(00:00): How many times were you asked, what do you want to be when you grow up? I don't remember how many ways I may have answered that, but I know what I didn't say. I didn't say I want to be a woman of character, moral excellence and firmness. It's defined by Webster's dictionary. It wasn't until divorce and lots of therapy that I dug deep into who I was truly being in my life, who I truly was to the world today. We have a surprise for you. So you're going to want to stay tuned and hear what and how we can all be. As we grow up, welcome to episode 14 of the well versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller and I'm Theresa Morgan. And we are two perfectly imperfect women who have a heart to share our testimonies with women. Like you see what we've experienced is the love of God in our life. And we know if you stay too, you're going to get to experience that same love of God, which will bring you more peace than you ever thought possible in your life. But you know, if you've been listening, how we start every episode, we have to stop and prepare our hearts, our minds, our ear ears, to what our creator would have for us today. So the first thing we're going to do is sit, still take some deep breaths and prepare ourselves right now. You're ready for 20 seconds. Here we go.

(01:58): [inaudible]

(01:58): That's it. That is 20 seconds. Maybe that calmed you down immediately and got you ready to just be still and listen. And maybe you're ready for more time. I encourage you to do this every morning before you get out of bed before your feet hit the ground to just be still and present and ask God to direct your every step today. Also, if you haven't hit the subscribe button, if this is your first episode, you want to hit that subscribe button because our episodes build one on another, and you're going to want to go back to that very first episode, where we talk about plugging into our creator so that we can hear from him. But today we have an extra special guest with us. This episode is for you. If you're still answering that question, what do I want to be when I grow up? And I know I am. The fact of the matter is I know

(03:00): I'm never going to be done. I know I'm going to continue becoming a better version of myself every single year. At least that's what I pray for. And Theresa, the well-versed woman is something I never thought of becoming. But once we started this podcast and you and I spoke those couple of years ago about you being given that name, Oh my gosh, it's just excited me as another thing I want to be when I grow up a well versed woman, absolutely Renee, you know, as we have discussed in previous episodes, as we dig into the word of God, as we fellowship through prayer with the Holy spirit, the word that is on the pages of the Bible starts to come to life. It brings life. It brings correction. It brings what we need in this world to stand strong in times of adversity in times where we just don't know which way to turn.

(04:02): So today we have a special guest. My dear friend, I call her my spiritual mama. Her name is Joyce [inaudible]. She is a woman of God. She is an author and she has a tight relationship with the Holy spirit. She exemplifies what it is to be a woman of the word and fellowships with God and such a pure and beautiful way, and has some special giftings as she was in prayer for the well-versed woman in the Holy spirit, gave her just a beautiful writing, a spiritual poem, if you will. That is based on the word of God. So she is here today with us. Joyce, welcome to the well verse woman. It's an honor, and it's a pleasure to have you with us today. We thought that you could talk about your, your poem and your spiritual words that the Holy spirit gave you. And we're going to begin by Joyce reading. This forced stanza poem.

(05:11): This point is called well-versed woman. A well versed woman is a woman of prayer, and she knows how to cast up on Jesus each and every care or well-versed woman is a woman of God's word. And she's not moved by the foolish things that she has seen or heard. A well-versed woman is a woman of wisdom for she's committed to the Lord. And the work of his kingdom are well versed. Woman is a woman of integrity and she daily walks in God's favor and demonstrates his

(05:41): Victory. Oh wow. Wow. Is right. Tricia. When Theresa sent that poem to me. Oh my gosh. I, I have no words, Joyce. It was so beautiful. And she explained

(05:58): To me, Joyce, that this ability that you've been gifted with to write these poems has been with you for some time. Is that right?

(06:07): Yes. For 20. So I've been writing long before that. Maybe about 30, 30 years. 30 years of riding. Yeah.

(06:14): Yeah. Actually Joyce, you and I have known each other almost 30 years. 26.

(06:20): Yeah. 26,

(06:22): Six years. I've been saying wow, that it doesn't seem possible. Does it? And yet the beautiful thing, Joyce is that this is such a testimony. This poem, if you're listening and is such a testimony to what Theresa and I have been doing now for the first 13 episodes, which is trying to help us all become versed in the word and a woman doesn't get a poem like this, Joyce that hasn't walked with the Lord for such a long time and have the word of God, literally deepen your soul. Deepen your spirit. How long Joyce have you been walking with the Lord? Oh my,

(07:09): Well, I would say maybe about, um, 35 years. Maybe more than that. I I've stopped counting, but it's been a long time.

(07:19): Would you share your story about your awakening? What, what brought you to the Lord? Whoa.

(07:26): I grew up in the Caribbean on the very, um, I was abused as a child growing up and my dad was an alcoholic. So you know, a lot of drama in the family, but I've always had this desire to know who God was deep on the inside. And there was always trying to figure out, God, why am I here? You know, what is my purpose? So that has been my pursuit all along. And then I went to church like Anglican church as a child. My mom used to take us to church, but the deeper desire for God came when I came to the United States and God actually started putting people in my path who would start to minister to me about who God was. But there was always that hunger and that desire to know God,

(08:05): Yes, I know God is so good in the scripture. Of course, the pops up in my heart choice while you're speaking is that God draws us to himself. And if we're sensitive, if we just listen or if we just know the scriptures that says he is the one who draws Joyce, when wouldn't you say that? That is correct.

(08:26): Interesting thing. As I was writing about God, even before I got saved, I was writing about God was more like questioning God and you know, asking questions like, God, where are you? So there was that hunger in me, even though I did not know him in a personal way, but then he began to put people in my path would introduce me to who God was. So there was always a deep hunger to know who he was.

(08:47): So funny. You say that, and, and you talked about something. We talk about frequently, Joyce, on this podcast, you knew religion. And I feel that was the same for me. I knew religion. I didn't know, relationship where didn't have that personal relationship with him. Yeah. And I think that's the difference that we need to point out that you can have relationship with someone and yet not have fellowship with them. And I think a lot of times that's what happened with God. You can know about God, but you don't really know him so beautiful. And I love that word. You used Joyce fellowship fellowship is, um, is the key so deep, so much deeper than relationship. And we do talk about really a relationship, not religion, certainly that's where we have to start. But where you clearly have traveled is in deep fellowship, which is when you get these poems.

(09:44): Right? I understand like you're actually in prayer. When these poems come to you, I was actually walking. I was actually walking and praying. Actually the thing is, I think is that you have to have a hunger for God, whether you understand a lot of things is just having that deep, hungry, wanting to know him and want to get closer with him each day. No matter what it is that you go through is always that deep desire to know God who he is and you keep pressing into him no matter what, it's interesting. Also the scripture that is coming up to my heart is in John 17, it says in this is eternal life that you would know. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So isn't that wonderful. It's about personal transformation really in personal transformation, joys only comes by you being in fellowship with the Lord, correct? Yep.

(10:35): We just say, Oh, so great. Joyce, just, just this conversation I think is so helpful for all of us, because we've all felt these things. So many of us knew, like you were saying, there's something bigger than me. There just has to be. If you walk this planet long enough and Oh, the sunrise that I had this morning, um, when I woke just that alone, you have to question this God that there is some big, beautiful creator of all of this and you're right. That's the starting place. But back to this poem, I Joyce and Teresa, we're going to break it down and how much this relates to again, the testimony of what we're all striving for, what I want to be when I grow up a well-versed woman. And that just keeps getting better and better. There's no finish line to that. Absolutely. Renee, there is no finish line to that. Uh, our relationship with God will draw you into the deeper waters as you walk with him. And great transformation will come as you walk into the deeper waters,

(11:54): Through the word of God and through prayer. So if we look at the first three lines of this beautiful poem, it says a well-versed woman is a woman of prayer and she knows how to cast upon Jesus each and every care. You know, we've talked about in previous episodes with the anchor verses of first Thessalonians, chapter five, verses 16 through 18 rejoice, always pray without ceasing in everything. Give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. And first Peter chapter five, verse seven cast all your care upon him for, he cares for you. So Joyce embedded into the two scriptures, tell us in your own words, what is in your heart that you'd like to share to the listeners about this first stands of this beautiful poem?

(12:46): Yeah. Prayer is, um, first of all, it's communication with God and it's, um, it's really a dialogue, not a monologue. It's you talking to God and God talking back to you. So that's really key. And knowing that prayer is the way that we build intimacy with God. And I talk about earlier that it's possible to have a relationship and not have fellowship. And we can see that even with family members or friends, we can have a relationship with someone. It doesn't necessarily mean that we're intimate with them or we're close to them. But with God, pray is the way that we communicate with him. And then it will be, get to know him is by studying his word, reading his word and talking to him, but wanting him to talk back to you.

(13:23): Yeah. So great. And episode, episode 12, Joyce, we talk about when my son was young, I hired a nanny from France and we talked about that language. And so I say, Oh, do you speak English? Do you speak French? Do you speak prayer? Prayer is God's language, right? Do you speak prayer? So I love that it is God's language. It's how we communicate. And episode 12 has more about that. If you didn't listen, go back and listen. Now.

(13:54): And I w I want to just add a couple more things about pray that it is a privilege to get, to have an audience with the King of one-on-one. And secondly, it's a priority. That should be the most important thing on our agenda before we do anything else, it's prayer. And thirdly, that prayer is a lifestyle. It's our lifeline. It's something we do. We shouldn't do just in times of struggles, but it's something that we should do at all times, because I'm thinking about the scripture where the Bible says in him, that we live and move and have our being. We can't do anything without him. So when we need him, we need him in every area of our lives. The very breath that we take comes from God. And when we realized that we would realize how valuable it is and how important it is for us to have that prayer life, that fellowship with him on a daily day.

(14:40): So I love the very first line because it landed right where you're saying Joyce priority. Your very first line of the poem is a well versed woman is a woman of prayer.

(14:52): And I love, it's a privilege, a priority, a lifestyle. It's our lifeline love so beautiful. And also to, um, it's coming to me that, Oh, first ministry is really onto the Lord before we do anything else. Or first ministry is onto him. Absolutely. You know, the Bible says those that worship him must come to him in worship, in spirit and in trick. Right. And then everything else flows out of that, right? Oh, a ministry to others should flow out of first to him and then it goes outward. Then we're able to minister to others. Yeah. Joyce, expand upon that a little bit. So if I were, if I were brand new in just dipping my big toe into the word of God and my relationship with the Holy spirit, and I heard, gee, I have a ministry to the Lord. What does that look like?

(15:38): What, what, what is that all? So for me, it's like, it begins with prayer, reading the word of God and studying God's word, learning what the word of God says about you. Learning how to pray, the word, learning how to confess the word. Those are basic, basic things, right? And giving praise and worship God. And when you come to God, I'm, I'm thinking about, um, I believe it's, um, Psalm 100 verse four talks about how we enter into his Gates with Thanksgiving. When we come to God, we enter into his Gates with Thanksgiving, into his courts, with praise. We're thankful to him, we bless his name for the Lord is good. And he's mostly endured forever. You come in like a little child just worshiping the item. And the key thing is also the, like, as this is not only worshiping God for what he does, but for who he is, who God is, that's beautiful comes to, God must believe that he is.

(16:29): And that he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. So we come to God to worship him for who he is, not just for what he does. It's a childlike faith. You can be like a little child. Exactly. And we love in this podcast to simplify things. And by you saying it's a privilege and a priority and other things flow from that. I go so far as to say with my focus, like a little child, like they just stay at that one thing. They won't let it go. You don't need to worry about what comes after. You just need to do that. One thing come as a child and worship him for who he is like the story of Mary and Martha that's right. Mary was at jesus' feet at Jesus's feet. It was busy in the house doing all of the, all of the work. And she was angry because Mary was not attending, helping her in the kitchen or whatever she was doing. But Jesus spoke and said that what Mae was doing was more needful because she was spending time at the Savior's feet. I know that's, that's a Renee verse when Teresa talks about anchor scriptures, that's one of Rene's anchor scriptures because Renee wants to be about the work, the kitchen. And I have to remind myself of that. That's a great

(17:50): Reminder.

(17:51): It's true. And you know, one of the things that comes to mind, Joyce is you're talking about, we come to God as a little child and we bring Thanksgiving, we bring praise. You know, what can we give to the King? Yes. We give to God. And really it boils down to, we give to him our love through praise, Thanksgiving, and worship. And in that lies the two way relationship where then God starts speaking back to us, start speaking into our heart. And normally he starts speaking into our heart to things that are in his word. So it's just a beautiful dialogue between the two of us. And before, you know, it, you're so filled with his plan and his purpose for your life, that you begin to act on it in the new, see God act in return, Joyce, you and I, and Renee, we could sit here for hours talking about the beautiful testimonies of all that God has done in our lives. And it's a demonstration of God's presence and his love for us as he moves on our behalf. And that is his love coming back to us. So it's, it's just, it's like a relationship here on earth where it's the give and take. And then the wonderful thing, unlike a relationship here on earth is we're relating to God.

(19:26): Well, which flows right into the next stanza of the beautiful poem. So we're just talked about our communication with God and the well-versed woman is a woman of God's word. And we talk about not being moved by foolish things she's seen or heard. And we talked in previous episodes, we focus on what we can't see and the word helps us do that. So let's talk about that a little bit.

(19:57): I'd like to introduce one very important scripture as to, you know, you might think to yourself why the word of God, why study the word? You know, we've been on, this is our 14th episode, Renae and Joyce, and we always end it with Romans 10, 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. You know, if we look at Ephesians chapter four, verse 14, why do we study the word of God? One of the most important things is that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful, plotting. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into who is the head

(20:48): Christ. So it's especially in this climate of confusion and all sorts of unrest that we're living in the word of God anchors on us. It keeps deception from us, right? The more we delve into the word incurious in our heart trace. Would you like to talk a little bit more about this?

(21:10): Yeah. Yeah. And God's word actually the word of God says John 17, 17, that God's word is truth. God's word is truth. And it's life, it's health, it's medicine for all of our flesh. And in the beginning was the word. If we study, we go back to Genesis in the beginning was the word. God does nothing apart from his word and his word is as well. So the important thing is for us to know what the word of God says and that God watches over his word to perform it. He's lit literally watch more with the words that we're speaking to. Cause those things to come to pass in our lives, God word is a lamp unto our feet and a light onto a path. There's so many scriptures that I can give God's word is alive and powerful. In Hebrews, it says sharper than any two edged sword piercing to the division of the soul, the spirit, the joint, the marrow and his word, even discern the very thoughts and intents of our heart. His word is alive. If we understand that we would want to know the word, study the word, speak the word, confess the word, because God is obligated to fulfill his promises in our life.

(22:07): Oh, I'm just think we talk a lot about neuroscience here. And neuroscience has done some great studies over the last years on how our brains work. But one thing that's clear to even people who don't understand God's word, they understand the power of words and what they may or may not know is that it was written long before neuroscience decided to figure it out in the Bible. So if you aren't sure about the Bible, go see what neuroscience is saying. They're saying what God said in this book so many years ago, and all those things are proof to me, Joyce, about exactly what you just said, that this word is real and therefore deserves our attention, our priority, our study, it deserves it. And once we do, then it gets proven over and over again, like you were saying, Theresa, that we could speak the three of us on testimonies. And I pray that everyone listening, if this is the beginning of your journey or your long down the road, that you are journaling. I forget things. I don't often forget God's miracles, but I love to go back and read from my journal, the details of exactly how God has executed, what he wrote in the word

(23:36): Scripture just came to me while you were talking is Proverbs four 20. It says, my son give attention to my words, incline your ear to my, do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart for their life, to those who find them and health to all of them, their flesh or their bones. So the key, yeah. You know, give attention to my words, incline your ears to my saying, this is God saying to us, don't let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. God's word. It's life. It's health. It's medicine to all of us.

(24:08): Joyce is a registered nurse and she has worked most of her life in the medical field. So Joyce, how much more do you witness these things daily in how much more could you give testimony to the fact that so many are sick and broken in their flesh, in their body because of the things that they have carried for years in their soul. So when we know God's word, we know the truth, it anchors us in safety. It anchors us knowing that God is in control in that brings life to our flesh, the natural body that we navigate, this thing we call earth and

(24:51): The anguish that we feel in our soul from me, even from the things of childhood, I had to rely on the word of God, studying the word of God, believe in the word of God, confessing the word of God, you know, for healing to begin to manifest in my life. And it, it actually has been a process. You know, it's a process. It's not, you don't arrive overnight. You, you have to continue with the Bible said, if you are my disciples, you will continue in my word. You continue. You don't, it's not just studying the word just once and put it down. You continue. The word is continue. You have to continue in the things of God. You got to keep with sewing. God.

(25:26): And that leads us right into John chapter eight, verse 31. And I guess I jumped ahead. Perfect segue. Joyce in Jesus said to those Jews who believed him. If you abide in my word, you are my disciples, indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. So if we look at the Ephesians scripture that we talked about a few minutes ago, we don't want to be tossed to and fro right. We want to stay far from deception. We want to stay in truth. And it's this truth that sets us free and keeps us free.

(26:07): He pointed I say is the continue faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, but you're continually hearing all the time. So it's never a point where you put your Bible aside or you stop praying. We continue. You continue. You have to continue in God's word. And the more you hear the word, your faith grows as you hear the word and you apply what it is that you hear and not just hearing what the word of God says, but you actually do the work

(26:30): Well. And how funny is it? Because we've all experienced this. Joyce, you've read the Bible many, many, many times, and yet it's new every morning. Explain how that is. And that's why

(26:44): We need to continue because the Holy spirit will reveal the word to us each and every time like it's new every morning. Well, sometimes we're reading the word of God through our own lenses and our own experiences. So, you know, we really have to ask God to really strip away all of those things and help us to really see God the way that he is because we relate to God based. Sometimes it's like I was abused by my dad. So for me, when I came to Christ, the father to me was someone that I didn't really want to have a relationship with. But Jesus, I loved because for me, I could identify with his suffering, what he went through because I had suffered. But then I had someone who told me, who said to me, Joyce, if you've seen Jesus, you've seen the father. So that was revelation for me.

(27:29): You know, that had to come by revelation. I couldn't get that. Even by me, just even just reading because I was reading through my own lenses, through my own experiences, what I have gone through as a child. So we have to be, we have to strip away all the old things, you know, the traditions, all the things that we've learned and just be willing to be that humble as a child and say, Lord, teach me, Holy spirit, teach me what I need to know. Let's focus a minute on that word, revelation, Joyce, you said you received it by revelation. What does their revelation is? Like? It's like that moment that you have is like an epiphany, Tiffany, like, um, cause like I said, I read the word, but the thing is when I first got saved, I was reading a lot in the old Testament and you know, there's a lot about God's judgment and all of those things.

(28:11): And I, of course I had gone through so much as a child that, that just made me uncomfortable. And so I had difficulties trying to reconcile this God who loved us and also with Jesus. So like I said, for me, it was like, I'm okay with Jesus, but I'm not okay with God saying, you know, because I saw him as this task master this person that, that punishes you, you know, for your sins. But once I understood why Jesus came and why he took on the sins of the world, then it was a little bit easier for me now to begin to trust God. But it took some time. That's so great for all of us, because I think we've been there. It's been there trying to reconcile that very thing. Joyce, the task master God, the way you said it with freedom that we have in Jesus.

(29:00): Expand on that a little bit because I think that's so key. It's not about reading the word that you begin to understand. You know what I'm saying? You get that. When I said a revelation that comes from you, when you read the word of God and you read about Jesus and why Jesus had to die, then you begin to understand, okay, you can understand why, why God judged sin. Why he, why he judged sin in the, in the old Testament? You know, because what happened if you allow sin to continue, he said that little leaven leavens the whole, you know what I'm saying long, right? So if you, if you allow sin to continue, what is it going to do? It's going to spread that's right. So once I understood why Jesus came and why he, why he died for me, I had a great appreciation for who God was. So Joyce, why did he come?

(29:42): And why did he die for you?

(29:44): Well, the Bible said that, you know, we all, we all, we all sent us whether we want to believe it. We've all fallen short of the sin and fallen short of the glory of God. I know for a lot of people who said, well, I'm a good person. I've never really seen. You know, I've never done anything bad, but the Bible said we will all, you know, um, both, you know what I'm saying? In sin, all of us from, you know, you know what I'm trying to say. So Christ has redeemed us from that. He came and took our place and the punishment that we deserve for all the things that we've done, whether we want to agree with it or not. You know what I'm saying? We've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. And Jesus took the, you know, he came, he actually took the rap.

(30:19): If you want to put it that way, rap and the Bible talk where he literally stood in the gap for us, you know what I'm saying? He stood in the gap and he took the punishment that we deserve. And so the Bible said that the handwriting of ordinance that was against us Christ took it out of the way. And so, because of him, you know what I'm trying to say, we have an audience with the father, so we can go to God. And now without shame, without guilt, once you've accepted Christ as your Lord and savior, you can go to the father without any shame and the guilt or anything that you've done and know that God is going to it.

(30:52): And I love what you said, that he, he stood in the gap. I don't know if anyone has ever had anybody stand up for them. You know, I'm one of five children and we, we talk about Theresa and I are siblings. I remember getting in trouble or doing something maybe I shouldn't have done. And one of my sisters coming and defending me and how beautiful that small little thing was when I was a child. Now everyone can understand why people who truly grasp the bigness of Jesus, of our God, stepping in the gap for us. Why so many of us are just so crazy about this Jesus and crazy about God, because you know, there's a song and we talk music here a lot, Joyce, but I love that song. And I weep every time that says, and I don't know the whole thing that thou Mike King should die for me.

(32:07): I cannot fathom that a King that an all perfect being would have even the desire to, to take care of me when I'm the one who messed up. I'm the one who wasn't perfect. And I know you say like maybe people listening don't think that they've ever done anything wrong. I frankly have not met a human. That could actually say that yet. It really really mean, right. But we've all fallen short. And some us it's easier to that. That is clear and others, maybe it is a little harder, but we have fallen short. We are not perfect. Many of us through issues in our life strive for perfectionism, but we know we've never arrived. And that is why we needed Jesus to come as a propitiation for our sins. Yes, Renee. So true. You know, God, Jesus brought that appeasement for sin. And really that's what that big word propitiation means.

(33:16): But Renee, I'm thinking about your sister standing up for you in how amazing that must have felt, especially as a little girl, but why did she do it? She did it because she loved you. And I think that is the important thing to understand, you know, John three 16 for God, so loved the world. Did he gay? He gave his only begotten son that whoever shall believe shall not perish, but have everlasting life. It was his love that caused him to give his only son Theresa. That was just a perfect summation. And I think we're going to need to stop here. I bet everybody is on the edge of their seat because I know we are and we're going to bring Joyce back next week to finish the last two stances of this poem with us. And as you can see, as you can here is probably what I should say.

(34:19): The word of God, spews out of you when you've walked with the Lord so many times and have immersed yourself in his word and this poem that is so succinct and just a few short sentences, look at the amount of God's word and God's teaching. That's wrapped up in these words. So I encourage you to state to next week, as we continue on this beautiful journey with Joyce sharing with us, what God put on her heart, Theresa, I have to ask you the question, our signature scripture that we stand on and try to encourage you. And I bet if you've been listening now for 14 episodes, you're piping right in. So Theresa, I have to ask you what's our favorite scripture. Absolutely. Renee Romans 10 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Amen.