0:00

When I think of winter, it's

0:02

a feeling of like, almost like,

0:04

I don't get claustrophobic, but that's

0:06

what it feels like to me.

0:08

It's just things are very close

0:10

and tight and it's uncomfortable to me.

0:12

And that also feels like seasons I've

0:14

lived through. So I can relate that

0:17

this feeling that I have to when

0:19

I've gone through a really difficult time.

0:21

That feeling of, I'm stuck here and

0:24

I can't, I can't escape this really

0:26

deep pain. Welcome

0:30

friends, it is time to talk

0:32

it out and if you're like

0:35

us you may really need this

0:37

right now because sometimes we always

0:39

say this you just need to

0:41

talk about life with your girlfriends

0:43

and especially when it's in the

0:45

midst of winter and the sun

0:47

maybe hasn't been shining for a

0:49

while and the grayness of the

0:52

season just seems to kind of

0:54

sink. into your soul and you've

0:56

got the winter blues. Yes. So

0:58

it's nice to talk about it

1:00

together, spend some time together, come

1:02

on in here, sit down girl,

1:05

let's talk about it. Have a

1:07

seat. I'm so glad we're talking

1:09

about this. This is a real,

1:11

this is a real deal. I

1:14

mean, it is physically proven, there's

1:16

scientific fact that the seasonal...

1:18

It makes a difference in us. And

1:20

you know, whether it's winter for you,

1:23

maybe you live in some place that

1:25

is eternal sunshine, but we can still

1:27

have seasons of winter in our soul,

1:29

right, where you still feel the same

1:32

way. You still feel like kind

1:34

of there's a darkness, a heaviness

1:36

in your life that you don't

1:38

know how to get rid of.

1:40

So we're going to talk about

1:43

this from a seasonal aspect, very

1:45

practical, seasonal aspect, but also just

1:47

those winter times. and life and

1:49

how to get through them. We

1:51

had a couple social media

1:53

comments that I thought were

1:56

really good. This one, who's

1:58

called Michigan Girl. It's so

2:00

hard living in a place where

2:02

the sun doesn't shine for weeks

2:05

on end. The constant gray and

2:07

dreariness makes me want to stay

2:09

in bed forever. But I have

2:11

noticed I do feel better when

2:14

I'm consistent with daily walks and

2:16

staying armored up with the word

2:18

of God. Isn't that great? So

2:20

we all need help in this

2:23

area. Whatever it is that may

2:25

be going on in your life.

2:27

Now you can see at our

2:29

window that we have a lot

2:32

of ice and snow right now.

2:34

Now, everybody's different. And so today

2:36

is one of those days that

2:38

just kind of makes me smile.

2:41

It just makes me happy. There's

2:43

a blue sky, a beautiful coat

2:45

of snow. I'm out of the

2:47

house. You know, all those things

2:50

make me really happy. Other people,

2:52

I get it. Don't hate me

2:54

for it. I get it. You

2:56

know, you don't like the snow.

2:58

You don't like the cold. I

3:01

understand and especially when you're trapped

3:03

in the house or it's gray

3:05

all the time. How does it

3:07

impact you? I can appreciate a

3:10

really beautiful snow for example that

3:12

lasts for a couple days and

3:14

then it's all gone. That long

3:16

even? Because I think you're maybe

3:19

exaggerating how much you appreciate it.

3:21

I can go if I am

3:23

in my home, safe. And I

3:25

don't have to go anywhere. It's

3:28

fun for a day, maybe two.

3:30

Okay. But then it needs to

3:32

all go away. And I hate

3:34

snow that gets dirty. Oh yeah.

3:37

So what's going to happen here,

3:39

like you all know, in snow

3:41

areas, they push the snow on

3:43

the side, which is beautiful now,

3:46

but in a couple days it's

3:48

going to be all... nasty with

3:50

people's cars and it's muddy and

3:52

that's what a that's what winter

3:55

feels like to me yeah way

3:57

to be way to be glassed

3:59

half full there I know lots

4:01

of ways in my life I

4:04

am but in the winter I

4:06

have a really hard time with

4:08

it no that's true it gets

4:10

slushy and dirty and it's not

4:12

as pretty and sparkly and magical

4:15

you know as a day when

4:17

you have that first snowfall. Which

4:19

is what it feels like to

4:21

me after Christmas. So I love

4:24

the holidays, I love, I love

4:26

the twinkling lights, I love the

4:28

cold Christmas, that's fun to me.

4:30

Yeah. But then as soon as

4:33

it's January all the sparkle goes

4:35

away and you're left with just

4:37

cold and dark and gray. And

4:39

then you get to February, which

4:42

is approximately six months long. February

4:44

is not 28 or 29 days,

4:46

it is 722. Yeah, I get

4:48

it. I'm sure there's positive as

4:51

we'll talk about, but I'm telling

4:53

you the deepest feelings of my

4:55

heart. I hate it. It's really

4:57

hard for me. Yeah. Well, that's

5:00

fair because, you know, polls say

5:02

that 52% of Midwesterners, 46% of

5:04

Northeasterners, do have... the winter blues.

5:06

Like it's difficult for most people.

5:09

45% of women, 37% of men,

5:11

and some people have even, 5%

5:13

have an even more severe reaction

5:15

where it becomes an actual depression

5:18

where they have seasonal effective disorder.

5:20

And so it is, it's really

5:22

hard on people. And the interesting

5:24

thing is some of the things

5:26

that can possibly help us are

5:29

also helpful, whatever the reason is,

5:31

for the dreariness in our life.

5:33

Absolutely. Because we do all go

5:35

through times of winter. Winter seasons

5:38

in our life where it does

5:40

feel like the sun's not shining

5:42

anymore. We don't know. We don't

5:44

see God necessarily. We don't know

5:47

what the future is. And those

5:49

are hard things. They are hard.

5:51

When I think of winter, it's

5:53

a feeling of like almost like...

5:56

I don't get claustrophobic, but that's

5:58

what it feels like to me.

6:00

It's just things are very close

6:02

and tight and it's uncomfortable to

6:05

me. And that also feels like

6:07

seasons I've lived through. So I

6:09

can, I can. relate this feeling

6:11

that I have to when I've

6:14

gone through a really difficult time,

6:16

that feeling of I'm stuck here

6:18

and I can't, I can't escape

6:20

this really deep pain or whatever

6:23

I'm walking through. So to learn

6:25

how to navigate those hard seasons

6:27

and also just January through March

6:29

is. It's really important. You know,

6:32

it's so interesting to me too

6:34

because we are also different and

6:36

God just created us Very different,

6:38

but we all have this same

6:41

need. We all have seasons that

6:43

are hard because for me when

6:45

it's extremely hot and humid, that's

6:47

when it's oppressive to me. Interesting.

6:49

When I feel like I can't

6:52

walk outside and breathe, because all

6:54

I want to do is spend

6:56

time outside. That's my happy place

6:58

in nature. But if it's so

7:01

humid and just so oppressive, like

7:03

the air is thick and so

7:05

hot that you can't take off

7:07

enough clothes, you know, I can

7:10

bundle up in the winter, but

7:12

you cannot. cool off when it's

7:14

that hot outside. And that's when

7:16

I feel, the way you described

7:19

it is really good. That's when

7:21

I feel that just heaviness, that

7:23

I can't take off, that I

7:25

can't get rid of. That is

7:28

interesting. So we all experience it

7:30

in some way or another. We

7:32

do. Yeah. And so we need

7:34

ways to hold on to hope.

7:37

Yeah. Really, isn't that what it's

7:39

all about? Because nothing lasts forever.

7:41

The seasons don't last forever. The

7:43

way we feel. It won't last

7:46

forever. So where do we find

7:48

our hope? And Joyce is going

7:50

to remind us right now in

7:52

this little teaching that even when

7:55

we're in the darkest, longest winter,

7:57

spring is coming. Song of Solomon

7:59

too. For behold, the winter is

8:01

past, the rain is over and

8:03

gone. Somebody say, hello, you. The

8:06

flowers appear on the earth, the

8:08

time of the singing of birds

8:10

have come. And the voice of

8:12

the turtle dove is heard in

8:15

our land. I want to ask

8:17

you a question. Are you in

8:19

a winter? right now in your

8:21

life. You know, things are kind

8:24

of gloomy, bleak, cold, no-growth, lots

8:26

of need, same old, same old,

8:28

same old. Well,

8:33

can I tell you something? Spring

8:35

is right around the corner. I

8:37

tell you what, don't ever let

8:39

the devil steal your hope. I

8:41

mean, hope is the most powerful

8:43

motivator. When you continue to have

8:45

hope, the devil cannot defeat you.

8:47

And the word hope just simply

8:49

means... that you're expecting something good

8:51

to happen at any moment. I'm

8:53

expecting something good to happen at

8:55

any moment. So hope is the

8:58

big thing. Spring is coming to

9:00

such a wonderful encouragement at a

9:02

time like this. How do you

9:04

do it? Because you've told us

9:06

how it feels. It's good, it's

9:08

helpful because it connects us to

9:10

each other. You know, hey, I'm

9:12

not the only one who's feeling

9:14

this way. So it's February, how

9:16

do you get through? A lot

9:18

of this, it started for me

9:20

after having kids. And so we,

9:22

when you first have them, they're

9:25

sick all the time. So then

9:27

you're all sick all the time.

9:29

And then, you know, it's full.

9:31

Well, well, they start going to

9:33

school. Yes, and they're just, they're

9:35

just journey, which is part of

9:37

being a. is amplified during the

9:39

winter, during cold and flu season.

9:41

So when we had those little

9:43

kids, we were in our house

9:45

all the time because you can't

9:47

go anywhere because somebody's sick. or

9:49

you can't go outside and play

9:51

because it's too cold. And so

9:54

when I realized that I was

9:56

so impacted by the weather outside,

9:58

I first thought that was silly,

10:00

and then I started hearing people

10:02

talk about this, that it is

10:04

normal, had to start being really

10:06

intentional with what I do with

10:08

my mind during this time, and

10:10

how I treat the atmosphere of

10:12

our house. And so, like, really

10:14

practically, I make sure the windows

10:16

are open as much as possible.

10:18

the blinds, not the windows, because

10:21

it's really cold. Because I'm getting

10:23

cold thinking about it. Yes, it's

10:25

32 in my home. No, to

10:27

let as much light in as

10:29

possible. Yeah, that's good. And light

10:31

a candle and play worship music.

10:33

Those things, if I can create

10:35

an atmosphere in my home that

10:37

feels peaceful and cozy, I can

10:39

shift my mindset to what are

10:41

the good things about this season.

10:43

There are things in the winter

10:45

that I don't get in the

10:48

summer. And so it's a lot

10:50

of it is just catching my

10:52

thoughts of catching my thoughts of

10:54

how miserable I am too. What

10:56

is some good thing I can

10:58

find in this? Oh, that's good.

11:00

In this season. Yeah. You know

11:02

how I love to walk. Yeah.

11:04

We love to hike. I love

11:06

to walk in the mornings and

11:08

I do not enjoy the treadmill.

11:10

So you're not going anywhere. Well,

11:12

it's just a different experience too.

11:14

I mean, so you know, I

11:17

do it, but it's just not

11:19

the same. And so that's really

11:21

hard for me too. If I

11:23

can't get out for a long

11:25

time. being outside, I've had to

11:27

make the decision to make winters

11:29

work better for me, to, if

11:31

I can do it, if I

11:33

can bundle up enough and do

11:35

it, to go ahead and do

11:37

it. So, you know, it may

11:39

be in the 30s, and I'm

11:41

gonna bundle up a lot. and

11:44

I'm cold when I start. But

11:46

actually, it's like sometimes you start

11:48

doing what you don't want to

11:50

do and you're glad you did

11:52

it. That's how it is for

11:54

me. If I can get outside

11:56

and whether, you know, used to

11:58

love to ski we don't do

12:00

that so much anymore and we

12:02

never did it very often so

12:04

we were just just enough to

12:06

never be really good at it

12:08

just always in danger our lives

12:11

basically but we enjoyed it but

12:13

so if we can find ways

12:15

to get outside and enjoy it

12:17

yeah that that's really been beneficial

12:19

to me and they well this

12:21

was such an exciting thing our

12:23

our grandson lives in California and

12:25

so at at four years old

12:27

he'd never seen snow and they

12:29

were at our house and it

12:31

snowed and he just watching the

12:33

magic on his face I mean

12:35

his eyes were like saucers and

12:37

as it was first starting to

12:40

come down he looked at me

12:42

and he goes what is this

12:44

and it was just incredible to

12:46

see his experience of seeing it

12:48

for the first time and then

12:50

he says where did it come

12:52

from. And so we got to

12:54

talk about it. We got to

12:56

have a snowball fight. And he

12:58

said, like, this is the best

13:00

day of my life. Now, I'm

13:02

sure that, you know, there are

13:04

many days that he would be

13:07

tired of snow if he had

13:09

it all the time, because that's

13:11

how we are. We love something

13:13

new. But to be able to

13:15

shift our focus exactly what you're

13:17

saying. To see it through someone

13:19

else's eyes. It was wonderful. Last

13:21

night. because we've had all the

13:23

snow, we've had snow days for

13:25

this, this would have been our

13:27

third day, just kept going. And

13:29

so, the kids, I told the

13:31

kids last night, you're going to

13:33

have to go back to school

13:36

tomorrow. They said, no, we don't

13:38

want to. And so, both of

13:40

them said, well, we're just going

13:42

to pray that we get a

13:44

snow dig in. And I was

13:46

like, you can pray that, but

13:48

I'm going to pray that you

13:50

don't. And so we'll see who

13:52

got here's more. And I thought,

13:54

then I got a little, a

13:56

little worried, because I thought, I

13:58

don't want. What if they win?

14:00

Yeah, yeah. But what if they

14:03

lose? And what is... Oh, that's

14:05

a much better mother than I

14:07

was being. No, I had that

14:09

too. We had to have some

14:11

backup plans. But if it doesn't,

14:13

if God doesn't answer their prayer

14:15

for the snow day tomorrow, how

14:17

does that impact their faith and

14:19

who he is? This is a

14:21

little deep, but no, it's a

14:23

good question. It was interesting. And

14:25

so I thought, I told Caden,

14:27

who was very adamant about his

14:30

prayers. I said, yeah, ask God.

14:32

You go for it. And so

14:34

I go out, this is the

14:36

bedtime, I come back in to

14:38

just take a night and he

14:40

said, I asked, I wanted to

14:42

ask God one more time about

14:44

the snow. And I said, okay,

14:46

that's great. And then he said,

14:48

and while I was, while I

14:50

was asking him, I started crying.

14:52

And I said, were they happy

14:54

tears or were he sad about

14:56

something? And he said, no, it

14:59

was, it was happy. And I

15:01

said, did it make you feel

15:03

good? It was dark, but I

15:05

could see that the emotion in

15:07

him. And I said, Kate, and

15:09

that, that is probably the Holy

15:11

Spirit. He heard your prayer. And

15:13

regardless of how he answers this

15:15

prayer, he is, he's showing you,

15:17

he's right there with you and

15:19

he's hearing you. That's so beautiful.

15:21

And so we had a good

15:23

conversation about, we don't always get

15:26

what we want. Yeah. In the

15:28

seasons of winter. Specifically because that's

15:30

what he was praying for. But

15:32

in the seasons of our lives

15:34

where we're not, we're asking God

15:36

for things. And we're not getting

15:38

the thing that we're asking for?

15:40

That doesn't mean he didn't hear

15:42

me. It means he's doing something

15:44

that I don't see yet, but

15:46

I contrast that he's good. So

15:48

I said, no matter what happens,

15:50

whether we get a call from

15:53

a school or not, God heard

15:55

you and he was showing you,

15:57

he was with you. Yeah. And

15:59

that's pretty cool. not five minutes

16:01

later, we get a call from

16:03

the school and they had, they

16:05

got a late start. So it

16:07

was a compromise between my prayer

16:09

and Kate's prayer. God is so

16:11

good to work that way. But

16:13

he came to me. I said,

16:15

I know what's going to happen.

16:17

And I thought, oh man, I

16:19

don't know what to do with

16:22

your faith, but to see God

16:24

work in the middle of the

16:26

season that I hate so much,

16:28

God, to use this topic of

16:30

winter to show Caden that he

16:32

can speak to him. As a

16:34

10-year-old little kid, God really showed

16:36

up. So, it did something to

16:38

me, one to see your kid

16:40

here from God is cool, and

16:42

experience him, but in a season

16:44

that's hard for me, like, like,

16:46

that God is doing. And I

16:49

got to be really aware of

16:51

the good that's happening around me

16:53

and not just focus on, I'm

16:55

miserable because I'm freezing. You know?

16:57

Yeah. In the most darkest times,

16:59

that palpable presence of the Holy

17:01

Spirit, when you don't have an

17:03

answer yet, is such a gift.

17:05

And the fact that... He loves

17:07

Caden that much, and he loves

17:09

all of us that much to

17:11

be there in the midst of

17:13

that prayer because he knows our

17:16

hearts. Yeah. It's really wonderful. Right.

17:18

What a great lesson for him.

17:20

Despite, and for you. It was

17:22

really, it was really special. Yeah.

17:24

Well, there are some practical things

17:26

that you can do. This is

17:28

not one of the things on

17:30

my official list. This is just

17:32

one of the things. what's it

17:34

called, the low temperature last night?

17:36

That's the technical term, the low

17:38

temperature. It had a negative in

17:40

front of it. I mean, it

17:42

was, it's really cold. So you

17:45

don't mess with that stuff, you

17:47

know, you gotta be careful. But

17:49

when it's just cold outside, yeah.

17:51

It's so easy to just think

17:53

and complain, you know, so cold

17:55

out. It's just, it's just frigid.

17:57

It's just nasty. And this seems

17:59

so silly, but it works for

18:01

me. I try to change that

18:03

vernacular to use words like crisp

18:05

and refreshing. I like that. There's

18:07

something that works for me. to

18:09

not be saying out loud all

18:12

the negative things, you know, that.

18:14

that are true. That's very good.

18:16

But it is also refreshing. When

18:18

you first step outside and it's

18:20

just kind of takes your breath

18:22

away and it's fresh. Yeah. And

18:24

so if you can possibly think

18:26

of a good thing. Yeah, that

18:28

was good. Try saying that. Try

18:30

saying that. But here's some other

18:32

things. Like you said, with the

18:34

curtains. Let the light in, open

18:36

the blinds. Stay active. However you

18:39

can get some exercise. Stay connected

18:41

to people. This really important community

18:43

reminds us that we're not alone

18:45

during these times and it can

18:47

be very easy to be isolated

18:49

when you can't get out. Find

18:51

a way to stay connected with

18:53

people. One of our friends on

18:55

social media mentioned that. She said,

18:57

I'm so lonely, especially in the

18:59

wintertime. I think it's because I

19:01

stopped physically going to church and

19:03

decided to watch online instead. This

19:05

is a reminder to leave the

19:08

house and see other people. That's

19:10

really, I'm so glad that you

19:12

said that. I'm glad that was

19:14

on the official list. Well, and

19:16

that's good because it is easy

19:18

to decide to watch church online.

19:20

It is. You know, it's there

19:22

for us. I'm so glad we

19:24

have it when we can't get

19:26

out. But it's not the same

19:28

as getting out there and doing

19:30

it. This is a good one.

19:32

Plan for something fun. You know,

19:35

plan for, even if it's not

19:37

something you can do right now,

19:39

plan for something fun that you

19:41

can do when the weather breaks.

19:43

That builds that hopeful expectations of

19:45

things that you can look forward

19:47

to because this too shall pass.

19:49

So I don't know, I think

19:51

there's so much and of course

19:53

just. anchor yourself in God's word.

19:55

Always surround yourself with the truth.

19:57

Because this is really a time

19:59

that Satan loves to fill your

20:02

head with those dark lies. You're

20:04

always going to be alone. The

20:06

sun's never coming out again. Especially

20:08

when it's not just a... season,

20:10

but it is a season of

20:12

your heart, you know, of your

20:14

soul that feels dark. Just remembering

20:16

what that light really is. Yeah,

20:18

there's a verse I love when

20:20

thinking about, not specifically just the

20:22

winter season, but a dark season,

20:24

a hard season, and it's, you'll

20:26

know the reference for it and

20:28

I will, can never remember it.

20:31

Come to me all who are

20:33

weary and heavy laden and I

20:35

will give you rest. Take my

20:37

yoke upon you because my... Birdern

20:39

is easy and Myokka's light. Yeah.

20:41

That idea of... So good. Because

20:43

I feel... When you feel the

20:45

weight, like we talked about that,

20:47

that heaviness, that crushing around you,

20:49

when it's hard, to be able

20:51

to give that burden to him

20:53

and just lay it at his

20:55

feet, that we can have a

20:58

lightness in the middle of the

21:00

gray. We can carry the joy

21:02

and that light from him because

21:04

he carries it for us. Yeah.

21:06

I love that. That's a great

21:08

verse. It's one of my favorites.

21:10

Put up somewhere and memorize it

21:12

and just keep it as something

21:14

that's right in front of you

21:16

when you really need it. Because

21:18

it gets long and those seasons

21:20

of life and sometimes people go

21:22

through really long times that are

21:25

hard. We know that some of

21:27

you are dealing with really hard

21:29

things and I just want you

21:31

to know that God is there

21:33

and his heart is breaking with

21:35

yours when you feel that greatness

21:37

It makes God so sad, too

21:39

But he's right there with you

21:41

and he loves you and he

21:43

cares about those things and so

21:45

it's just important to realize that

21:47

When winter feels long that There

21:49

are other seasons in our life

21:51

to hold on to the hope

21:54

of what God says to hold

21:56

on to How he's answered our

21:58

prayers in the past So we're

22:00

going to go back to Joyce

22:02

teaching about that a little bit

22:04

how we really can only appreciate

22:06

the good when we've also so

22:08

live through some of the hard

22:10

times. Let's talk for a minute

22:12

about contrast. When things are contrasted,

22:14

one stands out from another. You

22:16

know, the reason why we really

22:18

love spring is only because it

22:21

follows winter. I mean, if we

22:23

had spring all the time, we

22:25

wouldn't care anything about it. We

22:27

really wouldn't. Fall

22:29

is my favorite time of

22:31

the year and I wouldn't

22:34

care as much about fall

22:36

if I hadn't just gone

22:38

through a hot dry summer.

22:41

You cannot appreciate really appreciate

22:43

feeling really good unless you've

22:45

gone through a period of

22:48

feeling lousy. I tell you

22:50

I've been so thankful for

22:52

the last several days that

22:55

I just feel good now.

22:58

So thankful and I probably wouldn't

23:00

have thought to be thankful for

23:02

that if I would have been

23:04

feeling good the whole time So

23:06

I want to say again, I

23:08

do think sometimes these things just

23:10

have to be permitted in our

23:12

lives So we can get around

23:15

to stay and thankful For what

23:17

God is doing in our life

23:19

Every life has some good stuff

23:21

in it and some stuff that

23:23

they don't care for there are

23:25

no roses without thorns So

23:29

here's the choice. We

23:31

can grumble that roses

23:34

have thorns, which I've

23:36

done that. Well, if

23:38

these things just didn't

23:41

have thorns. Or we

23:43

can be thankful that

23:45

thorns have roses. Our

23:47

perspective determines how our

23:50

journey's going to be.

23:55

How do you want to see the

23:57

things in your life? This is the

23:59

worst thing that could ever happen and

24:02

it's not fair and it's not right.

24:04

and I'm just not going to be

24:06

happy till this is over. Well, I

24:08

tried that. I did that. It never

24:11

did me any good. It didn't change

24:13

anything. Or I can get around to

24:15

operating in some of those secrets like

24:18

I talked to you about. And all

24:20

of a sudden, things take on a

24:22

different... How many of you know just

24:25

if you have hope that tomorrow is

24:27

going to be better? Somehow it makes

24:29

today a little better. is a powerful

24:32

motivator. It keeps you going. So we

24:34

hope that brings you a little bit

24:36

of hope today because what she's talking

24:38

about is so true. We don't enjoy

24:41

those times. I mean, nobody can say

24:43

that they do. And there's no answer

24:45

for all of those questions. But being

24:48

able to ask God to help us

24:50

do what seems like the impossible to

24:52

shift our focus. and to be reminded

24:55

of potential and hope in him, it

24:57

does help. It does, and the word

24:59

she used, the prospective word. That word

25:02

is so important, I think, in almost

25:04

all things that we walk through in

25:06

life, because our perspective can, we can

25:08

go negative to almost anything. But when

25:11

we can flip it around like she's

25:13

saying with the rose and the thorns.

25:15

We can see things so differently and

25:18

you can you can find hope in

25:20

anything if you can just look at

25:22

it through the lens of what is

25:25

God doing here? I trust him more

25:27

than The gray outside right I trust

25:29

him in the middle of this situation

25:32

isn't trust such a big part of

25:34

it. It is it's trusting in who

25:36

he says he is and not what

25:39

you see. Because when it's all dark,

25:41

you know when the sky's been gray,

25:43

when your outlook has been gray for

25:45

a long time, it's trusting in the

25:48

light that is still there. I have

25:50

taught my kids, I started this years

25:52

ago, in and around, end of February,

25:55

early March, when we're driving, we'll start

25:57

looking for flowers. And it's early. And

25:59

it's usually, there's nothing there for a

26:02

long time. But we will look and

26:04

it's become this game to see what

26:06

you can find them. Because I know

26:09

they're coming. I know there is new

26:11

life coming. And so the same is

26:13

true even in a dark season that

26:15

I have enough history with the Lord

26:18

to know he will do something. and

26:20

it may not be exactly like I'm

26:22

asking, but he will produce new life.

26:25

Yeah. And so I want to look

26:27

for it. I want to be on

26:29

alert and keep my perspective hopeful for

26:32

what he's doing. And it may not

26:34

be today, and it may not be

26:36

tomorrow that I see that yellow flower

26:39

on the side of the road. But

26:41

I know it's coming, because I've been

26:43

here before. It's so positive, it's so

26:45

true. There is hope for every season

26:48

that we go through. And I love

26:50

it. pop up through the snow. Yeah.

26:52

I mean, that's just one of my

26:55

favorite things. Actually, I didn't know that

26:57

happens. Well, there are other flowers that

26:59

do, but yes, I love it because

27:02

we have some at our house and

27:04

Nelblum early or we'll get a late

27:06

snow. And that's just one of my

27:09

favorite things to see the contrast of

27:11

what God is doing in his promises

27:13

for the future. Yeah. And so to

27:15

hold on to that and to realize

27:18

what the light really is. You know,

27:20

God gave us the sun. And that's

27:22

why I think it's so, you know,

27:25

it brings life because God put it

27:27

in the sky, that's its job to

27:29

do that. But Jesus is the light

27:32

of the world. So he is that

27:34

bigger example. He is the absolute light

27:36

that doesn't go away with the season,

27:39

doesn't go away with our dark times

27:41

of life. I just have this list

27:43

of scriptures. I just started looking. Okay,

27:45

I'm gonna I'm gonna look for light

27:48

in the Bible and The scriptures are

27:50

overwhelming that talks about light and I'm

27:52

gonna read through a lot of these

27:55

and I just I just want to

27:57

invite you to just kind of listen

27:59

to soak it in. It's a long

28:02

list. Just keep listening because the more

28:04

you hear it, the more you begin

28:06

to realize, hey, it's not just one

28:09

scripture that I'm holding on to. This

28:11

is truth in God's word. You know,

28:13

this is a revelation that God wants

28:15

to give you that kind of changes

28:18

you from the inside out. John one

28:20

nine says, the true light was coming

28:22

into the world that eliminates every person.

28:25

Jesus eliminates. us. That's awful. Illuminates, he

28:27

does not eliminate. Jesus illuminates us. John

28:29

1.5, the light shines in the darkness

28:32

and the darkness has not overcome it.

28:34

I'm just not even going to read

28:36

all the references. Believe in the light

28:39

that you may be children of light.

28:41

I will lead the blind by the

28:43

ways they have not known. Along unfamiliar

28:46

paths I will guide them I will

28:48

turn the darkness into light. You are

28:50

Lord, keep my lamp burning. You turn

28:52

my darkness into the light. The precepts

28:55

of the Lord are right, giving joy

28:57

to the heart. The commandments of the

28:59

Lord are radiant, giving light to the

29:02

eyes. The Lord is my light and

29:04

my salvation. Shall I fear? Send forth

29:06

your light and your truth. Let them

29:09

guide me. You are resplendent with light.

29:11

He wraps himself in light as with

29:13

a garment. Even the darkness will not

29:16

be dark to you for the night

29:18

will shine like the day the darkness

29:20

is as light to you. Oh, there's

29:22

so many and they just go on

29:25

and on. I mean, I have so

29:27

many more here and I'll just finish

29:29

with this one. John 1246, I have

29:32

come into the world as a light

29:34

so that no one who believes in

29:36

me should stay in darkness. None of

29:39

us have to stay in darkness. Look

29:41

those scriptures up because I've got a

29:43

list here of probably a dozen. and

29:46

more, you can find them too. It

29:48

is a promise for you that there

29:50

is no darkness that is stronger than

29:52

the light of Christ. Whatever the darkness

29:55

may be in our life, God has

29:57

a way to overcome it. And he

29:59

loves us so much that he gave

30:02

us a light that we cannot snuff

30:04

out. Those scriptures are incredible. It's hard

30:06

to not feel excited and moved by...

30:09

by who he is, too, no matter

30:11

what it is you're walking through. You

30:13

have that kind of power behind you.

30:16

Yeah, absolutely. And he just loves us

30:18

so much. Yeah. It helps you with

30:20

that perspective switch. And I think it's

30:22

so much more than, yeah, I love

30:25

Jesus. I'm grateful for what he did

30:27

for me. You know, it was bigger

30:29

than that. Who he really is when

30:32

we can just begin to get a

30:34

glimpse into all that God had in

30:36

mind when he set this plan in

30:39

place for our redemption through Christ? It

30:41

not only saved us from our sins

30:43

and gave us an eternity with him,

30:46

but it provided the light we need

30:48

for every aspect of our life. And

30:50

wow, it's just amazing to me. And

30:52

yes, those times of darkness are real

30:55

and they're hard. But there's a light.

30:57

There's a light at the end of

30:59

what we're looking at. So I think

31:02

that makes such a difference. I love

31:04

it. Well, hopefully this will help us

31:06

feel a little bit different in some

31:09

of those seasons that get hard. And

31:11

if you're in one of those seasons

31:13

right now, just know that we know

31:16

that God has hope and light for

31:18

you too. So, Aaron, would you pray

31:20

as we close for anyone who's struggling

31:22

through one of those seasons? I would

31:25

love to. Lord, we are just so

31:27

grateful for who you are, that even

31:29

if it's a hard day because it's

31:32

gray and dark and cold outside, or

31:34

if it's gray and dark and cold

31:36

in our souls, and we're struggling through

31:39

a really difficult time, no matter what

31:41

it is, God, that's on our hearts

31:43

today. You see us, you know where

31:46

we are, and you love us, and

31:48

you care so much. You are the

31:50

light of the world, and there's nothing

31:52

that can snuff you out. So I

31:55

just pray for anybody who's hurting today,

31:57

who's struggling, who's feeling sad and lonely,

31:59

or lost, or confused, or stuck. Whatever

32:02

it is that they're walking through today,

32:04

Father, I pray that your love and

32:06

your light is so, so big and

32:09

bright in their lives that they cannot

32:11

deny who you are who you are

32:13

who you are who you are. that

32:16

you see their pain and their hurt

32:18

and you love them and you have

32:20

a plan on a purpose for their

32:23

lives. And nothing is too big for

32:25

you. We pray for grace and mercy

32:27

in their life and we thank you

32:29

for what you're doing. I pray that

32:32

they are so overwhelmed with the ability

32:34

to trust who you are. That you

32:36

are a good God and you are

32:39

for them and you have good plans

32:41

for them. Doesn't matter what it looks

32:43

like right now, but there is good

32:46

things coming and we have hope in

32:48

you. We have hope in you. We

32:50

pray that they feel your presence and

32:53

we feel your presence today and a

32:55

whole new presence today and a whole

32:57

new way. Thank you, and we really

32:59

thank you for being here with us

33:02

because you you probably don't realize You

33:04

know you mean a lot to us?

33:06

We appreciate being able to share this

33:09

with you and and the things that

33:11

you share with us And so we

33:13

hope that we've brought a little light

33:16

into whatever your world is right now,

33:18

and we thank you for doing the

33:20

same in ours all of the time

33:23

Go to Joyce meyer.org/talk it out if

33:25

you want to watch some of our

33:27

other episodes Yeah, find out more about

33:29

the podcast, anything at all that you

33:32

would like to do. And remember to

33:34

subscribe and we'll be back here next

33:36

time. Right here on the pink couch.

33:39

We'll see you then. Bye bye. You're

33:41

pretty smart. When people talk about you,

33:43

too smart comes up a lot. So

33:46

why are you trying to prove them

33:48

wrong? Why aren't you pushing the limits

33:50

of science? and powering the nuclear engines

33:53

of the world's most powerful navy. If

33:55

you were born for it... Isn't

33:57

it time to make

33:59

a smart choice? You

34:02

can be smart, or you

34:04

can be be nuke smart. Become

34:07

a nuclear engineer at navy.com

34:09

slash nuke smart. nuke smart. Navy.

34:11

Forged by the by the sea.