Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi and welcome to Revelation Within On the Go. I'm Heidi Biles-Mapperson, one of your hosts and the owner and lead coach of the Revelation Within Ministry.

Speaker 2: 0:10

And I'm Christina Motley, your other host, also a Revelation Within coach and Heidi's partner in all things Revelation Within. We are so excited to invite you to this very special episode of Revelation Within on the Go.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Well, that was fun. There were three of us who were greeting you. Today we have a very special, special episode for you. We're excited that Joy Lynn Syme, who is a very important part of our ministry here at Revelation Within, is joining us today to be interviewed. We think her life and her wealth of knowledge and wisdom has a lot to offer any of our listeners. So welcome, joy Lynn. Yay, thank you.

Speaker 2: 1:04

We're so glad you're you. We're so glad you're here. We're so glad you're here.

Speaker 1: 1:08

Yes, and we just have to share with the listeners that the person who does the magic of all of our podcasts is Joy Lynn. She does all the editing and, believe you me, we give her a lot to edit. So, if you are missing all those awkward pauses and trips over our tongues and whatnot, it's because Joylyn has expertly removed them and she does all kinds of other stuff for our ministry as well. I just want you to know, in front of God and everybody, that I appreciate you so much, so much.

Speaker 3: 1:43

Oh, I am. I am so grateful for the pair of you so much. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 1: 1:48

Yay. Well, let's dive right on in. Tell us about you, your season of life, what you do, your family, your schooling I know you've got some fun things going on right now what you enjoy, what fills your heart. Who is Joy Lynn Syme?

Speaker 3: 2:03

Okay, well, it's funny. When you were asking about the season in life, the first thing that comes to my head I guess I need to preface everything my brain is almost entirely lyrics of songs. So when we're asking about the season, I hear old Stevie Nicks song landslide. That's kind of where I'm at right now, if you know. You know, I'm currently a worship pastor at my church. I've been doing that for about almost 11 years now. I've been married to my high school best friend for almost 30 years. It's going to be 30 years in 2025.

Speaker 3: 2:41

We have four kids, four adult children and a son-in-law, or son-in-love I like to call him and then an extremely theatrical, precocious three-year-old granddaughter who just makes me smile all the time. She's just amazing. They all live fairly close. So I got to spend Christmas with them and it was good. Yeah, it's a lot. There's a lot of them and a lot of opinions, but it's a wonderful time to see how they're all growing up. I homeschooled them when they were all younger, so currently I'm actually studying to become a clinical herbalist, a Christian herbalist. I'm going in that direction. I have a very big desire to have people be completely whole, physically, spiritually, and completely free from counterfeit comforts.

Speaker 1: 3:40

Amen so.

Speaker 3: 3:41

I feel like you know, the herbalism is kind of part of that Trauma informed, understanding how our body works, understanding the aspects that we do in Revelation. Within all of that, you know, actually getting healed from the inside out is super important. I struggle with an autoimmune condition and so this is kind of out of desperation. I started doing all this for myself and I'm, like you know, god's calling me to something a little higher here, so that's my hope, I guess. My hobbies I have vintage hobbies. I love fiber arts. I love spinning wool and processing and doing all the knitting. I have these grandma arts, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 4:25

I love vintage Thank you, joy Lynn, yay, and you're a lot of fun too, by the way.

Speaker 2: 4:33

Yeah, definitely, definitely. So we would love to hear about your relationship with Jesus and how it is growing. Where are the two of you at?

Speaker 3: 4:44

Yeah, so my relationship with God is based almost entirely on desperation. I, jolynn Syme, desperately need the love, the truth and the help of Abba pretty much to do anything.

Speaker 2: 5:00

I can relate to that. Heidi and I and probably a lot of people listening yeah.

Speaker 3: 5:06

I've spent a lot of my life trying to do things for him in his name and in my own strength. So at this point in my life I'm like I've realized, just through everything I mean I guess you know just life, I don't have that ability. I can't do that without him. I can't, I can't be without God, you know, and I'm learning so much about his goodness and his faithfulness and that he's trustworthy. This has been something I've had to work through, because control you guys will hear about that a little bit has been an issue with me and I think some of the, even the physical stuff I've dealt with, has just brought me to a place of desperation. And so, yeah, I think that that's that's really where I'm at with God.

Speaker 2: 5:53

It's just yeah, Thank you.

Speaker 1: 5:56

Joy Lynn. God has blessed me with having a privilege of a pretty close friendship with you, joy Lynn, and as such, I mean I've had a chance to get to know some of what makes you tick a little bit. I think your upbringing was extremely unique oh boy was it and it's contributed to a lot of things that you like beliefs, especially that you hold about food, about eating, about body image. Would you mind terribly describing some of that for our listeners? I bet you there's a bazillion people that can relate to what you share?

Speaker 3: 6:33

Yeah, so I think about this and I think about my story. My dad was my mom's drug dealer to begin with, so that's a big deal when we start with that kind of idea. They were first generation Christians. They were radically saved drug addicts and there's no doubt in my mind that God absolutely did a miracle in their lives. The problem, as I can kind of see it now as an adult and looking back on this, is that they never experienced healthy discipleship and they never knew how to renew their minds. So this led them to constantly seeking counterfeit comforts and they saw, you know, things that they saw as safe and not sinful necessarily. So in this case, a lot of it was food related.

Speaker 3: 7:30

My dad was morbidly obese and was addicted to food and cigarettes and diets. I mean that was because he was always trying and my mom was severely anorexic and she came from an abusive home, so there was a lot that she never quite dealt with. So I can see these things now. But the result of that growing up was that there was so much shame, there was so much food. My mom would talk about how much she hated food and my dad didn't like himself and there was a lot of bad things that happened. Someone was always on a diet Mom hid the idea of it was healthy food, you know but there was very little of it that she would eat and very little little of it that she would allow us to eat. But my dad would just eat and eat and eat.

Speaker 3: 8:28

So it was hard. He also was a elder at the church and a chaplain in prison ministries and he was able to work with very hard people and bring them to the Lord hard people and bring them to the Lord. However, he had a very violent temper with us and it was complicated because I know my dad loved the Lord, I know my mom loved the Lord and I know there were plenty of people who were affected by their testimony. But at home that is not what we experienced. We experienced physical abuse that was under the guise of being disciplined and yeah, so it was. It was difficult.

Speaker 2: 9:18

I'm so sorry, thank you.

Speaker 3: 9:19

It's interesting because, as I've been working with Heidi, thank you. It's interesting because as I've been working with Heidi, I've been able to realize this more and more. You know that there actually was the word trauma and that has been very hard for me to wrap my head around. I have been able to go further in my healing since I've been able to recognize and acknowledge that I went through trauma. I think that's really important for anyone out there listening that I'm not blaming all of my issues on it, but this is something that absolutely affects the rest of my life, the rest of my story and even my children's story. So as a result of my upbringing, when I was about 11 years old, I remember the time very, very well. Kind of south of Colorado Springs, where I live, is a place called Pueblo and there's a big reservoir down there and we don't have a whole lot of water around Colorado. So Pueblo Reservoir is kind of the big body of water and we would go down there camping and I was in my swimming suit. I remember 11 years old in my swimming suit and I was just kind of getting out of the shade and my dad was sitting down next to me and he tapped my tummy and made a comment about how I was looking a little thicker. And I remember that moment and I remember the decision that I made. I remember the oath that I made at that moment. It was a vow which has since I've broken it, but I said I will never be like you, dad. And so at you know, 11 years old, I made that decision. I started with deciding that I was going to become a vegetarian. You know, because there was a lot of meat in our house and I embraced at that moment an eating disorder and it was probably brewing.

Speaker 3: 11:36

Before that, because of what I had seen, my parents both had eating disorders. I mean the morbidly obese, the anorexic, the bulimic they're all the same stronghold. Just if anyone's curious, it's all the same. And I think in some ways I also used that disorder as a protective mechanism. It became a companion, for lack of a better term. So that's kind of where that came from. Did you struggle with anorexia? Very much, okay, very much. When I got married at 19, I was very, very, very unhealthy, very, very, very unhealthy. I look at my wedding pictures and it's hard because I have struggled with body dysmorphia, that even at even at my skinniest. I remember thinking these thoughts like seeing my hips and seeing my shoulders blades and thinking if I could just scrape those down then maybe I would be a better size. And it's interesting because I remember at one point in my teens my mom confronted me on anorexia and I was like whoa, because she was a raging anorexic.

Speaker 1: 13:00

And I'm like she confronted you about being too anorexic or something. Yes, oh my gosh, I didn't know that.

Speaker 3: 13:06

Yeah, and you know the word hypocrite was very big in my brain most of the time when I was a teenager. Yeah, I was extremely underweight and you know I used to be in marching band and everything and I remember I would pass out often because I just wouldn't eat for days, and when I did eat I would sneak food and that's been something I've struggled with even to today. I know that there's another class coming up which I want to encourage everyone to come to.

Speaker 1: 13:40

Secret of Eating. We're calling it Escape from Secret of Eating.

Speaker 3: 13:43

Yeah, and that has a lot of power and you want to break that power and so yeah, so that was that was where it started. When I got married, I struggled with depression a lot as well I'm severe depression and when I got married very young, I love my husband so much. I think some of the reasons that I got married so young might've not been for the right reasons. I was trying to get away from some of the abuse, right yeah and um, so I fell into some depression and I and actually started gaining some weight. Um, when I got pregnant with my first child, I discovered bulimia and that was that was. It was kind of because of, you know, morning sickness and everything, and I realized, wow, this is something. So that was my biggest, I think, for most of my life. I think bulimia was the loudest of all three of them.

Speaker 1: 14:47

So all three being anorexia, overeating and bulimia. Correct, yeah, wow.

Speaker 2: 14:55

Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, thanks, joy Lynn. I wanted to just go back really quick. When you mentioned being desperate for the Lord. Yeah, being desperate for the Lord, you know it's just the best place to be.

Speaker 2: 15:09

And now, listening to this story and how you've shared about this incredibly traumatic upbringing that you had and that you know you have come out here I mean, god has brought you into a place of being such a beautiful, beautiful person and you have so much to give and so much to share, and so somehow, even though it was so painful and difficult, nothing will be wasted. You know, and that's God will use it and he's using it right now as you share, which takes so much courage. You know you're so brave to share, and so I love that you describe your relationship with God as desperate. That's the best place to be. You know, when we are desperate for him, we are the most open to what he's calling us to and to his healing and comfort and all those things that we all need.

Speaker 2: 16:07

I just wanted to say thank you for being so brave to share your story and your desperation for the Lord. It's beautiful, even though I'm so, so sorry that that happened for you, joy Lynn, and for so many people who are listening, I think you know their stories might be similar, yeah, okay. So moving forward, we'd love to hear when did you kind of invite God in to your struggle with food and eating kind of to the whole story and body image? Yeah, yeah, and body image and you know how has God met you in this incredibly challenging situation?

Speaker 3: 16:50

Sure, after I had my oldest daughter I knew that I was. You know, I wasn't doing some great things. I always knew that, you know, this is not the way to be healthy. So very early on I tried to invite God in as soon as I found out that was a possibility, because that was never something I was aware of when I was a child, you know, or even growing up it was. You know, these were separate things. But I had a friend, a very, very dear friend, who lives in Oregon, who invited me to go to Weigh Down workshop, and so I remember having my daughter's name is Michaela. Also, I know that Heidi's daughter's name, michaela, spelled different. I remember having Michaela in the little carrier and going to focus on the family and that's where they were doing the classes.

Speaker 2: 17:43

Oh, wow.

Speaker 3: 17:43

I would go there every week with my friend, patty and her mom and I was learning things, and I was learning about being mindful and how God was a part of this. But there was a lot of shame with that Because the standard that was presented to me I could not live up to and it ended up complicating things with my relationship with the Lord because I couldn't do what I thought I was supposed to do for him, thought I was supposed to do for him, and so it actually ended up triggering the eating disorders even more, saying I didn't. I didn't have enough self control to eat the way I was supposed to. According to Weigh Down. According to Weigh Down, yes, according to what I, what I saw from Weigh Down, there was very little grace in it. It's either you do it or you're not good enough um is what.

Speaker 3: 18:47

I got, and then I mean I had filters obviously, so not very healthy filters, but that's where I got from it, so it actually almost made it worse. At that point I knew God was supposed to be, but I didn't know my role in his role. Does that make sense?

Speaker 3: 19:05

Oh yeah, we hear that a lot, yeah, so I continued with that. I continued to go diet to diet and I kept taking control back from God that I can take it from him, he's in control. And it's difficult because I was always I've always been very visible and on stage for something different thing. I've led for women's conferences, I've been singing and acting in musicals, I've played different instruments on stage, I've led worship, and so I've been very, very sizes and and everything like you know it's gone up and down and up and down, and so that has been. You know, the shame was really big with that. You know, being visible on stage and feeling shame, and I always felt like I had to hide my dirty little secret. There was a women's retreat for the church I grew up in and I was helping to lead worship and I remember there was a room that they had off to the side that had a cross in it and you're supposed to be writing things on a rock and putting it at the foot of the cross throughout the weekend.

Speaker 2: 20:15

And.

Speaker 3: 20:16

I avoided going in there, but there was something gnawing on me so hard, and this is actually. I had just lost a great deal of weight using Weight Watchers. At that point, um, it was weight watchers and bulimia is what was happening. So, I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna pretend like that was okay.

Speaker 3: 20:35

I knew that it was an issue and when I finally decided to go into the room, I was overwhelmed with emotion and God made it very clear to me that I'm not trusting him, that I did not trust God at that moment and that the majority of everything I was dealing with was because of that and nobody else knew. I never said anything to anyone about the eating disorders. Yeah, and you know, you get compliments and oh, look, how thin you look and everything like that. And because you're on stage and you know lots of people throughout my life, a lot of people give their opinions about what I look like. So I think at that moment, when God revealed to me you know you don't trust me, I think I started to realize that desperation. It's like, okay, I need to figure something else out. So I did end up revealing to somebody that that's what I was dealing with and they actually started going into some counseling, some Christian counseling for the eating disorder at that point Awesome.

Speaker 2: 21:45

Yeah, good.

Speaker 3: 21:46

In that process, I was praying to God to show me something. I'm like, okay, you know, this is an issue, so I need help. So I started looking for something that was like Weigh Down but not Weigh Down. So I started doing some research and I also saw the leader of Weigh Down on a talk show and I'm like, okay, god, she's not quite right in the head, but I know what she's saying is right. So what's the answer? And so I started researching and I found Thin Within. And that's when I connected with Heidi. How many years ago was that? So I found it in 2012, but I started coaching with you in 2014. Okay, so it was about the same time Christina did.

Speaker 2: 22:35

Yeah, we started coaching in 2014. My Colorado girls. Yeah, I had been doing thin within for quite a while on my own and in groups and not getting anywhere at all yeah.

Speaker 1: 22:46

Our coaching began in 2014 and about the same time I was coaching with another Colorado girl and so when. I came to Colorado, I got to meet up with y'all and it was so much fun. But anyway, so back to your story.

Speaker 3: 23:02

Yeah. So I guess one of the things you'd asked was um, how has God been meeting me in the false beliefs that were established? And I'm a slow learner. It taken me a lot of years to allow God to actually begin tearing down the lies that I had learned from childhood, I bet. But one of the things I love there was a book called hunger within. I actually got out the book I think it was last night. Heidi and I started looking at it again and all the notes we had taken together.

Speaker 3: 23:34

But in the first chapter it talks about grave clothes being removed and the different layers, and I think that that's something that I've had to realize. Sometimes it's a slow process, sometimes there are things you have to go through and the different layers, and so I think that's where I'm at right now. God started tearing down those lies and replacing them with the truths, and it's still something, obviously daily. I need to just silence the enemy and listen to what he's saying, to just you know, silence the enemy and listen to what he's saying Good stuff.

Speaker 2: 24:10

So for those who are listening when you talk about lies, I mean some people I know are might be like what is she talking about lies? What are the lies about you? Are the lies about God or the lies about what?

Speaker 1: 24:22

are they about? Yeah, give us some examples.

Speaker 3: 24:24

Some of the lies are that I'm not good enough, that I haven't done enough, that he isn't good or that he is like my earthly father Right, those are some big ones that he isn't trustworthy. I mean, you know that if I had enough self-discipline, I would look a certain way right now. My health would be good enough if I had enough self-discipline. Those are some of the lies that I have to combat.

Speaker 1: 25:01

What about worthy of love? Were there any lies that came out of your childhood, maybe, that you struggled with, or even still struggle with occasionally, about what it takes to be worthy of love, either from God or from others, or for yourself?

Speaker 3: 25:15

Oh, absolutely. I think the worthiness in general, worthy to eat, that is. That is something even I'll be completely honest listener Even today did I earn the right to eat, Did I earn the love that I need?

Speaker 1: 25:35

Did I do?

Speaker 3: 25:36

enough to be loved? Did I do enough to be accepted? And obviously, even as I'm saying this, it sounds ridiculous. No, no, it doesn't these are the realities of what the enemy tries to throw at.

Speaker 1: 25:49

Yes, I think there's more people who can identify with that than we could ever imagine.

Speaker 2: 25:56

Both Heidi and I have heard those same lies shared so many times, and we've shared them ourselves as well. So, I appreciate those examples for sure, yeah.

Speaker 1: 26:08

What has God been teaching you about breaking free from the impact of believing those lies? You know that shame and fear and self reliance, and I'll do it my way or whatever. How has he been teaching you about that stuff?

Speaker 3: 26:22

Well. So the biggest thing is I know shame is not from God, it's from the enemy Fear is a liar, yes, and like I said earlier, I can do all things only in his strength. I mean like there's nothing else. I cannot conjure or create a reality where I'm enough without him.

Speaker 1: 26:42

Right.

Speaker 3: 26:43

Yeah, so I think that that's a big thing. Also, an interesting thing is when I think about trying to be good enough. The reality is there will always be someone who is better than me. Someone's going to be a better singer, someone's going to be a better mother. Say, oh, this is a standard and there's a really wonderful colloquialism, it's true is comparison is the thief of joy? Yes, and even against myself, that's not what I should be trying to do. It's I need to be understanding who I am in God, my identity in Christ, and so I think that that's what he's been teaching me. You know that it's not about anyone else not even about me.

Speaker 3: 27:35

It's about him. I've just spent so much of my life trying to control everything, yeah. So I think those are the big things he's been teaching me about that, and how much freedom there is when I'm not going to say let go and let God, because I think theologically there might be some issues with that. But there is something.

Speaker 2: 27:57

I think that so many people come to us with so much shame and feeling so unworthy and feeling like I'm not enough, I've never been enough, I will never be enough, which is true, as you said, god is enough in us. But I think it's so important that you know we have compassion towards ourselves and grace towards ourselves for all that we've been through. You know, everybody has a story. We wouldn't be here at this podcast unless we had a story many and most of us about food, eating, body image, many, many about abuse. So I just think it's so important. I feel like we have been and I'm speaking about myself too mean, basically mean to ourselves for so many years. You know, and it's like, wait a minute, look at all I've been through, look at all you've been through, look at all Heidi's been through and what God has done.

Speaker 2: 28:59

I think for so many of us, it's so hard to be compassionate toward ourselves and to give ourselves grace and say, wow, look what you've been through, oh my gosh. And you know, look who you are. You're God's girl, you're beautiful, you're amazing Not in yourself. You know, god does that in us and, of course, he's in the business of redeeming and he's in the business of making things new. So, anyway, if somebody out there is feeling like, oh my gosh, that's me, and they've been heaping basically condemnation and awful thoughts on top of themselves, just to say give yourself a break, have compassion towards yourself and grace, because that's how God greets us. He greets us with compassion, patience, grace, love, excitement, like I think about when we turn to him, and he's excited to see us because he loves us so much. Anyway, I just love that you shared that, joy Lynn, and how God is meeting you in all of those lives. It's so important and it's something that I think we've all dealt with in some way, so I just appreciate that so much.

Speaker 1: 30:16

Before we go on, can I follow up on something? Yeah?

Speaker 2: 30:19

of course.

Speaker 1: 30:20

You know, to see how God has impacted you. Relative lies that you've believed is really helpful to so many you. Relative lies that you've believed is really helpful to so many you. Earlier on in our interview together just now, you mentioned body dysmorphia, which is kind of at its heart. It's a boatload of lies, oh yeah, yeah. And so I thought maybe there might be somebody who doesn't really understand what body dysmorphia is and I know it's been a part of your story and maybe sometimes it still is. I don't know, but could you kind of follow up with that and and maybe relate it to what God has been teaching you about freedom from shame and fear and self-reliance?

Speaker 3: 31:02

Sure, I can try. Yeah, I can try to answer that. So my understanding of body dysmorphia is where, you see, you perceive yourself as completely different than you actually are. In the way it works with me and, yeah, it still does affect me. It still does. It's almost like what I see in the mirror is so distorted and it's obviously. It's a spiritual thing and honestly, I think that it's so prevalent right now, even in our world.

Speaker 1: 31:35

Yes.

Speaker 3: 31:36

And I'm not going to get into some of the details where I think that it's affecting people. I think we as believers kind of know how it's affecting, how the enemy is just really wanting to use that tool a lot and it has to do with identity and lordship.

Speaker 3: 31:52

It has to do with who we are in Christ and who we understand that we are in Christ. I guess, at the core it's the physical appearance versus the reality, right, and that's not in any circumstance, that's, that's not never where we should be getting our identity from, or sense of value and worth. Exactly, exactly. And there are so many people that I see around me who struggle with that so much that they don't see themselves how they actually are.

Speaker 3: 32:28

So one of the issues with body dysmorphia is that yeah it does alter reality of what you're actually looking at and, as I had said earlier that when I was looking in the mirror and I saw bones jutting out, obviously there was no fat on them and feeling the need to scrape them it is. It is such a lie from the enemy that that's even a that's reality at all. I mean it's. It's literally. You're seeing something so jaded it's like you're looking at a fun house mirror almost Right, and even my weight right now, which we don't need to talk about, but there's still. It's what you see versus what's real.

Speaker 2: 33:16

And you know, obviously at Revelation Within, we talk about mind renewal all the time. It's one of our favorite things to talk about, yes, and we love talking about it, because it is the way that God has really designed for us to break free of so many of the old patterns and cycles and the shame and guilt, and, oh, my goodness, you know. And so I wanted to ask you about mind renewal. What does it look like to you? Like, let's say, someone is jumping into this podcast for the first time and it's like well, what is that? What does it look like to you? And then, how do you kind of weave it into your life? What does it look like for you?

Speaker 3: 34:00

Okay, mind renewal has been a journey for me. Yeah, at first I think I thought of it kind of like a mental game that I would play with myself. I'm like, okay, we'll do this, we'll play this game. I don't know how much stock I put in it. When we first started doing this, to be quite honest, I was like, all right, I know the scriptures, I know what I'm supposed to do. That's self-reliance again. Right, exactly. But you know what's me saying these scriptures, what's me ruminating on these? What is it even going to do?

Speaker 3: 34:37

I wasn't aware of the spiritual product that comes from obedience in the word, as listeners hear all the time. Romans 2, 2, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. It's first you do, and then this is the result, and I think the obedience is what made the difference. And just saying, okay, I'm going to trust Again, it's a trusting God made the difference and just saying, okay, I'm going to trust Again, it's a trusting God, I'm going to do these things. And there has been a result, whether I expected it or not, and at this point, I have alarms set a couple of times a day to renew my mind Awesome, yeah. So that's one way that I do it's daily, and my favorite tool is the breath prayers.

Speaker 3: 35:28

Right now, I also have gates set up. So what I mean by that is if I'm really tired and achy which what happens with my stupid autoimmune thing and I just want to lay on my phone and I just want to scroll. There's nothing innately bad with that, but what I feel like God has called me to do in order to protect my spirit and to make sure that I'm listening to what he says instead of what Instagram says I have to he's feeding you the Instagram feed, or not? Exactly Right, I need to spend time in his word and I need to spend time in mind renewal. Before I let myself do that, do I always do it? No, sometimes my flesh gets in the way, but that's one example.

Speaker 3: 36:19

I have other gates too. When I get up in the morning, even before I take my medication, I felt like God said this a long time ago to me that, yes, there is physical healing that needs to happen, but the spiritual healing has to take place first, and so even before I take my meds in the morning, I need to read his word. It's almost like a different kind of medicine, and so there are specific times, but mostly just all day long. I'm like, okay, it's time to renew again, it's time to renew my mind, it's time to renew my mind. And so it is made such a big difference and my you know, my cynicism is gone. I don't know if anyone else does that. It's like, okay, yeah, sure.

Speaker 2: 37:10

Yeah, what is a breath prayer? Just real quick, what is that? How do you do that? So I know, I love the book.

Speaker 3: 37:19

It's funny. Heidi bought it for me and I gave one copy to one person and I gave another copy to another and anyway I have it's my third copy now, and I gave another copy to another and anyway I have it's my third copy now.

Speaker 3: 37:29

A breath prayer is basically it's a really wonderful for relaxation and for stress Well, for anything really. But you take a scripture and it's basically you're breathing it in and breathing it out. You're taking God's truth and breathing it in and breathing it out. So one example of a breath prayer would be the scripture be still and know that I am God. So you would breathe in, be still, and you just kind of breathe it in and you hold there and then you exhale and know that I am God and you do that several times and in that moment that scripture is just getting in and out. This just reminded me of something. There is an amazing truth that the word Yahweh, which is that's the name of God, when you read it in Hebrew it's actually looks like it's actually breathing in and breathing out. So his name is breathing in and breathing out.

Speaker 3: 38:29

So his name is breathing in and breathing out and so everybody, whether you're a believer or not, is in the breath that God is in. He created us, he gave us life, he gave us breath. We are declaring his name every breath we take, but to put the scripture in with that is so incredibly effective. So, that's one of my favorites, Of course, like I had mentioned earlier, with lyrics in my head all the time, I'm always going back to worship songs as another mind renewal. Truth cards super important. Speaking truth and truthless super, super important.

Speaker 2: 39:10

What is a truth card?

Speaker 3: 39:12

Oh, okay, well, as I'm going through and combating lies like the ones we spoke about earlier, that I hear the enemy saying I combat that with the truth in God's word, and then I write them down on note cards and I have them taped up around my house, like even at my computer right here I have one that says it isn't about the weight, it's about your worth. Perfect, right there. I don't know. Sometimes when I'm editing the podcast, you know there are some gems that I write down.

Speaker 2: 39:50

Awesome, joy Lynn. Thank you. That's so fun. And you know what, when you were talking about that, you just really lit up. So I know that you know the listeners can't see, but you lit up when you talked about that and I think that's really telling of how God is meeting you in his truth and how his truth is changing your experience, your life, your day to day. Yeah, so I love that and I love imagining you having song lyrics in your head all day long. That's one of my favorite ways to renew my mind. But I'm not, you know, listening as much and doing as much as you are with music. So I I just love that as well. Thanks, joy Lynn.

Speaker 1: 40:34

Yeah, Well, as we kind of wrap up, how do you feel like your view of yourself, your worth and how you think God sees you? How has that all shifted? I mean, I assume it has it has.

Speaker 3: 40:49

It has, but this is what I still struggle with and Heidi you can attest to that she listens to me a lot and hears my struggles. I think the biggest thing is that I don't see God as someone who I have to perform for.

Speaker 2: 41:09

Yay, yes, yeah, that's humongous.

Speaker 3: 41:14

It is really big. I'm his masterpiece, which I oh, that's one of my favorite truths and it's not because of my own talent, it's not because of how I look, it's not because of what I do, but it's because of him. Yes, I'm perfectly and wonderfully made. Psalm 139, 14. I have to tell you guys, at the height of my eating disorder and my depression and I've always been committed to the Lord, I mean, obviously there's I grew up in that Christian home as we talked about, and you know there were bumps on my journey where I tried to explore some other things, but I've always known that I was created by the King of the universe. But that scripture, psalm 139, 14, and I might get a little emotional here but that scripture, psalm 139, 14, and I might get a little emotional here.

Speaker 3: 42:07

There was a time where I literally physically could not say those words. I couldn't. There was some spiritual oppression happening and I don't know how some people feel about that. It doesn't matter. There's a truth and there's a reality that our battle isn't against flesh and blood.

Speaker 2: 42:24

Right.

Speaker 3: 42:24

There is a supernatural and the enemy did not want me to be able to say those things and I couldn't. And now I can, yes, I can, yes. Do I always feel it? No, one of the things that I feel like, because there's been so many lies I feel through my life that I've heard and believed. As a worship minister, one of the biggest things I've been called to do is to be a herald and proclaim the truth of God, and every single song I sing, every single word that I have the congregation sing, it has to be truth, the congregation sing, it has to be truth. And I think that making those things so much louder than the enemy is very significant, and I think that that is the biggest way things have shifted in my life is that there's nothing that I don't want to be in secret.

Speaker 3: 43:19

I don't want to have my secret sins, I don't want to be believing these lies and being in my own little world with my reality that I control, which is not real, but to be able to recognize that God is the one who is in control. He is the one who is paramount.

Speaker 2: 43:37

So for the people who are listening and for us too, of course. Someone is thinking you know what I am such a mess I am so far from quote unquote, arriving. I just I hear so many people struggle and I struggled with this for many years about being in process, being on the journey, just wanting to skip the journey and just get to that place of being healed and free and all those things. What would you say to somebody out there who might be thinking that, someone who might be thinking is the process valuable? Like, is it okay to be?

Speaker 3: 44:20

a mess. Yes, oh, I hope so. Oh, I hope it's okay. I, oh, my goodness. Yes, yes, it's okay. It is okay to be in process You're supposed to be. This is a journey. Life isn't a. This is not the ending. The ending is when we get to be in paradise with Jesus forever. Yes, yes, there's so much grace in walking in him. We don't have to be have it all together. About a year ago, heidi invited me to do this interview and I have felt like, oh, I'm not ready, I'm not ready, I'm not ready. No, we're never ready.

Speaker 1: 45:00

That's the thing we're never ready Right.

Speaker 3: 45:02

The process is so important the walking through the day to day, the walking with Jesus hand in hand, daily, moment by moment, being in that desperate place saying no, I can't do that, I can't do that, but you can. It's just so important to actually just take that time and recognize that it's all a process and that's where we're learning. That's where we're learning, that's where we're growing. If we weren't, if we weren't going forward, we'd be stagnant. There's death in that. We want life. We want life is moving.

Speaker 2: 45:41

Life is moving. I love that, I love that, I love that.

Speaker 1: 45:45

Chock full of so much wisdom and I knew a year ago it would be. Yes, I'm so glad that you had the courage to do this with us.

Speaker 2: 45:55

Finally, I mean we're so glad, we're so grateful.

Speaker 1: 46:01

Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you, Joy Lynn. I trust that you listener have been blessed by Joy Lynn and her wisdom and the lessons God has been teaching her, and you'll come back and join us again.

Speaker 2: 46:16

Yes, Come back and join us again on our next podcast of Revelation Within On the go. Podcast of Revelation Within on the go. See you next time.

Speaker 1: 46:33

Bye, for now Bye.