Christy: [00:00:00] Hello, everyone. We would like to welcome you to the podcast. I’m Christie
Grace: and I’m grace. And you’re listening to the thanks mom.
Christy: Podcast. We are. In our recording studio. Our very stellar, beautiful closet.
Grace: I can call it. Well, yeah, you can call it a beautiful seller closet. I was going to say, if you can call it a recording studio.
Christy: Well, it gives us the best. Acoustics, I
Grace: think. Does it, I guess. So because the clothes help keep the echo. I always think, I think it does. It is good. It is helpful. But sometimes it’s just. It feels, it feels a little silly, but it’s not bad. Why you don’t like the dirty laundry
Christy: basket and the irony board.
Grace: And.
Yeah. Just throws the studio recording Bible for a little bit. It’s not classy enough for you, grace. No. Oh shoot. I was, speaking of laundry was gonna fold laundry. I we talked, but nevermind. I’m
Christy: drinking coffee. It’s [00:01:00] Saturday morning, we’re recording late in the week, everyone. But we’re here.
And we’re back for you back at it with another new. An exciting episode topic. Right.
Grace: There you go. How’s your week been grace. It’s been. All over the place. Aye. A lot more tighter than I thought I’d be. I dog sit at this week only like five minutes away. That sounds so
Christy: weird. I dog
Grace: sitted. I dog sat. Sorry. That’s probably the better.
Yeah, I don’t think I sit it in a chat on, say a babysitted. I say babysat. You’re right. I dog sat
Christy: have another cup of coffee. You need a sip of mine.
Grace: Sure. I don’t ever say no to coffee.
Christy: Yeah, I dog sat
Grace: this week that this week. They’re only five minutes away, but.
Yeah, from our house. And so I was like, I’m not going to make dinner. I’m not going to like grocery shop. To make food by myself. I’ll just come home. And then the night I moved over there, I was flustered. Like just, hadn’t been a full day. So I was like, I don’t want to plan all my outfits for the week, like, and [00:02:00] pick out all these clothes and for a week that’s going to take up so much space in my duffel bag. And.
I’m trying not to bring a bunch of stuff over. So I’ll just swing back home and grab, like, when I come back for dinner, I’ll grab my clothes for the next day or two, whatever. But naturally. Being back and forth from your house. You forget stuff. Cause I’m like in my routine at home and then it’s like, well, I gotta bring all this stuff over here, but you forget.
The stuff that. You need in your day to day life where like I left, I managed yesterday. You didn’t end up hearing this whole story.
Christy: I saw you show back up. I just thought it was normal.
Grace: No. I know. Well, okay. So mom was like, oh, are you stopping back in the morning again? And I was like, no. And she’s like, well you have every day. I was like, okay.
That’s because one day we had to switch cars. And the next day I forgot. My, we were like, we’re going out to a lake because it was the end of the internship. And that was our party. And I forgot to beach towel. So I came back to grab the beach towel in the morning. And the third day I worked from home and you’re like, can you come back in the morning? So I came back not to grab something, but because I was working from home from our house, not the dog sitting [00:03:00] house.
She like, oh, I just assumed you were coming because you have everyday. And I was like, that’s true. I was like that. Wasn’t on purpose. That was just because it needed to happen. Sure. So then I, I leave and I go back to the dog sitting house and we had just
Christy: talked about all this at dinner the night before. And I was like, oh, so you’re not coming back in the morning. She’s like, no.
And I was like, man, it’s.
Grace: Yeah, back to the house. And I realized I don’t have my work bag. And I was like, that’s, that’s fine. Except like, I don’t eat in the morning exits, oh, wait, there’s this and this. And there that, cause it’s kind of also my functioning purse for the week. Like it’s more than just my work laptop. I was like, no, I do need it tonight. Has some stuff.
So I call Ava, cause I was like, I think I left it in the room. I share with Ava and she’s. I was like, can you just put it by the garage door? I’ll just swing by like, after I walked the dog, grab it and leave something. Anyone really known, knew that I came back set. Maybe Ava. Cause no, no. Shout it out. You were
Christy: like, mom, huh?
In the
Grace: morning, this is the night before I came back at night. ’cause she just left it in the mudroom. I grabbed it and I, I. Oh, no, I did it. I
Christy: just saw a cord though. You [00:04:00] lift a cord. Hang on. I knew I was back on back.
Grace: We need to go back to funny stories of the week because I was really listening to our podcast, which I could talk about too, in a second, this past week, I haven’t done that yet.
And it was fun. And we were really good at like being on top of funny stories and then it kind of like it missed it a few weeks. Now we’re out of the habit. So I’m going to remake this, my funny story. Okay.
Christy: Grace. So what’s your funny story this week.
Grace: So bringing it back when I finally was like, I just, I streamline this process. I don’t need to go back and forth from the house and the dog sitting house anywhere. I just.
I go back for dinner and then I’m good. So I think so I come back a second time that evening grabbed my work laptop, get back, realize I didn’t grab an outfit for work. I just have shorts and a t-shirt I’m wearing. And I was like, Crap. Okay. So I have to go back to the morning for that. And then I was like, oh, today’s my last day. I have to turn in my laptop. My.
The accord and stuff. And I was like, I left the court. This is the one day I can’t leave the cord at home because usually it’s just, if I’m working from home, I need it. Cause they have chargers everywhere in the office. I don’t really need to bring it in. So like this is the one day I need to not [00:05:00] forget it.
So that’s I come back in the morning, grab the cord change clothes, and then head back out. Cause I was like,
I’m on the phone. I don’t know. I was like, okay. Nevermind. It’ll be funny later. I was like, it can be funny later. I thought you’d be like, I thought you said you aren’t coming back in the morning. I’d be like, yep. And guess who forgot something again? Yeah.
Christy: Like in my head, I was laughing because as I laughed and then as
Grace: I.
And here was the thing that made it. So I picked up a 7:00 AM adoration. Our at I’m going to shower our, I H. So I go to IHM. I come back on my way back from adoration. Cause I have some times where I have to leave for work. Grab it. And I was like, then I’ll go right to the office from there. And then I realized I made a lunch and left it at the dog sitting house. So then I have to go back to the Josh.
Oh,
Christy: my gosh. I didn’t know you had to do that too. That’s the first time I heard that. Yeah.
Grace: So. I was just all over the place. And then I, because there’s construction had to take a different route to get into the ramp. That I usually park in that’s cheapest. Because I tried on Thursday to get into my normal ramp.
[00:06:00] Didn’t realize that all the entrances are blocked off. And I didn’t know, there’s a back entrance until I got into the office. So I’m trying to figure it out. Because I see it on the notice of that morning. No, there’s two entrances on the front and one in the back. Right. And I know about the back one.
I knew the two from the back one is right across from your office building. Then you’re having issues with all the one ways. And so I don’t have to go way out of my way to make sure I’m on the right side of the one way to get in that entrance. Cause I’m like, I know it’s probably down there and then I tried to do that accidentally.
Accidentally got highway, like. It was just, I was there for 20 minutes. I ended up, I was like, whatever they cover X, X amount of my parking a month. I don’t care. Right. Parked. So I parked as close as I could. And it was $27 for the day. Oh, I didn’t pay it, but they did. It’s like, I don’t care anymore. I was like, I was so new. I was like, I’ve been downtown for 20 minutes trying to get on the right side of a one-way to get to the right part of the parking lot. And I can’t figure.
Christy: Tell our listeners. Grace can be a little.
Grace: No. No, hang on a dash. So then the next day, finally, I was like, this is how I get on the right side of the one way to get into the ramp. Oh, good. Then [00:07:00] I just was paying like crazy attention in the morning. I was like, I’m doing it right this time. So I got in, did
Christy: you make it and do it right? I did a good job high.
So, yeah.
Grace: But I eventually, I was like, I’m wasting time. Trying to get to the right spot. I need to just, I don’t care. Like, yeah. I was like, I can’t. So.
Christy: I’m not trying to throw grace under the bus, but she can be a little directionally challenged sometimes. Just have, or just. You’re so good at like routine and organization to a fault at times where I always go this way, I always do it this way. So sometimes I try to challenge grace to think outside of the box and say, just take a different route.
To work so that you come out, I’ve
Grace: taken like, actually this. The correct side of the one line working downtown has helped me figure out like that. And I knew it would doing that. ’cause I do I take two or three different routes. It’s because it’s like, when you’re going. Is that I own, you know, like right before you get on the highway.
With Ottawa there. [00:08:00] Or no. From Ottawa once not there. Oh the other side. And so you can only go straight into the highway or left. And I see like five different lanes. Four of the five are all getting on the highway and I didn’t notice quick enough. I need to get all the way to the left most left lane.
To turn. And then you can turn left on Ottawa in the right direction. Yeah. So instead I went straight because I didn’t figure it out fast enough. That’s okay. So we still love you. It wasn’t. I know I am directionally challenged. This was more of a, I have not memorized one ways. Yeah. Right block to get. I know where I need to be in my head, like looking at Birdseye.
I just don’t. Yeah. So
Christy: you’re like me like that. We’re out.
Grace: Yeah, because the map only would take me to the other two entrances. It was just being stupid. Won’t show me the, I was like, hopefully it’ll correct. And show the back. And I looked, I was like, no, it’s taking me to the closed streets.
Yeah. I was like, I’m on my own for this one. I have to figure out how to get good job, grace. And then I was like, I don’t care.
Christy: See. See, these are the non-millennial problems for those of us who are not [00:09:00] millennials that had to have maps that rerouted us, like we had to like, you know, take out the COMPAS. I’m not shaming you. I.
I’m telling you how, like, I remember my dad would pull out the maps before vacation and we would route and we would highlight, or you could call into like AAA and they’d send you what was called the triptych. And it was like the multiple maps for each thing. Cause then you turn the page and you. Turn the page. And now it’s like you just plug in the Googles and to, for apple maps or whatever, and we’ll see, I’m showing
Grace: you.
Do you use the map and I still
Christy: did it. I know. And you are like me, you said, you’d do the bird’s-eye like I zoom up. I’m like, okay. Show me my map in my head. Like Joey on friends, I got to get into my map.
Grace: So I did learn from it. I decided that getting to the right person. It’s not my time anymore.
So that’s okay. And then you called me yesterday. I knew where I was and I wasn’t using a map to your home. And I was coming from that different spot. Nice. C Rakhine
Christy: grace for the wind.
Grace: I wasn’t. I was not good when I was 16. And mom would say, go here. Yeah, I [00:10:00] had, yeah, I know. No, I’m not saying that you’re not good. I was like, I know where that place is. I just don’t know the route to get there. And she’s like, why? You know, you’ve gone there your whole life. I was like, yeah, you drove me in. I have to pay attention where you’re going. I don’t know.
I just want to look up. I was like, I’ll read a book. I’ll talk. I’ll done.
Christy: So I. They have to be able to get to church, which is around the corner. I could do school and the cat, which is our athletic conference complex without using maps before they’re allowed to drive. ’cause. I said, if your phone dies. Or it reroutes you to the wrong thing. You’d have to know where to go. Yeah.
Grace: And she learned that from me when she realized my weak spots. Yeah, this is where I have to make sure.
Yeah. I’m the Guinea pig. You don’t know what you don’t know until you already have a Guinea pig. Yeah. I don’t, I didn’t realize, I didn’t know how to get places until I was like, I don’t not to get there. Yeah. I was like,
Christy: great, I’ll go drive, but I don’t know where to go and how to get anywhere that I want to go. Yeah.
And then we’ll do it two times. So my funny story of the week. Okay. Is that so. Our pastor. [00:11:00] Is. Building. A rectory for our parish. And while the Bishop is bringing all the pastors, they walked them. He wasn’t on the parish grounds. Our rectory was off campus. So we’re building on campus. And, you know, it’s set up as a rectory, not like as a personal house. So there’s these like multiple suites. So it looks actually.
Fairly large. So, you know, we’ve just been talking about, you know, father Troy’s new house and the rectory and. I know all this. And so then a few weeks ago, when they had like broke ground, they had, you know, poured the foundation and then all of a sudden. The walls start going up. And my seven-year-old is like, oh my gosh, look at it’s father Troy’s mansion. You.
Which is exactly what you don’t want being said about a rectory and priests who are trying to like live simply. And then they started putting the trusses for the roof on this week. And. My three and a half year old. As we’re driving back. Okay. Because the walls went up while we’re on vacation. So it went from like [00:12:00] nothing.
To like really large. So then that’s the mansion comment. So that was like, what two weeks ago. So then this week we’re driving, there was VBS this week. So, you know, Monday we’re driving there and they’re putting the trusses up and they have this huge crane that are listing the trusses up onto. Top of the phone, the framing and Sophia.
How she’s like. Father Troyce city is so nosy. Oh, yeah. His town, his town is getting so big and I was like, oh, this is just great. I just died laughing. And I was like, well, that’s just, his house is no, look, it’s a town. It is so, so big. Just like, oh, this is, this is great. We went from just a rectory to then.
She went to now a town. Yeah. So yeah, that was my funny story. She has had the funniest things this week. Of just Whatever. Singing. And then she knows she’s on camera and then she starts, you know, being animated to her little. I got her a backpack for school. Did you see the picture [00:13:00] for
Grace: that? Oh my gosh. She was so excited cause I saw it hanging in the mudroom. I was like,
This is this your backpack? Yes, it’s.
I got to show you this picture. Pop
pop it. Buttons are so small. They. I can’t push it that you can tell it’s totally like it’s a mini one, the company. No, it really isn’t that many, just the. Buttons on our money. I’ve seen some that size, but yeah.
Christy: The snarky picture that she sent, had me take to dad as we were leaving targets. ’cause at first, I said, turn so I can get a picture of your backpack. So she turns with her back straight to me, and then I’m like, no, no, turn to the side so I can see it. And at first she’s like, you know, deer in the headlights. I’m like smile, and this is a smile, the little snarky.
Yeah. Watch the live. What? Oh, oh, I’ll hit check.
Grace: It’s hilarious. Yeah. Anytime you like smile or pose. She like sticks her hip out and she’s like, I don’t have. Cute.
Christy: Anyway, that was a lot of banter. We. We kept moving on to our topic. I know. But. They don’t want to just hear us go back and forth about my cute kids all the time.
So, [00:14:00] yeah, well maybe they do.
So we wanted to talk about
Grace: what grace enoughness. I thought we’re talking about freedom. I don’t know. I got confused. We were one of those. Which one are we doing? We’re doing freedom. We’re doing
freedom.
Christy: I thought that’s what you said. You had more to talk about. We’ll do enoughness next week. Okay. So.
So, what are we talking about? Grace? Got freedom. Cause we’ll just edit that out. What are we talking about? Grace? It’s
Grace: kind of like legit. Honestly, it’s like, wow, this is just real life. Like, what are you talking about? I got so confused that. You know, when you said that was like, yeah, that is what we settled on. Okay. Good.
Isn’t that back and forth. That I
Christy: forgot. Yes. Well, I’ve been saying, I wanted to talk about freedom for a long time because. I think that. It comes up in so many different areas and not just freedom in the sense that. For us here in the United States. That we have, you know, Ben. Blessed to, you know, live in one of the most [00:15:00] prosperous and free areas in all of the world. Like we are just very blessed to be here, but freedom more in.
Not just our choices. And abilities to do things, but in our mindset and so free to think. And realizing that we, things don’t just happen to us. We are free to choose how we want to think about things like. Specifically like our life and our circumstances and how we have like a freedom to love, a freedom to be joyful, a freedom to choose gratitude.
So that was the freedom I was talking, like wanting to talk about more and. And see your thoughts on that. Cause I’ve been, I’ve been reading this book, living joy by Krista phonic. I mentioned it last week and it’s just been.
I like it, cause it’s not too long. And it’s like putting all of my actual thoughts. I’m learning things. Yes. But it actually is very concise and putting the things I feel like I’ve been learning and thinking and contemplating about. [00:16:00] Very succinctly because I don’t think I’m very succinct person often. So so it came back up.
Freedom, especially with like going back to school and how are we going to face that? And that’s similar to last week, we were talking about peace and overwhelmed with this time of year. But to, to choose. The F the freedom to think like the freedom to be joyful, the freedom. To be grateful and what that can bring to our lives. That was my take on it.
What were you thinking?
Grace: Similar and, and more like I mean, we’ve kind of talked about discipline before and how discipline makes you free. What kind of just like when you choose. When you choose the faith, when you choose Christ, like, I feel like that sounds cheesy, but it’s true when you choose.
A routine or discipline when you choose, like we were talking last week, not to worry and to just be in peace. The freedom that comes from that and freedom doesn’t like often I think it’s just. Thought it as his license to do. Whatever, not have any burdens. [00:17:00] But you need to make it. A choice to have that freedom. And you still wouldn’t like, it is like a burden free thing. Yeah. In many ways. Right?
I mean, you could look at it as. Yeah, anyways. So I think that’s really
Christy: true and that is really totally that’s where that was starting in all our other episodes. When I was saying like, We look at these rules, we look at these regulations and we think they’re actually binding us like these boundaries.
Right. But when we live within this, that’s where we do then experience the joy and the satisfaction. And there is so much. Freedom in that. You know there. So I don’t know what your dad was saying the other day, how there’s just so little that the church asks us. Or as Christians to do, like in terms of.
Guidelines like it, it really, there is just some parameters set and there’s so much. Freedom. Within that two live. And it’s just, it’s like with a little kid. [00:18:00] And I think parents out there can really realize this when you’re raising. Especially, not just the toddlers, but like in-between that, that infancy and toddler years, and even up through.
Whatever, like as you train kids. You know, all the parenting books. I say that you need to give boundaries, you need to give guidelines and kids are going to push them. Like there’s not, there’s not the issue that we won’t push them, but they want to make sure that that it’s there because I think there’s a lot of unsettleness like you’re saying, when.
We think, oh, we don’t want rules and regulations. Like we think true freedom is to be able to do what we want. Think what we want act however, without any discipline, without any repercussion, without any consequence. And that just isn’t life at all, that doesn’t matter what. Like area or region of the world you live in. That’s just not life. Your choices affect other people. The whole ripple effect in the pond.
But as parents, when we raise a child, [00:19:00] They want to know, like, okay, don’t put your finger in the electric shock. It is socket because. You’re going to get shocked and that’s hurt. So if you had freedom to do that and put your finger in the electric shock socket. Then yeah, but you’re going to get hurt. Is that really free? No.
But if there’s a boundary there that says, okay, don’t do that. Look how much joyful and happy you are. Cause you’re not getting shocked or don’t put your hand on the hot stove. Or we don’t scream or we don’t hit or bite, or, you know, we don’t run out into a street. These guidelines for the child are there for protection, right? The parent or God, as I’m equating that, you know, doing that.
Comparison to is doing it for their protection. And to give them freedom through love and joy and the peace that comes from them not being hurt. So when we put up these. Guidelines or these boundaries, these perimeters for our faith. It’s the same way. In terms of [00:20:00] not being hurt by falling into a trap of sin or falling into a trap of just deception or how the, the devil pokes at us. So I think you’re, you’re spot on to when we can abide by the freedom, the parameters, the freedom is much greater.
And then the joy becomes much greater. And our gratitude that could lead to the joy becomes much greater. Because we’re not being wounded and hurt by these things. They’re actually giving us freedom.
Grace: Yeah, I was, I started reading It have your topic, but it relates, I serving Bishop Barron’s letter to a suffering church. Talking about the sex, sex abuse scandal. Within the Catholic church. And he just took a chapter just to go through. How we see this in scripture and he’s like, look at, you know,
When people like you get all like, well, I just want freedom. Like, you know, When people say like sexual freedom and stuff and to do what I want. And he’s like, Look at the consequences of those actions every time in the Bible, like he showed [00:21:00] David, he showed lots daughters and a lot being willing to give his Virgin daughters up to different.
Men trying to attack, you know, attack them and all this. And he’s like, and then look at the ripple effect down the line. You could say in that moment they, they use their quote unquote freedom. To make those choices. And you were, and look at the consequences that came from that. And it really bound them in so many ways. Like, look at David.
Then he. Tried to cover it up and cover it up and cover. And he got deeper and deeper until finally he was like, you’re right. I was wrong. And then freedom came from that and it was, you know, and forgiveness. And healing, and there’s still consequences from his actions, but. I know, it was just interesting for me where he’s like, this is very clear in the Bible. Like what.
W we have these standards for a reason. And that was a very obvious one that you see over and over as a pattern in the Bible, in the old Testament specifically. But it’s like, yeah, technically you can’t like Peter sometimes when I’m babysitting, I’ll be like, you can’t do that. And he’s like, well, I can’t. I’m like, okay, you’re right.
And you [00:22:00] can’t, you’re not allowed to do that. Like, You know, cause then there’s consequences. If you do that. Like that’s been something I’ve noticed. And there’s always going to be consequences. And I think that’s, yeah, I guess negative. Corn’s great. But. No. I mean, Is what it was talking about.
Christy: Right then the negative consequences, but that’s what I guess. Is some of our point is that those negative consequences don’t really leave live. Lead to freedom in the sense that. We’re experiencing joy through the, this freedom. It’s it’s, it’s leading to the consequence of.
You know, Something that’s painful or having repercussions on. So yeah, in the that’s exactly what the point like with your brother, Peter. What he’s looking at is, well, I don’t want you to put the guideline there, but actually if he does that, it’s going to lead to more unhappiness and limiting his freedom that way.
By doing those wrong things and having, you know, privileges or things taken away, which is then limiting what he [00:23:00] normally would be able to do. Right. And have that freedom. Whereas, if he stayed away from the things that actually would hurt him and limit him, he would have more freedom in that. So I think there’s a lot of comparisons.
And that we can make through.
Either discipline or. Guidelines or the things like that. And. Yeah. Yeah, that’s a lot of roundabout way.
Grace: I think it’s the interesting part that. Is that it’s all like a choice away and it’s up to you. You can choose freedom. That’s been something I’ve been thinking about a lot this week. Like it struck me when we talked last talked last week about.
You not choose you don’t have to choose worry. You know, to have pieces and stuff, and it’s like, but that’s my choice that is always available. And the only reason I’m staying. In the not freedom, you know, the non freedom feeling like I’m trapped, even though quote unquote while I’m doing whatever I want and I’m thinking whatever I want. And it’s like, well, but I’m [00:24:00] thinking about worrying things and yes, I’m.
Capable to do that, but then I’m, I’m being bound in that sense. So it, so it’s just so interesting for me where it’s like, we’re binding ourselves. Through our choice in the end. It’s all it all comes down to, if you want to live in freedom and then you have to
Christy: choose that. Right. Exactly. And I think that’s.
That’s where this part that I. Was reading and living for joy, like going back to what you said about like the profits and what they chose and the repercussions of that, and then you have job. So this is in the Christa phonics book and he was talking about. Job and always having a, you know, a really, really bad day. Right.
The book opens up and he arose and he tore his robes and he shaved his head cause right from the book, his response was to this. This was the, his response to the, for the worst day. Of his life that you know, is his wife died, his children died, all these things. It’s terrible. Horrible. No good, very bad days.
He says, right? Yeah. It loses his, his daughters, his servants, his livestock. He was afflicted by [00:25:00] bodily stores. And then his friends all started to gossip about him. And. And I, I finally read the book of job through father Mike’s. You know, Bible in a year. And I thought the whole book was how this stuff kept happening. I didn’t realize.
It happened in like the very first chapter. Like you wake up at all. And all this things, but then the next day, And, you know, Joe. Chapter one, verse 20, he arose, he tore his garments. He shaved his head. He fell on the ground and worship and praise God for the greatness. He goes naked. I came from my mother’s womb and naked. I shall return.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. So that, so in other words, God, doesn’t, he, Chris goes on to say, God doesn’t owe me anything. So everything above zero, including just getting to exist. In a location. Is for gratitude. And from a non-necessary creatures, such as me is what he writes about, but so it wasn’t just holy for Joe to give things. It wasn’t [00:26:00] necessary for his life to go on.
And so the rest of the book. Of job goes on to talk about through him giving thanks through his gratitude. He starts receiving blessings again. And I just think this is the second time I’ve read about job and just like, wow. Like our whole society.
It is in such. Turmoil of entitlement. We’re entitled to this. We’re entitled to that. Why isn’t this happening quicker? Why isn’t this happening faster? And every generation it gets like that. You know, our parents would probably look at. Your dad and I, my parents, and are like, oh my gosh, like the challenge that you have from raising kids. And we’re going to do the same thing when you’re raising kids. And we think it’s hard now, and it’s just, you know, this is just the evil of our society that, you know,
The devil has a hole here and we are here to try and live above that. But I think. This is just proof. When we look back to the scriptures and different things that no, we’re not entitled to this, we shouldn’t be asking these questions like. [00:27:00] Why me. You know, why is this happening to me? Why did God allow this?
Instead, we should be like, thank you, Lord, that I’m here. That I can breathe another day. And living within that freedom because when we go outside in our mindset, so that’s connecting, like what you’re saying, like the freedom. Of choice of living within certain boundaries allows greater freedom.
When we go into like, mindset of that and what we’re choosing to be free, or are we choosing to be captive? Like you’re saying about worry. Like that just leads to pain. Are those thoughts serving you? Like. You know, I’ve said before. And so Chris gives us other point about this girl who was, you know, it was in an accident. She had a lot of health issues.
And after one of his talks that she was like, why is God letting this happen? And he usually would go down a different route, but instead he challenged her back and said, is that question helping you? Which really struck me is like the whole thing is this serving you. And he pressed her further. Seriously.
What’s that doing for you to keep asking that question [00:28:00] every day? And. I really was like, wow. You know, our brains, tell us what to do. So if we. Keep looking for the why the, why the, why? What we should be going back to is like, well, what thought are we choosing to think that is producing this feeling?
And I’ve talked about that. A lot. And that’s why it was just really liking this book because it was hitting me on like, no, we have the freedom to choose how we’re thinking and that can bring us so much joy just in choosing to be grateful. And finding. You know what we keep saying? Of the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Every day can lead to so much more freedom of, I just not going to think that because it just doesn’t serve me. Because it binds me in that worry or binds me into that anxiety that doesn’t lead to freedom or joy. It just leads to more worry and suffering and pain. And. Yeah. So that, that has just really struck me lately. Like.
The [00:29:00] grace is for now. The grace is for here and now. And what we have is what we are. You know, Allowing ourselves to think about that’s our choice and we have the freedom to choose. And then we have the ability to experience the freedom from our choices or the lack of freedom from our choices. So, I guess I’ve just been really trying to go.
I want to choose. Choices. That’s going to lead me to greater joy and greater freedom. And being you know And a person with purpose and with joy that when people see me, they’re like, yeah, That person is really joyful. What are they doing? And let that be the evangelist stick tool that I can use. Like.
How are they. How was she living differently? And I want to experience that. And the only way to experience that is to start practicing it. And start walking it. That’s been really impactful things that have been like meditating and thinking about in the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reading this and a couple other things.
Yeah,
Grace: I think some of that too. Cause. [00:30:00] You know, when we were talking about this, we’re like, oh, this is going to overlap a little with last week and trying to make it. Like, you know, even if it connects also separate topic. And I was thinking of, so what is. How do we talk about this being freedom separate from choosing peace and choose.
I mean choosing pieces also choosing freedom. I feel like freedom also has a lot to do with just learning to just be and be.
Like. Like it struck me this week when I was out at the water. I love just like. Being out in nature and especially water. I’ve always loved that. And I don’t know, sometimes there’s this pressure to be like, I want to enjoy this. And I want like, you know, anytime you’re on vacation, like I want, like, I need that.
And you just soak it in and it’s like, I need to do something it’s like, actually. You can just enjoy it. Like you can just be in the moment and be like, this is so like, I had this, you know, I thought it was like, this feels so nice. Like, this is just beautiful. I love this. And I just felt like the Lord was like, just enjoy, like, it was just the two words.
I was like, okay. And I just stared her on and I just looked and I just sat in that, like, I love. [00:31:00] How beautiful it is. I look like not even thinking, just, just being. And in that being in that moment, I enjoyed it. I was like sitting with Sophia last night and sometimes it’s like, oh, I want to soak this in a mood to go back to school and not get to cuddle with my siblings.
And it’s like, or I could just be. And enjoy it. And then I’m, then I am getting the most out of it. And like that’s also struck me recently. It’s like, All our joy, all of the things in life that are good when we try and pursue them in and of itself, like those good feelings. We’re always going to fail. And that’s like, you know, that mindset of I’m going to Disney and I have to have so much fun to have to do every ride. And then you end up miserable the whole time, like that stereotype. Like I don’t, Jim Gaffigan talks about that. I remember he’s like, he’s like, it’s so stressful going to Disney because you have to have fun.
And then it’s no fun because you have to have fun, like. I just remember one of his comedian lines was something about that. And he’s like, so stressful. You can’t just have fun, but it struck me. It’s like, everything comes from prayer and everything comes from God. So in that’s the center, everything is like joyful and fun. Like then [00:32:00] you can be Joe and be like, praise God that I’m suffering. Like, you know, if that focus is there.
No matter what it is. Good or bad like sickness and you know, or. Beauty beauty and nature. Like, if you choose the freedom of like, if you choose to be free by just being like I’m, God’s. I can just be with him. I can just. Like that’s what he made me for is to be. Just to be his, he didn’t make me to do anything. We do say like to know, love and serve the Lord, but we really just are made to be his.
And so much in life is just being then. Yeah. Like you don’t have to work. You don’t have to do, I mean you do, but like, there’s just a sense of you don’t always have to be. Accomplishing something to get these happy results we strive for in life. If you’re just with Christ. In everything you do. Then you’re, there’s this sense of fulfillment that comes because you’re with him in what you’re doing.
And sometimes you’re not doing anything and [00:33:00] sometimes you’re working in, but that’s where I noticed like, That’s the fulfillment. That. I noticed most in life is I enjoy things more. I take more joy in life. I feel more free. When Christ is at the center, when my prayer times at the center of my life. And I’m okay. Just being like.
Christy: I don’t know. No, I think that’s really true. And. In made for greatness, their master’s program. Right now we’re studying like gifts of the holy spirit, which I mentioned. And. I just, just what you said, like we’re talking about wisdom and it struck me and wisdom is knowing that we’re, we’re a soul and wisdom is knowing that we have the ability as a soul, just to wake up and breathe.
And then. Like knowledge and understanding is going, oh, and I can breathe. And I should be grateful for that. Like when we water, like, as that, as an example of like watering it down so much to go, I am not dead. I am living so blessed would be the name of the [00:34:00] Lord. Like job said, like I am suffering, which means that means I’m living.
I am living an and I have the ability to suffer. So therefore I should be grateful. Even though I’m suffering because I’m, I’m not dead. I mean in just going back to that so much, would you rather be in this, which is, this was tricky for me to like, hear somebody said, would you rather like. Be in this.
Drudgery. And sometimes when we look at suffering that way or this hardship, and still be able to kiss your husband and hug your kids or, you know, or be with your siblings and be with your parents and. And love them and wake up another day and go thank you for another day to be able to love them, to experience love.
Like there’s wisdom to recognize that versus the alternative of not being here and not having another day with them. And some people might say, yes, I’d rather, you know, I’ve lived my life. I think of sometimes the elderly I’ve lived my life. And I’m ready to go home and be in heaven [00:35:00] with the Lord. So there is like the difference there, like where there is no pain and there is no suffering.
But I think when we’re in the midst of some of our younger years, like I am now and raising a family. Like I should be grateful that even that suffering means I’m living and I get to be with these people and walk through. Maybe if my child is suffering, I’m able to be someone accompanying them on their journey.
And trying to. Be with them and walk through that. And that’s not to say that. We don’t experience suffering and we don’t have the feelings of unhappiness or frustration, but in the midst of that, Then what do you choose in the midst of saying and crying out to the Lord? There’s so many examples in scripture.
Have, you know, just crying out to the Lord, like the Psalms David, I love just reading those in and looking and going. He was in pain and he was suffering. And, but then it’s always a blessing to be the name of the Lord. Or I still worship the Lord. I’m I’m [00:36:00] down in the mud and the mire and I’m suffering.
And God shall always be praised. So there’s, there’s the flip side of like, where are we going to take that to. Where are we going to have that freedom of saying, God, this is yucky. And I don’t like it. And this hurts, and this is hard. Or my child is suffering or my dad has cancer or however, and I’m not downgrading any of that, but then how do we take those sufferings and bring it to the foot of the cross?
And to trust that his way is still more perfect than mine. You know, and when, when you be free, even in that
Grace: right. And anything in
Christy: life you can. Right. And the freedom is what prompts us to have joy and gratitude is to say, I have a freedom of how I want to look at this. And I think if it prompts us to trust, when we choose the freedom to say, yeah, God’s will be done. We are admitting that we don’t understand it.
And we don’t have all the answers and there’s [00:37:00] nowhere in the Bible and nothing. Of our Christian faith that goes, oh, in order to trust and be grateful, you should have all the answers. It’s I think that’s where we really have to. Train ourselves to go. No, I’m still going to give. Thanks. I’m still gonna go.
It know that God still has a better plan. And, and so many times we don’t, it’s not even thought our regular thinking. It’s like, no, I’m just planning out this and why isn’t it going in these ways? And I had an expectation that this day would go this way. And I’m so frustrated that this, I mean, that was my day yesterday. It was just.
It was annoying. Cause I, I had a couple of big bumps in the road that came up and I was like, why am I so impatient? And I’m like, because I had an expectation, that’s not getting met. I had an expectation. Okay. So that means I need to be intentional and slow down and examine the thought to go. All right.
My expectation isn’t being met. Where are you in the midst of this Lord? Like you’re saying in everything we do in, in that beauty, [00:38:00] my reflection this week in the blessedness Xi journal was like, I’m here, no matter what you do and your dishes and your normal tasks, my presence is here. Isn’t that? So cool.
And I’m like, Well, yeah, duh. You’re here, Lord and everything. But how many times do we sit and go? Oh, I’m just, you know, picking up the floor or I’m driving the kids to this or I’m what did you say, dog? Not dog sitting dog sanded. No. Doug said it.
Grace: Dog dog sitted in
Christy: your dog. like the Lord is just there. I’m walking.
Grace: Edit the transcript. And like, it’s not going to know the word dog sitted. Yes. And we’re going to have to type it in there. Yes.
Just a moment of humility. Yes, we did say that word five times in this.
Christy: So I just, yeah, I think that’s just. My point in. I was trying to make it in wrapping this up of. We have the choice and we have the freedom.
And to [00:39:00] choose to choose how we are. We’re going to have our thinking in that and the. The boundaries that our faith provides, gives so much freedom in that because it’s trying to prevent us from deeper wounds and hurts and suffering. And what are your final thoughts? Grace?
Grace: I thought of father Mike, they just put up snippets from it’s like Sunday. Hamley’s now.
And so I’ll listen to those. Cause they’re like 30 seconds. And I liked his one from my two weeks ago. He was like, why. He’s like, why do we go up here to learn? I’m like, I just want to know what the plan is. And he’s like, if it really comes in the Lord’s like, why? Well, because I want to know how to prepare it because I want him to do that. And he’s like, it really comes down to like,
I think I can do it better. I don’t trust that you have a good plan, right. Or something like that. Like he was like, it was like, basically comes down to, I don’t trust you. So tell me what’s going to happen so I can do it. And that struck me because I struggle with that a lot. And I was like, that is really what I’m saying is I don’t trust that. You’ll do it. Right. I want to do it. So just tell me what’s going to happen. And that’s, what’s frustrating. Cause it’s like, really, if we trust them, we [00:40:00] don’t need to know what’s going to happen. So.
We’re asking what’s going to happen. Out of this place of. Not trusting. Yeah. And so I was journaling about that this week. And it kind of struck me like
The Lord is like, Like trusting me. Isn’t a risk because I will never actually let you fall trusting me as exactly that it’s a trustful. Do you sh do you trust that I’ll catch you? He’s like, but it’s not a risk, cause I would never let you let, like, leave you to the enemy. It’s never a risk. You know, cause I think sometimes you’re like, well, letting go and letting the Lord take it’s like risky. We don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s like,
Really, if we trust him, it doesn’t matter what happens because we know he has our best interests at heart. And so that struck me. It’s like, it’s not a risk. It’s a trust that. It’s a trustful because he wanted. Just in his nature would never leave us pray.
Christy: And it’s the perfect trustful. We wouldn’t, we would do trust falls here on earth. Somebody can step out, somebody can back away. Somebody can be.
That’s why we’re
Grace: hesitant because we were exposed to others who are imperfect, who would do that? And so that makes sense. Like, I really like [00:41:00] listening to your to your coach Sterling and some of her podcasts when sometimes it’s like, give yourself grace for thinking that, because you live in a world that, that tells you that that’s true.
Like, I like that sometimes I’m like, oh, why do I think that? And a lot of times she’ll be like, why? Like, because you’re in a world that tells you that, of course you’ve fallen prey to that. Like, don’t beat yourself. And
Christy: be loving and know that that’s how it is the human condition. And that all
Grace: your work. And so you have to actively go against right. Believing that. And so you have to go against like the nature of what people have broken my trust. So, but the Lord won’t like the Lord’s the exception. And so I just liked.
I liked that. I’m just like. Choose. And then there’s freedom when you’re like, yeah, I’m just going to trust fall. And I don’t know what’s going to happen, but that’s the freedom. That’s beautiful. I don’t have to know what’s going to happen. And in that is freedom.
Christy: Yeah. Because the Lord will never let us down.
So true. So, well, we thank you for listening and we are grateful that you’re always here and coming back. We want to make sure that
Grace: you do all the things and all the [00:42:00] jazz. All the things
Christy: and all the jazz. That’s where
Grace: grace email, Instagram, Facebook email is at things. Mom, podcasts, or sorry, things on podcasts@gmail.com.
The thanks mom podcast group on Facebook or at things on podcasts and Instagram. Mom is Christina M. Brown at Gmail? Yep.
Christy: No. Christina Brown.
Grace: Yes. Christina andBrown@gmail.com. If you want to email her. And I think if not double check her website at Christina and brown. Dot com com. Maybe, maybe we don’t have an email. I’m just making that up. No, I
Christy: do. But now I’m getting confused with my personal email, but check out Facebook.
Chris,
Grace: the email and her Instagram has.
Christy: Underscore underscore underscore underscore brown. Yep. Check that out for
Grace: like subscribe, rate, review. All of our page things, all of our. Well, I listed out the things in case they found them. So awesome.
Christy: So thank you. And we’ll see you next time
Grace: on the things mom podcast by