Latest / Anchored by the Sword / Finding God’s Purpose in Every Season with Grace Wabuke Klein!

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Finding God’s Purpose in Every Season with Grace Wabuke Klein! · Anchored by the Sword

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  Have you ever sat down and thought that you were supposed
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  to start a podcast? Have you ever wondered how
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  you're going to do that and how that?
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  Will work. Anchor dot FM is the link where
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  this podcast is recorded. It is.
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  So helpful. So easy to do.
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  Now come on people, if I can do it, y'all can do it.
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  I'm telling you what. So go to Anchor dot FM, start
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  your podcast, and follow what God is calling you to do.
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  Thank you for joining me for Season 11 of the Anchored By the
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  Sword podcast. This season you may hear one
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  episode a week. You might hear too.
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  Just kind of depends. I have so many great guests that
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  you do not want to miss them. Each one brings a brand new
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  perspective on freedom, a new perspective on God and their.
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  Relationship with him and also so many great projects coming up
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  we. Hit a major milestone this past
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  season of 5000 downloads and that is due to each and every
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  one of you for tuning in every week.
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  Thank you. Thank you so much for doing that
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  and for sharing this podcast with your friends.
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  Let's continue to watch God move.
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  Let's continue to give him the glory for the freedoms that we
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  have experienced or will experience.
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  And if you need today to understand more about God and
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  more about His freedom, then tune into this episode and
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  message me and. Let's go on this journey
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  together. Thank you for listening.
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  Enjoy this episode? Hey guys, welcome to another
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  episode of The Anchor by the Sword podcast.
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  I am. Beyond excited today to
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  introduce you guys to a friend that I met several years ago
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  through church, and now she has her very own book.
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  Her first book coming out, it comes out on.
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  August 8th. I am talking today with Grace
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  Wabuki Klein. Grace, thank you so much for
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  joining me today. Gina, I am so excited to be
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  here. I have been waiting to have this
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  conversation with you and I'm just so grateful for how you
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  have been so supportive throughout this whole journey.
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  Just checking in that, you know, how are you doing, Grace, I'm
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  praying for you. And that really meant a lot
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  because this book writing process, it, it is, it is
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  intense. And so I'm grateful for you, for
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  your friendship and for this opportunity to just share a
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  little bit. Oh, you're so welcome when you
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  first told me. That you were writing your book,
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  that you're in the process. Because when we met, you were
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  just starting the process of writing.
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  And I was like, if you need any help, when it is time for this
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  book to come out, let me know. And so, yeah, I'm really excited
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  to have this conversation, so. Can you tell my listeners more
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  about yourself? Sure.
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  Let's see. I love the Lord.
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  I love to share with people about what God has done.
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  I'm so grateful to have grown up in a Christian home.
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  I was originally born in Uganda during the days of Idiomine,
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  fled from there. When I was about just under two
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  years old, my family and I came to Minnesota, had a whole
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  experience there, lived there through 8th grade, then spent
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  most of my life in California where my initial plan was to be
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  a doctor. My dad was a scientist so wanted
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  to fall on his footsteps but then the Lord called me to full
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  time ministry and said that he wanted me to focus on
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  ministering to people and and so I'm so honored that he would
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  choose to use me. So I was on a church staff for
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  about 16 years and associate pastor.
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  And then after that when my husband came into my life, we he
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  had a ministry and so I partnered with him and we helped
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  churches across the country and I speak and love to share with
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  people about the Lord and have just finished writing my first
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  book. So my answer is always yes, Lord
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  and that makes life adventure, you know.
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  So I'm just on this wonderful adventure with the Lord ever
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  since I was a little girl and love to tell others about him.
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  Yeah, and I love that. And like I said, I'm actually
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  writing my first book right now, so I understand the process and
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  being around. Authors and everything.
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  For a very long time I've seen the process, but now doing it
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  yourself is a completely different side.
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  But all right, let's get into your freedom story, Okay.
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  All right. Well, so Uganda at the time was
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  under a lot of turmoil because Idi Amin was this dictator that
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  just had his priorities out of order.
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  And history shows us that anytime there is unrest that
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  often times those who are educated or killed off first
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  because they don't want them to think for other people.
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  So my dad at the time was a professor.
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  He also was leading Bible studies, and Amin was killing
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  off Christians. And so we knew we were in
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  danger. And at the time, we actually
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  lived in the apartment just below where Idiomine's son
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  lived. And so when he moved in and he
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  brought in the military and our phones were tapped and it was
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  just really dangerous. And in settings like that, you
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  can't just leave, right? And so I remember hearing my
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  parents pray Psalm 91 every day and trusting God for
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  deliverance. And the Lord gave them I the
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  idea to pack all their belongings in university boxes
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  so it looked like they were just moving from one university
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  apartment to another and middle of the day.
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  And so as we, we eventually got to the border.
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  And that's the long story in itself.
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  It's in the book, so you can find out more.
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  But crossing the border from Uganda to Kenya, we were being
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  detained by the military. And at that point, as a young
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  baby, I messed up my clothes and they just said get the messy
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  baby out of here. And the reason I love that
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  story, Gina, is because God can use anything to this day.
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  I always have to go to the bathroom, but I don't complain
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  because I'm like, the Lord used that to bring about our freedom.
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  And so I'm so grateful for how we were able to cross the
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  border. And then from there we landed in
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  Duluth, MN, because my dad was getting his PhD and the only
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  person we knew to help with that was in Duluth, so that we went
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  from the equator to Duluth when it first winter nearly killed
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  us. But we survived.
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  God is faithful. So I'm grateful, All that to
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  say, I'm grateful to live here. You know, I don't think it for
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  granted the freedom that we have here.
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  Let's let's move on to your time in Minnesota.
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  Like what? Okay.
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  That was eventful. Lots of memories there.
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  And you know there were some challenges.
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  You know this book is is broken up into Four Seasons, Fall,
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  winter, spring, and Summer. Fall is letting go of things in
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  your head, your your heart and your hands, things that might be
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  holding you back or keeping you stuck.
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  And I saw that model with my parents from a young age, where
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  the very first church that we went to when looking for
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  community, the pastor asked if he could come and and meet with
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  us. And so my mom and dad were so
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  honored. They made a great meal and sat
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  down, and the pastor proceeded to ask us to leave.
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  The church said that the congregation was uncomfortable
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  with having a black family there.
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  And I, you know, just I can't imagine what was going through
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  their minds. But what I do know is that as
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  they brought us up and as they told us the story of what had
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  happened, my parents walked with such forgiveness.
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  You know. And I'm so grateful for the
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  example in that they could have held on to that bitterness and
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  that hurt and that anger and turned their heart on against
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  the church or against God. But they chose to forgive.
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  And that set a role model for me for other experiences in soda,
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  when I was teased, being the only one in my classroom or told
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  that I was less than that, I was able to forgive and let go.
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  It was easy, but I could see that there it was definitely the
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  better route to go than holding on to that unforgiveness,
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  bitterness, anger and hurt. And so part of the fall season
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  that I talk about in the book is about letting go of those things
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  that in our heart, that if we live open handed, the Lord can
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  replace that with joy and fulfillment and purpose.
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  And so, so many other things I'm grateful for because it made me
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  stronger, you know, great I am today.
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  And did you moved, you said you went to California after that.
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  Did you move there with your parents or did you go there on
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  your own? Yeah.
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  So when I was in 8th grade, my dad got a job with Baxter
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  Pharmaceuticals. And so we moved the company,
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  moved us to Southern California. And so we were there for until I
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  went to college up in Northern California and then moved back
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  down. But I loved California, you
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  know, so fun. Such a great put.
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  I love the heat. So I love living there and just
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  all the different experiences. I'm so grateful for it.
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  Let's dive into a story that you do talk quite a bit about in
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  your book, and I've also heard you talk publicly about.
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  Let's talk about your. Road to your husband Yes.
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  Thank you, Jesus, for those of you who are listening who may
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  not know. I did not get married until I
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  was 42 and I prayed and prayed and prayed for so many years I
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  have. My desire was to get married and
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  to share my life with somebody and for some reason the Lord did
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  not answer it. Now if I wanted to just make
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  something happen, I could have because it's not like there
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  weren't people interested, but it's like you want to wait for
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  God's best. You know, I believe that God
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  brings two people together for Kingdom purpose.
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  It's not just because, oh, he's cute or she's got that going on
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  or no, but what is it that God wants to do through our lives as
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  he joins them together. And so whenever I'd go on a
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  date, you know, I'd ask the Lord, is this who you have for
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  me? And year after year, decade
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  after decade, it was like no, no and no.
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  And when Phil finally came, I've I remember after we had a
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  wonderful dinner that was 3 hours long, I didn't even see
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  him as my potential husband because he had come to work with
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  our church as a consultant and so he was like my boss's
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  contact. But Long story short we ended up
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  at a conference. The details are all in the book.
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  It's a fascinating story. But we talked for three hours
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  and when I asked the Lord later that night, is this who you have
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  for me? And the Lord was like, he's my
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  gift to you. And I was like something.
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  I couldn't believe it. I freaked out because there's 15
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  years age difference between the two of us.
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  But the Lord confirmed it. And Gina, what was so special is
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  that Phil was not only my first boyfriend, he was my first kiss.
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  And when I share that with people, they often are like,
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  what in the world? How is that possible?
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  Again, it was not because there weren't guys interested, but
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  because I truly wanted to wait for who God had for me.
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  And now we get the joy of partnering together and building
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  the Kingdom and living out our purpose because it's that's a
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  huge part of who we are and why we're here walking in our
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  Kingdom purpose and and so I mean I could go on and on and on
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  talking about Phil but I'm so grateful and I'll end with this
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  and answering your question. One of the key things that I
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  learned through that process because I kept asking the Lord
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  why is it taking so long? You know why are you answering
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  somebody else's prayer not mine, right.
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  Some of you might be out there and you're longing whether to
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  get married or to have a child or to start your own business
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  and or for healing. And you're like, Lord, where are
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  you, Why aren't you answering? And I was asking the Lord for so
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  many years and it wasn't until after I got married and I was
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  asking God, why do some people wait two decades, Sorry, two
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  years. And I went two decades.
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  And you know, it wasn't until after I got married.
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  And he said, Grace, do you want a faith that is 2 years deep or
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  two decades deep? And my friends, that's when I
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  got it, That there are certain things that can only be
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  developed through the trials, through the heartache, through
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  the pain. It's developing things in us.
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  It's it's causing us to become more like Christ.
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  And so I can tell you, Gina, that my faith is strong.
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  You know, if you want to believe for something like that book,
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  I'm gonna believe with you because I I have seen how God is
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  faithful, and I'm grateful for that.
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  I don't wish for anybody to have to wait for so long for their
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  answer. But I will tell you that God is
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  working something in your life in that's what I call the winter
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  season. And it's so important in that
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  time to not go into a cable of depression, not put your life on
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  pause, but to continue to live your life.
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  Jesus said I have come that you might have life and life
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  abundantly. And so like what I did in my
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  single years, I went out and traveled and invested in real
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  estate and live my life to the fullest.
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  And Kill would tell you that's one of the things he found
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  attractive about me, you know, in my life.
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  And not having it on pause or being thirst, sorry, thirsty,
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  you know, and just waiting on God, trusting in him.
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  So I know that was a little long.
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  But when we're talking about Phil, we can be here all day.
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  Oh girl, I love it. Y'all, you can't see it.
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  But if you've heard her speak about Phil and even now you can
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  hear it like her grin is from one side to the other.
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  It is so cute. And seeing the the you 2
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  together. Oh, it's been so sweet to see
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  that. Seeing you guys at the
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  conferences and stuff like that, so thank you so much for
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  sharing. When you were going through the
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  doubt and the frustration of like, why not me?
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  Why them, Why not me? What verses would keep you
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  anchored? Oh, gosh.
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  I mean, there's so many. I think just just knowing that
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  that God was with me wherever I was at.
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  You know when he talks about if you draw near to God, he will
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  draw near to you. James, 48, says that I think
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  that when I'm, I know my life verse that I hadn't stitched in
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  my my high school Letterman jacket was I can do all things
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  through Christ who strengthens me.
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  And that just encouraged me to know that no matter what I was
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  going through, that the Lord was with me and he was going to help
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  me through it. And so it wasn't in my own
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  strength. Like a lot of people will go out
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  and be like, OK, I'm gonna catch me a man.
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  But I learned it is better to be a happy single than an unhappy
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  married. So it doesn't say I can do all
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  things through my own strength. And to like talent, looks or
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  whatever. It's through Christ.
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  I can do all things to Christ who strengthens me.
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  So that's one of them. There's another one, but I'm
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  blanking on it cuz it's through the message translation, but I
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  want to find it for you. Since it's the message
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  paraphrase, it's a little bit different, so.
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  No problem. All right.
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  So we started jumping into your book, and you do talk about The
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  Four Seasons in your book. And we've covered so far the
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  fall and the winter. Let's talk about the spring and
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  the summer. Yeah.
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  So spring is about being open to whatever God has for you because
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  so often it may not look like how you envisioned or how you
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  prayed for. So for me and my single journey,
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  I was praying for a chocolate, bald head man of God.
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  And it is not because I, I mean, I found I find all races and,
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  you know, attractive. The reason I was chocolate is
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  because growing up, I was always the only one, you know.
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  So I was like, when I come home, I didn't want to feel different
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  because everywhere I went I was always different.
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  And so that's why I had said chocolate.
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  So funny. People are like, well, I think
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  God had white chocolate for you. I'm so grateful.
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  You know, the Lord really, really knew.
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  But there's been so many times that the Lord answered in a way
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  that I'm like, wow, I'm so glad he didn't answer that other
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  prayer. You know that this is so much
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  more than I could have imagined. And in fact one of the key times
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  I realized that because I'm somebody who loves to put
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  together lists. So I had a list for what I
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  wanted in a man and a house and this, that and the other.
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  And I remember from my house I had this full on list that had
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  to have a view and this, that and the other and the house that
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  the Lord blessed me with. I mean, I felt his peace when I
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  walked into. It was not one that I would have
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  initially walked into just based on curb appeal, but when I was
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  in it and it was like there's only two houses on the Culdesac
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  and it was just so peaceful. The Lord knew as an introvert
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  working in ministry with thousands of people over the
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  weekend, I needed a safe haven. And so it was after that, Gina,
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  that I gave the Lord a blank sheet of paper and and I ripped
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  up the one with the list with my husband.
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  Not because of being desperate. I've seen some women do that and
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  be like, is he breathing? No, no, no.
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  That's not because I was trusting God that he knows me
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  better than I know myself and he would know what I needed in a
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  husband. And so I gave him a blank sheet
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  of paper. And I'm so grateful because
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  while Phil was not what I was necessarily envisioning, it's so
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  much better than I could think or imagine.
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  And so I've applied that to every area of my life that God
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  knows so much more. And so for those of you who may
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  be listening, I would just encourage you to be open to what
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  God wants to do in your life, through your life.
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  Sometimes it's going to, I should say a lot of times it
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  involves the step of faith. You know, we see that all
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  throughout the Bible. Things that God called people to
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  do, build an arc, you know, You know so many different things.
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  You're like, what? Say what?
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  But. Always has something on the
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  other side. So we can trust him in those
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  spring seasons to be open to what God wants to do.
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  And then summer is a time of celebration, celebrating because
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  it's the time of answer to the prayers that we've been praying.
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  You know, the healing has come, the the financial breakthrough,
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  whatever it may be. So it's celebrating, but it's
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  also reflecting on what you've learned through those other
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  seasons because that's how we grow and it's sharing those
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  stories, which is why I love that book that you have coming
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  out. Because the Bible talks about we
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  overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our
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  testimony. So we're sharing our story and
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  encourages others to say, oh, God did it for her, he can do it
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  for me. And so I'm excited for that book
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  that you have coming out. Once you finish writing it,
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  people that are going to be encouraged through those
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  stories. Thank you so much.
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  And yeah, I love how you break things down into seasons because
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  everybody kind of has a favorite season so and everybody can find
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  some. Like they can look at how you
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  describe the seasons in here and be like okay, this is where I am
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  now. Let's see what can come of it.
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  And I can continue to trust God and find the purpose and you
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  know all that. So thank you so much for
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  dividing things up the way you did and.
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  You know what, I think it's kind of funny is the first time I
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  ever met you was at the Flourish Conference at at church.
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  So I thought about that. I didn't think about that until
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  we were getting ready to start recording.
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  And I was like, that's the first time I met you was at the
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  Flourish Conference. So I think that's really cool.
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  Yes, it's been a minute. I love that and would have
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  thought God had all this in mind.
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  Oh man. So I I just love your story and
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  I thank you so much for sharing it with me and for my listeners
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  being able to hear it, because I know that they're going to find
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  encouragement in it. Where can people find you to
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  continue receiving that? Yeah.
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  So I'm on social media as Grace Wabuki Klein.
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  That's Grace WABUKEKLEIN. So that's Instagram, Facebook
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  and then my website is also Grace Will bukiklein.com and the
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  book is available online all the online retailers and comes out
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  August 8th. Awesome.
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  And you guys, this is coming out a week before, so make sure you
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  go preorder today. Preorders are just help, The
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  retailers know that. Hey, this book's in demand.
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  We need to keep better stock of it.
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  So get that for Grace because you guys are all going to be
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  encouraged by this. So thank you so much.
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  And do you have any final encouragement for people you
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  know? I just want to encourage those
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  of you may be going through it difficult season that God sees
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  you, He has not forgotten you and he hears the cry of your
• 23:25
  heart. He is still writing your story
• 23:28
  what you're facing. This is not the final chapter.
• 23:31
  He has so much more for you. So keep on trusting, keep on
• 23:36
  developing those roots. You know, one of the reasons
• 23:39
  this book is, is based on seasons is because we can learn
• 23:44
  so much from trees. You know when they're going
• 23:46
  through the process of of photosynthesis, we don't see
• 23:49
  that with our natural eye. And so, so often as God is doing
• 23:52
  things in our lives, we may not see it with our natural eye,
• 23:56
  seem like we're still dealing with this issue, this mess, this
• 24:00
  struggle. But he is working.
• 24:03
  You can trust, even though you don't see it with a natural eye.
• 24:05
  God is working. He is faithful.
• 24:08
  So I hope this book encourages you through that, that you can
• 24:12
  walk with purpose and whatever season that you're in, that God
• 24:16
  sees you in that season and he is sovereign in that season.
• 24:22
  Amen. Amen to all of that.
• 24:23
  And you guys go follow Grace. Thank her for coming out today
• 24:26
  and again go preorder her book. So have a great rest of the day
• 24:30
  and I will talk to you guys next episode.
• 24:33
  Thanks for tuning into this week's episode.
• 24:37
  I pray that each of you will take something from this
• 24:41
  episode. That you will be challenged,
• 24:44
  that you will be encouraged in your walk with God.
• 24:48
  If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple
• 24:50
  Podcast or Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcast.
• 24:54
  Leave a 5 star rating and review so that other people can find
• 24:57
  this and other people can listen to the stories of God's
• 25:02
  redemption. I love you guys and I'll talk to
• 25:06
  you next episode. Thank you for listening to this
• 25:12
  episode that is part of the Spark Media Network that can now
• 25:16
  be heard on the Edify app.