Embracing New Beginnings: How Letting Go and Trusting God Leads to Wholeness and Purpose with DeAnna Cavenah

In this episode of Hope Unlocked, Kristin Kurtz reconnects with DeAnna Cavenah, a passionate pastor and inspiring author, to dive deep into a conversation about faith, purpose, and personal transformation. DeAnna shares her journey of rediscovery and healing throughout 2024, emphasizing the importance of learning new rhythms of rest and letting go of control. She discusses how these lessons have transformed her life and ministry, allowing her to embrace a deeper connection with God.

DeAnna also shares her exciting new project—her upcoming book collaboration, She Laughs at the Future, which will feature stories from 15 women of faith, including DeAnna herself. Through this journey, she learned the power of stepping out in faith and allowing God's timing to unfold. DeAnna encourages listeners to tune into God's voice amidst the noise of everyday life, trust His plan, and take restful pauses to hear His direction. This episode is filled with practical wisdom and spiritual insights for women feeling called to embrace their voice, rest, and step into new beginnings.

DeAnna's contact info:
Website - www.dequincyfulllife.com
Book - She Laughs at the Future 

Chapters

• 0:16 Hope Unlocked Podcast
• 11:04 New Connections, Healing, and Passion
• 27:33 Embracing Excellence and Rest
• 46:31 Empowering Women Through Faith and Courage
• 56:22 Facing the Future With Hope

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm your host, Kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations and thrive with confidence, courage and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further. Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together.

Speaker 1: 0:48

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul. Please help me. Welcome Deanna Kavanaugh to the show. I am thrilled to have her back a second time. I had her on earlier this spring slash, coming into summer-ish time, and she has something that is being birthed and I'm excited for her to share what this is with the world. It's like a birth announcement. Would you like to first tell us a little bit about you and then we'll get into what you're birthing?

Speaker 2: 1:22

Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much, kristen again, for having me on Hope Unlocked. I am Deanna Kavanaugh. I'm married to Greg Kavanaugh. We are pastors of Full Life Assembly in De Quincey, louisiana. We've been there for we are in our 17th year. Fixing to go into our 18th year Doesn't seem possible, but it's true. We have two boys Michael is 34 and Ethan is 16. He will be turning 17 real soon, and we have one granddaughter she is 12, rosalie we call her Ro, and we have two dogs and 11 ducks and two in the incubator. So I'm a duck mama too.

Speaker 1: 2:23

That's pretty new right.

Speaker 2: 2:31

I'm a duck mama too. That's pretty new, right? Yes, that is pretty new Within the past year. We have a huge pond in front of our home. We live out in the country, which is very, very peaceful. It's actually a tree form that we live on. My husband's grandfather was a what do you call them? Foresters. There used to be a sawmill on the property. It's no longer here, but he would sell timber, and so there's lots of timber. Of course, when we had the hurricane Hurricane Laura back in 2020, it took out most of the trees on the property, but it's still beautiful out here. It's very, very peaceful. So we have this huge pond in front of our house and we've never had ducks.

Speaker 2: 3:19

My husband wanted some ducks, and you know I didn't care one way or the other if he had ducks. Husband wanted some ducks, and you know I didn't care one way or the other if he had ducks. So a friend of ours from church she brought us some ducks in the middle of the night on a Saturday evening. She had gone to the cell, born and brought us three ducks, and so he was so happy. But he was all of a sudden. Three ducks wasn't enough. He wanted three more ducks enough. He wanted three more ducks. So he got three more ducks and I stumbled upon a nest of eggs and I went ahead and got the eggs, because we have crows out here and they were like destroying the eggs. So I was like I don't know what to do with all these eggs. My friend, she was like, bring them to me, I'll put them in the incubator. And so then we had some baby ducks and then I found more. I found more duck eggs and I was like I'm not going to keep bringing these duck eggs to her, so I'm going to buy my own incubator.

Speaker 2: 4:22

And so, and what happened in the process is I fell in love with the ducks and I just I love watching the ducks. I shared this with our women at our women's conference. Our women's conference this year in September was Unity in Community and I had learned a lot from these ducks how they they do everything together, they eat together, they sleep together, and when one is going to lay an egg, they will all go with her and, yes, and they will wait with her. And there's the one dominant duck that will like sit up or stand up, and he will watch the perimeter and I guess to keep them all safe, especially her. And then once she lays, they all get up and they waddle back to the pond together. And so I learned a lot and I just love going out on my front porch in the mornings drinking my coffee and just watching those ducks and yeah. So yeah, it's pretty new, but it's it's. It's a new way for me to rest and relax and just enjoy God's nature.

Speaker 1: 5:46

And, yeah, I love that. I love that you're seeing. You know just the stories within. You know how they operate and the ways that they, like you said, the community and they come together and unify and protect. And I guess I don't know a lot about how ducks I watched ducks like duck couples. I think duck couples are the cutest things ever, but I've never seen the community aspect come together.

Speaker 2: 6:14

Yeah, it's, it's pretty amazing and I've I've watched in the beginning how they can be very cliquish, how you know some, how the the, the first group that we had, they, they. It took them a long time to accept the other group in the pond and I'm sure that there's a whole lot more for me to learn about, but it's been very, very interesting.

Speaker 1: 6:44

Are you? Are you going to write about them someday?

Speaker 2: 6:49

I have not thought about it, but yeah, it would be someday. I want to write a children's book on adoption. I think I may have shared that with you before. It is on my things to do list. I've been dreaming about it for some years and yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:18

I want to do it.

Speaker 2: 7:19

So I don't know, I might bring the ducks into it.

Speaker 1: 7:24

Well, tell us about what you're up to and what. What's new, what's what's coming, what?

Speaker 2: 7:30

is your new wow, baby well, um, you know, I did a podcast with you. Um, it was actually.

Speaker 2: 7:44

You'll love this because it's almost eight months to the day oh, is it really yes, tomorrow would be eight months exactly, and we know that the number eight means new beginnings. Yes, so I thought that was interesting when I looked at the date of the first podcast that we did together, and a lot has happened since then. There's been a lot of twists and turns for me in 2024. You know, at the beginning of this year, I started a journey of wholeness and identity and rediscovering my identity and learning new rhythms of rest in the midst of difficult situations. I went through the eight week group coaching with you, which was amazing. I would encourage anyone to do a session with you, a group session or even one-on-one session with you. So we went through the. It was eight weeks, right, eight weeks of group, very intentional, yes, yes. So it today is all things eight, um, and even your last key was on new beginnings. So, um, yeah, so through this journey of, through, through this journey this year of the wholeness and rediscovering my identity, rest and unity, it's echoed and it's been interwoven through my entire year and has turned into a very beautiful tapestry.

Speaker 2: 9:47

Um, you know, the word tells us in psalm 37, 23 in the nlt version. It says that the lord directs the steps of the godly, the righteous and he delights in every detail of their lives, and the Passion Translation says that he establishes our every step. And then, in verse 24, it goes on to say if or when we stumble, we will still survive because it's the Lord who picks us up. I love that, um, so he's already planned to pick us up. He knows that along the way, you know that we're not perfect, um, so through my and I'm, I know that I'm telling you a whole backstory to get to where I'm going this is actually really good because I feel like it's it's kind of a catch-up to.

Speaker 1: 10:50

You know, it's what's new, but what have you walked through?

Speaker 2: 10:53

yeah, since since the last podcast so through my obedience to join your group coaching. It opened a door for many new connections in my life that contributed to more healing and wholeness and reigniting some passions that were lying dormant on the inside of me. On the inside of me so at the beginning of the year in the group coaching, I did not know any of the ladies. You had opened it up for 12 of us and I can't remember if there were 12. I think there might have.

Speaker 1: 11:40

I don't know, there might have been eight.

Speaker 2: 11:43

Yeah, there's eight, yeah, okay, so that's amazing. All things eight.

Speaker 1: 11:49

It's all about that.

Speaker 2: 11:52

And you know, when you get into something like that, I think that hinders some people from not stepping out because they don't know anyone. But you know that it's the beauty of it too, because I mean it can be fearful but there's beauty in it because you know the Lord. Just like I quoted that verse, the Lord directs our steps and so he knows my husband. Always he says this little quote that we can see the corner, but God can see around the corner. So he knows what's up ahead for us and he knows who we need to be connected with in our life. Yes, he has. I mean, we can make our plans, but he has the ultimate plan for our life.

Speaker 2: 12:44

So when I came into your program, I met Caitlin Silva with we Write Books and not realizing that God had plans for us to be reconnected later this year, so I never really dove into much of what Caitlin had done. I think I had purchased one of her books or downloaded it on Audible. I believe that's what I did. It was on time management. So I believe that's what I did. It was time management. So Our our story. I reconnected with her in August, which again is the eighth month of the year uh another new beginning, yeah, um.

Speaker 2: 13:48

So let me backtrack a little bit more. Um, so, when I was in the group coaching with you, I had shared how, for years, the Lord had put in my heart to do a book collaboration and with some women, and I felt like I was to step out and start that. You know, I felt energized in your group and felt like, oh, this is the time, and so I did, I stepped out and I I reached out and I had most of the women that I reached out to gave a big yes and they started the process and from that time until in between there was like a four-month period, I think that all of a sudden I just like put it on the shelf again. Um, I was going in a direction with it that I know now, all social media and you know it was just all things family, family.

Speaker 2: 15:49

The last morning that I was there, I decided that I would open up Facebook just to see what was going on in the world, and the first post that I saw was from Caitlin and she was working with a lady by the name of Jill Albanese and they were working on a book collaboration. Jill is from Michigan and she is a kingdom wealth coach and they were doing a book collaboration and I was like, and she had the name she Laughs at the Future and Caitlin was actually one of the authors, and I also knew that Caitlin was a publisher and I don't know, there was just something on the inside of me. I got really excited about this and you know I've I've often said that sometimes, um, I know, personally, I've had to lay down a dream and and get involved in someone else's dream, yes, and so I really felt like I was to get involved in this book collaboration. So I reached out to Caitlin I didn't go any further into Facebook, I don't know if it was just meant for me to see that post at that very moment. So I reached out to Caitlin and I was like what is this all about? And she said you need to reach out to Caitlin. And I was like what is this all about? And she said you need to reach out to Jill. So I contacted this lady Jill that you know I had never seen before, never heard of before, and we connected and I was like I want to do this and she was like, okay. So she was like well, you need to get in touch with Caitlin and so I was like, okay, so now I've got to go back to Caitlin.

Speaker 2: 17:48

So I started talking to Caitlin and, um I, I jumped in, I prayed about it, I jumped in and it was uh, she laughs at the future. The theme scripture, you know, comes from Proverbs 31, 25. She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear at her future. And so I learned that there were, besides myself, there were 15 authors, women of faith, that would be telling their stories, and Caitlin and Jill were also one of the authors that would be adding their stories to the book. And so this was August and they were like we want to launch this in December. And I was like you want to launch this in December. So that gives me what Four months? Was it August, september, october, november, december? Yes, not even. I didn't even have four months. And I thought, ok, god, if you're calling me to this, you're going to help me through this.

Speaker 2: 19:11

And I really felt strongly to share the story. That changed the trajectory of me and my husband's life. And and it's been another healing process, because I had never put down on paper what me and my husband had went through. I never shared the story on paper is what I'm saying. I never shared. The story on paper is what I'm saying.

Speaker 2: 20:03

My husband was in an accident the first year that we were married, in the first year, and I'll just share bits and pieces. I don't want to ruin the whole story for the reader that might get the book. The title is called Faithful Then and Faithful Now, but my husband and I have been married for a little over 34 years and in that first year, with a brand new baby, my husband was cutting a tree down and the chainsaw got stuck in the tree and ended up. He started walking away from the tree and his brother called out to him that the tree was falling. The tree ended up falling on him and paralyzing him instantly, and so that and and through that, we had to move away two and a half hours away from where we lived for him to be in a rehabilitate, rehabilitation hospital when they were telling him that he would never walk again. So it changed the whole course of our life. You know, all our dreams, all our hopes looked like it was going down the drain. So, yeah, that's what I've been up to lately. Um, the book did launch in the first week of December, december, the third, and it is available on Amazon right now.

Speaker 2: 21:49

Um, I've never been involved with I. I have been involved in a book collaboration. That was a devotion, which I used, one of my devotions out of my first book that I published for that particular, but I've never been in a book collaboration like this. This was truly, truly amazing, because there was a lot of coaching behind the scenes that went into this. There were women. These women were from all over. We had a woman from New Zealand, from, of course, caitlin's, from Texas.

Speaker 1: 22:41

Jill's from.

Speaker 2: 22:41

Michigan, louisiana, all over yes, from all over and we learned how to pray together, we learned how to cry together. We learned how to cry together, we learned how to celebrate one of one another. It was such a beautiful expression of the unity of the body of Christ, really. And so we've made new friends, new connections, and it's just a beautiful journey. I'm connected with Jill in another project and so, yeah, it's, it's just been a beautiful journey. And so, through, through getting involved in Jill's vision and her dream to do this book I had shared with her, you know that the Lord had been leading me to do this very thing, but that I had put it on the shelf. And so through this, this project, I felt the nudge of Holy Spirit saying to take it off the shelf and to work with Caitlin. So Caitlin and I are working together right now for my next devotional. It'll be a mixture of devotions and stories, and we're looking to launch that for Mother's Day of 2025.

Speaker 1: 24:23

So exciting? Oh my gosh, it is. Yeah, this is amazing. It's so cool to hear the back end of the connections made, because you just can't make this stuff up.

Speaker 2: 24:41

No, no, I love how you know the Lord. 2024, going into 2024. Going into 2024, it turned out so different than I even imagined that it would. I mean, I had no clue that he was taking me on the journey that he was taking me, yeah, so I've learned a lot this year. I've, like I said, I've learned those new rhythms of rest and he has showed me how, you know, he's so loving in his discipline with us. You know, his word says he disciplines those that he loves and sometimes I'm like I wish he didn't love me so much because I feel like I'm being disciplined all the time. But it's beautiful. It's just you know when, when we lean into it, you know when we're open to it. But he showed me some areas of my life that I was really trying to control. We like to control our environments and he was just saying let go, just let go. And so often we try to play Holy Spirit in everybody's life and there's so much freedom in letting go and just letting him take the wheel.

Speaker 1: 26:23

Absolutely. I just did a coaching session with somebody and that was the key word from the session was let go. What did that process look like for you? If you're open to sharing, you know somebody is like, well, how do I let go? I don't know, how does that even work?

Speaker 2: 26:42

Oh, well, um, it's, it's just learning how to, and that's part of, I guess, the title of this new book that's coming out. I was wondering. The title right now is you Matter, learning how to Rest in the Wrestle? Learning how to rest in the wrestle and? Um, that's a loaded question. I know what you asked. I asked you a loaded question. You do, you do? Um, so I found myself.

Speaker 2: 27:33

You know, I always say that. Um, you know, the the Lord doesn't want us to be perfect. Um, I do, I do strive for excellence. I always, I always say that um, you know, not perfection, but excellence, because we will never achieve perfection and when we're striving for perfection, we're going to be disappointed because we're going to fail somewhere along the way. But he is excellent and whatever I do for him, I want it to be an excellence.

Speaker 2: 28:17

Um, I just, you know, sometimes we, we put unrealistic expectations on people. I think that was my biggest thing in this process was putting some expectations on people, even though I knew that they could get the job done, and some of them knew what was expected, some didn't. But when those expectations aren't met, or I just found myself overloaded with things and I had a very close friend that walked with me through that short-lived season. She saw that the load that I was carrying by myself and she was like where is everybody? And everybody was busy with doing their own thing, and so a lot of it fell on me and with doing their own thing, and so a lot of it fell on me, and so I I had to remind myself who am I doing this for? Um, I know it kind of sounds like I'm I'm talking in circles.

Speaker 2: 29:45

Um, I just I was overloaded with things and I had to let go of some of those things because I guess, and I guess you know, going back to the excellent part, um, I just had to come to the realization that if some things didn't get done, that it was okay, that those things that were weighing me down they probably didn't matter anyway, that nobody would even realize those things weren't getting done. So I guess, you know, I was putting just too many expectations and just trying to control those situations and I couldn't. It was out of my hands. But it was very, very freeing to me. It was very freeing to me and I found myself frustrated and I didn't need to be frustrated.

Speaker 1: 31:02

Did you find that that was kind of like a warning light now, like so you've come out of that kind of bondage right In a way. Right In a way you have kind of a warning light or you know a sensor on your dash that kind of alerts you like hey, kind of cause it's a process, right Especially, you know however decades old we are there.

Speaker 2: 31:34

There can be some unlearning, right, and there's grace. I've had a lot of unlearning and it's made me more aware of, especially, my husband, you know, when he starts carrying things that he shouldn't carry. It's made me more aware and I've been able to speak into his life and say don't worry about that, just let that go, let the Lord take care of that. And so I've again. It's a new rhythm of rest for me. Yeah, it's. It's like a ton of bricks have been lifted off of me that was one of our keys.

Speaker 1: 32:23

Rhythms of rest right, that was one of our keys, it was so when you say rhythms of rest, what does that look like in these? Like tangibly for you?

Speaker 2: 32:40

For me, it is knowing that I don't have to be involved in everything.

Speaker 1: 32:50

Say that again.

Speaker 2: 32:52

For me, it's knowing that I do not have to be involved in everything.

Speaker 1: 32:59

Somebody needed to hear that twice.

Speaker 2: 33:02

Yes, that it's okay to set some boundaries and say no to some things. You know my nature is to serve and I believe you know that's the nature of the Lord. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. And that's my nature. And so sometimes it can get me in trouble, because I want to be involved in everything, because I love, because I love all things, ministry. You say that this person is doing this or this or that, you know, and I just I want to show up.

Speaker 2: 34:04

Ever since I've been a little girl, I was raised in church and I just knew that when my parents said it's church day or whatever, you know they, they never asked me if I wanted to go to church. They just said it's time for church and we went to church. That's what we did. It was ingrained in me. So all through my life I've just been involved in everything and served with gladness. And as I'm, as I've grown and now my husband and I are pastors, I've learned, I've had to learn how to delegate and and raise others up, disciple others, to do a lot of the workload. Even though my heart is to do it all, I cannot do it all. I cannot be everywhere and be everything to everyone. So I've had to learn to say no to some things and not be involved in everything, because I was wearing myself out.

Speaker 1: 35:33

What do you feel like that did to, even physically?

Speaker 2: 35:41

Physically, it has helped me Because, you know, if I don't get the proper rest and take care of myself, then I'm not going to be good for anybody. I believe that I had gotten to a place where I was pouring out more than what was going in, and I've learned this from time to time. Um, but it you know, the, the Lord was calling me once again. I need you at my feet, um, you know there's there's new territory that he is wanting me to take, but I need to be at his feet.

Speaker 1: 36:43

That he is wanting me to take, but I need to be at his feet, listening to the direction and the strategy and the download to get me to that new place.

Speaker 2: 36:51

You've had a complete transformation this year. Yeah, I felt like I was a mess at the beginning of the year. Yeah, I felt like I was a mess at the beginning of the year. Yeah, I mean, that's how it starts usually, right, yeah, exactly, we come in a mess and he turns it into a message, that's for sure.

Speaker 1: 37:13

And the wholeness. You know the flip, the script of wholeness is what yes. Right.

Speaker 2: 37:27

Yes.

Speaker 1: 37:27

Wow. So, as you've, you know, taken time to rest more and, you know, be at his feet and have boundaries and, um, I guess what would you say is the biggest like I don't know, just kind of like a breakthrough moment or revelation that you've had throughout this whole year. Kind of like if you looked at 2024 and you're like this is, this is the thing. If somebody is listening to have them really lean into as well, you feel like it's something they've maybe never even considered stepping into my silence is I'm thinking we embrace silence here.

Speaker 2: 38:15

Yes, um, I think, really, all the things that I have just said, you know, it's learning to tune out all the voices. You know, the word says that my sheep know my voice and another they will not follow. And I think, the day and age that we live in, there are so many voices out there and, you know, not only they're not all bad voices, there's good voices out there. I mean, there are so many things that are clamoring for our attention. There's all the social media platforms the TikTok, the Instagram, the Facebook and we can get so involved in all of that.

Speaker 2: 39:18

Um, like I said, not not bad things. I mean, there's great things out there, there's, but we can get so in and we can make it on Facebook. Yes, yes, exactly, but we can get involved in all of that, thinking that, you know, that's, that's enough, but we're. He is wanting us to sit at his feet and hear his voice, and so sometimes, uh, we have to tune out all those other voices to and even in silence, you know, and getting back to his word, you know, just being in his word, allowing his word to become a part of us and to giving him that first place, you know, in our lives.

Speaker 1: 40:24

Yeah, that's amazing. I would say that is definitely a keyword for somebody where, you know, tuning out the voices, there's so much noise right now, um, so many things, like you said, clamoring for your attention, things that are trying to distract you from fully moving forward. And, yes, we may stumble and fall, like you said in that verse, but I believe that he's really like you said, calling us to. Even today. I was led back to Exodus 14, 14. And you know just, he'll fight for you. Only need to be still, or even one of the passages or the versions is be silent. Yes, yes, passages or the versions is be silent. Yes, yes, and there's so much noise there and, like you said, there's so many great. I mean, there's a lot of great prophetic voices out there and I don't know about you, but I've, I've just found myself, um, there was a word that came for me today for a client, but it's, it's retreat.

Speaker 2: 41:35

There's this draw to like retreat and to pull away. Are you feeling that too? Yes, yes, um, I do. Uh, um, a yearly retreat. We had talked about that on the last podcast. It's in Schulenburg, texas, and it's called Jordan Ranch and this past year was our third year to do it and it was open to 40 women and there were 40 women that went and it was a place to go and retreat with the Lord, and it was a place to go and retreat with the Lord. The name of it is Come Away.

Speaker 1: 42:18

And it's you know basically that to just spend that time retreat with him. Are you going to be doing that again this next year?

Speaker 2: 42:26

You know, I'm really praying about that. A few days ago, in one day, I had three women reach out to me and ask me about it and I was like Lord, I need some direction with this. I don't I have to know that. I know for certain that he is leading me to do it. I don't want to do something just to have some activity. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 42:56

Is that a shift for you at all? Do you feel like that's a bit of a shift?

Speaker 2: 43:01

Yes.

Speaker 1: 43:02

Yes.

Speaker 2: 43:04

I do. I feel like I feel like that is is part of the wholeness and just everything that I've went through this past year, just because it's a good thing. We have to be careful that we're just not doing something to have some activity. We can go to a lot of things and go in one way and leave the same way that we went in because we we didn't truly encounter the Lord, and when you truly encounter the Lord, there's no way that you can leave the same that you went in, and so I believe that there's been a lot of activity swirling around that. So I'm really praying about that. I know that these retreats have been very, very instrumental in the lives of the women that have gone. I just want to make sure that the Lord wants me to continue that.

Speaker 1: 44:33

It's a great posture to be in Amen.

Speaker 2: 44:36

Yes, yeah, you know, the last thing that I want to get into is a rut or a routine, sure.

Speaker 1: 44:47

Yes.

Speaker 2: 44:53

Tell us more. Tell us more about that. Yeah, my, my husband, um, he, he started, um the last two services at church he's, which he's led us to a scripture in Job, and it's Job 22, 28. And it says you will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you and the light of God's favor will shine upon your ways. So I've been leaning into that scripture as well. You know you will also decide and decree a thing and it will be established for you, and so you know it. It goes back again to that, that other scripture that I brought out you, that the Lord directs the steps of the godly. So you know the and the passion says he establishes our every step. So I want him to be the one in full control and establishing, because you know, I've learned this that if we start something in the flesh, we're going to have to maintain it in the flesh. But if he is, if he is leading the way, and it will be so um light, it will not be that heavy burden like carrying those bricks.

Speaker 1: 46:27

So it'll be fun. Yes, Truly, it's like I call it an adventure, Like you don't. You don't know what's coming, but you know it's going to be good. Yes, Right. Well, how is he? How do you feel he's going to be stretching you even more in 2025?

Speaker 2: 46:56

he's going to be stretching you even more in 2025. Well, I, I know that he's stretching me because, um, a few months ago, I had an invitation to uh minister with a couple of ladies on a cruise in June, june of 2025. It's called Cruising for Christ, cruising the Number Four Christ. And so I was one of the ladies I had never even heard of.

Speaker 2: 47:31

And the other lady is a dear ministry friend, her and her husband and her son. They they, well, their son is actually the pastor of their church in Waco, texas, and she had worked with this, this cruise director and the cruise director, you know, as a Christian, and she, uh, she told her, she said I'm really thinking about you know, I feel like the Lord wants me to put a conference on on a cruise. And, um, she said, do you know of any women? And so she, she gave her my name and I was like, I was floored, um, because I was like, okay, lord, lord, I'm going to lean into this. I'm a little bit scared, if I can be completely honest, but, just like this book, she laughs without fear of her future and you get to laugh right now.

Speaker 2: 48:52

Yes, I'm laughing right now because I'm like okay, lord, um, obviously you whispered my name into this lady's ear because she could have given all kinds of other references, and so you know, my life verse is Philippians 4.13. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. It's him who strengthens me and so, again, if he leads me to it, he's going to lead me through it. So this is a big, big, big stretch for me because I mean, we're, we're looking at this is carnival's newest luxury ship that holds like 6 000 people, and I'm like I have no clue what this is going to look like.

Speaker 1: 49:46

Perfect, yes, and so yeah, wow, and it's not like you can run anywhere. You can't. You can't leave, you're stuck. No, exactly, I love it and I love that you said yes, I know, like back when we were in the group, you know, one of the big things that you know, I, I feel in my life that I'm called to activate is the roar, and even this morning I just kept hearing my spirit like roar. So we're getting this tangible, real life example and you know, I believe that he's really calling us, maybe more the, the ones who you know aren't the big platform people, the, the ones that are going to come with a pure voice because we're not. Do you know what I'm saying?

Speaker 1: 50:42

Yes, we're not set out for you know, stardom, we're kind of like shaking in our boots a little bit, but we say yes.

Speaker 2: 50:52

It's, it's not about performance. For us, it's, it's about presence. You know, we, we desire his presence above performance or platform. You know, and, and, and you're right that it's the pure in heart yeah, well, I am thrilled for you.

Speaker 1: 51:13

I cannot wait to hear all about your cruising for jesus.

Speaker 1: 51:18

Oh, my gosh incredible and, like you said, he whispered your name to somebody and I I feel like that's for somebody who's listening today. Maybe you've been waiting for an invitation or maybe you're a speaker. You feel like you have this word in you, you just don't know how to get it out and even your voice. Would you just speak to that? If you remember the last time, I always do this for the one and I love to have the guests. Just imagine, you know the one woman who's listening in today. Do you have a word for her and would you be open to praying over her today?

Speaker 2: 51:57

Yes. So if you are the one woman that we are speaking to and maybe you have felt forgotten or gosh, I'm getting emotional right now because you know, sometimes, when we feel like we are in a wilderness or in the valley, that's actually not a place to despise. I've learned to not despise the wilderness, or even the valley, because that's exactly where the Lord has ordained us to be for a time, because he's meeting us there, and so, if you have found yourself in a wilderness, don't despise it. You're right there in the palm of his hand, and he has you surrounded and he wants to speak to you in that wilderness place that all of the other voices are drowned out and that his voice is the only voice that you hear. His voice is the only voice that you hear, and when you come out of that wilderness place, he doesn't want us to be an echo, he wants us to be a voice. So you will be one. You will be a voice, one that's crying out from that wilderness place, and you will have a word. And don't worry because he's already whispering your name in someone's ear. You are not forgotten, you are fully seen, you are fully known and you are fully loved by your Heavenly Father. His word says that he will never leave us nor forsake us, and so, just wherever you find yourself to do, just lean in into him and let him do that work that he wants to do in your life.

Speaker 2: 54:05

And, just like me, I had to let go of control and so, um, he has you, so I'm, I'm just going to pray over everyone listening. Lord, I just thank you for this time again with Kristen. I thank you, father God, that you have given her this vision and that she has birthed this podcast. Hope Unlocked because that's what it's all about is giving others hope. We thank you, father, for every listener today, that they will know that they are fully seen, fully known by you and fully loved by you, and that you have every single moment of their life planned out, father, that we don't have to have it all figured out. You already have it all figured out. We just learn to rest in you, knowing that you are directing our steps, that you are a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. I thank you, father God, that you are working all things out for our good and you will get all the glory. In Jesus name, amen.

Speaker 1: 55:36

Thank you, deanna. I am so thankful to have you on today. I just know that this is going to impact many, and even the book. I'll be sure to add your information, your contact information and the book link to the show notes. What's that?

Speaker 2: 55:57

Yes, add the link. It's on Amazon and you know, if anyone would like, I will have a highlighted author version of the book. Have a highlighted author version of the book. So if anyone would like for me to personalize it and ship it directly to them with that, they can contact me.

Speaker 1: 56:17

Okay, so contact you directly to do that? Okay, awesome, very good. Well, I'm going to close with our anchoring verse for Hope, unlocked it's. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope, and that's Romans 15, 13. So, again, as I said last time and I'll say it again, thank you for being a brave voice who's setting others free, and I cannot wait to see what he's going to bring to your future, to all of the listeners. As we talked about, even before we got started, the word that he's been really showing to me and I didn't even connect the dots here, but it was like face the future. So so much on, you know, proverbs 31, 25 in this book. I believe it's going to be. It's very timely. So thank you, de deanna, for pressing in and thank you for your yes. I'll be back with another episode next week. Bye you.