A faith-forward podcast for people who love Jesus but also love being honest about how weird and wonderful life can be. Hosts Kerrye and Jill tell stories about the Bible, talk about their faith, and dig into what it looks like to follow God through the ordinary chaos of everyday, imperfect life. Real conversations. Real stories. No pretending to have it all together. Pull up a chair, turn the page, and let's go.
Welcome to Chapter and Verse, where people
come on and tell their real stories,
faith, failure, redemption, and the
occasional, "Lord, what are you doing?"
moment.
Some inspiring, some messy, and some that
probably should have come with a warning
label, because through every chapter
of every story, God is still writing.
And He's not afraid of a little chaos.
This is Jill.
And Carrie.
Let's turn the page.
We're going to begin this episode
with a little addition because this
is an episode with Tiffany Beaudry,
and she wanted us to change something.
So she's not here right now,
but we're going to, , just
add a little bit at the front.
Jill, go.
So when we get around to our discussion
at the end where we talk about favorite
Bible stories and all the fun things,
Tiffany had a really good story.
She did.
Tiffany, you did a great job.
You did a great job.
Great job, girl.
Um, but Tiffany did contact us and let us
know that she was afraid that she had made
an error, and upon review she was correct.
She did make an error.
So- It's okay, Tiffany.
It happens- It's all
right ... to the best of us.
We all do it.
It's just we get to edit and, you
know, come back in and do things a
little different and all the things.
But she was not available to
come and redo her entire thing.
So what we're going to do is we're going
to let you know that when she mentions
that Rahab was an unlikely adversary,
what she meant was an unlikely advocate.
Yeah.
And those are similar words,
but very different meanings.
Yes.
So.
So.
Go look it up.
So rather than, you know, pulling
out some kinda Morgan Freeman or
James Earl Jones voiceover to say-
Man, we should have- ... advocate.
Tiffany, we should have.
And then, like, place it over every
time that she said it- ... um,
we're doing this instead.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right, so let's get to the episode.
Yeah, 'cause it's great and
you guys are gonna love it.
. Okay, well, we're back.
Jill and Carrie are back here
with Tiffany Lee Beaudry.
We've been friends for
a long time, Tiffany.
Long time.
Long time.
Okay, you have to put the
microphone up to your mouth.
Oh.
It's a hard time without a voice.
You mean I'm not loud enough?
Yeah, that's weird.
Wow, that is weird.
Okay.
So Tiffany I want you just to tell
us a little bit about yourself.
Whatever you wanna reveal about
yourself will be great, so.
Okay.
Um- Juicier the better.
Okay.
Yeah.
We want all the stories.
Um, I don't know if there's
anything super juicy.
I was born in Missouri, where
my parents met at Bible College.
Um, but my daddy's from Russellville.
Mm-hmm.
Homegrown.
Tony Lee.
Tony Lee formerly of Lee's Trash Service.
You know, my brother is
owner of the Bow & Arrow.
My parents owned Lee's Trash
Service for years, and my
grandparents were tax assessors.
And so we have a long line of just
family invested in Russellville.
We love Russellville.
Mm.
It's the best place to live.
It's the best place to,
you know, raise a family.
It's the best place to do everything,
and- And your grandpa was Stanford Lee.
Yes.
A lot of people know him.
Yes.
He was.
Know him.
And my uncle was Paul Lee.
Mm-hmm.
So he was an attorney here in town.
My daddy's oldest brother was a
DJ for years and years and years.
I didn't know that.
Uh-huh.
Um, he's been in Fort Smith, uh, he was
at the last part of his life and most
of his life, but, um, he did DJ here
with Tom Cameron League and- Oh, wow
I think Mr.
Story.
So, like, yeah.
Yeah.
We're all over the place.
Um- Mr.
Story, I love it.
Yeah.
For sure, for sure.
I'm coming for his job.
I'm that person.
Watch out.
What do you think, Johnny?
Oh, right, right, right, right.
Okay.
It's gonna take three of us to
replace him, but we're coming.
I, I really think it's gonna take
a staff of people to replace him.
He does all of it.
I would agree.
Okay.
Well, tell us what you do for a living.
So right now I work for a nonprofit.
I am the coordinator of 100 Families.
It is a nonprofit that works
with families that are in crisis.
Um, I do have Pope and Yale Counties,
so that's super-duper exciting.
That's a lot.
Yes, yes.
It covers a large area.
Yes.
But what we do with our families
that are in crisis, so we don't have
resources as far as money to pay bills.
We don't deal with any
kind of rental assistance.
We don't have any housing.
But what we believe is everything
in the community already exists
for our families that are
struggling to be able to get ahead.
Mm-hmm.
Um, right?
So there's just a lot of
different, um, resources out there.
There's a lot of different
nonprofits out of there.
There's a lot of different, um, there's
a lot of help, but there's different
criteria to get the help, right?
River Valley Food for Kids, you
have a kid in the school district.
If you have a two or a three-year-old,
you don't, you c- you can't
apply for River Valley Food for
Kids, but you can apply for WIC.
Um, so that's just one of small
examples of the things that are out
there that may not be known or that
the qualifications aren't known or
families don't know how to access them.
So really my job as the coordinator is
to know every single resource in Pope and
Yale County, and to be able to connect
our families with those resources as
they fall into line as they see fit,
like which ones fit their families.
And then really we do a lot of
encouraging with the families.
We build relationships with the families.
We work with families that have
involvement through DCFS Department
of Children and Family Services.
Mm-hmm.
So if there's a kid in foster
care, if there's an environmental
concern, like so we just build
relationship with the families.
We show them what they need, um, that's
out there and how to connect with
it, and we do a lot of cheerleading.
Um, sometimes we do a
little booty kicking.
Um, but, um, it's really in the
relationship I think is where,
where the magic comes in, if
that's what you wanna call it.
Like I- Mm-hmm ... believe it's the Lord
and I believe it's where God has me and
where he has me walking through right now.
To really just help these families, just
as our children, if we, you know, teach
them the things they need, eventually
they're not gonna need us, right?
Mm-hmm.
Right.
That's the goal.
We, we work ourselves
out of a job, basically.
Right.
There's always families coming right
behind, but- Yeah ... what we do is show
them how not to need us anymore, how
not to need food assistance anymore, how
not to need housing assistance anymore.
Well, that's what assistance is for.
You know what I mean?
Right.
Like, it's not, it was never
designed to be a perpetual
lifelong- Right, no ... crutch.
Not at all.
It's- It, it was designed to be
a help- It's to give you a leg
up ... for this moment- Exactly ... so
that you can get through.
Exactly, exactly.
And so we're super proud of them once
they start, they get a raise at their
job, or they aren't just at Sonic or
Taco Bell or something anymore, but they
go to Tyson or, you know, Step Up In,
where you're making more money- Mm-hmm
where you have better hours.
Right.
We've got childcare handled.
We've got transportation handled.
We did that first and foremost
so we're not jumping ahead doing
the job and then we don't have
transportation and we lose that job.
Mm-hmm.
So really, it's just it's just a system
that works, um, as long as the families
wanna work it, and as hard as they wanna
work, we're right there beside them.
We're not gonna do it for you.
We're not enabling you.
Right.
But we can show you how to get out of this
and, and we're right here to help you.
Coaching.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
So that's where I'm at right now.
I have, uh, we're in
One Roof, so we are...
It used to be the Journey Church building.
Now it is called One Roof, and
there's, uh, 12, 14, I'll have to
count, nonprofits under one roof.
Mm-hmm.
So the idea is when you walk
through the door any service you
need is hopefully right there.
Nice.
So we're taking down barriers.
That's really cool.
If it's transportation barriers.
You know, it's, it's intimidating a
lot of times to come and ask for help.
Yeah.
We're not saying, "Oh, yeah, well,
you can't get help here, but you gotta
go across the street or across town."
Like, the idea is, hey, we're all
right here, and we're gonna lead
you to wherever you need to go.
Right.
And we'll help you get it figured out.
Yeah.
And we're all gonna do it together.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah, that's great.
Well, um, so we want to know what
would you like to share today.
We kind of leave that up to the,
um, person that we have on, but
what is God speaking to your
heart today that you wanna share?
Okay.
Well, I have a scripture that
honestly, this year I have
really just been claiming.
Um, I have to give a little backstory.
Is that good?
Yeah.
Can I do some backstory to make it-
It's your story ... make you understand.
So
lots of our families struggle, and they
have things going on in their lives
that are, that are unbelievable, right?
And they walk through the door and
there's not, one thing necessarily
that they're struggl- struggling with.
It's not just food insecurity or it's not
just housing, we're fixing to be evicted.
Like, you figure out, well, there's no
money 'cause dad doesn't have a job.
Mm-hmm.
Because there's no transportation or
because he has a felony or because
he's struggled with addiction
or whatever the case may be.
Right.
Right.
As you start unraveling the ball of yarn,
right, they come to you for one thing.
Right.
But it's never just one thing.
There's multiple things that
have snowballed or piled
on - Right ... our families.
And not even, lots of them, it's
you've made a bad decision or
you've made multiple bad decisions.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
And we have to sit down and be like,
"Hey, this is, this is why we're here.
We've gotta do something about that."
It's n- it's not per
happenance most of the time.
Like, we've all made some pretty bad
decisions and we have all gotten ourself
in some places that we don't wanna be in.
Yeah.
And maybe we can't get out of, you know?
It's the consequences- But for
the grace of God- ... of reaping
what you sow ... of your actions.
And, yeah.
That's right.
And that's right.
And it doesn't go away just because
you're doing- Right ... better now.
You have to harvest.
Like, you still did that thing.
You've gotta- Yeah.
Yeah.
And so, really, um, the
scripture on Isaiah that says,
"Beauty for ashes," right?
Mm-hmm.
So I was like, "Okay, God, you
know, this is, this is what's,
this is what's gonna go on.
This is, we're just claiming
beauty for ashes in our lives this
year, in our this, in our that."
And personally, I have struggled
with just a- an instance in
my life when I was a kid.
Like, I, I, you know, I, I'm like,
"God, it's been 26 years almost.
Like, I am so sick and tired of
this still cropping up in my life,
this traumatic event," right?
I didn't choose it.
I didn't do it.
I didn't ask for it.
Like, there's nothing ... It
was done to me.
It's not like it's, it wasn't any-
Mm-hmm ... choice I made, you know,
'cause I get- Right ... I get off
on the like, "Hey, you made this
choice, and now you gotta fix it."
And, and if that was the
case for me, I could.
I could do that.
Right.
But it wasn't the case for me.
I was a kid.
It was something that was
un- you know, was unexpected.
Like, all of this stuff, and
I keep thinking, "God, it's
gonna be 26 years this year.
Like, I'm sick of this traumatic
event cropping up in my life- Mm-hmm,
yeah ... or, um, popping up and h-
a- having, you know, it, it come out
of nowhere, and I'm angry all of a
sudden again, and I'm biting somebody's
head off or I'm s- wanted to kill.
And I'm like, "What is wrong?"
You know?
Mm-hmm.
And just continuing to have, I feel
like, that control, but not all
the time, but just when you least
expect it or something comes up.
Mm-hmm.
Or something you, happens, and
you're all of a sudden reacting
in a super horrible way.
And you're like, "Whoa.
What is going on," you know?
And, and I know what, I know, I know
what's happening, but I'm, I w- I
really was struggling with, "God I,
I've, I've- Had all the preachers pray.
I've gone to the altar 15 times.
I've been to the baptismal tank.
You know, like Yeah.
Lord.
Yeah.
I, I, I'm tired.
I'm asking.
I'm tired.
I don't want to continue
to live like this.
It's not good for me.
It's not good for...
Like, it hinders me in my ministry.
It hinders me in my day-to-day.
It hinders me in being a parent.
Like, sometimes- Mm ... I'm a jerk,
and I don't wanna be you know?
Like- That's true.
I'm sure my kids would be like, "You."
But, like, n- you know, I don't
want that any longer, God.
Like, what is the deal?
And so I was like, "That's it.
That's it.
That's it."
I'm, it's beauty for ashes.
We're trading beauty for ashes.
Like, you said it, Lord,
and I'm proclaiming it.
Mm-hmm.
And I don't even care.
Like, sometimes if I just don't believe
it, 'cause let's just be really real,
like I'm saying it, but my heart Mm-hmm
my heart's really having a hard
time following up, and my actions
for sure ain't, ain't coming along.
Yeah.
Like, no.
No, no, no, no, no.
Like, and so I just constantly, I
put, I had it made into a wooden
sign, and it's hanging in my office.
You know, 'cause that's- Mm ... what you
gotta do to make the Lord move, right?
You gotta put the words up.
I don't even know.
I don't even know.
I mean- Y'all don't, I
don't pretend to know.
This one, this one wears it in her bra.
Oh, yeah.
Right?
Right?
Yeah.
Or set the timer and quote the
prayer every time the timer goes
off- ... 'cause we making the Lord move.
Yeah, who's that?
Yeah.
Who is that?
That's right.
She knows.
She knows.
That's right.
That's right.
She's heard.
I told her.
And, and whatever, right?
Mm.
'Cause we, like, Lord, our, our mind
and our soul is getting straight.
Like, there is nothing-
Yeah ... we can't...
So I, one day, I was just really, really,
really, I was over it, and I was mad.
And, uh, I was, you know, like, I
don't know how y'all talk to God or
not, but I'm like, "Come on, God."
We, we talk to him like
real- Like, come on.
Yeah.
Like, if you're, he talks to me like
that, I'll talk to him like that.
I feel like- And, and, you
know ... he's our father, right?
And I've told my, I've told
my daddy before some things.
Like, "Uh-uh."
"This is not good.
I'm not happy."
Like, "Sir."
You know.
And so really I, um, whipped open
my bi- Bible, right, Isaiah 63.
63?
61?
I can't remember.
I- I think you said 63 earlier.
63, I think it is.
I can't remember.
I'm getting worked up.
Um, I can't think about it.
Uh, yeah, I didn't even write it down.
Um, and- You want me
to look it up for you?
Yeah.
I'll look it up.
And, uh, so I know the verse is 3, right?
Because we always take these
verses in the Bible and we're
like, "Oh, this is my verse.
Praise the Lord.
I c-," you know, r- r.
And, um, I'm really not making
fun of anybody, like, but- No,
no ... like, my, my, my own self.
Yeah, like this is- This is me.
This is me ... this is the reality
of- This is- ... where we are.
I mean- This is the
reenactment of me and me only.
And if it hits close to home,
then it just hits close to home.
I mean, if the shoe fits.
Exactly.
If the shoe fits.
Shoe fits, walk in it, baby.
But 3 is the verse that
says beauty from ashes.
What is it?
Isaiah 63?
Isaiah 61:3.
Uh...
No, it, I don't...
Let me just look up that phrase
Girl, can you, can you even read?
I cannot.
Get my, yeah.
You can use my little pink glasses.
Yeah, I don't need them.
These are from Temu.
Mine are still in- These
are my Temu readers.
I don't know if you can see or not.
Temu readers.
No.
I love it.
We'll find it.
We'll find it.
Isaiah 61.
61:3.
Or 61:3.
But you, you were almost right.
Maybe I'm dyslexic.
Yeah.
So three is- Yes, the stope on them,
a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
Right.
The oil of joy instead of mourning.
Right.
Okay.
But here we go.
So back up to, to verse one.
What does verse one say?
Well, now I have to
read the entire chapter.
Oh, I apologize.
But that's okay.
I have it.
Okay.
But it's in The Message.
Um, the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord
is on me because the Lord has anointed
me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the
broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom
for the captives and release
from darkness for the prisoners.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's good.
That's- So me just saying
like- Goes right along with
your- ... God, beauty for ashes.
I want beauty for ashes.
I can't get over this.
I need beauty for ashes.
I, I, I, I, I.
And, and so I opened it up and
He's like, "Can you, could you
read it from the beginning?"
I'm sure that's what God sounded like.
Yeah.
And that's exactly what He said to me.
See, I'm like- And I was like, "What?"
He's sweeter to you than to
me- ... 'cause He'd have been like,
"Girl, read it from the beginning.
Read the whole thing."
Get your glasses.
Like, I didn't start...
And- That's the third part.
I started at the first part.
Right.
Mm-hmm.
And so at the first part it says- Pay
attention ... the Spirit of the Sovereign
Lord is upon me to proclaim freedom
to the captives, to feed the hungry.
I'm paraphrasing now in case you're- Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's all right.
The Message version.
I'm gonna be quoting.
I don't even know where to find it.
You can, I can't quote.
It's the Tiffany version.
That's right.
So has, has anointed me
to do all of these things.
When I'm here going like, "God,
I just need beauty for ashes.
I just need my life turned around.
I, I, I, I, I, I, I."
And then I was like, "Oh."
"Oh, okay."
And so of course I'm like, here I am,
the coordinator of 100 Families for
Popenoe County, and like, y- like,
I'm sorry, I'm getting a little shaky.
'Cause like you have anointed me
to pr- to f- Yes ... to preach
the gospel to the captives.
Right.
Freedom to the captives,
to, to feed the hungry.
Mm-hmm.
To proclaim you don't have
to be this way anymore.
Yeah.
What?
Yeah.
So then it was kind of like,
"Yeah, uh, are you stupid?"
Maybe that's how it s- He didn't say
that, but like, I'm sure I said that
to myself, that I was like, okay.
A, wow, um, that's heavy.
But like, uh, completely
in line with- Mm-hmm
everything I'm stepping into this year.
Mm-hmm.
But B, like, thank you so much- Mm-hmm
... for me turning my focus outward, right?
Because I couldn't get over this.
I was so angry.
I'm so traumatized.
I want this to go away, and
none of that has changed.
However, me quoting beauty for ashes,
beauty for ashes, beauty for ashes, well
hang on just a minute- Maybe exactly
what I've called you to do is you not
only walking this out with your families
and with your people, but you walking
out of what you're asking to get rid of.
Wow.
Right?
That's good.
I mean, I don't- Yeah ... I
mean, I don't know.
But I'm just like- I
think it's true ... okay.
I think you know.
Okay.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Um, so that, that has just been
what I've clung to this entire
year, because I'm not out of it yet.
Mm.
I don't claim to be perfect
or ever to, to- Mm ... I'm not
gonna be some kind of- Yeah
whatever- Yeah ... you know, TV evangelist
so-and-so- Yeah ... preaching, taking
up an offering, all of these things.
But where I'm placed to work with
families that are struggling, that are in
crisis, that maybe, um, you know, smell
like weed or don't smell very good at
all or- Mm ... have foul mouths or are
tattooed up or could give a crap about
my Jesus or anything that a religion
might have to say to them or even- Right.
Mm-hmm ... walking into the doors of
a church, it doesn't matter to me,
because I am f- quite literally feeding
the hungry, protecting the children
that have been taken out of the home by
working with their families to get into
a better environment so those kids can be
reunified, working with people to get into
recovery, working with people to get on a
housing list so that they have stability.
Yeah.
Um, working with all of these things that,
you know, Jesus says if your neighbor's
hungry, give him something to eat.
You know, if- Mm-hmm ... if you, you,
you know, someone asks you to walk a
mile with them, walk the second mile.
And so for me, that's more practical
than I'll ever be- Mm-hmm ... laying
hands and praying over somebody or, you
know, taking them down to the altar.
Like, that's not my position.
I'm not the pastor.
I'm not the preacher.
I'm not the, you know,
the worship minister.
I'm not all of those things
that I think maybe weren't told
to us growing up in church.
Mm-hmm.
But maybe we were like, "Oh, those
are the people that do Jesus's work.
Those are the people
that are the ministers.
Those are the people
that are called by God."
And for me, you won't convince me
that this is any less of a calling-
Right ... than a preacher or than a
worship minister- Right ... or than
to literally lead the broken out of it
and show them that there's a way out.
Yeah, I think a lot of people, I
mean, like I know we, what church
we went to together, and our pastor
said every member is a minister.
Every member a minister.
That was his- That's true ... big
phrase, and I feel like that was
drilled into us all the time,
and you're actually doing that.
Like you're, you are a minister.
It's incredible.
And, you know, it was-
'Cause I'm not a minister.
But he preached that over us.
But I get it.
He said it over all of us- That's true
all the time.
I ne- I haven't thought
about that in years.
That's true.
And that's what you're doing.
That's so true.
So yeah, but a lot of churches
don't make that plain.
That, yes, there's a, there is a
pastor, there is worship leader
usually, whatever, but it's the people.
He's called all of us.
Right.
Yeah.
You know?
Right.
And it's so true, and he
really, really, really has.
And I think if more people could even
understand that you know, especially our
teachers and our police department and
our firemen- Right ... like all of those
people, um, that are out in the community
and that interact with people at some
of their lowest points in life- Mm-hmm.
100%, yeah ... you know, like realize
like, "Yes, I'm here to do a job."
And I'm, I, I mean my, my program
is funded by the government.
I'm not you know, talking religion or
talking Jesus- Mm-hmm ... or sharing
Bible verses with these people.
But I, I've always said, when
I come through the door, it
doesn't change who I am in Christ.
Mm-hmm.
And so if there is a need or if there
is someone that wants me to pray
with them or if there is someone that
asks like, "Why do y'all even care?
Why are you..."
You know, whatever- Yeah ... then
I'm, I, I, I, I will share with them.
Yeah.
Like, "Hey, Christ first loved us.
Like, we believe that this is showing
you practical love and that He loves
you in a way you could never fathom."
You know?
Mm-hmm.
Like, and it's just I mean,
if they're gonna fire me for
it, it hasn't happened yet.
Well, that's up to God, isn't it?
Yeah.
It is.
It is.
He's the one that has- And then He
has the replacement for me and He's
got something different for me.
Mm-hmm.
Um, but- Yeah, you're in a
perfect place, I think- I do, too
to be a minister.
I mean, that's just, we're
the hands and feet, but-
Mm-hmm ... mostly the hands of Jesus.
Like, you are the hands, and you're
ticking off all of these boxes.
It's just, it's incredible.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And we're s- you know, it reminds me
of the parable of the talents and-
Mm-hmm ... the one guy hid his because
he just was like, "I wanna protect it."
That's not what we're supposed to do.
No.
We're supposed to share and
multiply and all that, so...
Yeah.
And he got admonished and
banished because he didn't.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And we can't be that way, so.
We can't be that way.
Yeah.
And we can't...
You know, it's just, does it get messy?
Yes.
Yeah.
Are there really bad
days that I wanna quit?
T- also yes.
Yeah.
But the good days are so much
better, too- Yeah ... than,
I mean, the bad days are bad.
They are bad.
So how long have you been working there?
Um, so I've been there about s-
three years, but in April 1st,
actually, April Fools' Day ... marks
my year as the coordinator.
Okay.
So I started as a family advocate first
which I guess isn't necessarily the norm,
but I really, really, really, really
valued that because I had the perspective
from like the ground up and the very first
job there and able to be able to work with
people and in their lives and connect them
with, with things and encourage them and
be their cheerleader or be their- Mm-hmm
you know, like- kicking the booty or
whatever- Right ... and then moving
into the coordinator, I don't work
individually with the families anymore.
Yeah.
Um, I more coordinate the team and go
out and meet with people and tell them
what we do, and find more resources
and- Right ... and, um, advocate for
resources we don't necessarily have,
or start conversations or committees.
We've got a great committee going
right now that is a mental health
committee, because the mental health
services are really hard- Mm-hmm ... to,
uh, be accessible for our families.
Yeah.
Right.
Um, there are people that take
Medicaid, but they have waiting lists.
Um, and that's- Yep ... what most of our
families have, if any kind of insurance.
Yeah.
Um, and mental health is so important.
Um, and so- Yeah ... I go and I talk to
different therapists and see if they take
Medicaid or if they would do a sliding
scale, or if they have, uh, you know, a
spot or two open for something pro bono.
Like, and I, I know, like, it's a lot.
It's a big ask- Yeah ... a whole lot.
But I'm no worse off than
I am now if they say no.
The worst thing that they
can do- Right ... is say no.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've never met a stranger.
I've got a big mouth.
I'm not scared to ask.
It may- Okay, got the
perfect person for this job.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
I mean, because you've got the
personality already of a cheerleader.
You know, like, you're
gonna root people on.
You're, but you're also gonna-
Oh, that's my favorite part.
... be really strong and be like, "No,
this is how we're gonna do it.
You know, this is what you need to do."
But- Well, this might be a hot take,
but part of being a cheerleader
is cheering for the reality of the
situation, being able to say, "I'm
going to be your cheerleader, but I'm
also gonna tell you, like, this thing
that you're doing is holding you back."
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like, it's, it's the idea-
100% ... of coaching.
It's being able to say,
"Your form is off here."
Like, are you doing,
are you doing the thing?
Yes.
Could you be doing it better
if you changed this thing?
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
100%.
Like, is it gonna feel comfortable?
Is it gonna feel good?
No, 'cause you've gotten used to
doing whatever it is in this way.
But when you tweak this,
it'll be so much better.
You'll go so much further, so much faster,
and that's, that's part of cheerleading.
Mm-hmm.
That's exactly, that's exactly right.
And that's where the
relationship comes in.
Right.
Um, because, I mean, that's,
and that's what I tell them.
Like, "Hey, we d- we, we
couldn't say we love you- Right
if we didn't address this with you."
Right.
Mm-hmm.
And I think another thing too is I,
and this is just, you know, my own
personal opinion, but I think that
in my experience with people, they
respond to genuine just authenticity.
Right.
Like, if you will look at them and,
and cut it to them straight, like,
you're not trying to blow smoke.
You aren't trying to, like- Mm-mm
... fluff their feathers any kind of way.
You're, you're saying,
"This is who you are.
This is where you are.
This is where you wanna be.
Here's how we go, and this
is how we're gonna do it."
And is it gonna hurt?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
It's not gonna be great.
Nope.
And it's not gonna be fun.
Like, yeah.
It's- If we have to sit in it
a little bit- Then we'll sit in
it ... because we're working our way
out- Right ... that's what we gotta do.
We're gonna sit in it.
I think that's how God
treats us sometimes.
100%.
Yeah.
You know?
But He also sits with us.
Right.
And that's what it is, is I feel like,
I mean, I don't know, I've not been
involved with Hunted Families, but I
imagine, like, from the way that you've
talked about it, that that's what you're
doing, and it seems like that's...
It feels like that's different, that you
are willing to sit there with them- Right.
Oh, all the time ... whereas
historically a lot of these
programs are willing to identify the
problem and then say, "Off you go."
Yeah, and shuffle you
to- Yes ... the next one.
Right.
Right.
And I, that's where I think, like I
said, we don't have money, we don't
pay bills, we don't have- Right
that kind of resource, but the resource
we do have is friendship, is, um- Mm-hmm
... accountability, is you've got somebody
in your corner- Right ... you know?
And, and, and if no one ever told you
you can do it before, we know you can-
Right ... and we'll fight for you.
Mm-hmm.
And I think that that
promotes lasting change.
Yeah, I would absolutely agree.
We have lots of families
that graduate the program-
Mm-hmm ... for lack of a better word.
Yeah.
But, like, they're stably housed,
their kids are back from DCFS.
Right.
They've got a great job.
You know, they are-
Right ... paying their bills.
They don't have SNAP anymore because
they make too much money for it.
You know- Right ... all of the
things that we're going for.
Right.
Um, and then they'll still just come
back by and be like, "Hey, so we just
wanted you to know she's graduating
fifth grade t- today- Yeah ... and,
you know, the kindergartner is moving
up, and we're this and this and that."
And so, you know, or whatever,
come back at Christmastime.
Yeah.
"Oh, I have to tell you
this precious story.
Can I tell you a precious story?"
100%.
Okay.
So we had...
I don't know how much time we have.
Oh, we do.
You have a good amount of time.
We had a family that was doing
that exact, exact scenario.
Mm-hmm.
Um, they were actually both really deep
in addiction, really deep in addiction,
and their kids, uh, they'd come out and
their kids had been taken out of the
home, and, like, it was rock bottom.
They were like, "All right.
We're done.
We're absolutely done."
And, um, you know, with domestic
violence and addiction, like,
lots of times it's multiple...
Those are just two areas- Right.
Mm-hmm ... that it's multiple times.
Mm-hmm.
You start over 'cause you go back,
and you start over- Right ... you
go, 'cause you go back.
But they were legitimately, they were
like, "No, we're do- like, our kids
are gone," and the mom especially,
she was like, "Uh, not happening."
Um, so I mean, they have come a very,
very, very, very, very, very far way.
They're s- they have a stably
housed, they're paying their
bills, like, he's got a great job.
They both have been recovered.
The kids are back.
The kids are doing amazing.
And, um, I think it was two
years ago, 'cause now, like,
the time's moving quickly now.
Yeah.
I'm losing track of it.
But the very first year, they had gotten
stable and, and just with him, a stable
job, and them, stable living, and not
like where they are now, but, but stable.
Mm-hmm.
Doing, doing pretty good.
Yeah.
They came back and, um, at that time,
um, hollered at my boss, Jeff Piker, and
said, "Hey, can we talk to you a minute?"
Oh, man, do our guts drop when families
that we're doing so good- Mm-hmm ... and
then, and then we kind of graduate
them from the program, so we don't meet
every single month or every single- Yeah
week anymore, but, like, haven't
heard anything, so no news
is good news if you ask us.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
We're like, "Yay, yeah,
they're doing good."
And they come back, and they're
like, go to the big boss, right?
And they're like, "Can we talk to you?"
And all of us are, like, over
there, like, holding our stomachs
and we're gonna throw up.
But actually- Yeah ... he ca- he,
so they came out of his office, and
he's like, "Hey, guys, I n- I want
you to know what they wanna do."
And the dad had just said, he said,
"Well, um, y'all helped us get
Christmas for our kids last year."
He said, "And so this year
we, we wanted to bring this
amount of money and give it- Oh
to you.
So if there's a family that you know
of- Oh my goodness ... that needs help
with their kids for Ch- like, this,
like, if it were me- Mm-hmm ... I
would've been like, "Absolutely not.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
This is too much to do, too much to do."
You know?
Yeah.
Like, you can't be doing that or whatever.
But no, they absolutely wanted to do that.
They had budgeted the money.
And, like, who am I to be like- Oh my gosh
... "No, you can't" - Yeah ... you know, I was
like, "Can you put it in s- in savings?"
Yeah.
But, like, it was the most precious thing.
And then we- Mm ... looked at
it and we were like, "Okay,
we've gotta find a family."
Yeah.
Like, 'cause there's programs,
there's Toys for Tots,
there's all of that out there.
Right.
We don't do that.
Again, there's services for that.
Mm-hmm.
And so we're like, "We
gotta figure this out."
Like, and it was the most precious thing.
And I'm telling you, in my
mind, right, I was like, "You've
got to put that in savings.
You're barely, you know, on your feet.
You're, you're, you're already..."
You know, all of that.
And God had to just be like, "Shh."
Yeah, yeah.
You know?
'Cause I'm always in, like,
keep on going, protect mode.
We gotta do this, we gotta do that.
Yep.
Like, we gotta pr- prepare for the future.
There's always gonna be an emergency.
You know, like- Yeah,
yeah ... we're doing really good.
Keep that forward momentum.
Yeah.
And then, and it was just the
biggest, sweetest blessing.
And it wasn't a ton, but it was money
that they wanted to br- bring back and
give back and that's what our families do.
Right.
Even when I'm like, "You're in
not, you're not in a position yet.
You're not in a position yet."
Like, let's really just think about
this, and they wanna do it, and I'm
like, "Okay, we're gonna do it."
Because this s- this
has been offered to you.
This help has been offered to you.
Your life is completely turned around.
Who am I to stop you from turning back
around and saying to someone who's in
the spot that you were just in a year
or two ago, like, "Let me help you now.
Let me bless you now."
Right.
"Let me give you a hand up now."
Well, it's- Mm-hmm ... it's sowing.
Yeah.
Oh, it, it absolutely is.
And- It absolutely
is ... God will reward them.
And- Yeah ... and He does, and
He blesses them and, and beyond,
beyond compare, beyond anything
you can ever think or imagine.
Mm-hmm.
And yeah, I gotta stop
being so panicky about that.
Yeah.
That's just, that's just more to
the whole notion that, like, we
all have places to grow, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
Like, you can- You can see all of these
things and, and then this is your one
spot where you're like, "Okay, I need
to trust a little bit more about..."
Like, you've talked to them and they've
listened to you, and this is what you've
told them to do, and I need to calm down.
Yeah.
Okay, fine.
Yeah.
I'll calm down.
But this is like- You know?
... this is what you're telling them to do,
but now you're like, "Wait a minute."
Yeah, yeah.
Don't do it.
I was kidding.
Just kidding.
Yeah.
You've done so good.
Let's just stop here.
Yeah.
I think you're in the perfect place
in your life, and I totally, like, you
know, knowing you for so long and could
see that God prepared you for this job.
I love it.
He really did.
I absolutely love it.
Yeah.
And I, and I do see that.
It's taken me a little bit,
'cause I've been like, you know,
you're, you're always around.
Maybe it's just me like, "God, who am I?"
Like, I'm, I'm the
daughter of a trash man.
Quite literally, I'm the trash.
girl.
Like, what is happening?
No, no, no.
Oh, my goodness.
No.
What did you wanna be
when you were little?
Oh, probably the pre- the president.
Did you?
Yeah.
Yes, yes.
I wrote a whole essay on it.
I won an award like in
second grade at Sequoia.
I mean, I'd vote for you, Tiffany.
I would vote for you.
Would you?
My policies might be whack.
Be like, "This is what we're
gonna do- "... everybody.
I don't even care.
You're doing it."
Everybody is following this program
and you better get on board.
Yep.
It's not voluntary
anymore, I'm the president.
I feel like you could,
you two could be a team.
I'd vote for you.
All right.
I like it.
I think it...
Yeah.
Let's do it.
Odri and Tiffany.
All right.
Let's do this.
We'll think of a slogan soon.
But- We could, can make some T-shirts.
She's, she's the one for it.
Let's do it.
Oh, yeah.
We could do that.
Perfect.
Yeah, we could do that.
She's like, "Yep."
Uh, while you were talking, I don't
know why this verse popped in my
head, but it's Psalm 25:14, "God
friendship is for God worshipers.
They are the ones he confides in."
And I feel like that's definitely you.
Like, He's, you know, trusts
you with all these families
and He confides things in you.
I think that's your verse.
Ooh, I think you're
gonna make me throw up.
Yeah.
I mean, I w- That's a lot.
That's a lot ... I wouldn't ... It
is, but also- But you-
it's awesome ... I think, I think if
you allow God to talk straight with
you, like- Yeah ... you know, we've
talked about, we allow Him to just
be blunt and straight and not gentle.
He confides in us- Yeah ... when we,
when we take Him at his word and let Him.
When he smacks our hand and we go, "Okay."
Yeah.
"Yes, sir."
Yeah.
Yeah.
Needed that, you know?
Instead of going, "Ugh, I'm
not talking to you anymore."
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know?
I mean ... Well, like, you know,
you've had ... You know, you've had
arguments with God where He's like,
"Oh, when you're done- Yeah ... uh,
tell me so I can talk to you."
Yeah.
So when you drop the attitude.
Yes.
I'll be here.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well- Yeah ... you are
going to screw that up.
And when it's colossally screwed
up, 'cause I know it's gonna screw
up, you can come back and- It's like
you can see the future or something.
It's like he knows.
That's right.
It's like, it's like, you know.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, we always ask our guests if
you could go back in real time and
experience a Bible story- what would
you, what would you want to go watch?
Hmm.
Excluding the resurrection, excluding
the crucifixion, 'cause that's obvious
everybody would wanna see that, I think.
But- No, I wouldn't wanna see that.
What would you want to see?
Well, I get to see that at First Assembly.
Yeah.
And that's heavy enough for me.
Like, I couldn't handle the real thing.
I need like a PG version.
A PG version.
I love it.
We wanna know what you'd wanna go-
What, what's the, what's the story?
... watch.
We already know- ... 'cause you told
us, but we want everybody else to know.
Well, I had to get it okayed because
it's- Oh, yeah ... Rahab the harlot.
But she wants the PG crucifixion-
... with the Rahab the harlot story.
Just throwing that out there.
Shh.
If we're running for president, you
can't be bringing up skeletons already.
Okay.
Yeah, y'all gotta work as a team.
Okay, okay, okay.
Remember?
This just lets you know that, like- Y'all
could do it ... I would, I as VP, would
definitely hold the president accountable.
You go back and- Obviously
you clean that, but you're
also holding her accountable.
Yes.
That's right.
Exactly.
How come?
Because she is an unlikely adversary.
Like, there, she leaves the
red cord out right when it's
safe for the followers of God.
Oh, is it the disciples or was it
just- I mean, the followers of Jesus.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
To, you know, when everybody's being
persecuted and she leaves the red cord
out when sh- they know when it's safe.
She pulls it in, you know, and they
know- Mm-hmm ... it's not safe.
And, um, she's just a really unlikely
adversary, and I love that because
let's be for real, she's a harlot.
She's a hoe.
Mm-hmm.
Like, let's be really real, a
harlot, that's what that is.
Also, one year when I was her for the
Hallowlee party, and I had to explain
to everyone that I was Rahab the harlot.
But she's OG.
Like, she's a superhero.
She's somebody that they-
Yeah ... wouldn't have necessarily
brought in on their team.
And she made the Bible.
They wouldn't have confided i- it- Yeah.
She made it.
Exactly.
They wouldn't have trusted her.
What a story.
They wouldn't have confided in her.
Mm-hmm.
And, like, that's...
Is that not God?
Is that not Jesus being like, "Shoot.
I'ma pick her."
Yeah.
'Cause ain't nobody looking at
her, but she's gonna be the one.
Mm-hmm.
She's gonna be the one
to help my guys out.
Yep.
All right, I can get behind that.
Mm-hmm.
That's good.
We, we do with families, we get
dirty, we get messy sometimes.
It's not pretty.
It's not pretty a lot of times actually.
Let's just be really for real.
Yep.
I'm not above it.
It's all good.
Maybe that's why I'm the trashy girl.
I don't know.
I can get down in the ditch with
you, but also Rahab, hey, hoe.
Yeah.
Like, she made the Bible.
She was incredible.
Yep.
She was an unlikely
adversary, and I just love it.
I just love that.
And I just want everybody to
know, she didn't hesitate.
Like, she didn't have to think about it.
No.
Nope.
That was her story.
No, she had to pray about it first.
No.
We've had some people
pause and be like um..."
Nope.
But yep, you talked it right out.
You knew exactly what story it was.
You were like, "This one."
This one right here.
Yep.
Just had to get it okayed.
Yep.
Yep.
Okay.
Totally fine.
And this is, this is, like, springing
on you, so- Okay ... I want to know a
funny story about your childhood 'cause
we got just a little bit of time.
A funny story about my childhood.
Or teenage years or whatever.
Oh, goodness.
And if you take time to think,
we can edit the time out, but we
were talking about- Um I don't...
B, I don't remember you as a wild
and crazy girl ... back in the day.
But- So I re- like, one of my favorite
memories, it's probably not really
funny, but, like, you know, over
here, I don't know, it's on Parkway,
but I call it the boat graveyard.
I don't know what it actually is.
Oh my gosh, yes.
Okay, it's the boat graveyard.
It really is.
Then y'all know.
Yes, yes, boat graveyard.
But there used to be this enormous
chicken that was in front of a restaurant
at some point that I'm sure went belly
up, and but then it was in the boat
graveyard for a while, like, mm, in
the early 2000s, maybe in the '90s.
Maybe.
I mean, I graduated in the '90s.
Never mind.
We don't- hey, I didn't tell you, but
we don't talk about our age- We don't
talk about age ... on the podcast.
That's good.
Edit that mess.
Yeah.
Um, just one night after youth group,
I was talking to some of my buddies.
Mm-hmm.
And I was like, "You know
what would be awesome?"
I always wanted to get on top of
that chicken, 'cause it was, like,
I don't know- Few months ago?
10, 15, like, it was at le-
at least eight feet to the-
Was it a chicken or a rooster?
Maybe a rooster.
But to the back of the rooster, like,
it was at least eight feet, 'cause one
of the guys actually bent down and let
me stand on his back and then stood up a
little bit so I could- Who was this guy?
... scramble the...
Well, I don't know if I can say his- You
protected, you're protecting the innocent.
Yeah.
Well, not so innocent now.
If I tell you, I have to kill you.
Okay ... 'cause he's also a,
a businessman- Tell me later.
Tell me later ... in, in town, so I don't
know if he wants his name out there.
But he was, he was a
good ally to get me on.
But we also- He was a real person
... first we had to jump the fence,
I don't know why this is, this is
coming out, to get to the chicken
in the boat graveyard, and then I,
and then he helped me get on top.
This sounds like a song To escape to
the chicken in the boat graveyard.
Oh my gosh.
And it was pouring down
rain- I'm gonna write one
and that chicken was so slippery.
And I almost broke my neck
pulling off that stupid chicken.
There's a picture somewhere of
me, like, on this chicken in
the dark of night, like, whoo.
Please find it and send it
to us so we can share it.
I'll try to find it.
I cannot believe this.
But the chicken's gone.
The boat graveyard's still there.
All the boats are still there, but
the chicken is long since gone.
And, like, I would love to have
it and put it in my front yard.
For those of you who are listening-
You know my neighbors would love
that ... if you know where the chicken
went in the boat graveyard- Please
find the chicken- ... please return it
for my front yard.
Please return it?
No, just contact Tiffany- Yeah, return it
to the boat graveyard ... at 100 Families.
And be like, "I have a donation."
They're gonna come and
find a building one day.
It was just, like, right there.
Oh my gosh.
Like, oh my gosh, it's mine.
Ask and we shall receive.
Nobody touch it.
No one touch it.
It's mine.
What would your neighbors think of
a chicken in your- Oh, they would
not like that very much at all.
Well.
But you know what?
Too bad.
I'm joking.
If you don't have a, if you
don't have one of those...
What are the...
Neighborhood- HOA ... HOA.
Yeah.
Then they can't say nothing.
No, we do.
Oh, you do?
I'm sorry.
Well.
Sorry.
We don't, but- They'd
be knocking on my door.
Can it go in the backyard?
I mean- Put it in your parents' yard.
They're moving.
Perfect.
They're moving?
They guarantee they have an HOA.
I bet, I bet Pam would love it.
That's hilarious.
She'd know.
If a chicken showed up in her
yard, she wouldn't even have to
guess, like, which child it was-
that messed up there.
Just like, Tiffany.
Come get this chicken.
I know you're doing something.
Come get this chicken.
Did your parents spank you as a child?
All the time.
Which one?
Every second of my life.
My mother.
Yeah, mine too.
Every second of my life.
That reminds me of Ben.
We tease Ben that he got three
square whoopings a day and
deserved far more than he got.
That's what my mom always said.
I was like, I got whooped
for everything all the time.
Like, even if I didn't do anything, she's
like, "You, you did something that day."
Yeah.
Like, I just know it.
Did your brother?
No.
'Cause he, he is now- Lord, no.
No ... he's a baby.
He is the quiet, shy, can
do no wrong baby, child.
Uh, no.
Mm-hmm.
Absolutely not.
That's crazy 'cause Ben's the
baby of his family, and he
still got all the whoopings.
I'm the baby.
And literally deserved every one of them.
Deserved all of them.
I mean, I probably did too, but, like,
they could have spread a few out.
A little more equal on that.
I'm just saying.
I mean- You wouldn't be the
wonderful person that you are today.
No, it's true.
So calm and self-contained.
Thanks, Pam and Tony.
I, I- The product ... I tell my
brother, "You're welcome," all the time.
I'm like, "If I wasn't busy getting
my tail whooped, they would've
figured out some stuff you were doing.
I just know it."
Like, you're welcome for the distraction.
It was just for him.
Yeah.
Oh.
Like, it's- It's just
protecting you ... funny.
It's funny.
Well- Right ... we've so enjoyed having
you and- We'll have you back, for sure Oh,
I'll have to think of another Bible story.
Yeah.
I can't top that one.
Maybe we'll have a new s-
a new question by then.
I don't know.
Yeah, probably.
I love it.
Thank you so much.
We, we are doing a series on
jerks of the Bible, and I bet you
would love to come into that one.
Jerks of the Bible?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
We've already done one, so.
I've got plenty.
Yeah.
I've got a list.
Oh, well then share it.
We'll, we'll have you on-
Yeah ... on, on your favorite jerk.
Perfect.
Yes.
Or my least favorite jerk, 'cause
that would be way more fun.
Well, the, it's- No, like- ... pretty
much wide open 'cause we've only done one
episode so far We've only done one, yeah.
And it was- Who was it?
... Jonah.
You can't do him.
We already did him.
What a jerk.
Yeah.
He really was.
But we'll have you on
one of those episodes.
I'd love it.
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
But thanks so much, and- Thank you
we will see you soon, Tiffany.
Okay.
Bye.