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For over 25 years Proverbs 31 Ministries' mission has been to intersect God's Word in the real, hard places we all struggle with. That's why we started this podcast. Every episode will feature a variety of teachings from president Lysa TerKeurst, staff members or friends of the ministry who can teach you something valuable from their vantage point. We hope that regardless of your age, background or stage of life, it's something you look forward to listening to each month!
Meredith Brock: Well, hi friends. Thanks for tuning in to the Proverbs 31 Ministries podcast where we share biblical truth for any girl and any season. I'm your. To Meredith Brock and I'm here today with a special co-host Cailah Garcia.
Cailah Garcia: Hey, Mere. I'm so excited to be here with you today. We just finished an incredible conversation with our friend Grace Valentine, and let me tell you, it is a special one.
We are talking all about decision making, which let me tell you is such a needed conversation in our culture today. Mm-hmm. When I, I don't know about you mayor, but I can get so. Paralyzed. Yep. When big decisions come up, when big decision making is in front of me and I'm like, God, what do you want me to do?
But what I love that Grace shared with us today is that when we run to the father, mm-hmm. Only sit at his feet. He gives us everything that we need, and he gives us the wisdom and the courage to take the right. Step forward, and I think we're just going to be so encouraged today by what Grace has to share.
Meredith Brock: Absolutely. It's a good one guys. So you are in for a treat, but before we let you listen to today's episode, you'll hear that our guest teacher today is actually a member of our encouragement for today. Mm-hmm. Devotions writing team. So I wanted to take just a moment to celebrate how these. Devotions that have been around for decades are making an impact in the lives of our readers.
That's only possible. These devotions only happen. Yeah. Because of our generous donors. One reader wrote in and said, I was in a job that I hated. And I cried every day. Mm-hmm. That was stuck because I needed the money. Wow. Reading the devotional at my job saved my sanity and changed my heart about waiting on God and hard times.
These devotions have given me strength. Wow. And that just blesses me. Yes. You know, as the CEO of this ministry, I want you to hear from my heart that when you. Give generously to Proverbs 31 ministries. Mm-hmm. Uh, you're not just giving dollars. Yep. You are actually creating lifelines for people. Yeah. Like this testimony that you just heard, you are intersecting biblical truth and wisdom into those moments of women crying at their desk.
Mm-hmm. Or at their kitchen counter. Mm-hmm. Um, or in the car line as they try to navigate. Hardships of this world. Yeah. And so when you give, you're really giving hope. And I am just so very grateful for each one of our generous donors.
Cailah Garcia: We couldn't do this without you. So we're so excited to dive into today's episode.
Lean in and get ready to hear from Grace. Meredith and I are so excited to have our guest. Here in the P 31 Studio with us today. Welcome to the show, Grace Valentine. We're so happy you're here with us today.
Grace Valentine: Thank you so much for having me. I have grown up always reading Proverbs 31 Ministry stuff, so I'm honored to even write for the encouragement for today and to now be in the studio itself.
Cailah Garcia: I know Grace, we're so happy.
Grace Valentine: A podcast I’ve listened to, I'm like, Ooh, here, I'm,
Cailah Garcia: I know. I'm like, all the girls are in the studio today. We're gonna have so much fun just. Chatting and having a word from the Lord today. Right, Mere?
Meredith Brock: I love it. Well, for our listeners, Grace is brand new to the P 31 podcast, but she is a longtime friend, like she said, of Proverbs 31 Ministries.
She is, um, she's someone I've been watching from the sidelines who truly is an inspiring person because at such a young age, grace started writing and speaking with an emphasis on reaching, reaching people in her season of life. Mm-hmm. Not only does she write, have a few published books under her belt and speak to audiences across the country a few years ago.
She joined our encouragement for today Devotions writing team, just like she said. Yes, we love it. I love it, and I believe this was a hugely impactful move for P 31 because our mission is to help all women know and live the truth of God's word. An important aspect of that is being so intentional in the voices and stages of life represented in our devotions, and so I'm thankful for how Grace consistently gives her time and talents to reach our audience with the word of God.
Cailah Garcia: I couldn't agree more Mere, Grace has just had her finger on the pulse of what want. Young women are struggling with, but the reality is, friends, even if you're facing a hard thing in one season of your life, you're going to walk through it again in a different season of life. Mm-hmm. This is that process of sanctification we've talked about on this podcast before so many times, and how God uses the struggles we face as opportunities to shape us into his image.
That being said, this topic is. Decision making.
Meredith Brock: Oh boy.
Cailah Garcia: So, buckle up, girlies. Buckle up friends. Think of this decision that's on your heart right now. Think of that moment, that big decision that you're waiting to just take and step into and receive. Today's teaching with open hands. We've really got something special for you today.
So Grace. We'll let you take it from here.
Grace Valentine: Well, like many of us, I've had to make some big decisions in my life. Mm, and some real ones. Two and a half years ago, I decided to move to a different city where I barely knew anyone. I remember looking at apartments online that were way too expensive and wondering if I should take the leap.
I've had to decide if I should walk away from a relationship or even a friendship. That was challenging at times. I've had to wrestle with changing careers, layoffs, and other decisions in my own personal life, and some decisions feel small. Like what to post, what to say, what to text back, and some feel massive, like who you're gonna marry or where you're gonna live, or what school your kids will go to or how you wanna discipline your kids.
And some decisions affect our future, some affect our families. Mm-hmm. Some affect our kids. Some feel like they carry so much pressure, you can barely breathe when you think about them. And if there's anything I've learned about decision making, it's this. If you don't learn how to make decisions with God, you'll start making them with anxiety.
Meredith Brock: That's so good.
Grace Valentine: And if you don't choose wisdom, you will choose chaos in decisions. And that never goes well. I mean, let me tell y'all a story. Y'all are going to really get to know me quick. If you love it, love it. I love it. It's a very embarrassing story. And so when I was 25 and feeling hopelessly single, I remember always overthinking anything a guy would.
Text me or whatever, and I had this one friend, we're just gonna call him Andrew. Mm-hmm. His name was not Andrew. So don't go looking for any Andrews and be like, this is the one that got away for Grace. Right. I'm so happy in a relationship now, but when I was 25, Andrew was a good friend. He was Christian, and all of a sudden he started texting me all the time.
And I remember it's a Tuesday at 4:30 PM and he's like, how are you doing? And I'm like, okay Andrew, are you in love with me? You're like, Andrew, what's going on? I know, I get it. I'm ready for the date. Andrew, like, come on. And we are talking all the time. We're bantering and it's a month I still haven't been asked on a date and I am just confused.
And instead of when I had a decision to make sure do I walk away from this little situationship, flirting, texting action, do I actually say the prayer that we all hate to pray the for sure Lord, if it is not your will take it away. Like I wasn't willing to do that. Yeah, I decided to investigate to read the text messages over and over again.
And when that wasn't leaning on my own understanding was it helping Sure. I went to the girl group chat, which, you know, you send the screenshots, that's what you do when you're a young girl overthinking. So I'm sending the screenshots, this girl group chat, be like, let's all as a group project decide if Andrew's in love with me.
Cailah Garcia: Right. Totally. That's what we do.
Grace Valentine: Intimidated. Yeah. Right. And I'm like, it's a group project. I need all the girlies on board. And so they're. Sitting eating it too. You know, they are trying to give their opinions. We're going back and forth. And so finally as I look at my text with Andrew and I text them, they say, how many times does he text you first versus you text him?
Right? So I type out three paragraphs. I am giving an analysis like it's AP Literature, animal Farm, ninth grade year, and as I write this all out, I send it Mm. Without realizing that. I said it to you
Meredith Brock: No you did not. I'm sorry.
Grace Valentine: I know. Oh my gosh. Are you, every time I tell college shorty girls this, they, they're, they're like, okay, you're not cool anymore.
And I have chills have the in cringing for you. Um, and I, this is what you get. For, you know, I did out a red light. So then I'm like, I realize what I did. And I go to the text message and I unsend it. Thank goodness this,
Cailah Garcia: oh, thank God for unsend.
Grace Valentine: But then it says, Grace Valentine on, sent a message. Yeah. And then Andrew isn't responding anything else.
And so now I'm talking the girl group chat again, and I'm even more anxious. Okay. And I say, how? What's the damage? And they go, how long was it? Said, I don't know. I don't, I blacked out. Like I, I don't remember. Was it because I read online? I'm Googling this before Chad, GBT, right? It's between zero to five minutes you can unsend, right?
I don't know what range it was. 'cause every second felt very long in that moment, right? And so finally. I get home and they tell me if he even had an Apple watch that no matter if you unsend it, he still gets to read it. So I am on Andrew's Instagram and I am looking for an Apple Watch tan line. I'm like, is this one in his right?
Cailah Garcia: Does he have one?
Grace Valentine: Yeah. Is it in his back closet? Is it in his, is his mom have access to this? Right. Because he's gonna get all three paragraph analysis about his emoji usage to me at age 25, and so I had to see him that night. I still, to this day, do not know if Andrew saw that Andrew still was flirty and confusing as always.
But if there's one thing that story taught me, it's that a lot of times when you're either seeking opinions when you are. Seeking to find things out on your own. And I wanted affirmation. I didn't want wisdom in that moment. Yeah. I want someone to say, Andrew is in love with you, this great project. He's just intimidated.
I wanted to lean on my own understanding. I thought I could figure it out that if I just worked hard enough read between the lines, looked at his emoji usage, that I would figure out if he was gonna ask me on a date. And the truth is it was not all in my control.
Meredith Brock: Sure.
Grace Valentine: And so a lot of times I've noticed, even when I'm making any decision, whether it's about a move.
I can overthink, I can choose chaos over wisdom and without realizing it, when I'm leaning on my own understanding, I'm not leaning on the Lord's will and I am not actually going to him. I'm not seeking wisdom. I'm seeking my own flesh. I'm seeking how I think that I can figure this out. And the truth is there's so many decisions in life.
Where if you try to figure it on your own, you'll never figure it out. Mm-hmm. True. And if you jump to these crazy conclusions and start thinking of what's five years gonna be? What's this a decade later gonna be, you're gonna jump to conclusions and not to true prayer and intimacy with the Lord.
Meredith Brock: So good, thanks.
Grace Valentine: And so that's why I have now hopefully learned a little bit the hard way, the importance of seeking true wisdom. And this is a verse that I love to. Read over and over again in seasons of decision making and seasons where I need wisdom. And in seasons where the world feels so loud and chaos is around us.
Because once again, it is so hard to make a true decision that is wise when there's chaos around you, when you are overthinking, when you are choosing anxiety, and it is important to remember. Proverbs three, five through six and it says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lead not on your own understanding.
In all your ways, submit to him and he will make your path straight.
Meredith Brock: So good.
Grace Valentine: And I wanna break that verse down for us. Yeah. 'cause that might be a verse where maybe you've heard it a bazillion times, or maybe you've never heard it, but I think it is so cool when you can take even a small passage and just look at how the Lord so intentionally placed certain words in that verse and that passage.
And so we first see in this verse, it says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Trust in God means believing he is good and that he knows better and you can't. Actually figure it out. You have to trust him.
Cailah Garcia: That's so good.
Grace Valentine: He is good at being God. You can't jump to these conclusions. Play the what if game.
You have to jump to prayer because your anxiety will want you to spiral. Mm-hmm. But your Lord is over it all. Come on. And when you remember who the Lord is over it all, you see that he's more powerful than even the decision in front of you. That he at the end of the day, has a plan that you can't mess up as long as you are submitting to him.
And if you trust that he is good and is going to lead you to good. You realize that you are not powerful enough to mess up his best. Wow. Sometimes we say we trust him, but what we mean is I trust you as long as you agree with me and what I want. And that's why it's important to trust in the Lord with all our heart.
Yeah. Not half your heart. And I think I've noticed this a lot of times in my life and I'm making decision I might trust in in my career, but not trust in my relationships. Or I might trust him with my mother and my father, but maybe one day not my children. And we so. Often compartmentalize and trust him with half our heart.
Yeah. And that's why it says, trust the Lord with all your heart. And when I was spiraling over the sky and the text messages, I wasn't trusting God. I was trusting my ability to decode and my girl group text that we can investigate it. Mm-hmm. And I was seeking opinions from others before I was actually seeking God.
Yeah. When you trust God, you still are gonna seek wise counsel. Mm-hmm. You still might have a girl group chat that you say, Hey, I need your help. I'm spiraling right now, and I need to know where I should go. Will you pray for me? But you're having them point you to God and not just fake answers that you think you can decode because you can't decode a lot of this.
You will never fully know what's going to be on the other side. Mm-hmm. Of the decision. You can know if you are being led by God to go to his will and to seek his best. And so spiritual strong friends are great if they point you to wisdom. Mm-hmm. But make sure they're pointing you to the wisdom of the Lord and not their opinions.
Cailah Garcia: That's good.
Grace Valentine: The second part of this verse is lean that on your own understanding, and this one requires humility. Mm-hmm. Which can be hard for us because as women in this day and age, we have to bear a lot of things. Right? Right. We're doing a lot of things and we can do it, but you don't have to do it alone.
When you lean out on your own understanding, that means you're actually leaning on the Lord's will and the Lord's wisdom. It means being okay with saying, I don't know. Mm-hmm. I may not know the right choice yet. And that's hard because a lot of times we want clarity. We want signs. Mm-hmm. Yeah. We want the burning bush and sometimes God has us take us.
Step in the water where we don't know where we're going, and there's a storm around us. Hmm. We don't have guarantees, but leaning on God means releasing the illusion that we can figure everything out. Whew. Because sometimes God will say no, and sometimes he'll wreck your timeline. I look at myself at that age of 25 and I'm 29 now.
And I can see that I was leaning on my own understanding for how I wanted dating my life story to go. My plan was way different, and my understanding was I was supposed to go to college, go to church, immediately, lock eyes with a cute guy at the young adult group and everything was gonna work out and not be overwhelmed by a text by Andrew, who's a good guy, but wasn't being clear.
Mm. But God's understanding was so much better. And when I learned to not lean on my own understanding from my timeline and what I thought my life should be, I realized that the decision to even walk away from something that was not clear was actually gonna lead me to better than my timeline and what I wanted.
The next part of this verse that I love, it says, in all your ways, submit to him. Hmm. Submission is where control gets laid down. Yeah. In the decision making. And that's the hardest part is because when you are making a decision, you so often wanna control everything.
Cailah Garcia: Yep.
Grace Valentine: You wanna know it is 100% the right decision, but you don't know if it's gonna be a hundred percent the right decision.
Right. But you know, it's a hundred percent a good God who you can submit to and trust that he has good things for you. And submission is saying that prayer, I said I was scared to pray. Mm-hmm. When I was going through that choice. Sometimes we want to just figure it out and look at all the options, but we don't wanna pray, Lord, if this job is not your will, give me the opportunity to close this door and to walk away if this relationship, if I am just working for something that is not from you, give me the courage to walk away.
Submission isn't asking for always even more clarity, but it's more of God. Hmm. And when you realize that. It becomes a lot easier to submit to his plans and to trust him. Submission isn't weakness. It's strength under control because it's remembering that God is strong when you are not, and that you don't have to have it all together.
Cailah Garcia: That's so good.
Grace Valentine: And the last part of this verse that I think is so beautiful is that he will make your path straight. And I wanna be very clear that God, making your path straight doesn't always mean your path will be easy. Mm. I think we think, well, I want the street path in the meadow in Central Park with a bagel in hand.
You know, I wanna know exactly where I'm going, but to me it's like when I'm on the interstate on a road trip and there's exit signs that are tempting, that look really great, but I know I have to keep going. On that road trip. There's Chick-fil-A and there's Bucky's, and there's all these, all the good things.
Starbucks, I wanna get that latte. Yeah. But I know that I am called to go forward. Mm. And so there'll be distractions around you. And you might even wonder, did I mess up? Yeah. Did I choose the right thing? But you can't mess up God's plan. You are not powerful enough to mess up God's plan if you are submitting to his will.
And when you remember that, you realize he'll make your path straight, which means that he will help you press on in this chaotic world where there are exits, where there are distractions, where there are storms where you will be overwhelmed. And as you go on this journey in life, you'll see that you are going closer to his will and his best, and that leads to where you're supposed to be.
And as I conclude, there's one woman in the Bible that I think does this amazingly. Well, actually I think she does it very relatable, is the best way to say it. That's great. And it's Sarah.
Cailah Garcia: Oh, we love that. Sarah.
Grace Valentine: She, she, she maybe is the more relatable one. She can't really do it amazingly, but in the end she got it right.
And so Sarah was a woman in the Bible who ha was told by an angel that there was a miracle coming and she was gonna be part of it. And she said, well, no way. She laughed in doubt. No way a baby can come from me and my old age. And she laughed in doubt. And she tried to control the situation. Mm-hmm. She was, she did even just similar to me looking at the text message, what can I do to make this happen?
What can I do to say the right things to make this happen? And she, in that moment, in order to fulfill, she thought God's promise. She thought she had to be in the driver's seat. She thought she had to submit to her understanding of how this child would come to her in old age. And so she was trying to make it happen.
Hmm. And the Lord said, no. I'm going to reveal this to you. You just sit back and wait. Mm. And the Lord surprised her. So her laughter of doubt became laughter of amazement in the end.
Cailah Garcia: Wow.
Grace Valentine: And she realized that the biggest decision she had to make was to submit to God. Mm-hmm. She realized the most important thing she had to do in that decision.
For what the Lord had promised her was to just sit back and wait for God to reveal it.
Cailah Garcia: Wow.
Grace Valentine: And she could laugh in amazement. And so I wanna encourage anyone who has a decision to make that. Sometimes you think you have to control the situation. You have to lean on your own understanding. How can you get it done?
Take a second to pause and pray. Yeah. See what the Lord has for you. You might be laughing in doubt that good can come from this decision, or laughing in doubt that you can even choose the quote unquote right decision, right? But it's not about choosing the right decision. It's about taking a moment to let God speak to you.
Mm. So that you can laugh in amazement and realize that all you have to do is submit to him and not lean on your own understanding. Mm. Seek wisdom and not chaos. Don't spiral in the chaos. Don't lean on anxiety and the lies that you may believe and to trust him to make your path straight. Hmm.
Meredith Brock: Ooh, wow. Grace, that was so powerful. Mm-hmm. And so, um, applicable I think too quite literally anyone. Right. You know, because I think decision making, um, if you are human, is part of every day. You know, and so it doesn't matter what season you're in. Mm-hmm. Um, it doesn't matter the age that you are. Um, it is part of the human experience.
And as you were, as you were talking, I couldn't help but reflect on how you approach decision making. Really does expose your view of God. That's right. Um, and as humans, we want certainty. Mm. Um, I think it's, it's, um, knit into our DNA somewhere where we don't, we run from uncertainty, but what uncertainty really exposes in us that we hate is that we're powerless.
Yeah. That truly, at the end of the day, we are what scripture calls sheep powerless sheep. And if you go all the way back to the garden. All the way back to the garden. Mm. What did Adam and Eve do? Mm, they reached for power. They reached for control. Mm-hmm. They reached for certainty. And what that brought was separation from God.
Cailah Garcia: Come on.
Meredith Brock: And it brought that distance. Mm-hmm. And exposed even more, their powerlessness, you know, and I think that ever since that day. Uh, our human condition is when we're faced with a decision, which is every single day, you wake up every single day and you have a decision to make. Will I spend time with the Lord?
Cailah Garcia: Right?
Merdith Brock: Will I ruminate on this one thing that I want control in, I want power in, or will I reach for intimacy with the Lord? Just like you were saying, grace, will I stop the spiral and, and, and invite wisdom? God's wisdom into my life, not my own, you know, reaching for that. Apple was reaching for their own wisdom.
That's all it is. That's exactly what that verse reflects, you know? And so as our listeners reflect on what you've said here mm-hmm. I'm, I was sitting here thinking, okay. Man, I now, I haven't done, I will, I will confess. I have not done the screenshot to the, to the guy.
Grace Valentine: Aren't you lucky?
Meredith Brock: Um, I'm really grateful that I have saved Exactly.
Um, but I have, certainly in that moment, I've done other things like that. Mm-hmm. And because I was trying to figure something out, it's usually right, like I'm trying to figure it out, which is grasping. You're grasping for control, right? You're grasping for power when you're trying to figure it out. And then when you get busted, you know, like you're suddenly, you know, the shower curtain's ripped back and you're just rug out.
Oh my god. Naked in the garden, right?
Grace Valentine: You're naked in the garden.
Meredith Brock: Exactly. Oh man. It's painful. It, it's scary. It is. Um, you run and you grab the fig leaves, you do whatever you gotta do to like, gimme certainty back, gimme control back. And I, my guess is we have listeners right now mm-hmm. That are living in one of those moments of like, I've been found out, grab the fig, we fig leaf.
And so Grace, what do you say to her? Mm. Like, she's in that moment of being exposed and
Cailah Garcia: the shame's creeping in.
Meredith Brock: Yeah. Oh. And there, there's temptation to go every which way. What does God's word say for us to do in that moment?
Grace Valentine: Gosh, I mean, I go to, that reminds me of. Hebrews 12, one through two. Yeah.
Therefore, throw off. Since you're surrounded by such a great cloud of witness, throw off to sin that so easily entangle us. Amen. Fixing your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter, and I think that's so beautiful to remember that Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter, and pioneer means he goes before you.
Right. So here's the deal. You just got exposed the sin so easily entangles us. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But at the end of the day, you have a pioneer who's ahead of you. Mm-hmm. He's paved the way. Yep. So he's already in the future that you're worried about. You didn't mess it up, but he's already there. Mm-hmm. But he's also the perfecter.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. And that's what we, you talked about earlier sanctification, that that's a topic that you've talked about earlier in the podcast. And if you don't know what sanctification is, it's the idea of the longer you walk with God and the Holy Spirit in your heart. Mm-hmm. And knowing who. Is as your savior, the more your desires and thoughts change to him, right?
So sin so easily entangles us, but you have a perfecter who's not expecting you to be perfect, but he's going to perfect you. Mm-hmm. And he's going to sanctify you. He's going to see the sentence so easily, entangles hit you. And if you invite him in that hard moment, come on. When you feel exposed, when you're.
Thinking, I have tried to control my daughter's love life a little too much, or I have gotten way too involved in this decision about where we should move and my husband's job, or whatever it may be, or dating or relationships, or feeling like your timeline isn't going the way you expected it. It goes back to who is your pioneer and perfector, right?
How can you throw off that sin that so easily tingles us? That's confession. That's remembering who God is. Amen. And that's inviting other people who are not gonna give you their opinions, those community, but they're gonna give you wisdom. Good. And so going to those spiritual friends and saying, Hey, I need to throw off this sin, and I've confessed to this the Lord.
Yeah. But I need you to not give me your opinions on my dating life. I need you not gimme your opinions on where my husband should move or where I should move. I need you to give me wisdom. Remind me who God is in this season, right. As I'm making this decision so that we can pray about this choice together.
Mm-hmm. And I stop trying to control the situation. Amen. That I actually bring it to the feet of Jesus, my pioneer and perfector.
Cailah Garcia: So powerful.
Meredith Brock: So good. I love that you referenced Hebrews. Yes. Because also in the book of Hebrews, it talks about how Jesus is our. Like high priest and he's a suffering high priest.
Yes. Mm. Which means he, he bore all of our humanity. Mm. So he, he knows, he's so familiar with that desire to reach for power control, you know, and what a, what a picture it is that he was, he could have. Mm mm And he chose not to on our behalf, so that he could die on the cross for us. And so I just think there's so much there.
Mm-hmm. In. Understanding how we approach decision making. Um, what a, what a picture it is of our heart. Yeah. Position, uh, towards God. It's really good. Mm-hmm. Really good. Cailah, what's on your mind?
Cailah Garcia: I just have to say, I'm just so encouraged and I'm so challenged to know that even in the moments of our greatest shame, even in the moments of our greatest embarrassment, even in the moments.
Of our greatest discouragement that God continues to run before us and behind us. Mm-hmm. And that he surrounds us. Yep. And that, that's the beauty of grace. Yep. That is the beauty of why Jesus went to the cross. Yeah. In the first place. Mm-hmm. So that the sin and shame that we in our human nature, naturally lean into, naturally gravitate towards, naturally reach for.
Yeah. If we reach for that apple in the garden. Jesus said no. Hmm. No, this is not the end. Yep. This is just the beginning. Mm-hmm. Of what I wanna do. Mm-hmm. And there is so much more that I have for you on the other side of that shame mm-hmm. On the other side of your Yes. To step into relationship with me.
Mm-hmm. To step into a moment of opening your hands, of sacrificing. What's comfortable. Mm-hmm. And allowing him to do the hard work in you. Mm-hmm. I love that you brought up sanctification again, because I think that's the piece. Yep. That is the refinement. That's hard and painful often. Mm-hmm. But is the most beautiful part of our relationship with the Lord, that he constantly steps into those hard, uncomfortable places with us.
Yep. To purify us and to make us more like him. Yeah. So good. Grace, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today.
Grace Valentine: Thank you for allowing me to be here. Just yes. What a joy. One more thing. Can I say one more? I was like the girl. I just wanna say if there's anyone here listening who's like, dang it, you didn't tell me what to choose.
You know, you didn't tell me how to make my decision. Hmm. I think sometimes the most important thing you can do is, like we said, in that garden, the run to your father to remember who God is and to remember who you are not right. Be confident in who you are and okay, who you're not. You are not. The God, you are not going to figure it out, but God is going to figure it out.
And if you lean, if you are still, and give him a chance to speak into this and read His word and see what he leads you to do, bring the community around you. You're going to get a thought in your head and you're gonna have peace in an uncomfortable choice you have to make maybe in this decision that will lead you to his best.
Mm-hmm. And so just know that you can have an uncomfortable. Moment, but still feel his peace. That's wow. And that's why you have to run to him in that moment. And when you are in the garden, when you think you need control. And just go back to him.
Cailah Garcia: So That's so good. So good.
Meredith Brock: That is so good. I love the picture of running to him in the garden because the alternative is to reach for the fruit.
Mm. And the consequence of that is shame. Yeah. And it is fear and it is isolation. Mm-hmm. But when you. Turn away from the apple, right? That turn away from control and run to him. He meets you there every single time. Well, Grace, truly, this has been such a pleasure. Tell our friends listening today, how can they connect with you?
Where can they find you?
Grace Valentine: That's so sweet. Um, I am on Instagram. The Okay, yes, at the Grace valid side. Um, I www dot. W Wow, that was a lot of Ws. www.gracevalentine.org. For a little more information on me, I'm on Facebook, Grace Valentine. That's, I think that's how you find me on Facebook, Grace Valentine and that little page.
That's great. Yeah. And I find me on encouragement for today. Devotionals love every now and then.
Cailah Garcia: Yes ma'am. Ma'am,
Grace Valentine: Look up to my past devotionals if you wanna see me. Proverbs 31, the our collabs. We love it.
Cailah Garcia: Okay. I heard that you also have a fun fact for us. That there's something fun that you've been doing recently and you're currently in your third year, I think, and I wanted you to share that with our listeners because I think it's so special.
Grace Valentine: You're so sweet. I am my third year of seminary Oh my, at Asbury Theological Seminary. Amazing. And that was a choice I had to make to be like, do I wanna be. Do this long master's Right program and I'm in nine hours this semester and Oh wow. Writing another devotional book and traveling to speak. But it's all good things.
Yeah. And those were decisions I had to make. Right. And I felt peace, even if I felt uncomfortable going back to school. 'cause school was great, but I wasn't always good at Right. Papers do and everything. Yeah. I love to write, but never, always a paper. But seminary has refined me so much, and I think it's taught me a lot of, you know, we're supposed to love the Lord of God with our heart, mind, and soul.
And I think sometimes that was great with the heart, you know, and that's the importance of knowing scripture and studying it, and also meditating on it. It's two different things. And so yes, I love seminary. It's been great.
Meredith Brock: That is awesome.
Grace Valentine: Shout out to Asberry. Yeah.
Meredith Brock: Yeah. That is great. I love that you're doing that.
And thank you for mentioning encouragement for today, devotions. Yes. I want to encourage, um, our listeners, if you are looking for something mm-hmm. That you can read quickly. Um, that's biblically sound. Yeah. That will land in your inbox, uh, first thing in the morning. Um, go subscribe to encouragement for today, devotions on our website.
You can find it@proverbsthirtyone.org and we'll meet you in your inbox every morning. Morning. We'll be right there. That's right. We're right there. Mm-hmm.
Cailah Garcia: First thing, ready to encourage you. And I just wanna say thank you, grace, for sharing the overflow of what God is doing in this season mm-hmm. Through your life.
And it is just so evident that he's working and he's moving, and what a gift our conversation was today. Well, that's it friends, that's all we have for you today and at Proverbs 31 Ministries. We believe that when you know the truth and live the truth, it changes everything.