April 5, 2025 • 36 mins
Barbara Culver shares her journey from a loveless childhood to finding Christ at age 16, which led to a 62-year walk with God that transformed her life through numerous challenges. Her testimony demonstrates how God's love can heal wounds and bring purpose to pain.
• Found spiritual family at church from age six while growing up in a home without emotional nurturing
• Encountered Christ at age 15, surrendering her heart and life to Him on her 16th birthday
• Views Bible as "God's story told through everyday people" that guides her daily decisions
• Maintains continuous prayer throughout daily challenges, especially during medical procedures
• Discovered divine purpose when disinherited assets went to the church that introduced her to Christ
• Faces ongoing health battles with diabetes, eye complications, stroke, and heart problems
• Compares Christian life to a football game - sometimes gaining ground, sometimes getting knocked back
• Encourages young people with the message that they are truly loved regardless of circumstances
Remember that God can transform what others meant for evil into something beautiful, and His joy becomes our strength through every trial.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So, hi, I'm Zach Evans.
I'm here with Barbara Culverwith me on Something Spiritual
Sports and this is her story.
So, barbara, what is yourtestimony?
How did you come to Christ?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I didn't grow up in a Christian home, even though I
went to church.
Ever since I was six years old,my parents, my dad, would drop
me off, and the first day hedropped me off at a church that
at that time, was the largestProtestant church in our county.
(00:38):
It was a church he had neverbeen in before in his life and
it was a church I didn't know.
One place, no one person there,not one.
But when I walked into thatbuilding it was like this is
(00:59):
home, this is where I need to be.
Well, every Sunday I was beingtold how much Jesus loved me and
I would say no, he can't loveme that much Because it seemed
to me as a six-year-old no onecared anything about me.
(01:23):
I lived with my dad and mystepmother.
My mom had walked away from mylife.
I did not know her at all andit just.
My stepmother had no childrenand made it very plain she
didn't want any children.
It just happened.
I come with a package.
(01:44):
So I grew up in a home wherethere was no love.
I was taken care of, all myphysical needs was met, but as
far as my emotional andspiritual needs, there wasn't
anything fulfilled in that house.
But in that church I foundpeace and I found a family that
(02:11):
loved me, didn't question me orexpect me to produce or be the
person they wanted me to be.
They just loved on me.
And I didn't realize that untilI was an adult.
But my Sunday school teacher,that very first Sunday she took
(02:36):
me by the hand and she let mesit with her family for I don't
know two or three years doingchurch services.
So that church family becamevery important in my life.
But then, when I was 15, at achurch camp one summer, I had my
(03:01):
first encounter with Christ.
I had my first encounter withChrist and I heard the voice and
he said come to me, just cometo me.
And I said I can't do that.
And I heard the same wordsagain and I said I cannot do
that because you can't love methe way I read about in your
(03:25):
book you love people because I'mnot lovable.
And I heard it the third time.
Well, I went home and thosewords just kept popping up in my
head and so on my 16th birthdayI walked the aisle of my church
(03:49):
and I surrendered my heart andmy life to Christ.
Now I don't know what happenedin that moment.
I don't even know what he did,I just knew for the very first
time I was loved.
(04:09):
Wow, and it felt so good, wow.
I went home and told my parentswhat I had done and my dad
looked at me and said you didn'tdo anything but join a church.
But I knew it was so much more.
I didn't argue with him becauseyou didn't argue with my dad,
(04:31):
but I knew it was more than thatand so I have followed him for
now it's been 62 years and he'snever failed me.
He's always been there for meand it's his book that directs
my life, Because I received myfirst Bible at the age of nine
(04:55):
from my church and when I speakI take that Bible with me.
Because I have a friend who isan atheist, claims atheist.
I kind of chuckle at him whenhe says that to me, but the
first time he ever heard me giveone of my speeches, I belonged
(05:19):
to a Toastmasters club and theywould let me practice my
speeches that I was given.
First time he ever heard me.
I had used my Bible as anexample in that speech and he
said he come to me.
He told me.
He said when you go speak, youneed to take that Bible with you
(05:42):
everywhere you go.
And I went, well, why?
And he said because when I seethat Bible, because it's pretty
well tattered and torn, he saidwhen I look at that Bible, he
said I don't see you living byit, I see you living in it.
(06:03):
He said I don't see you livingby it, I see you living in it.
And so I usually, when I speaksomewhere, I take my Bible.
I don't have it with me.
Today I put it up somewhere andI don't know right now where I
put it.
I looked for it and couldn'tfind it, but I try to take that
(06:23):
Bible with me everywhere I go.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Nice, that's awesome.
Yeah, it's funny, my sister anddad, they both do Toastmasters,
so yeah, so they do the publicspeaking.
And I don't know if you knewthis about me, but I, uh I
worked for fellowship ofChristian athletes and uh, I, I
(06:50):
some I'll sometimes speak infront of, like students and
stuff like that, like studentathletes, and uh, share the
gospel with the kids andeverything.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So that's important, you know, and and I'm glad that
my club did allow me thatprivilege of speaking.
I joined the club just to tobecome a better speaker, but I
learned so much from thosepeople because they would give
(07:25):
me, they would critique myspeeches, they would tell me
things that I should put in,that I shouldn't, that I should
take out.
They were just very good to me.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Awesome.
So how do you apply the Bibleto your personal life?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I believe because after studying the Bible, I had
read the Bible all the waythrough three times before I
accepted Christ Right, because Isimply, when I got the book, I
was so excited I love to readand I thought of it just as a
(08:13):
book.
I didn't think of it as beingGod's word or something that was
going to be a part of my lifethe rest of my life.
It was simply a book and Istarted in genesis and I read to
revelation.
But when I got through readingit the first time, it was
different than my other booksbecause I couldn't just lay it
(08:40):
aside and never pick it up again.
It was like it just keptcalling to me.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
So as.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I have become to read it and study it, as after I
became a Christian I realizedthe Bible is simply God's story
and it's being told in everyday,ordinary people's lives, just
like us.
And he does it in a way that noone expects.
(09:09):
But when he intervenes in life,life changes totally.
Everything about me changedthat moment.
I gave my life to Christ, and Ididn't just give him my heart,
I gave him my life Right.
So the Bible is the one thatleads me when I go to speak.
(09:34):
Often I'm sharing with peoplethe fact that you know, the main
thing I hear from people when Igo to places is the fact that
they don't read the Biblebecause they don't understand it
.
And I say well, how many of youunderstand how Internet works?
(09:56):
I don't understand it, but itdoesn't keep me from using it.
I don't understand how cellphones work.
They blow my mind.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But it doesn't prevent me from using it and
trying to learn from it, andI've learned so much just in the
last eight years because Ididn't know what a podcast was.
I had no clue what a podcastwas, and here I am speaking now
(10:31):
on podcasts, and I had my phonefor a while and things happened
that I've had to shut it down,but I don't understand how it
all works.
But it doesn't prevent me fromwanting to learn from it.
So when you read the bible, no,there are.
(10:53):
I've been a christian for 62years and there are thousands of
scriptures that I don'tunderstand still right it does
not prevent me from opening upthat book and reading it right,
trying to learn something fromit that will help me in my
everyday life and help me toencourage other people to find
(11:18):
christ in it.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yes, yes, yes, um, so what, what is your prayer life
like?
And, uh, do you, do you like to?
Do you like to pray in ajournal or do you like to?
(11:41):
How to how, how does yourprayer life, what's your prayer
life like?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
there was a time in my life when I did pray with a
journal I have.
I think about three, three bignotebooks full of prayers In the
I don't know.
In the last 10, 10 or 12 yearsI stopped doing that.
But, I had a gentleman tell meone time when I was leading
(12:11):
prayer ministry at our church.
I asked him because we had topray for an hour and then we
would call the next person andtell him it was their turn to
pray.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
And I asked him how his prayer time was going and he
looked at me and he saidBarbara, I pray all the time,
all day long.
Oh wow, you're kidding me.
Nobody does that.
Well, I have learned.
Yes, there are times I pray allday long, especially when I
(12:45):
have a test or a trial in life,I have to stop and pray.
I have diabetes and I had itbefore I even knew I had it.
It's damaged before I even knewI had it.
But I have bleeding behind bothretinas and so I have to have
shots put in my eyes every sooften, put in my eyes ever so
(13:12):
often.
And this has been going on foreight years and I still, when I
leave my house, I pray all theway there, I pray for his
presence, I pray for his powerand I pray that he will give me
(13:34):
strength to do this thing sothat I can see, because my
retinal specialist made it veryplain If I don't get the shots,
I would go blind.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
So I have to have them, but that doesn't make it
any easier to get them.
That doesn't make it any easierto get them.
But when I pray and I'velearned this in the process of
all this that when I pray now Ipray for the same thing, but I
also start praising him.
(14:03):
I praise him for his presencein my life, I praise him for his
power, I praise him for theknowledge that he's given this
doctor to keep my eyesight going, and so my prayer life is very
strong with him.
I recently was in the hospitalwith AFib and I was very short
(14:28):
of breath, and that night, thefirst night, I went I don't know
how I'm going to sleep, lord Iwas having chest pains and my
breath was very short.
I don't know how I'm going tosleep.
So I tried sitting up and then Itried to lay down a little bit
and I kept scooting the bed back.
(14:49):
Finally I just laid my bed flat, and when I did that, a
scripture came to my mind that Ihave read many times, but just
in the past five or six yearshave really used in my life.
But it says I give to mybeloved sleep.
(15:12):
And so, as I laid there and Iprayed, I said, lord, it's
written in your word that yougive to your beloved sleep, and
I need sleep.
I went to sleep, zach, and Ineed sleep.
I went to sleep, zach, and theonly time I would wake up was
(15:33):
when the nurses would come in tomonitor me, but I would go
right back to sleep and I sleptall night long.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
God is faithful and he will do what he wants to do
in our lives.
But we have to cooperate withhim uh-huh, yeah, that's, that's
powerful.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I mean like I've had times where I've prayed and like
like god will answer and itjust it kind of blows my mind,
you know, like it's like it'sthis kind of like.
So, for example, I went on amissions trip to costa rica and
I've, I think I've seen likeprayer, yeah, prayer answered
(16:17):
before, but like almost I, whenI tell you every prayer request
that we had prayed for the trip,that god had answered every
prayer, I was like it blew mymind, because I was like I knew
God answered prayer but not itchanged Because my, so yeah, my
(16:41):
story is I was the prodigal sonbecause I prayed except Christ,
and then I went on the run andthen I went on a missions trip
and that brought me back toChrist.
So yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, he can blow your mind real fast.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, he can, so I know you're a Christian speaker.
How do you use that platform?
How do you?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
glorify God by using that platform, by telling how he
has worked in my life.
As I said, I didn't grow up in aChristian home right and as I
became an adult, I didn't knowhow to honor my parents as an
(17:42):
adult, because I was constantlybeing criticized and I said,
lord, I don't.
I don't know how to do that, soyou're going to have to teach
me.
And if we ask him to teach us,he is so willing and he won't do
it in a way that we think he'sgoing to do, because he led me
to study the life of Joseph andI learned so many lessons from
(18:06):
him.
Number one, that we're alldysfunctional families.
I don't care what your family'slike.
There is some kind ofdysfunction in your family,
right, but you can overcome thatdysfunction by trusting Christ.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I grew up in a family where alcoholism was rampant,
Divorce was rampant, and I toldthe Lord.
I said I don't want this a partof my life, and I share with
people the fact that I can'tdrink liquor because I can't get
(18:48):
it past my nose.
It stinks so bad and I believeGod gave me that so that I
wouldn't turn that way.
Then he has given me theability to forgive, Because when
my parents, when my dad, died,he died first.
(19:11):
My relationship with mystepmother was even more
strained, but I did everythingthat I possibly could as a human
to help her.
I knew that's what the Lordwanted me to do.
(19:32):
But when she died I realizedshe had disinherited me of
everything that was my dad's.
I didn't even get the flag fromhis casket, and that's the
angriest I've ever been in mylife, and the Holy Spirit kept
telling me I had to forgive andI said I can't do that right now
(19:55):
.
He said okay, so I can almostpoint to the time.
He shut down in me and I livedwithout him being part of my
daily life for seven days andfinally I said I can't do this
anymore.
He said now forgive.
Well, how do you forgive deadpeople?
They're dead, they're gone, andI didn't know.
(20:21):
I said so.
You're going to have to teachme.
I don't know how to do this.
And I believe it was the spiritthat gave me the understanding.
I went to their grave.
I stood at the foot of theirgraves and I said what you meant
for evil, god would mean forgood.
Well, everything that I wasdisinherited from went to the
(20:49):
church that taught me aboutJesus.
Now, they never went to churchwith me as a child.
I never sat in a church servicemy entire life with my parents,
but they had actually joinedthat church about 15 years
before my dad passed away.
I did not even know that and Iasked my stepmother.
(21:12):
When I found it out.
I said then why would my dadobject me talking about the
Bible?
Because every time I would tryto talk to them about my faith,
he would always tell me I don'twant to hear any of that.
He said you just take care ofyourself.
So I said why did he object tothat if you joined the church?
(21:33):
She said we just joined thechurch.
We didn't want to hear all thatstuff, but god sent them to
that church, I believe so thatmy inheritance is not earthbound
but it's heaven bound, and Iwas privileged to give that
testimony to that congregationin 2019.
And I asked them I said do youstill give out Bibles to their
(21:58):
nine-year-olds.
And they said yes.
In fact, they had just done itthe Sunday before I spoke.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
I said then you keep handing them out, because every
child that accepts Christ,because you've given them this
Bible, that's my inheritance andit's in heaven.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Wow, so, so how much of a blessing was it to find out
that your church, the church,has saved you, that god.
So my verse, romans 8, 28 forgod works all things together
(22:39):
for good for those who love himand are called according to his
purpose.
Like, how did that, how?
What was that like to see?
Wow, like god, like he.
Literally, I didn't get themoney, but the church that that
that blessed me so much got themoney yeah it.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
At first I didn't realize it.
Even after I had you knowforgive my parents and other
people that was involved in allthat, I still didn't understand
it, and about I don't know.
It was about three or fourmonths later.
I was in my quiet time and theSpirit said you really don't
(23:22):
understand what happened in yourlife, do you?
Well, I guess, not because.
I don't want you talking aboutthat.
I said, well, I guess not,because I don't want you talking
about that.
And he said where did yourinheritance go?
I said, well, it went to thechurch I grew up in.
(23:42):
And he said who guided yourparents there to that church?
And I went back to thescripture where the Lord says I
direct man's feet, I directtheir paths, and I believe God
sent them there on purpose sothat I could win the victory and
(24:03):
God would take what they meantfor evil.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
And he made it good.
That's awesome.
Um, so what?
What is your favorite book ofthe bible?
And also, what is your favoritescripture verse?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And my favorite scripture verse is one that's
kind of unusual.
Most people don't think aboutit, but as I studied the Bible
I've come to realize that Christis my strength, and so my
favorite verse is Nehemiah 8.10.
The joy of the Lord is mystrength, because when he gives
(24:54):
me joy, then I have strength,and it doesn't matter what's
going on around about me orwhat's happening in my life.
I can have joy because I havehim.
I can live with joy because Iknow what my future is.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
And I know that he has plans for me, that I don't
even understand this verypodcast he brought to me.
I had no role in applying foryou to interview me or anything
he gave it to you to send to me,and so he directs my path, he
(25:39):
directs my life.
So the joy of the Lord is mystrength.
It's my favorite verse.
My favorite book of the Bibleis hard because I love so many
of them, but I guess I wouldhave to say Genesis is my number
one.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And Psalms is my number two, because I read a
Psalm every night before I go tobed, oh wow.
And as I go to sleep at night Itry to meditate on what I've
read.
But Genesis is where he led meto really study the life of
Joseph, and so Genesis means alot in my life.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Awesome.
Yeah, my favorite verse isactually well, it's Romans 8, 28
, but it's also Ephesians 2,verse 8 through 9.
For it is by grace you havebeen saved through faith.
There's none of yourselves.
Is the gift of god, not by work, so that no man should boast.
Those two verses are kind oflike my life verses and I don't
(26:43):
know, yeah, book of the bible'stough because like there's so
many good books in the bible,you know like romans is up there
and uh, yeah, romans, the romanroad, and you know that the way
, one of the best ways to sharethe gospel, and uh, so yeah, but
(27:04):
um, so you?
So I know, uh, so yeah, so likethe verse verse you said it in
when you messaged me I know yousaid you weren't an athlete.
But 1 Corinthians 9, verse 24,do you not know that in a race,
(27:27):
everyone runs but only one winsthe prize?
So run to win.
How do you relate this verse toyour personal life?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
You know, after you messaged me I got to think about
it.
I know Paul talks about life asa race and it is.
We have a race of time becausewe're only here for a short time
and we have to make use of thattime.
So I began to think about mylife as a football game.
(27:59):
I'm, I'm, I like football.
I understand football.
I don't always enjoy watchingfootball, but I do, uh,
understand a little bit of it.
And in my life, and especiallyin the last eight years since I
(28:20):
was diagnosed diabetic, I get afirst down but then I get
knocked back and it may be twoyards, it may be two yards, it
may be 15 yards.
Like I knew, I had the bleedingbehind my eyes.
We had to get that corrected.
(28:40):
We did that and I asked mydoctor.
I said what can I do to helpthis along?
And my retinal specialist saidkeep your your sugar down.
It's imperative.
Now most people their sugar canrun 150 and that's good For me.
(29:02):
I can't have my sugar over 120because if I do, the swelling
comes back behind my retinas.
So I have to really watch thatand I have to watch which way I
dart.
I have to know what I can eat,when I can eat it and how much
(29:22):
of it I can eat.
A football player has to knowwhich way to turn, how high to
jump and if he can come in inbounds with the ball.
So my life is that way.
I I've been going along withthis journey and all of a sudden
I had a stroke.
(29:43):
They found out that it wascaused from afib, so that
knocked me back a bit and I'mstill struggling with that.
Because I went to the hospitalthree weeks ago with AFib and
chest pains, they ended uphaving to shock my heart to get
(30:04):
it back into rhythm.
I went to my and I thought Iwas doing great.
I was feeling so much better.
Went to my regular physicianjust this past Monday and he
tells me that my heart is downracing again.
It's got extra beats in it.
(30:24):
That's not supposed to be there.
So I don't know what they'regoing to do with that.
But every time I get knockedback it seems like God presents
something else in my life sothat I can tell his story and
let people be encouraged by thefact.
If he does it for me, he'll doit for you the things that he
(30:50):
done for people in the Bible.
If he did it for them, he'll doit for us and we have to
remember that.
And all the promises that hegives to the Israelites were
ours as well, because we havefaith in him.
Now I have a lot of people sayto me I wish I had the faith you
(31:14):
have.
And my answer is always thesame you do, Because the Bible
says to every man is given themeasure of faith not a measure,
but the measure Meaning we allget the same amount of faith.
(31:35):
But we have to use that faith tocome to Christ, because that's
how you get it.
How you come to Christ is byfaith, and it's by his grace and
through faith that we are saved.
It's not anything that I'vedone, it's through my faith in
(31:55):
the Bible.
But then, after I came to him,faith comes by hearing the word
of God, and that's why I try toencourage people to memorize
verses, because there are timesin your life when you need
strength to get through thattest or trial and to move ahead
(32:19):
toward the goal and know thatChrist is with you.
But the more you say scripture,I've learned in my life the
more I say scripture, the moremy ears hear it and the more.
It goes into my spirit and thenit can come out of my mouth
(32:40):
when I need it.
So it's imperative that I getthat, so that when I struggle
with life, faith will come,because I know scripture Does
that make sense.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
One last question and then uh, so how, how does your
story relate to a youngeraudience and how, how would your
story relate to, becausethere's a lot of young people
that are falling away from god,so, like, how would you relate
(33:32):
your story to, like, a youngerpeople?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
That's really a hard one, because I have eight
grandchildren and fourgreat-grandchildren and when I'm
around them, when I'm aroundthem, they act a little
(33:59):
different than what they wouldif I wasn't there.
And I tell them all the time Isaid don't worry about what you
do in front of me, worry aboutwhat God sees you doing, what
God hears you saying and whereGod sees you going and the
people that you put around youto strengthen you.
(34:23):
I don't want them to be leeryof the Bible.
I want them to be encouraged bythe words that they read and
the words that they hear from it.
That it will help them and givethem strength, as it has me in
(34:46):
my life, and I try to share.
I used to teach for a while.
I taught at a drug rehab, awomen's drug rehab center a few
miles down the road from myhouse, and it was so encouraging
to me.
I would go there trying toencourage them, but they
(35:09):
encouraged me because they wereso hungry for the word.
I know they don't think theyare, but they encourage me
because they're so hungry forthe word.
I know they don't think theyare, but they are because the
Bible is the only thing they canhave.
That's truth.
You want to know truth in yourlife?
Open up the word of God andread it, and at some point you
(35:32):
have to agree with God that I'mno better than what you say I am
.
I'm not worthy of anything thatyou could give me, and yet you
pour out grace upon me everysingle day.
You give me mercy that's newand you give me love that is
(35:55):
indescribable and can blow yourmind away.
But you are loved, and that'swhat I try to encourage young
people with the fact that theyare loved, no matter what's
going on in life.
You are loved, no matter what'sgoing on in life.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
you are loved Well.
Thank you so much for coming on.
I really appreciate it.
I love hearing your story andit's been an honor.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Thank you, it's been an honor to be with you.
Thank you, it's been an honorto be with you.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Yes, well, thank you for being on and we'll see you
on the next episode All right.
Thank you very much All right,god bless you.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
God bless you.
So, hi, I'm Zach Evans.
I'm here with Barbara Culverwith me on Something Spiritual
Sports and this is her story.
So, barbara, what is yourtestimony?
How did you come to Christ?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I didn't grow up in a Christian home, even though I
went to church.
Ever since I was six years old,my parents, my dad, would drop
me off, and the first day hedropped me off at a church that
at that time, was the largestProtestant church in our county.
(00:38):
It was a church he had neverbeen in before in his life and
it was a church I didn't know.
One place, no one person there,not one.
But when I walked into thatbuilding it was like this is
(00:59):
home, this is where I need to be.
Well, every Sunday I was beingtold how much Jesus loved me and
I would say no, he can't loveme that much Because it seemed
to me as a six-year-old no onecared anything about me.
(01:23):
I lived with my dad and mystepmother.
My mom had walked away from mylife.
I did not know her at all andit just.
My stepmother had no childrenand made it very plain she
didn't want any children.
It just happened.
I come with a package.
(01:44):
So I grew up in a home wherethere was no love.
I was taken care of, all myphysical needs was met, but as
far as my emotional andspiritual needs, there wasn't
anything fulfilled in that house.
But in that church I foundpeace and I found a family that
(02:11):
loved me, didn't question me orexpect me to produce or be the
person they wanted me to be.
They just loved on me.
And I didn't realize that untilI was an adult.
But my Sunday school teacher,that very first Sunday she took
(02:36):
me by the hand and she let mesit with her family for I don't
know two or three years doingchurch services.
So that church family becamevery important in my life.
But then, when I was 15, at achurch camp one summer, I had my
(03:01):
first encounter with Christ.
I had my first encounter withChrist and I heard the voice and
he said come to me, just cometo me.
And I said I can't do that.
And I heard the same wordsagain and I said I cannot do
that because you can't love methe way I read about in your
(03:25):
book you love people because I'mnot lovable.
And I heard it the third time.
Well, I went home and thosewords just kept popping up in my
head and so on my 16th birthdayI walked the aisle of my church
(03:49):
and I surrendered my heart andmy life to Christ.
Now I don't know what happenedin that moment.
I don't even know what he did,I just knew for the very first
time I was loved.
(04:09):
Wow, and it felt so good, wow.
I went home and told my parentswhat I had done and my dad
looked at me and said you didn'tdo anything but join a church.
But I knew it was so much more.
I didn't argue with him becauseyou didn't argue with my dad,
(04:31):
but I knew it was more than thatand so I have followed him for
now it's been 62 years and he'snever failed me.
He's always been there for meand it's his book that directs
my life, Because I received myfirst Bible at the age of nine
(04:55):
from my church and when I speakI take that Bible with me.
Because I have a friend who isan atheist, claims atheist.
I kind of chuckle at him whenhe says that to me, but the
first time he ever heard me giveone of my speeches, I belonged
(05:19):
to a Toastmasters club and theywould let me practice my
speeches that I was given.
First time he ever heard me.
I had used my Bible as anexample in that speech and he
said he come to me.
He told me.
He said when you go speak, youneed to take that Bible with you
(05:42):
everywhere you go.
And I went, well, why?
And he said because when I seethat Bible, because it's pretty
well tattered and torn, he saidwhen I look at that Bible, he
said I don't see you living byit, I see you living in it.
(06:03):
He said I don't see you livingby it, I see you living in it.
And so I usually, when I speaksomewhere, I take my Bible.
I don't have it with me.
Today I put it up somewhere andI don't know right now where I
put it.
I looked for it and couldn'tfind it, but I try to take that
(06:23):
Bible with me everywhere I go.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Nice, that's awesome.
Yeah, it's funny, my sister anddad, they both do Toastmasters,
so yeah, so they do the publicspeaking.
And I don't know if you knewthis about me, but I, uh I
worked for fellowship ofChristian athletes and uh, I, I
(06:50):
some I'll sometimes speak infront of, like students and
stuff like that, like studentathletes, and uh, share the
gospel with the kids andeverything.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So that's important, you know, and and I'm glad that
my club did allow me thatprivilege of speaking.
I joined the club just to tobecome a better speaker, but I
learned so much from thosepeople because they would give
(07:25):
me, they would critique myspeeches, they would tell me
things that I should put in,that I shouldn't, that I should
take out.
They were just very good to me.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Awesome.
So how do you apply the Bibleto your personal life?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I believe because after studying the Bible, I had
read the Bible all the waythrough three times before I
accepted Christ Right, because Isimply, when I got the book, I
was so excited I love to readand I thought of it just as a
(08:13):
book.
I didn't think of it as beingGod's word or something that was
going to be a part of my lifethe rest of my life.
It was simply a book and Istarted in genesis and I read to
revelation.
But when I got through readingit the first time, it was
different than my other booksbecause I couldn't just lay it
(08:40):
aside and never pick it up again.
It was like it just keptcalling to me.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
So as.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I have become to read it and study it, as after I
became a Christian I realizedthe Bible is simply God's story
and it's being told in everyday,ordinary people's lives, just
like us.
And he does it in a way that noone expects.
(09:09):
But when he intervenes in life,life changes totally.
Everything about me changedthat moment.
I gave my life to Christ, and Ididn't just give him my heart,
I gave him my life Right.
So the Bible is the one thatleads me when I go to speak.
(09:34):
Often I'm sharing with peoplethe fact that you know, the main
thing I hear from people when Igo to places is the fact that
they don't read the Biblebecause they don't understand it
.
And I say well, how many of youunderstand how Internet works?
(09:56):
I don't understand it, but itdoesn't keep me from using it.
I don't understand how cellphones work.
They blow my mind.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
But it doesn't prevent me from using it and
trying to learn from it, andI've learned so much just in the
last eight years because Ididn't know what a podcast was.
I had no clue what a podcastwas, and here I am speaking now
(10:31):
on podcasts, and I had my phonefor a while and things happened
that I've had to shut it down,but I don't understand how it
all works.
But it doesn't prevent me fromwanting to learn from it.
So when you read the bible, no,there are.
(10:53):
I've been a christian for 62years and there are thousands of
scriptures that I don'tunderstand still right it does
not prevent me from opening upthat book and reading it right,
trying to learn something fromit that will help me in my
everyday life and help me toencourage other people to find
(11:18):
christ in it.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yes, yes, yes, um, so what, what is your prayer life
like?
And, uh, do you, do you like to?
Do you like to pray in ajournal or do you like to?
(11:41):
How to how, how does yourprayer life, what's your prayer
life like?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
there was a time in my life when I did pray with a
journal I have.
I think about three, three bignotebooks full of prayers In the
I don't know.
In the last 10, 10 or 12 yearsI stopped doing that.
But, I had a gentleman tell meone time when I was leading
(12:11):
prayer ministry at our church.
I asked him because we had topray for an hour and then we
would call the next person andtell him it was their turn to
pray.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
And I asked him how his prayer time was going and he
looked at me and he saidBarbara, I pray all the time,
all day long.
Oh wow, you're kidding me.
Nobody does that.
Well, I have learned.
Yes, there are times I pray allday long, especially when I
(12:45):
have a test or a trial in life,I have to stop and pray.
I have diabetes and I had itbefore I even knew I had it.
It's damaged before I even knewI had it.
But I have bleeding behind bothretinas and so I have to have
shots put in my eyes every sooften, put in my eyes ever so
(13:12):
often.
And this has been going on foreight years and I still, when I
leave my house, I pray all theway there, I pray for his
presence, I pray for his powerand I pray that he will give me
(13:34):
strength to do this thing sothat I can see, because my
retinal specialist made it veryplain If I don't get the shots,
I would go blind.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
So I have to have them, but that doesn't make it
any easier to get them.
That doesn't make it any easierto get them.
But when I pray and I'velearned this in the process of
all this that when I pray now Ipray for the same thing, but I
also start praising him.
(14:03):
I praise him for his presencein my life, I praise him for his
power, I praise him for theknowledge that he's given this
doctor to keep my eyesight going, and so my prayer life is very
strong with him.
I recently was in the hospitalwith AFib and I was very short
(14:28):
of breath, and that night, thefirst night, I went I don't know
how I'm going to sleep, lord Iwas having chest pains and my
breath was very short.
I don't know how I'm going tosleep.
So I tried sitting up and then Itried to lay down a little bit
and I kept scooting the bed back.
(14:49):
Finally I just laid my bed flat, and when I did that, a
scripture came to my mind that Ihave read many times, but just
in the past five or six yearshave really used in my life.
But it says I give to mybeloved sleep.
(15:12):
And so, as I laid there and Iprayed, I said, lord, it's
written in your word that yougive to your beloved sleep, and
I need sleep.
I went to sleep, zach, and Ineed sleep.
I went to sleep, zach, and theonly time I would wake up was
(15:33):
when the nurses would come in tomonitor me, but I would go
right back to sleep and I sleptall night long.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
God is faithful and he will do what he wants to do
in our lives.
But we have to cooperate withhim uh-huh, yeah, that's, that's
powerful.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I mean like I've had times where I've prayed and like
like god will answer and itjust it kind of blows my mind,
you know, like it's like it'sthis kind of like.
So, for example, I went on amissions trip to costa rica and
I've, I think I've seen likeprayer, yeah, prayer answered
(16:17):
before, but like almost I, whenI tell you every prayer request
that we had prayed for the trip,that god had answered every
prayer, I was like it blew mymind, because I was like I knew
God answered prayer but not itchanged Because my, so yeah, my
(16:41):
story is I was the prodigal sonbecause I prayed except Christ,
and then I went on the run andthen I went on a missions trip
and that brought me back toChrist.
So yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah, he can blow your mind real fast.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, he can, so I know you're a Christian speaker.
How do you use that platform?
How do you?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
glorify God by using that platform, by telling how he
has worked in my life.
As I said, I didn't grow up in aChristian home right and as I
became an adult, I didn't knowhow to honor my parents as an
(17:42):
adult, because I was constantlybeing criticized and I said,
lord, I don't.
I don't know how to do that, soyou're going to have to teach
me.
And if we ask him to teach us,he is so willing and he won't do
it in a way that we think he'sgoing to do, because he led me
to study the life of Joseph andI learned so many lessons from
(18:06):
him.
Number one, that we're alldysfunctional families.
I don't care what your family'slike.
There is some kind ofdysfunction in your family,
right, but you can overcome thatdysfunction by trusting Christ.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I grew up in a family where alcoholism was rampant,
Divorce was rampant, and I toldthe Lord.
I said I don't want this a partof my life, and I share with
people the fact that I can'tdrink liquor because I can't get
(18:48):
it past my nose.
It stinks so bad and I believeGod gave me that so that I
wouldn't turn that way.
Then he has given me theability to forgive, Because when
my parents, when my dad, died,he died first.
(19:11):
My relationship with mystepmother was even more
strained, but I did everythingthat I possibly could as a human
to help her.
I knew that's what the Lordwanted me to do.
(19:32):
But when she died I realizedshe had disinherited me of
everything that was my dad's.
I didn't even get the flag fromhis casket, and that's the
angriest I've ever been in mylife, and the Holy Spirit kept
telling me I had to forgive andI said I can't do that right now
(19:55):
.
He said okay, so I can almostpoint to the time.
He shut down in me and I livedwithout him being part of my
daily life for seven days andfinally I said I can't do this
anymore.
He said now forgive.
Well, how do you forgive deadpeople?
They're dead, they're gone, andI didn't know.
(20:21):
I said so.
You're going to have to teachme.
I don't know how to do this.
And I believe it was the spiritthat gave me the understanding.
I went to their grave.
I stood at the foot of theirgraves and I said what you meant
for evil, god would mean forgood.
Well, everything that I wasdisinherited from went to the
(20:49):
church that taught me aboutJesus.
Now, they never went to churchwith me as a child.
I never sat in a church servicemy entire life with my parents,
but they had actually joinedthat church about 15 years
before my dad passed away.
I did not even know that and Iasked my stepmother.
(21:12):
When I found it out.
I said then why would my dadobject me talking about the
Bible?
Because every time I would tryto talk to them about my faith,
he would always tell me I don'twant to hear any of that.
He said you just take care ofyourself.
So I said why did he object tothat if you joined the church?
(21:33):
She said we just joined thechurch.
We didn't want to hear all thatstuff, but god sent them to
that church, I believe so thatmy inheritance is not earthbound
but it's heaven bound, and Iwas privileged to give that
testimony to that congregationin 2019.
And I asked them I said do youstill give out Bibles to their
(21:58):
nine-year-olds.
And they said yes.
In fact, they had just done itthe Sunday before I spoke.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
I said then you keep handing them out, because every
child that accepts Christ,because you've given them this
Bible, that's my inheritance andit's in heaven.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Wow, so, so how much of a blessing was it to find out
that your church, the church,has saved you, that god.
So my verse, romans 8, 28 forgod works all things together
(22:39):
for good for those who love himand are called according to his
purpose.
Like, how did that, how?
What was that like to see?
Wow, like god, like he.
Literally, I didn't get themoney, but the church that that
that blessed me so much got themoney yeah it.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
At first I didn't realize it.
Even after I had you knowforgive my parents and other
people that was involved in allthat, I still didn't understand
it, and about I don't know.
It was about three or fourmonths later.
I was in my quiet time and theSpirit said you really don't
(23:22):
understand what happened in yourlife, do you?
Well, I guess, not because.
I don't want you talking aboutthat.
I said, well, I guess not,because I don't want you talking
about that.
And he said where did yourinheritance go?
I said, well, it went to thechurch I grew up in.
(23:42):
And he said who guided yourparents there to that church?
And I went back to thescripture where the Lord says I
direct man's feet, I directtheir paths, and I believe God
sent them there on purpose sothat I could win the victory and
(24:03):
God would take what they meantfor evil.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
And he made it good.
That's awesome.
Um, so what?
What is your favorite book ofthe bible?
And also, what is your favoritescripture verse?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
And my favorite scripture verse is one that's
kind of unusual.
Most people don't think aboutit, but as I studied the Bible
I've come to realize that Christis my strength, and so my
favorite verse is Nehemiah 8.10.
The joy of the Lord is mystrength, because when he gives
(24:54):
me joy, then I have strength,and it doesn't matter what's
going on around about me orwhat's happening in my life.
I can have joy because I havehim.
I can live with joy because Iknow what my future is.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
And I know that he has plans for me, that I don't
even understand this verypodcast he brought to me.
I had no role in applying foryou to interview me or anything
he gave it to you to send to me,and so he directs my path, he
(25:39):
directs my life.
So the joy of the Lord is mystrength.
It's my favorite verse.
My favorite book of the Bibleis hard because I love so many
of them, but I guess I wouldhave to say Genesis is my number
one.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And Psalms is my number two, because I read a
Psalm every night before I go tobed, oh wow.
And as I go to sleep at night Itry to meditate on what I've
read.
But Genesis is where he led meto really study the life of
Joseph, and so Genesis means alot in my life.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Awesome.
Yeah, my favorite verse isactually well, it's Romans 8, 28
, but it's also Ephesians 2,verse 8 through 9.
For it is by grace you havebeen saved through faith.
There's none of yourselves.
Is the gift of god, not by work, so that no man should boast.
Those two verses are kind oflike my life verses and I don't
(26:43):
know, yeah, book of the bible'stough because like there's so
many good books in the bible,you know like romans is up there
and uh, yeah, romans, the romanroad, and you know that the way
, one of the best ways to sharethe gospel, and uh, so yeah, but
(27:04):
um, so you?
So I know, uh, so yeah, so likethe verse verse you said it in
when you messaged me I know yousaid you weren't an athlete.
But 1 Corinthians 9, verse 24,do you not know that in a race,
(27:27):
everyone runs but only one winsthe prize?
So run to win.
How do you relate this verse toyour personal life?
Speaker 2 (27:37):
You know, after you messaged me I got to think about
it.
I know Paul talks about life asa race and it is.
We have a race of time becausewe're only here for a short time
and we have to make use of thattime.
So I began to think about mylife as a football game.
(27:59):
I'm, I'm, I like football.
I understand football.
I don't always enjoy watchingfootball, but I do, uh,
understand a little bit of it.
And in my life, and especiallyin the last eight years since I
(28:20):
was diagnosed diabetic, I get afirst down but then I get
knocked back and it may be twoyards, it may be two yards, it
may be 15 yards.
Like I knew, I had the bleedingbehind my eyes.
We had to get that corrected.
(28:40):
We did that and I asked mydoctor.
I said what can I do to helpthis along?
And my retinal specialist saidkeep your your sugar down.
It's imperative.
Now most people their sugar canrun 150 and that's good For me.
(29:02):
I can't have my sugar over 120because if I do, the swelling
comes back behind my retinas.
So I have to really watch thatand I have to watch which way I
dart.
I have to know what I can eat,when I can eat it and how much
(29:22):
of it I can eat.
A football player has to knowwhich way to turn, how high to
jump and if he can come in inbounds with the ball.
So my life is that way.
I I've been going along withthis journey and all of a sudden
I had a stroke.
(29:43):
They found out that it wascaused from afib, so that
knocked me back a bit and I'mstill struggling with that.
Because I went to the hospitalthree weeks ago with AFib and
chest pains, they ended uphaving to shock my heart to get
(30:04):
it back into rhythm.
I went to my and I thought Iwas doing great.
I was feeling so much better.
Went to my regular physicianjust this past Monday and he
tells me that my heart is downracing again.
It's got extra beats in it.
(30:24):
That's not supposed to be there.
So I don't know what they'regoing to do with that.
But every time I get knockedback it seems like God presents
something else in my life sothat I can tell his story and
let people be encouraged by thefact.
If he does it for me, he'll doit for you the things that he
(30:50):
done for people in the Bible.
If he did it for them, he'll doit for us and we have to
remember that.
And all the promises that hegives to the Israelites were
ours as well, because we havefaith in him.
Now I have a lot of people sayto me I wish I had the faith you
(31:14):
have.
And my answer is always thesame you do, Because the Bible
says to every man is given themeasure of faith not a measure,
but the measure Meaning we allget the same amount of faith.
(31:35):
But we have to use that faith tocome to Christ, because that's
how you get it.
How you come to Christ is byfaith, and it's by his grace and
through faith that we are saved.
It's not anything that I'vedone, it's through my faith in
(31:55):
the Bible.
But then, after I came to him,faith comes by hearing the word
of God, and that's why I try toencourage people to memorize
verses, because there are timesin your life when you need
strength to get through thattest or trial and to move ahead
(32:19):
toward the goal and know thatChrist is with you.
But the more you say scripture,I've learned in my life the
more I say scripture, the moremy ears hear it and the more.
It goes into my spirit and thenit can come out of my mouth
(32:40):
when I need it.
So it's imperative that I getthat, so that when I struggle
with life, faith will come,because I know scripture Does
that make sense.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
One last question and then uh, so how, how does your
story relate to a youngeraudience and how, how would your
story relate to, becausethere's a lot of young people
that are falling away from god,so, like, how would you relate
(33:32):
your story to, like, a youngerpeople?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
That's really a hard one, because I have eight
grandchildren and fourgreat-grandchildren and when I'm
around them, when I'm aroundthem, they act a little
(33:59):
different than what they wouldif I wasn't there.
And I tell them all the time Isaid don't worry about what you
do in front of me, worry aboutwhat God sees you doing, what
God hears you saying and whereGod sees you going and the
people that you put around youto strengthen you.
(34:23):
I don't want them to be leeryof the Bible.
I want them to be encouraged bythe words that they read and
the words that they hear from it.
That it will help them and givethem strength, as it has me in
(34:46):
my life, and I try to share.
I used to teach for a while.
I taught at a drug rehab, awomen's drug rehab center a few
miles down the road from myhouse, and it was so encouraging
to me.
I would go there trying toencourage them, but they
(35:09):
encouraged me because they wereso hungry for the word.
I know they don't think theyare, but they encourage me
because they're so hungry forthe word.
I know they don't think theyare, but they are because the
Bible is the only thing they canhave.
That's truth.
You want to know truth in yourlife?
Open up the word of God andread it, and at some point you
(35:32):
have to agree with God that I'mno better than what you say I am
.
I'm not worthy of anything thatyou could give me, and yet you
pour out grace upon me everysingle day.
You give me mercy that's newand you give me love that is
(35:55):
indescribable and can blow yourmind away.
But you are loved, and that'swhat I try to encourage young
people with the fact that theyare loved, no matter what's
going on in life.
You are loved, no matter what'sgoing on in life.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
you are loved Well.
Thank you so much for coming on.
I really appreciate it.
I love hearing your story andit's been an honor.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Thank you, it's been an honor to be with you.
Thank you, it's been an honorto be with you.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Yes, well, thank you for being on and we'll see you
on the next episode All right.
Thank you very much All right,god bless you.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
God bless you.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.