567. Tony and Jeannine Leonard share their personal testimony June 4, 2024

[00:00:06] and I'll be your host. In this podcast we will be exploring the book of Proverbs, and in prayer.

[00:00:22] Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. Lord, I pray that you give everyone ears to hear and a heart to receive everything you have in store for them today.

[00:00:34] I ask this in Jesus name, Amen. This is Proverbs 4, beginning in verse 1. Here my children the instruction of a father and give attention to no understanding.

[00:00:50] For I give you good doctrine, do not forsake my law. When I was my father's son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, he also taught me and said to me, let your heart retain my words, keep my commands and live.

[00:01:10] Get Wisdom, get understanding, do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth, do not forsake her and she will preserve you, love her and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom and in all you're getting, get understanding.

[00:01:36] Exalted and she will promote you. She will bring you honor when you embrace her, she will place on your head an ornament of grace, a crown of glory she will deliver to you.

[00:01:51] Here my son and receive my sayings and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom, I have led you in right paths.

[00:02:06] When you walk, your steps will not be hindered and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold that instruction, do not let go, keep her for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not walk in the way of evil, avoid it, do not travel on it, turn away from it and pass on.

[00:02:36] They do not sleep unless they have done evil and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of islands, but the path of the just is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter on to the perfect day.

[00:03:01] The way of the wicked is like darkness, they do not know what makes them stumble. My son give attention to my words, inclined your ear to my sayings, do not let them depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence,

[00:03:31] for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips far from you, let your eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look right before you,

[00:03:50] ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established, do not turn to the right or to the left, remove your foot from evil.

[00:04:03] Friends, I have a trait for you today. I have a couple here, Tony and Janine Leonard, who are first year Careless Bible College students, and Tony and Janine I'd like for you guys to feel welcome and thank you for coming on. I really appreciate you taking the time.

[00:04:21] Thank you, Bill. Very inviting us. Thanks, Bill. We're glad to be here. Okay. So we just read, proper for and proper for to me is really there's a lot of good stuff in there.

[00:04:35] Janine, you go ahead and start which for spoke to you today that you'd like to talk about.

[00:04:41] Actually, I have two verses from chapter four. Verse five says get wisdom, get understanding, do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

[00:04:54] The verse six, do not forsake her and she will preserve you.

[00:05:00] Bill, these verses really speak to me because when it says get wisdom, get understanding the word of God has so much wisdom in it and it is for life.

[00:05:15] So it teaches me, it teaches me how to live, it teaches me how to treat other people, it teaches me just where to go what to do, what to say and in relationships.

[00:05:33] Okay, good. Tony was there a verse that spoke to you that you'd like to talk about.

[00:05:38] So I really appreciate verse 23, 23 and verse 27 which says my son give attention to my words and find your ears to my sayings.

[00:05:46] Do not let them depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart for they are life to those who find them and help to all their flesh.

[00:05:54] Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life and then that in verse 27 it says do not turn to the right or to the left.

[00:06:02] And he's just really speak to me as far as, you know everybody's looking for instructions how to live life and this just kind of gives that to you that it's his sayings that are instructions on how to live life and stay in focused so not turning to the right or left but always.

[00:06:23] Kind of keeping your focus on God's word.

[00:06:27] Well, that's really good. I really like the Jenny and if you would tell the audience a bit about your childhood and what you remember fondly about growing up.

[00:06:40] Well, I grew up in Iowa on a farm. It was a family farm and we lived in the country life my dad had cattle and he also grew crops and so I also went to a little country school in the middle of nowhere and well in a cornfield basically.

[00:07:03] So that was very interesting in itself.

[00:07:08] Jenny, did you guys grow to go to church when you were growing up?

[00:07:11] Yes, I did. We actually belonged to the midnight denomination which was my family's line is all midnight.

[00:07:25] So that's where we went to church and grew up in there until I got married to Tony.

[00:07:32] Well, that's thanks for sharing that Tony. Tell us a little bit about your childhood and your growing up.

[00:07:38] So we grew up in Iowa as well.

[00:07:42] Ground south central and moved around quite a bit as dad looked for jobs to support his family have two other brothers and so we moved around quite a bit.

[00:07:59] All is had a good time with family. We didn't grow up with a lot of material possessions, but we always

[00:08:05] Camped and fished and did things outdoors so we knew how to have fun without having to have a lot of money to do it.

[00:08:13] And so it was just good. Those are my fondest memories of just having time with family.

[00:08:19] Well, that's so good. You know, I wish more people knew in this present age what that's like because nowadays it seems like most families, you know, everybody's on their phone, whether they're eight years old, 10 years old,

[00:08:35] everybody's got their own phone and doing their own thing. So that must have really been precious to have time and spend family time together.

[00:08:44] But when did you guys tell us a little bit about your high school education, Tony? And, you know, what what, what did you do in high school where you athletic at all or.

[00:08:58] Yeah, so junior high actually met in high school. So we moved to small farming community, the smallest town or nearest town was 192 people and it was about three miles from our house.

[00:09:12] So we wrote a bus to school is a consolidated farming community various small towns.

[00:09:20] I wrestled in junior high and high school played a season of football but football practice started in August and if I wanted to have a car, I had to have a job and so job to press it and silver football practice.

[00:09:41] I was a level learning in school when I was young, five or six, I developed kidney disease called nephrosis and I was in the hospital as I missed a lot of kindergarten.

[00:09:54] Some of the first grade didn't know my alphabet, I was speech and pediment and 10 or 11 years old age got healed me from that.

[00:10:05] And so just I think God's hand in my life looking back, I was vice president of my junior class president of my senior class.

[00:10:15] And I think God just really had his hand in my life guiding me and directing me to do the things that eventually called me to do.

[00:10:23] Wow, that's so good.

[00:10:25] And you're made what about your experience in high school? You want to share a little bit.

[00:10:30] Well, as Tony mentioned, I'm an eye met in high school.

[00:10:34] When we met, I had actually went to a men and night high school for semester and I transferred back into the public school system.

[00:10:49] Very few reasons for that. But then I went to high school with him for you graduated.

[00:11:02] Right when I was coming in so I was a sophomore in high school when I came into public school again and graduated from there.

[00:11:13] I played a little bit of sports volleyball managed a couple teams that type of thing, but I also went out and had to get a job at a young age and things.

[00:11:29] So how did you get together? It sounds like you knew each other in high school and what eventually happened with that. I'm guessing you got married shortly after high school.

[00:11:40] So I was sitting in study hall and this new girl shows up and sits next to me and I said, who's the new girl? So if you don't know me, I'm quite an introvert and pretty shy.

[00:11:51] So I didn't talk to her for a few days but then one day I just turned to her and said, so do you want to go out?

[00:11:56] And so we went out and it all just kind of started from there. We dated through college and so between my junior and senior year of college without Mary.

[00:12:07] Okay. Well, proper baking 22 says he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord and the new living translation it says he who finds a wife finds a treasure.

[00:12:24] I find that really, really neat. I've always liked that verse. Tony is Janine a treasure and tell us why.

[00:12:33] Absolutely. You know, a lot of times men I think in particular kind of have this pride about them and so she keeps me humble and I think just it's just a nice balance.

[00:12:55] So yes, definitely is a treasure. Well, okay, Janine, what do you think about your kids and tell us how that happened that transition from being girlfriend to be in wife?

[00:13:15] I'm not in high school as you know in study hall. As he said, he was a very quiet person. I don't think that we talked to each other at all until he asked me to go out and it was a double date with another girlfriend and her boyfriend.

[00:13:33] And by the second day, we have done two dates back to back double dates and the first date he didn't talk to me at all. He just was very kind and he would open up the door for me and.

[00:13:51] So my conversation was mainly with my girlfriend and her friend at the time. And the second date he started to actually talk to me. So I think he was real nervous, but he was also very, very quiet.

[00:14:07] It was an interesting relationship that we had. We had a good friendship that started out he taught me to do a lot of outdoor things go fishing.

[00:14:21] To know some other. Just outdoor things that I had never done even though I grew up on a farm in the country. So that was a lot of fun.

[00:14:34] He of course graduated and went off to college and I was still in high school and I just thought, oh, we'll just keep a friendship and nothing else with that because he was going off to college.

[00:14:50] And that's normally when people don't say together, they meet other people and they just move on. But we were able to continue the friendship and I had by that time.

[00:15:04] Got an a job in the city where his university was and we continue to date and.

[00:15:15] We just I graduated from high school and we continued in that. We went to a campus Bible fellowship together, and that was very good for us because it kept us on track and kept God in the midst of our relationship.

[00:15:35] So to back up when he was in high school, he belonged to a new group and he went and bought me to his youth group. So we go with him to that.

[00:15:48] And so that's where I found out that he was well, got the young and stuff.

[00:15:56] It was kind of me because that.

[00:16:03] Had a very good respect for me and boundaries that I had and he was also just a very kind gentleman, you know, opening up doors for me.

[00:16:16] Pain for our dates just very respectful on this phone and the like.

[00:16:23] And we actually didn't get married until I had graduated from high school and had gone to a year of trade school.

[00:16:35] And then I was 19 and he was 21 when we got married and almost done with.

[00:16:43] College for him so.

[00:16:48] Okay, let me ask you a question you guys are both going to church and it's obvious that you know God at this time.

[00:16:55] Did you guys see God in prayer about this particular union and whether they were the right person for you?

[00:17:05] Well, before I met Jeanine, I had another girlfriend and it was a breakup. And so I just really turned to God during that time and I said, God send me a godling woman.

[00:17:16] And when you asked if she's a treasure, she's an answer to prayer and just her upbringing even though it was legalistic and things just the purity that she.

[00:17:29] Exuded from just who she was and things and there were just again going back to Proverbs four and she had the sayings of God in her life and you could see them she lived those out.

[00:17:42] And it just helped us to really stay on track and not we weren't.

[00:17:48] We didn't turn from the right to let there you know like she said, we have boundaries and we both agreed on those and I know I remember a lot of times after we go out on dates.

[00:17:57] We just sit out and talk and look at the stars and talk about God thing so it was just so refreshing to have somebody in my life that I could talk to with those types of things.

[00:18:09] And do you know anything you'd like to add to that?

[00:18:12] No, it was just really refreshing to have and to meet a God the young man that kind of respected my boundaries and was also just very respectful and kind in regard to being a gentleman.

[00:18:30] And treating me very well and how it acted in the things that he did around his friends in front of my friends and for my parents was very respectful.

[00:18:42] So it was just really nice to have that in my life and you know I look back at that and it is it is even a treasure for me to have found somebody at that young of age.

[00:18:56] And that our relationship developed from a good friendship but then there was always God in the midst of that.

[00:19:06] Okay, I'm going to read from a crazy astees chapter four because I always enjoyed this passage but it says two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.

[00:19:19] If they fall one will lift up his companion but woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up again if two lie down together they will keep warm.

[00:19:34] But how can one be warm alone?

[00:19:38] Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him and a threefold chord is not quickly broken.

[00:19:48] Tony and Janine when I read this passage of scripture, I believe this is God giving Solomon wisdom and he's saying that God is to be the center of our marriage.

[00:20:03] Now have you put God at the beginning, not now I know you are now but at the beginning was God like at the center of your marriage and did you know you could always pray to him if anything was going the way it shouldn't in your marriage.

[00:20:22] Yeah, we did but I think it's one of those things that you have to constantly pursue and tend to because it's so easy to get caught up in the stress of life.

[00:20:35] And you let things slip, you let things slide and I think the times that we did struggle or have issues in our marriage relationship is times where we became self centered, selfish, not seeking God seeking our own will or own way.

[00:20:56] I would also add to that too that you know there were sometimes where we had to reset personally because as Tony mentions, you know, we there were times where we just did not put him first in our marriage and in honesty, you know things circumstances got in the way and then we'd have to refocus.

[00:21:25] And I praise God that there were people that spoke into our marriage, spoke into us individually to help us to recognize when we were off focus of him and putting more focus on these other things that need attention.

[00:21:42] For instance when we started to have children, I personally as a mother would start to focus more on them and not tend to my husband.

[00:21:52] Or in that you know sometimes I would tend to my husband and my boys, but.

[00:22:02] I would forget to look to Christ first of all for my strength and then I'll honestly one of my verses that I love is Philippines 413.

[00:22:16] Because of that he is my strength and he taught me to pull on him during the hard times in my marriage and.

[00:22:25] Child rearing.

[00:22:28] To just really keep my focus and just know that if he's the center then all these things will just filter and just.

[00:22:39] Okay Tony you know I have a question for you and Ephesians chapters five and six these are basically pulse instructions to first of all the wife and then the husband and then kids are in Ephesians chapter six versus one through three.

[00:23:00] But Ephesians six chapter four it talks specifically to fathers and it says fathers provoked not your children.

[00:23:10] So Tony what I'm asking you is you need to instruct and direct your children but when they make mistakes and they will we are to.

[00:23:20] You know we're to do it lovingly so how did you handle that and you know did you ever you know basically upset your kids because you you went overboard from time to time.

[00:23:33] So I was a pretty sensitive kid growing up and so I've always had.

[00:23:39] I tend to heart and I know that my kids were not super athletic.

[00:23:47] Which was a little hard for me.

[00:23:50] I was in the army and did a lot of army stuff always pushing myself to be better.

[00:23:57] They were not and.

[00:24:00] It irritated me a little bit but if I was to push them then that would I think provoke them and so I just prayed to God and I said God show me.

[00:24:12] It helped me to understand why you made my voice the way you made them and so once I got that revelation it just helped me.

[00:24:22] To take all the pressure off they don't need pressure like that and so I started to see them as God created them to be with their talents and their abilities and so then you identify those and you try to encourage them to develop those talents and those abilities.

[00:24:37] You know they weren't ever going to be football players baseball players anything like that but their hearts are tinder towards God and towards other people they can make friends anywhere they go.

[00:24:47] And so I think that was a key to me.

[00:24:51] Well you know stony I'm going to stick with you because you spent 23 years in the service and I'd like to thank you for serving our country, but you know you actually retired from the service.

[00:25:02] So if you would just share with the audience those 23 years look like and how you served our country during that time.

[00:25:11] So again just a testimony to God's goodness.

[00:25:15] I received a four year ROTC scholarship for mathematics which I probably shouldn't have given my history of kidney disease but again got healed me that at 10 years of age and so some of the doctors that.

[00:25:29] I came in contact with before were retired military and they're like, oh yeah no problem. So they wrote a letter saying you know it's boys been clear of this for no you know great make the time.

[00:25:41] So I received ROTC scholarship from mathematics didn't really know what I was going to do with a math degree at a uncle who's a nurse in the Navy and he said you should look into nursing it's a pretty good field and again that.

[00:25:55] Since activity in that tender heart I think God was putting that.

[00:26:00] As my calling all along so I asked if I could switch my major and at that time there's a nursing shortage so they said sure no problem.

[00:26:09] In ROTC there was a special team called the Ranger Challenge team and we had exercise five days a week and do 10 k twice a week.

[00:26:19] Friday's you had a 30 pound pack and you ran in boots and things like that. So I did that for four years and the instructors cat ray are like are you sure you want to be a nurse because not that is really nursing stuff went to everyone school jumped out airplanes but I knew that wasn't something that I wanted to do forever.

[00:26:37] But I enjoyed the small team camaraderie there was about 11 dies on the team.

[00:26:44] So then graduated with a nursing degree.

[00:26:50] Practice my skills home my skill in nursing for six years at that time.

[00:26:56] You want me to go on and get your master so I applied for a master's program in nurse practitioner went to Bethesda Maryland for two years to get my degree there graduated and started to all over again kind of practice on a higher level.

[00:27:13] I was a couple of nursing and 2007 was deployed to Iraq for 15 months deployment and during that time they were having a shortage of physicians assistance so they started putting nurse practitioners in the Bethesda and surgeon role.

[00:27:32] So it was me and another doc and a bunch of medics or me and another physician assistant out and outpost and so our job was to patch up the wounded and evacuate them first.

[00:27:43] I think that is the reason for their surgery if need be came back from Iraq and during that time.

[00:27:51] I was doing some Bible studies. I think I finished my reign of correspondence course there and was listening to a bunch of Andrew Woolmax teachings and just found a good Bible study had some good talks with the chaplain and just really sought God what my next move was.

[00:28:08] Back to Bethesda when I got back from deployment being instructor at the schoolhouse.

[00:28:14] But after seeking the Lord he reminded me of another option which was called the Commission Corps of the Public Health Service, which is a uniform service but not considered military.

[00:28:29] Our boss is the surgeon generally United States.

[00:28:32] So I applied to do a branch transfers. I transferred over to them and did 10 years with the Public Health Service with Indian Health Services where I worked as nurse practitioner on Indian Reservations and I retired in 2019 after 23 years of service.

[00:28:50] Well, thank you. Thank you again. I really appreciate that.

[00:28:54] And Janine, on the other side of the fence you are the woman staying at home and you are raising your two boys. So explain what that must have been like.

[00:29:06] You know with Tony out in the field doing his thing and you taking care of the kids.

[00:29:12] Well, when we had our children and stuff it was very interesting. We lived away from family.

[00:29:21] So that was something in itself when I had grown up and had lived around all my aunts and uncles and cousins and it was just a totally different living environment.

[00:29:34] And also I have never grown up around the military because growing up as a minimite.

[00:29:43] One of our, one of our rules was that we were pacifists which meant that you did not get involved with the military.

[00:29:59] So the whole military style in my life was very different for me. Not difficult but just different.

[00:30:09] Learned that people are people and learn to make friends and that was fun and itself.

[00:30:16] We were also moving every two to three years. Well, he was an army.

[00:30:22] So that meant that once we had children, we were moving them to and a lot of my time was moving from place to place but we were also helping the kids to adjust to their new environment.

[00:30:42] And I was adjusting at the same time too. We moved from what we had our children in Kansas Manhattan, Kansas and we lived there for about three years.

[00:30:56] And then we moved down to San Antonio, Texas and we lived there for two years.

[00:31:02] And then we moved out to Maryland live there for two years. Then we moved back to Kansas around Fort Leavenworth. We lived there for two years.

[00:31:14] And then we moved down to South Carolina and we lived there for three years. But during that time Tony had deployed for 15 months he was also in various schools, which all in all for those three years he only lived with us as a family for about 10 months.

[00:31:37] So that was an adjustment in itself.

[00:31:41] But when he deployed, I think that was the biggest time frame that he was gone was 15 months and it was a hardest on our families and it was a strain on me.

[00:31:58] I do praise God that my boys were eight and ten years old when he left. So it was just by God's grace.

[00:32:12] That we made it through that time.

[00:32:15] I heard people say that when their husbands deploy the family in its own way goes through its own deployment because you have got your spouse who might be the main bread winner and the significant person.

[00:32:39] And of course my husband, you know having two boys who was a significant person in their life. He was the male role model and he was not there during that time frame.

[00:32:51] For Tony's deployment it was a little different also it was the first deployment that.

[00:32:59] As a family had to go through. But it was different because he would be out in remote areas which meant that there was sporadic communication that the boys and I could have with him.

[00:33:15] So that was interesting during that time frame.

[00:33:20] I really got to know God very intimately during that time frame just because he my husband was gone and I didn't have constant communication with him to ask you know silly questions of what should we do with this the boys are going through this, what should I do.

[00:33:42] Or just on some major things of the house. Well, who do I call for this and so I really had to pull on God and just really became very intimate with him he definitely was there with me he just felt like a tangible presence of God surrounding me the entire time.

[00:34:07] And and I thank God for that too because it really helped me to grow in areas that I didn't know that I did grow then it helped our boys.

[00:34:22] And myself to have an even better relationship and things and I think it also in a strange way even though Tony was gone and we had sporadic communication it also helped in our communication in me learning how to love my husband in a different way.

[00:34:47] So it was very interesting time for us or a whole family.

[00:34:52] Then when he came back that was an interesting time frame because I had been the one that had to in a way be mom dad during that time frame because my husband was gone and so.

[00:35:10] To bring Tony back into the position that God had placed him in as father was a transitioning time for all of us and it was a major grace grows grow for myself because there was a lot of grace that I needed to give my husband as he entered back into our family.

[00:35:36] And that was letting him back into the position to lead our family and for the boys to.

[00:35:50] And I remember how to respect him as their dad and as the leader of the household and it was good it was a good time for all of us.

[00:36:00] A lot of growth in our marriage for sure after he came home.

[00:36:05] Then of course and after that we transitioned back to Iowa for four or five years and then we moved to Wyoming for well nine years now.

[00:36:21] So well you guys you know it's been such a privilege getting to know you guys this year and you guys are wonderful together I guess you've been married around 30 years now yeah every 30 years in August.

[00:36:36] Wow that's it's so special you know Judy and I've just celebrated our 27th so anyway you know what what I really like about marriage is you guys can either grow closer together or especially when the kids leave you can kind of fall apart.

[00:36:54] Sometimes people tend to separate and even divorce when kids leave because in their eyes we really don't have anything keeping us together again.

[00:37:04] But I don't think that's been an issue with you when I look at you guys I just sense a lot of togetherness and and you guys seem to just be right on the same page.

[00:37:15] But how how long have your kids been away and and you know tell us about that transition.

[00:37:24] Let's see our oldest son has been out of the house since about 2016 and our youngest son since 2018.

[00:37:34] It a lot of we see a lot of families and I've seen a lot of my peers.

[00:37:40] Who put their heart and soul into their kids and then just like you said when the kids are gone they look at each other and like we don't have anything in common and common interest.

[00:37:50] And so we were just pretty intentional we got a couple books about impenesters.

[00:37:56] So I think we're pretty intentional about getting ahead of that when it did happen to us and.

[00:38:07] I think just come into care as together has been such a blessing in 2019 when I retired.

[00:38:13] We talked about coming to care as and prayed about it.

[00:38:16] God said no not yet and then covid hit so God sees things ahead before they even happen with on a medical mission 100 last year had a great time and then came to campus days and then God spoke to both of us and said now is the time.

[00:38:32] He's just really prepared us ahead of time.

[00:38:35] We had to have the money saved for years and he's just really provided and it's just a neat season that we are really looking forward to again growing closer to God individually and as a couple and just go on deeper.

[00:38:54] Well, do you have anything to add to that or.

[00:39:02] Yeah, I think empty investing definitely.

[00:39:08] You for us I think for both of us it is always been about making sure that God is our focus and I think as you transition to an empty mess you have to continue to see God and okay Lord what is our next step in the city.

[00:39:30] Next step in the season that you have for us because empty nesting is the next season in your life.

[00:39:37] Your transitioning from being a parent to.

[00:39:43] Being more of your kids friends and stuff you you go from parenting to a friendship in that area meaning that you can no longer.

[00:39:59] Really teach them in a more direct way it's when they come to you and they ask you questions and you just transition into being more of a friend with them and it's neat to see that.

[00:40:15] With our boys and I think it's also neat to see how God is just really.

[00:40:26] Something to us to come together into this next season of life and in the direction that he has for us is a couple but then also.

[00:40:39] The direction that he has for us individually.

[00:40:43] So it's an exciting time.

[00:40:45] It is an exciting time and there's no place to grow better than a carous Bible college you know come into carous Bible college and.

[00:40:55] In class four hours a day and five days a week I know twenty hours a week doesn't really seem like that's full time but when you are just immersed in the word of God.

[00:41:08] It is and and you know I know it's great and it's it's good and yet at the same time it can wear you out.

[00:41:16] Anyway you know how has that growth made you grow learning about God learning about the love that he has for us and you know I believe that as you walk out.

[00:41:29] What your guys are doing right now he'll reveal himself to you and I think he'll start giving you direction as to where he wants you to move from this point on so.

[00:41:40] I think we talked about this first year and what it's been like for you coming to know God in a deeper way.

[00:41:48] I have loved it and you know my favorite thing is being able to do with me husband which has been just amazing for both of us as we've said before.

[00:42:00] For me personally it has been very interesting to build a more intimate relationship with God and to take out.

[00:42:15] I think that's the most important thing that I had that were as I'm finding out very legalistic beliefs and replacing them with his word with his love that he ultimately has for me and has had for me.

[00:42:36] He's learning more about who he's called me to be that's been exciting for me to learn.

[00:42:44] It's also he's showing me my strengths that I have and he's also showing me that in my weaknesses there is a strength there too which I never knew that I had in those areas so.

[00:43:02] But I think the biggest thing is just getting to know him more personally and intimately instead of just reading words off of a page it's more of a relationship where you go back and forth and he tells you who you are and he tells me who he is and I love that.

[00:43:26] I mean it's just been great and inspiring and just I look at people differently I look at situations and circumstances differently now and it's just because of that.

[00:43:41] Just coming more into my life and to our lives and it just you know when he on the cross and when he died for me and when he rose again and the grace and the mercy that he gave to me it just thinks in.

[00:44:01] Yeah, okay, Tony before I get to you I just want to make a couple couple things.

[00:44:06] I have mentioned this a number of times and and I've encouraged you on my daily podcasts to get into the word of God and to read it on a regular basis.

[00:44:17] But I caution people and say don't read this book like it's a regular book.

[00:44:24] This book is not a novel. This book is alive. It is breathing and that's one of the hardest things non Christians have a hard time understanding because they just expect to open it up.

[00:44:40] And read it like a regular book but that is not what the Bible is about Tony a couple questions for you.

[00:44:48] Just add to what Janine said, but what I'd really like to know is as you draw closer to God are you realizing that you are drawing closer to your wife as well.

[00:45:01] Yeah, absolutely. I think for this year the thing the message you just keeps getting driven home to me is that personal intimate fellowship with God and that's your primary purpose and that's why we were created as I grow closer to God.

[00:45:19] He transforms me into the man that he created me to be and that's when I can really.

[00:45:30] Just be a better husband to my wife.

[00:45:37] And so I think one of the things I go to a mens Bible study and they ask us to ask for questions which really helps to go into your point about not just reading the word that trying to understand it.

[00:45:50] So what happens in this passage just stands out for me? What is this verse say about my relationship with God? What does this verse say about my relationship with others and what is my takeaway regarding any course corrections in my life.

[00:46:05] So again, it's an instruction manual going back to Proverbs 4 of 2323.

[00:46:11] It's just an instruction manual on how to live your life and I read it a little differently now. It says my son give attention to me and climb your ear to me. Do not let me depart from your eyes. Keep me in your midst of your heart.

[00:46:28] And so I think again it's just all focusing on who God is, his love for us and just having that fellowship with him that will transform us to be who he's really created us to be.

[00:46:40] Well that's so good and I know you're getting ready to go back to Wyoming in like four weeks school is coming to an end.

[00:46:48] What I'd really like to know from each of your perspective is, as have your kids noticed the difference in you since you started coming to Keras.

[00:46:58] And if so, explain to the audience how coming to Jesus, how growing in your relationship with God, how it will make your relationship with everyone better.

[00:47:15] I think for me and staff yes, the boys have noticed a lot our kids are 27 and 25 years old and so they're not kids anymore.

[00:47:31] And they're adults and they've seen you know as they grow up and they've gone through some of these experiences that we've talked about earlier.

[00:47:41] They've seen you know little pieces of growth and our relationship with God, but I think we were talking with our younger son.

[00:47:55] And he was saying you know he's like you guys changed a little bit since going. He said, you know I can just see it and even with our older son on phone calls that we've had with him.

[00:48:10] He has I don't know he's noticed a lot of difference in how we.

[00:48:23] Connect with him. He's able to open up a little bit more to us and I think that has to do with us understanding God's word and his grace a little bit more because it's easier for us within relationships and the people that we have met that might be believers and that may not be believers that we can extend that grace, but it's only because of the love.

[00:48:53] Christ that lives inside of us that that we can do that and it is truly transformed.

[00:49:03] I believe and continues to transform as we start to understand and well as proper sets get more wisdom and get understanding.

[00:49:14] It transforms relationships and I think we've seen that in how we interact and react with people.

[00:49:22] I want to ask you this question. I asked Tony earlier but have have drawing closer to God is that drawing you closer to Tony as well.

[00:49:32] Yes, it most certainly is.

[00:49:37] In his word it says that when we marry our spouses that we become one flesh and.

[00:49:48] And you know I am supposed to love my husband and respect him.

[00:49:59] And as you know Christ love the church and and I'm excited about that because it.

[00:50:10] It shows me that as I respect and as I love my husband and our communication and I love for each other just gets more rich because I get to see.

[00:50:25] More more in the image of God and how God made him to be. And that's rich. That's very, very rich for me to be able to say that and to see that and just believe that but it is all stems from.

[00:50:43] Honestly, and I can say it wholeheartedly my relationship with Christ.

[00:50:48] He does that for me and in the grime and just lets me see.

[00:50:52] Tony the way that Christ sees him.

[00:50:55] Kelly?

[00:50:56] So I think it's really helped with our relationship with our boys, because you can't give

[00:51:02] away what you don't have.

[00:51:04] And by learning who we are in Christ and how much he loves us, then we're able to

[00:51:09] then turn that around and love others.

[00:51:13] So not just our boys but other relationships.

[00:51:16] I saw a quote the other day that really really hit me.

[00:51:19] The biggest communication problem is we don't listen to understand, we listen to reply.

[00:51:24] And God has just given me such a patience to not jump to conclusions, but to seek

[00:51:31] to understand.

[00:51:32] And even to go to God and say, God, what do you want me to know about this situation?

[00:51:36] Question number two, what do you want me to do about this situation?

[00:51:39] And just slowing down a little bit and taking some time and it helps to just prevent

[00:51:46] a lot of problems.

[00:51:47] And I think our boys are kind of noticed that they can come to us with anything.

[00:51:51] We're not going to judge them.

[00:51:52] We're not going to criticize them.

[00:51:54] We're going to just ask questions to seek to understand.

[00:51:57] And so it's just been really good because again, I think the world is really hurting and

[00:52:02] though everybody just wants to be heard, but we don't take time to listen.

[00:52:07] So.

[00:52:08] Okay, Tony, this is what I'm going to do.

[00:52:10] I'd like for you to speak for, you know, we don't have much time left.

[00:52:14] For just a moment, minute, minute and a half.

[00:52:18] According to anybody who is not walking with Jesus, they have received him yet as

[00:52:24] their Lord and Savior, what would you tell them to do today and the importance of

[00:52:28] having him in your life?

[00:52:30] So I think a lot of times in life we have a plan for our lives.

[00:52:35] But God has a plan as well and his plan is so much better.

[00:52:40] And, you know, a lot of times as humans, we don't really live.

[00:52:43] We just exist and the Holy Spirit is just reaching out to you today saying, you're better

[00:52:50] than that.

[00:52:51] I've created you for more than that, for better than that, to have a better life.

[00:52:56] And so the first step is to acknowledge that.

[00:53:00] And to sin just means you missed the mark, your aim and the wrong target, your.

[00:53:05] And so to repent just means to turn around, change your mind to start thinking like God

[00:53:12] thinks.

[00:53:13] And so the first step is to turn, acknowledge your sin and turn from that.

[00:53:18] And then to the Bible says that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart

[00:53:24] that Jesus is Lord, that we will be saved.

[00:53:27] And so that salvation is the first step to this new life in Christ.

[00:53:32] This better life, the Bible says it's a so way kind of life.

[00:53:36] That's a God kind of life.

[00:53:39] And just his rules and his ways that help us make sense of this life.

[00:53:46] And so I would just encourage you that if you haven't made Jesus the Lord your life, then

[00:53:52] that's the most important decision you can ever make.

[00:53:55] And I think on top of that, when you're born again, then the next step is to receive

[00:54:03] the baptism of Holy Spirit.

[00:54:04] And the first and second step is to be a Christian life is not hard.

[00:54:07] It's impossible without God's help.

[00:54:10] And I think that's been a testimony to continue my life that you can't do it on your own

[00:54:14] strength, even if you've gone to a good church or whole life, you've known God your

[00:54:18] whole life without the baptism of Holy Spirit, your himpitation.

[00:54:21] You have no power to really affect other people's lives and to just love them with the love

[00:54:27] of God.

[00:54:28] So I just encourage you to do those.

[00:54:31] Go ahead and lead anyone in a sinner's prayer that would like to receive Jesus today.

[00:54:37] Sarah, did that?

[00:54:39] Father God, we just come to you today and we just thank you Father God that you are there

[00:54:46] for us in our strengths and in our weaknesses, Father God.

[00:54:50] You made us and you know, you are Father.

[00:54:54] And you know that because of that we're a Christian in your sight, and we know Father God

[00:55:01] if you want to bring everyone to Father God without relationship, that fellowship and

[00:55:08] that didn't seem that you so long to have with everyone.

[00:55:13] So Father God, we just ask for you to come into my life to be on your life, to be

[00:55:21] out of the Savior and Father God to be this aspect that you will help us to understand

[00:55:27] through the Lord in your faith.

[00:55:30] And we know and we ask to Father God, you will help us to just know who you are, Father Father

[00:55:46] God, I ask that you take away my sins and Father God will know that you are so much

[00:55:57] that your son did that for us on the cross.

[00:56:02] And we thank you Father God and we do and we ask the Lord to come into our life and

[00:56:10] we love you, God.

[00:56:12] Thank you for saying.

[00:56:14] Amen.

[00:56:15] Well thanks guys and I really appreciate you coming on.

[00:56:18] Friends of things, any of you that repeated that prayer today, I ask that you reach out

[00:56:23] to me on my Facebook page, Bill Kelly.

[00:56:26] And if you have any questions at all, please reach out to me on Messenger.

[00:56:31] Tony, if you would just briefly mention the importance of anyone who said that prayer

[00:56:36] today, the importance of getting in to a good church.

[00:56:40] So again, that goes back to continually walking in these things.

[00:56:47] It's not a one time decision you have to pursue it, you have to be intentional about

[00:56:51] it.

[00:56:52] So finding a good Bible believing Bible teaching church that flows in all five full ministry

[00:56:57] gifts because now you are in the army of God so to speak and there's a training period

[00:57:04] that needs to take place to equip you to not only be a better person but to be able to go out

[00:57:10] and impact your world, your spirit of influence.

[00:57:14] All right, thank you guys.

[00:57:15] Now may the Lord bless you and keep you.

[00:57:18] The Lord make us face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

[00:57:23] The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

[00:57:28] Friends, please join me again in the morning as we further explore.