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A
Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
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B
Zoe, this thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, Live with your legs, man.
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C
Santa. Santa, did you get my letter?
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B
He's talking to you britches. I'm not.
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A
Of course he did.
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B
Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf. I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies, right, Mrs. Claus?
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A
I'm Mrs. Claus. Claus much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch, so you can keep your old phone or give.
- [00:32]
B
It as a gift.
- [00:33]
A
And the best part, you can make the switch to T Mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.
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C
Nice.
- [00:37]
B
My side of the tree is slipping.
- [00:38]
D
Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T Mobile is available in U.S. cellular stores with sweeper.
- [00:50]
E
Monthly bill credits for well qualified customers, plus tax and $35 vice connection charge credit sentinel balance due to payout earlier. Cancel Finance agreement. 256 gates, $830. Eligible Ford in a new line, $100 plus a month plan with auto fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line.
- [00:59]
C
Visit t mobile.com for everyone who solves crime from their couch, knows more about forensics than their own job, and has trust issues with small town sheriffs. Amazon Music's millions of podcast episodes are calling. Just download the Amazon music app and start listening to your favorite true crime podcasts ad free included with Prime. Hello, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I am your host, Ali Yost. It is a joy and an honor to be here with you guys today. Happy Friday, everybody. How are we all feeling? I am so grateful to be here with you guys. I know I already said that. I'm gonna say it again. I doubled up on y' all this week with the gratitude. But seriously, I'm so grateful. I'm so excited to be here. I. I will say I look a little fancier today than I typically do on the podcast. I feel like I don't. I mean, like I present myself well. I think hopefully you guys feel the same way. I, you know, I'm not showing up in my pajamas, but I do feel a little bit more elevated and fancy and sophisticated. And it's because I had gone up to LA today for an event which was so fun and I don't typically have a lot of excuses to Dress up like this. And, you know, it was, like, a nice event, and it was fun, and it was with this makeup brand. They were incredible. Okay? Incredible. The pop up, because they were visiting. They're not based out of Los Angeles. It was beautiful. So, so impressed. So much fun. Everyone was so kind, and I just had the best time, and I was already in this outfit, and I was considering changing and just getting into something more comfortable, like a cozy sweater or something, but I was like, you know what? We're just gonna keep rolling with it. Like, I loved this outfit so much. So here we are, guys. There we are. I love you guys. I love y'. All. Can I just tell you how much this podcast brings me joy? Like, true, genuine joy. And I think, if anything, obviously, my biggest thing with this podcast is, like, praise God, that this is something that the Lord is using to tell people about Jesus and. And, you know, to reach people. Like, it's his spirit, you know, moving through me that gets to just minister to you guys. And I'm really so grateful for that, but also, like, I'm just so grateful for this community. Like, genuinely grateful for the family that we have here. It's like nothing I've ever really experienced. I just love y', all, and I'm so proud of the people that you guys are. And so I just want to encourage that and encourage you guys in that. Like, I don't know if anyone has told you that they are proud of you, but I am genuinely so proud of you. And I know that we don't know each other personally, but I do know that the Lord is so proud of you. And just the fact that you're listening to a podcast like this, there are just so many other things that you could be doing with your time right now. And the fact that you want to spend your time this way in a way where we are hopefully in this episode, that's my goal in every episode, is to just look at Jesus. Like, the fact that that's how you're spending your time right now is just really amazing. And it's remarkable, and it's beautiful. And I just think the fact that we are all here and we are able to just look at Jesus is actually a miracle in itself. I think, you know, probably a lot of us listening right now maybe have stories like mine where I didn't know Jesus, like, that it's a miracle that I'm here today. And so in the way that I am, like, the fact that this is my life now is a literal freaking miracle doesn't make sense. And so, yeah, it's a miracle that you're here. It's also a miracle that you've just been created and formed by God. Like the odds. I looked it up. I shared it one time on the Internet of the odds of just being alive. Okay? People usually ask this because they're feeling the weight of how wild it is to exist. And honestly, the odds are insane. So listen to this, guys. Here's the simplest, clearest breakdown of what people mean by the odds of being alive. This is a calculation is like, it's actually an insane. I don't know what this number, I can't even say it back to you, but it says that's a one with 2.7 million zeros after it. That number is so huge, it might as well be zero. This includes your parents meeting them, staying together long enough to conceive the exact egg and sperm combining 1 in 400 quadrillion. Your ancestors surviving long enough to have children. Every event in history lining up to allow your existence. It's wild. Your existence isn't a random accident anyway, even if the odds are mathematically impossible. Scripture frames it differently. You were knit together in your mother's womb, which is Psalm 139, 13. Meaning you're not here by chance at all. You're here because God wanted you here. So in a scientific sense, the odds are almost zero that you exist right now. In a Christian sense, the odds are irrelevant because your existence is intentional. Another way to picture it, of just the odds of you being alive and the fact that we are all sitting here is a miracle, right? So a way to picture it is imagine the entire universe covered in grains of sand. Every planet, every moon, every star. Then imagine. Imagine picking one single grain at random. The odds of picking that exact grain someone secretly chose beforehand still much higher than the odds of you being born. It's just so crazy that mathematically we shouldn't exist. But the fact that we do, I don't know why, that just, like, wrecks me. But God so intentionally created you. So intentionally created you. And I think we just forget that. Like, we genuinely forget what a miracle it is to be alive. I think we probably take advantage of it. And I think that we also probably let the heaviness of life. Get in the way of remembering just how special it is to be alive. And I think that even though the pressure of the world, too, with how we're supposed to spend our life or what we're supposed to do with our life, and there's so much Pressure on doing it the right way or making the right decisions. And from, you know, a faith perspective, you know, if we're sitting here, I would imagine it's because you love Jesus or you want to learn how to love Jesus. But maybe we can sometimes fall into this cycle of, like, well, I want to live my life to the fullest of what God wanted for my life. You know, And I think that that's a really good desire to have, and I think it's an honoring desire to have. But there might be a point where we maybe are putting too much pressure on ourselves to be quote in the will of God, that we're just stressed and anxious the whole time about what our purpose is or what we're supposed to do here on Earth. And so I really would love to talk about purpose. I would love to talk about why in the world you're here. Why am I here? What are we doing? Like, okay, it's a miracle that we're alive. And it's crazy that we exist. Like, the odds of us existing is basically zero. That's how big the number is. But why? Like, like, actually why? Why are we alive? Why are we here? What's the purpose? What's our job? What are we supposed to do while we're here on Earth? And apparently this life, in comparison to eternal life is like a grain of sand compared to the life that we're going to live after this life, right, with Jesus in heaven in all of eternity, like, this is just a. Like a little glimpse, like a sparkle, like a little compared to the life that we're going to spend in eternity with Jesus. And so it is such a little blimp of, like, our life and what our life will look like even after this lifetime. But also, we want to spend it well. And if you do believe in Jesus and you love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul, first most important commandment is you want to do that well, and you go. And you want to go, okay, God, so then what am I here for? What did you make? Like, if I was so important to be made, why did you make me? And so if that is a question you have asked yourself in your life or just recently, I think this is gonna be a really good episode for you. And just a tiny little plug. Cause it's not yet finished yet. And I think I've. I think I've, like, I've snuck this in an episode before, maybe. I don't know. But I am writing a book. We're in the process of getting it out there and it being like an actual book. And what I've written about is around this topic of purpose. So I am very excited for that book to exist in the world very soon. But I felt such a burden to write about this topic of purpose. And I'm sharing a lot of my own stories in my life, of how I've navigated and how I've even gotten to where I am today and what clarity God has given me in my purpose. And so that'll definitely be a more in depth version than this podcast episode, of course, because it's a whole book. But I'm very excited about it and I. I'm excited to announce it. So, I mean, stick around if you'd like, keep your eyes peeled for whenever that can go live and follow me on socials and stuff too, because I'll definitely be talking about it on socials, but I'll be talking about it on here too. Duh. Anyway, purpose. Okay, let's talk about it. 1. It's so funny because I feel like that is like the. One of the deepest desires, if not like the deepest desire of the human soul. I think since the beginning of our lives is. I think the biggest thing that we are always trying to understand is why, like, why am I here? What was I made for? How to feel fulfilled and just how to feel confident and good. That, like, this is. No, this is what I was made for. And I think that when you are filled with that kind of purpose, there is that instant satisfaction that comes. Comes to our soul. Like, that restoration that comes to our soul of like, oh, this is what I was made for. And I think a lot of times, like, if you are in high school and you are figuring out what your passions are, like, what are your loves? What do you love to do? What are you passionate about doing? Is it sports? Is it being a counselor and helping people? Is it being a nurse? Is it being a doctor? Is it running your own business? Dreaming? Being an artist? Like, what does that mean? So finding that and then obviously, like, that's what you're gonna do with the rest of your life. And the thing is, is God has given all of us passions and abilities artistically. I mean, we can all be creative in our own ways. It doesn't mean you have to have necessarily a paintbrush and a canvas. But I do believe we're all creative and we have strengths and we have things that we love because those are gifts from God. And so I'm not saying that those things are bad, but I do think that A lot of times the world, especially if it's void of God, if it's void of Jesus. And it's like, we're just looking at that. That is where all our worth goes into. And that is our definition of our purpose. It's like, no, my purpose is this thing that I'm really good at. My purpose is to play basketball. My purpose is to, you know. And I feel like that's actually just like a little dinky, dinky sliver of what our actual purpose is here on Earth. And I think that's an expression of how to be in our purpose. Because, like, if you have a strength, that's the tool, that's the medium that you will definitely need to be using, like, as, you know, your tool in life. But I think we all have the same purpose. And then, like, with those gifts and those things that God has planted in all of our hearts, we all reach that, you know? But the big major purpose that I have realized, it's not. It doesn't just stop at that. And I think that's the disconnect that the world has is. It's like. It's actually quite, like, shallow. And it goes a lot deeper than that. It's not just like, oh, well, I'm really good at this, and I can help people in this way, and this is what I do. It's like, yeah, for sure. But also, like, there's such a deeper meaning to our purpose that is spiritual, that is rooted in, okay, where did we come from? Who were we created by? And who gave me these passions and these gifts or these things that I love? Like, if that's songwriting, who gave that to you? And so I think the first step of truly understanding our purpose, like, genuinely before anything else and is understanding who you were created by. I didn't say fully understand because we will never fully understand or be able to conceptualize who God is. Because he's massive. Massive. I believe at the end of our lives, like, even if we just, like, faithfully followed God and studied the Bible and studied Scripture and just, like, educated ourselves to the most of our abilities of who God is. And we did that for the rest of our lives until we were 93 years old, we probably still wouldn't come anywhere near truly understanding who God is. He's just too big. But he's so kind to have left his Holy Spirit, who genuinely is, like, our intercessor is our counselor, is the one or translator, you know, that can help us understand who God is. And I think, for me, like, the best way I've really understood who God is to me is through, obviously, scripture. Like, you guys, I've shared my story so many times of how I've come to Jesus, but it was scripture that actually introduced me to the spirit of God, which made me feel something I had never felt in my life. And so I actually think the way that I've understood God is through a way of feeling that sometimes I can't even put words to because that's how massive he is. Actually, that's like a whole nother rabbit hole that we could probably fall into of just like. I don't know, like, how we all can kind of encounter God differently. But I guess that's just been my experience is I feel like I've understood God more through obviously, scripture. And then the feelings. The feelings. I don't know. I can't just. It's just. It's just him. It's just his kindness, it's his love, it's his compassion, it's his empathy, it's his heart. Like, so I will say that I think step one is that is like being like, okay, who are you, God? Like, understanding my purpose, I think best start would be who made me, you know, so understanding our Creator to love God and walk closely with him. Your first calling is relationship, not performance. To know Jesus, talk to him, to trust him, to lean on him, and to let him shape your heart day by day. Everything else flows out of that place. And if those things sound overwhelming to you, it. We gotta go back to that very first sentence that said, your first calling is really relationship, not performance. So you don't need to strive. You don't feel like this is a checklist that you have to try to achieve. Like, okay, I have to talk to him, I need to trust him, I need to lean on him, and I need to let him shape my heart. Like, yeah, for sure. And you do actually. You have to talk to him. That is something you physically have to do. And I could be speak like preaching to the choir. A lot of you guys may know this, but also, if you're new, I just feel like maybe there could be a lot of new people that are just clicking on this episode because it's about purpose. And they're like, I don't know, maybe you've never even tried to consider Jesus, but I really think that going into it with an open heart of being like, I'm just gonna start talking to you, Jesus, and I'm gonna start opening my heart to you, and I'm gonna start praying and I'm gonna start reading Scripture. And, like, that is walking closely with him, you know, is, like, starting to lean on him and trust him and look at him like a friend. And I think that that's something that happens over time, just like any friendship. I mean, you think about when you start becoming friends with anybody, and probably the first couple hangs are a little like, who are you? What's your. What's your vibe? What are you about? And then the more that you realize that it's safe, and the more that you realize you actually really like this person and you like their character and you love their heart, and you're like, wait, this person's, like, actually so kind, and they're, like, really compassionate, and they kind of have a little bit of humor. Like, they're funny, and they make me feel safe, and they never make me feel judged. And then you just want to be around them all the time. And I think that is exactly what it's like becoming a friend of Jesus and letting him be your friend. And so, yeah, I just think that that comes with time. So, like, there is no pressure to be like, oh, but I gotta make sure all this, like, genuinely just come to him with an open heart and curiosity and being like, okay, God, I want to know who you are. Okay, Jesus, I invite you into my life and into my heart, and slowly but surely those things will all start to fall together. He will then be able to start shaping your heart day by day, and then everything else will flow out of that place. It's beautiful. It's like, the coolest thing ever. And so once we've done that, okay, let's say, okay, now we've. We've finally encountered the very man who saved my life, the very man who died on the cross for me, the very man who's created me. The man who humbled himself and came down from heaven to live a life like ours, but perfectly, never committing a single sin, overcoming all of sin and death and evil of the world so that we could be freed through his blood and his sacrifice, we can plead his blood and say, thank you, Jesus, for overcoming the sin of my life and the sin of the world. So once we've accepted him as Lord and Savior and we're starting to get familiar with him, and we're like, wait, Jesus, you're actually, like, the best person ever. I want to give my life to you. Okay, you've given your life to Jesus. You're like, this feels like purpose. I really believe that that is, like, the first step of really feeling so fulfilled is because the purpose of our existence is to know who we've been created by and to then love people the way that we've experienced the love of God. And so the next thing, okay, would be to reflect Christ into the world around you. There's something so powerful about being that example of Jesus in the ordinary moments. I recently went to the hair salon and my stylist complimented my hair and she was like, ally, I can tell that you use like the best of the best products. And truly, truly, you guys, that is how I feel when it comes to my overall self care. Like not just for my hair, but my skin care, my body care, like everything that I use to treat myself. I kind of want to use the best of the best because I know the benefits that comes with it. It's worth the investment to me because I know what I'm putting on my body is actually good for it. And a brand that I have been so obsessed with is osea. If you guys haven't heard of this brand yet, I don't know how you haven't, but let me help put you on an upgrade to your self care routine. I have been using osea's Andaria Al G body butter. One of the reasons I love this body butter more than others that I've tried is that it delivers up to 72 hours of hydration to my skin. And this is the time of year that my skin would need that the most. Okay. It's made with Andaria, seaweed, shea butter and ceramides. It's rich and ultra nourishing. So it of course leaves your skin feeling super soft and very smooth. It's also clinically shown to visibly improve texture and firmness after four weeks. My favorite time to use it is before bed after I've taken a shower so that it can really seep into my skin overnight. And I wake up and my skin is like transformed. Not to mention the smell is so refreshing. It has scents of grapefruit lime and notes of mango mandarin. Experience body care from OIA that actually visibly delivers results. And right now we have a special discount just for you. Listeners get 10% off your first order site wide with Code Coffee at ocamalibu.com that's OA O S E A malibu.com Code Coffee. I've shared this with you guys a few times, but my schedule is actually quite chaotic. I've shared with you guys that I can be a bit type B versus type A where I just function and live in chaos. And it is what it is. But my fault sometimes is I will struggle with focus and productivity and sometimes efficiency. I might have a little bit of adhd, like I'm not really sure. But what I do know is on days where it feels really chaotic and I just have a lot going on in my schedule, I need to feel sharp and focused. Obviously we all know and love coffee. I love coffee, but sometimes it doesn't help me lock in on the days that I really need to lock in. It actually will give me more anxiety sometimes. And so recently I have found a solution and it's called Everyday Dose. Everyday Dose is Coffee plus benefits. It combine high quality coffee with powerful ingredients like lion's mane, collagen, protein and nootropics to fuel your brain, boost your focus and give you clean, sustained energy all day. It tastes just like coffee without the downside. Like there's no crash, no jitters, just clean sustained energy. Right now get 61 off your first coffee plus starter kit, a free peppermint mocha creamer for the holidays, and over 100 in free gifts. Plus enter to win 100 cash or get your entire order refunded, visit everydaydose.combackslash cwcoi or just use code CWCOI at checkout. Another thing is forgiving quickly. I think that's a very rare thing in the world. And so if we are setting the example of Jesus, who is forgiving, he forgave us before we ever sinned against him. He loved us before we ever loved him back. And so forgiving people quickly is a major, major thing that we are called to do and something that would set us apart as followers of Jesus, to show kindness that doesn't make sense, offer peace, intense places, and choose truth over convenience. Your life becomes a living picture of what God is like. So we're just supposed to reflect the the love of God. And the only way we can do that is to know him and to have experienced his love. And so that's why this can't actually come before step one. Step one is, who are you, God? Who made me? What's going on here? Why am I here? And then step two is be that example in the world of who God is and who Jesus is. And the example of who Jesus was. And Jesus humbling himself, being God was to also set the example like of how we are truly supposed to walk through life. One of the clearest ways we love God is how we treat people. Your purpose includes building others up, serving your family, friends and even strangers, showing compassion and being a safe, steady presence in A world that feels chaotic. Love is your ministry, Love is your purpose. Love, love. And not the fake kind of love. Like there's so many versions of love out there. I'm telling you, the. The fruits of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control, those are all fruits of the Spirit. And the Spirit is God. So this is the fruit of who God is. This is his character. This is who God is to the core of Him. And so that is who we're called to be. And those are only things we can access through His Spirit, through Him, through His Spirit working through us. So when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you have access to those fruits because His Spirit is the one that gives you the strength to have all of these things. And so if it's hard for you in the chaos of this world, in how unfair this world is, how evil this world is, how selfish people can be, how they can just backstab you with no problem and then walk away and, and dispose you off to the side of the road. Like that is, is the sad truth of the world that we live in now. And it is hard to practice these things when that is how we are being treated or that is that those are the things that are like honestly ruling and dictating a lot of the world right now. Like there, there, there just is not enough of this. The fruits of the Spirit, the character of God. There's not enough people practicing the true characteristics of who God is, which is joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. And so to love people deeply and sacrificially through building people up, serving your family, friends and strangers, showing compassion, being a safe and steady presence in the world that feels chaotic, right? All these examples, but the only way you will be able to do those things is through the power of God and through His Holy Spirit. And so if that's an intimidating thing to hear right now, I have good news for you. You don't have to do it alone and you don't have to do it out of your own strength. That is what happens when you come into partnership with the very Creator who made you. We were made to love. And not just any love, not just any man made, manufactured, selfish love, that's all about ourselves and how other people can make us feel. But like, like the real definition of love that comes from the very source, which is God. He created us in love for love, to be loved by him and to love other people, God just is love. So now that we've gotten a better understanding of who our Creator is. We are not only doing that, we're walking closely with him, we're in relationship with Him. And then we're reflecting those same characteristics of who God is to the world. We're letting the Lord use us as a vessel and be like, I want to look just like you, God. I want to love people the way that I've experienced your love, the way that you love the real you. I want to show people the real you. So you're doing that. You're loving people deeply and sacrificially. And now it's like, how do we partner all of those things with also who God's created us to be? Like, individually, as a person, you're like, who have I been created to be? And that can stem from your personality, your gifts, your creativity, your voice, your story. None of it is random, whether through your job, relationships, music, creativity, or simply the way you make people feel seen. I think it really is that simple. What is the thing that God has put on your life and in your heart that makes people feel seen? At the end of the day, our purpose is also to help people feel seen. And if we do that in partnership of loving people, as God loves us and as God loves them, you are living the most purposeful life. And it isn't just about the title of who you are. It isn't just about the job that you were able to get. It isn't just about the college that you were able to get into. It isn't just about the money that you could make or the car that you could have or the house that you could have. Like, there is just too much emphasis on that being like. And that was my purpose, and that's my purpose. It's actually more so like, what are your gifts? And what has God created you to be and to do? And what. What is it about that that helps people feel seen? And I'm not saying that it's. It's a bad thing to want to be successful at that. It's not a bad thing to want to make a lot of money. Because I believe as Christians, we are called to be successful and make money so that we could bless people with that. Because money is a tool. And it is something that is still God's, by the way. Money is still God's. Everything is his, everything is God's. And so that is a tool that I believe God trusts us Christians with to bless other people and not to just make it about ourselves and to hoard it and to only have our income be about us. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to have a nice life and to have a night and even provide for your future family, if that's a goal that you want. But for that to be the only purpose of why we do what we do is where I believe there is a big disconnect. We should be thinking more about, okay, I want to operate in my strengths and my gifts that God has given me so that not only am I really good at it, but I want to be really good at it so that I can bless even more people and help even more people be seen and to feel loved by God. And that could be in a profession that isn't a pastor. It doesn't have to be something that's necessarily in, like, a Christian title, but you can absolutely do that in whatever that gift or talent could be. I believe that you can still point people to Jesus, no matter what that is, as long as it honors God, and as long as it is something that, you know was put in you for whatever reason, and whatever reason is because God had a plan for your life and he wanted you to use that very gift to love him with it by loving others with it. And also, if you're young and I. When I say young, I mean, you could be, like, high school, even college, like, if you're still having a hard time fully understanding. I do believe that deep down, though, like, in our gut, we know the very thing that God has made us for. And I think it's just a matter of, like, really sitting down with him and being like, okay, God, what are some characteristics about me? My personality, the things that I love to do, and the ways that I like to make other people feel through those things. What do you say about that? And what would you say I was made for with going to him and asking those questions? Like, if you genuinely are, like, I don't know, I think that would be such a cool invitation to sit with God and be like, all right, Lord, I want you to highlight my strengths, and I want you to bring to mind the things that I know I'm really strong. Like, if that's communication, if you're like, a strong communicator and you're so good at talking to people, I think that's a great start of being like, okay, God, I know this is a strength of mine. And then just like, letting him navigate you in your life and. And let him open the doors that need to be opened and close the doors that need to be closed. Do thoughts like Did I really mean that prayer? Or what if God is disappointed in me? Replay over and over again in your head. Or do you keep worrying that you're not believing hard enough, that every unwanted thought might be blasphemy, or that you've somehow lost your salvation and no matter how many times you pray, read or repent, you just can't shake the anxiety. Experiences like that can be signs of religious ocd. Real OCD is nothing like the stereotypes of just wanting everything to be organized all the time. It's a serious and highly misunderstanding understood condition where unwanted and distressing thoughts get stuck on repeat in your mind and you feel compelled to engage in certain behaviors to try to make them stop. People with OCD often feel driven to do certain mental or physical behaviors, like constantly seeking reassurance over analyzing every thought to try to figure out if it was sinful or repeating prayers until they are quote perfect to try to cope with the anxiety that's caused by their thoughts. And when OCD goes after your beliefs, it can leave you guilty, scared, or disconnected, connected from God. But there is hope. OCD is highly treatable with the right kind of specialized therapy. ERP therapy or exposure and response prevention is what works for ocd. And it's not your standard like talking therapy, which can make things worse. NOCD is the world's leading provider for OCD treatment. All of their licensed therapists truly understand OCD and specialize in ERP therapy. Therapy with no CD is 100 virtual, covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans and includes support between sessions so you're never facing OCD alone. To learn more about starting OCD therapy with no CD, go to nocd.com and book a free call to learn more about how they can help you. That's nocd.com.
- [34:12]
A
Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
- [34:14]
B
Zoe. This thing weighs a ton. Drew, ski lift with your legs, man.
- [34:17]
C
Santa, Santa Cruz got my letter.
- [34:19]
B
He's talking to you, Bridges. I'm not.
- [34:22]
A
Of course he did.
- [34:23]
B
Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew here. He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17. And at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies, right, Mrs. Claus?
- [34:37]
A
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- [34:48]
B
Nice. My side of the tree is slipping.
- [34:50]
C
Timber.
- [34:51]
D
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- [35:02]
E
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- [35:11]
C
Visit t mobile.com and I think another part of that too is like, really trusting that God will reveal to you what that means. Like, if. If it's really as simple as, like, I just know I'm a really great communicator and like, for some reason I'm so good at helping people navigate their feelings, or like, I'm so good at articulating my thoughts or my feelings, or I really love. I'm like, quite poetic sometimes and I feel like I could write, like, I just think trusting that the Lord will also slowly reveal it to you in time. And it's okay if you don't actually fully understand what that means. It could mean that God uses that strength of communication in a bunch of different ways throughout your life. And it doesn't actually mean that just because you're hitting like the deadline of, of, you know, just being in high school and being like, I'm supposed to know what I'm. What my purpose is now. Like, I'm supposed to understand what I'm supposed to do with my life life. Like, you may not even do that thing for the rest of your life. It might just be a chapter of your life, or you may not even end up doing that with your life, which is okay. I think that the truth is, is as long as we have a relationship with the very person who created us and we're loving people the way that he would want us to love people, and not only are we doing that, but like, we're using those gifts. Like, if the only way you know how to use your communication right now is to, like, help your friends navigate their feelings or thoughts, or if the only way you know how to use your skill of communication is by writing blogs or whatever, then do that, then do that. And I think just continuing to walk closely with God and like, practicing hearing his voice and letting him kind of just surprise you, I will say that even though I've always known kind of what I've been made for this is the thing is, ever since I was a little girl, I knew I was supposed to be in front of a camera. I knew I was supposed to be in front of people. And so God has really plot twisted my life in a lot of ways and probably will continue to you. I loved, like, the feeling of, like, performing. Not that, okay, this isn't a performance, but you know what? Like, I loved the idea of, like, being in front of people and like, having a personality and being, like, entertaining in a way as well. And I've always loved to sing and I've always been good at talking in front of people, even though I'm so scared to do it. But, like, for some reason when I would get up in front of people, I could do it. No matter how scared I was, was. It didn't seem like I was seriously like a gift. Like, what? Who, why? Yeah, and he's plot twisted my life so many times, and he probably will continue to plot twist my life. But it hasn't been a mystery that those were the things that he planted in my heart. And he's continuing to show me why he did. And so I think the truth is, is I know my purpose more now than I ever have in my life, but a lot of it is still a mystery. And I think that those two things can exist and be true at the same time. Of, like, I know that my purpose is to be in relationship with the very man who saved my life, is to love him with my entire heart, mind and soul. And then to love people and share the love of Jesus with other people. To share the gospel, to share the good news that is available to every single person on earth because God has died forever. Everyone. Jesus died for every person on earth. And so it's the great commission, y'. All. It's also the great commission of sharing the love of Jesus and the good news of Jesus saving us from ourselves. I have never felt so fulfilled in my life. But at the same time, it's still a mystery how he's using me me. Like, some of it has been revealed, but I don't think all of it has. And I think that's something that will evolve for a long time for me and for all of us. Like, I think if that part of your purpose isn't totally clear to you, I think that's actually quite normal. I think the meat and potatoes of all of it is, is to be loved by God, to love God and then to love others as God loves them, and to share the good news of Jesus with people. And to love. And that is simply loving people like Jesus. That's forgiving people like Jesus. That's being more like Jesus every day. It is the most fulfilling thing you will ever do in your life. I can testify to that. That I have never felt so fulfilled in my life. I. I had the success, I had the independence. I got myself my own place, I was buying myself all my own furniture. I had never felt. I got my. I had my dog, I worked for myself. I was a full time influencer. I was going on brand trips to Paris, I was going on brand trips to Greece, I was going to Italy. I was making money. I was making money. Most money I've ever seen in my life. I'm not saying I was a millionaire, but most money I've seen in my life. I had everything. I had the quote, fame on the Internet. I mean, I had everything you thought you would want to feel fulfilled in life, and I wasn't. And I'm sitting here and I'm telling you that none of that stuff will ever fulfill you the same way as knowing Jesus. Just not being friends with Jesus, being a friend of his, and allowing him to be your friend. Nothing else in this world. And I think the reason why is because the odds of us existing is a number that is, like we said, should basically be zero. The odds of us existing is already insane enough. But then getting to know the source of why we're created, it's like my soul was like, finally, this is what I've been yearning for. And the rest will truly follow. Like, the rest will really fall into place. And if we focus too much on, like, but what has God made me for? It's like, just walk with Him. Just walk with him. Just let him love you and love others and, and let him just flow through you. And just like, of course, be curious about who he's created you to be. But don't put pressure that that is what it has to be about. And if you don't have it figured out, like, it's okay. There's so much grace for that. And I have so much faith. I know that there is something deep down in you that has an idea, but I think sometimes we're a little. We're just not satisfied with knowing the whole plan or what that exactly is supposed to look like. And that just takes the fun out of life. Probably I would, I don't know, probably if. If we just knew exactly how our life was gonna go or exactly what God has made us to do in every day, in every season. In every era. Like, I don't know, it also, like, wouldn't take a lot of faith. Like, if we knew all those things already, it wouldn't take a lot of faith. Like, we wouldn't have to have so much faith in Jesus. We wouldn't have to depend on him so much. And I think the reason he wants us to have so much faith in him and to depend on him so much is because that's the very thing that builds our character. That's the very, those are the very experiences that forms us and creates us into the being that we're supposed to be. And also, he just wants us to know him more and experience his love more. Why? Because he loves us that much. And he just, he's like, because I love you and I want you to know how much I love you. And I want you to experience my love because I love you. And so believe it or not, the seasons of confusion and the shifting of life and, you know, the mystery of life and the mystery of, well, what's God going to do with my life now? Actually brings us to a deeper intimacy with Jesus. At least it's an invitation. If we accept it. He's always going to offer that, but it is, it is an invitation by God to be like, or I could just depend on you even more right now. In the confusion of life and the lack of clarity of what and why and how, and I mean, we could rack our minds about that forever. But I have truly found so much purpose in just being with him and being loved by him and then loving other people like Jesus. I will tell you, there is actually nothing better than loving people the way that Jesus loves them. There's. There's nothing in this world that will make you feel more satisfied and filled with more purpose than that. Like, I'm telling you, if you practice those two things of like, truly understanding more of who God is and allowing yourself to be loved by God and loving others, I mean, that alone is like purpose, check. And then being able to use the gifts that God has given you to then also flow in. That is like such a cherry on top and like a perk, you know? But it actually fills me when I get to love people genuinely through the love of Jesus.
- [44:25]
F
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- [44:56]
C
We could have a hesitation to do that or to be inconvenienced or to go out of our way for other people. Because it's like, ah, but it's going to take time and it's going to take energy and like, I really have to be at this place. But like, if I stop, it's going to make sure I'm going to be stuck in traffic even more. Like, you think that it's actually going to be a burden, but the minute that you do it, you realize that that actually was, that moment was way more fulfilling for you and your soul than if you were to have never been able to bless that person in that moment. And I think that even speaks volumes to what we've been created for. Like the fact that that's how we feel when we do those things. It's like, oh, this is my purpose. This is what I was made for. Like, to encounter the love of God. That feeling is like, oh, I want to be here forever. Why? Because that's what you were made for. And then being able to flow that same love out to a stranger or a loved one or whoever, it's like, oh my gosh, this is what I was made for. Like, it's like it just clicks. It just clicks. And it's the best feeling ever. So even that alone, I'm like, I've done my job. And so another part of our purpose, this is to grow into who God imagined when he made you. Life isn't just about doing. It's about becoming. Becoming more patient, more gentle, wiser, more joyful, more free. God cares about your heart more than your achievements. And last but not least, the most important thing. I think the best way that we can really keep our eyes on loving God and loving people, as Jesus would love people and does love people, is to make eternity our aim. So it goes back to, like, how this life is just a little blimp, it's just a little grain of sand compared to the life that we live in the afterlife. Eternity with Jesus, but keeping our eyes on that, making eternity your aim. You're here for a breath, but what you do with your life echoes forever. Your purpose is to live with eternity in mind, helping others find the hope you've found in Jesus, us and Those are rewards. It says in Matthew 5:12, I am bringing out my Bible for this one. You guys should bring out yours too, if you have it nearby. Okay? Matthew 5:12 reads, Be happy about it, be very glad, for a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. That is so beautiful. And I think another reason why this is our purpose is because all good things come from God. And so if we are doing good things and we are being the example, and we are being the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and we are not shying away from that, like, we are. We are being, like, bold about our love, right? Bold in your love that you get through Jesus. Bold in your compassion, bold in your kindness, bold in your forgiveness. Those are all good things. And good things can only come from God. So it will actually point everybody to God. It'll point everybody to Jesus. And that's what this scripture is saying. So that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father, not you. They will have to acknowledge that this is only something that could come from God. Like, the way. In the ways that you operate in those things, you're gonna be like, it's actually only Jesus that I can be this way. Whether they believe in Jesus or not, it will force them to look at him, and it'll force them to acknowledge that there has to be something bigger. And if you're like, yeah, the only reason I'm this person, trust me, I was not this person before, is because of the strength of Jesus. Like, it's because of his spirit that lives inside of me. It's crazy, but it's true. Having that perspective of an eternal aim of, like, the rewards that I could store up here on earth, it's. It are so fleeting, and it's nothing compared to the rewards stored in heaven for us, which is simply people going to heaven and being able to live a life of eternity with Jesus forever. If you really have the compassion of Jesus in your heart, and especially like we've talked about this in other episodes where when we remember, if this is your story, when you remember what it was like to live a life void of Jesus, like, you did not acknowledge him, you didn't know him, you had no idea that that's who you were created for, having compassion for people with remembering that, like, that should be enough of a reward for you to be like, no, this is the rewards in heaven that are stored up for me is, I don't want a crown, I don't want a fancy car. I don't need to have, like, a bit. Like, I just want to be satisfied and know that the reward is, is that God will look at me, me and say, well done, my good and faithful servant. Meaning, I am so proud of you for the way that you were an example of who I am. Thank you for believing in me enough to be that example on earth and to love people no matter how much they treated you in one way or whatever. Like, you truly believed in me enough to be the example of who I am. And you pointed everybody to me. And because of that, look at all of these people that are here because of you. That alone should be enough. And that is the perspective that we need. That is the heavenly, eternal perspective that we need to have. And I think too many times we look at the things that are right in front of us and it's like, no, it's just about Jesus. It's all about Him. And yes, it's the ways that he can use our gifts, and it's the ways that we can steward them, and it's the ways that we can. We can build a life for ourselves that will then also bless other people. Yes, yes, yes, yes. But at the end of the day, it's all about him, and it's about that eternal. Like, people need to know Him. They need to know who they've been created by and for. And that is the goal, that is our purpose. And like, one last little note here. I feel like this episode was a bit scattery, but hopefully you guys managed to stay with me. I think another fun thing about life with God is slowly discovering who he made you. It's, like, exciting, you know, instead of that being an intimidating thing and a scary thing of like, I don't know who I am. It's like, oh, my gosh, I don't know who I am. And that's kind of exciting. Like, having faith. Listen, it's a perspective, it's a lens, having faith that, like, God will show that to you. And maybe it's just Like a fun, exciting little adventure, you know, of being like, you know what? This is fun. And I know that it's been exciting for me to see the ways that it just kind of goes like, oh, this is what God has made me for. And it's, like, fun and exciting. It's like a little Easter egg hunt, you know, as he slowly puts together the puzzle pieces of your life and your journey and the ways that you get to touch people and express yourself through that, like, whatever that looks like it's fun, that there's also a part of it that doesn't need to be so serious. Like, just trusting that the Lord is going to answer all of those questions and use those gifts for what they are right now, and the rest will follow. Anyway, you guys, I love y'. All. I'm really proud of you. Thank you for sticking around to the end of this episode. I feel like it was, like, all over the place, but maybe it wasn't. I don't know. I can't remember. I don't even know what he said. But I love y'. All. Hey, can we do something cool today? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is today? Can we walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like Jesus today? Because that is our purpose, and it's a purpose that is so fulfilling, and it blesses so many people, and it saves them, and it helps them see the very person who's created them and experience his love, which is like nothing else in this world. So let's be that today. I love y'. All. Happy Friday. I hope you have a beautiful rest of your weekend and the rest of your week, and I will see you next time. 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 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 c backslash 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.me backslash cwcoi. We appreciate y' all and we love you so, so much.
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G
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