Janna Faith: Hello, I’m Jana Faith.

And I’m Anna Faith, and welcome to episode 38 of Faith Talks.

Anna Faith: So we are here at the Thee Generation Youth Summit to do a live podcast, and some of you might have we did that two years ago.

And yes, we’re back.

And we have several special guests that are quietly sitting here and some speakers we’re going to hear from today.

So today we’re excited to

Janna Faith: continue hearing how we can be perfect and entire wanting nothing.

We’re going to branch out a little bit today and focus on practical ways and issues that young women who are committed to serving the Lord must consider through a biblical lens.

You know, sometimes as young women living in a dark world with so many lies being told us, it’s easy to believe that we can never be used of God in a big way.

And especially if we’re struggling with some hidden problems that we think are a really big deal, or if there’s a lot of sin in our life, maybe we feel like we can never be used of God in the way that God intends us to be.

And I know another lie that women can have is that some think that, well, I’m not a man, so I can’t be used in a big way, like in preaching or in a way in front of people, like the way that men are.

And these are lies.

The fact is that God created mankind.

When God made us, he made us male and female.

And Genesis says that we’re created in God’s image.

And that means that part of who God is, is reflected in women in a way that men cannot show.

And this means that we are created to radiate part of the beauty of the Lord that men can never show.

And we need to let that out.

But sometimes there’s things in our lives that hold us back from being able to show the beauty of what God created a woman who is walking with the Lord to be.

And so in this podcast, we just want to focus on some different questions that women have and how we can understand the work that God wants to do in our lives and get rid of some of these things that are holding us back from shining forth that beauty that the Lord wants us

Anna Faith: to show in this dark world.

And we’re excited to have with us several different ladies who are speakers’ wives or in full-time ministry.

And I think it’s easy to, as Anna Faith was saying, just if you have questions about like, you know, what you think you should do with this or what you think you should do after college, it’s really easy to go to friends.

And that’s not always wrong, but it’s also a really great encouragement and step to go to a spiritual leader in your life. and I know all of you guys out there probably have a church you go to, a pastor’s wife, a youth pastor’s wife, and I’d encourage you, if you have questions, go to them.

They would probably be more than willing to talk with you and help you through that.

And I was just reading in Titus 2, where it’s talking about the older woman teaching the younger woman.

I’m not calling these ladies old at all.

But there is something about thee Generation before you that’s gone before you and lived just what you’ve lived to ask them, you know, what did God teach you?

What are some just practical life advice that could help?

So we are going to get into our questionnaire.

As many of you know, I was going around to some tables and you might’ve submitted some in a iPad for a Q and A time.

And this past summer, we were at First Baptist Hammond and we were at a youth conference and I went to a Q and A and it was really helpful for me.

Just people asking questions.

That one was more for sponsors, just about like women in the ministry and stuff and that was helpful so I was like oh why don’t we do that for the youth summit so we are going to get into our Q&A first of all if I could just have we’ll start here and then if you could just say your name and who your husband is and just a little bit about what ministry you’re in or your kids too if you want.

TGYS Speaker Wives: Well, my name is Joanna Gilmore, and I have the privilege of being the wife of Mark Gilmore.

And this is my daughter, Anna Faith.

So with the Faith Talks, Anna Faith is part of that.

And we have nine children.

We had the privilege of going to P&G together for about six months.

But our burden is to reach the world by God’s grace.

And so it’s a blessing to be a part of that, to be a part of missions, both here and abroad.

So we’re thankful.

Guest Speaker: And I’m Rhonda VanGeldren.

I am Dr.

Jim’s wife.

And I also, Jana is our middle daughter.

And Stephanie, whose husband does Satisfied Podcast.

That’s our oldest.

And then Annalise, that’s the co-captain for the Navy.

She’s our youngest.

So that’s kind of how we fit together.

And then Anna Faith and Joanna Gilmore.

This is my sister-in-law. so she is my niece.

So anyway, just if you’re trying to figure out how everybody fits, that’s how we fit.

But we travel.

We’ve been traveling since we were married three weeks.

We left on the road doing a camp on wheels ministry for teenagers called The War.

And then later it became The War of Special Forces where we deal with churches that have Christian schools usually.

And we enjoy traveling together as a family.

And now they’re all starting to branch out and things.

And it’s exciting to watch that as well.

My name is Abby Bosler.

My husband is the head of thee Generation.

Guest Speaker: And we do a couple different ministries.

We do the war, which is what Dr.

Jim and Mrs.

Rhonda used to do.

And we do that now in our spring semester.

And then the summer we take out a cold clash team, which is an alternate themed team.

But that is usually staffed by BCM students.

They sponsor specific team.

But it’s essentially the same thing.

We just take more students with us than we do with the war.

And then in the fall, my husband comes here to BCM and back here to falls and has been teaching here at the college several courses every fall.

And we’ve done revival meetings here and there, but we are actually starting to launch into the revival meetings for the fall period of time as well.

So it’s always a year with lots of variety and different things.

Of course, we’re mentoring young people that are traveling with us, kind of become our kids.

I know Mrs.

Rhonda feels that way too with the ones that travel with her and her husband.

And then we have four children.

We live in a fifth wheel camper full-time most of the time.

And we just go wherever

Guest Speaker: the Lord calls us and do whatever the Lord calls us to do.

Hi, I’m Kara Forrester.

My husband is Pastor Caleb Forrester, and he works at Martinsville Baptist Tabernacle as an assistant pastor there.

And so we work with Judson and Jana Schultz there.

So we’re privileged to have a connection in that ministry, working with youth and just the church as a whole.

We’re going to dive right into

Janna Faith: our first question.

And we’re just going to dive right into a topic that every girl wants to hear a lot about relationships and guys.

So first question, how should I think about guys?

Or what should I think about how to handle the feelings I have?

And how do I deal with a crush?

Who wants

Guest Speaker: to start us off with that?

I have thought a little bit about the question they did let us think about it.

They sent us earlier.

So, you know, it’s good to kind of think through this.

It’s been a while since I had a crush, you know, I still have a crush on my husband, but sometimes our mindsets, we have to confront and crushes and being attracted to people is not wrong.

Like it’s actually normal to be attracted to the opposite gender.

That’s a very good thing actually that God created.

But if you’re a teenager, you know, you’re not quite to that marriageable age.

I would encourage you to go to your parents and talk to them and actually be open with them.

They’re not going to, you know, lock you up in a room for the rest of your life, but it actually helps them to know that you’re struggling or like there’s a specific person that every time I’m with them, I feel like maybe I flirt with them or I’m always just really self-aware when they’re around.

And that helps them to know how to pray for you.

And also, I guess the other side of it is obviously communicate with your parents so they know where your heart is.

They can pray for you.

If you are of marriageable age, that’s really a very good time to communicate that as well.

Because the best way is to look at everybody else of the opposite gender that’s around your age or could be marriage material someday or now is really to view them as somebody else’s spouse.

Because you don’t know what God’s will is just because you’re attracted to somebody or they think they’re wonderful doesn’t make them your spouse.

And so even as a young lady, you know, you can train your brain to think I can love them as a brother in Christ.

They’re a wonderful person.

I think they’re wonderful, but I want God’s will for them and I want them to get God’s best.

And so if I’m not God’s best, then I am not part of this equation at all.

And so, and some of it is also learn behavior around that person.

You might need to be more careful in just, you know, okay, maybe I’m going to go beyond where I should in my discussion with them.

And so really just having that mindset of I’m going to be guarded.

I know myself, I know, maybe I get my emotions, you know, met by when by them when I’m around them.

And so there needs to be a guarding and sometimes it takes practice.

And it takes just a mindset shift, but also practice and then communicating with your parents actually helps tremendously because then it’s out in the open and not just in your brain where you’re constructing things

Guest Speaker: that shouldn’t be there.

More thoughts?

That’s wonderful.

That’s kind of the same thing I had thought.

I think it’s great that you like guys in the sense of that’s how God made us.

So it’s not something to be afraid of or to stiff arm and say, no, I’m not going to go that.

But it’s what you do with those feelings then.

And I think it’s understanding that the timing is important.

And so I just think sometimes if we just take a moment just to even praise God for marriage.

So I’m struggling right now with this person.

Okay, I’m going to stop and praise God for marriage that even made me this way and that he knows that I made this way.

And that can just help shift our mind from the situation back to God and to say, God, thank you for marriage.

Thank you for the marriages that I see that are biblical and right.

And that helps my mind just to kind of switch that, not just to focus on that person.

And then thank the Lord that you’re a girl and that he made you certain ways that you are emotional, you are sensitive and things.

And then just ask him for protection in those prayers and those times.

And anytime you’re finding that, just going with a simple prayer and having kind of that thought.

I’m going to praise God for marriage, praise God that I’m a girl and just thank him that he knows my future and I can trust him with that.

Anna Faith: That’s really helpful.

I know one thing my mom had told us growing up is if you, you know, if you see a guy and you notice, oh, wow, like they’re really good at this.

It can be easy to let your emotions get attached to that particular person.

But she would say, well, appreciate the quality, you know, so maybe they, maybe they’re really kind and they’re always, you know, the first one to help to do things instead of being like, oh, that’s so romantic, you know, saying like, oh, they’re kind.

And that’s something that I really appreciate.

That’s something I would want in a future husband someday, somebody who is kind, you know, appreciating the quality.

And then that helps you even to look for qualities that you would want in a future mate, because that’s important to look.

You don’t want to just go off of, you know, physical or just who you feel good around, but you do want to be looking for those qualities.

So that can be helpful too.

Our second question here is, have you struggled with bitterness?

And if so, how did you deal with it?

Any thoughts on that one?

I think Joanna could answer this one

Guest Speaker: because she had to, she lost her mom at a very young age and didn’t have her mom when um, when she got married, didn’t have her mom when she had children, and she really has not been bitter.

It is, it is a wonderful thing really to watch.

So maybe she can talk about that.

TGYS Speaker Wives: Well, I’m thankful for the Lord and his word.

And I just want to encourage you with all the questions that are asked today, go to the word and let God replace thoughts that are not of him with his word because, you know, the Lord loves us.

And he can’t, I think with my mom, the blessing to me was that God doesn’t make mistakes.

So I didn’t have to, I could trust God.

We claimed as a family, I believe it’s Genesis 18, 25, shall not the judge of all the earth do right.

We claimed that right before my mom passed away and we had seen him deliver her.

My dad asked for eight more years.

God granted that.

I was 15 when she was diagnosed, 23 when she passed away, and those were precious years.

So I am incredibly thankful for that.

And I remember when mom was in the middle of it, I remember saying to my brother, John, John, why?

And I don’t like to question God, but you know, you have those questions.

Why?

And he said, Joanna, we don’t have to question God because he loves us he’s gonna do right and I’ve just seen his hand in that that he he uses all those things for good and I don’t deserve anything but he’s been so incredibly good to me through that but he cares you know he cares I was missing my mom the other day I’ll just be honest with you I really wanted to talk to my mom the other day but you know what you can go to a heavenly father who will meet your needs of course I have a wonderful husband and thankful for other family members who have really been a blessing.

So you can trust God.

And I just want to say this, when you’re tempted, there’ve been other things in my life where it’s some overwhelming things at times where I can’t, I just was confusing.

Why is this happening?

You know, the first thing you say, I wish this wasn’t happening, you know, to me.

And sometimes there’s things that happen to you outside of your control, though you can learn through them.

But one blessing to me is I’ve, I focused on forgiveness is that Jesus Christ came to this earth and he died for my sin.

And he was reviled, rejected, but he took my place and he forgave me and he loves me.

And when he was on the cross, he said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

And, you know, as others may hurt you, and sometimes they don’t, they’re unintentional.

Sometimes they are intentional.

But you can, God, so much, Dr.

Jim preached last night.

God is so much bigger than that.

And faith says, Lord, I don’t know what’s going on, but what do you have to teach me in this?

And I say to my kids all the time, just have a humble spirit.

It works every time.

But Lord, you’re bigger than this.

You’re going to work it together for good.

You’re going to do exceeding abundantly above.

And I’ve seen God do that.

And it frees you from bitterness and realizing that the heart of Christ is, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

And when others hurt us, if they really knew Christ and were really walking with them, they wouldn’t hurt you.

But to offer that forgiveness, I think it’s, and I’ll just share this real quickly, in 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 2.10, the Apostle Paul is talking about forgiveness, and he says, to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also, for I forgave anything to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ.

So you say, but I can’t.

Well, you can’t, but Christ can’t,

Janna Faith: and he’s in you.

Claim his forgiveness.

Thank you for sharing that.

Let’s move on to another topic that is sadly a lot more prevalent today.

How do we handle depression and even depression due to medications?

And what about suicidal thoughts?

I feel like it is, you do have to

Guest Speaker: be careful with on medications.

Even you all probably know about the Hamilton situation where he was greatly affected with an acne medicine that he stayed on and ended up being on that he didn’t realize that they couldn’t be long term and it it greatly affected him in the area of depression and the mental aspect so you do really want to be careful on different medications it’s the side effects and things like that that it’s sometimes it’s not worth maybe on something like acne or whatever that if it’s going to affect something else.

So to be careful on that.

But we do find quite a few that are struggling with depression and girls kind of go in and out of it.

Some men, it’s actually more dangerous when a man faces depression because he just kind of can stay in it and sink in it.

But one of the things is how do you deal with stress?

Because stress becomes anxiety and anxiety becomes depression so even now to really learn to run to the lord um when you’re when you’re going through a hard time and make that as a habit instead of taking it all internally because when you’re depressed you want to isolate you want to escape you beat on yourself you give negative i’m just not worth anything and you can just get in that mindset sometimes you hear inner voices.

You start just looking down on yourself and things, and you become a victim.

Everybody’s out to get me.

It’s always everybody else’s fault, all of that.

And there is a book by George Crabb on depression if you struggle with that, and he has a good balance even on medicine and facing depression.

But I have found that if you can embrace hope, a person, really depression is the the lack of hope you just get you are hopeless um it’s really someone had said one time i thought it was good is um suicide is the step before the last step and you think isn’t that the last step but actually the last step is staying there and dealing with it and learning to run to christ that that is actually an escape and yet how how hard it is i know just not too long ago my uncle committed suicide and how hard it is on the people that are left behind.

But hope to, I have verses on hope.

And if you go in and out of depression, just to get those verses that are already written out and just claim those.

Or value, you just don’t feel like, I just don’t have any value.

And if you’re helping somebody with depression, center on those things, that the hope and that God says that you’re more valuable even than the sparrows or the lilies and he sees your value and then purpose just having purpose in life and sometimes ladies even after when your kids go to college when my kids started getting married and you just think like you’ve invested so much into these kids and it’s easy to actually get in depression on that and you just think what’s my purpose anymore.

And to say, God, just give, I’m going to, I’m willing to wear a different hat.

I’m willing to give me, I want your vision for my life.

And, um, and you can apply those principles even, even now so that you don’t, you don’t fall into depression because you’ve learned to run to

Anna Faith: the Lord.

I’m going to go to this next one.

Um, somebody had asked, how do you deal with insecurity?

And I think some of that even goes with the same depression, just being secure in Christ.

We’re going to go to this one.

How do I, as a high schooler, plan for the future?

Another question was, how do I deal with not knowing what God has for me right after high school?

I want to do God’s will, but he hasn’t shown me what to do yet with my future.

So kind of a twofold question there.

How do I, when I’m in high school, plan for the future?

And then maybe I’m graduated and I still don’t know what to do with the future.

How do I handle that?

Guest Speaker: Well, I think it’s important to be very close to your parents.

And I know sometimes you don’t maybe have the same situations in your parental structure.

Sometimes you’ll have a parent who’s struggling spiritually or maybe no parent, you know, just one single parent.

And in all of those situations, whatever you’ve been given is a situation where you can draw close to that parent.

And God’s giving you that parent on purpose because, you know, sometimes as parents, even we think, I am just not able to raise these children.

But God actually gave us to those children.

So somehow he knew what he was doing.

And so even going to your parent, even if they’re not spiritual, but saying, you know, I want to do what God wants me to do.

And I recognize that you are going to be part of where I’m going to end up.

And God’s going to help you and me together to pray through what he wants me to do.

And so that’s one thing I think is just, and if you don’t have that, maybe none of your parents aren’t saved at all.

You probably have somebody in your life, like a youth pastor’s wife or somebody or pastor and his wife that you could say, could you pray with me and help me pray through what is the next step for God to just work that through in my life?

And I think it begins with walking with God very, very closely.

Because if you’re doing what God wants you to do today, and you’re walking with him and growing and knowing him, then tomorrow, if you do the same, and the next day, he has a way of laying things out.

And you don’t always have to know what’s my four-year plan.

It’s good to have a four-year plan.

But it’s more important almost to have a daily plan of listening to God and keeping your heart right with him.

Guest Speaker: she kind of ended with what i was thinking just do the next right thing and it seems simple but when you just know that this i need to be in church so doing that right next step and following leadership is really important but if you’re not willing to do what god wants you today you’re not going to be able to understand his future plan so it is sometimes just that simple step right now, even with our girls, just training, they’re younger, so they’re not in the teenage years, but just, you know, the right thing for them to do is often, you know, brush your teeth right before you go to bed.

And that seems, oh, that’s so simple, but that is the next right step for them to do.

So sometimes we want the big picture, what I’m supposed to do, and we need to sometimes just be willing to focus in, what does God want me to do right now?

And what does he want?

What is he teaching me and wanting me to grow and mature in my spiritual walk right now to then take

Anna Faith: next right steps.

Well, thank you.

I don’t know about all you listeners, but I was blessed today with several things.

And thank each of you for coming to this Q&A.

And thank you listeners for being silent and future listeners who will listen to this.

All right.

As we close out,

Janna Faith: just thinking of faith, faith is just, it’s not just something that God shows you something and then you just sit there and say, that was nice.

You take action, right?

So if there’s something that God showed you from what you heard today, I would encourage you right now, think about that specific area and say, what am I gonna do today about this?

Whether it’s praising God that’s your woman and God has somebody for you in the right time and he’s going to lead you, or if it’s you’re struggling with depression, maybe you could come talk to Mrs.

Van and ask her, what was that book that you were talking about?

I need that.

Or maybe you could go pray with one of us or somebody about if you’re struggling with really dark thoughts, just go pray with somebody or go pray with your pastor’s wife about the next steps.

I’d encourage you, whatever it is, whatever God’s showing you, just take that next step.

And remember, faith doesn’t just talk, faith walks.

Guest Speaker: Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Thee Generation Podcast.

If you’ve been blessed or helped in any way by this episode or any other episodes, please consider sharing what God has done in your life.

Your testimony could be exactly what someone else needs to take their own step out of the boat.

To share your testimony, please visit thegeneration.org slash testimony.

That’s T-H-E-E generation.org slash testimony.