Latest / Grounded Growth / Leaving What You Knew: Faith, Identity & Rebuilding from the Ground Up
Transcript
- Grounded Growth: Welcome, I'm Stephanie Petrie. I'm Nicole Girardi. Brianna Preece: Welcome. I'm Stephanie Petrie. I'm Nicole Girardi. Grounded Growth: And today on the Grounded Growth Podcast, we have a special guest. Welcome, Brianna Priest. ⁓ Hi. we are going to have interview our friend here, Brianna. We know her church. we are gonna go ahead and get started. Here we go, Brianna. ⁓ right. So first thing is can you tell us just a little bit who you are? Yeah. So I'm Brianna Priest. ⁓ I have been a Christian ⁓ for about 10 years. Actually, 10 years this I am married to Brian. we've been married for 15 years, and I'm also a mom to three ⁓ busy girls. there's Reagan, who just turned eight, Millie, who is six, and Catherine who who is four. I grew up in Utah. ⁓ I up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most people them as the Mormons. and our family moved to Missouri eight years ago when Reagan was two months old. Tell us about some of your daily routines and habits that you have. So I typically try to wake up before my girls do. So I'm usually up about 5 a.m. I have to take a shower every morning. That's how I get my body to wake up at that time. I will get a cup of coffee and my morning bag that has my Bible, my roots morning journal, ⁓ my planner, my and any devotional that I might be going through, and pens, because I write a lot in different colors. ⁓ so I'll grab that and I just take it to the kitchen table and I start my day with prayer first, very first thing I do, then I read my Bible, which will include whatever devotional I'm going through at the time. And then that's when I move to my roots journal. ⁓ and I go through that, which is really easy and I love it. So thank you for creating it. and then sometimes my girls will wake up while I'm in the midst of doing all of that. So they'll usually lay on the couch after I give them a little snuggle. 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. Grounded Growth: And then once I'm done with that, we get to breakfast. And I don't know. Summer's a lot more laid back. I'm a homeschooling mom. So I don't do a ton of school. ⁓ and actually June we take the whole month off of school. So it's just a lot more laid back. And so I I don't know. I help ⁓ this month I'm helping my girls learn how to do some chores. So ⁓ they all know how to unload the dishwasher, even my four year old. 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. Grounded Growth: ⁓ so now I'm teaching Reagan and Millie how to load the dishwasher because I'm very specific on how they do that. ⁓ and then I'm also teaching Reagan how to clean bathrooms. ⁓ that's a good one. Yeah. So on Mondays is when I do ⁓ my bathrooms, so she tags along with me. Otherwise they're outside playing because they're just they're outdoor girls. So I love it. It's so important to start your day in God's word. So I love that you have that as a routine and a priority for your mornings. Yeah. 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, Grounded Growth: Can you walk us into the season where things started to feel different for you spiritually? Yes, so we're gonna go back all the way back to 2013. ⁓ in October of 2013 is when my cousin died. we grew up together. She was more a little to me than a cousin. and at the time when she passed away, she was living with my mom. 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 Ghirardi: stay grounded and keep growing. Stephanie Petry: stay grounded keep growing. Grounded Growth: she had fallen asleep on the couch and just never woke up. and I was the one that found her. ⁓ So after death, ⁓ I turned away from the Mormon Church, from God. ⁓ I so angry. ⁓ she was my aunt's only child. ⁓ She my grandma's best friend. ⁓ and my mom felt guilty because she was living with her at the time. ⁓ and so I was just I was angry. ⁓ And I just turned away from from ⁓ my at that point. The big thing to know about Mormons is they don't drink, they don't smoke, they don't get tattoos, they ⁓ they don't drink coffee. So I started drinking alcohol and turning to that, and I did that for a few months. And then my aunt and my mom were like, you know, you need to come back to church, you need to come do Shelby would not want you to to do that. So I did for a while, but it it wasn't the same because I was still angry. And then so that's kind of tipping point. And then I had weight loss surgery in 2015. and you I took food away and and that was my coping mechanism. And at that same time, it was about a month after my weight loss surgery, I learned some truths about the Mormon church that they don't teach their members. at least I wasn't taught ⁓ how the Book of Mormon came to be, who Joseph Smith really was. ⁓ ⁓ men that I held on a pedestal. All of the beliefs that I had, they completely crumbled. and the the Book of Mormon is scripture and so the Bible is scripture as well. So I said, well, ⁓ that is God, ⁓ don't want it. ⁓ I walked away from the Mormon church at that point for good. Wow. Thank you for sharing. That was a lot of hard things and a thing, a lot of things that I know that you've processed through too. So ⁓ for being vulnerable in that. What felt most at risk for you in that season? I walked away from my faith, ⁓ when when you are a Mormon, that is your whole identity. That's that's your community, that's your ⁓ everything. so walking away ⁓ for it was disappointing my mom and my family. ⁓ and was the good Mormon girl. I did everything I was supposed to do. I checked all the boxes I wanted to please my mom and my family. I don't like disappointing people. so just disappointing them, I I was that was hard. ⁓ But ⁓ along that, my whole worldview crumbled. ⁓ What I knew this life, why we're here, where I'm going, ⁓ that ⁓ all went ⁓ And it's what call the dark night of the soul. 'Cause I legitimately was I d I didn't know. I didn't know. And I was just in this limbo of I don't know what to believe. I don't know if I believe in God anymore. I don't so what's left, I don't know. So I was very directionalist for that time. It was it was a hard time. Is that also what they refer to whenever they talk about how when ⁓ leave the Mormon church and they become atheists, is that also part of that process? That's a big part of it, just 'cause For Mormons, like the church is equated to God. And so, you know, they have these apostles who say that and prophets that say that they speak to God directly. And so then when you hear like you actually were hiding so many things. ⁓ if that's what God is, I don't I want nothing to do with it. And so that was me. I just was like, I don't is God? I don't know, because this is this is gross how How everything came to be. So I yes, that's why a lot of them go completely away from God. Yeah. And I know we're making some generalizations, but just just kind of curious. And, you know, it does take a lot of unlearning, especially ⁓ you don't realize that what you have known is not ⁓ is biblical truth. ⁓ and so rediscovering that truth really takes Jesus ⁓ and the Holy Spirit to do that. ⁓ and and we know that there's hope in that. So how did you navigate that process of leaving the Mormon church and stepping into Christianity? Okay, so this takes a minute, so I'll just kinda go from here. So it was in October of twenty fifteen. No, sorry, November of twenty fifteen when I found out the truths and I walked away. And my dad is my best ⁓ ⁓ can talk to him about anything and I don't have to worry about disappointing him. and so I called him and I said, I just found out all these truths about the Mormon church. I can't do this anymore. I'm not going to church. And he told me, okay, you don't have to go to the Mormon church, but you need to go to a church. This is important. And I was like, yeah, okay, whatever, Dad. And at the time we were in Utah ⁓ he lived out here in Missouri. ⁓ so in May of 2016, so about six months later, ⁓ ⁓ came and visited us in Utah. ⁓ ⁓ asked me, ⁓ you find a different church? And I just said, No, I haven't. And ⁓ when he lived there before, they went to a non-denominational church and he really liked the pastor. So he said, Come to this church that we went to. I think you'll really like Pastor Corey. So I said, Okay, fine. So I went with him. ⁓ it was such a different experience because in the Mormon church everyone is sitting, it's very, you know, solemn and reverent. And we go to this church and they've got a praise team on the stage and everyone's standing and raising their hands and hallelujah. And I'm like, okay. ⁓ it was just so different. And I cannot tell you to this day what the what the sermon was on, but it was different. And I said, ⁓ huh. Okay. And so he left that next day on Monday and went back home, but he's like, can you please just go back to church? And I said, well, I really like that church, so fine, I guess. And that week I just I got my Bible out, which the Mormons use, the King James Version, so that's what I had. And I just was like, I don't like it. I don't like and and I found it's the version. I don't like the King James Version. It's not for me. So I went to church the next Sunday. And again, everything was so different. and at the end of each sermon, the pastor would do a an altar call where he would say, if you believe, like, you know, come and and do the believers ⁓ prayer. But at the end of the sermon, that Sunday, he said, ⁓ I not here to bring you into a relationship with the church. ⁓ If what you want, you can go somewhere else. ⁓ I here to bring you into a relationship with Christ. ⁓ And just overflow. he's like, so if you want to accept Jesus into your heart, if you want your savior, then stand up and someone will come pray with you. ⁓ ⁓ don't remember standing up. I fully believe it was just the spirit was like, you're standing. Sorry, I'm taking you. ⁓ so I stood up and I gave my life to Christ. ⁓ and then my dad and my stepmom they gifted me an NIV version of the Bible. And that's when I was like, okay, it's the version. Okay. And now I use the ESV, but yeah, that's ⁓ praise God. It's awesome. How did you stay anchored to truth when everything felt so uncertain for you? I went to church. and I went to ⁓ their Bible study on Wednesdays. But also in Utah, because there's so many Mormons, they ⁓ a company has created what's called a transitions class. And it's for people who are coming out of Mormonism into Christianity. Because Mormonism, ⁓ Mormons use a lot of the same wording that Christians do. And I think that condepses people, but they have such different definitions for them. So coming out of Mormonism into Christianity, they made this class, it's an eight-week class and you go through videos to so you can divorce what is false from what is true. And it helps you redefine a lot of things. so it helped me to ⁓ on Christ to lean on the Bible and only go to the Bible to see what it says about God and truth and who Jesus is and what he did and what I need to do instead of outside sources. That makes sense. That's neat that they have a class like that. ⁓ that that's definitely neat. So talking about the new version of you, ⁓ really, you know, identifying who you are in Christ and the growth that you had, what parts of your old identity were the hardest to let go of? that there's nothing I can do to earn my salvation or to earn God's love. ⁓ is all about checklists. And if you've checked all the boxes, if you've done all the right things, you're good. ⁓ and that's a heavy burden to carry a lot of the times because now like, ⁓ I didn't do enough. And but it also gave me a checklist. And I said, okay, I'm done. And so ⁓ having to give up on what I need to do and to to do what God calls me to do, that was that was really hard. ⁓ because again, I was the good Mormon girl ⁓ did everything that was expected of me. ⁓ to please others. I am a people pleaser. That is what I did. and so that was really hard to let go of. And to know that God is fully pleased with who He has created you to be. Yes. And that you can rest in the finished work to work of Christ. Like that that is a complete opposite but yet like you said just ⁓ piece that surpasses your understanding. ⁓ Well I also came to find that doing what is expected of me or people pleasing, like initially at the end of that, that's self-idolatry. It's like, ⁓ I did all these things. Look, I'm such a good person. ⁓ ⁓ what do you think about me? Like it was all about me, me, me instead of the Lord. ⁓ idolatry or an idol is a Christianese word for ⁓ anything that you put above or ahead of God. ⁓ and so just kinda to help with definition there. what has God been rebuilding in you that feels more grounded and true? the scripture I come back to that I have tattooed on my shoulder. ⁓ a tattoo? Yeah. ⁓ I it's Galatians two twenty. And it says, I have been proof crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So my life, my salvation, who I am, it's all because of Christ. And he is the founder of my faith and everything I do is for his glory. Amen to that. What does growth look like for you now compared to before? It's not going to be perfect. And not as perfectly okay. it's not something that I need to strive after and hit all the goals. Goals are good. Don't hear what I'm not saying. I love having goals and checklists, but that's not what I be sh should be striving after. And there was only one person that was ever perfect, and that was Christ. All he asks is that I follow him. ⁓ So for me, growing means that in everything I do, no matter what I do, I'm doing it for his glory. And when I stumble, That is the opportunity that I need to learn and then to try again. Well said, friend. Mm-hmm. All right. So let's start talking about that community that was around when you were making this transition. So how did people respond when you began transitioning to Christianity? my mom was upset. for again, Mormonism is a lot of her identity. So in rejecting Mormonism, She felt that I was also rejecting her. ⁓ so that was hard. ⁓ because I I did everything to help try to please my mom. ⁓ and then my aunt, her sister, my aunt who lost her daughter, ⁓ I told her that I wasn't going to the Mormon church anymore, she said that she never thought that Satan would get such a big grip on me. if normal in Mormonism you leave for two reasons. It's because you wanna drink and smoke and get tattoos. it's because Satan deceived you. ⁓ ⁓ and at that point I wasn't really drinking. I I have a drink now, ⁓ every now and then. and I don't smoke it and I didn't have tattoos at that time. So it clearly it was because Satan deceived me. ⁓ and I lost ⁓ three which of one of which I had since elementary school. So over twenty years we've been friends, ⁓ and she said, I can't be your friend anymore. You you left the church and I don't wanna have anything to do with it. And at this point now I know it's probably just that fear ⁓ if she walked away, I don't wanna know why, so I'm just gonna leave. But my mom, my dad, sorry, my dad and my stepmom, they rejoiced. ⁓ they had been praying for my salvation for over ten years at that point. ⁓ and so they rejoiced and they gifted me ⁓ my very Bible. I mean I had a Bible from the Mormon church, but I wouldn't count that. so and they went through and they highlighted their favorite scriptures and wrote notes for me. So it was nice having someone in my family who rejoined. me ask you real fast. So is it normal for people that are Mormon to if you're not following their Mormonism? to not have any connection with you? Or is it just is it just those certain relationships that you had, they just because of their own beliefs? it's different. The culture of Mormonism has changed a little bit now. They are trying to make themselves appear more Christian now. So it is different. When I left, we're talking about my story, so I'll I'll tell you what I what I went through. When I left 10 years ago, it was very much like, ⁓ you're you're no longer a Mormon and okay, we're gonna just kind of push you away. You're we're not gonna include you. living in Utah was very hard ⁓ because I was an ex Mormon. So then I I had neighbors that wouldn't talk to me anymore. I again I lost those three friends. it it it is hard. ⁓ now I feel like they are a lot more open and accepting and My mom now, like we talk now, but it it took a couple of years of her seeing that like I wasn't go going completely atheistic, that I did find God. she came to a point where she was okay with that. But it is at that point it was very common for them to just kind of go, Okay, bye. ⁓ It's disheartening. Yeah. ⁓ Where God provide unexpected support or connection for you? my first mentor. Her name was Caroline. She's the one that led that transitions class that she helped me that I mentioned earlier. ⁓ She ⁓ me understand what Christianity is. She was also born and raised Mormon, so she understood that. And she like just took me under her wing and helped me process ⁓ what I and not feel guilty for the things that I did as a Mormon because I didn't know any better. ⁓ Like I still praise God for her. ⁓ I haven't talked to her in a couple of years and I need to reach back out. But was such a blessing for me. And then just the people at the first church that I went to, it was called the Point Church in Utah. ⁓ that's where I was saved ⁓ ⁓ community was incredible because for the first time ⁓ loved me for who I was. I had never gone to a church like the Mormon church. It's again like, ⁓ you're you're dressed like that. No, but you're not good. You know, like they're, you know, it's very much keeping up with the Joneses and are you wearing ⁓ are you wearing? Like, you know, ⁓ as long as you were good and perfect, then they would talk to you. But this church that I went to, ⁓ the point church, they just opened their arms and they welcomed me with open arms. Brian, my husband, he also left the church the Mormon church at the same time that I did. But he he went more agnostic, where he's like, I don't know what to believe, so just don't make me go to church, that's all I'm asking. And they still accepted him. And they said, Yeah, come, you know, and they talked to him and it was just the church ⁓ was unexpected. What made it hard to receive help or open up during that time? I was afraid more people would reject me. ⁓ It was really hard. It was really hard losing three friends. ⁓ All because I left a church. ⁓ And it was hard disappointing my mom and my aunt. ⁓ So I was just afraid that more people would reject me or make assumptions about why I left the Mormon church. And they wouldn't ask why, but they're gonna assume things. And I wasn't used to people at church genuinely loving me for who I was. So didn't know if that was gonna happen again. So I was very closed at first. I didn't want to tell them what my real struggles were ⁓ I felt like the minute they knew, it was like, ⁓ no, you're you need to go if you're a heathen. That's actually a very popular belief, I think, ⁓ not just for people that leave the Mormon church, but I think that Even newer Christians, they tend to think like I'm too broken or I'm too much of a loss. Or you even hear Christians say that with Jesus, you know, like Jesus can't save me because I've done X, Y, Z, or if he would only know, well, he does know and he does fully love you and he died for your sins too. So I think that that was important that you said that. Now let's talk about the rhythms of life now, staying grounded in the everyday. So how do you prior to prioritize your week? Okay, so I'm just gonna go what I do every day because Perfect. Sunday is my rest day. ⁓ the first day of the week. So ⁓ go to church. ⁓ we fellowship with our church family, and then I take our rest, yes. ⁓ We have a big extended family, so I there's the five of us and our immediate family and then I live right next to my dad and stepmom and one of my stepsisters lives with them and then I have two other stepsisters as well. So there's ten of us and all here in Missouri and so twice a month on the first and third Sundays I make family dinner at my house. So I make food for everyone. So I after church I rest and then I start prepping for dinner. and then ⁓ the evening we will usually play games after dinner and then everyone helps me clean up which is nice ⁓ then I just ⁓ the rest be and I go to bed. ⁓ Monday morning that is when I'm going to plan out the rest of my week. So ⁓ I look at what's on the calendar, what tasks need to be accomplished. I have created, created, I borrowed. A system for what chores need to be done on what day because it gets so busy doing them all on one day, I can't do that. So it's like, okay, what what chores am I gonna get done? And I do adjust them. So coming over today, ⁓ we but we had mornings with moms this morning where a lot of the ladies at church get together and we just let the kids run and have fun, and it's a really good time for the moms. ⁓ but on Fridays I have tours that need to get done. So everything that needed to get done today was done yesterday because I had that in my plan. So I make adjustments. ⁓ Tuesday and Wednesdays, it depends on the time of year. So during the summer I really don't do much, but in the school year, ⁓ I help make Wednesday night dinner at church, which I know Nicole's mentioned, she's she does that as well. so when it's my week to cook, ⁓ I do the all of the shopping for that on Tuesday. ⁓ And then I cook on Wednesday. And then during the school year, ⁓ we do a homeschool group called Classical Conversations, and I am a tutor for that. So I I lead a group of kids, and so on I do my tutor prep on Tuesdays. It's Wednesdays or Tuesday. is our community day, so that goes from about 9 a.m. and then there it's at our church actually, ⁓ until 1 30 p.m. And so ⁓ put dinner in the crock pot. And I'm at the church at 8:30 to get my room set up. And then I don't do anything in the afternoon. I'm I'm gonna be so honest. I'm so exhausted. So I just kind of rest. and then Fridays is when I make my ⁓ list for the week coming up. So I make my grocery list, my shopping list, ⁓ yeah, my mail list and my shopping list. ⁓ then ⁓ and then on Saturday is when I get that done along with the big chores, like mowing the lawn. Mowing the lawn. Do you like mowing the lawn? I love mowing the lawn actually. I love it. We have a big lawn and because I live right next door to my dad, we do both of the houses. ⁓ yeah. So we have a riding lawn or that. I love it. I literally will put headphones in and like listen to a podcast or a book reading. And I feel like it's so relaxing and it's I I mean, I fight over it with James when James wants to go outside and mow. I'm like, no, I'll mow. You stay inside with the kids on the mouth. That's The zero turn. It's really ⁓ it's so nice. I know he does the meat eating because that's ⁓ yeah. ⁓ I always kill the grass. Like I can't there that's not that's not a thing for me. So rewinding a little bit of the meal planning, because I'm a such a meal planner, and talk to me about how you meal plan and to make it easy for you because you do have so much going on. ⁓ and do you rotate meals? Do you pen tress? What do you do? ⁓ ⁓ have ⁓ a magnet that goes on my fridge and it has all the meals and then right next to that has the shopping list. ⁓ So decide what meals we're gonna have for the week and I don't rotate meals usually. ⁓ every once in a while I'll ask Brian what he wants and he'll say, Hey, can you make beef stew? I am a seasonal cooker, ⁓ so I do stews and soups in the summer, it's too hot. and I don't do salad in the winter, it's too cold. So I know that's weird. ⁓ not at all. But Pinterest is my best friend. So I will go to Pinterest and what looks good is what I make. and I do have some staples that I go through. So like tacos, ⁓ spaghetti, I make many meatloaves that you just do in a cupcake pan instead of a huge meatloaf. and like roasts and stuff, but usually I go to Pinterest and see what tickles my fancy. Yeah. ⁓ I understand one. ⁓ So as a homeschooling mom, how do you intentionally create a sense of schedule? Okay, so I am going into my fourth year of homeschooling. ⁓ and I learned very quickly that if I am not intentional about my schedule, ⁓ we don't get anything done. So what's nice is because I'm a part of classical conversations, they have memory work every week for seven different subjects. So they do Latin, English, math, history, science, geography, and timeline. That was really fast. But seven different subjects and you memorize, that's the classical way of learning. And so ⁓ we do those every single day. And then we will dig deeper into different subjects. Or if the kids ask a question like, well, we're learning the definition of an adverb, what even is an adverb? Like you can tell me the definition of that, but what does that mean? Then I will typically go to the library and check out a couple books for my girls and we'll dig deeper into that. ⁓ and so and then we do different subjects each day, just diving deeper into those. ⁓ I print off a weekly schedule, ⁓ so I can check that we've done ⁓ ⁓ homeschooling laws in Missouri, I have to get a thousand hours ⁓ learning in each school year which runs July first through June 30th. So that weekly schedule of what I need to get done each week also helps me track the hours that we're we're doing. but I I'm also flexible because my kids might ask me, you know, we go through the history timeline, which is from creation to now. And so you know we're going through and the timeline and they're like, what is the Pax Romana? What is that? And that was during the times of of Julius Caesar. It was the piece in Rome before Christ came. So, you know, but I create that flexibility where when we have a question, we can go down the rabbit hole of what is this? I love that. What's your favorite subject to teach the kids? History. 100%. it is great. I'm a history bef and this year, so each year we do a different ⁓ history. So year is American history for this year. So it it'll be I was going to say it's a good year to do with the 250th anniversary. Yes, where ⁓ it kind of just happens that it was the 250th anniversary. So ⁓ it's actually fun. I'm I'm doing my my summer prep for my class to see like what do what do I need to bring and not buying everything ⁓ for American history. It's been hard. So rhythms or habits help keep you grounded when life feels full? my morning time. So my roots journal thing. I'm I just started week nine ⁓ on that journal and ⁓ it and not just saying this because I'm on their podcast side probably We are not paying her to say this. ⁓ No, this is like it has transformed how how I structure. like my time in the Bible and it's it's gotten me digging deeper into the scripture because it asks like what does this say about God? Well, okay, I'm gonna have to read what's around that verse to understand. so the Roots Morning Journal, ⁓ my Bible reading and studying, praying and my planning, ⁓ my weekly planning. That is non negotiable. ⁓ I've had to learn with having three girls, ⁓ we we are doing life together. that you know when I say I homeschool I I do life with my kids. ⁓ but that's hard. ⁓ So I've learned that if I don't have my Jesus time, ⁓ I don't have my time of coming before the Lord, ⁓ a very cranky ⁓ impatient mom. ⁓ ⁓ is non negotiable. my cleaning schedule, that I was actually known in the last year. where I I set up and I just do one chore a day ⁓ because otherwise it gets overwhelming. So then just resting like ⁓ you ⁓ yeah fun to do ⁓ different but if it's gonna if I'm really full and there's too much going on and if it's gonna need me to my kids are gonna need me to help them ⁓ I will just pull out ⁓ a cover ⁓ and ⁓ and here you go just paint because I you don't need my help for that. And then ⁓ worship music. I have a playlist for anxious mamas ⁓ and I always play it just when I'm anxious. It's when I'm full and I am snapping at everybody. I know at that point like I just need God's word spoken to me through song. So that's really I love that ⁓ one. ⁓ can you also share the resource you've shared with me, the wise words? Can you share that? Yeah. So There is a Christian mom. Her name is Ginger Hubbard. ⁓ she created the Wise Words for Moms chart. ⁓ I I absolutely love her. So Ginger, like the color of hair, Ginger Hubbard, H-U-B-B-A-R-D.com. ⁓ so wise words for moms and it has ⁓ she just did an updated one. So it has over twenty different things that your kids can do. So like fighting, hitting. you know, name calling, ⁓ obeying, ⁓ know, different things kids can do. And it has heart probing questions. ⁓ So for I've I've had her do one a lot. I will ask my girls, okay, who is the father of lies? ⁓ And that's Satan. And okay, so the father of truth is God. So do you want to follow after God or do you want to follow after Satan? So just like these heart probing questions. And a lot of times I am just answering a question for them because they don't want to answer. And then it gives them a scripture of what to put off. And so God's word says we we shall not lie. You should not lie. ⁓ that's one of the big ten. and then it tells them what to put on. And so scripture ⁓ 'Cause, you know, you you you were told kid, don't do this. Well, what should I do? So from God's word. And it has these scriptures of what to now put on. And I I love it. It's helped me discipline my kids in a more concrete way. You know, I and I will. I'll tell my girls, go get the wives for the moms for words chart off the bridge. Let's see which one did you do? So ⁓ thank you. Yeah. I we were talking about disciplining through the gospel on our parenting ⁓ episode and I just think that that's such a great description too, especially with you sharing your story of what to put off and what to put on. it teaches our kids to reflect more and to have that why and our why not being for ⁓ of others, but our why is because of what God has called us to do. ⁓ ⁓ I love that. So thanks for sharing that resource. okay so we're gonna kind of talk about women in right now. ⁓ so like you're talking to someone through The podcast, like that's listening. ⁓ what would you say to the woman who feels afraid to question what she's always known? fear is a tool of the enemy. ⁓ and the Bible, God tells his people over and over again, do not fear. in Deuteronomy, God says, be strong and courageous, do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. So questioning everything you've known, possibly going against the traditions you've held your whole life, and possibly even going against what your whole your whole family holds on to be truth can be really daunting. It can be really scary. so the that's when you lean on God and his word. You prayerfully consider what questions you have, and then you lean on him to give you the wisdom. If he is bringing you to the point where you do question everything, then believe that he will then bring you through that. ⁓ and do not neglect wise counsel from friends or others around you. people around you don't allow you to question, ⁓ if they say, ⁓ just trust us, or ⁓ well, ⁓ figure that out after we die in the afterlife. to every single question you have, ⁓ then need to go somewhere else. so don't go to Google. And don't go to YouTube unless it's coming here. But go to someone that you know in person that is trusted. if you're local, come to Spring Hills. Pastor Dave is incredible ⁓ about questions and he is going to bring you right to the Bible first. He'll say, What is the website? ⁓ and if you're not local, then find a local Bible believing church and ask your questions there. And again, if they don't allow you to ask questions, go somewhere else. ⁓ God is not afraid of your questions and in fact he welcomes them. Mm-hmm. So good. Also don't go to AI for theological advice. No, no, no, no. How would you encourage someone who feels like following God might cost them everything? So in James one, two, he says to count on all joy. So telling my mom that I was walking away from the Mormon church and that I was now a born-again Christian. was one of the hardest things that I had done up to that point in my life. It was going against ⁓ I had ever been taught ⁓ everything I was raised to believe and to be. ⁓ ⁓ I'm the peacemaker. I don't rather the boat. ⁓ don't disappoint people. ⁓ really hard for me. ⁓ that's exactly what God called me to do. He calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him. And if that costs you your family, your friends, your job, your possibly adult children, then so be it. And and it did cost me my family for a time. I would let's say for a time and now it's come to a whole new light. It has. Yeah. It has. And I was actually able to share the gospel with them a couple weeks ago when they came for a visit. So for the first time in ten years, which is really sad. But also like God just opened that door. Yes. Amazing. Incredible. Yes. Yeah. Well, wrapping up the podcast, so we're gonna bring in a little grounded growth for ya. When you hear the phrase grounded growth, what does that mean to you? It means growing from a solid foundation. So to have growth that doesn't shift around and go where the wind blows it, or culture blows takes you, ⁓ to stay where you've been planted and primarily the word. And then having the ability to grow from better. Mm-hmm. And your story is a reminder that growth isn't always comfortable. ⁓ but when it's rooted in Christ, it is always worth it. So thank you so much for being in here ⁓ and and just being able to share your heart and your story and just the transformation that Christ has done in you and being a part of that as your friend has been such a bless blessing to watch. so thank you so much for coming next week we are going to start a whole new series and it's gonna be called Fruit That Lasts and it's gonna be based on the fruit of the spirit. So thank you again, Brianna, for coming. Yes, thank you. Thank you. Bye, friends.