be a
great time to reach out toBailey and see if she would want
to be on the podcast.
I just didn't.
I put it off, but you made yourown devotional.
What was that like?
And you want to talk about thata little bit?
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Yeah, honestly, it just popped in my head to like
start writing, and I've alwaysbeen a journaler, like I love
writing.
Sometimes I feel like I canwrite, like write what I'm
trying to say better, I don'tknow, um, but yeah, I just it
(30:18):
felt it on my heart and I justconsistently um, it's a 21 day
devotional called Desiring Him,and I got the name.
I was actually reading thisbook and it just kept talking
about John 15, where it justkept saying, like remain in me
and I in you.
And I just kept like thinkingI'm like you know, like we can't
(30:43):
get to that point if we aren'tlike seeking him and truly like
desiring him.
And I used to just use God as achecklist, like, oh, I just
need to spend time with him.
But, the more I like grew in inmy walk and the more I read my
Bible, like I started changingmy perspective to read my Bible,
Like, okay, what can I knowabout God?
(31:04):
Because I think selfishly wecan read the Bible and make it
about us.
Yeah.
Um, and so just to just say,okay, I read my bible today, you
know, and then say you know Idid this, you know but yeah so
many people use like I mean evenmyself included like we just
check it off, like, oh, I wentto church, okay, yep, it's like
(31:25):
no satan loves that we just usechurch as our one time of the
week to spend with god, right?
so, um, so yeah, I, that's kindof where I got the name of it
and then I just I let god bringa topic to my mind each day, and
so each day has like a littledevotional, and then there's
(31:48):
like reflection questions thatyou can ask yourself, cause I
really wanted it to be like yes,I wanted to share my story, but
I also wanted the reader tolike have a moment to sit and
apply it to their life.
Even if you didn't go throughthe same thing, like there's
questions in there that reallylike make you sit and think.
So, yeah, it was kind of funny.
When I released it, we ended updoing like a corporate fast at
(32:13):
church and it was a 21 day fast,and so some of the ladies that
I go to church with they werelike did you plan this?
Like did you plan thedevotional to be 21 days?
And I was like no, so it wasjust really funny to see, like
some of the people that itimpacted.
And you know, just, and it'sit's honestly nice for me, I can
(32:35):
give it as a gift to people.
It's free, I don't wantanything for it.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
People can still get that or find it.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yeah, I have a link in my bio for just anybody who
comes across my page, like ifyou want to download it, you can
.
It's just a free pdf, um.
So, yeah, um, maybe one dayI'll write another one.
It's not in the plans right now.
But you know, I I would like tomake another one someday with
(33:08):
more of like a journal type ofdevotional, so giving more of
like a reading and then aresponse type of thing.
So, um, yeah, that's cool soyeah, if you want to know
anything about me, it's all inthere so is that?
Speaker 1 (33:24):
was that before the idea of the podcast same time
after?
How did that kind of align withgetting to the podcast?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Yeah, that was before the podcast.
So I probably worked on thisdevotional.
Looking back on it now I haveno idea how I did it, but I was
finishing up my master's thispast fall and that's when I
started.
The devotionalional was towardsthe end of the semester, so I
(33:54):
probably started it in likeOctober, november ish, and I
released it in January.
So yeah, it was, it was beforethe podcast.
The podcast kind of came about,I, I'd say, in March of this
year, um, and it took a whilefor us to like really pray and
(34:15):
plan and it, just, like I said,it all worked out.
We record in her basement, um,and she has a cute little like
setup down there.
So, yeah, um, yeah, it wasn'tin my like my plans at all.
It definitely the Lord put iton my heart because I would have
never like thought to do that.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, so yeah, that's .
It's pretty cool that I mean Idon't know if I would trust
myself to be able to when I'vestarted writing, I guess stuff.
I go on and on and on, Like Idon't know if I could have put
my words in a compact way thatpeople would actually read.
But that's cool that you didthat.
So if you don't have anythingelse to share about, I guess
(34:59):
kind of at the front of yourmind about the podcast, I have a
few questions to just talkabout that.
I enjoy asking people,especially people that didn't
grow up in the church.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yeah, I don't really have anything else to say
besides like I think it's reallycool what you're doing and just
your podcast, and you know forhow long you've been doing it.
Like it's cool to see you stickwith it and I'm sure it blesses
people that you don't evenrealize.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
So I just wanted to say that as an encouragement and
yeah, yeah, it's pretty fun andeveryone, like when we've had
guests on here, they're like, ohmy gosh, that was so fun.
I'm like I'm stressed about it,so I'm glad you had fun.
But yeah, I'm stressed about it, so I'm glad you had fun.
But yeah, it's enjoyable justto sit and talk with people and
(35:52):
I don't know, I guess not to putyou on the spot, but have you
ever had a time where youweren't in a church setting or
something like that, where youhad a conversation about Jesus
with someone?
Like that's such a differentfeeling and there's almost a
little bit of like adrenalinebehind it, like with it because
(36:13):
you're nervous and stuff likethat it's a different setting
than that.
I don't know it just kind of.
I don't know why it popped up,but it just is there.
Is that ever had been a momentfor you?
Speaker 2 (36:24):
yeah, honestly a lot um that's good the job that I,
and that's it's something.
It's funny because it fear ofman is something I struggle with
.
You know, like, I can post onmy own personal like, instagram
and stuff and like.
I have no problem with that.
Yeah, because, like the peoplewho follow me, like, if you want
(36:45):
to follow me, that's on yourown choice.
You can unfollow.
If you want to follow me,that's on your own choice.
You can unfollow me.
If you want, like.
If you don't want to see mystuff, I'm not offended by that,
um, but like, in person,one-on-one with somebody, like,
especially like where I work.
I work at a public university,um, and there's a lot of
(37:07):
different, you know, views andcultures and just religions that
are there, and the biggestthing that, like, the Lord has
really challenged me with is onebeing bold and also like
learning how to love peoplebetter, because I think the
church as a whole.
We can be so quick to judge andcondemn, and myself included,
(37:32):
I've, I've, I've done that, um,and it's hard, because how are
we ever gonna bring peoplecloser to Jesus if we're not
acting like him?
You know we were, we were lostand and then God found us.
You know, like, so we need tobe, you know, resemblances or
like a reflection of him.
(37:52):
Um, so yeah, it's actually.
It's funny because I have theseconversations and just these
promptings by the holy spiritall the time, and it's not like
a.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
You have to share the gospel with this person, but
like like oh my gosh, give yourlife to jesus right now or
you're gonna die.
It's because it's, I thinkthat's what people.
I think that part scares peoplea little bit.
It's like, oh my gosh, I haveto tell them that if they don't
believe in jesus they're goingto
Speaker 2 (38:16):
hell, it's like you don't have to it doesn't have to
be that uh I know, even thoughsometimes I want to say that
because people will come in myoffice and they have all these
problems and like in my head I'mlike, oh, you just have an
answer for you, but yes, but noteverybody.
You know the gospel isoffensive.
It's, it's the truth.
It's not gonna sit well withpeople like who wants to hear
(38:38):
that they're a sinner and youare.
You're doing wrong like nobody,but it's the truth and um.
So yeah, I'm faced with that alot.
I actually I heard somebody sayone time like you should have a
five minute version of yourtestimony, a 10 minute version
and like a 30 minute version,because you don't ever know,
like how much time you're goingto have talking to somebody and,
(39:01):
like I said, it doesn't alwayshave to be the gospel, it can
literally be how God rescued youand how God saved you, how God
rescued you and how God savedyou.
So, yeah, I'm trying to thinkof an example.
For example, I guess I have aneighbor who lives next to me
and she's been living there foralmost a year now and I've been
(39:22):
living in my house for almost ayear now and I remember somebody
.
So the house that my neighborlives in is rented and her
landlord was mowing her lawn andI know her landlord because I
work with her landlord and I waslike oh, hey, so-and-so, and we
were talking she's like youknow, a faculty, like a
professor, lives in this house,right, and I was like what?
Like no way.
(39:42):
And so I was like, okay, that'sreally cool to know.
And so then I see her walkingoutside and I, just being the
people person I am, I like go upto her and I'm like, hey, like
I didn't know, you work at SMSU,I do too, and so she's like you
do.
And so we got to talking andshe just like opened up to me
like right away, and was talkingabout, you know, marriage
(40:03):
problems and all of these things.
And, um, I was like, can I?
Like I said I don't know if youbelieve in prayer, but like,
can I pray for you and just prayover your marriage?
And so she's like you're aChristian.
And I was like, yeah, and she'slike I don't really know where
I stand, but you know.
And so I was like that's okay,like you don't, you don't have
to know that.
And so, um, it was so cool,because I'm not kidding you, a
(40:27):
week later I was, I had beenpraying for her, like I just was
like you know, lord, like it'sno coincidence that you put her
right next to me, and she cameup to me when we were both
outside and she's like can Icome to church with you on
Sunday?
And I was like what?
Like?
So she came and the message wasliterally perfect.
It was just about, like yourfaith being the on the solid
(40:51):
foundation.
And then she was just like youknow, I really want to, like, I
want to know Jesus, and I waslike, oh my gosh, like I just I
couldn't believe it.
And so it's little moments likethat where, like, if you are
just obedient to that littleprompting like what the Lord
will do, so yeah, that's great,but don't get me wrong.
I have moments where I have notobeyed the Holy Spirit and like
(41:12):
backed out because I was scaredof what people were going to
think.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, I think that's when I think of times where I've
had conversations with people.
There's times where maybe Istarted the conversation but I
didn't go as far as I felt likeI should have.
And not in a way like you said.
It is the truth, so we shouldbe sharing the truth with people
(41:34):
.
I also don't want to like scarepeople away with how I present
it Not in what Jesus has to sayin the Bible, but I don't want
to say it in a way that detersthem or scares them away.
And I think of a couple ofconversations, but one cool one
I had was I was on a car rideback.
(41:57):
I think for our listeners Ithink I've talked about this
before, but I was in a car rideback from.
It was a wrestling tournamentover Christmas break and I was
sitting in the passenger seat.
The guy driving was one of theother coaches and we were just
talking about stuff and hestarted talking about a video
(42:23):
game that he was playing andit's like a, like a conquer game
, whatever.
And he's like tell me about it,try to like get me to start
playing it and whatever.
And he's like yeah, and one ofthe like you can win by like all
these different ways, whateverhe's like.
And then one of the ways thatyou can like beat the game is,
uh, by like spreading yourreligion in the game.
(42:47):
So I was like what a weird likewhat a weird entry here.
But here we go.
I was like I was like what doyou think, do you have?
Do you have any beliefs?
Like, do you do you follow anyreligion?
Do you talk like go to churchor anything like that?
I can't remember exactly how Isaid it, but I was like it was
such a like, if it was in amovie, like the movie would have
(43:07):
paused and be like well, herewe go like this is.
It couldn't be any more clear tohave this conversation here.
It's just like um and it waslike the next two hours.
So we sat there talking aboutum, the bible and christianity
and stuff like that, and I don'tknow exactly if that
(43:28):
conversation changed the way hethought or believed, but it was.
Yeah, I guess it was just kindof the point in having the
conversation with someone whichis a little scary to to do
sometimes yeah, it makes methink of um, I actually was just
talking to somebody about this.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Where did it go?
It's in 1 Peter and it talksabout says in 1 Peter 3, 15,
says instead you must worshipChrist as Lord of your life and
if someone asks about your hopeas a believer, always be ready
to explain it, but do this in agentle and respectful way, and
(44:10):
so that's where I think it getsyou know, we can be so quick to
point out what everybody else isdoing wrong, but like we should
be doing it in a loving way,because we want them to
experience the same right lovethat we experience yeah, it
comes off.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
It can come off in a way that does seem like you're
attacking them.
It's like no, I, I I don't wantthis to sound like I'm I'm
trying to come at you about thisit's I want you to experience
the love of jesus.
That's, that's that's theextent of this.
That's as much as uh any of usneed, and and the rest will
follow, but yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
Yeah, and like you were talking about, you know,
you didn't know what that, whathappened after you had that
conversation?
And that is always the hardestpart, because I saw this quote
one time and it was likesometimes you don't get to see
like the outcome, you are justplanting the seeds you know, um,
(45:11):
and so you never know whattouch.
They say on average it's like 17touches, like true touches,
until someone really is like,okay, I, I'm kind of interested
in this God thing, you know, orI'm kind of interested in
learning more about Jesus.
So you never know what numberof touch you might be.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, so yeah, that's cool.
Yeah, um, one question I liketo ask um especially again, like
, like I said, both of us havingfairly similar timelines and in
our walk and coming to Christ,what was something that, as a
new Christian was was maybe it'smore than one thing, but like
(45:54):
you struggled with from thebeginning, and that not
necessarily like a sin, but justbeing a follower of christ yeah
, um, yeah, um.
Speaker 2 (46:09):
In the beginning I would say because of like, the
time in my life that I was in,it was sin, because would say
like.
I would say like, fearing Godand not fearing man.
(46:39):
Like I, I always wanted to justfit in, I always wanted to be
liked and and seeked validation,you know, and that like stems
it.
There's always a deeper root tothose struggles and for me it
was just dealing with like,rejection and dealing with um.
You know people not agreeingwith you know me and what I was
(47:01):
trying to do.
So I'd say it was being okaywith not being liked.
You know, especially, Iremember I used to look at
people who followed Jesus.
I'm like that's weird, likethey're just Jesus freaks, and
now I'm one of those.
And so, um being learning to beokay with rejection, that is
probably just the hardest,because everybody wants to be
(47:22):
liked per se.
Um, but it's I w.
I'm reading this book.
It's called Rejection andPraise um by Bob Sorge.
I think is how you say his name.
Anyway, um, he literally talksabout it's either, it's Jesus
plus nothing.
You have to be okay, like as ason and as a daughter.
(47:44):
That God is the only approvalthat you need.
You don't need your coworkersapproval, you don't need your
husband's approval, like so.
And I'd say it's not evensomething that I just dealt with
and I didn't.
I don't struggle with thatanymore.
I still struggle with that.
So, yeah, I'd say that wasprobably the biggest thing of
becoming a new believer, andeven with, like, family members
(48:07):
you know like be growing up in anot in a christian household
and again, not like dogging onmy parents or anything like my
parents are great people and myfamily is great people and
actually the lord has likereally worked from my walk, yeah
, to theirs, so it's really cool, um, but it's hard, you know
(48:29):
it's.
And now that I'm raising a kidin a different way than I grew
up, they're like why are youdoing this?
Or I'm like well, we don'twatch this because I think it's
demonic or whatever it is, youknow.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
So it's, you're going against culture and it's hard
yeah, yeah, I always talk aboutit, but like, even still,
somewhat now, prayer, likepraying, was the hardest for me
to not necessarily say, okay,I'm going to spend time in
(49:00):
prayer, but it was like, oh mygosh, I can't even put my words
together, I don't know what I'msaying, like, why would God want
to listen to me?
I can't even put my wordstogether, I don't know what I'm
saying.
Why would God want to listen tome?
That was a lot of my thoughts,is okay, I'm not going to do
this because God doesn't want tohear me ramble and then start
thinking about my day orwhatever else might happen as
(49:22):
I'm praying and just go off in amillion different ways.
And be like, oh yeah, where wasI?
I was praying and not thinkingabout the 10 of the 10 other
things that happened today.
That was a struggle for me atthe beginning and and still I,
like you said, something that Idefinitely do now is not getting
, I guess, complacent in in howI'm praying, when I'm praying,
(49:47):
how often, but that wasespecially early on.
That was one thing that washard for me was it doesn't have
to be this perfectly sculpted,that's I don't know what I was
saying.
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Sculpted.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
Yeah, sure Put together put together prayer.
I guess, and because it's,that's if it had to be perfect
every time like.
Just think about how theconversations you have with your
friends or the conversation I'mhaving now, rambling on about
stuff, it's like that's how youconnect with people.
It's not um it's not thisperfectly worded uh essay or
(50:26):
prayer that that god wants tohear.
He wants to be uh close to youand you know and have a personal
relationship with you, so it'sokay if prayer is a little messy
that was yeah, and he wants tohear about your day.
Speaker 2 (50:40):
Yeah, like I talk to him all the time.
When I'm getting annoyed atwork, I'm like god, I need you
right now.
I need you to like, calm medown, because I want to react in
a fleshly way, right, you know,but like he cares about all the
little details yeah, that's um,and then like to go along with
that.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
I because I don't.
I guess the the past, I don'tknow six or seven years have
gone, faster than I realize, butI kind of in my head still kind
of consider myself a newerChristian Probably.
I guess I don't know, not thatit matters.
(51:22):
But another thing kind of alongwith that that I've realized
recently is as a struggle, isthat the way and what we pray
for isn't going to be answeredthe way we want it to always and
being okay with that andlearning how to, learning how to
be okay with that, that theanswers and the prayers are
(51:45):
going to be answered in the waythat God needs them to be and
not how we want them to be.
Speaker 2 (51:51):
That's hard.
We say that, lord, have yourwill and have your way, and then
he does it the way I went to alittle bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Because it's like at this point, you know, I feel a
little bit more mature in myfaith and as a Christian.
Then I obviously did sevenyears ago as a freshman in
college, being introduced toJesus, Um, and but the struggles
are still very prevalent, thethey don't go away just because,
(52:23):
oh, I've been a believer forseven years now.
Um, they just kind of becomemore advanced and like we talked
about I don't remember if wetalked about it earlier or the
other day was like, okay, you'rea believer now, All right, game
on.
You're going to start uh havingsome problems.
You know dealing.
You're a believer now All right, game on.
You're going to start uh havingsome problems.
(52:44):
You know dealing with thingsand things popping up that
really get after you.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Yeah, I feel like the closer you get to God, the more
warfare like whether it's withyou or your family or your job,
whatever it is like there'salways going to be an attack
when there's anointing on yourlife.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Um, one of my favorite questions to ask is and
this can be uh ever or justrecently, but is there like a
favorite Bible verse or a bibleverse that you look back to
often?
Speaker 2 (53:31):
um, yeah, I have a few, but I'll have to go with
proverbs 31 25.
I got it tattooed on me when Iwas in college, um, and I put on
my my arm that I looked at whenI would go up to bat um, just
like as a reminder.
But the verse is she is clothedin strength and dignity and
laughs without fear of thefuture.
(53:51):
And, um, truthfully, it just isa reminder to me like I can do
all things through Christ and Idon't have to, you know, stay
stuck in the past and I alsodon't have to fear what's to
come.
Like, truthfully, just livingin the moment and leaning into
Christ and knowing that he's gotit all figured out.
(54:13):
Yeah, so, yeah, that's kind ofbeen one that's really stuck
with me.
That was like literally rightwhen I was first saved.
Within months, I got that verseum tattooed.
Speaker 1 (54:26):
So I always kind of lean back to uh, revelations 320
, I think it's, because again,it's kind of a visual thing, but
it's he starts.
Here I am.
I stand at the door knock.
If anyone uh hears and lets mein, then I will eat with them.
It's, it's I the the visual forme of Jesus standing at the
(54:49):
door knocking he's not going tohe?
can he, definitely can he, buthe, uh, he's not always going to
just barge into your life and,uh, there might be things that
happen that maybe feel like that, but inviting Jesus into your
(55:09):
heart and in your life isdifferent.
And he's there and he's juststanding there knocking at that
door and no matter how manytimes we may shut that door in
his face, he's going to standthere and and keep knocking,
which is like I said.
I think it's a visual thing forme.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
That verse always kind of comes to my mind yeah,
and it's yeah, like you said,it's a choice that we have.
You know, even the people thatwe share the gospel with, or
share our testimonies with, like, at the end of the day, like
it's their choice, and you know,god gave us that choice.
So yeah yeah, that's a good,good one all right.
Speaker 1 (55:48):
Well, we're getting close to an hour here, so I'm
gonna give kind of a couple Idon't know a handful of kind of
just rapid fire questions.
You don't have to delve intothem too much if you just want
to give your answer and then, uh, we'll probably go ahead and
wrap it up um favorite christianpodcast hmm, uh, I don't know
(56:18):
if you've ever listened to this,but with the perry's okay
jackie hill perry and prestonperry really good got it.
Uh go to worship song right now.
Speaker 2 (56:33):
It's mighty name of jesus is what I believe it's
called mighty name of jesus whosings?
It you know, know, let me pullup my Spotify really quick,
because it's like a.
It's just a, really, I don'tknow, I just love it.
And once I find something thatI know it's like yeah, on repeat
(56:53):
, yeah, mighty Name of Jesus, bythe Belonging Co.
Speaker 1 (56:58):
Got it Favorite all-time movie.
Speaker 2 (57:14):
Oh, belonging co got it favorite all-time movie oh,
um, that's tough, honestly, likecheaper by the dozen like I
really like that movie umfavorite christian movie or show
um, I mean, you can't go wrongwith the chosen yeah the chosen
um, but my favorite movie,christian movie, oh I don't, the
(57:34):
shack.
Have you ever seen the shack?
Yeah, yeah yeah oh, that onewill get me in my tears.
Speaker 1 (57:40):
Yeah, it was.
Yeah, it's a good one, largechurch or small church?
Speaker 2 (57:51):
I'd say I don't know.
I kind of go to a medium sizedchurch, so I'm going to choose
medium sized church because Idon't want it to be too small,
but I don't know it to be toosmall, but I I don't know when
it gets really big.
Speaker 1 (58:04):
I feel like I don't know everyone and I like to
really like, like I said earlierconnect with people yeah, um,
another one I like to ask isthere anyone in the bible that
you see yourself in a lot?
Speaker 2 (58:24):
that's tough it is um , because the answer for me is
like all of them, yeah, um, Iwould say like not and always,
but kind of paul, like I feellike he's very compassionate and
like really cares for like thechurches that he's writing to
(58:44):
and stuff, and so I would say,for me, I, I think of myself in
that way, kind of like I'm, I'mvery I've think about others a
lot more.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
Yeah, um, where do you see God?
That's a little bit of a longeranswer, maybe.
Speaker 2 (59:06):
Where do I see God?
Yeah, like in my life or yeah.
Um, I'd say, like for theseason that I'm walking in right
now, I see and hear him themost in parenting.
Like he speaks to me through mykid, like no other, because
I'll be telling my kid to dosomething and you know the holy
(59:26):
spirit's, like Bailey, you don'teven do that.
Like you can't tell your kid todo something that you're not
doing and I'm like oh okay, yeah, um, so definitely parenting
yeah, and then last thing Iguess I'll ask is any advice For
our podcast.
Speaker 1 (59:45):
I kind of see anyone can listen to it, but I feel
like it's more geared towardsthe newer Christian, the younger
, not as mature in their faithChristian.
So do you have short, quick orlong, I don't care.
Uh, advice to a newer, youngerChristian.
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
Um, I have a lot um the.
This sounds really like simple,but trust the process.
Like you're going gonna gothrough different seasons of
being super on fire for god, andyou're gonna go through seasons
where you feel really far away,or you like I have moments
where I'm like god, I reallydon't want to do this anymore,
(01:00:31):
like this is hard, this like amI even doing this thing right?
You know, um, and there is nolike right way, but just just
continue to keep your eyes, likeyou were talking about earlier,
keeping your eyes on thestraight and narrow path and on
Jesus, and it's Jesus plusnothing, literally Jesus plus
(01:00:51):
nothing and knowing that ourgoal in life is to be like Jesus
and, as you know, jesus isperfect.
And so think of your life asit's just sanctification,
refining.
You know you're going to haveto go through the fire to become
purified and so, um, yeah, goodfruit takes time.
Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
Yeah, Awesome.
So well, this was a lot of fun.
Um, tell everyone, I guesswhere can, where can people find
your podcast, or find you andyour host or your co-host?
Give us all the details.
Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Yeah, so me and my co-host, sarah, can be found on
Instagram.
Our Instagram name is CoffeeChrist in Real Life, and then
you can also find us on youtubeand spotify.
Our name on both of thosechannels is also coffee christ
and real life.
There's no um and sign, it'sthe and spelled out um.
(01:01:53):
So, yeah, if you want to giveus a listen, we'd appreciate it
yeah, go go ahead and go listento them.
Speaker 1 (01:02:01):
We'll put them in our description, um, and then I'll
try to do better about posts oninstagram and stuff like that
when this is up and tag them init.
But yeah, this has been a lotof fun and good catching up with
you.
Thanks for coming on yeah, yeah, thanks levi yep, all righty.
Uh, we'll see you guys nexttime.
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