Latest / The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom / 204. Finding Your Purpose in the Empty Nest with Author Julie Lefebure

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204. Finding Your Purpose in the Empty Nest with Author Julie Lefebure · The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom

0:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting.
0:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey mama, I'm Pamela Hinkelman and you're listening to the Midlife Mama Podcast.
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[SPEAKER_01]: The show for Christian moms who want to let go with grace and actually enjoy their empty nest.
0:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a certified emptiness coach, speaker, and mom of five grown kids.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I know the challenges this season brings from letting go to setting healthy boundaries, to rediscovering your purpose, and reconnecting with your husband.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Each week I'll be your guide.
0:35
[SPEAKER_01]: offering heartfelt conversations, faith-filled encouragement, and practical strategies to help you thrive in this next chapter.
0:42
[SPEAKER_01]: My husband and I are loving the emptiness years and I have strong growing relationships with my adult kids and I want the same for you.
0:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't miss the end of each episode.
0:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll share a quick coaching tip you can apply right away to improve your relationship with your kids or your spouse.
1:00
[SPEAKER_01]: One favorite before we dive in.
1:01
[SPEAKER_01]: If you find this episode helpful, would you leave a rating and review?
1:06
[SPEAKER_01]: It helps other moms discover the show.
1:08
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a link in the show notes with instructions.
1:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss a single episode.
1:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, let's get started.
1:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey Mama, welcome back to the Midlife Mama podcast, the place for faith, friendship, and real talk for empty-nessed moms.
1:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Today we're diving into a topic that's so many of us wrestle with.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Purpose, what's my role now?
1:32
[SPEAKER_01]: What is God want from me in this season?
1:35
[SPEAKER_01]: And how do I move forward when life doesn't look like it used to?
1:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Today, I've invited my dear friend Julie Lephabure to join us.
1:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Julie is an author, speaker, writer, and host of the encouragement for real life podcast.
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[SPEAKER_01]: She is a woman who lives out her purpose with such grace, whether she's writing, serving, podcasting or caring for her grandson's each week.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Her story of discovering purpose and midlife is tender, honest, and full of hope.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So grab your coffee mama in this conversation, we'll remind you that God is not done with you yet.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Your purpose is still unfolding, and it is good.
2:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome, Julie!
2:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's a joy to be here.
2:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, Julie, I was thinking about the first time that I met you in 2021 at this writer's conference in Minnesota.
2:21
[SPEAKER_01]: And you were just so shy and quiet, the absolute opposite of me.
2:26
[SPEAKER_01]: But I remember just thinking, she just seems like this sweetest person.
2:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And then little did I know back then that we would become part of a weekly prayer group where God
2:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I love how God does this, just brings people together.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And then you just all of a sudden you have this relationship that you can't imagine life without it.
2:46
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's true.
2:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Exactly.
2:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Julie, I would love you to tell my listeners a little bit about yourself.
2:52
[SPEAKER_01]: And what your days look like in the emptiness.
2:55
[SPEAKER_00]: My husband and I've been married for 33 years and we have two adult children and two in laws, a son-in-law and daughter-in-law and a beautiful brand new little baby granddaughter and two grandson and my life is just
3:14
[SPEAKER_00]: still centered around my family because that's what I choose it to be yet.
3:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I also have my own what God has called me to do in other ways, too, of podcasting and writing and ministering.
3:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I work for part-time for a church.
3:29
[SPEAKER_00]: I work online for them.
3:30
[SPEAKER_00]: It's remote and I just love encouraging women.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so my days are just filled with various things.
3:37
[SPEAKER_00]: No day is the same from one to the other,
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[SPEAKER_00]: And yet, I also like my alone time where I can just be here at home in my office, just spending time with God or doing whatever he's calling me to do for the day.
3:51
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just really value this emptiness season in my life because it's just
3:58
[SPEAKER_00]: buried and gets, I get to do lots of different things for handpots and that sounds wonderful, Julie.
4:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Julie, I would love you to take us back to the beginning of your emptiness season.
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[SPEAKER_01]: What were those first months like for you, emotionally and spiritually, and how did you begin sensing God was inviting you into something new?
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[SPEAKER_00]: That is a really loaded question.
4:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I was thinking about this when I, when our youngest son moved out, he moved out and then moved back in.
4:28
[SPEAKER_00]: So I went through this twice that the second time was a little bit easier than the first time, but I just, I questioned, okay, now God, what do I do?
4:37
[SPEAKER_00]: I have poured my life into my kids.
4:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt like they didn't need me anymore, which was wrong.
4:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt, okay, what, where do I go from here?
4:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Open my eyes to the reality that I will always be my children's mom, my kid's mom, and they're going to need me even more as an adult than probably that they, yes, they need us in every stage.
5:01
[SPEAKER_00]: But the times that they would need me now would be more life skills and more.
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[SPEAKER_00]: encouragement and more prayer and so it evolved over time but the first few weeks were hard of course and emotional and yet I was also filled with excitement because I knew God wasn't done with me yet because I was still here on this earth so I knew He had plans and purposes for my life.
5:24
[SPEAKER_00]: They were just going to look different and I remember journaling, I journal a lot and I remember journaling,
5:30
[SPEAKER_00]: My prayers asking Lord, what am I to do now?
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[SPEAKER_00]: What's his season going to look like?
5:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to honor you in it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And that's when I started to have these inklings, like I really want to write this book that I've always thought I would write.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I wanted to start a podcast, but I didn't know how.
5:47
[SPEAKER_00]: And so all of these things, God has just bubbled up and inside of me and in my heart that now is the season that I could do those things, because when my kids were younger,
5:59
[SPEAKER_00]: probably God's will for me to do those things.
6:02
[SPEAKER_00]: So, it was a mixture of both sadness and grieving what wasn't anymore, but yet an excitement for looking forward to what that has for me next.
6:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Does that make sense just a mixture?
6:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
6:15
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like it's very common.
6:17
[SPEAKER_01]: It is so common.
6:18
[SPEAKER_01]: We have to go through this transitional grief.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Like we were so focused on it and now there's
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[SPEAKER_01]: I love that you felt these things bubbling up within you and like God was already leading.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He was ready to prepare you for what you had next.
6:37
[SPEAKER_00]: I had one more thing though, the thing that helped our marriage, you know, we didn't really bring this up, but it's all my heart that my husband and I had already done then doing something together.
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[SPEAKER_00]: before our kids left, and that was tandem bicycling.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so not only did God have something for me personally, but also for our marriage.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So my suggestion is for a couple to start finding some things that you can do together before the kids leave that when they leave, you're already in this rhythm that you can just continue doing what you're already doing.
7:09
[SPEAKER_01]: that is the best advice because honestly so many couples feel utterly disconnected and they're like who are we apart from doing things with our kids.
7:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I love that.
7:20
[SPEAKER_01]: That's very Julie.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I love that you wear many hats.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You're an author and a speaker, a writer, a podcast host, and a hands-on grandma.
7:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to know how do God wave these roles together and show you that this was part of your
7:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that they didn't all happen at once.
7:44
[SPEAKER_00]: They came just like one at a time.
7:46
[SPEAKER_00]: There's some days that I think am I doing too much because when I write it out on paper, it is a time.
7:52
[SPEAKER_00]: it is a lot.
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[SPEAKER_00]: But I still feel God's peace and everything I'm doing.
7:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Except for one thing, one thing I'm really questioning and praying about is just really for me right now, God, does this mind to carry?
8:03
[SPEAKER_00]: But I believe that when God calls us to something that he's going to equip us to do it.
8:12
[SPEAKER_00]: And so like for example, when I was knowing that in 2023, this was the year
8:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I just knew that if I trusted God in the process that he was calling me to do this, then he would give me everything I need, which is really what we can experience in everyday life.
8:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, God.
8:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever today holds, I'm just going to trust you and it that you're going to give me what I need.
8:33
[SPEAKER_00]: and it's not always up to us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We can just trust God in those moments where it's okay, I don't know how this is going to happen, but I'm going to trust you with it.
8:41
[SPEAKER_00]: So when he started lining these things up and I didn't even realize that they were being lined up at the time, but for example, my part-time job that I work for at the church, I
8:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It was just one of the things that I had to say to the pastor.
8:55
[SPEAKER_00]: I can do this, but it has to be flexible because my day they're going to be flexible.
8:59
[SPEAKER_00]: And I knew that if God didn't want me to have that job, then I wouldn't have it because of the schedule parts.
9:05
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just, I think that thing is that
9:09
[SPEAKER_00]: We can get just so, I can get, I should say, so tied up in what I think that the way it should be, that sometimes I forget to pause and ask God for discernment.
9:19
[SPEAKER_00]: And when I do that, of course, he always just aligns everything according to his plans and purposes for our lives.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And we will know
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[SPEAKER_00]: When we are doing too much, or when we are stretching ourselves, then, or if we're not doing his will, we can get that check in our spirit of quite a minute, something doesn't feel right.
9:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Or your key sur joy might be lost, or something like that might come up where you're like, okay, God, I just need to spend some time with you and discern what you have for me.
9:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So what I hear you saying is that you really want to hear from God, what do you want you to do?
9:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And because I'm in a weekly prayer group with you, I know this about you.
9:57
[SPEAKER_01]: And one of the things that I'm going to cry because it's just so impactful to me when you always say, I just want to learn to guide me today.
10:05
[SPEAKER_01]: And you say, I think you say that every week, I find that it's just inspiring that
10:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Any emptiness mom, any person, any human can do that in the power in that, then it keeps us from getting entangled in things that we're not supposed to, to walk in the Lord's will is a beautiful thing and I think you exemplify that in such a wonderful way.
10:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, forget my tears.
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[SPEAKER_00]: No, but it's okay because I lived my life for so many years not doing that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It was my way or the highway.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I've learned, I guess, God has taught me that really that's my purpose right now.
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[SPEAKER_00]: It's just to do what he wants me to do.
10:43
[SPEAKER_00]: It might look different day to day, but
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[SPEAKER_00]: That is my prayer every day and you're making me emotional thinking, but it's just it's we just believe that's the answer to to every stage in life is that has good plans and purposes for us into hearing what he says.
10:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Then yes, we're going to find fulfillment and joy and abundant life that I talk about often.
11:04
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that you even said I was sad for a few weeks.
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[SPEAKER_01]: But you didn't get stuck in it when you're nest first emptied and then you were like, open to what God had.
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[SPEAKER_01]: This just openness and surrender, I think is just key.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And then when God has us in that position, then he can just move in and say, move with me this way.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Move with me this way.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Let's do this.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Let's try this.
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[SPEAKER_01]: Let's not do that.
11:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and then yeah, and he's not done with us, so even if that our role will look different, we may think my life is over because my kids are gone, no, he has still has plans and purposes for us to carry out now in our parenting role in a grand parenting role can now become different, but in a special way, just as it was before.
11:50
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just different, that's all.
11:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I would love you to share how many women struggle to believe that they still have a meaningful purpose after their kids leave home.
11:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to know, did what lies did you have to overcome and what truths from Scripture help you to step forward with confidence?
12:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Did you ever struggle with fear?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Did you ever struggle with doubt?
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[SPEAKER_01]: Oh god, this is too much.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I can't do it.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I, yeah, I did.
12:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I struggle, I struggle with probably what most women struggle with as their kids leave.
12:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I struggle with did I do enough?
12:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Did I prepare them enough?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Did I lead them, Lord, the way you wanted me to lead them?
12:30
[SPEAKER_00]: There was fear.
12:31
[SPEAKER_00]: There was, what do I do now?
12:33
[SPEAKER_00]: There was confusion.
12:35
[SPEAKER_00]: There was, yeah, a whole lot of heaviness and sadness because I wanted them back home.
12:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I was the mom that like, when we had to know days, I rejoiced.
12:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And no, I'm having my kids home.
12:46
[SPEAKER_00]: I loved having them home because I worked from home and I loved that.
12:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I was the mom that just wanted them home.
12:53
[SPEAKER_00]: And when they go back to school, like after Christmas break, it was so hard.
12:58
[SPEAKER_00]: I know not every mom's like that.
13:00
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's fine.
13:00
[SPEAKER_00]: When they left the house, I struggled in lots of different areas.
13:05
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the scriptures that meant the most to me were the ones that I really cling to clung to most of my life were Matthew 1926 with God.
13:16
[SPEAKER_00]: All things are possible.
13:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs chapter three five through six, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean on on your own understanding.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Those verses are ones that I just continued to cling to.
13:26
[SPEAKER_00]: And especially that Proverbs one because it was at trust in the Lord with all your heart when we do that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And not Lena on our understanding, he will always make our path straight, which means that he's going to guide us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: He's going to lead us in the right path that he has for us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: So I still cling to that one today because it's my really my my forever everyday is guide me and Lord open my ears open my eyes teach me.
13:51
[SPEAKER_00]: So, in that season, I rested in that, and yet I also, I didn't do it perfect.
13:59
[SPEAKER_00]: I did not do it perfect.
14:00
[SPEAKER_00]: There still days that I saw a commercial, it was during the Christmas season, and it was a forward commercial, a Chevy commercial.
14:08
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, but it was a commercial on TV that I just caught in my corner of my eye, and it made me wheat, because this couple, they
14:18
[SPEAKER_00]: them in this vehicle driving to Christmas and the kids young and the kids all the different things.
14:23
[SPEAKER_00]: And then now it was just a couple.
14:25
[SPEAKER_00]: They're gray now and they're driving in this vehicle.
14:28
[SPEAKER_00]: And she just says, I want things to be the way they used to be.
14:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
14:32
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like, I still want that.
14:34
[SPEAKER_00]: But I can't have that.
14:35
[SPEAKER_00]: We can just trust God in in those moments where we do get sad.
14:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's okay to be sad.
14:42
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's not stay there like you said.
14:43
[SPEAKER_00]: And
14:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And now the purpose is different.
14:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I get to be involved in my grandkids' lives and teach them what I caught our kids, those kind of things.
14:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Does that make sense?
14:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Does that make sense?
14:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
14:58
[SPEAKER_01]: What I hear you saying is you really relied on some truths that were foundational to who you were just as a disciple of God.
15:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And those same truths carried you through this transition and allowed you to be open what God was going to do in this new season in your fresh purpose aside from active parenting as I call it.
15:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I didn't realize that until just now as we're talking, yes, I grew as a person through all those years of raising kids, but God has really grown me immensely since they left the house, spiritually, and all sort mentally, emotionally, physically, all sorts of ways that, you know, we just don't have time, we and God maybe has this in a different season doing different things, but then when we're on our own, but without the kids here,
15:47
[SPEAKER_00]: He can just work in ways that that we don't even expect.
15:52
[SPEAKER_00]: We can be an anticipated or imagined.
15:53
[SPEAKER_00]: So, yeah, I mean, it's a good season.
15:56
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good season for ourselves just to lean in.
15:58
[SPEAKER_00]: See, okay, God, I'm ready.
16:00
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you have for me?
16:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, my friend Susie Mile from emptiness bless says what she loves most about the emptiness season is that she now has space and quiet here, God.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, yes!
16:14
[SPEAKER_01]: There's not a noise.
16:15
[SPEAKER_01]: There's not as much commotion.
16:17
[SPEAKER_01]: We're still pretty busy actually.
16:19
[SPEAKER_01]: But we can choose to make space.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And I love how you you focused on that in December with just having a slow December.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And we have to keep doing that every month of the year.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.
16:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Especially for those of us who tend to just go go and be.
16:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Have a hard time resting.
16:37
[SPEAKER_00]: It's important for us to remember
16:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Parenting is busy, chaos happens before the coffee finishes brewing, and that's why our friends at Christian Parenting created morning minute.
16:51
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16:56
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16:58
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17:04
[SPEAKER_01]: One short action, item to guide your heart and your grandkids.
17:09
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17:11
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17:15
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17:16
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17:17
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17:23
[SPEAKER_01]: That's morningminute.org or click the link in the show notes.
17:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, let's get back to our conversation.
17:30
[SPEAKER_01]: So you've shared openly on your podcast about hearing God's encouragement in everyday life.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I wanna know Julie what practices or rhythms help you stay connected to God's voice as you pursue your purpose.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Every morning, I do lots of different things and very things.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I used to have this thinking that I had to spend time with God in a certain way for him to.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if it was for him to hear me or for me to be effective or I don't know, but I broke out of that box.
18:01
[SPEAKER_00]: This has just been not that long ago that I all of a sudden realize a way to make it.
18:05
[SPEAKER_00]: That doesn't need me just to...
18:07
[SPEAKER_00]: come to him in the morning or to come to him in a certain manner with my Bible open or with he just wants to spend time with us.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so I sometimes just changed things up because I was a firm believer that I was going to write my prayers out, that I was going to journal them, that I was going to do it a certain way.
18:25
[SPEAKER_00]: And I started to get really stagnant in a dorm.
18:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Like this God, there's gotta be something else.
18:38
[SPEAKER_00]: How do you want me to connect with you?
18:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I do different things now.
18:42
[SPEAKER_00]: I am a part of a Bible study, which I take my grandsons to, a called Bible study fellowship.
18:46
[SPEAKER_00]: So part of my time with God is doing my Bible lesson every day.
18:51
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's a treat for me to do.
18:52
[SPEAKER_00]: But...
18:54
[SPEAKER_00]: When I am just with God by myself, sometimes I'll have my journal out, sometimes I won't.
18:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes I will walk and pray if it's nice outside, I just don't have any music on.
19:04
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just me and God walking out there underneath the expanse of the sky.
19:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it's that.
19:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it's listening to worship music and just talking to God and praying with them as I'm listening.
19:16
[SPEAKER_00]: It's it can just be different things.
19:18
[SPEAKER_00]: But the most important thing I think I do is just take in with me throughout my day.
19:23
[SPEAKER_00]: This morning, I woke up and I just said, Dad, you are so good.
19:26
[SPEAKER_00]: You are great.
19:27
[SPEAKER_00]: And I cannot wait to walk through this day with you.
19:29
[SPEAKER_00]: It's thin like that.
19:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes I sing that childhood song from when I was little like,
19:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it's just, I just wants us to spend time with them and that dedicated prayer time of just taking all cares and concerns and it is so important.
19:46
[SPEAKER_00]: I do that in the morning because if I don't do that then my day just gets away from me.
19:50
[SPEAKER_00]: So I have learned that morning is the most important time for me.
19:53
[SPEAKER_00]: I just mean I don't spend time with God at the end of the day or throughout the day.
19:57
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's probably not even considered a rhythm.
20:00
[SPEAKER_00]: I just invite him into every part of the day.
20:02
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah.
20:03
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a way of life.
20:04
[SPEAKER_00]: It is.
20:04
[SPEAKER_00]: And when I was with kids when I was younger, I mean, my kids, that was hard to do.
20:10
[SPEAKER_00]: And so now I have some maybe extra time, where I don't have to be on a time schedule with getting kids out the door and things like that, where now I can spend that time with him instead.
20:21
[SPEAKER_01]: And then when you spend time with him, that's when you hear his voice and he directs you in your day in your purpose.
20:27
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just so connected.
20:29
[SPEAKER_01]: It is.
20:29
[SPEAKER_01]: It is.
20:30
[SPEAKER_01]: It is.
20:30
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
20:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to switch gears.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I know that you care for your grandsons every week and it's such a beautiful part of your life.
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[SPEAKER_01]: How is grand parenting shaped your understanding of calling legacy and the impact we can have in midlife?
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[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, spending time with them really has impacted all of that.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I, from the time that our first grandson was born, he just turned five last month.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so, from the time he was born, I watched him after my daughters, maternityily.
21:02
[SPEAKER_00]: I watched him two days a week, then the second grandson came a sibling of his.
21:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And so, I continued to watch them two days a week.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's been for five years.
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[SPEAKER_00]: God really showed me early on that not only was I caring for them as a caregiver, but my role was to
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[SPEAKER_00]: invite God into their lives to teach them and raise them up, you know, that scripture raise your child up in the way that they should go and when they are all they will not depart from it.
21:30
[SPEAKER_00]: My role is still that to do that with our grandsons.
21:33
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's why I take them to Bible study.
21:35
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why we start many meals.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We probably don't do it perfectly.
21:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Many meals with prayer.
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[SPEAKER_00]: We start.
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[SPEAKER_00]: our day praying, we send it a day praying, we just want to have, I want them to have the relationship with God that my kids did.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Our kids came to the Lord early in their lives.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And I love to hear my grandsons talk about Jesus and talk about their faith already.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And even though they probably don't understand all of the things which we never do, but they're getting some of the big things.
22:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that is continues to remind me that my role in their lives
22:11
[SPEAKER_00]: that it doesn't have to be perfect and it's exhausting.
22:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Especially up because they spend the night so they come one day.
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[SPEAKER_00]: I'll go and pick them up and then they spend the night and then we're together the next day.
22:25
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm exhausted by the end of that second day wet.
22:28
[SPEAKER_00]: They see what God allows us to be parents when we're younger.
22:32
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good exhaustion and I just value that time with them because I know they're going to turn 10 one day and they're going to have time for mana.
22:42
[SPEAKER_00]: They call me mana instead of grandma.
22:44
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, so it's just that's going to be another transition in another season.
22:48
[SPEAKER_00]: But I'm grateful that I get to be a part of their lives and I'm grateful that God continues to teach me through their lives.
22:54
[SPEAKER_00]: He really teaches me to slow down through them and to be present, be in the moment.
23:01
[SPEAKER_00]: I probably didn't do that such a great job with when I was a mom with my kids at home, but now that I'm a grandma with boys here, I am more intentional about that.
23:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's the beautiful part of it.
23:12
[SPEAKER_01]: We get to because we don't have all the other worries.
23:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
23:16
[SPEAKER_01]: We just get to be present with them, and it's so sweet now.
23:19
[SPEAKER_01]: My, all my grandkids live far away, so I am like,
23:22
[SPEAKER_01]: so excited to see them whenever I see them.
23:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and both for the mom listening who feels lost lonely or unsure what God wants for her now.
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[SPEAKER_01]: What is one gentle step she can take today to begin discovering or rediscovering her God-given purpose.
23:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I would say, just the spent time with God.
23:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Because the thing is, I don't think we can find our purpose on our own.
23:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we who live and faith live with the follow Jesus that we want his will for our lives not our will.
23:55
[SPEAKER_00]: And I just say, to spend time with God and see him out, let him encourage your heart.
24:00
[SPEAKER_00]: be patient and let him show you just what your next thing is.
24:04
[SPEAKER_00]: What is your purpose in this season?
24:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, a friend of mine, I remember a few years ago.
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[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, gosh, it was number 10 years ago, at least when I used to work for a soup kitchen place, a ministry.
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[SPEAKER_00]: And she was in this emptiness season trying to find her purpose.
24:19
[SPEAKER_00]: She came to serve at the place where I was working and she found her purpose there because
24:30
[SPEAKER_00]: So you just can't ever know what has what he has for you in this season, but no matter what it's going to be good, and it's going to be fulfilling, and even though it's going to look different, maybe then what life had looked before, it's going to be good.
24:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I love that.
24:44
[SPEAKER_00]: That's beautiful.
24:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Julie, I want to thank you for joining me today.
24:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just wanted to ask, do you have a freebie for my listeners?
24:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Can you tell us about it?
24:53
[SPEAKER_00]: I have a full resource library all free on my website that contains our goodness so many freebies.
25:01
[SPEAKER_00]: There's just so many in there that anything from finding joy in your day to there's even fun scavenger hunts that we do with our family, like birthdays and anniversaries in there is also some lock screens and
25:17
[SPEAKER_00]: social post that just can encourage your heart.
25:20
[SPEAKER_00]: And even our whole series from last summer, we did a summer of a abundant series.
25:26
[SPEAKER_00]: All of that, those met content is in there and it's all free.
25:29
[SPEAKER_00]: And so yes, you can find that on my website at JulieLeftFibier.com.
25:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Awesome.
25:34
[SPEAKER_01]: I will include that link for all of those freebies in the show notes.
25:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Wasn't that beautiful?
25:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Julie's story reminds us that purpose isn't something we have to chase.
25:44
[SPEAKER_01]: It's something God reveals.
25:46
[SPEAKER_01]: As we walk with him, stay open and keep showing up in the small, faithful moments of our everyday lives.
25:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Here's your coaching tip for the week.
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[SPEAKER_01]: In each episode, I will give you one actionable step to improve your life.
25:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Remember, you can't change everything, but you can take one step to be better.
26:03
[SPEAKER_01]: This week I want you to take some time in prayer and simply praying a prayer of surrender and it could look something like this.
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[SPEAKER_01]: God, please lead me to your best for this season.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I surrender what I want, please reveal your purposes and plans for me and then pause and listen and write down anything you sense in your spirit.
26:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Lama, your purpose doesn't end even when the
26:31
[SPEAKER_01]: is rich with possibilities.
26:33
[SPEAKER_01]: God has assignments for you, relationships to nurture, and good works prepared in advance, just for you.
26:39
[SPEAKER_01]: If today's conversation encouraged you, would you take a moment to share the episode with the friend?
26:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And until next time, Grace and Peace Mama, you've got this and God's got you.
26:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for spending time with me on the Midlife Mama Podcast.
26:55
[SPEAKER_01]: I hope you leave each episode feeling a little more encouraged, equipped, and seen, because that's what this space is all about.
27:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Through the stories, insights, and conversations we share here, I'm coaching you through the ups and downs of the empty nest.
27:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Helping you rediscover purpose, deepen faith, and enjoy this new season of life.
27:13
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're ready for an even more personalized support, I'd love to invite you to book a free connection call.
27:19
[SPEAKER_01]: The link is in the show notes, and we'll talk about how I can walk alongside you as your coach.
27:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And let's stay connected.
27:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Follow me on Instagram at P-Hanklman.
27:28
[SPEAKER_01]: That's P-H-E-N-K-E-L-M-A-N, or come find me on Facebook at Pamela Hanklman, M-T-Nest Coach.
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[SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to figure this all out on your own, Mama.
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[SPEAKER_01]: I'm here for you when you're ready.