Ever stumbled upon love when you least expected it? Krystal aka Sniper and I take you down memory lane, sharing the whimsical tale of striking contrasts and divine timing that led us to each other. Our candid exchange peels back the layers of our quirky first interactions, from cringe-worthy pickup lines to the foundational faith that wove our lives together. Our dialogue is a celebration of serendipity and the guiding hand of Jesus in forging a deep and enduring partnership.
Join us as we navigate the poignant role of Truth in shaping relationships, sharing personal anecdotes that underscore the importance of setting boundaries, intertwining lives with church and worship, and the transformative power of spiritual connection. We delve into the heart of our journey, illustrating how a steadfast commitment to Jesus paved the way to unexpected love and how moments of shared worship became cornerstones of our bond. Our stories sing of redemption, divine intervention, and the strength of a love cradled within the arms of faith.
We wrap up with an open-hearted invitation to listeners to consider the virtues of patience, the presence of God in daily life, and the sacrifices that come with chasing divine connection. As we share our revelations and the trials of relinquishing worldly desires, we hope to inspire a reflection on the life-changing moments that redirect our paths. So tune in as we discuss the vitality of Christ at the center of all relationships and the peace that comes from unwavering faith.
Ever stumbled upon love when you least expected it? Krystal aka Sniper and I take you down memory lane, sharing the whimsical tale of striking contrasts and divine timing that led us to each other. Our candid exchange peels back the layers of our quirky first interactions, from cringe-worthy pickup lines to the foundational faith that wove our lives together. Our dialogue is a celebration of serendipity and the guiding hand of Jesus in forging a deep and enduring partnership.
Join us as we navigate the poignant role of Truth in shaping relationships, sharing personal anecdotes that underscore the importance of setting boundaries, intertwining lives with church and worship, and the transformative power of spiritual connection. We delve into the heart of our journey, illustrating how a steadfast commitment to Jesus paved the way to unexpected love and how moments of shared worship became cornerstones of our bond. Our stories sing of redemption, divine intervention, and the strength of a love cradled within the arms of faith.
We wrap up with an open-hearted invitation to listeners to consider the virtues of patience, the presence of God in daily life, and the sacrifices that come with chasing divine connection. As we share our revelations and the trials of relinquishing worldly desires, we hope to inspire a reflection on the life-changing moments that redirect our paths. So tune in as we discuss the vitality of Christ at the center of all relationships and the peace that comes from unwavering faith.
Oh, my goodness he wasn't in the picture. Literally All right, guys Welcome to episode three of Land Full Saints. No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, welcome guys to episode three of Land, full Saints.
Speaker 1:OK, ready, we're going to start, for sure, we're going to start right now for sure. Ok, we're going to start right now.
Speaker 2:Are you going to edit all that out?
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll get it edited, out. Ok guys, OK ready.
Speaker 2:Should I do the intro, since I have a nicer voice?
Speaker 1:Do you want to do the intro? I think I should Go ahead.
Speaker 2:Oh, I thought I just did.
Speaker 1:No, we're doing it. We started now. That was just rambling in the beginning, and now we're starting the episode. Ok, so take us away, sniper.
Speaker 2:Welcome to episode three of Land Full Saints. I'm here with my husband, Nate, AKA Big Bubby.
Speaker 1:If y'all don't know what Big Bubby is, noah's name or his nickname is Bubby and my Makiti graciously named me Big Bubby, so I'm a walking anomaly.
Speaker 2:A-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so OK, are you done with the intro? Are you going to keep going?
Speaker 2:No, now it's off to you. Now it's off to me.
Speaker 1:Yes, All right guys, welcome Land. Full Saints, episode three. I got my beautiful wife here sitting with me. We're going to get into some stuff, I don't know, we're just going to let it flow. You know what, before we start off because I do feel like the episode was we just started off. We're talking for at least 10, 15 minutes just rambling. But before we do start off, I want to ask if you can please pray and invite the Holy Spirit in and to let this part. Don't shake your head. They can't see you, but I can see you and I'm going to verbalize everything you're doing. So if you can, please honestly bring us in. Normally, I ask the guests that they come on to pray after the end, but I'm asking you if we can pray in the beginning so that we can invite the Holy Spirit and let this move the way that it's supposed to move with the Lord, so that we can skip all the BS and just get right down to the native greedy. What do you think?
Speaker 2:I guess so.
Speaker 1:Sounds good, baby.
Speaker 2:OK, father God, thank you for giving us this time, for Nate and I, to sit down and be on this podcast. I pray that you lead this whole conversation and that our flesh is totally separate and out of this room and that we're able to be empty vessels for you to speak through us and reach whoever it is that you want to reach with this podcast, and that we have a good and fun time doing it. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 1:Amen, that was good. That was smooth. It's like you did that before.
Speaker 2:I had a little s-s-s-stada.
Speaker 1:That was really good. That was almost like Gribbriar's step when we did it. So let's just get into it. Let's talk about how we met, because that's a favorite story.
Speaker 2:I love that story If anybody asks me.
Speaker 1:I'm always down to tell that story because I'm just like I want to show how bad as she was in the beginning, she said this to me it does you know what? Now that I think about it, I need to let that part of my flesh die because there is pride. There is a little pride in there. When I tell that story, because I get to show you off, I'm like, well, when we met this is where she's at Now would your wife? How'd you meet your wife?
Speaker 1:Every time somebody asks me they're like their story, Like, yeah, I didn't meet my wife, like that. So yeah, so we met July 4th 2022. And it was my cousin and her cousin are married and her cousin reached out to me. And this is when I was still in the world. Her cousin reached out to me and said I should reach out to Crystal because she thinks that we're a good match, or I should be able just to reach out and talk to her and get to know her and things like that. And, like I said, I was still in the world, I was doing my own fleshy thing and, honestly, I wasn't too interested. Until I'm not going to lie, I'm just being honest.
Speaker 2:He was for the streets at that time.
Speaker 1:I came across your Instagram and I'm like, OK, yeah, she's beautiful. And then I saw some photos from head to toe and I'm like, OK, let's hit her up and I hit her up and so I'm real quick just to reiterate.
Speaker 2:I'm going to tell my side, you're telling your side, right?
Speaker 1:OK, because, yeah, because I know, just wait, guys, just wait. She's going to tell her side. So yeah, liz was hitting me up a couple times and told me to reach out. So I finally reached out and I was stupid. I probably set some goofy line just to make her think. You should have yeah just to make a reply, really, so that I can have my way in.
Speaker 2:I literally rolled my eyes reading his message.
Speaker 1:You see. But I got a reply. The Lord moved, not me, the Lord strategically planned this whole thing, but anyway. So I reached out to Crystal and I said hey, whatever, just get to know each other, whatever, take you out to dinner. I don't remember exactly what I wrote, but it was probably a lot cheesier than that. And she hit me with the three things she's like. Well, if you want to get to know me, you got to know three things about me. She said one, I'm a woman of God. Two, I'm not looking for my boyfriend, I'm waiting on my husband. And three, if you want to get to know me, you got to come to church. So me, in the back of my head, I'm like God, like a challenge. So I showed up to church. I showed up to church. I think it was a week later, was it about a week or two later?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was pretty fast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was pretty quick. So a week or two later, I'm like you know what? I'm going to show up and I'm going to show up. So I show up and, mind you, I haven't been to church in a couple of years, yeah. So I was going through it prior to actually even going to church. So I was dealing with a whole lot, and I mean mentally, physically, spiritually, I was dealing with a whole lot. So I show up and I'm sitting in the back and one of the guys that was irregular there came up to me, introduced himself and stuff like that, trying to make me feel comfortable. It was whatever, my guard is completely up at this time. I'm listening to music, though, and it's like, ok, I'm trying to get the feel for everything, and then, boom, she walks in.
Speaker 2:So I'm going to stop you right here so I can tell my side. So that way they get no, they get the. I'm just going to Side by side. Yeah, hold on.
Speaker 1:But I'm going to say this last part and that's it. I'm going to say this last part and that's it. And then boom, she walks in. She walks in in a baby blue dress. I'm talking about sky blue. I'm talking about ocean, pacific waters blue. I'm talking about blue, blue. And I see her and I locked eyes with her.
Speaker 2:OK, let me talk. And then right then in there.
Speaker 1:I was like man, I'm like going to lie, because I didn't even know what a tangible experience was like with the Lord until I seen her. And when I did, I'm just like, wow and everything. I thought I was putting up the wall, the facade, the Rico Suave, want to be smooth type dude, going in there and thinking I could, completely went out the window. Everything completely went out the window. I saw her. I didn't even like I was stuck for a second because I'm in the back and she's making her way up to the front and I'm just looking at her and I'm waiting for something to happen and she makes her way over to me and I'm just like, lord, is this an angel? I threw that in there. See, kiss me. I see that.
Speaker 2:But, honestly.
Speaker 1:No, I saw her and I had I mean, even now, recollecting on it and looking back there was a tangible experience with the Lord. I mean he broke me and literally emptied me for what was to come through the rest of that service, and it just shattered me. It shattered me and I mean two years later, a baby, a house and some bills. I mean here we are Go ahead.
Speaker 2:So let me tell my side of the story. So at that time I definitely was not looking for any sort of kind of relationship with no man except for Jesus. That's it.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, go ahead. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:And I'm minding my own business right. I'm reading the Bible, I'm working right. I'm multitasking but I'm putting the Lord first and everything right. And next thing, I know I get a message from my cousin and she's like hey, there's somebody that I want you to talk to or introduce you to. And I'm like, no, I'm not interested, no, thanks. And she's like, come on, I think you guys would really hit it off. And I'm like no, Hold on Quick question.
Speaker 1:Did you or did you not know what I looked like before you said no, I did not. Ok, keep going.
Speaker 2:I did not. So I'm like no. And then she's like come on, he's into God too. And I'm like well, first of all, I'm not into God, all right. Like I love God, ok, I live for God. So I'm not into God. And she's like OK, OK, you know what I mean. You know what I mean. And I'm like no, I'm sorry, I'm not interested, I don't have time to get distracted. Like I don't want anything to do with whoever it is that you're trying to introduce me to. She kept pushing and I'm like you know what? What is it that you want me to talk to this guy about? Like what, tell me? And then she's like well, you don't have to. She's like I told him to add you on Instagram. I'm like OK.
Speaker 1:And I did, and I did.
Speaker 2:OK, I'll approve him, but I'm not going to follow him back, like that's fine. And I'm like and I'm not going to go out of my way to talk to him. She's like no, no, no, you don't have to do all that. She's like just approve his friend request and I'm like OK. And I think that he either made his profile on public or something, probably because, again, I did not add him on there, but I did go look at his pictures when he requested me and I'm like OK, he's cute, like you know, he's nice on the eyes. But again, I wanted nothing to do with this guy and I'm like OK. So next thing, I know I get a message and it's somewhere along the lines of like do you think that God makes a person for everyone? Or something like that? Some corny thing.
Speaker 1:Some super cheesy, but again.
Speaker 2:And he got a response from me.
Speaker 1:I got a response. I got a response.
Speaker 2:And then that's when I set the boundaries and I made it real clear Right away I don't got time for this mess.
Speaker 1:Right away.
Speaker 2:I'm a woman of God.
Speaker 1:She said it too.
Speaker 2:I'm not. I'm not looking for a boyfriend.
Speaker 1:I'm waiting on my husband. She said I keep my Glock next to my Bible and if you want to get to know me.
Speaker 2:You got to get to know me at church, because that's where I spend all my time now, and I was at that time, she sure was, I was driving.
Speaker 1:Two or three times a week.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was going for Bible study and I was going for church and then whatever events they had on Saturday for women's service or like anything that they had. Pretty much she almost lived in the church Pretty much, pretty much.
Speaker 1:In the word or yeah, because I mean, honestly, I had never met a woman that was that in depth with their I mean with their spirituality, their religion, how most people would see it. Then, like how I saw it. Then I thought, like man, I've never met a girl that was this religious. I never thought I met a girl that was you know, that went to church Like I never. You see the movies, you hear about it in another like podcast or you see stuff like that about it.
Speaker 2:But this was real life, like and at that time I was new to the walk, though, like I literally like had just given my life over to Christ and I was just experiencing that one on one relationship with him where I felt love like actual love, for the first time ever.
Speaker 1:Authentic love.
Speaker 2:I felt his love. Yeah, his love, like his love that I can't explain, like you've never given me this love, my parents have never given me.
Speaker 1:Nobody can give anybody this type of love but the Lord.
Speaker 2:And this is when I was literally spending all my time with him walks in the uh in the woods, yep, I would be singing in tongues, everything I would.
Speaker 2:I would literally, literally just be with him. So, having you try to come in that relationship, I was like no, I didn't want that. I did not want you messing up what I had. And I knew that I could easily filter you out by putting you to a challenge and making you go to church, because church service for me was like three hours, three, four hours long and I didn't think you would even make it for the first 30 minutes or let alone even make their drive, because you're coming, I think, for an hour and a half yeah.
Speaker 2:To church, so I didn't think you were even going to show up so that they like, at this time too, I also changed a lot of my um clothing. Like I cleaned out my closet, cause the Holy spirit literally had me throw away a lot of my clothes and I was trying to find something to wear and I picked out this baby blue dress. I had a baby blue sweater and, um, some cute matching shoes and I was totally going to change the outfit. I was going to wear something. After, uh, after I picked out I was going to wear something gray, and then all of a sudden I heard no, and I'm like okay, I'll wear the blue. And it was, of course, the Holy spirit telling me no, wear the blue. So I picked up a sister from church and we drove there together and we're walking up and I think I think I was like already like five or 10 minutes late, because they already started like uh, um, playing the worship music and everything and just welcoming the Holy spirit.
Speaker 2:And, um, we walk in and I didn't even see Nate at first. I was walking in and my friend, she was she's. I said, like to sit in the front, I like to sit in the front of church, I like to make sure I'm paying attention and everything, and she's, she made her way to sit in the back row. So I was saying bye to her and I turn and I see Nathan sitting at the very last row in the corner and I go and I like I just look at him and I'm like, oh, he's here. So I walk over and I introduce myself and I give him a hug and I'm like, uh, do you want to come sit with me in front, cause that's where I sit. And then he's like, yeah, and he just got up and he sat with me. It was kind of awkward the first five seconds because I could see him looking at me from the corner of his eye, I was still in shock.
Speaker 1:I'm not man, I'm getting emotional, thinking about it it's. It's because when you said like his love, and I think about it, like during that moment, that's what I was experiencing, and I mean full circle. Where we're at now, it's just even the the two years that it's going to be coming up in July, that we've been through a lot, but it's it's just such a blessing and I'm so happy and I'm so grateful because I love you.
Speaker 1:I love you too, my sweetie, and it's amazing, because man talk about pulling the asshole out of the trenches. Man Like I was a straight dirt bag man and you know I used to. I used to cry and I used to pray and I used to beg for you know what I have now? And I used to cry and I used to beg for the love that I I just so dead, I just so desperately wanted, and it was his love that filled me up and it was his love that allowed me to enjoy the things that I have now. So I'm just blessed. You know, you tell me this story about what we'd be in. I think about it. It's just like man dang.
Speaker 2:It's a nice love story.
Speaker 1:For you guys. I mean, do you guys, do you guys know the vow? That won't be the way.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh when I tell you that baby, if you lost your memory.
Speaker 1:I promise I ain't giving up on you, which is hilarious because I have a really good memory.
Speaker 2:I have the memory of an elephant and so if the vow happened which is hilarious because that's Nathan's favorite- I love that Romance movie Like I think he had me watch it like four times.
Speaker 1:I love that movie. We were dating. I love that movie.
Speaker 2:It was funny.
Speaker 1:And I cry every time, every time, every time.
Speaker 2:So back to church. I was not expecting him to show up or stay or stay. Right. So he's, he's front and center with me, Right, and I'm like all right, Lord he showed up. But what now? Like I, like I told you, I don't want anything to do with him If he's going to take me away from you like mind you, mind you, while she's talking to the Lord about the things that she's, you know, lord, show me this about him.
Speaker 1:I'm there getting correct, like just there, praising Like I've never praised before. I saw somebody lift their hands and I'm like you know what I just felt. So it felt so natural. It felt so natural to be able just to lift my hands and to reach for him, because that's what I thought that they were trying to do. I've never seen any worship like that, so I was lifting my hands. I'm just getting wrecked and you know I'm hearing. What I know now was the Lord. I'm hearing him and you know I'm getting all these things that are flowing through me and I'm hearing the sermon and all these amazing feelings that are just rushing through me. It's just, and I knew it was him and I remember just hearing over and over again I love you, it's okay, I love you, it's okay, I love you, it's okay. But while I'm hearing this, she's go ahead, keep going.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So while he's having his moment with the Lord, so am I Like I'm telling the Lord like, okay, he's here. Now what I mean? I don't want him to distract me from you, I don't want him to, I don't want him to steer me away or pull me away from you. So, lord, please show me something here. If he's meant for me to even give an ounce of attention to. I was like, let the pastor pull him up and pray for him. And next thing I know and I'm talking to the Lord in my head next thing I know Nathan gets up and walks up to the pastor and tells him something and all I see is the pastor smile and call a group of brothers over and they start praying over him. And I'm like, oh, what?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I walked up to him, man. If you see, I walked up to him because I've never really been to a church where I've experienced what I experienced with the Lord, let alone seeing people that look like me and were just, they look happy. So I saw the pastor and the pastor resembled what I looked like. Mind you, I'm all tattooed, I'm rugged, my trials and tribulations are literally on my skin, scars battered. So he looked like me and to see how on fire he was for the Lord and how he was speaking and things like that, I walk up to him and I tell him I'm like man, you look like me and I feel like I'm supposed to be here and I feel like God is talking to me and just thank you, thank you. And that's when he called up a bunch of brothers and decided to pray for me. And after that, man, I got wrecked. I got wrecked. I'm talking about wrecked, car wrecked, but go ahead.
Speaker 2:And he came and he sat next to me again and I'm like, all right, lord, I was mind you. You know what?
Speaker 1:Let me jump in one more time. I was ready to propose right then and there I'm not even going to lie I was just like that's it, this is what God is. I love him. This is my first time seeing you and I think I love you.
Speaker 2:Just come on but go ahead, and so I'm like OK, lord, I see you, but if he's really the one that you want me to talk to, or whatever, then he'll stay the whole service. He'll stay the whole service, and that's you giving me permission to give this guy an ounce of attention, and that's all I need.
Speaker 1:It was just an ounce.
Speaker 2:And he stayed the whole service.
Speaker 1:Three hours and some change. Three hours and some change, and again I could have went dressed like how I normally had dressed, because back then oh, we didn't even mention.
Speaker 2:Huh yeah.
Speaker 1:So then I was always dressed in Tim's Black, tim's Black Jean's jewelry on whatever I went, trying to look like a respectable dude a good kid or a good boy? Yeah, I had a khakis.
Speaker 2:And he was wearing the same color blue as me, the same color blue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were wearing the same color blue we were matching. Literally, they thought we showed up and we were.
Speaker 2:They thought that we planned it. They thought that we knew each other Like I don't know.
Speaker 1:For the next seven to 10.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we kept showing up matching. We kept showing up matching, not even trying to plan it coordinated nothing.
Speaker 1:We just showed up matching. Everybody was like, oh are they together? And I'm like, no, I'm trying to beat up.
Speaker 2:So then, after church, he went to his car and he gave me this big old bouquet of roses.
Speaker 1:I thought they had died, because I thought I didn't think services would be that long. And it was hot too, it was.
Speaker 2:July. They were so pretty and I was getting compliments from all the sisters there and I had somebody that was in the service.
Speaker 1:He knew I was in there and he saw me walking. He's like who are those for? I'm like somebody that's at the church. He's like I ain't never seen no brother bring roses to church.
Speaker 2:And I gave them. I gave a couple of the girls like a single rose because I felt very loved at that moment by the Lord and I wanted to share that, so I gave them a couple. I gave out a few, and then the rest I gave for myself, and then after that I wanted to make sure that between Nathan and I it was basically what's the word I'm looking for.
Speaker 1:It was like destined to be.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, no. Supervised.
Speaker 1:Supervised by the Lord right.
Speaker 2:So the next hangout, I told him I would have Bible study with him and it had to be like out of park. So we hung out at a park, did Bible study. He led Bible study.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because you didn't want to do nothing intimate at all, like you didn't want to go to the movies.
Speaker 2:I didn't want to go on a date like that or nothing. I wanted to just have Bible studies, have Bible studies or talk about the Lord or whatever.
Speaker 1:So I'm like all right, and the first time we've actually hung out right was after church was for that Bible study.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that was the next day, so she's like we can have.
Speaker 1:Bible study. I've never planned a Bible study in my life I never. I hadn't even read the Bible for years. So I go and cop me a Bible, I go and cop me this planner and notebook and all this other stuff and I'm like, ok, so how would I break down a Bible study? And I'm literally just sitting at the table for hours thinking about how am I going to break this down. And, yeah man, I broke down. How would you say that Bible study went? It was good, yeah.
Speaker 2:You literally broke the Bible down for me.
Speaker 1:The word for word, word for word, yeah, the definition of this word, and then this is what this means Right.
Speaker 2:He tried to sound so intellectual and I just I thought it was cute that he was trying, but it definitely was not like it wasn't spirit letter, nothing.
Speaker 1:No, it wasn't. I didn't know what I was doing, it wasn't. I mean, I was trying to.
Speaker 2:I think we did one more Bible study like that together and then after that you kind of got, you know, you kind of got that push to hold Bible studies with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was on fire for the Lord.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he was like after the second Bible study was like, you know what? I think I'm going to start having Bible studies with people Like I think I'm going to.
Speaker 1:Invite people to have Bible studies.
Speaker 2:And I'm thinking in my head like, wow, you're ready for that.
Speaker 1:OK, I didn't know what I was doing, but I wasn't going to discourage him because he was on fire, right.
Speaker 2:So I wasn't going to discourage him, I was just like all right, tell me the place and time and I'll be there.
Speaker 1:And we had a nice little show up, yeah, treadwell Bar, not Barber Shop, treadwell Coffee Shop At that time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at that time in Aurora, and we had a couple yeah, we would, we'd had people show up and you were from, well, like six to 10 people and it was pretty decent, not that the number matters, but I mean we had people showing up and I thought that I was doing, you know, I thought that I was doing well, I didn't know what I was doing, but the Lord was definitely leading me through some of these Bible studies, because I had no idea what I was doing.
Speaker 1:I was praying and I was asking the Lord to give me a word and you know, and he did so, yeah, so I mean, we went from there and, you know, things just progressed and you know, it's not even a month or two later, but a month or two later I'm like I'm going to marry you. Like a month later, I'm like I'm going to marry you honestly, and I would just joke in or, you know, messing with her. I'm like I'm going to marry you and she's like whatever, oh no, what she would say at the time was you're funny, everything, everything. And I would keep telling her like this I'm like I'm going to marry you, like I'm going to marry you, I'm going to marry you. And, sure enough, I asked her to marry me and she said yes, and November 14th we got married.
Speaker 2:We got, hitched we got hitched the same year.
Speaker 1:So we met July 4th and we got hitched November 14th and yeah, not too long after, I did get a baby bun in the oven and we got a little bubby.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and mind you, all this went by so fast that it felt like I was with Nathan for years. Yes, it felt like we're together forever, like we went through a lot in that short span of time and it was really cool. Yeah, it was awesome. Just see the Lord move.
Speaker 1:It was awesome. It was awesome so, like the church that we were going to was a place that I started my walk with the Lord and I had felt and I knew that there was going to be more. And I knew that there was something because the tug on my heart, like I wasn't searching for him. I was in a place where I was still doing what I wanted to do. I was out partying, I was out drinking, I was out doing drugs, I was out talking to women, I was doing all the dumbest stuff that you can do. I was doing it and I wasn't looking for him, but because I was searching for what the flesh wanted, the Lord had just put a stop to it and introduced me to now my wife and he wrecked me and showed me who he was and I knew there was going to be more. So from that church, we met our brothers and sisters, our brothers and sisters in Christ there, and we transitioned over to another church, a CUNY ministries, and this is where we had found our home.
Speaker 2:And I mean it was clear that the Lord orchestrated all of that, because five knows, and he still made sure that you showed up at that church. And I feel like he used my cousin as a vessel and me as a vessel to get Nathan to come to church and to be a part of his body of Christ, and with me being obedient, I guess, or just not letting my flesh take over, like, oh wow, this cute guy showed up to church. I was talking to him, I was asking him, I was making sure, like Lord, before I even took it anywhere, and with that he blessed me with Nathan being my partner, with being my husband, and I think it was all just to get us to where we need to be and that's with our church, our family, that we're with now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely. So if you could give any young girls, or even women, any advice on what they should do or how they should continue to move if they are single, or if they are talking to somebody now, or if they do have somebody in their sights that they think the Lord is making way for them to be in a relationship with somebody, what do you think they should do in order to make sure that they keep the Lord first, first and foremost? That's a primary, that's the number one goal is to make sure that you keep the Lord first, men or women. But do you have any advice for anyone out there, for any females that you know?
Speaker 2:My advice would be just to enjoy your singleness and enjoy it with the Lord, because that's the most intimate one-on-one time that you're going to have with him. And as soon as somebody else comes in the picture, yes, you put the Lord first, but now you're also putting someone else before you, because, again, we're not doing things to serve ourselves but to serve others. So it's then putting Christ. It's putting Christ first, then your partner and then yourself. You're always last. You're always gonna be come be. Be last in things, and that's how it should be. But enjoy your singleness and Don't wait on anyone like that. Like don't Don't expect that you doing this or that that the Lord is gonna bring someone in your life. Like, just let it happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't go searching for it.
Speaker 2:He's gonna do it when you're ready, when your relationship is on point with the Lord, and he can entrust a gift like a partner in your life and that you're able to care for it and love it and everything, because a relationship under God is something very beautiful and and it needs to be watered and needs to be taken care of like, yeah, you can't just Let the flesh run off and Do things like what the world does.
Speaker 2:If you do that, you're gonna get ruined like it's gonna mess up everything, because I mean Nathan did, nathan and I after a while we didn't do everything by the book girl with by the good book, you know and majority of it was my fault, I mean, because I didn't know anything About what it was to be a man of God.
Speaker 1:I just knew that I was seeking him in that moment and he was still revealing himself to me, but my flesh was still something that had to die at that moment and it wanted to exist. So it was still trying to partake in things that it shouldn't have been partaking in.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, so that's why you have to have the Lord first and everything and have a relationship with him and Seek him in every step of the way, so that way You're protected, you're covered, you know, and it's you're protected and covered by the Lord.
Speaker 1:No one else will buy the Lord looking back at it now for ladies, men, young men, young ladies, if, if you are, you know in a place or in a season where you know you're you, you're Asking the Lord to reveal your husband or your wife, or you know you're, you're in a place where you are seeking, you know, your Lord or your, your husband or your wife, you need to be able to To to be honest with yourself and you need to tell yourself that you're incapable of finding this person on your own and you need to seek the Lord in everything that you're doing, because the closer and the more intimate and the more well you know your God, the better you're gonna be aware of who he's gonna send you.
Speaker 1:So your relationship with the Lord has to be first and, depending on that relationship that you have with the Lord, it's either gonna show or it's not, because the things that you want in the flesh you can find out there in the world. The things that you want from the Lord, only he can give you. And when you know your God, he'll reveal it to you and you'll know it's from your God because of the relationship you have with him. So put him first and everything that you do and make sure that you stay in the word, you stay in the secret place, you stay in prayer, because he is the waymaker and he is going to lead you to the places that you need to be. He will reveal people to you, but if you don't stay locked in with him, they will go right over your head. Right over your head. So make sure you put him first and everything that you do.
Speaker 1:Yes yes, yeah. So what was your? What was your? Because I mean with us talking about how he met. That was how the Lord was revealed to me. I mean, I knew of God and of Jesus. I knew of him, but I didn't know him like I know him now and I didn't. He didn't reveal himself to me like how he did when we the day we met, which was in the church. Not to say that he won't reveal himself to you any other place, but he revealed himself to me when I met crystal. So how did he reveal himself to you when you had an experience with him? Because mine was at the church with you, but yours was something completely different, so because you were already walking with the Lord. So what did that look like when he showed himself to you?
Speaker 2:I mean I was. I had just recently Started walking with the Lord when I had met you, but prior to that I was like super down, like super depressed, and I Would get so many anxiety attacks, like panic attacks. I remember asking my mom one time I'm like can you like get a heart attack from Having so many anxiety attacks? Because I I would wake up at five, anywhere between like three to five in the morning, with my heart rate bracing, like I would just wake up and my heart was like racing, like I heard my eyes and I I would not understand why. Like I was just anxious and I would Wouldn't be able to go back to sleep till about like six, which I would have to wake up at 645, so 45 minutes to sleep and then get ready for work, and I wasn't getting any sleep.
Speaker 2:I mean I would getting just throughout the day and everything, and One day I just literally could not take it at all. Like I, I and the I don't know if you remember the other day when we walked by that mural or that for the earth no, it was actually yesterday when we went on our walk and it was all that Like the cut up pieces or whatever, and I was like, oh, I did that to my mom's bathroom.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, painting yeah so I use like Tape and I taped off the wall and did it like pieces so it looked like abstract, right, so it looked like kind of like broken glass and I remember I was in the bathroom and I was washing my hands and the way that the mirror Reflected off of the wall was showing me the wall that I had did the art on and it looks so broken and I just started crying.
Speaker 1:I was like that's good, it's okay, it's okay, that's okay, go ahead, it's okay.
Speaker 2:I hope you cut off that big silence.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's okay, keep going um, I, I Seen it and I just felt so broken like I literally saw the wall and it was just Right there. And I grew up Catholic so I did not understand, like what it was to have a relationship with Jesus and I did not know, I truly did not know who Jesus was at all, like I. I just knew God, that's it. I knew Jesus died on the cross, but I did not know, like what Jesus really really did, like what he had to go through for us, and I remember just Falling to my knees and just asking God to please, like take away all the anxiety, like to just take it away.
Speaker 2:I did not want to deal with it anymore. I I Wanted it all gone and all they kept hearing was Jesus, like that's all I kept hearing was Jesus. And I just started saying Jesus, jesus, jesus. And Then I just felt like this overwhelming like love, like I could not at all ever explain or Even get close to, like giving that kind of love to anyone or experiencing that love from anyone, and it was just like so peaceful and so like wow, like warm, like I don't even know how to describe it, but it was just like so Wow it was peace, it was joy.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was everything, everything in one. And the next thing, I know I got up and I just started like throwing up in the toilet, like I was like and all I kept hearing was out, out, out, and I'm like literally just Throwing it up. And next thing, I know, I just was so calm.
Speaker 1:Deliverance, so I didn't even know what deliverance was.
Speaker 2:At that time I did not know none of that. None of that. I didn't know what it was. I did not know.
Speaker 2:Again, I was raised Catholic and then after that I Stopped going to church for years. Like, I think I stopped going to church after I was like 14 or something like that, I don't know, probably younger than that. We would only go to church for when somebody was having like a baptism or something like that, and I I after that I just started seeking the Lord and I Told God I'm like, okay, well, I want to get closer to you. So how do I do this? I don't even know what Bible to read. I'm like I can't read anything that has thou that like I'm not gonna understand it. Lord, I'm like and I know there's all these versions, so which one am I supposed to read?
Speaker 2:I was intimidated by the Bible. I was. I didn't know how to read it and I wanted to understand it. And For a week I was just praying like, lord, let me know which, which Bible I'm supposed to get. And I was cleaning my room. I threw. I threw away at that time. I had like a lot of New Age stuff. I had crystals, I had Turrets cards, I had like alien books, I had a whole bunch of stuff and and I threw all of that away. And I was cleaning my room and I went downstairs to the basement and next thing I know I I Was putting some shoeboxes on there and I turn around. I literally just turn around and there's a Bible there and it's in English standard version, and I was like wow, wow the Lord's like, here you go.
Speaker 2:I was. No, it felt like I, like I had gotten flowers for the very first time, like literally. Like I was like wow, like I was like oh, what, like, oh, like it was so cool. And so I started reading that Bible and I was like doing a lot of church on my own, basically, and I was listening to a pastor on Instagram His, his teachings were really cool, and I, I wanted to go to a church and I didn't know what church to go to, so I was just praying for a church, for him to lead me to a church, and I was like, lord, I'll even drive two hours if I have to, and, and sure enough you. I found a church and it was only an hour long. So I was like, okay, but yeah, that's how that happened and that's why I didn't want any distractions.
Speaker 1:Who are you listening to online?
Speaker 2:He calls himself Brother Marty Dude.
Speaker 1:Marty Dude.
Speaker 2:Brother Marty Dude, uh-oh. Yeah, he hasn't posted anything, but I spoke with his wife once, because actually a couple times, but I had had this really scary, intense dream, like when I threw all that stuff out and I gave my life over to Christ and everything. A couple days after that I had this dream where a tarot card the devil tarot card was thrown at me.
Speaker 1:You have wild dreams. I know you have the craziest dreams.
Speaker 2:I know, and it was getting closer and closer and closer, and the devil was stomping his hub and it was just getting closer and closer A tarot card was. The tarot card of the devil I don't know if you've ever seen it.
Speaker 2:It was like thrown at me and it was just getting closer and closer and closer and bigger and bigger and he was stomping his hub. He was stomping his hub and I woke up and I was terrified. I was crying. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to explain it to my mom or my dad. I didn't Nothing. I was just so scared. So that morning I wrote Brother Marty Dude and he responded and he had his wife. He's all like I'm going to get you in contact with my wife, Talk to her, and all of that. And I told her and it was really cool because she told me about her experience and how she came out of witchcraft and all of that. And it was very sweet, sweet lady and she prayed for me and everything and it was really nice.
Speaker 1:That's dope, that's crazy, that's wild. Yeah, so fast forward, man. I'm just like, when we talk about it it's wild and I'm sure everybody has a testimony that those that follow Christ and everybody's testimony it's specific to their own walk and everything like that. But when you really stop and you tell somebody your testimony or you even reflect on your testimony not to get sad or anything like that, but it does, it reminds you of where you came from, it does bring you back to that realization and how much the Lord loves you.
Speaker 2:That he pulled you out of all of that because he could have left me in what I was in.
Speaker 1:Oh 100%.
Speaker 2:He could have left me in that and I literally could have gone and said with all that anxiety that I was experiencing, but he didn't.
Speaker 1:I know what that anxiety feels like it sucks.
Speaker 2:Chose me to follow him.
Speaker 1:It sucks. So you had your experience with the Lord and it was on your own, and that's awesome, because I've heard so many different testimonies where people were just in their living rooms and they just get touched by the Lord and it's wild. But so let me ask you another question then. So if you could give those that are listening advice on what they should do if they first start coming to Christ, what should they do If they start to search for them? Or if they do get an experience sort of similar to yours, how should they move forward knowing what you know now?
Speaker 2:I mean it's to put the Lord first in everything, especially when you're like a baby Christian, I guess is what they call it or new to walking with the Lord. You literally have to put him first in everything so you can keep fueling that fire, because you get lit up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, quick.
Speaker 2:Real quick. But if you don't feed that fire with worshiping, with one-on-one time with him, with everything to serve him, to bring yourself down and to lift him up and glorify him, that fire, it can get low and dim and that's one thing you don't want. That's something that you don't want, because then it's hard to get back to that place where you were at because he lit that fire up.
Speaker 1:Yes, yep.
Speaker 2:And now, because you've experienced that fire and you know what that fire is like, you have to work hard to get that fire going, because the Lord is not a genie. He's not going to just do things for you.
Speaker 1:And by work hard. She doesn't mean going and literally doing things out of your own strength and everything like that. It's by working hard. She means to Opening up to him, yes, by Building a relationship with him, yes, yes. By Getting to know him, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:That and that's what feeds that fire. Yes, to keep it going, because it's like he shows you all these amazing things, like you literally feel like a little kid again and you have to make sacrifices when you get to that point.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely You'll lose a lot of friends, a lot of people. You have to make sacrifices, you lose them and you gain the Lord.
Speaker 1:Yes, If you've come to the point where you know that there is, there is the Lord and Jesus is revealing himself to you, you can allow what you want in this world or what your desires are. Your pleasures are to be more than your search for Jesus. You have to start sacrificing. So if you are in that place where you're new to Christ and you're just starting your path and you're just starting your walk with him, know that there are going to be some things you're going to have to sacrifice. You're going to have to know that you have to say no to certain things and you have to start. If you can't cut it off right away, you have to start withering away, withering away from these things and making sure so we got no other babies with us too. So he farted, if you heard that.
Speaker 1:But yeah, so you have to make sure that you wither away from it. Oh yeah, and let it wither away. So you got to make sacrifices, and that's what she means by working hard, because, at the end of the day, you have to want him more than you want the things of this world. You have to want him more than your pleasures. You have to want him more than your personal desires, because, at the end of the day, the things that he wants for you are always going to be greater, because when you put him first and he becomes the center and the focus of your heart, not only will he give you the things that you desire in this world, but it'll come back 10 fold, because you're putting aside the things that you want, the things that you desire, your pleasures, your wants, your needs. You're putting them off to the side so that you can put him first, and when you do that, he sees that, and when your heart is truly there, he's going to reward you with the things that you want later.
Speaker 1:So you got to go through the fire, though. You got to go through the fire, you got to go through the struggle, you got to go through the pain, you got to fill all these things and realize that he's going to help you and only he can help you with these things. You can't do it on your own, but when you make the decision to choose life and love and joy and peace over all the chaos in the world, he's going to make it better. And the things that you he's going to give you, things that you didn't even know you wanted, so you have to put him first. You got to make some sacrifices. You got to. It's going to be hard at first, but the closer you get to him and the more you want him in your life, the easier things you're going to get, the easier things are going to get.
Speaker 2:And the path is narrow, so you can't take everybody with you that you you know Anybody or anything, yeah, yeah. That's why it's just you and the Lord Like you have to build your relationship with Jesus. You have to know that you're here to serve him, not yourself or anyone else.
Speaker 1:Yes, yep. So for anybody that's new walking with the Lord, you have to die to self. You have to die to self and you have to kill your flesh. Dying to self means killing your wants. Dying to self means killing your desires, killing your pleasures, killing your thoughts, killing everything that you think that you are. It's dying completely to self. Everything that I think that I am has to die. Everything that I think that I want, everything that I think or whatever it has to die. That's dying to self. You have to kill yourself, literally, put yourself on the cross and remove Jesus because he died for your sins. You have to die to self. What do you think?
Speaker 2:Yes, and that's I mean. It's annoying and very hard for the flesh and that's the daily fight of getting through that. But when you put your focus on Jesus, your flesh really doesn't matter, like with intrusive thoughts or what people say or whatever, like if you're putting Jesus first, none of that stuff matters. Like it's even as something so simple with, for example, for me the other day after leaving the gym I wanted coffee because I was energized and my flesh wanted that coffee, that energy, to keep going. But if I catered to my flesh with that cup of coffee I would have ruined everything that I had with the Lord during that workout because I was relying on his strength to get me through that workout. I was listening to music. That was that was having me think of him and worshiping him and I felt good leaving the gym. And next thing I know I wanted coffee. It was my flesh that wanted the coffee, so I had to deny myself on that. I had to kill that part of myself. Drive past Duncan donuts or Starbucks.
Speaker 2:I'm not a Starbucks fan. I don't like their coffee. I think Duncan is better, for sure, like I think it's cool. No, I think they get their coffee beans from.
Speaker 2:Guatemala. Yeah, I think they have like a, because I went to Guatemala a couple years back and our tour guide said that they have like a big field for Duncan on the coffee beans. But I digress and yeah, I had to kill that part and Nate sent me to Starbucks for coffee and I was like, oh Lord, does that mean I could get coffee? No, that was a test and I definitely did not get coffee. I just got a dragon fruit. But it's something as little as that. You have obedience and I getting the cup of coffee. Then you're starting to learn discipline and that gets you to follow him even more and listening to him and building up that discernment and just sticking with him, and it's a daily daily thing.
Speaker 2:It does renew your mind daily right once you get a gold star. Just because you completed that task does not mean you're off the hook. No, you're not.
Speaker 1:You're gonna your mind daily. You have to die daily, because you can't go a day, you can't go a moment without thinking that things are gonna get easier, that things are just made because you succeeded in one thing. You didn't even succeed. It's your flesh making you think that you overcame something. You didn't do it. The Lord did it. The Lord did it you.
Speaker 1:You're incapable of doing things on your own. The the more and the more honest you get to be with yourself and realize that, the better off you're gonna be. You're incapable of doing things on your own. You're incapable of it. Say it to yourself, know what's the truth and walk in it. Landfill sense. You can't do anything without the Lord. You can't do anything without Jesus.
Speaker 1:Every time you try, there's consequences, regardless if you think that you're succeeding or regardless if you think that you're doing well, the devil can bless you too. The devil can keep you in a place where you you think that you are doing just fine without the Lord and you do not need the Lord. And guess what happens? Day of judgment comes. This is go from me. I never knew. So.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just make sure you continue to put the Lord first. Renew your mind daily. Died itself daily. And just man and just wait, and just wait, humble yourself and and allow him to do what only he can do, because there's so much he can show you, there's so much he can show you, there's so much he wants to show you. But you're only gonna go as deep as you seek, if that makes sense. You're only gonna go as far as you want. So the work is up to you. The work is up to you, and I'm not talking about physical works. I'm talking about what it is that you're willing to sacrifice, like I said, and what it is that you're willing to do to, you know, to build your relationship with them. This is cool.
Speaker 2:We gotta do this again oh, you're invited me inviting me again to your podcast yeah, you and Bobby your co-host.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we gotta do this again. So do you have any advice for anybody? Again, just listening, you're on your heart, something that you want to tell anybody, whether listening?
Speaker 2:I mean, you have nothing to lose right everything the game. If you're wanting a relationship with the Lord, just call on. Just call on him, just call on Jesus and ask him to reveal himself to you and you'll see like you'll. You'll definitely see, you'll experience it, because, I mean, there's absolutely no one in this world that can fill your heart like he does don't do it.
Speaker 1:Neither don't call out to him like if he he's gonna prove himself, like if he has to prove himself to you, you have to call out to him in a place where you're ready to follow him?
Speaker 2:you're ready to change your life?
Speaker 1:yes, not just oh. Hey, jesus, are you real?
Speaker 2:show yourself to me leading your life like you're ready to surrender, you're ready to give your life over to him, because that's what he did. He gave his life for us. He literally thought of every single one of us and he said we were worth it and you are worth it.
Speaker 1:You are completely worth it. You are worth it because of what he did on the cross. You are worth it. You are worth it. He's just waiting for you to recognize that and to choose him so that he can show you that. So, yeah, I love that you brought us in with the prayer. Ask everybody that that comes on to end the podcast in prayer.
Speaker 2:But since you I was gonna say yeah.
Speaker 1:I call us over here requesting hubby to end it with a prayer, since you started the prayer. Yeah, I'll definitely end it and then we'll go from there. Heavenly father, thank you for this time. Thank you for allowing me and my wife to sit down and just to just to talk about you, god. Thank you for allowing us to come together and to share testimonies and to share a love for you, lord, let this, let this podcast, reach those that need to hear it. Let those that are seeking you here and let those that are that are looking for their husband and their wives and in Christ, hear this podcast and know that it is you that will lead them to the person that you have set aside for them, but they need to make sure that they put you first.
Speaker 1:Just, we love you, lord, and we thank you for everything that you've done in our lives, and we pray that that you, just you, continue to reveal yourself to us in the most intimate way possible so that we can continue to follow you and we can continue to walk in truth. We lay down our lives do you, father, god, and we, we we just open ourselves up to be the vessels that you want us to be, father, and we pray that we can do that and in ways that other people can see, so that you're real, not only to us, but to them. Father God, I pray that you, just you touch those that are listening right now and you reveal yourself to them in a supernatural way. I pray that you help those that need and you review yourself to those that seek you in Jesus name. I pray, amen. Amen. All right, guys, episode three in the bag. We love you. We appreciate you for listening if you listen this long, and we will see you next Wednesday.
Speaker 2:Yeah thanks for joining us. Bye now.