Candace Nassar
Welcome to the MomQ podcast, where you’ll find the godly wisdom you need to live confidently in your motherhood.
Candace Nassar
Being a mom can be hard. Here we have authentic conversations about the topics where you need encouragement the most: marriage, parenting, and self-care. I’m Candice Nasser, your host and the founder of MomQ. Whether it’s through our teaching messages or interviews with Christian thought leaders and moms like you, we’ve got you covered. Our curriculum is grouped into four themed semesters, which you can find on our website at momq.org. Each lesson includes the message audio, along with the downloadable notes and small group questions for discussion. This August, MomQ will offer a video-based curriculum of our series, Becoming a Confident Mom. If you’re interested in starting a chapter in your community, please reach out to us on Instagram at momq512 or email us at info@momq. Org. It’s April, which means new life is everywhere. But healthy growth only happens if we nurture and cultivate the plants and flowers. It’s no different with our spiritual life. God invites us into a deep and abiding relationship with him. But we often settle for mediocre unfruitful lives because we let the cares and the weeds of the world distract us. Are there areas of your spiritual life that might need attention?
Maybe some dead branches need to be cleared away. Maybe the soil needs to be activated with some new spiritual discipline. This month on our podcast, we will be discussing the purpose and process of maturing in our faith. And in this episode, Jamie Gradwell of the podcast She Speaks Life candidly shares her journey with God. She describes how He pursued her in times of doubt and gently directed her through hard seasons. And she explains how she learned to discern His voice. It’s a beautiful testimony of God’s faithfulness. I hope that wherever you are in your walk with God, you will be encouraged hearing that a life of obedience is built one step at a time.
Candace Nassar
Well, welcome, everyone. Today, we’re wrapping up our month-long series on spiritual growth. Our momQ Mingle, with Annie Mendrala, kicked it off by addressing what the Bible says about the purpose and process of spiritual growth. We said the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life are critical tools to help us mature in our faith. And these are actions that we take, like Bible reading, prayer, fasting, corporate worship, and there are others. We also discussed how God uses suffering in our lives to prune us and remove what is holding us back from enjoying him and investing in the things that matter to him. In our last episode, we had our local pastor’s wife, Dawn Jackson, on, and she talked about how God used her son’s autism diagnosis to teach her to fully rely on and trust Him because her life didn’t turn out the way she had planned. We understand that. Today, we’re going to explore these issues just a little bit further and examine the significance of Christian community and accountability in our walk with God. I’m excited to have Jayme Gradwell on our show. Jayme is the host of the fabulous and popular Christian Women’s podcast, She Speaks Life, where she gives women the space to share their stories of how God has strengthened their faith and transformed their lives.
[00:03:29.380] – Candace Nassar
And today, we get the privilege of hearing her own personal growth story with the Lord and how she learned to listen to the Holy Spirit along the way. You’re going to love her heart for Jesus and her passion to come alongside women. So welcome, Jamie.
[00:03:46.020] – Jayme Gradwell
Hi, Candace. I’m so excited to be here with you.
[00:03:50.190] – Candace Nassar
It’s so neat. Such a God thing. Jamie and I met years ago when her oldest son was a student in my high school, one of my high school classes. Actually, I think I had him two or three years. And he was a sophomore the first time I met him, and he was just so mature and just such a rock star. And I was so impressed with him. And I thought, I need to meet his mother. And one day I did. But now he’s married, and he’s in the process of taking his CPA exams. But that’s amazing. Time sure flies, doesn’t it, Jayme?
[00:04:23.240] – Jayme Gradwell
It sure does. And I just love how you were such a profound person in his life. He always looks back at his accounting teacher. And one of the memories that really sticks with him is that you were the one to pray with him before the exam, before the UIL. And he thought that was so cool and so awesome. Of course, you knew he was a believer, and that just stuck with him, that a teacher in a public school system who’s a believer, too, would take the time.
[00:05:04.390] – Candace Nassar
All right. Well, thank you so much again, Jayme. Those are such kind words. Tell us a little bit more about your family. We know about Nathan, but how long have you been married, and how many kids do you have? Where did you grow up? That thing.
[00:05:17.800] – Jayme Gradwell
Sure. Well, I married my high school sweetheart. I met him at 15. We started dating when I was 16, and he was a little older, so he was 19 at the time. Time. God bless my parents for allowing me to date an older gentleman, but they did. We just knew we were meant to be. I got married when I was 20. He was 24. I had Nathan, my oldest, at 23, that we just talked about. Then, I have a daughter. Her name is Ashley, and she’s 20. Then Braden, he’s 18. He’s my youngest. Ashley is taking online school at Liberty and takes acting classes. She already got a head start and is in a featured movie later on this summer. Oh, my goodness. So her acting is taking off. She wants to do faith movies. That’s her dream. And I think it’s so great because that’s really becoming more and more popular, these well-done faith movies. And Braden- That’s how he kicked that off. Yes, definitely. And Braden, he goes to Liberty University, and he’s studying pre-law. So he wants to change the world with politics and make God’s name known among that area, that arena of life.
[00:06:54.470] – Jayme Gradwell
So I’ve got these bold and courageous kids. And That’s great. Yeah, I praise God. And so I grew up in Southern California. So I was a beach girl. That was my backyard, my playground. And then I moved to Austin 11 years ago, and we’ll talk more about that later on because that’s a testimony all in itself. So, yeah, that’s pretty much me here.
[00:07:29.200] – Candace Nassar
Awesome. Yeah. I used to live in Southern California, so we have that in common as well. Love Southern California. Okay, so why don’t you tell us, well, first of all, were you raised in a Christian home?
[00:07:45.420] – Jayme Gradwell
I was raised in a Christian home. I became a Christian in kindergarten. So it was the summer of kindergarten, first grade, and it was with a family member, but there wasn’t a follow-up of a water baptism until way later in life. So because of that, I grew up really just doing what my parents did. I went to church on Sunday. I really didn’t know what that deep personal relationship was about. I didn’t cultivate that until later in life. But I went to Christian school up until eighth grade, and then I went to a public high school. I think because I was in a Christian school for most of that upbringing, that was my bubble. It kept me safe, and it kept me from a lot of the worldly things. And then when high school hit, it just was such a shock to just this real life of worldly things. And because I didn’t establish that personal relationship, I ended up gravitating to the world, being rebellious, being that girl that whatever looks good, oh, I want that, and really a party girl. And so I guess I call myself, yes, a believer.
[00:09:20.250] – Jayme Gradwell
I believed in God, but I just lived the way I wanted to live. I can’t even call it lukewarm because really lukewarm means you were once hot, then you now are cooled down. So I never was once hot and fired up for the Lord, and then I cooled off. It really was just this naive, ignorant, just didn’t know about what it really meant to be a Christ-follower.
[00:09:52.230] – Candace Nassar
Yeah. And that’s so common, really, is that people grow up in a faith home, but they’re not necessarily growing and cultivating and developing a foundation in Jesus so that when those temptations come, you know how to deal with it. All right. I know you joined a Bible study at some point. What led you to do that?
[00:10:16.040] – Jayme Gradwell
Well, we started to have real-life issues hit us as I was married for probably, let’s see, we would be, I would say, 10 to 12 years in of our marriage, 10 years in, and we just started to get these real financial issues. And my husband lost his job, but then he started… He’s always been an entrepreneur, and so he was just job hopping. But for the first time in my life, I was like, wow, it’s not going the way I wanted to go. And the world is actually disappointing me. I’m being left feeling empty. I don’t have the finances to support my, I would say, my idles. It was very much the possessions and the influence. And especially in Southern California, you get a little more of โkeeping up with the Jonesesโ and having these nice homes and nice cars and nice handbags shopping and all that. And so that’s what I identified as. And so when the income left, I mean, I was stripped down to nothing. And you really get to that point where you don’t know that you need God until God’s all you got. And so when I just felt that, wow, who am I?
[00:11:57.580] – Jayme Gradwell
Who am I anymore? I I started to look back to what I did know. And that was that Christian home back then, even though I didn’t cultivate that personal relationship. I still remembered that, gosh, God was steadfast. God was still… He’s still there, right? And we all have that in us where we’re designed to want that feeling and want that more. It’s just we ended up doing it the wrong way. Absolutely. Yeah, it’s only God.
[00:12:35.020] – Candace Nassar
It’s a hole in our heart that if He doesn’t fill it, then we’re going to fill it with other things. And that’s what you did in high school and all the way through. But what I love about what’s so amazing about God is that He perseveres for us. When we are His children, when we do know Him as our Lord and Savior, then we’re going to be His child for life, and He will pursue us to come back to Him, and He’s going to do whatever He has to do to get you to do that. And so that’s where you got to.
[00:13:06.170] – Jayme Gradwell
Yeah, He sure does. It’s exactly right. He was pursuing me. And I was going to church on Sunday. We were going to Saddleback Church, and we’re going more and more because we started to have more kids. And once you, I think, have kids, you’re like, โOkay, I got to get serious about my spiritual walk here. I’m an example for my kids,โ And whether I totally, completely knew that at the time or what, I knew that what I was doing just isn’t what I wanted anymore. And so it took a brochure on a Sunday morning, and they offered a lady’s Bible study. And I thought, โWell, out of curiosity, why are people even doing this? Why are they showing up at church and going to a Bible study?โ I have never been to one. I didn’t know what it entailed. And I just knew, okay, people are drawn to this. And it was a pretty big church that we went to. And so I saw a lot of women get lined up to grab the form to fill out and everything. And everyone’s talking about it. There’s all this stuff, energy about it. And I just was like, oh, cool, excitement over this.
[00:14:30.060] – Jayme Gradwell
Well, this has got to be awesome. And so that’s how it started. I went on a Wednesday morning, and they had child care on top of that.
[00:14:40.990] – Candace Nassar
That is key.
[00:14:42.170] – Jayme Gradwell
That is so key. I was going, All right, what can go wrong here? I get a little break from the babies, and I get to go and attend this group with other women. It was a little going there by yourself and walking into the unknown. But like I said, and like what we said about God pursuing you, there’s something that is just supernaturally pulling you. Going against my personality. I tend to be a little more introverted, believe it or not. And so meeting new people, that was scary for me. And so when I started going to the Bible study, just instantly I knew this is what I needed this whole time. I need to find out more about Jesus, more about this relationship, this personal, intimate relationship. On top of the Bible studies, they had the videos that went with the Bible studies that made it so entertaining and fun and engaging. But also on the days that we didn’t show the speaker, the Bible study leader, they had a testimony, and they had a woman come up on stage and share. And I thought that was so impactful. Almost more impactful than some of the other things that they were doing.
[00:16:23.600] – Jayme Gradwell
And it was like, oh, my gosh, this really made it real for me that God is still working and alive. And these women are just leaning on him and depending on him with these dramatic stories. And at the end, they have these victories, just praise reports. And so I never forgot that. It changed my life. And then that’s what started my podcast, She Speaks Life, because I know it’s like the blood of the lamb. We defeat the enemy by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. And that’s exactly what it did, and it transformed my heart. And along with growing in the Word and finding out more and more about God, His character, who I am. I mean, super important. And also how to biblically parent and what the Bible says about being a mom. So, yeah, that’s when it started.
[00:17:30.230] – Candace Nassar
That’s so cool. That was actually my story as well, joining a Bible study when I was a very young mom. And it’s amazing how much… I mean, the Bible is really there for us. It’s a love letter from God for us to know who He is and know about, like you mentioned, His character and know how He’s working in our lives. But it also is an amazing way to understand how we actually, practically live our lives and to disciple our kids and how to be a good wife, and all those things. That’s what I learned in those Bible studies, and it sounds like that’s what you learned as well. Studying the Bible is very important to our spiritual growth. And then, also, you were in a community of women who were speaking into your life in different ways. I’m sure that that community held you up and helped you grow spiritually.
[00:18:27.420] – Jayme Gradwell
It sure did, because we had all walks of life around us. We had all ages. I had these seasoned women who were older than me. I mean, this is me at the time going late ’20s, early ’30s, starting to go to these Bible studies. It started in my late ’20s. I had women talk about how faithful God is, how faithful he was in their life. Because I was so young and I started to enter this financial hardship, I haven’t seen quite what they were talking about. I hadn’t experienced that yet. All I was going off of at that time was what they were saying and the scripture that they were pointing to. But there’s just something about that experience that you have with God, that encounter and that experience that just strengthens your faith and it builds your trust with the Lord. You really have this true, genuine, โWow, God brought me through the storm. He brought me through the fire. And if he can do it now, he’ll do it again the next time.โ And so the experience I hadn’t had. So it was great to have the support system of all walks of life, all different ages.
[00:20:09.880] – Jayme Gradwell
I was able to talk to other moms, young moms, and tell them how I got through this and that and stuff. And so we need community. It’s a support system for sure. And I know you, with MomQ, do a really good job with it, and it’s a necessity.
[00:20:33.230] – Candace Nassar
Yeah. I mean, as I was recently doing some research and study of the spiritual disciplines, it actually… Community going to church and being in fellowship with other believers, not just church, but doing life with other believers, is a spiritual discipline. And I never thought of it that way, but it is a responsibility that we have that God calls us to because He knows how much we need it, that iron sharpening iron. Sharing each other’s burdens, all the things that happen in community. God knows that. That’s why it’s so important that we have it. Talk a little about how once you became, well, you were already a believer, but once you really started to walk out your faith and grow in the Word, what started to happen? How did you start to change?
[00:21:23.280] – Jayme Gradwell
Yeah, well, good question. I would say around 31, I was coming up to be 32 years old, I decided to get water baptized, and it was just a last minute thing. My husband and I were at a membership class at church, and I really, once again, had the Lord pursue me, and my heart began to beat real fast. So anytime you get that, that’s pretty much the Holy Spirit telling you, You should go do this or say this. And so It was last minute, I got baptized, and I really felt this huge difference of really not walking the fence anymore. I am just sold out for Jesus. I want His will, not mine. Yeah, total surrender. And so that really changed things because then you are now going, Okay, God, I want what you want, not what I want. I’m not trying to fit my lifestyle into your will, but instead, Okay, Lord, I’m wanting what your ways, your paths, rather than me trying to make my own path. So what is it? What do you want? So when you’re a wholehearted surrender in that, he’s going to take you and stretch you. He’s going to put you in uncomfortable areas.
[00:22:57.610] – Jayme Gradwell
A lot of times, our calling is going to make us feel uncomfortable because he wants us to solely rely on Him and not on our own skills or talents, but He wants us to rely on the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us, that the Lord has given us. That’s right. With that, I had been going to Bible study. Then the leader asked me, Would you like to be a table leader? Now, I have to give you a back story. I was scared out of my mind just saying my name, how many kids I had, how many years of marriage I’ve been. My hands would get… My palms would be so sweaty. My heart would feel beating on my chest. I mean, it was like I was on TV or something and sharing it among the millions. I just laugh at how far along the Lord did that. I mean, some of you may just be laughing because that’s no big deal. But some people, I don’t know, all eyes on you and you have to share or talk. I mean, that was just an attack of mine, a fear of mine, is speaking, which is hilarious because you can see how far God has gotten me.
[00:24:18.230] – Candace Nassar
Amen.
[00:24:19.610] – Jayme Gradwell
So I became a table leader, and that really just stretched me, but built my faith. It built my courage and my confidence because God’s the source of your confidence and your boldness. It really drew me even closer to the Lord to do things that I never thought I was able to do. And so with that, we were able to take that, or I was able to take that, and it just gave me what I needed for the next thing that the Lord had for me.
[00:25:04.840] – Candace Nassar
I love that. I say this all the time. He doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called. And you answered Yes. And so you stepped out in faith, and He continued to grow you to where you are today as you continued to be faithful. And that’s just such a beautiful story. So then I know you have a season of some real difficulty because that’s a lot of what God does to grow us, is take us through hard times. And it’s interesting. Oswald Chambers says that God’s purpose for us is in the process. Our success, we think success is the end, but for God, it’s the process. Tell us about the process of your financial trial and coming to Austin. Sure.
[00:26:02.290] – Jayme Gradwell
Yeah. So I was in that walk with the Lord where I was yielding to Him. I was saying yes to Him. And so now our financial hardship, just to let you know, it wasn’t getting better. It just shows that our joy and peace is not relying on circumstances. I was drawing even closer to Him and rejoicing and praising and thanking him even in the darkest days. It came to a point where we had to leave our home. We ended up losing it. We tried to hold on to it. This would be in 2008. My husband was in mortgages. Those of you that remember when the economy collapsed, those people that were working in the mortgage industry were the first to get hit by this. We really were sitting there praying about what was the next season that God had for us. My husband had a potential job out in Austin, so that’s where we got the idea of Austin. But we weren’t just going to do it if God didn’t call us to that. And so while this whole thing is going on, I’m learning to really hear His voice. I think a lot of us can relate to that first time where you’re really, I say, training your heart ears, and you’re really trying to decipher, โOkay, is that God’s voice?โ
[00:27:52.400] – Jayme Gradwell
Is that my own voice? What is it? The more I was just asking Him because He’s so good, asking, you shall receive. I was just asking. I said, โLord, I want to hear your voice so loud that I know.โ The sheep knows the Shepherd God’s voice. It got to be more and more familiar to me. It’s God’s Spirit speaking to our spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit and our spirit, it’s intermingled together. And so when God speaks to our spirit, then it starts to enlighten into our minds. So it’s like first we’re hearing it, and that’s why it’s such a subtle whisper in our spirit. And then it floats and enlightens our minds, and we know, Okay, this is what I feel like the Lord is doing. This is what I feel like he wants us to do. I went to Austin to just check it out. My husband and I’ve never been to Texas. He has. And I didn’t care for it. I really didn’t. I was like, this beach girl, I’m a foreigner in this place. I just don’t feel like I belong. And I was so emotional about it. I was at a local steakhouse.
[00:29:23.640] – Jayme Gradwell
I’m not going to name it, but I was at a local steakhouse. And I had to excuse myself from this couple that we were there that potentially was giving my husband a job. And I had to excuse myself, go to the bathroom, and just cry it out. We can share how we’re feeling with God. Don’t feel like He really knows what’s going on in your heart. So you’re not surprising Him with your feelings, your emotions. But I I really had to just tell Him, โWhy are you doing this to me?โ I just felt like I was in the middle of the worst suffering. I’m just like, I’m crying. All my family still lives in California. All that was coming to me, too. I just cannot see myself living in a different state. I ended up coming back home. I would say the very last day we were traveling, and I started to get a heaviness in my lungs. And it turned out when I got home, I had pneumonia. And so the doctor said, you’re on strict bedrest. And so basically, I came back from Austin, and I’m sad. I am just down. I’m in darkness.
[00:30:48.870] – Jayme Gradwell
I am sick on top of that. I have pneumonia. I have three small kids at the time that need taken care of us.
[00:30:57.920] – Candace Nassar
Yeah.
[00:30:59.690] – Jayme Gradwell
But God allowed… Looking back, He allowed that time because in that bed rest for three weeks, I had a choice. And I remember, specifically, the first day I went on bed rest and I said, I can use this time to binge watch on TV, or I can use this time to read my Bible and look into any books that would be helpful for my spiritual growth and spend this time in prayer and really leaning into Him. And so I chose the right path. And I truly believe our choices are going to shape our lives. So choose well, choose the right way, because that will take you in the right direction. And so I got my Bible out, and somebody in my family told me about this book. It’s called The Jesus of Suburbia. And I tell you, it got me out of my suburban mind thinking of what Jesus is. It got me out of this bubble to really want to wholeheartedly do this adventure with God. So the whole concept of this book is getting you out of that cul-de-sac, Christian.
[00:32:32.880] – Candace Nassar
The comfort zone. The comfort zone.
[00:32:36.840] – Jayme Gradwell
And for the longest time, I was like, โThe cul-de-sac, Christianโ. Because that’s comfortable. When you’re out there watching your kids and you’re in your coldest stack in your neighborhood, we can all relate. But as soon as our kids want to drift off to the other street with the other neighbors, we start to feel a little bit of that, oh, no, โLet’s just stay right here and play right here.โ That really changed my life. That’s when I really felt that God wanted us to move to Austin. I’m hearing His voice, the Holy spirit is speaking to me, and everything that I am going to, everything that I’m reading in my prayer time, there was this, go to Austin.
[00:33:29.770] – Candace Nassar
That’s so good. I want to stop you for a second and just explore. You’re talking about hearing God’s voice, and you felt it in your spirit, and then you confirmed it by spending time in the word, in prayer, seeking, I’m sure you sought counsel. And those are all the things that we have to do if we’re doubting whether we’re hearing God’s voice or not. But when all those things come together, then we can be pretty confident that it is Him calling us for something. And most of the time, it’s going to be uncomfortable. So I love that, and that you were obedient to listen and then faithful to see it through. So what year did you come to Austin?
[00:34:17.130] – Jayme Gradwell
2013. And I want to add to that, we didn’t have money. Remember, we’re losing our home. So where’s the finances coming from to help us move our stuff across the country here? So that was another confirmation because I asked the Lord and I said, โGod, if this is what you want me to do, which I feel like this is what you’re speaking to me to do, then you will provide the finances to move us out there.โ I kid you not, there were three sources that made it available for us to move our entire family to Austin, and the finances were provided for. It’s incredible. God will show up. If He wants you to do something, if it’s His will, His way, He will provide. He’s the provider. He’s the source of it all. We moved here in 2013. Then that’s when He really started being like, now I’m like, โOkay, I did that. I moved. Just not knowing. I mean, hey, we didn’t even have a house waiting for us in Austin.โ
[00:35:34.790] – Candace Nassar
You’re like Abraham leaving Ur.
[00:35:38.470] – Jayme Gradwell
Yes. To Hill Country is where Abraham left to go to. Oh, gosh. Love it. I know. And so I’m seeing all these parallels and similarities, but also just the unknown of not having a home. And then there were so many miracles on our drive out. We were driving through the Rockies, and I started just getting overcome with fear. Like, oh, my gosh, I hope we did what we’re supposed to do after all of the signs and wonders. It’s like I did. I became an Israeli. I’m forgetting everything God just did for me. And I just started getting this doubt and fear. And then all of a sudden, I looked over and I got this instant scripture. It was, Be still and know that I am God, and I’ll be known among all the nations. In this whole chapter, it’s about He is our refuge of his people. He rescues us. He gives us strength. This whole chapter is beautiful. It’s Psalm 46, and that verse is 46:10. I instantly just got this peace, right? And then when we got to my husband’s dad’s home. We stopped by on our way to say hi. And so we were there for a few days, and I really felt the Holy Spirit tell me, โYou’ll know your home before you leave this place.โ
[00:37:07.120] – Jayme Gradwell
And lo and behold, somebody called us up and said, I got your application, and we would love for you to rent this home. Because once again, nobody’s touching us because of our credit. We just lost a home, right? Gosh. But God made a way and made this landlord give us compassion and sympathy and was like, โI’m a believer, too, and I want to help you.โ And so that was a good intent, right?
[00:37:40.150] – Candace Nassar
This is so great. I didn’t know this part of the story. I’m inspired, and I just love your faith and how God just kept showing Himself to you. Our time is coming to a close, but I just want to really… So You get here and you have to make an adjustment. I know all those things because I’ve done it. And then in 2019, He leads you to start this podcast, which you still had to step out in faith to do, but you had already seen His faithfulness and all He can do. And so I’m sure that impacted you in that decision, right?
[00:38:18.860] – Jayme Gradwell
It sure did. And it really was a great lesson, I would say, experience with the Lord to really rely on Him on something I had no idea how to do, what to do. I just heard His voice. And in my walk with Him, when I hear Him, it’s a yes. I mean, that’s just where I’m at right now. And so my husband helped me with just the tech stuff, the things that you needed to start a podcast. But everything else, God just gave me step by step. But He’s waiting for us. He was waiting for me to do the action step, and then He’d reveal it to me, and then He would reveal the next step. But He’s waiting for us, so we can’t just sit there and not do anything. He expects us to be… It’s a verb, faith, right? It’s action. It speaks. It’s doing. He showed me every step of the way what to do with this podcast. It has been absolutely an amazing ministry. He’s opened up more opportunities to speak. I went from a trembling, scared, shy young mom to somebody who’s just had a speaking engagement last week at a women’s conference to speaking at my church on a Sunday morning, and I’ve got Mother’s Day I’ll be speaking at as well.
[00:39:51.610] – Jayme Gradwell
So it’s just so funny where that fear just shows the enemy will come at you in The area that God is calling you to, the area that God knows He’s going to use you the most. I got to the point, I was like, enough is enough. I’m not going to bow to you and be the coward that the enemy wants me to be. I’m going to shut fear out. I speak scripture out loud over every situation. That’s my weapon. Reading it is great, but sometimes we gotta get really radical with our faith when we have radical attacks. Ever since then, I just speak fear out by shouting out scripture verses, specifically over whatever is coming at me. It just makes the devil leave. It’s such a great thing. I mean, obviously, the Word of the Lord is a weapon, is the Sword of the Spirit. It’s alive and active. Right.
[00:41:04.310] – Candace Nassar
It is our one offensive weapon. It’s part of the Armor of God. You are so inspirational. I love it. You are, too. I’m so encouraged by your story. So if you could say one thing to the young mom, Jayme, if you could talk to her today, what would you say?
[00:41:27.050] – Jayme Gradwell
Oh, I would say, Stay in the word. One of the things that really was my lifeline was that I got up an hour before the kids got up, and I had that alone time with the Lord, and I dove into what He wanted to say to me that morning. โGod, I hear. I just want to listen to you.โ I want to be Your vessel. Use me today and just fill up with His word because the Word feeds us, and the Holy spirit guides and leads us. We need the Word and the Spirit together. I tell you, that made me a more peaceful mom. It made me a more joyful mom, and made me more patient. I need to start out my morning with a word because those times where I slept in or I didn’t do it, I really suffered later on in that day or that week. We need it every single day, and I could tell the difference. And so I just say, as a young mom, be consistent with everything, consistent with discipline, consistent with your spiritual disciplines. Just consistency is so key. Your kids love that, believe it or not. It makes them well-behaved kids.
[00:42:59.820] – Jayme Gradwell
Later on, it’s very hard to be consistent all the time. But in the long run, you are going to have an easier time with them and for yourself when you are being consistent. That’s just being consistent with anything, with ourselves, our word, physical activity, everything. I would say two things. Just give yourself time, sacrifice that time. Don’t talk yourself out of it like, โOh, I’m so tired.โ God will give you that supernatural strength and energy for the day. If you sacrifice that time with Him, he’ll multiply what you gave up. He will multiply it. He will give you increase. He’s a God of multiplication and increase. He’s fruitful. So He will give you what you need and just be consistent with everything, yourself, your parenting, all that. So thank you.
[00:43:57.990] – Candace Nassar
That’s so good. And in that consistency, give ourselves grace as well. I’m sure you would say there are those who struggle with if I got to be perfect at it or I’m not going to do it or just making sure we’re going to fail sometimes in those efforts. But I love what you’re saying, just to keep trying and keep at it because God will enable you and will multiply the effort that you’re putting in. Yeah. So good, Jayme. That’s awesome. Well, I really appreciate your time here. It’s been great to have you. Such a great story. I’m inspired. I’m sure our listeners are inspired by your incredible faith and just how you kept trusting God along the way. And here you are. She Speaks Life. So thanks for speaking to us and to my listeners. And then we will put your information in our show notes. So if anybody wants to find out more about She Speaks Life, and Jayme. And also one more thing, I know that you sell a journal that is on your website.
[00:45:06.840] – Jayme Gradwell
Yeah, it’s really good.
[00:45:09.450] – Candace Nassar
You can see it.
[00:45:11.340] – Candace Nassar
Yeah.
[00:45:12.080] – Jayme Gradwell
You can insert your name within the scripture verse, and there’s journal prompts, and it’s broken up into five different topics.
[00:45:20.970] – Jayme Gradwell
And it’s just a good thing to go along with your Bible reading in the morning. And it just brings God’s peace. We’ll put all those links in our show notes on our website.
[00:45:36.040] – Candace Nassar
Again, thank you so much, Jayme, and I hope you have a great rest of your week.
[00:45:40.810] – Jayme Gradwell
Thanks, Candace. You, too.
[00:45:42.760] – Candace Nassar
Thanks.