Ryan Reynolds (13:48)

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for 15amonth plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com.

Courtney Harrell (14:06)

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes.

Ali Yost (14:16)

And fees, extra fee, full terms at.

Courtney Harrell (14:17)

Mintmobile do imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. How much do you make? Who paid for that fancy dinner? What did your house actually cost? On every episode of what we Spend, a different guest opens up their wallets, opens up their lives really and tells us all about their finances. For one week. They tell us everything they spend their money on.

Ali Yost (14:41)

My son slammed like $6 with the blueberries in five minutes.

Courtney Harrell (14:45)

This is a podcast about all the ways money comes into our lives and then leaves again. Which of course we all have a lot of feelings about.

Ali Yost (14:53)

I really want these things. I Want to own a house. I want to have a child. But this morning, I really wanted a.

Courtney Harrell (14:58)

Coffee because whatever you are buying or not buying or saving or spending, at the end of the day, money is always about more than your balance. I'm Courtney Harrell, and this is what we spend, listen to, and follow what We Spend. An Odyssey original podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Ali Yost (15:18)

What are foods that you eat? Recently, food has been a big concern. Okay. So I wonder if it's because she feels convicted maybe about the food that she's eating. Well, I will say this is another thing. God is so kind. Like, I think the Lord knows that overnight transformation is just. Just setting his children up for failure. And so for me, it's funny, my food journey started off with me making sure that I was preparing three meals a day for myself and that I made it a goal to do it from home. And so, typically, when you're making food from home, I think it's a bit easier to make sure that it's healthy. I think sometimes, like, as we're, like, ordering food or takeout or door dash or whatever, the odds are that it's probably not as healthy as if you were to have made it from home. And so, Ashley Hetherington, I'm going to plug my best friend here because I love her. She is been such a huge influence and impact in my life personally. She may have also been for you guys, too. I know that there are some of y' all listening where she has also impacted your. Your lives as well. But with my eating habits and, like, I think I just needed to. I needed easy recipes that were healthy. I think that's where I needed to start, was like, I was not going to put all this pressure on myself that I was going to become this big, crazy chef. But I could start preparing meals for myself from home that maybe only take 10 to 15 minutes. You know, it doesn't take that much time, but it's healthy. And so finding recipes that are healthy but not intimidating, because the kindest thing Ashley did just through this process was she was like, okay, so what is the thing that's holding you back from preparing healthy meals for yourself? And I was like, it's just too many steps. Like, it's just too many steps. You know, like, you look at a healthy recipe typically, and it's like, you have to have all these different spices and all these different condiments and all of these different ingredients. And the next thing you know, you're like, when am I ever going to use these ingredients ever again. I don't know. It's just, like, really intimidating for me. Anytime I would try to make a healthy meal, I was like, geez, this feels like, like. Like I'm putting together the biggest puzzle right now. And so she was like, I think what you need is you just need a really simple recipe. And there are simple recipes out there, y' all. There are. And that was something that the Lord has really helped to debunk for me, is there are simple recipes that do not take long that are healthy. Like, it doesn't mean that we have to compromise the things that we're putting in our bodies. And so for me, I won't say that I'm, like, super perfect at this. Like, I'm still ordering chick fil a from time to time, and I do love it, and I'm still having my French fries and things like that. But for the most part, I actually eat a lot health now. And it's changed the way that I operate through my days. It's made a huge, huge impact on the way that I feel and even the way that I show up every day. And so I am grateful for the journey, but it was a bit of a process of, like, weeding out all of these things that I thought were the truth and learning the truth of how I'm supposed to steward my body with healthy foods. And a lot of it has to do with just, like, eating organic and just making sure that ingredients are clean and there are few ingredients. Like, I'm looking. I'm actually looking at the labels, and I'm like, okay, these words too many, and I don't know what they are. It's probably not that clean. And I know that there are apps and there are actually resources out there where you can scan things as you're at, you know, the grocery store and stuff like that. Yeah. I just think, like, debunking that lie that you can't make simple, quick recipes. Also, meal prepping, like, you could cook something and then you could eat it for the next three days. It's actually not that hard. There was a version of me before when I would hear that, and I'd be like, this is literally the worst. Like, I don't want to do this. That sounds like so much work. And then I do it, and I'm like, wait, that wasn't even that hard, you know? So sometimes I think it also is, like, pushing yourself to just do it. And then once you're doing it, you're like, wait, this isn't even that Bad. You know, I feel like sometimes we can anticipate things to be a lot worse than they actually are until we do it. And it's been so healing for me, y' all. Like, I'm really grateful for the way that the Lord just revealed the truth of how I was seeing food and how I was seeing my body, you know, and like, yes, our bodies can take a lot, but we shouldn't look at them and be like, I mean, that stuff eventually catches up to you and it's just not good for you in your body. And there's so many alternatives, like healthy alternatives. If there are things that you still enjoy, it doesn't mean you have to stop eating it, but just enjoying things that have better ingredients and are just healthier for you. Like, more organic, less processed. That's been my biggest thing is like less processed foods, processed garbage, and eating things that are like, really from the ground. And I think that also speaks volumes to God's heart. Like, he gave us everything that we needed and the things that are organic and the things that come from the ground and the things that come from, you know, animals and livestock. Like, he. He's given us everything that we need. And so all this processed stuff is just man made and it's not actually a necessity. And again, I don't even know homegirls talking about processed stuff, but when I think about, you know, like, what foods do we eat, what should we eat? You know, and she said, this becoming a concern, that's my honest feedback. I don't know if it was helpful for anyone, but I think if this is something that you feel convicted in, just seek the Lord's wisdom and be like, okay, God, how do you want me to approach this and at what pace? Because I want it to be successful and I want it to stick, you know, I don't want this to be another phase where I'm like, I'm gonna eat healthy and then, you know, you fall off. Because we've all been there. You guys should really check out about Ashley's YouTube and like, her socials because she shares really easy recipes, even smoothies. Like, stuff that's just like, so easy, but so healthy. Yeah, it's changed my life. It's changed my life. Eating healthier. How do you handle situations in times where you don't feel God's presence? I really like that. I really like that. I think it depends on the situation that you're in, obviously. But I will speak to a situation that I was in just yesterday where I, I felt I was literally drowning in a situation. I was drowning in my feelings. I did not feel God at all. And I knew in my head that him being far away was not the truth. I'm like, I know he's near, but I don't feel Him. I felt very alone in deciding what I should do. And so what I do in those situations, no matter how painful, like, you guys, you know the feeling of how painful it is when you have to, like, deny your flesh? It hurts so bad. Like, it literally stings. It feels like God is pouring rubbing alcohol on a boo boo. Like, I. I just. It's so painful to resist your flesh because all we want to do is cave into it. But if I'm ever in a situation and I don't feel the presence of God, and I know that it's probably because, I don't know, there could be a wall or there could be a barrier that I've created, or I could be believing lies. Like, I could be believing things in my head and I'm not actually true. Like, I can't hear him because everything else is so loud. As much as I would like to just sulk in that or even wait for it to go by, like, I think it' also super common for us. I mean, I'll speak for myself. Sometimes I'm like, I'm just gonna ride this out. I'm just gonna wait till it's over. And sometimes that's not always wise to just, like, sit in it and be like, I'm just gonna wait for it to pass. And you don't invite God into it at all. Something that I like to do in those moments is like, okay, what are things that I know I can do right now that would help me feel the presence of God more? Because it's not that God is any further away, but when we don't feel the presence of God, it's because there's a lack of awareness. Awareness of his presence. Not that there's actually a lack of his presence. So what are some things that you could do in those situations to bring more awareness of his holy spirit? For me, y' all, it's legitimately putting on worship music and praying to him out loud. Even if I don't physically want to. Even if it's so hard for me to press my finger on that remote and put worship music on my tv. It sounds so dramatic, but it's true. Like, sometimes I'm like, no, I don't even want to put worship music on. I don't want to pray. I don't want to talk out loud to him about this. Like, I just feel really far and I don't feel him. And I'm confused and I'm overwhelmed. That is real. But you have to push through that moment and do whatever you think you need or whatever you've seen work in your past that has been able to bring you back to that awareness of his presence and kind of bring you back to Earth, you know, I mean, obviously God is more than a feeling, and sometimes we don't always feel his presence. But if you're in a situation where you're like, no, God, I actually need to feel your presence. I need to feel you, I need to hear you. I need to know that you're near to me right now. I like, if that's the situation, do the very things that, you know help bring your awareness back to his spirit. Does that make sense? That's what I've had to do. And it's crazy, y' all, because the minute I started praying and I was honest with God out loud about what I was feeling, whether it was scared or confused or like, you know, God, I feel like I gotta make this big decision or whatever it is, bring those honest feelings to him. Because the minute I said the word, I meant to, I was mad, okay? I was mad kind of at God. Low key, okay? And I. I hated that. I was mad at God. I hated it. I hated that I was upset with him. I don't ever want to be mad at God because he literally doesn't deserve it. He doesn't ever deserve for us to be angry with him because at the end of the day, like, he is a good father and he only does things that are good. So for me to be mad at him was like being mad at an innocent man who's only loved me and cared about me, you know? But I was. I was mad, but I wasn't willing to, like, say that out loud. I was like, I'm just, like, irritated. I'm just kind of frustrated. Like, you know, I'm just this or that. Like, I would find kind of like a softer way of saying that. Instead of just being so upfront with God and being like, God, I'm really mad right now. I'm mad, and I don't understand why you're allowing this thing. And because I wasn't willing to be straight up with him, I was in that situation of not really feeling super close to him. I was not feeling his presence. So it was funny because once I unlocked that, I was honest out loud. And I said, I'm mad, God, I'm mad. I just broke, like, whatever that garbage was that was keeping me far away from him and making me feel as if he was not near to me, had broken off. And, yeah, the more I prayed, the more peace I received and the more of his spirit I felt all around me, comforting me. I put on the worship music, and I was like, wait, this is what life is all about. It's about Jesus. It's about his love and his peace. Like, I don't need to be mad, but if you are mad, you gotta just say it, you know, because it's like, it goes back to that scripture where God's like, he knows what's in your heart. And so he knew I was mad, but he also was like, girl, you're not just saying the word. Say the word mad. Say that you're mad. So anyway, that turned into a little tangent, but I hope that that helped at least. Least a little bit. Guys, how are we doing? Are we hanging in there? Okay. What do you do when your Christian friends think you're too Christian? There's no such thing as being too Christian. Maybe there's such thing as being too religious, but I don't think there's any such thing as being too Christian. Like, too obsessed with God. Like, there's no such thing. I think any Christian who thinks that you are too Christian is probably just projecting and feeling really convicted in the way that you decide to live your life. And they just simply. They don't. If they don't want to think about Jesus and consider him in every aspect of their life, that's fine. But that doesn't mean that you're the problem. Like, just because you're convicting them of that by the way that you live doesn't mean that you are the problem. I don't think there's anything that can be unhealthy about wanting Jesus to be in every part of your life, like, every part of your life. There is no such thing as being too in love with God because he was so in love. Love with you, to die for you. People could have argued maybe that was too much. People could have argued that the way that Jesus died for you and the excruciating pain that he had to go through and the torture. A lot of people could have been like, that is too much. Like, you don't need to do all that for them. But he did. And so I don't think there's too much love, too much honor, like, too much fear of God. Like, there's no such thing as too much. Like, he gave you everything thing God gave his one and only beloved and perfect son. And that son decided, said, I will actually. It's like, I will do it. I will go through this torture and agony and physical and spiritual and mental pain because that's how much I love you. He chose to do that. God did that, and he didn't have to. So I don't think there's such thing as being too Christian or too in love or too dedicated to Christ. Oh, my gosh. There's no such thing. There's no one in your life that's ever been more dedicated to. To you than Jesus. I mean, Jesus was so dedicated to you and loving you so much that he died for you. So, yeah, no, we just rebuke that. And I really pray that you can continue to be an example for these people in your life. And we don't need to combat them. We don't need to fight with them. You don't need to prove anything. You can just keep living the life that you're living, being so infatuated and in love with Jesus and pray for them. And I believe it'll soften their hearts and they will be open to that conviction and be like, okay, wait, why does it bother me so much that she is so obsessed with Jesus? And, like, that's such a good thing to be so dedicated to. Out of all the things in the world, like, that is the thing we should be the most dedicated to. So then why is that a problem? Like, it just seems a little silly when you break it down that much. Like, it's a problem that she's that dedicated to Jesus, like, the man who saved the world. Yeah. So anyway, hey, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you for being too Christian. That's what we're here about, y' all. We're here to be the Jesus freaks. We're here to be the ones that look really, really weird. Because unfortunately, I do believe that there is a Christianity out there that is just so, like, culturally normal of, like, you know, you can dabble in this and dabble in that and, you know, proclaim Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but then do this over here. Like, it's so normal. Right now that is a stronghold that the enemy has had in the church is being like, yeah, I mean, you can love Jesus enough and not, like, love Jesus with all of your heart, mind, and soul. Like, the two most important commandments are what to love God with all of your Heart and mind and soul. And then to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The first commandment is to literally love and adore God with all of your heart. Heart. Unfortunately, I just feel like there's a lot of Christianity that's like, I'll love him with most of my heart. I'll love him with, like, a lot of my heart. What do you mean? Yeah, girl, there, there is no guilt in loving God with all your heart. You're actually doing it the right way. That was our original design, actually. Like, that is how we were created, is to love God with all of our heart because he loves us with all of his. That was supposed to be our love story with God. And for a lot of us it is. There are still people that do love God with all of their hearts heart. But don't let that make you feel like you're over the top when you're surrounded by other people who don't understand that and aren't willing to give God all of their heart.

LinkedIn (29:15)

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Ali Yost (29:46)

How do I believe that God will remove me from sin? I love that question. You have to have faith that God is capable of delivering you from sin. Yes, we have to have faith in that. I don't know what kind of sin this is. Like, if these are habits or addictions or whatever. I do believe, believe that God can radically deliver us from these things. But also there is a decision that we have to make in it. It's not like God just, we're a puppet and God just like, overtakes our body. And now we just don't sin anymore. We don't partake in that sin. There is free will that is still a part of that where you have to also make the choice. And then from that, God will give you the supernatural power to support you in that decision that you've made, to hold you accountable and say, we are not touching this anymore. I believe that's where conviction happens, like, and you'll feel it in your spirit. There are sinful things that I. Getting drunk, like drinking, you know, I have been delivered from that. But that doesn't mean that I don't still have to actively make the choice every single day to not do those things anymore. Like, when there is alcohol in an environment that I'm at, if I'm at like a brand event or something and they're serving all this liquor, like, it does take a level of self control, which is a fruit of the spirit, so it comes from the Holy Spirit. We can't do it on our own, but there is a level of self control that has to partner with free will and making the decision and saying, not doing that. And if there's ever a moment to be tempted to do sinful things or things that we know that the Lord has delivered us from, just like tapping into his spirit and. And the power of the Holy Spirit and tapping into God and being like, lord, I need you right now. Keep me grounded, keep me far from this sin. Lord, you've delivered me from this, and I believe it. It has not been a part of my lifestyle. I need your strength. This is not a strength that we get from within ourselves, you know? And so you, yes, you should believe that God will remove you from sin, but also understanding that it is a decision that you have to make to say, I am no longer doing this anymore. So, God, I need you to be my partner in this and help me supernaturally never want to touch this thing ever again. And the best way to believe that God can deliver you from sin is looking at what God has done up until now, not only even in your life, but like, in other people's lives. Like testimonies and stories in the Bible of how God has delivered people from pain and suffering and sin and believing that he can do that, he can do that. So maybe even reminding yourself of, like, are there things in your past that you know God has delivered you from? And so it's good to remember those things and believe that he is that same God and He can partner with you in these things. Like, if you're like, I want change, God, I don't want to do this anymore. He will carry that with you. Like, he will support you in that. And he will give you the strength that you need to make those changes. Changes, and he will deliver you from it. How to be on fire for the Lord but not legalistic. I love this question. Yeah, I think that's so. Oh, that's such a good question. I hope that I can actually answer it. I feel like the very thing that can keep you on fire for the Lord, but not legalistic is keeping that childlike faith that God encourages so much because children don't think legalistically, but there is a fire. You know, like, there's. There's an innocence and there is a lot of faith. Faith that children can have. You know, we've talked about this before, but like, even when you're a child and you just like, trust your parents will provide and, you know, there. There's just like no worry, there's no doubt, there's no fear of the future. So I think the best. I don't know, I actually would love to hear Yalls feedback in the comment section too. If this is some experience that you've had, maybe the best thing that could combat that legalistic temptation or mentality is childlike faith and approaching everything in a sense of like, innocence of a child and just believing and having fun with the Lord. I think you can do all of those things being on fire for him, like being curious and having fun and enjoying enjoying your relationship with Jesus, enjoying the journey, enjoying the things that he's walking you through or trying to teach you, enjoying his company. That is why God says to be like a child, like, to have childlike faith so that things don't get legalistic and they don't get super serious. And there's still like freedom and fluidity in our relationships with God, while also go obviously prioritizing the very things that are so needed, like the word of God and the things that God says. And I think his spirit can also help us with that too. Kind of like what I was sharing at the beginning of this episode where I was like, you can still extend grace without compromising. And I think sometimes if we're too stuck on being like, no, it has to be this way. I'm not compromising. It can feel a little legalistic. But it was the spirit of God that was like, hey, girl, you gotta loosen up a little bit, all right? I'm not telling you to compromise, okay? I'm not telling you to settle on anything thing. I love that you feel so heavy about the convictions that you feel from me. And those are real. You're not supposed to regret them. But also have a little grace. Have a little grace, you know, don't be so uptight. Yeah, I think God can also reveal to you too. Like, if you're being too legalistic, he can show you that he can be like, hey, we need to back up a little bit. And I think that all comes from experience and walking with the Lord and letting him reveal those things. This question is so sweet. I don't know if it actually has anything to do with Jesus. Yes, it does. Everything has to do with Jesus. It's. It says, is it okay to be emotional for every little thing? I think it's okay to have emotions for every little thing. Yes, I think it is okay to be emotional. I think it is okay that a lot of things mean a lot to you. This feels like I'm just, like, being a big sister, which I can totally do right now. But, yes, it's okay to be emotional now. One thing that the Bible does say is we are not to trust. I don't think we're supposed to trust our emotions and, like, put our emotions or our feelings in a place of dependency that we should only be doing with Jesus. Like, I don't know if we should always trust our emotions. They are always a good indicator of something, though. And God did create emotions. He let us have emotions for a reason. And I think that emotions are actually very good. But sometimes if we're a little too lenient, if we're a little too dependent on them, is maybe when it can be a little bit dangerous. But I don't think emotions are bad. I actually think that's what makes us very human. And I know that the Lord has emotions, emotions about every little thing because everything means so much to him, and I know he has emotions about every little thing. So, yeah, it's not a bad thing. I don't know what you're referring to, but it is okay to have feelings. It's okay to have emotions, no matter how big or small it feels, because the Lord has given you those emotions to experience and feel, and there's no shame in them. All right, y' all, let's do one more. What do you think about praying to saints? I believe that the only thing we should be praying to is God. I think that Jesus died for us so that he can be the cornerstone between humanity and God himself. And Jesus is God, the Trinity. Right? We've talked about that on the podcast a few episodes ago. Three persons, all one God. So we're not praying to separate gods. We are praying to God. Whether you're in communication with the Holy Spirit or you're in conversation with Jesus or you're speaking to Abba. Father, it's all God. God. And so I do not believe that we are ever supposed to pray to or seek. This kind of goes back to, like, nature, too. But if there's anything that we are seeking for in anyone else or anything else that honestly, we should just Be directly going to Jesus about that is what Jesus is for. He's for so many things, you guys. But, like, without Jesus, there would be no way to the Father. It says in scripture that you can only reach the Father through the Son, Son. And so it doesn't seem productive to use these other things like praying to saints or praying to Mary. Like, I know that there are other religions out there that believe that those are very important things in their faith. And I'm never going to tell anyone to not do that, because who am I? But I will say that Jesus died to be that cornerstone. And he's all we need to reach the Father, that we are so loved. We have direct relationships, relationship with Abba, Father, because of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us, like, and leaving the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, like, that is all. God has given us more than we need with the Trinity. And so I don't pray to saints. I don't pray to anyone else, like, other than God himself. And I believe that I can reach the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ. And as long as I believe that Jesus died for me on the cross for my sins, and. And I believe that he is the cornerstone, I have a direct relationship with God. And I do. I know I do. I do. I have a direct relationship with the Trinity, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father. And that's all I need. Yeah, I know that that can be kind of a hard topic, and there might be people listening who don't agree, and that's okay. I love you so much. I love you so much. And that's okay. But the question was asked, and I was gonna answer it honestly, and that is my honest response, is that I just go directly to God. And I believe that that is available for every sing of us through the Son of Jesus. Like, we can go right to God. We don't need to go through other things to relay the message to Him. It's like, we can go straight to the Creator himself now because of Jesus. That was not always the case, y' all. Like, it wasn't always the case that we could just go straight to God, but now we can because of Jesus. It just doesn't feel very productive if it's, like, already available to you through Jesus. On that note, I love you guys. You guys, and I adore you so much. Thanks for hanging out with me today. I hope that this was fruitful. I hope that we learned something. I don't know. I know it was kind of random, but I also love just, like, inviting you guys in. On conversations and whatever is weighing on your heart I think is always really fun to just do with you guys. So I love you and I hope that you guys have a great rest of your week. I hope you have a great weekend. Until the next time we touch base. Guys, can we do something cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus Jesus is? Can we walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like him? I think that would be a really great goal for us to set. Let's just be the light. Be the light that only Jesus can give us. I love y' all. I'm proud of you and I will see you next week. Bye. Are some of y' all still listening? Okay, if you're still here, that means you're a real one, which is why I'm about to share this with you. If you've already caught up on all the episodes so far and you don't want to wait until next Friday for a new one, I have really good news for you. Subscribe to our Patreon to get early access access to the episodes every week, early access to merch launches or any other exciting news, and receive personalized encouraging messages or Bible verses from us. Subscribe to our patreon@www.patreon.com CWCOI. I do also want to mention that there is a way to give to the podcast, so if you ever feel led to donate, it blesses me so much and it helps allow the podcast to keep running. You can donate to our paypal at www.paypal.net me cwcoi we appreciate y' all and we love you so, so.