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Ep 7 - A Conversation with Krystal Talley · This Is That: Believe Again

• Krystal Talley: Grief, you know, a death of a person, a death of a dream, a death of what you expected your life to look like can be really devastating. especially if you spend a lot of time invested going in one direction. But the Lord is there's there's many, many examples in the word where God divinely redirects you. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yes. Krystal Talley: Where people are divinely this is the pathway you're going. And then he's like, nope, we're gonna go this way. and so I've gone through that multiple times. And when I made the decision, I was like, God, you're still good, even in this circumstance, even in when everything around me feels like it's falling apart. You are still God and you can carry me through this. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Welcome to This Is That Believe Again. I'm your host, Yvonne Denise. And today I'm having a someone I've had the opportunity to get to know in a number of different ways. So Krystal Tally is with me. She is an entrepreneur and organizational leader. She's worked in corporate HR, higher education, executive search. public service and she's also the founder of Vision Flow Solutions, helping organizations like navigate AI and Better Systems. So all while still keeping people at the center. And so she's also a woman of faith. She's an elder and Bible study facilitator at the church she attends. She's opened her home to children through foster care. And she's working on her first book, Hope in Terminal Times. And Crystal's also someone is very important to this is that belief again because she works alongside of me. She's bes behind the scenes as my producer. So Krystal, welcome. it's a little different, I know, and but very special having you here, you know, on on the on the side of this conversation. So that it's just Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: wonderful. So I'm gonna start out first. I'm going to pray for us, and then we'll jump in, okay? So Lord, we invite your presence, your peace, your joy. Help us to reflect what is on your heart for us, our families, our communities, and our nation. And especially in this season, in your matchless name, Jesus, we pray. So, Krystal, when I read Krystal Talley: Mm-hmm. Yvonne Denise Hicks: your bio, and one of the things that struck me is that you've done a lot of different things and served in a lot of different spaces. But there seems to be a thread running through all of it about really valuing people. So we'll we'll start there. So is that something you see when you look back? and and how did you get from where you started to where you are today? Krystal Talley: That is a very loaded question. I'll try to make it brief. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: I remember as a little girl. you know, people always ask, What do you want to be when you grow up? And in the very beginning, I was a couple of years old, four or five, I didn't know specifically what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to help people. And I remember actually articulating that. I just want to help people. And at one point in time I wanted to be a doctor. and And then I decided, no, I because actually I spent one summer where I volunteered at a hospital, a very well known hospital actually in my area. And this this was at the time, I don't think they called them candy stripers, but that's that was just kind of volunteering on the kids' word. And I watched the doctors and the nurses interact with the kids and I was like, the doctors don't really do anything. They just pop in and they pop out. It's the nurses that really take care of the patients. So then I changed it and I was like, okay, I'm gonna be a nurse. And then my grandfather told me that was stupid. And and he, you know, bless him. He had very Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: strong opinions about a lot of things. but then I changed it. I, you know, got a little bit older. I was like, you know what, I think I want to be a teacher. And and it had many, many iterations. And I got into student teaching my senior year in high school, and I said, you know what? I don't want to be in the classroom, but I want to do something else. I really wasn't sure what that was going to be. And so in high school, as you're preparing for college prep. they have you take these personality tests. And so it could tell you based on your natural inclinations what types of careers would make the most sense. One of those was, and I remember thinking about this not long ago, one was a school counselor, was one of the options on the list. and one was I think in human resources or recruiter or something like that, which at that point in time, I'm 18 years old, I don't really know what that is. So just started working and I was raised in a family that really focused a lot on being excellent and doing your best and that was ingrained in my upbringing and my family. and so we try to do things to the best of our ability. And so when you are someone who desires to serve people and do a good job, you sort of doors open. And so I fell into human resources. I had worked in a call center I had worked in retail all in kind of serving people. And in the this call center, I was actually on the phone. And I got to know some of the people that worked in the office and and they said, well, why don't you apply for this? Why don't you come and test for this? And I became a recruiter and now 25 years later, to say I've even done anything longer than breathing more than 25 years is it's hard to Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm. Krystal Talley: say and hard to hear. But I've been in human resources for the last 25 years. and I have worked in different sizes of companies. I've worked in different size teams, but it's all been about how do you how do you do the best by people? And I think that's just been a running thread from even my very opinionated grandfather. He was very adamant, you don't do people wrong. You don't lie, you always you know walk with integrity. And so that trickled down to my mom. and it just, you know, is now embedded. And so it makes sense that I am in the field that I'm in because I am looking at making processes more simple for people so it's not so cumbersome. I'm looking at making sure that people are being heard, that they're being recognized, that their thoughts and their ideas are valuable. And sometimes you need an advocate. And I feel like that's been my role over the course of time, even in the faith space where I've just served in the church. I'm now elder in the church that I'm in. I'm also on the the district board for the denomination. I've been involved in other things, but at the end of the day, God these are God's people. Whether or not they know him, whether or not they love him. He created them and he cares about them and he wants them protected and guided and led. And so that's just been that's been the the the ongoing thread. God's people his creation is valuable. and he wants to make sure that they're put in a position where they will begin to know him, where they will begin to operate the way that he created and designed them to operate and to do the things that he created them to do. And so every opportunity that's in front of me that the Lord tells me to go, because I won't just go do anything. It really has to be blessed by the Lord for me to to do it. But that's the the feeling behind everything that I do. And so it's it's been a wild ride, but it's been fun. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah, I and I can attest that all of that comes through. that spirit of excellence, the spirit of caring for people, and and wanting people to do well. And I I I I love that about you. So I you know, like several of us, you know, you've you've gone through some of the different chapters in your life when you were just sharing there. But when you look back, can you see ways one season was really preparing you for another and you know, and and what those chapters, you know, what how that made sense, you know, for you looking back. Krystal Talley: Ooh. Now, if if we were just having a regular conversation and the camera wasn't on, I would probably be able to give you a very specific answer. but I think, you know, there's a passage description in Romans eight, Romans eight twenty-eight, that all things work together for the good of them that love you and are called according to this purpose. So I do love the Lord and I am called according to his purpose. And so I it doesn't make sense in the moment when I'm going through, what is the point of this? Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm. Krystal Talley: But after the fact, you know, they say the thing is hindsight is 2020. You're like, I see why you had me why you had me go down Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: that path. I think going into human resources, that was not my plan at all. And I just was working and this was not long after I had my daughter and it was just this it fell in my lap. And probably if you talk to a lot of people around my age or a little bit older. Nobody at our age went to school for human resources, right? It was just something you fell into. Most people just they were good talking to people and so they ended up in the field. But when I look at ministry, I see the correlation, right? And I one of the things that I wanna make sure that I say is that ministry doesn't mean in the four walls of the church. Ministry is everywhere. We are administrators. We are administering the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we are. So my ministry is my workplace. And it's the same for everyone else. Whatever the gifts and talents that the Lord has given you, He gave them to you by design. And I think there's a lot of people that are disheartened when they feel like their gifts and talents aren't being used in the four walls of the church. They feel like they're not. useful and that's just because we fought the lie that that's the only way to serve the Lord. So when I'm in the workplace, and all of that time that I've spent these 25 years have been preparing me, even as I'm in leadership in the four walls of the church. All of that was training ground, all of that effective communication, you know, hearing people out. opening doors for them, facilitating conversations. I use all of those skills now. And then what I've learned on the quote unquote ministry side, I then bring back to the workplace. And I will tell you, you know, human resources, there's lots of rules around what you're supposed to do and what you're not supposed to do. I am very overt with the way that I believe and I take those biblical principles, the way that I lead my life. And I use that in counseling people in the workplace. and so when the when the Lord is like, yeah, you can mention my name this time, I will. But sometimes you don't have to even say the Lord's name because his principles work regardless of whether you put his name on it or not. And so so it's been a back and forth. But all of that time working with people in all those different arenas have really helped me as I'm counseling and working with people you know, on the the ministry side, so to speak. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah, and I can tell even in your sharing, the just those you know, those experience the anointing comes through. And I I love that. I love that about who you are and how you minister to people and I've been able to catch some of your ministry. so it's been that's been amazing. So I there was another line in your bio that Caught my intention. You s you said that y you know what it feels like to start over, to to hold on to a dream through a hard season and keep believing when the chapter is still unfolding. So can you share a little bit more about that and and whatever you feel led to? Krystal Talley: speak to that in several circumstances. So there was an old season in my life. This has been over 10 years ago, I was in I was in a relationship and I had all these expectations for what the Lord was going to do with us and and you know how we were going to live our lives going forward and he passed away unexpectedly and like Lord that is not what you told me and Yvonne Denise Hicks: Right. Krystal Talley: so when you are hit in the face with what you are expecting to happen and it fall it seems to fall apart. I remember very vividly coming home from the hospital and I knew in my gut that I had a choice to make in that moment. He had been, you know, deceased maybe 10 hours or something like that. And I came I came back to my house and I was like, I have to decide. I have to choose to believe that God is still good. And in that moment, I knew that if I didn't make that decision, I would have been stuck. So there's a lot of people that go through grief. Grief, you know, a death of a person, a death of a dream, a death of what you expected your life to look like can be really devastating. especially if you spend a lot of time invested going in one direction. But the Lord is there's there's many, many examples in the word where God divinely redirects you. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yes. Krystal Talley: Where people are divinely like, this is the pathway you're going. And then he's like, nope, we're gonna go this way. And and so I've gone through that multiple times. And when I made the decision, I was like, God, you're still good, even in this circumstance, even in when everything around me feels like it's falling apart. You are still God and you can carry me through this. And so I I really because of my faith in the Lord and because I believe because I made that decision, instead of falling apart and crumbling into a puddle of tears and and mourning and grief, that I am now in a place where I am. even more recently, I I had been, you know, I said I've been in NHR for about 25 years. Well, last year, in October, the Lord said, Come out from among them. And I and I knew immediately what he meant. He he meant I needed to leave my job. And I said, Okay, when? He's like, Do it now, write the letter. Like, write the letter. So I Yvonne Denise Hicks: Ha ha ha. Krystal Talley: and I said, Well, what's the date? And he's like, he gave me a date which was three weeks from the date I needed to write this letter. So I had no significant savings set aside, didn't have a plan for what was next. But I said, Okay, Lord, so the next day I sent my letter in and then I was gone three weeks later and I was like, Now what? And it's the craziest thing. And so for 10 months, you know, I completely pivoted out. I started this consulting business, helping organizations, and that didn't even go as well as I was expecting. I'm like, okay, Lord, I expected, you know, when you told me to leave this job that all these wonderful things were going to happen in this business that you want me to start. What's happening? Because it was stagnant everywhere all around me. And and so that's a very hard place learning to to rely on God, do you really trust Him in those difficult moments to take care of you? Like I I I trusted you enough to jump off the cliff, but do I trust you enough to walk through the valley when it's when it's dark and you don't know what's what's coming next? Who's gonna pay the bills? How you know, and in this time I've had to move and move in with roommates, which I haven't had roommates since long time ago. but the Lord has orchestrated so many things. When you can keep your eyes on him and just put one foot in front of the other, it's amazing what you see that he does with that amount of faith. there was not a moment that things were cut off. There was not a moment where I didn't have people came out of the woodwork that just came and blessed me in whatever way. And it's just amazing to see that I I love you enough to take care of you in those dark moments. The same as when I lost that significant other, you know, having to walk through a lot of issues after that with family ties breaking, relationship shifting. it was a very difficult time, but God showed up every single moment and He's now rebuilding. If you don't stop, you will get to the other side. and you'll look back and like, you know what? I am better because I went through that difficult time because now I know God. Differently than I did before. I have an appreciation for Jehovah Jireh, the provider, than I had before when I was making money. Like when you Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: when you're not making anything, Jireh is really important. And so I I've had to to go through some soul searching. Lord, do I really trust you? Like I say I do. so it has been a a remarkable time, but I know. that this next season, I mean the season I've just walked through is in preparation and Lord has told me there's more that's changed in me than what I even see right now. So I have very high expectations that wherever he's sending me next, whatever the assignment is next, is going to is going to be really powerful because of the dark places that I've been in. And I will tell you, you know, back to the original story, I have had an opportunity to talk with people who have experienced grief. who experienced family trauma, who have had the the death of a spouse or a loved one, who have had who have been without resources. And I can speak from a place that I the Lord brought me through that. And if he brought me through that, he can bring bring you through that. And that's the power of our testimony. That even when we're going through stuff, it feels like everything is happening to me. But the shift that I would encourage you to make is ask the Lord, who is this for? It beside me. I'm going through it to grow me, but who needs to hear about this that's going to help them when they go through it? So, so it's exciting. Everything is woven together. Nothing is wasted. You know, the Lord uses every part of your life and it's just fun to see how he connects the dots. See, but you gotta hang in there until you until you get there. Remember when you were a kid you did the the color by number or you connect the dots, like it looks like a mess until you get all of the lines in place. Then you're like, that's what the picture was. That's what that hindsight is. Once you've got all the dots connected, you're like, my gosh, he really was working in that. He really was there. He really did take care of me. it's it's amazing. And so you just love him even more when you get there. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. And and Krystal, in in that, that's a powerful testimony. I I I know portions of your life in terms of how you got to certain places. You are a student of the Word of God. You are obedient in the little things. And d d can you speak a little bit to the the steps, right, of how people would build up their faith so that when they step into a circumstance, you know, they have a foundation? What are some Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: basic things? Krystal Talley: well one one I think elephant in the room, one of the reasons people are afraid to obey is because they think it's gonna be so big. Like I you think the Lord is gracious enough. He's not gonna ask you to jump off the cliff if you will not move from one chair to the next chair. Like he's just it's he takes us step by step by step. So one of the things that we have to be obedient to is that the the basics. Are we spending time in prayer? Are we just reading the word? And sometimes you don't understand what you're reading, but that's okay. It's developing that discipline of reading. You are feeding your spirit even though you don't think you are. Surrounding yourself with people who are wise, like wise counsel, if you read through Proverbs, it's all about the wisdom and the foolish. And when you have people that are are living a life that is pure is full of integrity you need to be around those people because that stuff begins to wear off on you you can listen and watch how they make decisions so surrounding yourself with good people is is important and allow them to speak into your life whether or not you like what they have to say or not be coachable is something that you need to be as well. The Lord will coach you directly through His Word, through dreams and visions. He will correct you through people, but you have to be willing and have the heart posture of Lord. I want to be better. Help me. And He will. And I think again, the baby steps, if you if you have a a feeling in your heart that you need to go apologize to someone for something you said or did. Do it immediately. If you wake up in the morning and somebody's on your mind and you're not really sure why, call them. I guarantee you, when you call them, you'll figure out why they were on your mind. Because the Lord will He will give you little nudges and you and you follow one small little nudge, like going to the grocery store when you don't really think you would need anything from the grocery store. If you follow that little nudge, you'll find why you had to go there. you'll meet somebody, you'll have an experience, you'll find, you know, $10 in the parking lot or whatever, right? He does little things like Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: that. When you are faithful in the little, he'll make you ruler over over much. So it's the little thing. And when you this picture I just have in mind is if you have a basket, right, that's empty and you just start picking up rocks, one rock at a time. And just as you go one rock at a time, eventually you're gonna have this full basket of rocks or experiences with the Lord. Like, you know what? I have all of this to to to to draw from. He's been faithful in all these little things, all these little ways. I think I can trust him for something a little bit bigger. And that's not a perfect analogy. It's just what came to my mind, but it's it's the little the little things. Yeah. And it's the little things that spoil the vine too, right? and I think Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah, that's good. Yeah. It's a process. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Krystal Talley: You know, twenty years ago, if if I felt like I was supposed to leave my job and just be out here in the wilderness, I don't think I would have done it because I wouldn't have had enough time with the Lord where he was faithful in other things for me to be able to make that step. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Right. And because he's he's talking to you all along the way. He he doesn't just like Krystal Talley: absolutely. Yvonne Denise Hicks: throw her in the wilderness and see what happens, right? You know, that type of thing. So and you have to build that muscle. You have to build that relationship. That's Krystal Talley: Yes, it's pressing. Yvonne Denise Hicks: that that's powerful. So, Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: my goodness. so That was powerful. So I I let me kind of move a f forward a little bit, because you covered so much in in in my questions, but I wanted to talk to you about the generations, right? w one of the reasons it's one of the reasons I really looked forward to this conversation because you know, we're in different generations our our ourselves Krystal Talley: Mm-hmm. Yvonne Denise Hicks: and I think there's value in actually listening, you know, to one another across the generations. And so, you know, when you look at the world from where you stand, what do you see about the generation? What do you think your generation has been entrusted with? Krystal Talley: so I think there's a lot of distrust of generations right now. So I'm a mill I'm an elder millennial. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: I'm a OG millennial. so I grew up in a time where I was a latchkey kid and we didn't have call waiting and like all you know, before the internet, like I remember that time and then I remember when the internet came in. so I've seen both sides. So I think We're the we're the my generation is is the the straddlers. We're the bridge, right, between those that came after us and those that came before. So we have an appreciation for both and we can help to translate what gets lost in translation. and that's an important thing because we need all parts. God is the God of Abraham, And Jacob, right? So he had those are three generations. And the Lord talks about those generational blessings, there's generational curses. So he doesn't do anything with just one portion that he's got in mind. and so I think unfortunately the enemy has gotten in. I was having this conversation recently, but with my life change. I'm in a house currently with a woman in her 50s, I'm in my forties. I have a 30, somebody in their 30s in my house, and then two people in their 20s. We're all women, so there's five of us. So there's, I mean, vastly different life experiences, different generations, and we're all in a house. I think the Lord is doing that by design. I don't know why he's doing it, but there's something that's gonna come out of this this experience that I'm living currently. But it's it's it's wonderful because we can learn from one another. We laugh. you know, we we have our inside jokes. and it's it's so good. And our grandparents, so the my grandfather, that I talked about earlier, he grew up in a house with his cousin, and everybody was in one house together, and they all supported each other, and the enemy came in and began to divide. And even if you read anytime in the Bible, people live in community, right? Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: You didn't go off and do your own thing, which is what we've been sold Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: by design of the enemy in our culture Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: that you need your own, you need to do your own thing, you need to stake your claim and go your own way. And that was not, I think, the plan of the Lord. He wanted Yvonne Denise Hicks: Right. Krystal Talley: people to be together because we need each other. And so millennials, I was talking to another one, like we're the sandwich generation because some of us, we've got elderly parents that now we've we are taking care of when we have kids or grandkids. So we've got both. so anyway, I think there's some benefit. The Lord I think is bringing us back to his original plan for what family really looks like. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: And you know, I've seen so much online about people going back to to mom staying at home and homeschooling their kids and Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yes. Krystal Talley: and then you've got your grip, people are b putting all these ADUs, these accessory dwelling units in their backyard. So Mom and dad are moving in in the backyard, and then you've got your kids and your grandkids in the house. And so we're going back to that. But we are the bridge. We have to, we have to take what the older generation has to offer. We need to absorb it and then share it with the younger. But also, the Lord is doing something really dynamic in these younger people. There's a young lady at our church. She's amazing. We've got a lot of great young people. Our young adults are doing awesome things. They love evangelizing. They really love God because their parents' generation may not have raised them in the church. And so it is pure. They didn't they didn't get what mom passed down. And I also think us as millennials, the the generation that came before us didn't pass down certain things and we're trying to dig up the well, dig those wells again, so that the next generation has something to, to to drink from. It's amazing. This young lady, she's twelve. She just led the the kids' Bible study this past week. She's amazing. And she's so bold and and I'm just so excited to see what the Lord is gonna do. But I have a responsibility to share with her what I've learned and to walk with her and to coach her. and again, going back to my HR background, right? I am the the mediator between gener there's generational issues even in the workplace. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: You know, work ethic is different. Things that we learn are different. So again, spiritually and naturally, I am the I am the go-between. and so it's just it's just really interesting how he has set me and people in my generation. there's something to be learned on all sides, and we need to hear each other out because what the Lord deposited in one generation, the other ones need. And it's not just Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: downhill, it's it's uphill too, it's upstream. And we need to be listening to the younger ones because stuff we miss. The Lord's like, because you all didn't do it in a previous generation, I'm giving it to the next one. So get on board. And Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: we need to be open to whatever he's doing. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. So so speak to my generation. What what you share with my generation in terms of our part in in and what you're describing? Krystal Talley: One, you have come to the realization that there were things that you missed. Own that and move forward. But also we're not too far gone that the Lord can't get us that. and I say that even in my generation think about the younger ones, right? these these Gen Z that are coming up, these like they're you know, they they're I hear it in the workplace, I hear it in the grocery store. These people don't, these young people don't know how to treat people, these people don't know how to talk, they don't if we don't intervene, they are not gonna get it. So Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Yeah. Krystal Talley: talking about another generation negatively, you are adding insult to injury. You are not making them better. we were made in God's image and his likeness, and when God spoke, things became. We need to watch our mouth and not contribute to the demise of people, but use our words to build up, to to coach, to guide, to lead, to encourage, to correct. Because if we don't, we're part of the problem. So I mean I say that on on on all sides, right? Yes, we can see negativity all around. But what are you adding to the puzzle? Are you bringing are you making it better or are you contributing to the negativity? Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah, yeah. Are there some things in particular when you look you know, at my generation that you would say do? know, Krystal Talley: It's not over until the fat lady sings. I think there's a lot of I I've heard a lot of people, I can't you know, they can't wait to retire and then they're just gonna do what they wanna do. And I could go down a rabbit hole about why retirement is not in the Bible, but but until the Lord takes you home, there is still work to do. There's still stuff to do, and Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: you're Still need it, you're still valuable, you have things that we need, you have wisdom just from life experience to share that get involved. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: you know, and I, you know, plug in, go and spend time with with the youth, go and volunteer your time and your talent to the younger generation because a lot of these younger ones don't haven't had that familiar experience that you've had. They didn't grow up with with tight-knit families and they need family. They need, Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: you know, uncles and aunts and grandparents and they need people that are gonna invest in them. And so Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: until the Lord is done, get busy. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Amen. Amen. That's a good word. That's a good word. Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: That is a good word. So, I I wanted to kind of talk about I saw in your bio that you're working on your first book, Hope in Turbulent Times. And I I love that title. so i whatever you feel led to to share at this time, because I and I know sometimes when you're in the midst of it Y you gotta kinda keep some things close, but you included it in your bio, so I I thought I I Krystal Talley: Yeah. I know. I and I thought about why is that in there? I almost told you to take it out. that book, because it's the first one, the Lord gave me insight about that during COVID. and I remember just seeing all this stuff happening all around. And he had me just every day for just a week. Just to share a message of hope because everything was doom and gloom and people were shut in. and they were staring at the news, at the these numbers going up and all of this fear mongering that was happening. And the Lord's like, but there's so hope. And so I finished, I I think it was Facebook Live. I would go on Facebook Live every day with a couple minutes, something or other. And At the end of that seven days, he was like, This isn't the end of this. This is gonna be a book one day. And I was like, And and so I picked it up and put it down and picked it up and put it down and picked it up and put it down multiple times. so I have a final draft that I need to go back through again. And you know, it has just become just sharing some testimony of when you're when it feels like. Everything is again crumbling around you. There is hope. He is still faithful. He never leaves you and forsakes you. There's always something you can look forward to when you have the Lord. and so that's the the gist of it. it's a lot of my testimony, probably more than I thought I would share, but it's my life, and I think each of us. Whether you write it down or not, your life is a testimony to other people and it's supposed to be shared with others. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah, yeah. Krystal Talley: so I will eventually get it done. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: But the final draft is done. I need to I need to go through it one more time and then it'll then it'll be out. I don't have a date yet, but it's coming. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. But I think a lot of what I've even heard today coming through you i is is a part of that, right? You're you're giving testimony to what we can do, what you see happening and and and the faithfulness of God. I mean he he is with us, he has a plan, you know, he has a purpose and I I just love that. So So I just absolutely, Krystal Talley: One other thing, Yvonne, real quick, but one other thing is Yvonne Denise Hicks: absolutely. Krystal Talley: is you said God has always has a purpose and he has a plan. That that is one revelation that came to me several years ago. Like if if he has allowed something to happen in your life, even if he didn't cause it, if he allowed it to happen, he will redeem it. Like there is a reason for it. And if you can step out of the the fog for just a minute and say, okay, Lord, this is happening and you're letting it happen. So what do you want me to see? What do you want me to learn? What do you want me to pay attention to? Because the enemy always comes in with this swirl and you get distracted from the Lord's like I got you. Just hang in there. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: and when you when you can recognize and get to that point quickly when you're going through circumstances, you can manage through difficulty a lot more, a lot more easily a lot easier, right? Because you're Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: like, okay, he's got me. There's a reason. I'm going to understand why this happened one day. And it's not for no reason. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Right. Krystal Talley: Nothing that happens is for no reason. There's always a reason for everything. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: But for people who don't have the Lord, Things just happen because they happen. It's just that what happens in life or it's it's happenstance and that's not true. He divinely orchestrates every detail. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. And he's a redeemer. I mean, I I think that that's Krystal Talley: So we Yvonne Denise Hicks: a a part of it. Like nothing catches him by surprise and he's always the answer. He is the answer. And so Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: I I I just I'm I'm looking forward to your your book 'cause I it I think it's gonna be powerful to help people walk through and and see him. Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: and all of that. So I I I think we've probably said that but a a a lot of things, but I just kinda as we wind down take a look at the time and all that, but this has been so powerful, Krystal. so what would you say to somebody listening who has begun to believe that what they do doesn't really matter anymore? Or maybe that the part of their part of the story that they were believing for is over. what would you tell them to help them to look at it again? And we'll kind of wind down a little bit. Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: Go back to the source of truth. And the source of truth is the creator. He is the one that I'll I'll tell it to you this way. You have a piece of equipment, let's say a screwdriver. Okay. You have a screwdriver and you're using it like a hammer, right? Is it going to Yvonne Denise Hicks: Hm. Krystal Talley: operate the way it's supposed to? No, because you're not using it in the correct function. But how do you find out how to use the screwdriver? You go to the owner's manual, you go to the the the instruction book to learn how to use something. We were divinely created. And the only way to know how you are to be used, what you're to be used for, and what's the best use, right? You can use a screwdriver to hammer nails. It's not gonna be as effective Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: as a hammer, right? It's gonna You're gonna be exhausted. You're gonna exert more energy than you need to because you're not using it the right way. So ask the manufacturer, you made me. What did you make me to do? How did you make me like you? What do you want me to be doing? And I will also say this we're gonna get rid of that analogy because it doesn't work for this next part. Sometimes your assignment changes. And you have to be in tune with the spirit to know when one season ends and when the next one picks up because he's doing something different. So your your direct connection to the Lord is so important to know what are you doing now? How should I be doing now? and help me to see what you see in me. ask the Lord who am I like in the word? I did that with my kids and and so my my My older daughter, who said she was like Deborah. I was like, yes. Deborah was a judge. And my daughter is black and white. There's no gray area Yvonne Denise Hicks: Mm-hmm. Krystal Talley: So you can learn, Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yeah. Krystal Talley: learn about you, but you can only learn about you from the Lord. And feelings are you know, like antennas where they kind of let you know something's going on, but they're not the truth. The way you feel is not the truth. What God says is the truth. So go back to that. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Yes. Amen. Amen. Amen. That's such a powerful time. And so, I you know, Krystal, before we wrap up, you know, we're we've we're gonna have ways to contact you, or, you know, what you're doing in the show notes. Is there anything that you want to, you know, how people can stay in touch or, you know, you know, just whatever you wanna to kind of wrap up in in in that regard. Krystal Talley: So you can find me on LinkedIn. I'm probably a little bit more active there just professionally. but I do have an Instagram and a Facebook page. I have because I've just gone through this season, my focus has been in other areas. I will eventually pick those back up. but you can also sometimes I am teaching and I'll have a I'll actually put a a list there for my church. sometimes I'm I'm on the teaching team so sometimes I teach on Sundays. And so there'll be a few of my messages on there. and what I will eventually pick back up as well as my YouTube channel. there is some some words out there that the Lord has given me so you can find me there too. Yvonne Denise Hicks: That's awesome. Powerful, powerful. So I am going to like wrap it up. I just wanted to share just a moment before I'm gonna have Krystal pray for us, but I just wanted to share what I'm gonna be doing with the next episode. I'm gonna talk about really, you know, occupy until he comes, you know, the what What is the Lord put in your hands, you know, and and to do and and and to see and to and to be. And so we'll we'll look at the mandate from Genesis, you know, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue Krystal Talley: Mm-hmm. Yvonne Denise Hicks: it, rule over it. We'll look at what Jesus you know said. He said, conduct business until I return. That's that occupy until I come, that type of thing. Because we had truly stepped into a great awakening. Krystal Talley: Yeah. Yvonne Denise Hicks: And the Lord is is with us and there's a lot of possibilities out there. So so I'm looking forward to that. And so Krystal, please pray us out. Krystal Talley: Yes. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your your daughter, Yvonne, for her faithfulness over the years to serve you wholeheartedly, Lord. She has many, many followers behind her that have been impacted by the work that you've done through her. So Lord, just fill her up, Lord. She's poured out so much over your people, Lord. this is a season for her to be expanded as well. Lord, I thank you for the listeners that are going to take a listen to this particular episode, Lord God. We pray that it is ignited something in them, there that they recognize that there is still hope, that they are still useful, that you have a plan and a purpose for their lives. You created them divinely, and that they would run to the source of truth. that they would listen to your Holy Spirit, Lord. They would dive into your word and allow it to transform their minds, Lord, so that their mind and their emotions and their bodies would line up with what you're saying in spirit. They would line up with what your word has already declared for generations. And Lord, I thank you for how you are blending the generations again, how you are bringing back community, how you're bringing back family, what you originally defined for it to be, Lord God. Not these redefined terms that we find ourselves in society, Lord God, but true connection, true fellowship, true unity in the body of Christ. And so Lord, we just thank you. and I pray, Father, that each person would see themselves through you in a new way after listening to this episode. Lord, we bless them right now, Jesus. We love you and we honor you. We praise your name in you. Yvonne Denise Hicks: Amen. Amen. Thank you so much, Krystal. So everyone, you know, continue to look again, dream again, hope again, and believe again. And we'll see you next time. And please check out the show notes and stay in touch with Krystal. Very, very powerful.