Finding Freedom: Known by God with Joyel Ep.22

Sarah Annie Schneider: To the Addicted to God Podcast. I'm your host and Bible mentor, Sarah Schneider, and I am addicted to God. Addicted to God is a community of imperfect people who are pursuing a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. For over 20 years, I have been on my own Addicted to God journey, but this movement was inspired by the hundreds of incarcerated women whom I have mentored over the past decade in my local jail. The more I learned about their addictive behaviors, the more I realized my zeal to know and understand God's word isn't that different from their uncontrollable desire to use their drug of choice. So in a nutshell, addicted to God is where we transfer the unhealthy, unsatisfying, and in some cases destructive habits and choices to the freedom and fulfillment that can only come from the one and only healthy addiction, God and his limitless word. Today's podcast is especially special to me because we're going to be talking with Joelle, who is the founder of the Women's Known Conference. I'm so excited to have you today, Joel. Well, I'm honored to be here. It is just a blessing. I've been able to listen to some of your podcasts and Learning lots of nuggets along the way as well. So thank you for what you're doing. Thank you. It's definitely all to God's glory and his credit. He has thrown me way outside of my comfort zone, he has definitely embarked a passion in me to help more people who are seeking, who are trying to figure out this God thing, who are confused by what a higher power is. And some who are just stuck and don't know where to start. And I'm just honored that God would give me. This platform. So I think he does that sometimes. Puts us in our uncomfortable things so he gets all the glory in that we don't. You are so not wrong. this podcast is a testament to it. And I have a feeling you're gonna have some similar paths to describe as we talk about the known conference today. before we really kick off into getting to know you better and all the things about this exciting podcast, I have a confession. I'm excited about having you on this podcast. the reason is, when we first met over coffee in that tiny little coffee shop in Little Shoot, I remember walking away thinking, I did not even let her speak. I was just puking out my life story and you got to know me, but I really didn't get to know you. So this podcast is gonna be intriguing and I'm gonna lean in because I am sincerely interested in getting to know you better as a sister in Christ. Well thank you. I didn't feel that. I loved hearing your story and what God has done in your life and what he is doing. I think that that's the journey that we're all on, right? we wanna know That were known and seen and loved. And so that's the whole hope of my conference. And so that's the reason why I love to get together and do this as well. So I'm excited to share. God has given me a story for sure, and we are able to share our testimony so that other people can grow and learn. And yeah, just excited to be here. Perfect. Well, before we get down the road too far, Who is Joyelle? And tell tell me about you. Yeah. I'm a mama of two beautiful girls. They're 10 and 11. I've been married to my high school sweetheart for 15 years. coming in January. but I love to travel, I love to kayak, I love to be outside, but I don't love trees because I'm allergic to all of them. so you know, being outside. By the water is my jam. I just went to school for teaching and taught for two years. But yeah, I wrote The Dignity Revolution with Deb Tachman and my father, Bob Lenz. and got to talk about mental health and wellness and that was really my passion. but then I knew that God was calling me to be more present at home. so in my exit interview of Dignity Revolution, they actually offered for me to purchase the known women's conference. I didn't think that you could buy a conference. That was not really a thing for me. but In my exit interview, they're like, We think you should pray about this and you should talk to your husband about this. And so we joke and we laugh a lot about that day because I was like I don't love women's conferences because I always, felt like you had to put on a performance, you had to be something, you had to have your acts together, and that is just not my life. And so we always joke, I am learning to love women's conferences, and now I get to host one of my own. So, yeah, that's a little bit about me. Those are some of the things that I love. my favorite color is green. I love Reese's peanut butter cups. What other fun facts about me? I don't have the sense of smell. That's another fun fact. people think that they're like, Well, can you smell skunks? I'm just like, nope can't smell. Anything. nothing has ever been able to come through. we don't know why. I have talked to lots of doctors about it and we can't figure out exactly why, but have decided to not do surgery because I am, you know, with good without that sense. there are some smells I wish I didn't smell. You mentioned a skunk. Yes, I can probably list a handful that maybe not smelling would be a gift. Yeah, yeah. I love that. Hey, I'm glad you did a shout out to your dad, Bob Lens, because I have talked about your dad in my unworthiness episode because he gave me a really great practical tip to how to reach youth and to talk to them about their value and their worth. your dad has really been a blessing in my life and Life Fest is his big ministry and that has been so powerful and impressionable in my own family. So shout out to By lens. Yeah, yeah. It was an honor. I worked for him for 15 years. I was his assistant. And then the last couple of years did Digney Revolution. And so it's been a blessing. the ministry that they continue to have and the friendship that me and my dad have is really sweet. So really honored by him. He is such a blessing and hilarious. I love that. one of the things about the Addicted to God podcast is we love to hear, and you mentioned it earlier, your testimony. how did God become such a significant part of your life? How did you find him? What was that journey like? Absolutely. So I grew up in a Christian home. my mom and dad instilled those values in us from a very young age. But I was living two different lives. I was the good church kid, going to church, doing the thing. performing the way that they wanted me to perform and then living differently at school. when I was with my friends, I was a different person. I was living a different way. But at a church camp in eighth grade, I went and Greg Sampson did a message on putting mud on our hands and going down to wash them like Jesus washes us. And he came back and He was like, Okay, that's great, but like look underneath your fingernails. Are there still some things that you're holding on to this world instead of giving your whole life to Jesus? Are you trying to be two different people? And I was like, no, he's talking to me. because that was my life. That was the things I was wanting to fit in. I was wanting to belong. I was wanting to feel those things. And so that was really the time that he said, okay, go back again and give God your whole life. And that was for me what I would say was my moment of inviting Jesus into my life and letting him be the leader of my life. my grandma was a huge foundational piece in my story as well. So even though I might not have fully accepted everything that she had to give me. she loved well and she shared Jesus with me over her table often. So those were kind of the two big things for me that I would say have brought me closer to the Lord. But honestly, the journey continues. it's not just like the sanctification process for me is like it's continually happening. so nine years ago I had a traumatic episode and was diagnosed with bipolar. Overseas came home and there was there was lots of things that were happening in that time. But my relationship with Jesus now looks a lot different than it did when I was in eighth grade. and I rely on him every single day because I can't do it without him and I can't walk with him without Daily surrendering, hourly, maybe even every minute, surrendering to myself and the things that God has called me to give up so that I can walk with Him closer. I love that. And there is so much to unpack in your story. So, first of all, thank you for your vulnerability because I think that speaks to many, many people. One thing that I do want to credit to grandmothers, they are so powerful. And when I have been mentoring women in jail and I ask the women, tell me about your story, tell me what you know about Jesus, tell me what you know about the Bible. And the majority, if not all of them, have said, my grandmother was instrumental in my life. She modeled my faith. She never stopped praying for me. She was always there when I needed it. so to the grandmothers out there that might be listening to this podcast, you are precious and your lives really matter and you're making an impact, even though you don't even know it. at the time, like how many years ago? Fifteen? Yeah. Through that you know, through those times. So such a journey. Cool, cool, cool to grandmothers. I have goosebumps. Yeah. Then you said bipolar. And you know, mental illness is so prevalent in our country. And people feel like that's almost like a crutch. And even the apostle Paul had that thorn in the flesh. And we never were given the explanation about what Paul suffered through. you know, God is present, even when our minds might not be fully optimal and functional. And I mean, girl, I feel you. I'm in menopause. So maybe that's a little TMI. But brain frog and frustration and forgetfulness and all the things that come along with the different stages of life. It's real, right? And God says in this world we will have trouble. But take heart. He has overcome the world. And through my own journey in health too, I cling to the verse, I wanna say it's John sixteen thirty-three, my peace I give you, my peace I leave with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, do not be afraid. And those are the kinds of things that to your point, wake up every single day, get in God's word. He is the breath and bread of life, and we need him. Amen. We need him every single day. So what a testament to you and your walk and your journey and God and his role that he's playing and to your point in your life today, but continually in your life. I can also align with your sense of I'm not the same person today as I was. we've all had prodigal years. in an earlier episode I mentioned kind of what you were talking about. I strapped Jesus on like a backpack. And I did the church things and I did the good girl things and I put on all the facade and performances, but really at the end of the day when nobody was looking or I was around friends or confronted with anything that remotely made church feel icky, I I took that backpack off. Absolutely. I think too we all have something that is bringing us closer to him. that feels to us like this heavy backpack of like, I don't want that God. Like I don't want, you know, I didn't want my diagnosis. I don't want that to define me. for years I didn't talk about it because that was something that for me, I was like, if I say those words, then somebody is going to say, that is who she is. And for me, that was really, really hard. I didn't show up in the ways that I could show up before knowing what I know now. and so it's been a journey. I just shared my story three years ago now. and I've been, you know, in the process of uncovering more and more. But as I share, I found out so many more ladies are struggling with that, men and women as well. they're walking through those journeys and they want somebody To say, hey, I understand, I see you, I'm gonna walk with you, I empathize that you have gone through this and we're gonna walk through this together. And I love the addicted to God because that's the only way we can get through a lot of these things, you know, is by replacing the old patterns with the things of Him. So my favorite verse is Philippians 4, 8. you know, whatever's true, whatever is right, whatever is noble. Think on such things. And I go through those things often because it's retraining my brain. It's rewiring some of those things and walking through some of those things together. And your description of mental health and it doesn't define you is also so true in the addicted space. Addiction has such a stigma and people are ashamed and they're living in the shadows or they're trying to keep this deep secret because they think that it either defines them or they would be discarded or written off or whatever society would label somebody with with that. And you're right. When I see people praise their sobriety and they are celebrating their benchmarks of days of being clean or they're they're hitting those big milestones. I'm so proud of them. And I know that that's inspiring people. So thank you. Thank you for coming out of the shadows with that because I agree God is going to use that in the biggest, most powerful ways. even in my support groups the number one thing I hear is I had no idea I wasn't alone. And even though everybody has their own different type of suffering, we're all suffering. There are hard things and some are really gut punches and other things are you know, a season where we're transitioning through change or grief or whatever. so I'll be watching. I'll be watching your story and I'm excited to see it take shape because there's no question God's in it. Thank you. Thank you. So the known conference. I did not know you purchased it. So that's interesting. I thought it was your own brainchild and that God put this undying passion in your heart and fueled you to create something from nothing. So tell me more about the conference. what's the heart behind it and The community for it. Yeah. known started during COVID actually. So we had been planning for over a year and a half with a team of nine of us at Life Fest. so we were working together. a lot of people had said, hey, we really want, this connection point. so, we had talked a lot of different things that were gonna happen, but our whole hope was authenticity, vulnerability, and being known, which is why we picked that. we started during COVID though. So that was a hard time to say, okay, we're pivoting a hundred percent virtual. but we see God's hand over it all now. because we have walked with multiple states, multiple churches that have continued to watch, continue to be a part of what we are doing. it's just really, really cool of what God's doing. So yeah, what our our pillars are connecting women, growing community, and strengthening faith. So those are our three main pillars that we want the ladies to walk away, feeling more connected with the Lord, feeling more connected with one another, and growing together. community is heartbeat for us. so we do round tables. We could fit a lot more people in if we're just sitting, but we feel like we want to share a meal together. We want to talk around a table. We want to build community with the people that are coming and some that are coming alone. We want them to feel welcomed and connected. but my heartbeat and my passion is for some ladies that are addicted to certain substance abuses or just walking through different struggles that they're going through. So we partner with five different organizations that are anti-human trafficking organizations. And so some of these ladies aren't able to attend the conference because they are in jail or are just getting out of jail or just, you know, different circumstances. But we have 60 ladies that come. So 10% of our population that come with their volunteers and sponsors To say, hey, we see you, we love you, and we want to walk alongside you. And so we partner together with Her Alliance and Damascus Road and Five Stones and Exodus Project and Redeem and Restore, all to say, hey, we want you here. You belong here. You are part of us. It's not an us in them, it's not a division, it's a multiplication, joining together. to see what God's gonna do. And so two years ago two of the ladies got to share their story and it was powerful to me to walk alongside ladies that have continued to have that thorn in their flesh but continually turning to Jesus in that and what a powerful testimony that these ladies have. to continue to bring people closer to him. I'm actually getting lunch with one of them today. I love just continuing a relationship, continuing to walk alongside people. So that's a little nugget of what known is for me, our pillars and what we do. And you articulated it well. So it's clearly your passion. Community is so important as you mentioned and isolation is so prevalent also, especially when you're facing mental health challenges or you are in the addictive space or you've got that stigma of, jail, prison. And just even those of us who maybe haven't had something as extreme, but we still face something that was painful and hard. And the Lord, obviously met us where we're at. But to have people walking alongside of you to that and through that is it's how God designed it to be. Absolutely. I'm actually writing a book and I haven't shared this publicly yet. but the whole the whole premise is community, of belonging and being authentically connected. I think so many women are striving for this relationship. this connection, this depth. They wanna be seen and known. I was like, Yeah, God, I don't really wanna do that. Like that's for other people. Like, you know, that's a whole nother journey. And he was like, Nope, you have a story to share of how real connection can happen. Real authentic relationships are formed. Yeah, I'm in the process. It's gonna be a long journey. If you've written a book, you get that. Like it has been that, but I I don't feel equipped or called to do those things, but he is equipping and calling me. And so I will rely on his strength and not my own. Mm-hmm. Boy, can I relate to that on so many levels. What advice would you have for the women who are listening to this and feeling that sense of inadequacy? I have in jail talked to women who have said, I can't go to church. They will look at me funny. They won't accept me. it's just not a safe space. I don't feel like I belong. So what advice would you have for that particular woman? Well, first I I want to apologize on behalf of some of the church. I think there is so many layers there of pain and hurt. And I think we Have not seen people how Jesus sees them. he has said the sick need the doctor, the healthy do not. And I think we think we have to have it all together or put together in order to come to the table. that is not who he is, that is not who our God is, and that is not what our churches should be sharing. So first off, I apologize on behalf of the feelings that you feel like you have to come with having it all together. well said. God wants us to come as you are. And I would say walk with other ladies together. We need to link arms together. I am at Appleton Alliance now. I have been there for three years and we love it. we sit on the top So come and sit with me. I would love to walk alongside with you and welcome you. But wherever you are going, find somebody to go with you. I think that is the scariest thing is going alone. but I think the bravery to go alone and to find somebody is what God is also calling us to do. So as, the church, we need to be opening up our eyes to welcome those that are there for the first time, but also invite them in. Bring them to, Discovery Land This is where you can bring your kiddos so they can be discipled and you can as well. I know my kids cannot sit through service and that is why we love Appleton Alliance because my kiddos are just squirrely and and that's okay. Yeah, I think my other thing that I would say to them is start small. don't think that it has to be this like grandius big thing. start small and know that it's gonna take time. So if you come just once and you have a bad experience, don't write off every church. That might not be the right church for you, but don't write off every church. I think we are so quick to say, well, that is lumped into all people. Like that one experience is everything. Yeah. I think through my journey, I have had to walk through healing as well. And so it's it's gonna take time. you know, we have to slow down and just say, Okay, I'm gonna try again. I'm gonna walk again. I'm going to believe again that God is who he says he is, not who this world might say he is. it's interesting that you ask the church to come out and meet a higher standard as believers. But I also To encourage the person who is reluctant to walk through those doors to say it's not about what the people think or do. it's about the Lord. And it's about you and God and being amongst a community of believers and fellowship in praise and worship and just the environment that really in a big church like Alliance, you can just kind of be in the back and not even be known because it's so big. And that for some people is instrumental because that is that connection with God. It's just them and God, no matter how big the crowd is. I hope somebody would hear this and really wanna walk through their church doors if it has been years just knowing you're welcome back. You mentioned that known was started in COVID. God has taken COVID in so many ways and made it really powerful. You mentioned the virtual aspects of it. And that's another part about somebody listening to this that might be outside of the area and not have access to a church like Alliance. You know, it's online, so you can start plugging in even from a distance and then proceed to finding a similar church that they can connect with in their own respective communities. So we are so blessed. There's no question about that. but COVID, back to the kickoff of known. I know that was a challenge just based on the timing, but talk about other obstacles that potentially you have faced in ministry or even in life and how God has helped you through those tougher times. yeah, so He has a sense of humor. So, there's been so many obstacles. I just nine weeks ago I had hip surgery for the second time on the same hip just a year later. And some of those obstacles for me are really hard because with my mental health I love to walk and listen to the word and connect with people. so I do my first mile with the Lord. I listen to my Bible in my ears or a worship song in my ears while I'm walking. And the second mile I am connecting on Marco Polo with my friends and sharing what God's doing and doing life with them. and I couldn't do that because of my hip surgery. And that was so, so hard. for sure. Not just for my mental health, but my physical health and my connection with the Lord and with people. And I was like Having this wrestle of like, God, what? What are you trying to teach me in this? And everybody's like, you gotta slow down. you gotta rest. And I a hundred percent believe that God put that there for us, not just for him. I think that we need to rest and that that was on purpose. there's so many studies now, not just in the Christian world, but that were like, yeah, we need, we need to rest. So I agree with that. But the coolest part for me was the people that came alongside me and the stories that I got to hear. because I was laying in my bed for two weeks and wasn't able to move and do the things that I was doing, people were coming to me and building that community. And I am so grateful for online church. I am so grateful for podcasts that I can listen to and grow in. that's actually when I listened to all of the Addicted to God podcasts because I was able to slow down and to you know you know get to know you better and get to know your heart and your story and God just really has a fun way to say hey we're gonna shift your perspective. through COVID we launched virtual known and just this year we launched known hometowns which are now going hybrid so they can watch some of our speakers online and some will come to their church in person and so we're gonna do 12 of these across the country. we are really excited about what God's doing with that but that was never in my plan of like, we're gonna we're gonna do twelve nones across the, you know, things like that sounds like a lot of work. That sounds like God. It sounds like God. And so that is the cool thing of just, you know, we can look at our circumstances and think, woe is me. I have another hip surgery. I have my mental health. I'm addicted to Pornography, I'm addicted to, substance, whatever that is, there we can always look and say, that is that or we can say, Okay, God, you do say we are going to have trouble in this world. What can I learn from this and how can I use this to invite other people to learn the sanctification process as well? It's not always fun. I don't always have that attitude of like God, what are you teaching me in this? Some days I have my woe is me. but I think as we shift our perspective to him rather than this world, that is one thing that has been huge. A friend of mine just spoke at Life Fest and she talked about Francis Chan's rope analogy and he had this super, super long rope. And there's this tiny little bit that is red. And he said, in light of eternity, red is our life here on Earth. And so it's super short. It and so how are we like, you know, living our life, yes, but like w what's gonna matter in a hundred years? What is gonna matter, you know, long term? And so how can we readjust and realign our perspective for that? I'd love to hear some of your tools or methodologies on how you take yourself from questioning why and the pain is real and we get self-absorbed in that place because it's our stuff and it's not fun. how do you move yourself? Is there a strategy you use or a way that you can get those emotions that are extremely real and overwhelming, and recenter yourself on Christ. So I'm a big fan of journaling. I think that that has been one of the biggest things for me to say, get it out. cause I'm a verbal processor. So call a friend, tell them what's going on. But then the biggest thing is to look back. God has been so faithful and continues to be faithful. so I do prayer requests often, writing them down for other people, but then going back to those journals and looking at his faithfulness of how he has answered. And sometimes it's like, I wouldn't have answered it in that way, God, but holy man, you knew what you were doing. and So journaling is a big one. Gratitude is a huge one. That's a big one for me. I my sister does Thankful Thursdays at her work, and she's always late to pick up the kids on Thursdays because it takes a little bit longer than she always expects. But it's it's so fun to say I'm gonna slow down and be specific about what I'm thankful for. Yes, we can be thankful for our kids and our family and the chairs that we're sitting in and the things that we have. But like I'm thankful for the breath in my lungs. I'm thankful for an opportunity to walk alongside somebody else. I'm thankful for, you know, getting more specific is where I see God really move my heart and shift my perspective off of myself and my circumstances to say, what what is the greater picture here? I s I shared about walking. I think for me that rhythm and that pattern is huge for me. I love opening the word and I love reading the Bible. But I have a hard time with my brain not going to a hundred different areas. So I listen and then I write some things that God is teaching me in that. Again. Everyone has a little different pattern, a little different way to connect with the Lord. another one is worship. a good song that is at the right time. but community is probably my number one. when I'm not doing well, I'm reaching out to my family and my friends who know me know the struggles that I've gone through, know the struggles I'm going through, and say They listen with empathy, but they don't let me sit there. they point me back to perspective of what God is doing. Yeah, I think that some of Incredible advice. I think it's great. And I'm certain somebody's gonna value that. And they're probably wired like you to know that they're not alone. I love it and thank you. Why would someone listening to this attend known? You mentioned it's virtual, you you mentioned twelve churches across the country. but why should somebody go besides the community and you know, meeting those pillars? I guess I'm just thinking about somebody who's intrigued but not sold. Yeah. Well, I I'm not a saleswoman. Okay. So first off, that is not my gift that God has given me. I respect people that are. but I think the thing that brings people to known is that we're real. On stage, I will probably cry. I will probably laugh. I will probably mess up. All of those things are gonna be true. we are not comparing ourselves to other conferences, but we are very different than other conferences because there is the element of round tables and connection and community. And for some, that isn't a place that they want to be. When I say, okay, it's time to talk to your neighbor, that for introverts are like, and I'm going to the bathroom at that time. And that's okay too. We're not gonna force you to have a conversation. We're not gonna force you to do those things. But I think there's something sweet about the connection and community that happens at known. I'll probably laugh at myself later, but I I don't want to grow known. 600 ladies in person is a lot already. And if we get bigger, I feel like that is going to change the dynamic of what we're going for. we want that. authentic intimate relationship time. so that's if if you're looking for that, if you're looking for real authentic connection, then this is the place for you. we have some incredible speakers who are sharing their testimonies. I'm hoping you'd talk about that. who are sharing real life struggles and real things. You are one of them online this year. So honored. Thank you. So excited to have you. God has brought the right people at the right time. so we're talking about blended families. We're talking about how to open your Bible and read it and what that looks like. We're talking about how to live out your faith when you're a teenager. We're talking about infertility. We're talking about leading multiple people, there's gonna be something for everybody you can watch all of the content online. So even if you come in person, you only get to pick three out of the twelve speakers that are happening for workshops. And that's really hard for people. And so we said, hey, we're gonna record everything and you can watch it until January thirty first. You have that opportunity to say, even though You know, like I really want to go to all three of these at the same time. You can still experience the conference. So, yeah, if you are feeling like you are alone, we have a table of ladies that are also coming alone that want some connection and community. we have quirky things that we do. We do something called gut check, which is similar to what we're doing right now we sit on stage in chairs and have real dialogue, real conversation. and we haven't picked our theme yet of what we're gonna talk about during gut check, but this year's theme is delight and how not we delight in God, but how he delights in us. And Zephaniah three seventeen opened up my eyes to he doesn't rebuke us, but he delights in us. And I was like Wait a second, what? Like, are you sure you picked me to delight in? Like, with all my failures, all my flaws, all the things, all the heaviness, but he delights in us. And I I know I have a great earthly father. I am very, very blessed that he loves me, but he is still human and he is still flawed. And he doesn't always delight in me of the things that I do. And so to know that. Our Heavenly Father delights in us is something that we can cling to as hope and remember for that. And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow forever. So it is so good that we have that rock to stand on because this world can be shifting sand, no question about it. I find it so interesting that you are being very intentional about keeping that conference intimate. And fostering a community of authenticity and vulnerability, where even the speakers are not on pedestals. They are there to just reveal and expose the challenges that they've overcome, the faithfulness of God and the powerful stories that hopefully will inspire people and bring them the hope. But more importantly, I love that title, Delight. It's not about us delighting in God, it's about God delighting in us. And that is so true. And even back to our previous conversation about how do you pivot out of seeing the world through the circumstances that we're living in and redirect it or refocus it on God. And I think that that's what this conference is ultimately going to offer. And I think that's another testament to why God designed us to be in community and not do life alone. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. So where would people find it or how would they register for the conference? Yeah, we want to go. Yeah. Maybe you've gotten a multi set. we actually have a website, knownconference.com. all the information is on there. If you are not from around here, we are still open to virtual, but also coming to you. just last week we got asked to go to Malta overseas and Africa. so we have two overseas opportunities that we're gonna bring some of our speakers overseas and bring known to them. but we have Iowa and Illinois and Tennessee and Arizona and Florida. We have already booked those for this next year. So if you're like, Green Bay, Wisconsin feels kind of far for me, yeah, reach out. my email is on the website, joyalvandenbogart at gmail dot com. You can Ask me any question, I will respond. no dumb questions, but there's lots of information on the website as well. And your social media's been fun to follow. my niece Annabelle, who's 14, does all of my social media. So I am not real tech savvy, and that's something that I'm growing in. so yeah, Annabelle, shout out to you. she does an amazing job taking what we have done. So no dot conference on Instagram and Facebook. We are on there. she has done great stuff. It's fun to have some speaker quotes and just pictures of what the conference feels like. And we also have a worship night coming up and bingo. So if you are interested in either of those things, you can find us on Facebook. we have a worship night August twenty first and Bingo is August 17th. So yeah, lots of really fun things happening. Bingo is our big fundraiser. You pay $25. You play six rounds of bingo, lots of prizes, and you get Chick-fil-A for dinner. And Dana Kane is going to be leading worship at Apple King Gospel on August 21st. And he is so talented. He is so good. honestly, he makes me cry because his worship is just so It gets you right where you need it, you know? Absolutely. Absolutely. Awesome. I have enjoyed our conversation so much. I just wanna launch out a big broad question to let you answer however you choose. is there something we haven't talked about or something that you really want the listeners to know about you or known or you know, the Lord's hand in and through your life? Any final thoughts? Yeah, I think talking about addiction, I have walked with many women and have had many women walk with me through my own struggles and my own story. so my biggest thing for you is don't do life alone. walk with other people. again, something that I haven't shared publicly yet. I'm speaking at a conference called She Speaks, and they are all about addiction for pornography and masturbation and and that is something that a lot of women don't even want to open up their mouth and say. And that is really, really, really hard to even admit that that was something that I struggled with. And so I feel like The only way that we can break the shame is through community and through revealing God's heart towards us for one another. I have lived in shame and secrecy for way too long to say, yeah, that is for somebody else. that's somebody else's thing. but to say, nope, we're walking. alongside one another in this journey. it might not be my struggle, but it might be your struggle. And I'm not gonna pass shame on to you. I am going to come to you with empathy and compassion and grace because that's what our Lord does. So Jesus just wants to invite you in. So if you're listening to this and you're like Joel has it all together. Wrong story. My listeners know far too well that I don't have it all together. So yes. Yes. We we all have the things that God is using to bring him closer to us and bring us closer to him. so yeah, I would just say you're not alone. You have been called on purpose and for a purpose. And he wants to use your story. So don't live in secrecy and shame. I don't know if you know this. I do know you are a follower and a fan of the Addicted to God Pod, but episode nineteen was an interview with a woman who had a sexual porn addiction and it is an incredibly powerful, powerful testimony. And you're right, God uses it. But her exact advice was don't live in isolation. Reach out. if you haven't listened to episode nineteen, I would strongly encourage everybody to do that. And you know, it's interesting and the reason I was so honored to have that interview is because people don't generally associate sexual or porn addiction with women. And that makes it extremely hard for women to come out. And even when I started the Addicted to God podcast, that wasn't on my radar as an area that we could heal through. I have had more interaction in the jail specifically with drugs and alcohol. And then in my own personal life with workaholism, shopaholism, vanity, fitness, all the, misaligned priorities really and quite frankly, were is equally devastating and threatened my life in so many ways that even a destructive drug could do. So I feel you, I hear you, and yes, I think that it's so powerful to bring that into the light. So thank you, Joyelle. I appreciate that. Absolutely. One question I want to start asking all guests that join me on this podcast is what does being addicted to God mean to you or look like to you? Yeah. I mean, I shared some of those things already before, but addicted to God means to me feels like replacing the destructive behaviors with. the healthy things that he has called me to. I think, you know, going back to my favorite verse, the think about what is right and noble and true and honorable, like so many times my brain is not there. and so it's the rewiring of my brain. in counseling, I talk a lot with my therapist of like, okay, I need to shift that perspective. I need to retrain my brain to think something different. And I think that's what being addicted to God means for me is yeah, connecting with a positive, you know, journaling or listening to the word or walking or talking with community. All of those things are replacing the old patterns and bringing into the light what was something that I don't want to be living in anymore. Yeah. Thank you for that. You're reminding me of Romans 12, 1 and 2, where it says, Therefore I urge you in view of God's mercy to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. that verse is so powerful in my life. And I love that we can transform the renewing of our mind through the truth of scripture. as you've mentioned, your verse that helps us really direct on whatever is pure, whatever is noble, whatever is loving. It's so good. One of our themes at known was renew. And it was creating me a pure heart. God. And renew a steadfast spirit. And it was David's cry after he, had gone through his struggles. And so absolutely renewing our mind is something that we have to do often. Yes. Every day. Every day. Every day. And then over a sequence of time we start to see the mercies of God and the transformation that he is doing in us. And I was reminded this weekend as I was doing yard work and had a podcast plugged in that my podcast speaker said, the goal of reading the Bible and the goal of walking with the Lord is not to read your Bible and have this, perfect discipline in God's word. The goal is to become like Christ. Wow. And I like, ooh, I needed that reminder because so much we think about Christianity as the tasks. I gotta go to church. I gotta read my Bible. I gotta journal. I gotta, you know, be a better person. I gotta be kinder. Whatever we're putting on ourselves and just to remember, no, we're showing up every day, every single day, because the goal is to become like Christ. Yeah. And honestly, that's my life mission. the reason for everything is to become more like Christ, know him intimately, and make him known. So check it out. That's right here in my office as a way of reminding me, also the purpose of this podcast is that not only do I want to become more like Christ and know him intimately, but I want others to know about him as well. Love it. So, friends that are listening to this podcast, we're gonna transition into the conclusion here. And Joelle, thank you from the bottom of my heart. This has been a true blessing to dialogue through life and get to know you a little bit better. I'm sure you've inspired and will inspire many as you have me today. So thanks so, so much. And friends, this is not the end of your story. This is the beginning of your rescue. When you embark on the addicted to God journey, this is where you're learning to trade every harmful addiction for the only one that truly satisfied. And Joelle pointed that out so so eloquently today that Jesus Christ and his life giving word is truly the best and most powerful way to transition your life and find peace. If today's episode stirred something in you, would you please share it with somebody who you know that's feeling stuck or hopeless? They just might need the known conference this year to be that pivot life change that they've been looking for. And you never know how God might use this message and conversation today to spark freedom in your life or their lives. I also want to point you to our social media platforms I'm Sarah Annie Schneider, and you can find me on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Substack. And I'm always looking for great guests as Joyelle has been today. And if your life has been genuinely transformed by Jesus, I would love to hear your story so that we can help other people learn how to transfer their addictions to God. So email me at the addicted to Godpod at gmail.com. And as we close, remember you're not defined by your past or your struggles. When you transfer your addictions to God, he becomes your one and only healthy addiction. So God bless you, friends. Don't forget to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and we'll see you next week. Don't forget to choose the better addiction.