Hello I'm Shelley Quinn and welcome 00:00:32.83\00:00:34.26 again to Issues And Answers, 00:00:34.46\00:00:36.11 I'll bet that you are like me. 00:00:36.34\00:00:38.93 You'll find yourself as a time starved person. 00:00:39.15\00:00:42.63 Well, today is a program that you will not want 00:00:42.84\00:00:45.71 to miss, we're gonna be talking about pressures 00:00:45.91\00:00:48.73 and possibilities and how to go from 00:00:48.92\00:00:51.24 the pressure cooker of expectations to the 00:00:51.45\00:00:54.30 possibilities God holds out to us in life. 00:00:54.50\00:00:57.33 And before I introduce our special guest, 00:00:57.54\00:01:00.03 I want to share a scripture with you it comes from 00:01:00.22\00:01:02.75 Psalms 90 and verse 12 and the Psalmist wrote, 00:01:02.95\00:01:07.29 teach us to number our days that we may get 00:01:07.49\00:01:12.43 us a heart of wisdom, amen to that. 00:01:12.64\00:01:16.07 So what I want to do now is introduce to you 00:01:16.27\00:01:19.59 the Vice President of Transforming Lives For Christ 00:01:19.80\00:01:22.79 and she comes to us from Spokane, 00:01:22.99\00:01:25.71 Washington Linda Schultz. Hi Shelley. 00:01:25.90\00:01:27.99 Linda, thank you so much for joining us. 00:01:28.19\00:01:30.25 Now this is not your first time on 3ABN. 00:01:30.45\00:01:33.88 No, this is the second. 00:01:34.07\00:01:36.01 Okay, you were here for the women of spiritual praise. 00:01:36.21\00:01:38.77 Yes. And did you do a Today Program. That's correct. 00:01:38.96\00:01:42.30 I thought you have. Yes. Oh! We're just so glad 00:01:42.49\00:01:44.50 that you are back with us and I know that you 00:01:44.69\00:01:46.69 and Cynthia Prime worked hand in hand together 00:01:46.89\00:01:49.14 and have a beautiful ministry. 00:01:49.33\00:01:50.93 We're really appreciative for that. 00:01:51.13\00:01:53.19 You are here today we're gonna start off 00:01:53.38\00:01:55.85 with a few in this series and you're gonna be talking 00:01:56.05\00:01:59.55 to us and sharing with us 00:01:59.75\00:02:01.72 a little of your personal testimony. 00:02:01.93\00:02:04.16 But let me kind of get you started here, 00:02:04.37\00:02:07.09 first of all I would like to know did you grow up 00:02:07.28\00:02:10.19 in the church and if so when did your relationship 00:02:10.38\00:02:15.32 or your relationship with the Lord go from being just 00:02:15.52\00:02:18.98 religion into a real intimate personal relationship. 00:02:19.72\00:02:24.14 That's an interesting question because it was 00:02:24.35\00:02:26.94 quite a transition and probably 00:02:27.14\00:02:29.83 occurred over a period of time. 00:02:30.03\00:02:31.94 To begin with my mother was a Christian 00:02:32.15\00:02:35.42 and my father was not and I praised the Lord, 00:02:35.61\00:02:37.71 both of them are today. Amen. But so, I grew up 00:02:37.89\00:02:42.35 in a divided home as far as Christianity 00:02:42.54\00:02:45.67 for a period of time, however I went 00:02:45.86\00:02:48.52 to our schools for the most part and. 00:02:48.72\00:02:51.11 And when you say our school. Our Christians schools 00:02:51.33\00:02:53.96 excuse me and then but I also participated and was 00:02:54.17\00:02:57.44 went to public school for some of my education. 00:02:57.63\00:03:02.17 Then I went on to our Christian high school 00:03:02.38\00:03:05.82 which was wonderful and. 00:03:06.01\00:03:08.52 Now was this the Adventist Church that you were, 00:03:08.73\00:03:10.38 schools that you were going to? Yes. Okay. 00:03:10.56\00:03:11.69 Yes, and I really enjoy that period of time because 00:03:11.89\00:03:15.37 it allowed me a lot of time of fellowship 00:03:15.57\00:03:17.70 with other Christians. So that was very, very special 00:03:17.90\00:03:20.53 and then as I went on to college, 00:03:20.72\00:03:23.86 I did part of my college at our Christian college 00:03:24.07\00:03:26.79 and then in part at a community college 00:03:26.98\00:03:29.28 and finished my degree. 00:03:29.48\00:03:30.45 And then went on and married my husband, 00:03:30.60\00:03:33.20 who is a pastor and so I went into pastoring. 00:03:33.40\00:03:37.50 And I love people so that was a wonderful 00:03:37.70\00:03:40.88 transformation and I've always loved the Lord. 00:03:41.08\00:03:43.20 But I really believe that my personal relationship 00:03:43.40\00:03:46.77 with Christ took place when he took me 00:03:46.98\00:03:50.12 through this journey of understanding 00:03:50.32\00:03:52.07 what he holds out to me in my life. 00:03:52.27\00:03:54.40 And what he wants for me and not necessarily 00:03:54.59\00:03:57.46 all the things I put in it. Amen, 00:03:57.66\00:03:59.83 now let me back up just a moment, 00:04:00.04\00:04:02.29 I believe you are a nurse, right? That's correct. 00:04:02.48\00:04:05.20 So you're you got your degree in nursing 00:04:05.39\00:04:07.11 and now you're working, you're married to a pastor, 00:04:07.30\00:04:10.58 you became a mother of two beautiful children. Yes. 00:04:10.79\00:04:14.01 And you have all of these elements in your life, 00:04:14.21\00:04:19.85 all of these factors that are pulling on you for time. 00:04:20.05\00:04:23.11 As well as being a pastor's wife I am sure 00:04:23.31\00:04:26.83 that we can all imagine I think being a pastor, 00:04:27.03\00:04:30.13 it is a very difficult job being a pastor's wife 00:04:30.31\00:04:32.66 can be even more difficult in that 00:04:32.87\00:04:35.00 you're being pulled in many directions, 00:04:35.20\00:04:37.01 you hear many things that you cannot repeat 00:04:37.21\00:04:39.06 and there's only one person that you can 00:04:39.25\00:04:40.79 take these things to and share it. That's right. 00:04:41.00\00:04:43.02 It's either your husband or the Lord, 00:04:43.22\00:04:44.28 so what did you find here you've got this background 00:04:44.48\00:04:49.94 but you don't really have that intimate 00:04:50.14\00:04:53.26 personal relationship with the Lord yet. 00:04:53.45\00:04:55.59 Set this up for us, what was going on in your life 00:04:55.78\00:04:59.40 with all of these many demands? 00:04:59.60\00:05:01.08 What's real interesting, I seem to know I had 00:05:01.30\00:05:04.40 a sense of what I should be doing and I thought 00:05:04.61\00:05:06.41 that was God's will, what the problem 00:05:06.61\00:05:08.92 was as I wasn't taking that to him. 00:05:09.12\00:05:11.37 I didn't have that personal relationship 00:05:12.14\00:05:13.31 I would get my time with him became hit 00:05:13.51\00:05:17.38 and miss so to speak, some days 00:05:17.58\00:05:19.11 I can have it many days I wouldn't. 00:05:19.32\00:05:21.40 But I was very faithful about my time 00:05:21.60\00:05:23.75 with the children and their relationship with Jesus. 00:05:23.95\00:05:26.51 I was very faithful about the committees 00:05:26.71\00:05:28.53 and doing what I needed to do within the church 00:05:28.72\00:05:30.68 and of course what's interesting is 00:05:30.87\00:05:32.74 I was busy about much good. Yes. 00:05:32.94\00:05:36.66 So it wasn't that I was doing bad things 00:05:36.88\00:05:39.35 and that's what to me I understood 00:05:40.12\00:05:42.52 I was doing and working for the Lord. 00:05:42.74\00:05:45.05 Because look at all these good things. Amen. 00:05:45.27\00:05:47.48 So I became you know I was on the school board, 00:05:47.68\00:05:50.81 I was the pastor's wife, I had the two children 00:05:51.01\00:05:56.19 that were young, I had also decided 00:05:56.39\00:05:59.60 to go back to school to get, complete 00:05:59.80\00:06:01.34 a degree in healthcare administration. 00:06:01.55\00:06:03.39 And all and then I was working part time 00:06:03.60\00:06:07.23 and all of these multitude of things came into play. 00:06:07.45\00:06:10.70 Well as long as everything was functioning alright 00:06:10.92\00:06:13.58 I didn't realize my great need. 00:06:13.80\00:06:16.12 But when trials came then it started to fall 00:06:16.33\00:06:21.45 apart because I didn't have the strength. 00:06:21.65\00:06:23.72 I didn't have the power, see it wasn't about me, 00:06:23.93\00:06:27.04 it was about God and consequently 00:06:27.23\00:06:29.83 what happened was these people who I loved, 00:06:30.03\00:06:33.08 I now started to resent, because I felt 00:06:33.29\00:06:36.98 it was expectations from them that made 00:06:37.20\00:06:40.25 it impossible for me to meet. 00:06:40.47\00:06:41.79 I couldn't meet their expectations. Okay. 00:06:42.01\00:06:44.79 So things started falling apart 00:06:45.00\00:06:46.22 and they started to unravel and the people 00:06:46.42\00:06:49.56 that I loved I started to resent. 00:06:49.77\00:06:51.46 I couldn't see past my hurt to my heart anymore. Yes. 00:06:51.68\00:06:55.98 I became angry and then depression set in. 00:06:56.19\00:06:59.06 And that's a real normal course of thing 00:06:59.27\00:07:01.92 and it happened not suddenly but over a course 00:07:02.12\00:07:04.51 of several years actually for that to occur. 00:07:04.72\00:07:07.07 And I became very, very dissatisfied 00:07:07.29\00:07:10.17 and very, very unhappy and the depression 00:07:10.39\00:07:12.08 became deeper and I was able to cope at work 00:07:12.28\00:07:14.79 but when I come home I wasn't able to make decisions. 00:07:15.53\00:07:17.40 I came to the place that I could put a smile 00:07:17.61\00:07:19.91 on my face and I could go to church 00:07:20.10\00:07:21.09 and when I came home I was exhausted, 00:07:21.29\00:07:22.52 it was all I could do. Are you saying you were just 00:07:22.73\00:07:26.41 so fragmented that it got to that point 00:07:26.63\00:07:29.82 where you know sometimes we can handle 00:07:30.04\00:07:32.73 a multitude of things it seems that 00:07:32.94\00:07:34.91 we can kind of keep all of these balls in the air 00:07:35.12\00:07:38.15 for a certain amount of time and then one day 00:07:38.36\00:07:40.65 you wake up and feel that your life you recognize. 00:07:40.85\00:07:43.93 You're so fragmented that and you have 00:07:44.13\00:07:46.17 so many responsibilities. 00:07:46.37\00:07:47.87 It was the sense that I don't know what to do first 00:07:48.08\00:07:50.79 and that's why you couldn't make a decision, 00:07:51.02\00:07:52.64 there's all of these demands. 00:07:52.84\00:07:54.26 You know you have put your time into the hands 00:07:54.47\00:07:57.71 of others, they're controlling your time. 00:07:57.91\00:07:59.70 That's correct. So that's how you were feeling. 00:07:59.89\00:08:01.93 That's exactly right and then when I started 00:08:02.13\00:08:04.72 to not be able to meet all the expectations 00:08:04.93\00:08:07.10 and I realized I was coming back. 00:08:07.30\00:08:09.07 Because my source of strength 00:08:09.28\00:08:12.26 wasn't with my Savior, it was within. 00:08:12.46\00:08:14.99 Then the resentment started building 00:08:15.21\00:08:18.16 because I thought how dare they, 00:08:18.38\00:08:20.21 do they have any idea how much I am doing? 00:08:20.43\00:08:22.73 Do can't they see that my plate is more than full, 00:08:22.93\00:08:25.81 can't they tell that I am you know some 00:08:26.01\00:08:28.94 of the complaints that would come back you know 00:08:29.15\00:08:30.70 that I am doing actually what they're saying I am not. 00:08:30.91\00:08:33.48 And I was looking see that's a thing my eyes 00:08:33.69\00:08:35.99 were no longer on Christ, my eyes were on the people 00:08:36.21\00:08:38.59 and that's the problem. I needed to be looking 00:08:38.79\00:08:41.98 upward, that's where my focus 00:08:42.18\00:08:43.80 needed to be and it wasn't there. 00:08:44.02\00:08:45.39 So I started to go down and under. 00:08:45.63\00:08:48.10 You know Linda I believe that there is probably 00:08:48.32\00:08:50.53 a lot of people who are watching right now that can 00:08:50.72\00:08:52.98 identify with what you had going on in your life. 00:08:52.99\00:08:56.93 Let me ask you do you feel that did you have 00:08:57.15\00:09:00.59 a difficult time saying no? What set this up? 00:09:00.80\00:09:03.38 You had obviously you were brought up in a Christian 00:09:03.61\00:09:08.09 religion and you had this knowledge of God 00:09:08.29\00:09:10.45 at sometime you had that time you were spending 00:09:10.66\00:09:13.09 with the Lord, kept accepting more and more 00:09:13.28\00:09:15.72 responsibilities but you're just unable to say no 00:09:15.93\00:09:18.08 and that started grabbing your time from the Lord 00:09:18.27\00:09:20.40 or how did this get setup that way. 00:09:20.60\00:09:22.36 Isn't that interesting, obviously I became 00:09:22.58\00:09:25.59 a people pleaser instead of a God pleaser. Okay. 00:09:25.81\00:09:28.51 I ended up and then when I found that I couldn't 00:09:28.72\00:09:31.50 do that when people would ask me to do certain things 00:09:31.70\00:09:34.53 I was very accepting of them because I thought 00:09:34.73\00:09:36.81 oh yes that would be fun I would enjoy 00:09:37.01\00:09:39.12 doing that again I would be involved with people. 00:09:39.33\00:09:41.54 I forgot to take it to my Savior 00:09:41.74\00:09:43.19 to see what he wanted. Yes. 00:09:43.41\00:09:44.76 Lord, is this what you want me to include 00:09:44.97\00:09:46.75 in my life instead I was putting it into my life. 00:09:46.96\00:09:49.97 And the more I put in the heavier the burden 00:09:50.18\00:09:53.86 became and then it just mounted and that bag 00:09:54.06\00:09:57.64 that I was carrying on my back, that burden 00:09:57.83\00:10:00.54 became so heavy I could no longer carry it. 00:10:00.72\00:10:02.82 And that's when I started to become very angry, 00:10:03.02\00:10:06.67 very discouraged and that's when I realized 00:10:06.87\00:10:09.45 I can't meet their expectations but instead 00:10:09.65\00:10:13.17 of it had nothing to do with those people whatsoever. 00:10:13.38\00:10:16.87 It had everything to do with the fact 00:10:17.09\00:10:18.94 that I didn't have my priority straight. 00:10:19.15\00:10:20.68 And Christ was getting squeezed out of the picture. 00:10:20.89\00:10:24.59 You know once the Lord gave me this I believe, 00:10:24.79\00:10:28.28 he said that if you want to keep a finger 00:10:28.49\00:10:30.75 on your spiritual pulse, then what you need to do 00:10:30.95\00:10:34.24 is check how much time you're spending 00:10:34.43\00:10:36.20 in the Bible and in prayer. That's correct. 00:10:36.38\00:10:38.93 If you're not in the word and you're not in prayer, 00:10:39.15\00:10:40.84 you're gonna start being spiritually weak. 00:10:41.03\00:10:43.83 And what's you were doing is what I mean 00:10:44.03\00:10:47.41 we can all identify with this in particularly 00:10:47.61\00:10:49.26 anyone who is in ministry. 00:10:49.46\00:10:50.63 You were doing the good and sacrificing the best. 00:10:50.85\00:10:54.61 That's right. Okay, so. That's right. 00:10:54.81\00:10:56.74 What happened I mean when this started you found 00:10:56.95\00:10:59.71 yourself starting to become resentful, 00:10:59.90\00:11:03.21 angry and then getting into depression. 00:11:03.41\00:11:06.22 What, did your husband recognize this right away? 00:11:06.42\00:11:08.90 Actually he could tell something was happening 00:11:09.09\00:11:12.19 but he didn't know what it was, until one day 00:11:12.39\00:11:16.19 when I walked into his office and I said, I said 00:11:16.38\00:11:19.66 I love the Lord but I said I can't handle this anymore, 00:11:19.88\00:11:25.03 so you need to make a choice. 00:11:25.24\00:11:26.33 It's either me or the church you can't have them both. 00:11:27.15\00:11:28.92 Oh! I couldn't handle it any further. 00:11:29.16\00:11:31.90 It was too much and bless his heart he said to me, 00:11:32.12\00:11:37.70 he said Linda he says if I get you a good Christian 00:11:37.90\00:11:41.19 counselor he said would you be willing to go? 00:11:41.40\00:11:43.70 And I said that would be fine, I don't really care. 00:11:43.91\00:11:48.03 I was to the point where nothing mattered anymore. 00:11:48.23\00:11:51.37 And you know, there is. How old were your children. 00:11:51.59\00:11:54.80 My children were in elementary school 00:11:55.00\00:11:56.72 at that time and I kept this very, very private. 00:11:56.93\00:11:59.74 There were two or three close friends that I had 00:11:59.95\00:12:03.02 because I need a prayer partner 00:12:03.22\00:12:06.13 and I needed support through this. 00:12:06.33\00:12:07.57 And to this day I listen them up I am so grateful 00:12:07.81\00:12:11.45 to the Lord for them but the other person 00:12:11.63\00:12:13.67 that will have a star I believe in his crown for me, 00:12:13.89\00:12:16.74 from me is the counselor that I was sent to. 00:12:16.95\00:12:19.51 There is such a benefit to a good Christian 00:12:19.72\00:12:23.11 counselor when we needed. Yes. 00:12:23.31\00:12:24.77 And he helped remove the busyness in my life. 00:12:24.97\00:12:27.60 Helped me focus on my Lord again. Amen. 00:12:27.82\00:12:31.79 And then helped me regain who I as a person was 00:12:32.01\00:12:35.17 and I am today, so he changed all of that 00:12:35.39\00:12:39.56 but it was very difficult road I had to give 00:12:39.79\00:12:42.28 up everything and I had to start from scratch because 00:12:42.49\00:12:45.61 see all of those things I had they were there 00:12:45.82\00:12:48.17 for all the wrong reasons and that's not 00:12:48.38\00:12:51.54 what God has us to do. He wants it to be 00:12:51.77\00:12:54.26 for the right reason and when He puts it in place 00:12:54.48\00:12:56.38 and He gives the submission then when He commands 00:12:56.61\00:12:59.79 He enables. Exactly. So provides us our strengths, 00:13:00.00\00:13:03.22 he gives us what we need for the day; 00:13:03.43\00:13:05.35 he gives us wisdom, discernment certainly 00:13:05.57\00:13:09.01 not but I had at that point. 00:13:09.22\00:13:10.71 But he puts all of those things in place if I stay 00:13:10.94\00:13:13.99 connected and it takes me back to Hebrews 00:13:14.20\00:13:16.83 where he says you know that Jesus 00:13:17.05\00:13:18.77 is the author and the finisher of our faith. Amen. 00:13:19.00\00:13:21.92 We need to be looking unto Jesus. Amen. 00:13:22.12\00:13:24.22 And we need to be doing that every single day. Amen. 00:13:24.43\00:13:27.68 And we have to remember 2nd Corinthians 12:9 00:13:27.91\00:13:30.46 that His grace is sufficient, 00:13:30.66\00:13:32.14 His power is made perfect in our weakness. 00:13:32.36\00:13:35.15 So, if we're trying to live our lives in our own 00:13:35.38\00:13:38.92 limited human power we're in pitiful condition. 00:13:39.13\00:13:42.01 Exactly. If we're not drawing on the power 00:13:42.22\00:13:44.85 of his spirit and walking in his power 00:13:45.07\00:13:47.92 then where we are in a difficult situation, 00:13:48.15\00:13:51.56 that's right. So what was it for you I mean 00:13:51.78\00:13:54.54 when you first you've recognize the problem 00:13:54.73\00:13:57.46 some what I mean you didn't identify the problem 00:13:57.67\00:14:00.84 correctly you were just saying 00:14:01.05\00:14:02.41 it's the church I will need that. 00:14:02.62\00:14:04.12 You cannot be a pastor anymore but you know 00:14:04.35\00:14:06.42 you've got a problem, you go to this Christian 00:14:06.63\00:14:09.20 counselor what how many sessions did you take with him 00:14:09.41\00:14:14.75 before you realized, hey I've let everyone else 00:14:14.96\00:14:18.51 control my life except the Lord, 00:14:18.72\00:14:21.17 what was the turning point for you? 00:14:21.39\00:14:23.46 Was there a catalyst? 00:14:23.68\00:14:24.78 I think one of the most wonderful things was for me, 00:14:25.01\00:14:29.45 he was able to allow me to spell out you know 00:14:29.66\00:14:32.97 I think in terms of medicine, you know medical. 00:14:33.18\00:14:35.22 When you have an infection and sometimes 00:14:35.43\00:14:38.16 that infection is underneath the surface, 00:14:38.36\00:14:40.44 sometimes it has to be excised and it has to be 00:14:40.65\00:14:44.37 released before it can be cleansed, 00:14:44.57\00:14:46.68 all of that garbage had to be gotten out. 00:14:46.90\00:14:49.62 So it provided an opportunity to get it out 00:14:49.84\00:14:52.42 in a safe environment where it was going no where 00:14:52.62\00:14:55.47 else except to the Lord and then he removed it. 00:14:55.67\00:14:59.37 It kind of got put on that scape goat and taken out. 00:14:59.58\00:15:02.72 Yes. I didn't have to deal with that anymore 00:15:02.93\00:15:05.43 and then the healing process could be started 00:15:05.64\00:15:07.71 and it was after I was able to get it out probably 00:15:07.92\00:15:11.28 after several sessions and to remove 00:15:11.48\00:15:13.25 what was in my heart the anger, the resentment, 00:15:13.48\00:15:16.21 then I could see clear enough and the Lord provided me 00:15:16.42\00:15:19.91 I believe that insight to start seeing 00:15:20.11\00:15:22.22 what took me there and why it was there. 00:15:22.72\00:15:25.05 And then it didn't have to do with the people, 00:15:25.26\00:15:28.39 it had to do with the fact that I had relinquished 00:15:28.60\00:15:30.79 control over my life to somebody else. 00:15:31.00\00:15:32.72 And that is a dangerous territory. Yes it is. 00:15:32.91\00:15:35.71 Dangerous territory ther is only one person 00:15:35.91\00:15:38.00 you can do that to and that is Jesus. Amen. 00:15:38.20\00:15:40.06 That is it. So did this counselor, 00:15:40.27\00:15:44.42 now when we talk about Christian counseling 00:15:44.66\00:15:47.20 typically these are counselors who will use 00:15:47.41\00:15:51.45 the Bible as their guide and they're going 00:15:51.66\00:15:53.99 to be giving you scriptural counsel 00:15:54.18\00:15:55.46 and pointing you back to the Lord. 00:15:55.67\00:15:57.35 What tools did he use to help you come along in this? 00:15:57.56\00:16:03.01 I think part of it was that he removed again 00:16:03.22\00:16:06.75 he removed from me the busyness of life, 00:16:06.94\00:16:09.21 had me start reconnecting with Jesus. 00:16:09.41\00:16:11.67 But explain what you say; when you say 00:16:11.88\00:16:13.58 he removed from you the busyness of life 00:16:13.77\00:16:15.61 explain what you're saying to me? 00:16:15.81\00:16:17.25 I actually had to resign from offices. Okay. 00:16:17.46\00:16:21.05 I stopped my entertaining because we used 00:16:21.27\00:16:23.36 to have lots of people in and in fact it was not 00:16:23.57\00:16:26.81 uncommon that we had people actually 00:16:27.02\00:16:28.19 staying at our house. All right. 00:16:28.39\00:16:29.57 That needed to be there we had to start all that, 00:16:29.78\00:16:32.19 my home became what I would say a sanctuary 00:16:32.39\00:16:34.49 it was a place where it was a haven I could come, 00:16:34.69\00:16:37.39 I can spend time with the Lord, 00:16:37.59\00:16:38.87 I had my family there but as far as the busyness 00:16:39.10\00:16:41.54 of entertaining and having people over, 00:16:41.75\00:16:43.56 we removed that for just a time until we can heal, 00:16:44.48\00:16:47.68 okay, and the offices had to stop, 00:16:47.89\00:16:50.88 I had to back up, I had to reconnect. 00:16:51.08\00:16:54.10 And then when we started to put things back 00:16:54.30\00:16:58.72 in the place we did it very carefully, 00:16:58.93\00:17:00.89 prayerfully and making sure 00:17:01.10\00:17:03.91 it's what God wanted in place. 00:17:04.12\00:17:05.62 And not just what man wanted in place. 00:17:05.84\00:17:08.47 Okay so the counselor now has he's prescribed 00:17:08.67\00:17:11.70 first you have to remove the busyness, 00:17:11.90\00:17:14.60 resign from many of these positions; 00:17:14.81\00:17:16.88 you're over burdened, over scheduled and make 00:17:17.10\00:17:21.62 your home a place that is sanctuary of safe haven 00:17:21.81\00:17:25.16 rather than this all this busyness 00:17:25.38\00:17:27.09 that entertaining for the time. 00:17:27.30\00:17:29.54 What was the next thing that he prescribed for you? 00:17:29.75\00:17:32.07 Well we went through that took a quite a process 00:17:32.27\00:17:35.16 because we not only had to do with that 00:17:35.37\00:17:38.30 but we had to deal with other things in my life 00:17:38.50\00:17:39.94 such as the guilt of saying no that was extremely 00:17:40.16\00:17:44.94 difficult and he prepared me for that he said 00:17:45.14\00:17:47.43 you have to learn to say no and he said 00:17:47.62\00:17:49.18 when you're saying no he said you're gonna 00:17:49.37\00:17:51.14 feel guilty and then this is what 00:17:51.33\00:17:53.22 I want you to know is it down the road. 00:17:53.42\00:17:54.93 Pretty soon you're gonna be feeling guilty 00:17:55.15\00:17:56.99 that you no longer feel guilty. 00:17:57.20\00:17:58.34 It was quite a cycle but what was interesting 00:17:58.55\00:18:01.50 was I did cycle through all of that because you see 00:18:01.70\00:18:04.78 guilt means that you're doing something wrong. 00:18:05.07\00:18:06.99 The guilt we carry over saying no is actually 00:18:07.21\00:18:11.56 a false guilt but unless it's Jesus asking us 00:18:11.77\00:18:15.98 to do something and we choose not. 00:18:16.19\00:18:18.13 Well I think somebody out here, 00:18:18.34\00:18:19.93 you will need to repeat that again because 00:18:20.14\00:18:21.81 I think particularly with women I know 00:18:22.01\00:18:25.15 I have a difficult time saying no especially you know 00:18:25.35\00:18:28.95 people will say you're the only one that can do this. 00:18:29.15\00:18:31.50 That's right you know its your talent your guilt 00:18:31.71\00:18:34.23 or something you're the only one, 00:18:34.43\00:18:35.65 we know you can do this and then to say no 00:18:35.86\00:18:38.26 you feel like you are really not only not meeting 00:18:38.45\00:18:42.94 their expectations but that you are letting them 00:18:43.13\00:18:45.56 down in such a major way that there is a boy 00:18:45.79\00:18:48.03 that will not be filled, may be that's his false 00:18:48.22\00:18:50.20 sense of pride there, but you're saying that the guilt, 00:18:50.40\00:18:54.07 repeat what you just said, that's a false guilt. 00:18:54.28\00:18:56.82 That's a false guilt. Guilt means you've done 00:18:57.04\00:18:59.20 something wrong, if you are turning down 00:18:59.41\00:19:02.53 something the Lord is asking you to do. 00:19:02.74\00:19:04.52 That is guilt but if you are turning down something 00:19:04.72\00:19:07.70 that man has only asked you to do that is a false 00:19:07.90\00:19:11.29 guilt and we need to separate that out 00:19:11.50\00:19:14.19 and we need to be very aware and assured of what, 00:19:14.38\00:19:18.13 why we're doing what we're doing, 00:19:18.88\00:19:20.02 and whether it's what God's calling us to do? 00:19:20.22\00:19:22.10 Or just what man is calling us to. 00:19:22.29\00:19:24.14 So when someone asks you something today 00:19:24.37\00:19:26.43 and sometimes God does speak through other people 00:19:26.62\00:19:29.69 or he may direct someone toward us. 00:19:29.89\00:19:31.73 Absolutely. How do you handle that to know 00:19:31.92\00:19:33.97 whether you're gonna say yes or no? 00:19:34.16\00:19:35.72 One of the things I've learned in fact 00:19:35.92\00:19:37.74 it's something that I have definitely been using 00:19:37.96\00:19:42.62 a lot lately is that when I have been asked 00:19:42.84\00:19:45.40 I say let me pray about it and I'll get back with you. 00:19:45.60\00:19:47.92 Okay. It gives me time, a lot of times 00:19:48.13\00:19:51.09 we also are very spontaneous and impulsive 00:19:51.30\00:19:53.85 and we will make decisions out of that. 00:19:54.06\00:19:57.16 That's scary, when we have time to put it before 00:19:57.37\00:20:01.85 the Lord, spend time to think it through, 00:20:02.05\00:20:04.43 spend time to look at the schedule 00:20:04.64\00:20:08.31 we have before us and listen to his voice 00:20:08.52\00:20:10.73 because you know John 10:27 says 00:20:10.94\00:20:13.85 my sheep listen to my voice, 00:20:14.04\00:20:15.53 I know them and they follow me. Amen. 00:20:15.74\00:20:18.04 So when we take the time to connect with him, 00:20:18.24\00:20:21.82 we will hear his voice and we will know 00:20:22.02\00:20:24.58 if it's of God and if it's where we need to be 00:20:24.76\00:20:26.94 and if it's not we don't want to be there 00:20:27.14\00:20:28.88 because then we're doing it in our strength 00:20:29.08\00:20:31.72 and not His. So when I want to that was such 00:20:31.92\00:20:36.38 a great statement there and I want to back up 00:20:36.58\00:20:39.42 just a moment though because we've read yourself 00:20:39.63\00:20:41.71 at the busyness, you're learning to say no 00:20:41.92\00:20:43.92 so that you don't refill that schedule 00:20:44.13\00:20:45.93 but really what happened to you is you had given 00:20:46.12\00:20:52.09 and given and given till the world went dry. 00:20:52.29\00:20:55.30 That's correct. I mean you were empty, 00:20:55.51\00:20:57.69 what did you do, what did your Christian counselor 00:20:57.89\00:21:01.61 have you do, what steps did you take to reconnect 00:21:01.83\00:21:05.06 with Christ and to be filled again? 00:21:05.27\00:21:08.37 Rest. Rest. Rest. Rest both physically and spiritually 00:21:08.59\00:21:15.91 and there is nothing more beautiful 00:21:16.11\00:21:18.23 then when you spend time resting in Jesus. 00:21:18.43\00:21:20.96 And how do you do that for somebody 00:21:21.17\00:21:23.43 that might be watching that says 00:21:23.63\00:21:25.02 I don't know what is she talking about? 00:21:25.23\00:21:27.13 You know it's real interesting it came in many forms, 00:21:27.34\00:21:29.80 I remember many long walks and just communicating 00:21:30.00\00:21:34.62 with the Lord as I would walk because sometimes 00:21:34.83\00:21:38.23 we find ourselves thinking that we have to spend 00:21:38.43\00:21:40.51 an hour in the word or we have to spend 00:21:40.71\00:21:42.27 this much time praying or whatever it is but you know 00:21:42.46\00:21:45.46 when we are told to pray without ceasing, 00:21:45.65\00:21:46.82 I think that means that we are in a relationship 00:21:47.03\00:21:49.84 of communication with Jesus. Amen. 00:21:50.04\00:21:51.75 Whatever that is and so we're able to spend time 00:21:51.95\00:21:54.75 in the word, we are able to spend time in good 00:21:54.95\00:21:57.47 Christian literature, we are able to spend time 00:21:57.68\00:22:00.16 going on a walk and getting refreshed, 00:22:00.38\00:22:02.31 we are able to get rest for our bodies 00:22:02.52\00:22:04.74 so that we can think properly because a lot of times 00:22:04.94\00:22:07.60 with all of this comes very little rest time. 00:22:07.81\00:22:11.16 And you know I don't know the statistics on it 00:22:11.37\00:22:14.12 but I heard recently that when we get a depleted 00:22:14.32\00:22:17.17 amount of rest and we're not getting 00:22:17.37\00:22:20.83 the number of hours we sleep need. 00:22:21.05\00:22:22.59 It's the equivalent of having so many 00:22:22.80\00:22:24.88 alcoholic drinks. Yes and that's scary. Yes. 00:22:25.09\00:22:28.77 Because then we can't make good intelligent decision, 00:22:28.96\00:22:33.39 we also I believe are not gonna be into what 00:22:33.60\00:22:37.19 Christ is trying to tell us and teach us. Amen. 00:22:37.39\00:22:40.27 So we have to get a physical rest and if our 00:22:40.48\00:22:44.26 schedule is so full that we're living on 00:22:44.47\00:22:46.64 4 to 5 hours a day I have to sometimes question 00:22:46.84\00:22:49.49 is that what God's calling us to. Amen. 00:22:49.69\00:22:51.66 And we need to be on our knees before Him 00:22:51.87\00:22:53.77 I am not saying that there are times that we're 00:22:53.98\00:22:56.67 pushed beyond because he has a mission, 00:22:56.87\00:22:58.77 he has something he needs to accomplish 00:22:58.97\00:23:00.69 but I think He provides us energy for that. 00:23:00.88\00:23:02.68 I don't think He expects us to live on it. Amen, amen. 00:23:02.88\00:23:06.45 So that's the physical rest, 00:23:06.66\00:23:08.17 what's the spiritual rest that you're talking about? 00:23:08.38\00:23:11.31 The spiritual rest was that communion with Him, 00:23:11.52\00:23:14.00 interestingly enough I found that it came in 00:23:14.22\00:23:17.96 bits and pieces because I was so. 00:23:18.77\00:23:20.24 Dry. Dry I was so dry but it's kind of like taking 00:23:20.45\00:23:26.09 a emaciated person and giving him a huge meal 00:23:26.29\00:23:28.30 and expecting them to eat it all. Yeah. 00:23:28.49\00:23:30.19 You can't do it. So it was piece by piece, 00:23:30.41\00:23:33.09 small amounts of time by small amounts of time 00:23:33.30\00:23:36.04 and I found it divided through the day, 00:23:36.24\00:23:38.58 those talks that I would have through the day 00:23:38.79\00:23:41.45 as I was cleaning the house as I was talking to Jesus. 00:23:41.66\00:23:44.20 As I was out on my walk so I was talking to Jesus, 00:23:44.40\00:23:46.61 as I was sitting down with my children 00:23:46.81\00:23:48.60 and the word wasn't just, I wasn't sitting down 00:23:48.80\00:23:51.77 with them to just feed them anymore. 00:23:51.96\00:23:53.22 I was sitting down and feeding me 00:23:53.43\00:23:54.47 out of those stories. It took on a new dimension 00:23:54.67\00:23:58.48 for me. So is this that point in your life 00:23:58.68\00:24:02.18 it sounds like to me anyway that you've learned 00:24:02.40\00:24:05.28 how to surrender to God, to surrender control 00:24:05.48\00:24:08.22 of your life to the Lord and then he begin 00:24:08.43\00:24:12.47 to lift you up. That's right, that's right. 00:24:12.66\00:24:15.13 And when He does then you come forth 00:24:15.33\00:24:18.60 with renewed strength. Yes. 00:24:18.79\00:24:20.35 And renewed energy and actually He is the one 00:24:20.56\00:24:23.82 that provides the ability to say no and to start 00:24:24.01\00:24:27.83 feeling comfortable with knowing you have 00:24:28.03\00:24:30.22 limitations, you have boundaries. 00:24:30.41\00:24:31.95 You have balances that needs 00:24:32.17\00:24:33.54 to be present in your life. 00:24:33.74\00:24:34.94 And what do you mean by balance? 00:24:35.17\00:24:37.20 Balance is a really difficult word. 00:24:37.41\00:24:39.96 Yes, well I hope you'll come back 00:24:40.18\00:24:42.93 and talk to us about that. I was going to say, 00:24:43.15\00:24:44.34 I do we have a session we'll do on 00:24:44.57\00:24:47.14 balance and boundaries. Wonderful. 00:24:47.34\00:24:48.88 But it is a matter of trying to find those parameters 00:24:49.08\00:24:52.80 that we work within that are Christ given. 00:24:53.00\00:24:56.45 Linda, I'm just so glad that you're here to share 00:24:56.65\00:24:59.72 this today but let me ask you one more question. 00:24:59.92\00:25:01.68 As the Lord is leading you and I believe 00:25:01.88\00:25:05.93 he led through your husband and put the. 00:25:06.13\00:25:08.29 Praise the Lord that you had a Christian counselor 00:25:08.49\00:25:10.17 to go through, praise the Lord that you had 00:25:10.37\00:25:12.46 a husband who is wise up to send you there. Yes. 00:25:12.67\00:25:15.60 Because now your husband is still in ministry, 00:25:15.80\00:25:17.98 you're still a pastor's wife so worked all of a 00:25:18.18\00:25:21.36 sudden and you are now ministering from a full up. 00:25:21.57\00:25:25.57 You've learned how to draw on the Lord. 00:25:25.81\00:25:28.69 Were there are any other resources that you used 00:25:28.90\00:25:31.60 other than the Bible, was there anything 00:25:31.81\00:25:33.64 that particularly spoke to you to help you 00:25:33.86\00:25:36.67 really recognize your problem? 00:25:36.87\00:25:40.29 As far as where I had gotten 00:25:40.51\00:25:45.65 at that point of time I think it was. 00:25:45.87\00:25:48.80 Books that were helpful or anything like that? 00:25:49.01\00:25:50.78 No, because I had pretty much, I didn't had time. 00:25:50.97\00:25:52.90 Okay. I was just so empty but I do wanna share 00:25:53.12\00:25:56.76 a text if I can, because it was one that I had 00:25:56.97\00:25:59.73 never seen before, Galatians 1:10, 00:25:59.93\00:26:02.22 "for do I now persuade men or God 00:26:02.45\00:26:05.16 or do I seek to please men, for if I yet please men 00:26:05.37\00:26:09.09 I should not be the servant of Christ." Amen. 00:26:09.29\00:26:13.21 Boy was that an eye opener. Amen. 00:26:13.42\00:26:16.05 And it was a refresher to me to let me know 00:26:16.26\00:26:19.31 Linda don't go there its all about me just stay 00:26:19.51\00:26:23.56 with me because if you are wearing 00:26:23.76\00:26:27.22 a yolk that is too heavy. 00:26:27.42\00:26:28.82 I've got to ask you who asked you to carry it? 00:26:29.03\00:26:31.96 Because Christ says mine is light. 00:26:32.17\00:26:35.01 And we're all yoked in service it's just 00:26:35.22\00:26:39.08 if we're not yoked to Jesus, whatever else 00:26:39.29\00:26:42.51 we're yoked to is a yolk of bondage isn't it? Right. 00:26:42.71\00:26:45.36 And so that is where the Lord has let you 00:26:45.58\00:26:48.81 out of that bondage, who's cut you free 00:26:49.01\00:26:50.90 from the cord of the wicked that was binding you 00:26:51.12\00:26:53.14 and now you have a very full life 00:26:53.37\00:26:57.00 but one that's controlled by his direction. 00:26:57.22\00:27:01.30 Praise the Lord. Amen. 00:27:01.52\00:27:03.24 Linda, thank you so much for being here 00:27:03.47\00:27:05.32 and I am glad that you're gonna be coming back 00:27:05.51\00:27:07.07 because you know God has what he has taught you 00:27:07.27\00:27:10.69 and the comfort he has bought you, 00:27:10.90\00:27:12.26 now he is sending you out to comfort others 00:27:12.47\00:27:14.80 with the same comfort that he has given you. Amen. 00:27:15.01\00:27:17.52 Oh! It's wonderful, you know I hope for you 00:27:17.73\00:27:20.07 at home that you've learned something 00:27:20.27\00:27:21.59 from this and I hope that you're going to pray 00:27:21.80\00:27:24.20 Psalm 90 verse 12 that if you wanna learn 00:27:24.41\00:27:27.20 how to go from the pressure cooker of expectation 00:27:27.41\00:27:30.20 of the world into the possibilities of how God 00:27:30.41\00:27:33.82 can lead you and what he can do for you. 00:27:34.60\00:27:36.29 Pray and teach us to number our days 00:27:36.48\00:27:39.37 that we may get us a heart of wisdom. 00:27:39.58\00:27:42.66 Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:27:42.89\00:27:45.78 the love of the Father and the fellowship of the 00:27:45.98\00:27:48.60 Holy Spirit be with you today and everyday. 00:27:48.81\00:27:52.26 Please join us again next time. 00:27:52.49\00:27:55.12