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Why Staying Rooted in Truth Changes Everything · Grounded Growth

• Steph Mic: Hi, welcome back. I'm Stephanie Petrie. Today we're talking about why staying rooted in truth changes everything. In this episode, we're going to talk about worldly folly versus holy wisdom. What happens when we aren't rooted in truth? What truth produces? Simple ways to stay rooted in truth and truth is the foundation of faith. Nicole Mic: Hold your ID. You cannot fill a stable life on stable thoughts and I think one reason many women feel emotionally exhausted is because they're trying to sit down on opinions instead of truth. And I think this is where we all really get started. Steph Mic: Yeah, so worldly folly and holy wisdom. So what I mean by that is when I talk about worldly folly, it's like the foolish ways of the world or cultural norms or, you know, being swayed to the popular thoughts or opinions rather than through biblical truth. And that's where wisdom comes from is from God. And when you are facing challenges in this, I think it's the amount of voices that we are constantly surrounded by. And so you can think about that with ⁓ social media. You can think about it with maybe even your workplace, certain friends that you might be ⁓ in relationship with. mean, can be a lot, family even, like it can be a lot of situations. I mean, even just first thing in the morning, if you are one of those that grabs your phone and you are checking socials, checking the news, checking your mail, ⁓ before you are getting into God's word and rooting your day there, ⁓ it can just become very overwhelming and not all voices are rooted in truth. And over time it can start sounding convincing, ⁓ in that you start believing some of these half truths or maybe you're even to think that you know the the biblical wisdom that that you're reading in the Bible isn't true ⁓ really it might just be your opinion isn't true ⁓ so that's a harder thing like what is true and what is it that you feel about it ⁓ two different things and we'll talk about our feelings and emotions later so worldly wisdom often tells us to follow our feelings ⁓ It defines your own truth and trust ourselves above everything else. ⁓ You can do anything. It's not true. You can't. But the problem is our feelings change and our perspectives shift as they should because as you become more wise and you get more experience, those things should change. And if we're building our lives on something that constantly moves, it's not. Nicole Ghirardi: Hi, welcome to Grounded Growth Podcast. I'm Nicole Girardi. And I'm Stephanie Petry. We believe that grounded growth comes from being intentional about compassionate connections that are beautifully balanced while flourishing in faithfulness. Each week we will share real conversations, encouragement, and simple systems to help build a life that feels steady, aligned, and grounded. So sit back, maybe grab a coffee, and join us where clarity meets calm and growth feels intentional. Stephanie Petry: And I'm Stephanie Petry. We believe that grounded growth comes from being intentional about compassionate connections that are beautifully balanced while flourishing in faithfulness. Each week we will share real conversations, encouragement, and simple systems to help build a life that feels steady, aligned, and grounded. So sit back, maybe grab a coffee, and join us where clarity meets calm and growth feels intentional. Before we dive in, if you want to make sure you never miss a conversation, hit that subscribe or follow button. Steph Mic: going to be stable. You're going to have a very unstable life and worldview. ⁓ Holy wisdom, on the other hand, calls us back to something that is unchanging, and that is God. It invites us to anchor ourselves in truth that doesn't shift based on our culture, based on our emotions or our circumstance. It's not one big decision. It's the small compromises over time that slowly pull us away from what is true. Nicole Ghirardi: Before we dive in, if you want to make sure you never miss a conversation, hit that subscribe or follow button right now on whatever app you're listening on. Stephanie Petry: right now on whatever app you're listening on. Nicole Mic: So I think a lot of it is that we are constantly surrounded by the beliefs and opinions and I know myself ⁓ I let get into the mix ⁓ and ⁓ the out of it versus letting the worldly wisdom take over. And that's really been a journey for me to realize that I need to be leaning towards the holy wisdom ⁓ versus letting the worldly wisdom come into play. Nicole Ghirardi: you for joining us for another episode of Grounded Growth. We hope today brought you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle reminder that you're not walking this journey alone. If this episode spoke to you, we'd love for you to share it, subscribe, and leave a review. We'll see you next week. Until then, Stephanie Petry: Thank you joining us for another episode of Grounded Growth. ⁓ We hope brought you clarity, encouragement, and a gentle reminder that you're not walking this journey alone. If this episode spoke to you, we'd love for you to share it, subscribe, and leave a review. We'll see you next week. Until then, Nicole Mic: And people love to have their opinions and love to be able to go to two sons and when it comes to that feeling of the Holy Spirit telling you like, need to be moving towards the Holy Wisdom of that. And it's really making me begin to realize that throughout my, throughout the season of all of the things I allowed to lean on the worldly view versus the holy. Feelings can feel real. Nicole Ghirardi: stay grounded and keep growing. Stephanie Petry: stay grounded keep growing. Nicole Mic: I feel that sometimes everyone's like, go with your emotions, go with what your gut's but is that your emotions or is that really the whole spirit telling you to move forward? And we really need to lean into the fact of Bible and the fact that we know that our true force is just going off of our emotions that we have. A lot of culture often encourages self-definition over too, so I feel like that's a big one. It's not our self definition, it's the definitions that are in the Bible and what we are supposed to be doing with the holy wisdom that God gave us, not what everyone else is giving us. So we need to slowly drift away from the worldly wisdom and really start making more into the holy wisdom. Steph Mic: encourages self-definition over truth too. I feel like that's a big one. That, I mean, it's not our self-definition. It's the definitions that are in the Bible and what we are supposed to be doing with the holy wisdom that God gave us, not what everyone else is giving us. So we need to slowly drift away from the worldly wisdom and really start leaning more into the holy wisdom. And the hard part about that drift is that we don't always notice it right away, but we do feel it. Because when we're not rooted in truth, something internally begins to feel off, even if we can't fully explain why. So Nicole, what happens when we aren't rooted in truth? Nicole Mic: Good question. So when we're not really in interest, think this is when our emotions get to the best of us. We start having the confusion where we used to have clarity. So we start second guessing everything that we wrote down and we vocalize our views and our leadership and our vision and purpose in life. Because... think that a lot of what I have achieved with this emotion is that I allowed my emotions to continue to drive my decisions. Especially when us women are taking our so much, we have so much going on, and we only have a certain capacity that we allow that overload that we're going out. for because what is the easiest thing that we need to do? Not everything is going to be easy and God doesn't make it so that it can be easy and we have to realize that we have to sow rooted in the truth of what's going on. We need to become more confident versus becoming inconsistent and that's going back to our values. Going back to your morning routine and getting back to that word, doing your written journal, those things is gonna give us rooting of the truth for us each day so that we are starting the day in God's birth versus allowing the world to get up past for us. So I think that we all need peace and that will go, that goes away if we're not doing what we're doing. Steph Mic: You mentioned emotions earlier, and I think that... the amount of emotional exhaustion is something that all of us women carry. Because when truth isn't our anchor, we end up trying to navigate life based on how we feel in the moment. And then that leads to that survival mode that we all know too well. Feelings aren't bad, but they were never meant to lead us. Feelings should be that like red flag or a signal for you to realize that something is off or to even notice your surroundings or circumstance. ⁓ it's so like a lot of times I remember when we were trying to train ⁓ Travis in this. when it was about anger, we said anger is not a bad emotion. It's not always a wrong response. However, we do not act out in our anger. That is the difference. And so you cannot let your feelings dictate how you are going to treat others. And you cannot allow it to dictate how you're going to pursue truth. without truth, everything starts to feel uncertain. And then you're one of those like, I don't care people, or I don't know, ⁓ why do I care, or why does anyone else care? ⁓ so you'd You just come across as a little wishy-washy to be honest and not grounded. Inherent grounded growth. That's what we're striving for is to be grounded women in God's word. And so you question your decisions and you second guess yourself and you start feeling pulled in multiple directions because you don't have this grounding of biblical truth. And over time that creates internal instability, internal instability where you are constantly trying to recalibrate based on your emotions or your circumstance. And how freeing is it when you realize that your compass is Jesus alone? Like you don't need to be constantly re-evaluating every step you're taking when you realize like I am who I am because of my identity and union with Christ and I have a list of how to live my life and a guidebook. through the Bible. And it gives you answers and direction for a lot of things, if not everything. And so I just think that it's a really freeing thing when you are able to turn to God's word. I also think that ⁓ comparison where comparison and insecurity start to creep in more strongly. So like when you don't have that anchor of truth, we tend to compare more and we have that insecurity. ⁓ because we're without truth, but also looking outward to figure out who we are and what. we should be doing, like where do we stand in comparison to so and so. And so it's just exhausting, the emotional exhaustion that comes with not being grounded in truth because there's no solid ground to stand on. Nicole Mic: absolutely agree with you. And I think that is when we misunderstand the truth, because truth isn't restrictive, ⁓ it's actually end. Steph Mic: And so what truth actually produces, ⁓ it doesn't confine you like you said, it frees you. And we talked about that freedom. gives you something steady to stand on when everything else feels uncertain. When you are rooted in truth, you don't have to constantly question everything because you have that clarity through scripture. It also creates a sense of calm, even when life is not calm. It could be very chaotic around you. those grounding answers, those grounding truths to fall back on as your foundation. Your piece is not dependent on your circumstance, it's anchored in something deeper than your circumstance. I remember when Travis was like three, four years old and he broke his leg. And I think I've told this story before, but like Adam was in the hospital with leukemia and his mom and dad were recovering from surgery and I was helping his brother. He had skin cancer on his scalp and helping him get to the dermatologist. And like it was a chaotic time of my life. And then of course my four year old boy had to go jump off the couch and break his leg because why not add more to this? And so I remember like carrying him from doctor to doctor because like I remember we had to go to the pediatrician and then we had to go get x-rays and then we had to go to a specialist and then that specialist sent us to Children's Hospital and so like I just remember he was in such pain and I'm carrying him and I literally felt like I was carrying my burdens like through him and I just kind of paused and prayed and said Lord you are you are bigger and better and you are in control of this heavy burden because you tell me that your burden is light, Lord. And so I'm giving it to you and I'm not going to base my feelings and emotions on this circumstance. I'm going to remember who you are and that you're going to get me through this. And so just even that surrender and humility that even though I was literally carrying my child to doctor to doctor, ⁓ the Lord had us through that and we were in his hands. so truth also shapes our identity. It reminds us of who we are, not based on what we feel or what others say, but based on what is actually true. So who is it that God says you are? And this was also a really great exercise that ⁓ my therapist had me do, which was, you know, write down all of the things that are expected of you, whether it be your own expectations or ones that others have of you, and then go to scripture and see what is God expect of you? What is it that he commands of you? And it was just a really great exercise that brought me assurance. And it brought me peace and freedom and being able to let go of a lot of control and guilt that I was holding on to. reminds us too that, you I think one of the most powerful things is that truth allows you to move forward with confidence, ⁓ because everything is easy, but because you know where you stand. Nicole Mic: think Nicole 2: I think truth really ⁓ comes in four different ways is kind of how ⁓ want to talk about this section. feel it. Truth creates clarity. ⁓ Truth creates stability. Nicole Mic: truth really ⁓ comes in four different ways. This is kind how I want to talk about this section. feel it... Stephanie Petry: think truth really ⁓ comes in four different ways is kind of how I want to talk about this section. I feel that truth creates clarity, ⁓ truth creates stability, truth protects mindset, ⁓ and truth confident decisions. So I wanna dive into each of them. So first with the clarity. ⁓ Nicole 2: Truth protects mindset and truth allows confident decision. So I wanna dive into each of them. So first with the clarity. ⁓ When you know what's true, you have a reference point for every decision and every thought and every challenge you face. And I think that's why at Grouted Growth, we hone in so much into knowing what you want and what your purpose is and what your... core values are, so then that way then it gives you that ability to it. Clarity doesn't mean you always have to have the answers though, but it just means you know where to go and find them. And that's clarity into God's word and really leaning into that. Even under uncertain seasons, truth gives you enough light for the next step. And that's really all that God wants us to do. We're not gonna see the light at the end of the tunnel. His map may look like a straight up roller coaster, but he is only doing it in sections for us. And that's because we only can do the next step before we ever move on to the next. ⁓ Truth creates stability. with life with has many seasons of change, loss and uncertainty, but if the foundation is the truth, you can't be completely swept away from it then. so stability doesn't mean everything is easy. because Steph has clearly said that. It means you have something solid to return to when you feel like things are getting really hard for you. ⁓ And then ⁓ think of it like an anchor, that you can still feel the waves, but you're not gonna be carried away with the tide. keeping it, the truth is literally the root of the tree for us. And visually see that because that is what's holding us and standing us strong to be able to grow. versus if we don't have the roots, we're dead. And so we don't, then you have no clarity, you have no stability in being able to know what you should do. ⁓ Truth also protects mindset. So the thoughts we allow to take the roots in our minds will eventually produce fruit in our lives, for better or for worse. So we have to be able to think about that and really truly digest that to know. that our thoughts is really what's rooting ourselves and being able to progress in our truth and progress in our lives and our purpose. Truth acts as like a filter. So helping our identity, like Stephanie said, that, you know, and it helps with knowing where we belong and where we don't belong. So knowing that we don't belong with the lies, the fear, the comparison. ⁓ and we need to replace them with what's really true that God's trying to and surrounding yourself in that community so then you're building yourself with life givers versus those life taking people. This is why starting your day with the truth matters. We don't care if you do the Roots Journal or if you do something different. Now we would love for you to do the Roots Journal, but it's just being able to dive into God's word and. That sets the tone, so how you'll interpret everything that comes after for that day. And that's why I love being able to do that in the morning, so then that way then I have my roots first thing, so then that way then it helps bring me throughout the day. And then last but not least is truth allows confident decisions. Confidence isn't about having everything figured out. We never have anything figured out. God has everything figured out and he's giving it to us as we go. And it's just knowing about where we are, where we stand, where our values are to be able to really continue to know that the truth is what matters. When you're rooted in truth, you can make the decisions without needing to wait for perfect conditions or everyone's approval. I'm gonna repeat that because I need to say it again for myself. This is when you're rooted in the truth, you can make decisions without needing to wait for the perfect conditions or everyone's approval. I feel like that is a very worldly thing for us is that we have to have it perfect. We have to have everyone's approval and that's not the case and it's never going to be the case. gives you a foundation to be able to move from so you can act with clarity. even when the circumstances aren't completely clear. So if truth is what creates that kind of clarity and stability, the question becomes, how do we actually stay rooted in the middle of everyday life? such a good one. So I think between Steph and I, think we have really some good, simple ways of being able to do this. I have... pretty much thrown it at you guys several times already in this episode. Starting your day with truth before input. So before you check your phone or you take in anyone else's thoughts, intentionally start with something true. A scripture, a prayer, even one grounding statement. I mean, it's the music while you are making your cup of coffee before you can get into the Bible. Anything to that is gonna be super important. It's the small habits that create a filter for everything that comes in after for us. if we take our mind ⁓ and settle it into God's word first, it allows for all of the chaos and the noise to go away that we have constantly when we first wake up in the morning. ⁓ It doesn't have to be a long practice either. Like I get it, life is crazy. you know, there's gonna be seasons where you can't wake up and spend 30 minutes in God's word. Nicole 3: So it have to be a long practice and we are all in different seasons of our life. There are moments and days that we can barely get out of bed to get the kids onto the bus to go to ⁓ work. So it's finding that just even a minute, five minutes and making it intentional to help really shift that trajectory of your whole day. ⁓ Limiting negative or distracting influences. So this is a big one. Steph has had to help me and guide me through this one. ⁓ But take an honest look at what's constantly pulling your attention in directions that you don't serve. Certain accounts, it could be certain ⁓ TV shows, it could be books, it could be ⁓ relationships, ⁓ it could be places you go, whatever the case may be. Nicole Mic: you don't have to eliminate everything all at once, but creating some healthy boundaries around what you are pursuing can make a real difference. And so, just for an example, I had a very toxic relationship with a friend. And it just slowly became, you were creating boundaries around it that could have completely cut her off, but it was something I wasn't answering every once in It wasn't that... Steph Mic: So you don't have to eliminate everything all at once, but creating some healthy boundaries around what you're consuming can make a real difference. And so just for an example, I had a very toxic relationship with a friend and it just slowly became that we were creating boundaries around it. Not that I completely cut her off. Nicole 4: So you don't have to eliminate all at once, but creating some healthy boundaries around what you're consuming can make a real ⁓ And just for an example, I had a very toxic relationship with a friend. ⁓ And it just slowly became that we were creating boundaries around it. Not that I completely cut her off, but it was that I wasn't answering every text message. It wasn't that I was answering every phone call, which I don't answer the phone anyways. If you're my friend, you know that. I just, don't talk on the phone a lot. I do it too much at work, so I just not gonna answer your phones. Or it's just, you know, ⁓ picking the same places that you go all the time that... that relationship that friend is gonna be at. You just create those healthy boundaries to really be able to protect yourself. And you have to remember you have to go back to the foundation of who you are and who you want to become and what God wants you to become to be able to realize what boundaries you do have to make. ⁓ Think of it kind of like a diet. You don't have to eat perfectly, but consistently taking in junk will eventually affect how you feel. And that's exactly what we're talking about here with creating those boundaries and really eliminating those toxicity of the things that aren't helping in our truth. ⁓ Replacing assumptions with facts. So many of the things we worry about are based on assumptions, not facts. Things we told ourselves that may not even be true. And so that's when you notice a thought that creates stress or fear. You need to pause and break and is it actually true or do I know this for certain or am I just making some type of assumption? And I feel like overthinkers do this a lot. I'm an overthinker and I always overthink everything. Nicole 5: Okay, last simple way that I have to give to you guys is building reflection habits. So taking even a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect. I know I kinda talked about my journaling reflection that I do at night, ⁓ but ⁓ things like what did I believe today? ⁓ What was true? ⁓ Can you help catch your drift before it really becomes a pattern? And that's really what we're trying to do is to lean back into the truth for the day because we started the day in God's word, but a lot of us then completely forget about it the rest of the day. And it's bringing that back in to close it up, ⁓ to be able to really give you that truth. So you can do it by journaling, you can do it by prayer, you can even just do it as a mental checklist review. that can help you stay connected to what's really true. ⁓ Reflection isn't about perfection. That's one big key that I wanna give you is that it is about staying aware and choosing to return to truth consistently. Steph Mic: I think that we need to realize that the importance of being intentional on what we are allowing in our minds first thing after we wake up. It is crucial. ⁓ Before we check our phones, before we take anyone else's opinions in, what would it look like to start your day with truth? And some practical tips. I literally have all of my apps turned off until I know I'm done with my workout. And it has changed a lot. I can't get into the apps. I mean, of course you can override them, but that kind of negates the purpose, right? ⁓ And so I always make sure that it's after my workout because the first thing I do when I wake up ⁓ my prayer app goes off. So as soon as I turn off my alarm clock, my prayer app is there open. I start praying through and that helps me kind of get out of bed and I go and make ⁓ coffee's already made because it's on a timer. So I just pour it and then I go into my study and I start my roots ⁓ into God's Word ⁓ ⁓ I just I read through and I journal ⁓ then I go work out. And after I'm done working out when my alarm goes off for me to start getting ready for work. I all my apps come alive. ⁓ And so that is one practical tip that I have for you that I've been doing consistently and it's been helping a lot. it's called PrayerMate. There's others out there as well, but I really like this one. It allows you to have different categories. Nicole 5: I, all my apps come alive. ⁓ And so that is one practical tip that I have for you that I've been doing consistently and it's been helping a lot. So for the people that don't know the app that you use, what app do you you recommend for the prayer app? ⁓ it's called ⁓ There's others there as well, but I really like this one. ⁓ It allows to have different categories. Steph Mic: So like I have my ⁓ church leadership and I have my everyday prayer. So ⁓ so like I pray for my husband and my son every day and a couple other things as well. But you can make it to where you're praying for dailies. You can make it to where you're praying weekly or monthly for different categories. So then I have, you know, my my family and friends and I have my colleagues and I have. So I have these different categories. The other thing that I like about it is that there's like these pre-made devotions or pre-made prayers that you subscribe to. like there's one on like one of my groups is my discipleship. So women that I'm discipling and in there I can put in like very specific things. like prayer request kind of things. And every time it pulls up my discipleship category, it'll rotate to the next person. So I'm praying for a different one every time. And then underneath it, it has like a specific prayer that I subscribe to or words of encouragement or something like that that I did. like even for Adam, my husband, there was like prayers for your husband. And that was from Desiring God, which is John Piper's ministry. And there's just some really great things in that app ⁓ that I've really enjoyed. You can archive things. You can set like calendar dates. So if I know there's a surgery coming up for somebody, I can put it in and it'll ping my phone, notify my phone ⁓ when it's time. So it just helps keep me accountable. And then when I'm asking people for prayer requests, I'm able to literally copy and paste their answer into the app. Prayer mate. ⁓ It takes a lot for setup, but then it's pretty easy going throughout. I also think it is important to slow down and notice the thoughts that we're actually believing. And sometimes it's negative talk to ourselves. Sometimes it is us spiraling about a circumstance. ⁓ Maybe it is feeling isolated. So what are those thoughts that are creeping in that you are starting to believe and that you know is a lie? ⁓ Or maybe it's like a temptation for you even. So just taking that time to kind of hold that thought captive and being able to flush it out with the biblical with biblical truth. Not every thought we have is true and we have to be willing to question what's not aligned to scripture. Another simple rhythm is reflection. As Nicole said, we're very similar. So taking time to pause and ask, what am I believing right now? And is it true? ⁓ Ask a trusted friend. Have a conversation about these things. Like, hey, this has been popping up in my head a lot lately. Would you mind talking to me about what you know of, you know, we just talked about Sabbath, for example. ⁓ And so maybe you have a trusted friend you can talk to and get some advice from. ⁓ These aren't complicated practices, though, guys. We're talking about reflection and holding yourself accountable to not your phone first thing in the morning. ⁓ These are simple things, but boy, ⁓ they are hard sometimes. ⁓ They're powerful. ⁓ when we choose to be intentional with truth first, it is a powerful, consistently done thing for us to be grounded in because over time it shifts how we're rooted and what we're rooted in. And I think this is where truth stops being just information and starts becoming something that actually anchors how we live. And the verse Nicole 5: And I think this is where truth stops being just information and starts becoming something that actually anchors how we live. And the verse that we chose for this episode is from Matthew chapter seven, verse 24. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. This picture in Matthew always stands out because it is so clear. Steph Mic: This picture in Matthew always stands out because it is so clear that we are building something with our lives. We have purpose and the question is we're building it is what are we building on? And it makes me think about impact, right? Like you are making an impact where you are. ⁓ is like what what type of impact are you making? ⁓ says that when we hear his words and actually live them out, ⁓ like building on solid foundation. ⁓ not enough to just know God's Word. You also need to be Living it out and living through faithful obedience. It will not be perfect. It can't be But it is something that you need to be pursuing is faithful obedience. You need to be growing in it and storms will come Storms are gonna come through hard seasons and emotions Uncertainty that's just part of life. What we're talking about isn't prevention of these things What we're talking about is how to stay grounded within those things. ⁓ And when you're rooted in truth, you're not shaken in the same way as someone who falls under that worldly folly that we talked about earlier. people will ask, how are you so calm right now when this crazy situation is happening? Or how do you seem so peaceful when your husband is going through cancer? Or you know, whatever the circumstance may be, when you are grounded in truth and you are having that union with Christ, people notice because you live differently because of the insurance you have in your faith. ⁓ Truth protects your identity. It reminds you of who you are when everything else feels loud or confusing. And it keeps you grounded when your emotions fluctuate. and they're going to fluctuate. mean, this has been a fluctuating week for me in particular. ⁓ And I just, I knew I just had to work through it, but boy, has it been a roller coaster. I think I've told Adam three times this week and it's only Wednesday. ⁓ Thank you for loving me for who I am and through all the things. ⁓ This is why staying rooted in the truth changes everything. it's not just about what you know. It is about what you are anchored to and that should be Jesus. Nicole 6: This is why staying rooted in the truth changes everything. it's not just about what you know. It is about what you are anchored to and that should be Jesus. 100%. And I think that Steph kind of touched on the points that I wanted to, but just kind of quickly is that God's word protects your identity and that. one of the biggest things through the Roots Journal is knowing your identity in Christ and establishing that. And so it's really been on my mind with that, you know, when the world around you is so loud and so contradictory, truth is what reminds you who you actually are, not what you feel in the moment and that your identity isn't built on performance, on your circumstances. or other people's opinion. It's built on what is unchangingly true about you and in God's Word. ⁓ So when you know that, it's harder for the comparison and the criticism and the confusion to shake you as much as we let it be with all the worldly things that are happening. ⁓ Also, God's word keeps you grounded when emotions fluctuate. So emotions will fluctuate. Like Steph said, she has been through a lot of them this week. I mean, we all do. We go through it. Within an hour, we can have them. ⁓ It's not a flaw. It's part of being human. But the truth is what gives you something steady to return to when you need to. When you feel overwhelmed, when you feel discouraged or uncertain. You can ask, what do I know to be true right now? And what question can I shift? And that question can then shift everything for you. And truth isn't meant to dismiss your feelings. It's like Steph said, you're supposed to have the emotions. You're supposed to be able to feel them. But it's meant to anchor you so your feelings don't have to carry the weight of your foundation. And that's what we have to remember. Steph 3: The beautiful thing is, is that this isn't about doing everything perfectly. It's about choosing again and again to come back to what is true, even in the middle of real life. Nicole 6: The beautiful thing is, is that this isn't about doing everything perfectly. It's about choosing again and again to come back to what is true, even in the middle of real life. Absolutely and wrapping this up in this episode. I want you to start one daily truth habit So you don't have to overhaul your whole routine? Just pick one small thing that you can do each day to anchor yourself in truth It could be one minute. It could be five minutes It could be you listening to a song on your way to work Whatever the case may be but trying to get back into anchoring yourself in the truth Just start small, be consistent. That is the major thing here is that don't go crazy and say, I'm gonna wake up at 4.30, I'm gonna get God's Word in for an hour, and then you do it two days, and then you don't do it the next two, and then you've completely lost the routine. Start small, build yourself up. The more consistent you are, the longer you're able to build those good habits. And ⁓ what you anchor, Two shapes how you live. So this is one of the most simple truths that becomes more real the longer you sit with it. What you return to in your thinking, what you build on your decisions and what you allow to define you, all shapes the direction of your life. And the good news is, is that you get to choose your anchor. This isn't forced upon. So making sure and really honing in on that one anchor. Clarity grows when truth leads. So you don't have to have everything figured out ⁓ to have that clear clarity that you need. You just need a solid starting point. So when the truth is leading your thoughts and decisions, the fog starts to lift up and away, not all at once, but consistently it will, and it will help get you to where you need to be. And then of course, peace grows when the truth is your foundation. And we have said it through this episode is that peace isn't something we find by getting our circumstances under control. ⁓ It's something that grows when our hearts are anchored into something steady. And that steadiness is available to us, not because life gets easier, but because we know what's true. So start today, choose one small way to root yourself in truth and watch for it begins to grow from there. I think you wrapped it up beautifully. So I am just going to plug our next episode, which is we're gonna build on this idea even more as we talk about Why worship? Steph 3: I think you wrapped it up beautifully. So I am just going to plug our next episode, which is we're going to build on this idea even more as we talk about worship. why what you focus on shapes your life because what you fix your eyes on will ultimately shape your heart and your direction. So tune in next week. Bye. ⁓