Make Room Series, Giving Jesus a Full Access Pass w/Rachel Mitchell

Speaker 1: 0:00

So in my business I time block or my time just is all gone and I get nothing done and I make no money, right? It's the same kind of concept for Jesus. Let's time block for Jesus. Let's designate time where we're not distracted by something else entirely and sit with them.

Speaker 2: 0:16

Helping you live brave, build community and pass on courageous faith to the girls around you. This is Be the Brave Ones podcast.

Speaker 3: 0:26

Hey everybody, it is Mandy, it's 2024. And I'm here with Delaney.

Speaker 2: 0:30

Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast.

Speaker 3: 0:33

We are itching to get started, you guys, because we have a super deeper, important conversation to have. God has been stirring our hearts with this. We have felt this for some time now. We've been talking to God about it. We've been getting with Jesus. We've been like Lord, tell us what you want us to say. And we have put together some notes and we are so looking forward to sharing what God has showed us. But the reason why we're here is to not just having meaningful conversation that you get to listen to, but we wanna inspire and equip you with what you need to go have meaningful conversations of your own. That is what this is about.

Speaker 3: 1:09

So our new series it's called Make Room and it is about making room for Jesus, and we have chosen a key scripture for this series. It is Revelation 3, verses 14 through 20. And this scripture is Jesus talking to the church at Laodicea, and we have been compared to the church of Laodicea. Everyone most theologians would say that this church is most like the church in America, and that's why we felt like this is the scripture. It's the scripture of Jesus knocking on the door, saying, hey, listen up, let me in.

Speaker 3: 1:44

I've got some things to say. So we want to listen up and we want to ask Jesus what do you want to say to us personally? What does my heart need to hear from this scripture through this series? Because making room for Jesus is the most important thing that we can do. Delaney, I love what you wrote in the Leader devotional for the Brave Conversation tool about. We all are given the same amount of time, but how we spend our time is different, and how we've spent our time up to this point really has defined in a large way who we are today. Talk to us about that, about how we're spending our time and making that room for Jesus.

Speaker 2: 2:22

Right. So I don't know, time is such a touchy subject For everybody. So I like to just kind of start. We all have been given the same time, Like no one has more time than the other person and it can be touchy because we all spend our time differently and we're pulled differently and sometimes we feel like we don't have a reign on how we spend our days.

Speaker 2: 2:41

But we do have a choice every day and I want to make sure that we are wisely choosing Jesus to be the priority of our time, and whether that looks like the same thing every day or a little bit different every day, making room for Jesus, it's about quality time. It's not just checking off a box and being like, all right, Jesus, I listen to you, I listen to some songs, I'm good. What we're getting after, I think, in this series is how to have quality time, how to really seek him and behold him when we arrive and when he arrives in our own lives. So making sure that the time that we do spend with the Lord, the room that we're making, is quality over quantity, or quality over getting all the boxes checked, the pages read all of that. We really want to do some hard work and some loving God with our minds and our souls and all of ourselves, the whole deal we're giving it to Jesus to have. So I think there's a lot to unpack here, Mandy.

Speaker 3: 3:45

Yes, there's so much to unpack, especially in these verses. Let's go ahead and read them now Revelation 3, 14 through 22. And you know, listeners, how we really get to the heart of a scripture, or allow a scripture to get to our heart, is to read it again and again. And so we want to encourage you to go to this scripture. If you're hosting a brave conversation, read this scripture, continue to go back to this scripture and then join us on the Bible study that's gonna be available next week sorry, next month and go through this in a more detailed way. But starting in verse 14, it says and to the angel of the church and Laodicea write the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

Speaker 3: 4:29

I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. Would that? You either be cold or hot? So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Speaker 3: 4:39

For you say I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garment so that you may clothe yourself in the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see those whom I love. I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me.

Speaker 3: 5:16

The one who conquers. I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. And so, when we chose the scripture, and what you and I both saw, delaney, was this kind of like hospitality, like what does it look like? You talked about this, Delaney, about like welcoming him, not just like doing it like you were just saying earlier, not just like checking the boxes and doing it quite time, but what does it look like to truly make Jesus feel welcome? So I would love to ask you that right now, delaney, what does it look like to truly make Jesus feel welcome?

Speaker 2: 5:53

I immediately think of the word behold. And to behold someone or anything, it's just spend time. And to really like not just glance at, but to really consider, like to behold someone, like you would know, like the crinkled by their eyes from smiling, or like when they talk, what sort of like expressions do they have, what is their tone? Like really getting to know, know who you're spending time with. And that requires face to face time, it requires time, it requires attention. And so when I think of welcoming Jesus into my life, into my time, it is not like a run by pass through, it is a I'm gonna sit, I need to like actually focus here, and then also like the length of time.

Speaker 2: 6:39

It's like quality time, like I need this consistency, this like long period of time, but then not just like saying goodbye, you know, at the end of the day, like welcoming Jesus into every aspect of my day as I go, as I get up from the chair that I've been sitting in and reading, being like, okay, I'm gonna welcome him while I'm washing the dishes and just talk to him, or I'm going to, like, listen to an audio book as I'm driving. So just the spirit of longevity, I think, and just really beholding who God is throughout the day, being intentional about that.

Speaker 3: 7:15

I love that and I feel like it's important to emphasize giving ourselves grace. Like when I look at my walk with Jesus, it did start as a quiet time. Right, it started as a quiet time. It started as like a routine, like certain time of day I'm gonna read my Bible and then, guys, it's just what happens is, over time, you just start to naturally grow with him and then you have that intentionality that you're talking about in your heart, delaney, to carry him with you 24 hours a day. You wanna do it, but, like anything new that you started, that's not what your life looks like right now. That's not what your relationship with Jesus looks like right now. That's what you're going for and you can't force yourself to get there and you have to give yourself a lot of grace when it doesn't look that way and just continue to have that heart intention. Jesus, this is what I want. I wanna be with you all the time, I wanna talk with you all the time, I wanna be aware of your presence all the time. And with that heart desire, his grace will come in as long as you're giving him that space and confessing that before him. And so today we're focusing on the first part of this scripture and we're gonna have a guest on in just a few minutes and she's gonna be sharing about this as well. Can't wait for that.

Speaker 3: 8:20

But that first verse, verse 14,. It says into the angel of the church in Laodicea, jesus is saying write this to them. He says the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. And when I see these words, when I actually sit with them, I don't just like breeze over them, I'm like what does that mean? The Amen, the Amen.

Speaker 3: 8:41

I see the answer to my prayers. That's who's talking right now. When I pray and I say, in Jesus' name, amen, that too wants to come in and sit with me. The power behind my prayers, the faithful and true witness, makes me think about who is faithful, who is true in this world. Like who can we truly count on? The one who's always faithful and the one who's always true wants to come and sit with me and commune with me and have time with me. And then, when I see the beginning of God's creation, I see the one who was there in the beginning, the one who knows the whole story, Like he knows all of it. He knows all of the tidbits. He's got the T, you know, he knows all the things. That too, wants to come and sit with me. So, delaney, I wanna just ask you, what do you see when you see that, the Amen, the true and faithful witness, the beginning of God's creation?

Speaker 2: 9:26

I love everything you said. The two verses that I wrote down in response to this was 2nd Corinthians, 1.20, where it talks about how, for all the promises of God find their yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. So that is where, like Mandy found that verse of saying like this is who we're praying to, the God who says yes, the name in which we pray, and then the beginning of God's creation. I think of Colossians 1, 15 and 16, where all things were created through him and for him, and they go to him. It's for his glory. So there is so much scripture that Jesus himself is just repeating back to us to remember and remind us like this is who I am. You've heard it time and time again and it's true. Jesus does not lie to us and that is the God who wants to spend time with us.

Speaker 3: 10:17

Yes, yes, we forget, we forget. We're like oh yeah, that's who you are, jesus, like. That's why I need to open the door and let you in and sit with you. So, with no further ado, we are going to invite our guest into the conversation. Her name is Rachel Mitchell and she is a follower of Jesus. She's been a follower of Jesus for the last 18 years and she is the wife to Matt. She's been married for 19 years and she's the mom of two boys Henry, who is 14, and Milo, who is 13. And she's passionate, you guys, about teaching women to invite Christ into the fight for their bodies and their health and for creating habits that make us stronger physically, mentally and spiritually. And those are just a couple of the reasons why I felt it would be awesome to have Rachel help us kick this episode off, this series off, this year podcasting off. Welcome, rachel, we're so glad you're here.

Speaker 1: 11:09

I am honored to be here. I'm just listening to you guys like I've been sitting here going yes, yes, amen. Also, I love this conversation. It makes me excited and I'm thankful to be here.

Speaker 3: 11:20

We are thankful to have you, and so we are talking about Rachel, as you heard us in our introduction there about making room for Jesus. So we want to ask our guest right off the bat what does making room for Jesus look like for you lately, lately?

Speaker 1: 11:35

when I answered that question I laughed. But it really means less sleep and I know that's gonna go contrary to my whole health and fitness thing. But I really need seven hours of sleep. I don't need eight, I don't need nine, I don't need 10. My body functions very well with seven hours and after about the first two hours of the day I am just inundated with Demands, demands, demands, distractions, and so for me, you know, practically I knew that if I wanted more time with him, that I had to give something up, and so I get up earlier, I go to bed earlier, I get up earlier.

Speaker 1: 12:08

But you know also, I think, that I lived under this misconception that time with Jesus had to look cozy and comfortable and quiet and just picture perfect, when really, you know, just meeting him in the everyday moment I think you said earlier, delaney, he wants everything, and everything is a big word for me right now it's actually like filled with my answers to some of these prompts, but you know it's a stoplight. You know, instead of getting out my phone, or while I walk the dog, I don't have to take my phone with me. Or you know, maybe sitting at a ball game with one of my kids while we watch the other one play, like we sit there and we discuss about praying for him or we. I mean just everything. Every moment is a moment we can spend with Jesus, but just for that quality quiet time it definitely means like just getting up earlier.

Speaker 3: 13:01

Yeah, which is not always easy, but it's that worth it part. We just gotta get there and realize, oh, this is worth it. Delaney, what is the time when Jesus looked?

Speaker 2: 13:09

like for you lately.

Speaker 2: 13:10

A lot of trial and error, trying to figure out like what does work. Recently, within the last two weeks, it's been the first thing in the morning when my husband can watch my son and give me an hour and a half to just like have my tea, have my time, open the scripture and be undistracted, because I know the rest of the day, my time with the Lord. There's gonna be moments of interruptions or distractions and recently also it's been like let's go on a walk, like you said, like you're walking your dog. It's like okay, I'm gonna go on this walk with my son. He can't talk, so I'm going to talk to Jesus and it'll be a prayer walk, just tagging Wesley along for the ride. And so that has been the past two weeks and before that it was something else. You know, it was like later in the evenings, but definitely trying to make an intentional time with him Really quick.

Speaker 2: 14:04

I use this word behold, and I take every letter of that word before I opened my Bible and like really sit down and try to have some sort of like mental capacity, focus on the Lord. I take the word or take the letter B and I just be still and I'm like thankful and I try to be present and I try to like, calm my mind down from the future or the past and just be in this moment. And then E, I asked the Lord to help my mind focus on eternal things and not on the things of this world at this moment. And then H, holiness, I think of how holy God is, and that's where I confess my sins, my pride, maybe even some of my laziness, or just getting to this moment like where I have sinned prior. And then O and L, I just asked that I would only love the Lord today, that I would not love the things of this world, and that I would only love him. And then I dwell in his love for me.

Speaker 2: 15:03

And then D is where I opened my scripture and I look for the desires of the Lord. Lord, what do you want from me, what do you want for me? What are your desires? And then by that time I've kind of had this like mental meditation and I'm a bit more ready to read and have quality time with the Lord from his word. So that's something, and that's something I can do, like in bed too. When I'm asleep I just go through those letters and before I even get up in the morning or when I'm laying down at night, like just having that word behold, kind of when my mind's like really tired and really exhausted, I can just go through that and it's really helpful to have that like prompted acronym to kind of help me pray through things and focus in on the Lord. I love that?

Speaker 3: 15:47

Did you get that from somewhere or did you come up with that on your own?

Speaker 2: 15:50

I kind of made it up.

Speaker 2: 15:51

It was super cool. It was like this mind blowing thing that I had and I was like, oh, I need to write this down. And it's changed over time, Like I think at one point oh was omnipotent and that's where I would pray for God to be with other people in my life. But recently it's been like Lord, help me to only love you, and I'm such a word letter person, so it really works for me. But if you're out there and you're listening and you want to try that, I mean go for it. I do not put my name on that, you can use it.

Speaker 3: 16:20

Please write that down, Delaney, Type it down and send it to me. I think that we need to put that in a one pager for girls to be able to access, women to be able to access. I love that so much, and especially about the only loving Jesus like help me to love what you love, God, Because that is really the heart of the scripture that we're looking at as well. Our time with Jesus helps us learn like what he loves versus the places where we can also see where we are loving what he doesn't love. So that's so good, and I'm gonna go with a little bit of a confession here with how my time with Jesus has looked lately, Cause I feel like this is important.

Speaker 3: 16:56

Something that God has shown me lately is that in the in between moments of my life, my 24 hour day, I find myself if I'm bored or there's just nothing going on. I'm sure it's like so many people can relate to this. I grab my phone, I open my. I'm like what's going on in Facebook world? What's going on in IG world? Like maybe there's just something fun here that I can find really quick and God was showing me how that is a place where I'm loving my phone more than I'm loving him and it's an opportunity like to train my brain.

Speaker 3: 17:31

I've been working on this to train my brain to go to him first, Like check in with God, Like hey like what's going on, you know, like with this, or maybe something that's on my mind or something that's on my heart or something that need to pray about, and so I wanted to share that, that that is a way that I'm making room for Jesus, I'm giving him more room in 2024. And so, yeah, Do you know?

Speaker 1: 17:54

like I mean, like I mentioned that about the stop light, because I said that before. I mean, I heard a sermon recently that said you know, 30 years ago when you stopped the stop light, you were just in the stop light. You know, you didn't have to check your phone, but, like when you were speaking, I think to like we're not noticing other people anymore, which is making room for Jesus because we're so distracted by our phones, and so, like you know, just not having a phone in your hand is the way to look for. Hey, is there somebody I could love? You know, and so it just came to my mind. I need to do work on that personally.

Speaker 3: 18:30

That's a major moment, the stoplight moment. Really, when I'm driving to, I'm like stoplight. Oh, because my phone's right there with my GPS and everything like boom, open something at a stoplight and Jesus is like hey, give me your stoplights. You know what would happen if we gave Jesus our stoplights? So we've been talking about who is knocking.

Speaker 3: 18:48

That's the kind of the topic of this specific conversation is who's talking? And Delaney and I were just talking about revelations 314. And so I'm curious, Rachel, when you look at that verse, Revelation 314, what stood out to you?

Speaker 1: 19:00

Yeah, absolutely so. First of all, I don't know that I've ever really thought about the fact that he's referred to as the amen. I may have missed that in scripture entirely, and so that stood out to me first, and I'm a word person too and I love to like look up words in their original text, and so I went to that first. And the Greek word means trustworthy, like amen, the word they use means trustworthy.

Speaker 1: 19:27

But even before that, the fact that he was there in the beginning, like he's the one who's seen it all, like he's seen cold hearts, he's seen warm hearts, he's seen lukewarm hearts, he sees my heart, he knows me in and out, yet he's still knocking, but he's still. He's choosing to knock on the door of my heart and I've that, and he's trustworthy. Like he sees it all and he's trustworthy, I can give him my everything, the good and the bad, the ugly, and I don't have to wonder is he going to go tell somebody else? Is he going to stop being my friend? Because he sees into my heart, you know?

Speaker 1: 20:00

And so like that really is what stood out to me, and just the fact that he is there. Like he, he's seen it all and he knows me so well that his mercies are new every morning, and so whenever I meet with him, I do meet with him in the morning, like that. Honestly, you challenging me to look at that verse is going to transform my mornings, because I get to meet with the amen, like I get to meet with the one who knows me, but he's sitting there. I want your, I want your morning, rachel. I want your first thoughts, I want your first words, I want your first eyes, you know. And so, yeah, that that hit me hard.

Speaker 3: 20:36

That's good. I don't know that this is theologically sound, you all, but I do notice that there really is something about the morning. Giving him the morning and it might be the whole priority thing, like you said in the devotional part of the Brave Conversation told Delaney about how we spend our time reveals what our heart is after, and giving him that first part says I think it says you're first and he sees that and he honors that and he shows up like it's just us. I feel that so strongly first thing in the morning and so we want to have a get real moment. Rachel on this season of the podcast.

Speaker 3: 21:12

Who knows what might be a thing that we keep up with, but just like a moment where we encourage you to be extra real, extra honest with us, and we're going to practice that as well. The get real moment for this episode is what is the biggest threat? I kind of already shared mine, didn't I? What is the biggest threat that comes against you when it comes to making room for Jesus, and practically what have you done to overcome it? Or what do you do when it comes to you?

Speaker 1: 21:37

Yeah, I kind of reference this already, but I think compartmentalizing Jesus has been a big big. Not so much now. He's definitely worked a great deal in the heart in this way. But Romans 12 1 is stuck in my heart and muscle for like six months. You know, he tells us to, in view of the mercies of God, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, and he doesn't just say one part of your body or your mind or your heart, or your Sunday or your, your morning time, but he says your body and our bodies, what we have with us all day long. Right, and so, like I have been forced to ask my quest myself is he the God I just worship on Sundays, or while the music is playing, or while I'm in my Bible in the morning? Or is he also the God who is there when I'm spending money? Is he also my God whenever I'm, my hormones are raging and I speak to myself? Is he also the God who's there whenever I'm choosing? He's obviously there, but I'm not acknowledging him as God when I'm choosing what to watch on TV. And so it's the every day, it's the everything he wants, my everything.

Speaker 1: 22:46

And, delaney, you said something earlier that reminded me of one of my friends. She says that you know we're going to give an account someday for the time that he gave us, like what did you do with it? And I think about that, like I don't. I don't want to compartmentalize him to just the day mornings or just my quiet time, but I want him to be the God of everything, everything that I do, from what I put into my body, to what I watch on TV, to what I, how I leave my children out, speak to my spouse, and so yeah, that is.

Speaker 1: 23:16

I think that even here I keep referring to the South, but you know it's, we've just got so comfortable worshiping God on Sunday and then leaving him in the church building, and I think that's a threat. But obviously God is convicting me. Who will convict others? And we just, we just invite him into those every day moments, you know, and I want my kids, who are 13 and 14, like I want them, when I've passed away, one of the things I want them to remember, remember that mom always says let's pray about it, let's pray about it. Do we want to buy that? Do we want to go see that? Maybe? Do we want to take this vacation? Do we want to do this or that, let's pray about it and yeah, that's where. That's where I'm at right now.

Speaker 3: 23:57

That was convicting me, that was burning a little bit as you're going, I'm like oh burn, burn again.

Speaker 2: 24:02

It's stung, but it's so good. Thank you for sharing that. I know we're not the only ones who are going to be blessed and convicted by what God is already working in your own heart. So, yeah, that's definitely a threat to us all. Truly. With just, I mean we all. Like you said, we all have the same time, which means we're all likely spending time in different capacities. However, like we do struggle with the same thing, we're all human here, which is why it's so necessary to connect and converse over what the Lord is doing throughout our day. You know, like let's not just talk about our Sundays. Let's talk about, like that Sunday night when you were really tired, like what happened. So I think that's important too.

Speaker 3: 24:39

Yeah, and like the spending money. When you're spending your money, like where, where, what are you prioritizing when you're spent? Like all those little things. And this isn't to shame or guilt or to make us feel really lousy, this is to go. Jesus, I want you to have this part of my heart and give yourself grace, because he's giving you grace, and to be patient. Just express to him what your heart desires.

Speaker 3: 25:01

What do you think, rachel, is the biggest threat against our present generation when it comes to making room for Jesus, and what do you think that we can do about it?

Speaker 1: 25:11

Oh, I think we already touched on it. I think it's technology. Oh my goodness, it's just so prevalent and there's so much good to technology. I am not anti-technology, I use it every single day in my, in my work, and God has given me the opportunity to minister to women through technology. But it's so distracting, it's so addictive and I don't think our generation or this current generation is unique to having a struggle like that. I just think it looks different and it's more 24 seven.

Speaker 1: 25:42

So I think, just having these conversations about it, you know, and really, really, really educating and directing young women to the scripture verses where God says be still, you know what does that mean? That means just get quiet, like, just turn everything off. I think also to you know, really educating this generation on what a Sabbath actually is. You know he tells us from the start. To you know, into the New Testament, you know he talks about the Sabbath and just just honoring that and setting that aside is totally fun, and so I'm going back to that word. But time that is just carved out for the Lord, like. So in my business I time block, like I have to time block or my time just is all gone and I get nothing done and I make no money, right so? But like it's the same kind of concept for Jesus, like let's time block for Jesus, no-transcript designate time where we're not distracted by something else entirely and sit with them yeah it's good.

Speaker 3: 26:43

So we're going to round table some scripture now. Another scripture that kind of goes along very much with the scripture that we've already been looking at is Psalm 24. And this is also going to be in the Bible study that we have coming out next month, but I did send this to Rachel in advance, and of course Delaney has it as well, and I'm going to go ahead and read it here and then we can just kind of talk about what really stood out to us in these verses, what we saw in them. So, starting in verse one again at Psalm 24, if you're listening and want to follow along, the earth is the Lord's in the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

Speaker 3: 27:24

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully, he will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation, such as the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, o gates and be lifted up O ancient doors that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your head O gates and lift them up O ancient doors that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts? He is the King of glory, and so I'm curious to hear from you guys what stood out to you when you took a look at these verses.

Speaker 2: 28:12

I, especially after reading Revelations 314, I was like, yes, lord, come in, you know? And like who is this God? And like just the beginning of it. Recently, what I've been doing when I get a passage of scripture is I like circle everything that describes God, or like an attribute of God, and then I underline anything that it has to do with me or has to do with humanity and his people, and then I try to just pick one of those and say like okay, because God is blank, like one of those attributes that are in the scripture, like how do I respond to that? Or like how does that change me? What needs to go on in my life as I leave this page?

Speaker 2: 28:51

And so something that I just focused on was how God is creator and how he is like the beginning of everything, as we also mentioned in Revelations 314. And because of that, I need to seek him Like I need, I need to depend on him, like I am a creation. I am so dependent upon him. And then the second thing was he requires clean hands and pure hearts. So I need Jesus, I need his righteousness, and like the seeking of him, like that's why we need to make room for him in our lives because we need him. Our like my not clean hands, my not pure hearts needs Jesus to come in and change that about me. So I think my time in Psalm 24 was super rich because of Revelations 314 and reading it as a whole. So, but what about you, rachel? What stood out to you?

Speaker 1: 29:43

Yeah, absolutely so. For well, I didn't read this until I finished answering the other questions, which was really cool to me because I kept coming back to this word everything. And in this, in my translation of Psalm 24, it says that the earth is the Lord and everything in it it says the world and all who live in it. And so you know that just again reiterated, he wants my everything. He's already here, it's really, but he just wants me to acknowledge it. It's his.

Speaker 1: 30:12

But, like you said, delaney, you know, in Revelation he talks about I rebuke those who I love. And in Psalm 24, he says we can't come to him unless we have clean hands and clean hearts. He wants to rebuke us, not to punish us or like condemn us, but so that we can come to him, so that we can be with him, so that we can hear from him. And so I think, you know, I think it's easy for some to read the Bible and think, oh, I feel so ashamed. But no, god doesn't shame us, he convicts us so that he can just wash us clean when we ask this to, so he can sit with us and spend time with us and be our everything, Be our amen. And so that was a really cool parallel between those two passages for me.

Speaker 3: 30:53

Yeah, yeah, I saw that too. And even the beginning of God's creation. He's been there since the beginning. Everything is his. Let's give him our everything.

Speaker 3: 31:02

And I did send you guys the questions what does this teach us about God? What is this teaches about people? I feel like that's so important when we look at scripture, like what you said, delaney first, what is what does this show me about God? And then I feel that question what does it teach me about people? What does it say about me? What does it say about the people around me? It's always answering the question.

Speaker 3: 31:24

It's always revealing my need for God, that he's holy and that I am not, and it's exposing my heart and it's exposing the hearts of those around me, so that I don't confuse people with God. And I go yeah, they're people, they need Jesus. That's why I'm hurt or they're responding that way or doing this thing. But I spent some time in the scripture and I saw this really cool thing that I want to share with you guys and that is at the end of this and when it says lift up your heads, heads, o gates, and be lifted up O ancient doors. This song was written by David and it's believed that it was written to convey the moment of him bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.

Speaker 3: 32:07

So, they found the Ark of the Covenant and they're bringing it into Jerusalem. And the Ark of the Covenant listeners is considered at that time the presence of the Lord. And so he's bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city. And if you know, in 2 Samuel it says in the moment that he was bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city, he danced until his clothes fell off right, like he was so overwhelmed with the glory of the Lord that he shook his body so vigorously that his clothes fell off. And I was just sitting in this and going man, like that moment of the presence of the Lord coming into Jerusalem. And we know that the presence of the Lord came to us when Jesus ascended into heaven, and so in, the Ark of the Covenant is coming in, the presence of God is coming in. David is overwhelmed with this moment, this messianic, prophetic moment of what is to come, this glorious moment of the presence of God being made available to me and you. So when we make room for Jesus, we're making room for the presence of God, which he came and he died and he ascended into heaven to give us. So cool, as we were just in church, we've been working through the book of Matthew, or Matthew 27,. We're almost to the end. Hallelujah.

Speaker 3: 33:24

We got to this part where the Sadducees and what was the Pharisees sorry, the religious leaders of the day, let's just call them that we're inspiring and concerned about.

Speaker 3: 33:35

Was this imposter Jesus I thought it was so funny, they called him an imposter was going to maybe pretend that he rose from the dead and his people were going to help him pull off this trick.

Speaker 3: 33:46

So they really wanted to seal the tomb and they said because if he pulls this off, then we're really in trouble. If he pulls off ascending into heaven, if they can say that he rose from the dead, then we have a huge problem on our hands, and that huge problem is that we get the presence of God. And so I was just seeing that, in the context of making room for him, that all the way back thousands of years ago, that David's having this holy moment with the Lord, and this is overwhelming moment. Do we see Jesus that way? Do we see the ascension? Do we see the resurrection? Do we see our time with Jesus as coming into his presence, which, to David, felt like earth shaking? Do we treat it that way? And what if we didn't? Kind of a long explanation there, but I felt like these pieces just that's been showing me and like I got to share this out here, put it out there.

Speaker 1: 34:38

Oh, wow.

Speaker 3: 34:40

So, rachel, I don't want to let you go without talking about this. You're passionate about helping women not only take care of their spiritual health, but also their physical bodies, and I feel like this is so important. I recently, in December, got back into my health routine. You guys, I used to manage health clubs and like I should know, like I need to take care of my physical body, but children happen, and then you're just like I don't have time, all the things, all excuses. But I just recently got back into consistently working out and I mean like seriously, like hardcore working out, like kicking my butt working out, and my brain is so clear I feel like I can give Jesus more of me. I mean, there is an absolute connection to our physical bodies and our spiritual health. Talk to us about it, yeah.

Speaker 1: 35:23

Yeah, we are absolutely created to move and to eat I would just say, god's food. Psalm 104, verses 14 and 15. I can't quote it by heart, but it talks about how he, he created the crops, he made bread and wine and all these things to sustain us. And you know it's so often. We've just complicated it. We've complicated health and wellness. It's really not that hard. Move your body, eat the foods I created, eat more things without a label, and you're doing great. And so, like it's never you know a shameful thing.

Speaker 1: 35:55

I never went to shame women. For some women right now, it may be choosing to eat, you know, a salad instead of a bag of goldfish in between breastfeeding. You know like it may not be like hours in the gym or a specific nutrition plan, but again, you know like I just got it, just wrecked me with the fact that he wants all of me. And you know I, for years, even as a believer, I came to Christ when I was 24 and 43. Now, you know like, even for years, I never drew that connection between God wanting me to invite him into. Do I work out today or while I'm working out? Am I doing this to look a certain way or to please someone else, or am I doing this out of an act of worship to my God, who gave me this body to move and to dwell in for a brief period of time and hopefully do some really great things in the name of Jesus? And so I know that not everyone has a body that can be healthy. I recognize that and I want to say that maybe your body is working against you right now and there's nothing you can do about it.

Speaker 1: 36:58

Listen, sister, we're. There's no shame in not being able to move and follow a nutrition plan, but you know, for most of us that's not true. For most of us, we do have the ability to do a workout where there's a walk with our dog or kick your butt workout in the gym, like you're talking about. But there's no doubt, like there's no doubt, you experience this clarity and this strength and this self control, even when we move and we change what we eat.

Speaker 1: 37:24

And so, yeah, again, it's just not a compartmentalized faith, like I want to worship him with everything that I have and, just about like five years ago, like I really drew the connection between living for Jesus and serving him and the fact that, hey, if I take care of this. I can do it for longer and I can do it for better, and I can have more mental clarity in my quiet time and as I serve him, however that may be, and so, yeah, I'm very, very passionate about that. Again, romans 12 one is just like the water to muscle right now when it comes to that, and I want to make sure that it's not just for me, like I don't want to work out any well for me. I wanted to do it as an active worship, holy and pleasing to him. So, yeah, that's my heart and I love talking about it.

Speaker 3: 38:13

Well, if hearing you talk about it, where can our listeners find you? Because you're always putting out quality content when it comes to caring for ourselves physically, spiritually, and then also about being a mom boss. So yeah, where can women find you?

Speaker 1: 38:27

Instagram, for sure, it's Rachel J Mitchell, and then I have a blog that's the same, wwwracheljmichaelcom, and I would love, love, love to connect with you on either in either of those places.

Speaker 3: 38:41

Awesome. So the way that we like to close out these conversations is with some type of something we're taking away. We want to be changed. We don't want to just be like oh, that was such a great conversation, like walk away and like just go back to our lives. So how has this conversation either preparing for this conversation or having this conversation changed you, and what is something different that you're going to do because of it?

Speaker 1: 39:02

You know, right now what I'm taking away most is just that visualization of when I said to meet with Jesus, and I'm really sitting and realizing what I'm actually doing. You know, this is my savior, my redeemer. You know he's sitting in heaven waiting to come back and take us home. You know, like it's the full weight of that. Really, what I'm focusing on is a sit down to spend time with him, and so, yeah, that really is something I think I'll think about differently when I wake up and it's 430 and I'm tired and just like Jesus, I get to meet with you. It looks like, look who you are. And so I want that to really settle into my soul for my quality time with Jesus.

Speaker 2: 39:44

That's so good. I I would say the same thing. That, because that is what our verse was focused on, was Revelation 314, the who is knocking? Who are we talking to? Who are we listening to? And then, Rachel, you're everything like giving that person our everything because he, he, is the only one worthy of our. Everything Like, until we picture Jesus for who he is the amen, the faithful and the true, the beginning of God's creation, the one who created only that person. Am I going to feel worthy enough to give my everything to everyone else? A little piece here and there and there, but Jesus deserves it all. So I'm definitely taking away your word everything for sure.

Speaker 3: 40:28

And I am taking away, beholds and I want your acronym Zalini.

Speaker 3: 40:32

I want to do that when my alarm goes off. I want to be like, okay, I'm going to be holding him before my feet hit the floor and I want to leave you guys with this, listeners included. And that is. I had some girls over recently, some middle school girls, and we walked through the 2024 goal guide and something that came out in our conversation is someone's goal was to be more Christ-like, and so we had this really great conversation about what does it mean to be more Christ-like? And all the things came out like pray more, read my Bible more, be kinder, forgive more, be more loving all of the actions and behaviors right. And then we were led into this conversation about well, how do we do that? How should we be more kinder? How do we be more compassionate and more loving?

Speaker 3: 41:13

It comes back to spending time with Jesus, and I was sharing this with my husband and he said the greatest thing I got. To give him credit for it. He said it's like trying to pretend you went to the beach without going to the beach. Like, for example, if I said you have five minutes, go do something and come back and make me think that you went to the beach, versus actually going to the beach and coming back Like it doesn't match, like if I just try to do the things I've just tried to be more Jesus-like, it's going to feel like a weight, it's going to feel like a burden, it's going to be hard, it's not going to be authentic. But if I can just get to Jesus, if I can make that room for him and the everyday, then I'm just going to naturally look more like him. So wanted to share that with you all.

Speaker 3: 41:56

Thank you so much, rachel. This has been awesome. I'm so glad that we were able to have you on and kick off this new series and season with you. Thank you, listeners. We want to thank you for being here with us and helping us kick off this new season of the podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, we want you to know that the conversation doesn't have to stop here, and we actually hope and pray that it doesn't. We specifically create resources that help you have meaningful conversations with the girls in your life. You can find them on our website and specifically right now, we have conversation cards and a leader guide for you to gather with girls and have a meaningful conversation about what it means to make room for Jesus in 2024. If you haven't yet subscribed to the podcast, do that now, and we look forward to being back here with you next week for episode two in the MakeRoom series.