Escaping the Deceptive Embrace: A Journey from Buddhism to Christ

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Hey guys, welcome back to the Tradition First podcast. My name is Katia Brooks
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and I'm the founder and executive director of the Tradition First Foundation.
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And today we have Kathy Luzzi.
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Did I say that right? You did, Luzzi. Yep. Okay.
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Okay, because I meant to ask you that before. I was like, okay,
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I'm going to wing it. No, you did perfectly.
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All right, awesome. And so today she's just going to be here and share her testimony
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and talk to us a little bit about apologetics and maybe get into why the youth
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is experiencing this countercultural spiritual warfare and which is causing
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them to leave the faith in rapid numbers.
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And so we want to kind of talk about this and address this and see what we can
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do for this generation moving forward so that they're growing stronger in Christ.
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And so, Kathy, can you give us a little bit of a bio, a little bit about who
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you are, and kind of your story, and we'll kind of unpack that.
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Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me on here, Kadea. I'm sorry if I say your name wrong.
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Please correct me. But, so, yes, married seven years to my husband.
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We have three boys together. So I got a little bonus son.
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He's 14. Well, he's not little, but he's 14. We have a six-year-old and a two-year-old.
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So pretty big ranges.
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And yeah, I grew up here in Phoenix, Arizona.
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I was born and raised and I'm first-generation Vietnamese American in my family.
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And yes, and so my husband was born in New York. So he's been here for about
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30 years, I think, something like that, almost 30 years.
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And yeah, so I grew in Phoenix as a Buddhist.
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My family was raised, you know, they came from Vietnam. So it's a very heavily
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Buddhist country or religion, sorry.
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And it's just been passed down generations. You know, my grandparents,
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I see the way they teach my parents.
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So it's like, it's just passed down. So naturally I was passed down,
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the religion and grew up with it and it
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was to say it was not easy is
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like I would be lying because to have two cultures
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and then two religions I mean not two religions but you know a culture that
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a religion that wasn't dominant growing up right you know it's very in lifestyle
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out it was very difficult to maneuver. Right.
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And, you know, it wasn't, I knew when I had kids, I was like,
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I'm not going to do, I wasn't going to raise a Buddhist.
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That was already a hundred percent sure.
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So what caused you to have that, yeah, that apprehension about,
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yeah, I was raised this way, but maybe this isn't the right way.
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It never felt right spiritually with me.
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You know, maybe people might call that instincts or intuition,
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but like when I would pray and just do the rituals, it just didn't feel right.
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I didn't feel like I was like this, you know, what Jesus offers,
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like that loving, just peace.
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Peace is probably the word I would look for.
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I had no peace. I grew up very depressed.
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I was very isolated in a way we had you know three I have three I'm sorry I'm
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one of three kids so there was five of us in a home and each of us felt like
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I would say I and I think they would agree we all feel like roommates you know it was always like,
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My mom's had her thing. My sister had her thing. My brother,
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nobody. And it didn't function as like a unit, a family.
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And it was so you're kind of you're there, but you're there like everyone's
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kind of fending their own emotions, feelings. It wasn't something you talk about.
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You know, if you have a bad day, you don't talk about it. You suck it up and move on.
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It's kind of the culture. Right. so a lot of us grow
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up very closed off very harsh like very seems
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like we're very emotionless I would say yeah it's
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so interesting with like some of the Asian cultures because like I'm here in
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South Korea and it's interesting to see like so when we take our kids to the
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park the you know other five and six and seven year olds here they don't play
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the same yeah have phones already.
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And they're kind of like I don't know
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like my kids are screaming and they're loud and they're playing and
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they're being roughhousing and then the other kids kind of look at them
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here and like they're very polite they're very
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independent you see the kids five or six years old
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walking home from like wherever the elementary school is
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their apartment here by themselves and that's
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here you know South Korea Japan things like that and
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it's a very independence culture I guess it's like
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an idea of like you you kind of get it's independence treated
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as an adult treated as a you know individual but it seems like more of that
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the social skills the social emotional skills and things like that are a little
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a very different for asian cultures yes it's like like you said like in like
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you like you're expected to be to figure it out on your own kind of thing.
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Like you should know how to handle that and i remember i just remember too always
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growing up my parents were like, don't trust anybody.
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Don't trust anybody. Don't trust anybody. And you know, that,
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that that gives you like a fear or like you're always like okay you meet somebody a friend,
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who is a genuine pure person and you could
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be like nope I can't trust her I'm gonna push it like I'm gonna push her away
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or hit away future husband or whatever you know and then you start to get closed
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off and that's what happened was like I wasn't allowed to be social so I wasn't
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allowed to hang out with friends especially boys were around and sleepovers
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were a big thing you know,
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that's not, you know, that's not a big thing in our family.
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And not that like you should let your kids sleep over, but it was like social
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life was very isolating.
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I didn't have, I don't have friends. I didn't have, you know,
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I didn't have a good group.
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I kind of bounced around, which, you know, and then I ended up just talking
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to the same person all the time.
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Then I had best friends, but it was definitely hard for me to make friends.
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Yeah. Do you think that that was more indicative of what was
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their situation being able like coming to America and
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you know that that journey from Vietnam you
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think that's kind of indicative of their experience with coming over
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here and maybe the hardship that they experienced yeah it could you know you
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know they had to fend for themselves at a very young age too so I I get my parents
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being like you should also always you know fend for yourself and be be wary
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and we should all we should all definitely be like that, but,
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I think once they reached that point of like, they finally made it,
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it was like, okay, now we need to protect this.
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And now we can't let anybody else in because now they're just after youth or
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something, whether it's our money or a house, whatever it is.
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Even to this day, actually, now that I think about it, my parents still get
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skeptical when I, like, if I don't lock the door, like, if I don't lock the
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door behind me, like, did you lock the door?
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I'm like, oh my God, yeah. Like, is there a mockery coming after you?
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It's so wild that they are just so skeptical of a lot of just the outside. Yeah.
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Being over here immersed in Asian culture, I completely get it.
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Yeah. You really don't get it until you're like in it, you know?
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When people are seeing, they're like, what?
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Movies that, you know. And that was another thing because there was a culture
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difference. I never watched trendy movies, trendy music, you know.
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I barely knew Britney Spears, you know, all her hit songs. People would think I was crazy.
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Like, what do you mean? You don't know the whole lyrics. I'm like,
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I don't listen to this stuff.
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So I was very different. Very different.
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Yeah, that's so interesting. So when it comes to,
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you know, like I said, like I said before we, you know,
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started the podcast, Our nonprofit is kind of centered around a study that was
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done by the Barna Group that was able to conclude that nearly 70% of Christian
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high schoolers who enter college will leave with little to no faith.
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We spoke a little bit before about kind of your college experience and seeing that.
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And especially now knowing your background, I can imagine like college was a process for you.
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College was college for me that's
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the shit whatever you can
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think about college is probably what i've experienced because
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it was that you know that time of freedom for us a lot
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of us right right and i
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think kind of what this statistic ended up
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concluding has to do with just the ecosphere of
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college or just the aspect of when you go to
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college or when you're that age you're kind of searching you're kind
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of in a searching mode of who you are and your purpose and who you're meant
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to be things like that or is it is it so much so is it academia or is it so
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much so that there is a that you know do you think is there the searching and
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then they just don't get the answers and it just leads some kind of whichever
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way that they end up slowing.
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I guess it would because I didn't, you know, grow up in a Christian home.
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I wouldn't, you know, I guess it would depend on like how that Christian home was, of course.
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But me getting to college was more I didn't I didn't stay on the campus.
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So I think that was my saving grace, to be honest. Yeah.
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Because I definitely would have probably flunked every single one of my classes
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because I did unfortunately end up going that party girl route,
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you know, drinking as every opportunity, partying.
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But because I didn't stay on campus, I did have friends who lived on campus.
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So I would drive to do. And, you know, I was young, 18, 19, no boyfriend, nothing to hold me back.
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So I could, of course, shouldn't be drinking. But, you know, things happen.
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And so I could see, yes, like the influence of other cultures,
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because there is a lot of culture.
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I know when I was in school, I did meet a lot of cultures that were outside
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of America, you know, Asia, India, all of those.
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And so, especially when you start, you know, meeting one and maybe dating one,
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especially a Christian, I even to this day, I know Christian women who have
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married into a different culture.
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They, you slowly start to reform, right?
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You slowly start to take on the more dominant, whoever's more,
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I guess, dominantly involved in their religion, right?
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And so, if it's usually the male, you know.
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And I could see that. And because there's a lot of that, like if half your class
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is from a different country, culture, you know, it's, I'm sure it goes both
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ways, academically and culturally.
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Like, you're both gonna, especially like if half the class is from a specific
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country and they're just like acing every test because of their,
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maybe their discipline.
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Like my discipline with academics was very good. I wanted to get straight A's.
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I wanted to get, what is it, the cum laude, you know, those.
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I was like that. And I knew how to say no when I needed to say no.
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And that's a culture thing for me because I was disciplined and I was honestly
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scared that if I didn't pass with a diploma, my parents would throw me out in
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the streets or something, you know.
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And like that's not saying that's healthy, but that was like the fear I had
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to like pleasing my parents because they are they come from that very strict
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household, traditional household.
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So I so, you know, you get that influence. Well, how do you know how do you
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study? How do you do? I want to be like that.
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And and and, you know, and they see success in that. So I could see someone
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who maybe came from a Christian home who isn't as disciplined or was as,
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they didn't instill that kind of fear on their child.
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They would be more influenced, you know, if maybe their faith with the Christianity wasn't as strong.
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Yeah, right. Just the ecosphere is tempting to get, you know,
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dabble in a little bit of this, dabble in a little bit of that.
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You know, meet this person, meet that person.
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Absolutely. The military is exactly the same. I would say that very similar
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for like people who are Christian who join the military you know you have,
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You have people from all over the world, really, because there are people who
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come from different countries who join our military.
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It's a normal pathway to citizenship for a lot of people from other countries
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who want to come to America.
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And so you're around different cultures and you're around different people and things like that.
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And I say the military is a different element because you're supposed to see
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this person as a brother or sister, someone to protect.
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One too you know you have their back and you kind of you know most of us didn't even know any.
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Any cultural things it was just like hey we just hang out
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i don't know anything about you but i know we're cool we hang out that's
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kind of what the military ethos creates and then
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you know obviously the layer on top of that is when you go and you
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deploy and you you see things
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you know you see children's schools
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being blown up or you see women and and children
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being you know discarded or you know
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things like things like that different cultures meet that you know that you
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see when you deploy and so there's things that you see in the military where people
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come to a point where they say where they start questioning their faith
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because especially when you're really up close and
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personal with evil with radical ideologies and things like that it makes you
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question your faith and so kind of share your testimony of how you went from
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buddhist to full-on mission you know i follow your instagram so you also share
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a lot of fitness stuff and things like that and
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that into your Christian life right now.
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So what was that transition like for you, especially since you didn't have a Christian upbringing?
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Yeah. So, you know, we got married and fast forward, let's see.
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So I was baptized and saved last year. Yeah. It's been a little over a year now.
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And so I was in my early thirties and we already had my last baby.
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So I was done having kids.
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And I got to a point where I was like, okay, I need to figure out what faith
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I want to put my children in because they're getting older, right?
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And we do believe in putting them in a faith background somewhere.
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It's just to have some root.
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And actually, we went to a Christian church before COVID because my first son,
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the six-year-old, was going through a birthing, I don't know,
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I don't really want to call it defects,
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but it is, I guess. He was born half-deaf.
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And so we just, and he had a lot of health issues the first year.
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So it was a lot of just obviously uncertainty and just, we were very fingerful of what would happen.
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He'd end up in the hospital twice for lung issues.
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And it got my husband really trying to pull, it got him going,
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I wanted to go back to church.
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And he was first one, actually, that initiate. And he was actually born,
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I'm sorry, baptized Catholic.
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So going to a Christian church was actually very surprising to me because neither
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of us had any Christian background.
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But the church that we picked, it's a very big church in our community.
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So we just naturally gravitated towards it.
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And then COVID happened. And, of course, we stopped for about four years.
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And then 2023 I decided to go
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back on my own because I was going through sure
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postpartum had a lot to do with it and I was really unsure
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of my identity I was trying to figure out
00:16:06.243 --> 00:16:09.743
how to make a living and be home as a mom and
00:16:09.743 --> 00:16:12.523
I because I refused to do the nine to five thing I just refused
00:16:12.523 --> 00:16:15.303
to do it I was not going to go to back to work I did
00:16:15.303 --> 00:16:18.263
hair for a living I still do it I had but I
00:16:18.263 --> 00:16:21.583
was working for a salon and I was
00:16:21.583 --> 00:16:24.263
afraid to like go on my own but I knew if I went on my
00:16:24.263 --> 00:16:27.223
own that's where I'd have that flexibility but everyone knows as
00:16:27.223 --> 00:16:30.883
a hairdresser you're kind of limited on what can make right right and
00:16:30.883 --> 00:16:33.563
I didn't want to trade my time for money I was like I need
00:16:33.563 --> 00:16:36.623
something that's going to make me money where I can just stay home and I
00:16:36.623 --> 00:16:41.043
kind of found this online marketing business and
00:16:41.043 --> 00:16:44.303
I kind of fell into the trap of
00:16:44.303 --> 00:16:47.043
like copying others on how to do
00:16:47.043 --> 00:16:52.763
it I try to do this this business of affiliate marketing and I did it totally
00:16:52.763 --> 00:16:55.863
wrong and I'm not saying you can't succeed in it in a in the right way but I
00:16:55.863 --> 00:17:00.243
did it totally wrong didn't know what I'm doing and I could just feel myself
00:17:00.243 --> 00:17:05.423
like hating it every single day and I just like I was like unhappy.
00:17:05.763 --> 00:17:09.563
My husband was unhappy. We were just miserable in my home. Our home was very
00:17:09.563 --> 00:17:11.483
small. We had outgrown it.
00:17:12.103 --> 00:17:15.303
And I was like, you know what? I don't know what else to do.
00:17:15.623 --> 00:17:18.103
I'm miserable. I'm depressed.
00:17:19.063 --> 00:17:23.523
My marriage is falling apart. My children, I didn't want my relationship with
00:17:23.523 --> 00:17:24.543
my children to get worse.
00:17:24.683 --> 00:17:30.583
That was very impatient, very antsy. I know most moms can relate to that at some point.
00:17:31.458 --> 00:17:35.258
And so I just was like, this isn't healthy for me. My mental health wasn't right.
00:17:35.798 --> 00:17:38.798
And so I went to church and I just started going every week.
00:17:39.238 --> 00:17:43.578
And then my husband started joining me. So that was nice. And about six months
00:17:43.578 --> 00:17:45.758
in, I'd say, I just, it was Easter, actually.
00:17:45.918 --> 00:17:49.378
I just felt, I just heard God. And he was like, this is it.
00:17:50.218 --> 00:17:54.018
He had been telling me to get baptized for a while. And I had just thought it
00:17:54.018 --> 00:17:57.358
was my own thing. I don't know.
00:17:57.838 --> 00:18:00.678
I'm being too fast forward. I don't even know if I like this church.
00:18:00.678 --> 00:18:01.978
I got to keep going and see.
00:18:02.898 --> 00:18:08.058
No, that was it. The Easter weekend, the week after I made the appointment to get baptized.
00:18:08.318 --> 00:18:12.958
And ever since then, I have been walking faithfully.
00:18:13.098 --> 00:18:16.318
I've been trying to, of course. The first few months were a little rocky and
00:18:16.318 --> 00:18:17.718
just trying to understand everything.
00:18:18.778 --> 00:18:23.458
And me and my husband met at the gym. So the gym is a very big part of our lives.
00:18:23.878 --> 00:18:30.098
And I always try, we both use the gym as our little break, mental break.
00:18:30.098 --> 00:18:34.678
And just to kind of like bring us down, you know, bring us up,
00:18:34.778 --> 00:18:38.738
sorry, from the other mental darkness that we were going through.
00:18:39.018 --> 00:18:43.578
So, and yeah, I started reading the Bible immediately because I had no idea
00:18:43.578 --> 00:18:45.418
about Christianity. I thought I was behind.
00:18:45.758 --> 00:18:48.638
So as like a 30-something year old Christian, like the ones,
00:18:48.798 --> 00:18:52.858
if I was going to join a Bible study group or something, I wanted to know everything
00:18:52.858 --> 00:18:57.538
or at least majority of it because I had no idea who Jesus was. I had no idea.
00:18:57.698 --> 00:19:00.858
I had heard of him, of course, but I never knew the story.
00:19:01.698 --> 00:19:06.858
So I did it the totally, probably not the best way. I read from Genesis first.
00:19:07.278 --> 00:19:12.138
And then I went all the way to the New Testimony. It took me to Two Testiments
00:19:12.138 --> 00:19:14.738
in six months, I think. I got to the New Testament.
00:19:15.618 --> 00:19:18.078
And then that's when everything clicked. So that's why I was like,
00:19:18.338 --> 00:19:20.138
maybe I should have started in the New Testament.
00:19:20.378 --> 00:19:24.058
So this is... We should start there. Start at the Gospels. Mark, Luke, and John.
00:19:24.878 --> 00:19:28.158
Any new believers here or, you know, thinking about it, she's talking the book
00:19:28.158 --> 00:19:29.258
of John. Yes, she's right.
00:19:30.638 --> 00:19:34.058
But again, I had no guidance. I'm very stubborn, too. And of course,
00:19:34.338 --> 00:19:37.298
just because I found Jesus, I was going to change that right away, right?
00:19:37.398 --> 00:19:40.738
So I did my own stubborn way of just, I'm going to figure out my own.
00:19:40.818 --> 00:19:41.898
I got this. I'm going to read it.
00:19:42.558 --> 00:19:46.318
Open it. Like, you read the first page and no, probably I wouldn't recommend
00:19:46.318 --> 00:19:48.758
it. I'm just going to start here in the beginning.
00:19:49.478 --> 00:19:54.458
Yes. Keep going. Oh, my God. It was rough. Yeah, I'm definitely going back now
00:19:54.458 --> 00:19:58.958
to some of those testaments and like, okay, I need to like really understand this.
00:19:59.378 --> 00:20:02.438
Right, now you have to study it. You've read it, but now you have to study it.
00:20:03.018 --> 00:20:06.318
Absolutely, yes. And that's, so that's where, you know, I'm at.
00:20:06.438 --> 00:20:10.738
I've read the New Testament multiple times and I just keep finding these little
00:20:10.738 --> 00:20:11.898
nuggets and revelations.
00:20:12.218 --> 00:20:15.718
And yeah, I think it was the book of Matthew. The book of Matthew made it very,
00:20:15.978 --> 00:20:21.178
my spirit was very stirred up because of that eagerness, like that.
00:20:22.024 --> 00:20:28.204
That time is running out kind of like, not like Jesus is going to come tomorrow
00:20:28.204 --> 00:20:29.404
and we're all going to die.
00:20:29.564 --> 00:20:33.404
It's like, you don't know when your last moment here is.
00:20:33.764 --> 00:20:38.864
So we need to be right. We need to be with Jesus. Right. Cause he is the way, the life, the truth.
00:20:39.824 --> 00:20:46.944
So for me, I was like, oh my goodness. Like I am, I'm not living like the word of God or Christ.
00:20:47.104 --> 00:20:50.304
Like I'm not living, And, you know, I'm still, I'm living in sin. I haven't repented.
00:20:50.484 --> 00:20:53.904
I'm, you know, it was just me trying to catch up to everything.
00:20:54.184 --> 00:20:58.824
So that was like my big revelation was, okay, you need to like get serious.
00:20:58.944 --> 00:21:02.284
It's all in, right? You're not half foot in, half foot out with Jesus.
00:21:02.504 --> 00:21:04.264
You can't be. Right. Absolutely.
00:21:05.304 --> 00:21:11.264
And I told myself, why would I not want to be all in if I gave my life to Jesus?
00:21:11.484 --> 00:21:15.324
It wouldn't, if I wanted to go back to my old ways, I know where I'd end up.
00:21:15.324 --> 00:21:18.464
Back miserable depressed probably divorced to
00:21:18.464 --> 00:21:21.904
be honest you know as sad as that is and that's i was
00:21:21.904 --> 00:21:25.004
going to ask how your you said your husband started joining
00:21:25.004 --> 00:21:28.224
you to church after you had been going how has
00:21:28.224 --> 00:21:33.944
you know him diving into christianity in the way that you are kind of changed
00:21:33.944 --> 00:21:38.084
changed him obviously changed your marriage changed the perspective the trajectory
00:21:38.084 --> 00:21:41.444
how you handle each other how you deal with each other you know because christ
00:21:41.444 --> 00:21:45.744
outlines all that christ presents It's the perfect model of what marriage is.
00:21:46.224 --> 00:21:50.264
And so how has that changed, especially coming from a Catholic background,
00:21:50.304 --> 00:21:53.724
which, you know, a lot of people like to say, oh, you know, Catholics are Christians.
00:21:53.924 --> 00:22:00.264
But there's very different between Protestant Christians and Catholics.
00:22:00.884 --> 00:22:04.204
Oh, yeah. There's a very big difference in what they teach, too.
00:22:04.204 --> 00:22:08.864
So it was very, well, I mean, to be honest, like he still goes to church and
00:22:08.864 --> 00:22:14.824
we still, you know, we definitely teach our children Christian, like the Christian way.
00:22:15.004 --> 00:22:18.024
And I have my son reading the Bible and a kid's version.
00:22:18.364 --> 00:22:23.464
So we're definitely practicing that. But he is not fully there yet.
00:22:23.544 --> 00:22:28.944
Like he didn't get baptized yet, but he does, you know, support this.
00:22:29.184 --> 00:22:32.824
Like he's definitely leaning towards this religion or faith.
00:22:32.824 --> 00:22:36.944
You know, he definitely, we talk about Jesus and God. He doesn't read the Bible, though.
00:22:37.584 --> 00:22:43.464
So he is, you know, it's more on his timing. I think everything happened kind
00:22:43.464 --> 00:22:44.904
of probably too fast for him.
00:22:46.044 --> 00:22:48.804
Like six months to go to church and getting baptized is kind of,
00:22:48.984 --> 00:22:51.464
a lot of people would probably be like, that's pretty quick.
00:22:51.904 --> 00:22:54.904
Because some people go to church for years and don't get baptized, you know.
00:22:55.884 --> 00:23:00.004
And so for him, I think he's definitely, it's definitely helped,
00:23:00.084 --> 00:23:03.144
though. So now we have one, you know, one faith, one...
00:23:03.966 --> 00:23:07.306
Like, if I read something in the Bible and, like, this is how God wants it,
00:23:07.406 --> 00:23:11.546
you know, we refer to that instead of what the world would say.
00:23:12.326 --> 00:23:15.026
It's alignment. You can say, now you're aligned. Yep.
00:23:15.506 --> 00:23:19.586
Alignment, for sure. That's what Jesus gives. I love that.
00:23:19.686 --> 00:23:23.586
And so it's interesting when it comes to, you know, especially from you,
00:23:23.666 --> 00:23:26.706
you have a more, like you said, more studious academic background.
00:23:26.906 --> 00:23:28.306
You know how to turn it on, turn it off.
00:23:28.606 --> 00:23:33.806
I mean, I'm not going to say that that's exclusively Asian, but it's just a part of your culture.
00:23:33.966 --> 00:23:36.606
You know, a part of your culture where it's just expected that you guys are
00:23:36.606 --> 00:23:41.246
just, that, I don't want to say, I don't want to say you guys are just expected
00:23:41.246 --> 00:23:45.066
to be smart, but there's a, there's a high emphasis on, on culture here.
00:23:45.146 --> 00:23:49.406
I know here in South Korea, there's like, there's a giant test that every child,
00:23:49.626 --> 00:23:52.526
I don't know if it's every child or just the high schoolers or whatever,
00:23:53.126 --> 00:23:57.426
um, it's a giant test and the whole country shuts down for a day or two and
00:23:57.426 --> 00:24:00.506
observing this big test that is done.
00:24:00.586 --> 00:24:04.266
And I was like, that is so Asian. that is so Korean. Yes.
00:24:04.926 --> 00:24:09.666
It's like the knowledge is more the most important thing. Like knowing everything,
00:24:09.866 --> 00:24:12.386
I guess, is like. Yes. It's like a holiday.
00:24:12.706 --> 00:24:17.146
And it's like everything's shut down just because the kids are doing this test.
00:24:17.526 --> 00:24:22.446
But usually the test dictates, you know, where the children are going to college,
00:24:22.766 --> 00:24:24.226
you know, and things like that.
00:24:24.386 --> 00:24:27.466
There's a high emphasis on getting their children into American colleges.
00:24:27.806 --> 00:24:31.186
And so, you know, they take it very, very seriously.
00:24:31.846 --> 00:24:36.646
One thing with apologetics is a lot of the people that are approached with apologetic
00:24:36.646 --> 00:24:42.726
conversations when it comes to their faith, they have issues reconciling logic and faith.
00:24:42.886 --> 00:24:50.006
How do you use logic and reason to justify a faith that is supposed to just be an emotional appeal?
00:24:50.346 --> 00:24:55.126
But obviously our faith, you know, God doesn't expect us to have blind faith.
00:24:55.426 --> 00:24:59.426
There is logic and reason that can be employed with the use of our faith.
00:24:59.426 --> 00:25:04.466
So do you think that logic and reason contradict true faith in Christ?
00:25:05.758 --> 00:25:11.218
No, I mean, I think obviously when you know the word of God,
00:25:11.538 --> 00:25:13.978
you can like reason, right?
00:25:14.058 --> 00:25:17.438
You can think logically of like, well, is this right or wrong?
00:25:18.238 --> 00:25:22.738
And to me, like before I found Christ, I feel like, yes, logic.
00:25:22.918 --> 00:25:26.318
I always reason with logic and everything because I would ask myself,
00:25:26.498 --> 00:25:29.458
is this good? Like, is this hurting somebody?
00:25:29.678 --> 00:25:33.338
Am I hurting somebody or are they saying doing something that's hurting?
00:25:33.598 --> 00:25:35.078
That's how I would reason it.
00:25:35.758 --> 00:25:38.838
For me and then when I you know when you have faith
00:25:38.838 --> 00:25:41.538
obviously there are things where you
00:25:41.538 --> 00:25:44.958
just don't have an answer to you don't know you just take that leap of faith based
00:25:44.958 --> 00:25:49.258
on good intentions and good out right but
00:25:49.258 --> 00:25:52.238
so and then and then when that you know whenever that blessing whatever
00:25:52.238 --> 00:25:54.918
that happens you're like okay I logically I did all
00:25:54.918 --> 00:25:58.578
the right steps I did I did this and that and that makes sense so
00:25:58.578 --> 00:26:01.398
it's like for me for I guess
00:26:01.398 --> 00:26:08.558
to answer like logic and faith yes if it's I don't know it's a very like very
00:26:08.558 --> 00:26:12.758
deep like very like very deep it's one of those things it's hard to explain
00:26:12.758 --> 00:26:19.718
you know like I just feel like if it's good logically if it makes sense logically like,
00:26:20.198 --> 00:26:25.678
like if right if you know getting married to the right man right like whether
00:26:25.678 --> 00:26:31.238
you're a believer or not you have to ask yourself is he respectful does he speak
00:26:31.238 --> 00:26:33.498
kindly is he you know does he.
00:26:34.358 --> 00:26:38.018
You know respect me like he doesn't flirt with other women he's only focused
00:26:38.018 --> 00:26:44.258
on me is he is he are we on the same page morally and even if you have not the
00:26:44.258 --> 00:26:46.458
same religion but are you morally on the same page, you know,
00:26:46.678 --> 00:26:51.698
you don't believe in staying out till nine, you know, nine in the morning while
00:26:51.698 --> 00:26:55.098
your other spouse is sleeping or, you know, at home, like you have to have these,
00:26:55.758 --> 00:27:00.258
of these like respect, respect, this respect and love like Jesus has for his,
00:27:00.598 --> 00:27:02.038
you know, church, right?
00:27:02.198 --> 00:27:06.498
And, and protection, you know, is he safe? Is he, do you feel comfortable?
00:27:07.638 --> 00:27:11.098
And so that's like, that's an example, I would think. And that,
00:27:11.218 --> 00:27:14.318
but that goes with faith, right because you used your logic okay he's
00:27:14.318 --> 00:27:17.158
a good man he's never cheated on me he's never given me
00:27:17.158 --> 00:27:19.938
a reason to cheat he's smart he wants to go do
00:27:19.938 --> 00:27:25.438
he's ambitious or whatever you're like okay i think this is this is a a very
00:27:25.438 --> 00:27:28.978
good person to marry you know and then you you have to take that faith to move
00:27:28.978 --> 00:27:33.078
forward right because you could still you could still say all that and be like
00:27:33.078 --> 00:27:39.118
yeah no there's got to be better right and not take this the leap of faith and then miss out or,
00:27:39.818 --> 00:27:43.418
Or maybe you could have been, you know, saving yourself from a heartache.
00:27:43.958 --> 00:27:51.118
I think it's one of those things where God, obviously, He puts a limit on our human capacity, right?
00:27:51.218 --> 00:27:53.798
He allows us to use our reason, use our logic.
00:27:53.938 --> 00:27:56.418
But at some point in time, that runs out.
00:27:57.080 --> 00:28:02.160
And there's an aspect of trust that is necessary, but I do, you know,
00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:04.340
it's very important because obviously he tells us to be, you know,
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:08.180
discerning of people, being able to identify false witnesses,
00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:09.940
false prophets, things like that.
00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:15.180
A level of cognitive and critical thinking that is essential to the Christian
00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:18.240
faith, that employs being on
00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:23.460
guard, being alert, being sober-minded about things going on in the world.
00:28:23.460 --> 00:28:30.000
You know, 1 Peter 3.15 talks about that we should be ready at any moment to,
00:28:30.020 --> 00:28:35.980
you know, provide a defense to why we believe in the things that we believe in, Christian-wise.
00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:39.800
And that's kind of the root apologetic verse that is, you know,
00:28:39.860 --> 00:28:42.460
use it apologetics because the culture
00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:47.560
has lots of things to say about Christianity. What about evolution?
00:28:47.860 --> 00:28:51.620
What about, you know, science? What about, you know, how you know the Bible
00:28:51.620 --> 00:28:54.680
is real? all these things like that when it comes to the historicity,
00:28:55.040 --> 00:28:58.020
the true deity of Christ, all types of things like that.
00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:01.880
And so there is a lot of logic and reason that has to be used.
00:29:02.120 --> 00:29:06.800
It's like apologetics, it's more so that tool, it's like that secondary tool of evangelism, right?
00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:10.160
When you evangelize to people, you're going and you're sharing your testimony
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:17.380
and you're witnessing to them, but all people's issues with Christianity or
00:29:17.380 --> 00:29:20.540
stumbling blocks, should I say, are from an emotional place.
00:29:20.760 --> 00:29:29.240
I can share my testimony about how someone was on drugs and they came to Christ.
00:29:29.360 --> 00:29:31.420
They had a revelation, came to Christ, and things like that.
00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:35.560
Not everyone will feel the same. Some people will say, oh, that person got lucky.
00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:38.580
People come out of it all the time. Some people just snap into it,
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:40.000
whatever. They snap out of it.
00:29:40.320 --> 00:29:45.260
Some people's issues with accepting Jesus is more intellectual.
00:29:45.780 --> 00:29:50.380
You know, I can't reconcile the fact of the issue of science with Jesus.
00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:53.980
I kind of have more faith in science because at least science is observable.
00:29:54.140 --> 00:29:55.320
It's something that I can see.
00:29:55.540 --> 00:29:57.760
I can't see Jesus.
00:29:58.220 --> 00:30:00.400
I can't see God. That's where my husband's at right now. Yeah.
00:30:01.266 --> 00:30:06.326
Yeah, that's a lot. So it becomes a stumbling block.
00:30:06.446 --> 00:30:13.166
It becomes a barrier to being fully open to the gospel. And so this is why it's so important.
00:30:13.466 --> 00:30:18.566
And again, the youth is leaving the church at rapid pace.
00:30:18.706 --> 00:30:22.686
And it's like, there are adults who have issues with these questions,
00:30:22.746 --> 00:30:27.606
like you say, your husband. So can you imagine, you know, 10-year-old,
00:30:27.726 --> 00:30:31.386
12-year-old, 18-year-old, 19-year-old, and then they go to college and then
00:30:31.386 --> 00:30:33.626
it's a completely different ecosphere.
00:30:34.386 --> 00:30:41.426
So we kind of see why, you know, we have to train our children up in a way that
00:30:41.426 --> 00:30:43.146
we treat them as disciples.
00:30:43.486 --> 00:30:48.806
We treat them as little disciples who are currently unsaved.
00:30:48.946 --> 00:30:50.466
And that's the thing, too, we don't think about.
00:30:50.626 --> 00:30:55.726
Our children are currently unsaved in our home. You may grow up in a Christian
00:30:55.726 --> 00:31:02.126
household, but until they make that self-profession and repent to Jesus, they are reviewed.
00:31:02.566 --> 00:31:08.686
And so how we model Christlikeness and how we educate them about the word is
00:31:08.686 --> 00:31:10.886
very important for their walk with God.
00:31:10.886 --> 00:31:15.926
Well, and it's easy to see how youth is so easy to turn away in our culture
00:31:15.926 --> 00:31:20.266
and our climate because they do have the answers for what they feel about,
00:31:20.386 --> 00:31:24.206
you know, science or anything that's antithetical to God.
00:31:24.326 --> 00:31:28.086
Whereas we have to be make sure on our end, on the Christian end,
00:31:28.166 --> 00:31:31.746
that we're also providing answers. It can't just be have faith.
00:31:32.066 --> 00:31:40.086
Just have faith. Yeah. I 100% believe in modeling that Christ-like life that
00:31:40.086 --> 00:31:45.006
your kids see because you can talk about the Word all day, but if you're not living it,
00:31:45.146 --> 00:31:51.566
you're not going to convince anybody about the Bible. That's why we are called witnesses, right?
00:31:52.406 --> 00:31:57.966
Because we were saved and we follow Him. We follow Jesus. Absolutely.
00:31:58.566 --> 00:32:04.566
I know with a lot of the youth that we work with and even the kids in our Sunday
00:32:04.566 --> 00:32:12.426
school class, the biggest driver of what leads kids to leave is the hypocrisy.
00:32:12.866 --> 00:32:15.426
And it is because it's like, you
00:32:15.426 --> 00:32:18.886
know, as parents, we're not going to have everything figured out, right?
00:32:19.186 --> 00:32:22.686
We're not going to have everything figured out. We're not going to do things the right way.
00:32:22.686 --> 00:32:27.206
We still may be in the process of sanctification where God is dealing with our
00:32:27.206 --> 00:32:33.006
anger or He's dealing with our impatience or He's dealing with our inability
00:32:33.006 --> 00:32:35.946
to reason well with our child.
00:32:36.106 --> 00:32:39.586
And that's that process of purification that we have to go through as Christians
00:32:39.586 --> 00:32:40.646
as we're going through this world.
00:32:41.766 --> 00:32:46.386
But that's the main thing that children cite is that they were told a certain
00:32:46.386 --> 00:32:52.866
standard, but no one around them had that standard. And children are Horrible
00:32:52.866 --> 00:32:54.566
listeners But good imitators,
00:32:55.253 --> 00:32:55.533
Yeah.
00:32:57.993 --> 00:33:01.213
Amen. They're sponges, they call them. They're little sponges.
00:33:01.213 --> 00:33:03.113
Yes, sponges. Absolutely.
00:33:03.493 --> 00:33:10.393
And so it's so important. And I think this is what's missing with a lot of children
00:33:10.393 --> 00:33:14.213
is that it's not that there's an expectation that everyone around me will be
00:33:14.213 --> 00:33:15.393
perfectly Christ-like.
00:33:15.573 --> 00:33:21.273
I think it comes down to those people around them, the adults that are leading
00:33:21.273 --> 00:33:24.433
them to have that accountability and also teach them grace.
00:33:24.853 --> 00:33:29.273
Teach them what grace is by allowing them to, by being vulnerable with your
00:33:29.273 --> 00:33:32.933
children and saying, mommy messed up when I did X, Y, and Z.
00:33:33.053 --> 00:33:36.953
I'm sorry that I did, you know, I yelled when I wasn't supposed to,
00:33:37.073 --> 00:33:39.473
you know, I was with such and such, you know, do you forgive me?
00:33:39.613 --> 00:33:45.053
And you're also allowing them to learn how to extend grace, how to say, I forgive you.
00:33:45.273 --> 00:33:49.293
And that's also a part of the Christ-like journey. But I get that it's different
00:33:49.293 --> 00:33:52.993
and different, like you said, different cultures where it's like your family
00:33:52.993 --> 00:33:57.753
didn't have a, you know, emotional, I'm sorry, you know, come on out.
00:33:58.973 --> 00:34:02.793
I don't think I've ever heard my parents say I'm sorry to any of us.
00:34:03.213 --> 00:34:04.773
I don't even know to each other.
00:34:05.613 --> 00:34:12.293
Right. And so it's like the idea of grace, the idea of extending that to someone
00:34:12.293 --> 00:34:14.533
and being accountable, you know.
00:34:14.533 --> 00:34:18.853
Because we obviously know our parents do wrong, but it's kind of that pride,
00:34:19.053 --> 00:34:21.093
a little bit of pride in our parents' heart that goes, well,
00:34:21.093 --> 00:34:23.213
I shouldn't have to apologize for it, you know, whatever.
00:34:24.113 --> 00:34:28.073
That's just what I did. I'm the mom and, you know, I'm just my children.
00:34:28.293 --> 00:34:32.393
Yes, that kind of power, like authority over this or something.
00:34:32.993 --> 00:34:37.773
Yeah, exactly. So I think that that is the medium in which God can intervene
00:34:37.773 --> 00:34:41.413
while we're going on our walk, while we're going on our walk with Christ,
00:34:41.473 --> 00:34:43.893
and we aren't perfect, but our kids are watching,
00:34:44.093 --> 00:34:49.313
is they're watching us, but also allowing them to be able to model race towards us.
00:34:49.313 --> 00:34:52.733
And they're able to do that when we can be accountable, when we can apologize,
00:34:52.753 --> 00:34:58.233
and when we can say, hey, mommy's on this walk and you're going to be on this walk too.
00:34:58.453 --> 00:35:01.293
And you're going to have your things that you go to God for,
00:35:01.413 --> 00:35:04.573
that you need help with, and that you'll need purification for,
00:35:04.733 --> 00:35:06.133
and all types of stuff like that.
00:35:06.813 --> 00:35:11.333
And so, you know, that's why, you know, God has the answer. He has the answer
00:35:11.333 --> 00:35:13.133
for our marriage. He has the answer for our parenting.
00:35:13.413 --> 00:35:16.273
He has the answer for all of our things in life. We don't have to go,
00:35:16.493 --> 00:35:19.713
I give this part to God, but this part right here is mine, and I'm still trying
00:35:19.713 --> 00:35:22.833
to figure it out. He can have it all. His grace is his power.
00:35:23.333 --> 00:35:26.133
His word is sufficient to handle all of it.
00:35:27.233 --> 00:35:32.593
What advice can you give to young adults and high schoolers who are struggling
00:35:32.593 --> 00:35:37.933
in their faith, and they have more of an issue from an intellectual standpoint?
00:35:38.733 --> 00:35:43.953
You know, the best advice, especially because I felt like I was just a new baby
00:35:43.953 --> 00:35:48.953
believer, you know? and I struggled with everything but the you know the thing
00:35:48.953 --> 00:35:53.213
that always saved me was just like you said surround yourself with,
00:35:53.957 --> 00:35:57.117
faithful Christians and His Word.
00:35:57.357 --> 00:36:03.617
I can't tell, I can't preach it enough is getting His Word is the only way,
00:36:03.617 --> 00:36:07.917
but I know also how hard it is to just open the Bible, right?
00:36:08.197 --> 00:36:11.657
I mean, so, you know, definitely pray.
00:36:11.877 --> 00:36:17.137
Pray that God reveals, you know, how opened your eyes and ears to the gospel,
00:36:17.297 --> 00:36:22.777
to the Word, and, you know, ask for godly friends, ask for godly inspiration.
00:36:22.777 --> 00:36:26.977
I have completely transformed my whole circle.
00:36:27.457 --> 00:36:34.577
You know, I don't follow any secular, anything that could tempt me to get back
00:36:34.577 --> 00:36:36.117
in my old ways on social media.
00:36:36.897 --> 00:36:42.237
Friendships, I don't really, I'm okay with the calling out or we haven't talked
00:36:42.237 --> 00:36:47.637
because, you know, you realize they didn't provide, they didn't,
00:36:47.657 --> 00:36:49.257
you know, bring anything to me, right?
00:36:49.617 --> 00:36:55.217
Anything good at least. i'm not saying go cut all your friends off but definitely
00:36:55.217 --> 00:36:59.977
so you have to it's a lifestyle so you have to like surround yourself with it
00:36:59.977 --> 00:37:03.997
with everything godly jesus christian because.
00:37:04.777 --> 00:37:08.517
And like that's how we said earlier with the with the families right like you
00:37:08.517 --> 00:37:14.897
us modeling if we model of the world and then half the week we're christian
00:37:14.897 --> 00:37:18.257
it's confusing it's you know with their children.
00:37:18.517 --> 00:37:22.297
So it's the same way as an adult, if you're going to have worldly content,
00:37:22.297 --> 00:37:28.437
but you know, you have your verses, you know, your devotional on half the week,
00:37:28.577 --> 00:37:30.317
it's, you're going to be conflicted.
00:37:31.137 --> 00:37:34.817
So definitely, yeah, definitely pray for it.
00:37:34.937 --> 00:37:38.517
And then slowly get, you get in the Bible or be radical like me,
00:37:38.677 --> 00:37:44.757
jump in, you know, don't jump in the Old Testament, jump in the New Testament, but go all in, you know?
00:37:45.677 --> 00:37:52.337
Yeah. Gospels first. Gospels first, especially if you've never read the Bible. And I don't read.
00:37:53.177 --> 00:38:00.057
I just saw a friend, and she was really shocked by my radical change. And she's like, what?
00:38:00.277 --> 00:38:02.577
We would never expect it was you.
00:38:03.177 --> 00:38:10.457
I hated reading. I hate reading with a passion. I haven't picked up a book since I left college, okay?
00:38:11.157 --> 00:38:17.637
I read like an hour a day of the Bible. Like, and the Bible is not easy to understand.
00:38:17.817 --> 00:38:23.717
So like, as someone who despised reading before, like, I hope that alone itself
00:38:23.717 --> 00:38:28.817
just shows like a testimony how interesting, how beautiful it really is.
00:38:28.897 --> 00:38:33.117
Like how you find those little revelations and you find like those,
00:38:33.277 --> 00:38:36.837
I call them nuggets in, you know, that God is speaking to you.
00:38:36.937 --> 00:38:39.177
And that's how, that truly is how God speaks to you.
00:38:39.317 --> 00:38:42.617
You know, when you get in his word and you know his word, you hear him all,
00:38:42.757 --> 00:38:45.397
then you hear him all the time. Or at least more often.
00:38:45.737 --> 00:38:52.657
And so that's the biggest advice is surround yourself with godly things, godly people.
00:38:53.408 --> 00:38:57.808
It's hard. It's hard. You know, especially, you know, especially the younger
00:38:57.808 --> 00:39:01.688
you are, because, you know, a lot of your identity ends up being very,
00:39:02.008 --> 00:39:06.248
you know, how do my peers see me? How do they, you know, view me?
00:39:06.728 --> 00:39:09.908
You know, I'm good. My peers think that I'm good. I'm bad at,
00:39:10.048 --> 00:39:13.548
you know, the things that my peers think are bad, you know, is bad than I'm bad.
00:39:13.868 --> 00:39:17.528
And so it's really hard and making sure that they have their identity in Christ.
00:39:17.968 --> 00:39:21.768
And that's, you know, that's so true. And so before we close,
00:39:21.908 --> 00:39:25.868
I want to talk a little bit about, you know, your small ministry and your part
00:39:25.868 --> 00:39:27.408
of the world and what you try to do.
00:39:27.948 --> 00:39:31.368
It's a ministry. Definitely like that. You know, so many people say that.
00:39:31.448 --> 00:39:35.488
I'm like, I'm not. It's not a ministry, guys. It's not. It is. I'm fashion it.
00:39:36.168 --> 00:39:40.468
It is. Even if it was just in your home to your four kids, it's a ministry.
00:39:40.928 --> 00:39:46.588
Yeah. And so what kind of inspired you to kind of, you're also in the fitness
00:39:46.588 --> 00:39:50.388
space, which is, which just can be very, you know, not godly.
00:39:50.488 --> 00:39:54.868
With yes oh yeah the you know
00:39:54.868 --> 00:39:58.388
certain aspects of immodesty things like that so
00:39:58.388 --> 00:40:02.588
what caused you to you know tell us about that before we close out so that people
00:40:02.588 --> 00:40:05.848
can go and I'll put your handle and everything and you know when I put up your
00:40:05.848 --> 00:40:09.408
when I put up this video and things like that but I want you know people to
00:40:09.408 --> 00:40:12.728
kind of know your heart behind why you started to do what you what you do on
00:40:12.728 --> 00:40:18.188
Instagram yeah no absolutely you know I because I came out of.
00:40:18.804 --> 00:40:21.004
I mean, you'll see it all over my page. I call it deception.
00:40:21.364 --> 00:40:22.944
I straight up came out of deception.
00:40:23.164 --> 00:40:30.284
And I was lied to, I feel, because not by my family, because they are also deceived,
00:40:30.384 --> 00:40:31.564
unfortunately, by the enemy.
00:40:31.824 --> 00:40:37.504
The enemy has put this type of religion in my family's head that they put on me.
00:40:37.744 --> 00:40:43.624
So I know, I know, I feel it in my soul that I feel like so many people in the
00:40:43.624 --> 00:40:47.244
Buddhists who are maybe born in America now, they were raised from a Buddhist family.
00:40:47.304 --> 00:40:50.764
I feel like they have pain and there's
00:40:50.764 --> 00:40:53.704
trauma that they need to talk about
00:40:53.704 --> 00:40:57.404
and they're too scared because or worried or again
00:40:57.404 --> 00:41:01.224
prideful right it's not something we don't talk about emotions so you'll
00:41:01.224 --> 00:41:04.684
never see a i mean not never but it's rare to see a buddhist right come out
00:41:04.684 --> 00:41:11.484
and say no i was you know depressed this this and i just felt that like i feel
00:41:11.484 --> 00:41:17.744
like i need to share my experience and i need others to be okay to know that it's okay like it's.
00:41:18.384 --> 00:41:23.684
You know, to come out of that is a big, it's a huge revelation,
00:41:23.684 --> 00:41:26.344
you know, you're going to reveal the truth.
00:41:26.584 --> 00:41:30.304
So I guess that's what I've always seeked my whole life was the truth.
00:41:30.744 --> 00:41:34.524
So me sharing the truth is very important.
00:41:34.544 --> 00:41:39.344
And I, you know, I always try to back it up with scripture. I always make sure
00:41:39.344 --> 00:41:41.564
that I'm living it as well.
00:41:41.784 --> 00:41:47.364
And me posting is just to kind of call out all the false, like you said earlier,
00:41:47.504 --> 00:41:49.684
discerning the false teachings of false prophets.
00:41:50.464 --> 00:41:56.244
A lot of people don't have that wisdom or discernment to see how they're being deceived.
00:41:56.744 --> 00:42:03.904
And so I kind of try to explain that in scripturality and with my experience
00:42:03.904 --> 00:42:06.984
of feeling like I was deceived from the enemy.
00:42:07.924 --> 00:42:12.144
And then with fitness, because we love it so much as part of us.
00:42:13.084 --> 00:42:16.004
Yes, again, the deception where we
00:42:16.004 --> 00:42:19.584
feel we need to show off our bodies we need to expose
00:42:19.584 --> 00:42:22.284
like I couldn't even believe when I was
00:42:22.284 --> 00:42:25.004
just looking up like like what I think I was looking up
00:42:25.004 --> 00:42:29.964
fitness content that was comical I want to look up funny fitness content I saw
00:42:29.964 --> 00:42:35.364
more half naked girls than I was expecting and it's just it's sad it's honestly
00:42:35.364 --> 00:42:40.384
sad that we have come like I mean I was there at one point where I felt,
00:42:40.504 --> 00:42:42.444
I never did that like posted half naked,
00:42:42.604 --> 00:42:46.844
but I did a competition once and I could see the...
00:42:47.737 --> 00:42:51.257
Just the pride of just, you know, you look good. You look amazing.
00:42:51.457 --> 00:42:56.117
And people are gawking at you and they're complimenting you. And it gets you nowhere.
00:42:56.237 --> 00:43:00.337
That's the one, I hope I, when I preach that, the one thing they get out of
00:43:00.337 --> 00:43:02.257
it, it's not worth anything.
00:43:03.017 --> 00:43:07.597
I could care less if the most beautiful man came up to me.
00:43:07.757 --> 00:43:11.497
Well, I mean, I'm married now, but if I was single, I remember
00:43:11.497 --> 00:43:14.757
care less because he if he's
00:43:14.757 --> 00:43:17.457
not like a god-given man or he if
00:43:17.457 --> 00:43:21.197
he's not ordained by god and he's of the world it's
00:43:21.197 --> 00:43:24.737
gonna crash 100 because you
00:43:24.737 --> 00:43:28.477
know there's the things that he's gonna be involved but it's very it's a very
00:43:28.477 --> 00:43:34.157
vain industry that brings you no peace no peace you're always you're always
00:43:34.157 --> 00:43:39.517
trying to reach perfection and and that's that's why i feel so passionate about
00:43:39.517 --> 00:43:43.077
preaching it is that you can be fit, you can have an amazing,
00:43:43.297 --> 00:43:48.897
healthy body, and you can look physically amazing without having to receive
00:43:48.897 --> 00:43:51.537
validation from the world, from others.
00:43:51.997 --> 00:43:56.977
You know, I use God as my motivation. Like, look what I can do with your body, God.
00:43:57.097 --> 00:44:00.357
You know, I have a six-pack after two months. I mean, I don't,
00:44:00.457 --> 00:44:05.317
but I'm just saying one day, you know, I have a six-pack after two kids because
00:44:05.317 --> 00:44:09.617
of you, God, because you have allowed me and given me the strength to do that, right?
00:44:09.977 --> 00:44:15.677
And that's where we have to change our mindset, renew our mindset of stop thinking
00:44:15.677 --> 00:44:21.897
of what the world says and glorify for God. My body is for God.
00:44:23.237 --> 00:44:28.417
And so that's why I do mix a little bit of fitness in there because it is something
00:44:28.417 --> 00:44:33.437
I am passionate about and coming out of a very, very dark religion.
00:44:34.297 --> 00:44:37.637
I hate to say it you know buddhism is a very dark religion there was no
00:44:38.057 --> 00:44:40.797
no good or peace that comes out of it I see I just saw my
00:44:40.797 --> 00:44:43.957
parents the other day and I'm just their house is like just
00:44:43.957 --> 00:44:46.737
it's just them two now and it's my brother and so there's
00:44:46.737 --> 00:44:49.877
not a lot of people and I just see the chaos even though
00:44:49.877 --> 00:44:54.277
they're not fighting or there was no one there but I could just feel and see
00:44:54.277 --> 00:44:59.537
it there's chaos in this house and that's not how I want my family need to be
00:44:59.537 --> 00:45:05.637
I don't want I don't want any of that chaos in my house I want yeah and and
00:45:05.637 --> 00:45:08.897
love and you know everything that Jesus is and,
00:45:09.757 --> 00:45:13.597
And so I hope that with my little small ministry, you know, that,
00:45:13.917 --> 00:45:19.597
you know, I have been, it's funny you say that I have been praying and trying to get closer with God.
00:45:19.757 --> 00:45:24.637
And I do feel that there's something shifting with that, with my platform.
00:45:24.697 --> 00:45:29.117
So I don't know what he's going to do next with it, but I'm excited because
00:45:29.117 --> 00:45:33.997
I do feel like maybe I'm going to share something more or a little differently.
00:45:34.317 --> 00:45:39.597
So I am starting on YouTube. I feel like I should be on YouTube,
00:45:39.877 --> 00:45:43.637
but I think God's just saying, hold on, just let me work on you for a bit.
00:45:44.837 --> 00:45:50.257
Let's fine-tune everything on Instagram, and then when we get to YouTube,
00:45:50.257 --> 00:45:53.437
you'll be ready for a full-blown situation.
00:45:54.297 --> 00:45:57.337
Absolutely, yes. Maybe that, yes, exactly.
00:45:58.357 --> 00:46:02.857
I'll give you a little baby step on Instagram, and then we'll throw you in the
00:46:02.857 --> 00:46:03.997
big dog one day with YouTube.
00:46:03.997 --> 00:46:08.637
Yeah, but it's so true about, you know, and it's already difficult,
00:46:08.637 --> 00:46:13.957
I feel, in certain women's spaces, and it's even more on the women's fitness spaces.
00:46:14.117 --> 00:46:20.317
But like you said, the vanity, you know, the idolization, the competition amongst
00:46:20.317 --> 00:46:27.297
other women, because now it's how my body or how do I look in comparison to someone else.
00:46:27.297 --> 00:46:31.337
And if there's a perception that, you know, someone else is better in any type
00:46:31.337 --> 00:46:37.017
of way, it just breeds, you know, contempt and divisiveness in competitive, you know, competition.
00:46:37.697 --> 00:46:43.677
And it's so hard. And it's so hard because it's social.
00:46:43.817 --> 00:46:46.517
I have a love-hate relationship with social media because of this,
00:46:46.637 --> 00:46:50.757
because it's like, I know we need to be out there speaking truth because there's
00:46:50.757 --> 00:46:53.497
all this craziness and debaucherousness, right?
00:46:53.497 --> 00:46:58.017
Like, I know we need to be young, but it's just so hard because,
00:46:58.017 --> 00:47:03.917
you know, everything social media, you know, idolizes and focuses on is,
00:47:03.917 --> 00:47:06.197
you know, a little hit to dopamine, a little hit to likes.
00:47:06.997 --> 00:47:09.217
Oh, you're great. You're this. You're beautiful. You're whatever.
00:47:09.637 --> 00:47:12.637
And I feel like, you know, for women more so, it's just...
00:47:13.520 --> 00:47:18.720
It's really, there's an attack on men. There isn't a specific cultural attack on men.
00:47:18.900 --> 00:47:25.180
But from the woman's standpoint, I feel like that's our attack.
00:47:25.560 --> 00:47:30.320
The difference between, am I a modest, godly, honorable woman,
00:47:30.320 --> 00:47:35.500
or am I the woman that is outwardly beautiful, who gets the validation.
00:47:35.700 --> 00:47:38.300
Who gets the attention, who gets all of these things.
00:47:38.300 --> 00:47:40.960
And in the fitness space it's so hard you
00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:43.820
know even like my husband and I we like we love going to the gym even here
00:47:43.820 --> 00:47:46.560
in Korea like we work out everything and it's just so
00:47:46.560 --> 00:47:49.340
hard because you know you know my husband like you know he used
00:47:49.340 --> 00:47:52.200
to be a godly man and like someone's walking by half
00:47:52.200 --> 00:47:56.400
naked and like and then I was just like and that's
00:47:56.400 --> 00:47:59.380
where yeah we we get you know we're like oh shoot
00:47:59.380 --> 00:48:02.120
and we have to look like that you know for you
00:48:02.120 --> 00:48:05.180
to gawk and and that's that's why
00:48:05.180 --> 00:48:09.380
why I said earlier you cannot have you
00:48:09.380 --> 00:48:12.260
can't surround yourself with that content right like
00:48:12.260 --> 00:48:15.640
you have to like put very inspiring women especially
00:48:15.640 --> 00:48:18.520
us in front of you godly women who are working
00:48:18.520 --> 00:48:22.160
out but modest or being classy right
00:48:22.160 --> 00:48:25.020
and then the girls at the gym obviously we
00:48:25.020 --> 00:48:28.700
can't focus you know we can't control that but the
00:48:28.700 --> 00:48:31.420
thing my obviously your husband's godly and i'm sure he
00:48:31.420 --> 00:48:34.440
knows and he is because my husband even
00:48:34.440 --> 00:48:37.200
though he's not super super godly he knows respect though you.
00:48:37.200 --> 00:48:40.020
Know if you know that respect and you know that
00:48:40.020 --> 00:48:43.160
it's not that they know that it's not appropriate to obviously
00:48:43.160 --> 00:48:46.200
gawk at other women they usually think of
00:48:46.200 --> 00:48:49.480
them like unfortunately is what my husband will say he's
00:48:49.480 --> 00:48:52.580
it's kind of seems like screaming for attention
00:48:52.580 --> 00:48:58.340
right and that's how my husband sees it so i am blessed and thankful that he's
00:48:58.340 --> 00:49:02.220
not like oh wow look at that half naked girl he's kind of thinking like that's
00:49:02.220 --> 00:49:05.480
a little revealing and too much like you're seeking too much because you know
00:49:05.480 --> 00:49:09.640
if he's looking probably 20 other men are looking right or noticed.
00:49:10.260 --> 00:49:18.300
Never mind the fact that it is already very difficult to find clothes to work
00:49:18.300 --> 00:49:20.940
out and especially if you're lifting weights or doing anything that's comfortable.
00:49:21.840 --> 00:49:25.420
My butt like i know you're uncomfortable i
00:49:25.420 --> 00:49:28.320
know you have to pick the
00:49:28.320 --> 00:49:31.200
wedgie out and adjust and do everything every time you
00:49:31.200 --> 00:49:34.040
get off the bench like that's too much you don't you
00:49:34.040 --> 00:49:37.060
don't catch me with shorts at the gym I I try I
00:49:37.060 --> 00:49:40.040
always try it like those longer biker shorts I'm like I can't
00:49:40.040 --> 00:49:45.200
do this I am picking up my butt every two seconds this is so inappropriate just
00:49:45.200 --> 00:49:52.160
no I'm getting more attention looking at me doing this like no no no no I just
00:49:52.160 --> 00:49:55.260
stick with leggings it's a little bit and it's more modest to me I feel more
00:49:55.260 --> 00:49:58.060
comfortable and yeah it's it's more comfortable but,
00:49:58.730 --> 00:50:04.470
It's okay. The space that you're in is the space that I think God has you in for a reason.
00:50:05.050 --> 00:50:10.830
I love looking at what you post on Instagram, and it's very inspiring.
00:50:11.290 --> 00:50:15.990
And I, you know, especially it was recently that I saw your post about being previously Buddhist.
00:50:16.130 --> 00:50:18.210
And I was like, oh, okay, that's great. That's like perfect.
00:50:18.490 --> 00:50:19.390
You know, let me message her.
00:50:20.310 --> 00:50:25.490
But thank you for everything that you're doing for women, you know,
00:50:25.590 --> 00:50:28.690
for all Christians, and all people who are interested in the faith that are
00:50:28.690 --> 00:50:32.510
coming across your platform. Maybe they are of a different faith.
00:50:32.670 --> 00:50:36.150
Maybe they are of the Buddhist faith and you're leading them to God.
00:50:36.250 --> 00:50:40.730
And so I pray that your ministry continues and that your ministry grows and
00:50:40.730 --> 00:50:46.010
that your household is strengthened and that your marriage is strengthened and
00:50:46.010 --> 00:50:50.930
that God does wondrous things for you and your walk.
00:50:51.230 --> 00:50:56.930
So we're going to close out. I'm going to put Kathy's information in the link
00:50:56.930 --> 00:51:01.510
for this podcast so that you can follow her and see everything that she's doing
00:51:01.510 --> 00:51:05.390
in the name of Jesus for her page.
00:51:05.810 --> 00:51:10.210
Thank you, Kathy, so much. And I'm going to let you know and make sure you can
00:51:10.210 --> 00:51:12.790
get those babies and do what you need to do today.
00:51:13.430 --> 00:51:16.070
Yes. Oh, yes. Welcome up. The day's over.
00:51:17.230 --> 00:51:20.810
Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. No problem.
00:51:21.010 --> 00:51:24.850
And God bless your podcast as well. Thank you. All right. Thank you so much.