Okay.
Hey, Rita, can you hear me?
I can't see you.
Oh, there you are.
Hello.
Hi.
Hey, how's it going?
Good.
There's my headache band.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I was thinking, did you just come from working out?
Oh, I'm sorry.
How are y'all doing?
Good.
I like seeing you in the prayer chair.
I know, I love this chair.
Yeah.
I met this man that he upholsters at a good price.
And I'm like, oh, yes, because I can't wait to pick out a fabric.
I'm going to upholster it.
Oh, nice.
Good.
Let me try to make sure I can have enough power.
There we go.
Okay.
Well, good.
Now I'm.
You said you found a man who can upholster,
but you didn't pick the fabric yet.
Right.
Oh, no, not yet.
I'm going to wait.
But it's.
Yeah.
I mean,
I went on to online to look at the fabrics and I got really excited.
I'm like, Oh,
I have an Ottoman that doesn't match.
And so I'm going to do both of them the same fabric.
Yeah.
Oh, how nice.
I love that.
That's so cute.
And I love how you made the,
the fabric feel so fresh and clean and make it feel like even more like
you were.
Which is special, you know?
Yeah. Yeah.
As opposed to the previous owners.
Good.
I am here at a hotel, so I'm sorry. This is the best.
I hope that the, that the.
You know, you've got the noise of the hotel.
You've got the noise of the escalators, you know,
the whoosh whoosh to the escalators. And then.
But, and then you some very light lounge noise going on.
But not.
What I've done.
I pulled away from the.
Sorry. I think I'm getting feedback. I pull.
I pulled away from the lounge noise.
And then they have a live.
They have a live guitar player playing in the bar area.
So all of a sudden I was like, I've been here all day.
And this is like the loudest it's ever been.
I'm going to do a call.
But because it is eight at night.
The Starbucks is closed.
So I'm actually at a conference here in Dallas.
And that was gifted to me.
It's such a blessing. And so fun enough.
I am here.
Not on purpose.
Like we, we all are kind of came separately,
but with two other previous rest intensive members.
One of them, you know, Rita is, is.
And she was in the Dallas area.
And so she and I found that out after I was gifted.
The ticket.
And so I found out that she was flying in for us. Well, that's cool.
And then I ran into Amy Hayes. I don't know.
You know her, but she lives in the Dallas area.
She was on the.
She was in the April 2020 rest intensive.
The very original one.
So anyway, so it's like a, it's like a mini reunion.
Yeah.
And then, so I pull away at the end of the day to.
Have our last fire side chat.
I was excited to get to see everybody.
So.
I know.
I'm glad that y'all enjoyed it enough for it to be sad.
The way it gets every single time is at the beginning,
everyone's like, oh, I don't know, this is all so new.
And I'm like, ah, and Rita knows.
It's like, I just wait.
Everyone gets to know each other.
The community is built.
And then by the end of the six weeks,
everyone's like, no, these are all my friends.
So, which is good.
It's really good.
That's how I want it to be,
is that for that community to be developed.
And right now I'm working on the next rest intensive
that I'm gonna do.
Still working on pinning down a time
and an exact structure and all of that.
But it's solidifying more and more.
And I even got some ideas in the session today.
And so I was writing them down while I was listening.
So that was fun.
So, y'all know how this works, six weeks in.
So, what questions do y'all have?
Or how have things been going?
Because remember, think about it like this.
And maybe this is how we can start.
Unless someone just has a question
that you need to start with.
One of the things that we can do
is to just think back on how you started,
where you were six weeks ago.
You and the Lord, emotionally,
just internally, spiritually, whatever.
And then what you were wanting of the Lord
and experiencing Him into your real life,
into your daily life.
Not in theory anymore, not in concept,
not a, oh, I know something else.
No, like actually experiencing Him in a new more,
in a new way that actually changed your daily life.
It actually affected it.
It actually landed from heaven onto earth into your life.
What has happened during the rest intensive time?
So, does anyone have any of that
that they would like to share with the class?
I guess I have at least one thing that's top of mind is,
it felt like I was just really controlled by my emotions.
And now it's like, I know how to be an authority over them,
but also give them their place and let it, you know?
That's like huge.
And I was also, I was so like,
my mind was driving me literally crazy.
I felt like, cause it's like all of this judgment going on
against myself or others or God.
And now it's like, I know how to like, let that go.
And like, sometimes I'll be like, no judgment,
you know what I mean?
Like it's no shit, you know?
And so I just feel like I'm walking in so much more freedom.
And then the third thing is like,
my friends like would talk about like experiencing God
and all its encounters.
And I was like, what are you talking about?
Like, I mean, I thought it was cool.
I wasn't like unbelieving about it,
but I had never really experienced it on my own.
So to have God just show himself so clearly
through experiences and just like feels like tangible love
in that way, it's just been amazing.
So thank you, Ashley.
You're welcome.
Well, what do you think was the thing that helped?
Like, what was it about like God or yourself
in a way that you connected or chose to believe
or whatever that you think was the root issue
that helped with any or all of those things?
Like what unlocked it for you, you know?
I think, well, for the emotions,
what unlocked it is just like being,
like talking to God about it because I was stuffing them.
And so like realizing like, oh, he can handle it.
Like, I just learned how to be vulnerable with God,
you know, like having to bring myself
like all put together to him, you know?
And knowing that he loves me just how I am,
like just where I'm at.
It's not hoops I have to jump through
and religious stuff I have to like, you know,
it's just like, he just like love in the way,
like he loves me just like I am, you know?
So it's huge.
Great.
So, and again, I'm sorry,
I don't need to like keep asking you to like clarify.
It's just, I find that what you said to be fascinating
because in other words, you now believe something,
you know, different about God.
Like you act like he actually is,
you actually are okay with him,
meaning like you're safe with him.
Did you just?
make the choice that that would that that was true and then you and or is it just kind of like
um you just decided okay well I'm just going to do it and then experience it or like was there
any risk involved or or was it a more gentle you know slope or like because I'm because again
I'm trying to learn from other people how they're experiencing things so that I can grow and how
I articulate or explain to people or give people tools about hey if this hasn't worked we'll try
this try approaching it this way so that was why I was kind of asking is you know I feel like I
went through like it took me a couple times of going through it to really get it I feel like
um one of the things that really helped I think the first time was really like the journaling
because it really helped me like make it more substantial because otherwise it's just going
it's more of it just going around in my head so to put it down it felt like it was like a
real conversation and like I had really released it and I think like I don't know having a record
too is just great because you can be like yeah I already talked to him about that like it's on
paper it's on my notes you know what I mean my digital notes so yes it's already done it's
already real yeah that's right a couple times because I didn't really get the tools at first
like but hearing other people say like hearing Diana say oh the meditation one yeah that was
really good like that helped you know and then then as I started to experience it then like when
I read the tools like on the Facebook or the one that you put on now I'm like okay okay I get it
but at first at first it was like I felt like the journaling was the breakthrough for me
and you tell us that we didn't have to like it's okay like he likes he loves you just how you are
and it's okay to experience those feelings because I always thought that they were the enemy like it
just you know with and so that's why I stuck them but like yes like it's allowed to be free and open
with him about it all that was a changing point for me good oh I'm so glad okay yeah because I
mean that and again my whole point of the rest intensive is what I always say to create a
sorry I hope it doesn't get too loud on me here but uh that to provide a safe and supportive
environment as spiritually immersive environment for people to change in other words that they
don't get to they don't hear someone just tell them hey look because we've all been told that
our whole lives you know or you know as long as we've been going to church hey this is the
way it is and God loves you anyway and whatever but I don't know about y'all I didn't feel like
I was treated as if God was okay with me I would be told that God was okay with me but the way
people would interact with me is that neither God nor they were okay with me as I was and I'm like
hey look the experience that I'm getting is not lining up with what I'm being told and so I wanted
to kind of help I want people to to feel in when they're going through this to an actual new
experience of like experiencing the truth of God showing up as he's been saying to us that he is
as opposed to us just hearing yet one more time that God is something that we've already known
before we ever joined the rest intensive so what's new you know I wanted to figure out because
my whole point is to help people actually have the courage to believe the things about the Lord
and to have it in other words to have faith and act on it in such a way that they finally get
the change that they've been wanting because just telling them the same thing that they've always
heard isn't going to change it so anyway it's very exciting to hear that it was that you're like you
know it's the fact that I experienced it I chose that God really was okay and then and so you put
yourself there and you're like oh my word I'm experiencing God really is okay with me right now
I'm in his presence feeling this way because I just chose to have that faith you know I just
chose that just um that it really was true so wonderful I'm so excited that that was helpful
good good thank you for sharing thank you
so Diana or Rita do y'all have any I know you're you've got a headache Rita so you know just
whatever it is you can manage do y'all have anything that y'all can share about where it is
God really met me because I was thinking about that today that I think you told us something to
God at one point I can't remember where in what video or what but it you said to kind of choose
God but how
ever he wants to come like something like choose to receive him however he wants to
come and I think I said that I said you know I kept telling him you know I'm here like
I receive you I choose you however you want to show up and what was really amazing is
just how he showed it's just too many little things but I know I don't really journey share
a lot and I I'm not really good at expressing that all you know that kind of stuff in in
you know I don't know why but anyway the he showed up to me in ways that he has never
showed up before really yes and what was really I want to cry because what was really was
he like it was like he was telling me I'm so much more than you have limited me to like
I don't have to be like how you have how you have through church or religion or whatever
how I have done things I'm so much more because you know he's multifaceted I mean if you think
about it how creative is God that he doesn't have to I mean talking through the Bible and
through things yes he does talk but there's so many more ways he can speak and I would
just be walking and he would just be it was like he would highlight something and speak
to me through it and he would say you see I can speak through this like I don't have
to speak that way I can speak to this and just little things that I feel like they were
they were like kisses from heaven you know things that I've desired but I've never said
it I've never prayed for it but they're in in my hands and I thought how in the world
did this happen because it had to be God like I I didn't pray for it but God knew I desired
it and and it was like I feel like his way of saying yeah I'm with you you know and and
so you don't have to worry about you know meeting me that way or what other power other
people have met me you know so it's like it's my relationship with you and and just how
unique he is with each one of us because sometimes I feel like in church you know it's not not
a bad thing but they'll tell you you know because they preach the Bible and do this
this and that and and so you you think okay it has to be this way and and and we me I've
been so limited in my mindset I and that's another thing that without some of the revelation
that you had was mind-blowing and especially I was listening to that the one with the the
heal the soul I've listened to it like five times and each time I get something new from
that heal the soul and that's where you're talking about a lot about speaking to the
soul that's another thing that has changed my life okay because I think I've spoken to
myself maybe like three times in my whole life like I've never thought to do that yeah
you know and that has really changed me not just that but you know just so many things
but the rest because at a certain point the Holy Spirit kept highlighting me highlighting
the verse where where the Israelites couldn't enter into the promised land because they
could not enter into rest because of unbelief that that whole part there and I didn't understand
it I did not understand it like I kept asking like I don't know I don't know what that is
like I'm not sure what how I can enter that rest how I can enter that place that is where
I can totally trust God you know and I had heard Chuck Pierce say that the highest form
of spiritual warfare was rest he said that's the highest form why I didn't understand it
until now with you speaking saying that because you let God fight your battle because you
get into that place you're not striving and not trying to you know do it you're just totally
trusting that God's going to take care of it and you're going to be at rest you know
like I and so I feel like that's that was a first step is is the revelation right you
know and then walking into it which is what I'm trying to do every day just not in a striving
way but in a way of saying okay God you know this is the lifestyle I want
I don't want to be striving. I want to be at peace. I want to be in rest
Yeah, I don't want to be but it's a daily thing where I have to choose to do it
So I feel like this is where I'm at every day saying God. Okay, I choose to just
What what you know partner with you, whatever?
Yo, yeah, it is too and I have I've been dreaming differently. I've been
You know sleeping differently. I have been
Everything has changed, you know
Atmosphere has changed in my room and I put my room in order
Oh
God, you know things are you know
So I think what's coming out outward is is is a result of what's happening in words
Yes, which things are coming into orders in my spirit, right
Yeah, that is great. Oh
That's a wonderful. I'm gonna do it
I'm gonna do a journey share kind of and I hate to be that
You know, I hated to just be like the testimony
but I'm gonna do a little just a journey sure just how it has really helped me and you know,
Just try to do the best that I can. Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you for sharing that with us. Oh, that's great
I'm so glad because yeah, I mean
I know I know that you've got to have this
This connection with your father that you've been asking for so that's good
Well Rita, do you have anything I know you've got a headache so I want to be careful
I don't know how how intense it is. But do you have anything that you can share with us or no?
No, I don't I don't feel like I have anything to share right now. Yeah
All right
well, Karen is on is you know is
at a
conference meeting tonight the first one and
Sorry, I was just now thinking of something that my husband said to today about about
And then about the conference that Karen is going to with with him and I was just remembering something that he said and I was like
Oh just a second need to think about this. But anyway, um, so she's doing that now
Hopefully she'll be able to pop on in a second
And I hate to do this, but I have to move for just a second. Can y'all like do I don't know
Sharon, I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna go ahead and
Can y'all like do you I don't know
Share with each other like kind of do a little rest great for just a second
Well, I have to go off camera and off of mic. I apologize for leaving you
But but maybe y'all can like do a little rest a little rest group for just a second. I'm very sorry
This is one of the issues of being in public. Sorry, just one second
Hey all
So, sorry, you're hurting Rita
Yeah, it's feel better. It's from staring at the screen. So me looking at you guys. I keep looking away. I'm like
shredding more so
Yeah, sorry. I love what you guys had to share and how you guys have grown
Yeah
It's been life-changing I'm so glad I'll be honest at the beginning when I started I thought oh my goodness
Did I you know?
I don't know like I'm not sure like I just felt led by God and I wasn't really even sure what all it was
about, you know and
Wow
It's amazing. But Tammy
did you
talk to us about the zoom thingy that you're you're saying that you
thing
Yeah, I mean I was thinking maybe like once a week or once every week every other week
Whatever works for people's schedules like we could essentially kind of just do like a whole do like with the journey share portion or something like that
I know it helps sometimes just to be able to talk to other people or or other people to remind you of God's truth
You know
and so now that we we speak the same language like I know like I have Rita here and then our friend Kim, you
know, but you know, I
Like include you guys in that circle of people that
We can just be community with one another but it's sometimes it's hard with other people
it's like they're Christians, but they don't really understand this and it's just like
It just feels odd because like it's just so much
It's weird that that people don't understand the rest
Like, I mean, I know I get it because at first I didn't really try to glue. Yeah, but then, but then you tell them and it's like, what, you know, like, we, oh we are at rest we are peace like, what are you talking about like, you know, yeah, I would just
read over the definition that Rita sent me from her website over and over and I was like, okay.
All right, and I like try to wrap my head around it but like I have like literally no clue but I'm like, we went nine hours of just like teaching for it to lay the background, you know, and even still after that we still were like, Okay, what does this
mean and what you know and her walking us through it so.
And I know there's just more to grow in, and, you know, I think God revealed to me the other day he was like, I mean if you want this into like if you want this to be your new status quo, then you know it's cool like I'll be here with you I'll meet you
here but it's like, it's like to the degree that I seek him is degree he's going to reveal himself to me, you know, so I'm like, I just, and it's not just like just like oh knowledge but it's like experiencing being with him, you don't mean like just more because
I just still feel like, you know, I'm still at the tip of the iceberg. So, yeah, yes, definitely.
Definitely.
I feel like this is the first realm of if there is a realm or the first, I feel like just take out my foot.
Did you have any ideas or preferences Diana.
About what you were asking about being or continuing. Oh no no I was just going to ask you how you were going to do it. Oh no, it doesn't matter I'm pretty much open
to, you know, to whatever. Gotcha. Do you have a day. Do you have a day that you can do, or you prefer
Tuesday nights but whatever y'all.
Any. Yeah, that works for me.
Yeah, Tuesday night.
Or Rita.
I just can't I just don't I think it's fine if I don't open my eyes.
With migraines when you have migraines if you close your eyes it doesn't hurts less it seems like.
Yeah, I don't, I've never really had a migraine but I don't want to start.
That's right.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
So, um, does anyone know have any questions about how to do all of this or Tammy you brought something you brought something up I thought it was interesting, because even though I was off camera and off mic you know I could hear all of y'all.
So, you were saying that, you know, you would look at the definition that Rita was sent you over and over and then you said even after like all of those hours almost nine hours I guess of teaching that.
And you said you know even then it's like okay I got it a bit more but still, you know, um, so, is there any kind of insight that you can give me into that for one thing y'all can all pray that the Lord helps me articulated even more simply.
I was like, Lord, can you help me like bring it just a little bit more down to earth so that it so that people don't have to make as much of a jump or a leap in order to understand the, the point to which I've been able to bring it down.
You know, I don't want them to have to jump up here I wish that I could bring it further down so is there any insight you can give me into any of that of like what helps or what I don't know or why it was challenging to grasp for a while or anything, because I'm trying
to grow in that area my husband says that he believes that even though I feel that it's a weakness that I haven't been able to articulate it more simply.
He believes that it's actually my strength. He says, I think Ashley that it's actually your strength to simplify things. And it's something that you have to grow into.
I'm like, well right now I haven't grown into it, it's a weakness is what it feels like. But anyway, so any, any insight you can give me into that or not or if not I fully understand that I'm trying to think, I think it's like, it's like you can believe it was like head knowledge and you can believe it, and you, you can you know but like until
so you have to walk through it with experience,
you know, and apply it.
That's when it's like, ah, you know,
or like sometimes it's like,
God just has to reveal it to you personally.
And so then you can like,
all the pieces can click together.
Like I was talking to Kim earlier today
and I was like, you know, I was telling her,
okay, I got some more stuff that I need to watch
or whatever on Facebook stuff.
And I was like, I know I don't want it to be mad knowledge
because I know I can go there very easily,
like just like consume knowledge.
But I just was like,
but there's also for me as a point of,
if you don't even know, if you can't,
you have to conceptualize the revelation first
in order for you to,
sometimes I feel like for me to believe it.
It's like, how do I know to believe it
if I don't even know what it is?
Do you know what I'm saying?
So it's like, I'm in agreement with something
that I know that it exists,
but if I don't even know that it exists,
how do I come into agreement with it?
Like it's kind of,
and so now it's like for watching that was like,
okay, yeah, all right.
And then when we connect the dots through experience
and then God can breathe his life on it.
And then it's like, oh, like I get it cellularly
or I don't know how to explain it
because that's just the body.
But like all three parts of me get it,
not just my mind or whatever.
I don't know.
No, that makes sense because you're right.
I mean, at the end of the day,
it has to be a spiritual revelation
because these are not things
that we can understand with our heads and be changed.
There are things that can only be understood by the spirit
because they're spiritual things.
The Bible says that they can only be understood
by the spirit.
They can't be understood with the logical mind
or the flesh or whatever.
So yes, right on the money.
Absolutely.
And I've noticed that just,
that God just,
I've just been amazed at the work that he does
when people make themselves available
in stepping out, like say, for instance,
in joining the rest intensive
and intentionally pursuing him,
especially in the area of like say rest or whatever,
that God meets them.
He does the work.
And I've talked to him repeatedly about this.
I'm like, Lord, it's so easy.
All I have to do is kind of like introduce people
to this idea.
And then all of a sudden you take over
and you do all this work in their lives really fast.
I actually think you do a very good job
of articulating the whole thing.
I think you do a really good job in that.
And I also believe that when I heard you for the,
I don't know if it was first time,
I don't remember when,
but there was, when I heard you,
I actually felt like I received an impartation.
Oh, wow.
I felt like I had received an impartation
and I didn't understand it,
but this is what I think.
I had heard my pastor saying
that you can't impart something
that you haven't received, right?
And then, and I think because you received it
and walked in it and this is something
that it's your calling
and that I received an impartation that,
and then, but I had to then take that
and do it by faith
because everything's by faith in this walk, right?
Even this is by faith,
because even in the Bible he's,
I don't know how many times rest is in the Bible,
but it's in there a lot of times too.
And yet we have to still take it
and have faith.
So it's like everything else,
but God says that we have to be in that place.
So I, you know, you're right.
It's not easy, but we take it.
And I was just telling her that I was just,
I was drawn here and didn't know why.
You know, I didn't even know you,
I hadn't seen you,
but when I saw you,
I was drawn by God
and I didn't know why.
Even when I started,
I still didn't know why,
but as I got in,
because this is what I needed.
God knew he heard my desperate cry
and he heard,
and this is,
he said, I want your soul to rest
because you know,
you've been working,
it's so long
and it doesn't know how to rest.
And so I feel that I got that impartation from you.
I don't know how or what,
but I do feel that.
I feel that I did get something from you at one point.
Yeah. Well, I appreciate that.
Thank you.
And that's something that sometimes I forget
is that the Lord has given me that
because I've walked it out,
meaning like I've overcome.
I haven't overcome completely,
I'm still working on it.
I mean, is that to the point that each of us
has overcome something, we have the authority
to then offer that to someone else.
We have the authority to, I don't know,
to impart that to someone else.
And because we have an authority, because we've overcome.
Remember that it even says that, what does it say?
That the martyrs in the book of Revelation overcame
by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony
or something like that.
So anyway, it's fascinating that there's an authority
that comes with overcoming.
And I have forgotten that sometimes.
But the other interesting thing,
let's see, what else did you mention that was?
That I thought, oh, okay, yeah,
that was an important point to bring out.
Oh, shoot, it was something you said,
and I thought, oh, someone else has mentioned that.
Oh man, it's just right there.
Oh yes, okay, about experiencing it.
So one of the ladies that has gone
through the rest intensive and is very honest
about the fact that it took her a long time
to understand it.
So she was one of the, she joined the rest intensive,
like, I don't know, sometime in 2020.
She wasn't in April, 2020,
but she was like joined later on in the year.
And she was at a time, she joined it at a time
where the program was going constantly.
It was almost like kind of like evergreen.
And then people would just kind of like join in
whenever they were ready to join the program.
And it took her months to understand and get
and implement what it is I was talking about.
And she talks about that.
And she is very open about the fact,
she said, I thought I could understand it.
She said, but the reason it took me so long
is because I was trying to understand it.
And I finally had to give up understanding it
and finally just be it, live like it was true.
And she said, that's when I got it.
That's when all of a sudden it made sense.
So it's like what you were talking about, Tammy.
You said you have to experience it.
Finally have to give up the concept at some point.
It's like the concept can take you only so far,
but then that last bit, you have a leap of faith.
It always requires faith.
Everything with God always has to have
at least some element of faith
in order to bring you that last bit,
whether it's an inch or a foot or a mile or whatever,
it always is a bit.
And so she said that's finally what got her breakthrough
is that she finally just had to choose that it was true
and because logic couldn't get her the whole way.
And so she finally just had to act like it.
She had to choose that it was true, start being it,
and then she got to experience it.
So she had to live like it was true.
She had to actually be the thing,
be the person that God said that she was
instead of just trying to convince herself
she was someone,
hoping that that would make everything change.
She finally had to choose that that's who she was
and then start acting on that faith by living it out,
like being that and actually living like it.
And she said that that sort of thing changed.
So anyway, yeah, so thanks very much
for pointing those two things out
because those were important things for me
to remember and consider, so.
Yeah, and then Kim was like, so Tam, what's next?
And I was like, I don't know.
She was like, well, what I did is,
I would just listen to them over again
because she was like, each time I would listen to it,
something new would like,
it would be like another revelation
or to doing that because it really is
kind of like peeling the onion, you know?
It's like, okay, well, I've experienced you
with like three to four levels
and I get depressed from those perspectives.
And so now it's like, how do I apply it to other things?
Or I just want to just get deeper
because I know there's more.
Don't feel like, obviously, I still feel like
I'm at the tip of the iceberg,
but there's so much more, you know?
And so, yeah.
Yeah, so much more freedom.
Yeah, so, and people have told me this repeatedly.
They watch my, they re-watch these videos
for literally years, you know,
because I've had it three years now.
So they, people tell me they still go back
and re-watch stuff.
And that every time they do, they get,
they hear me say something,
they swear they've never heard me say ever.
And it's because it's like, now is finally the time
for them to understand it
because they've owned it now to a particular degree.
The first time around, you know,
you haven't owned anything.
And so you're like, okay, everything's new.
So you're only getting so much,
but now that you own it to a particular level,
like you.
walk it out with the Lord, you're like, this is real.
Now all of a sudden you can hear things,
you know, at the deeper level that you couldn't hear before
because she could only hear this part.
Now you've gotten to know that.
So now you hear this part and you're like, oh my word.
So, so anyway, so it is true that if you go back
and watch it, that it's like kind of, sort of
like it's watching new teachings, not, not completely,
but of course though every now and then someone will say
that they'll rewatch one of my teachings
and they'll say that it's as if they've never seen
that entire teaching ever.
And they're just like, Ashley,
I just hear it in a whole new way now.
And kind of like what you were talking about,
the rest shifting tools, it's like,
you kind of sort of got it in the beginning,
but not really what on earth is she talking about?
But the more that you've owned this between you and the Lord
owning what it means to choose,
owning what it means to actually believe
that he is who he says that he is
to the degree he says he is that.
So he says he's love, yeah,
but how much love does he say that he is
or how much good does he say that he is?
And you have to choose that.
And then who does he say that I am?
And now let me start believing that and acting like it.
Let me start living like that
and then watch it actually change my life.
Watch me finally experience the inheritance
that God says that I have, peace, love, joy,
you know, long suffering, rest, freedom,
all of those things that God said that I have.
Now let me finally get to experience it
because now I'm believing that that's who God is.
And because basically we live out
and currently express through our,
say our personality or the way that we're living life,
we currently live out and express
and put on display who we think God is.
So if you look kind of at your life
and you think of how you live
and how you think about yourself,
that is basically who we think God is.
We're that limited in our belief.
And so God wants to expand us to understand
that he's bigger than all of that.
So anyway, my point is that the more that we do that
and the more that we finally experience it,
you know, and so that it's real
and that we own it in our relationship,
you know, you understand it more
and then you can then,
you now start to see things like the rest shifting tools.
And it's like, oh, now I understand that or whatever.
So, but yeah, it is, it's,
that's why for a while I tried to,
and Rita was there when I tried to do this back in October,
I took all of those teachings
and tried to spread them out over six weeks
and just like do one a week.
And there were too many questions that people were having
because one teaching just left them
with all of these additional questions
now they hadn't had before.
And then you get another teaching added on top of that.
And you're like, okay, now I've got
all these other questions.
So what I thought is, okay, like give,
expose them to everything.
And then, then spend the rest of the six weeks going,
like unpacking everything.
So now you've like heard it all,
you've been exposed to it all,
even if you couldn't understand it all.
So now let's unpack, you know, the particulars.
And so that's why you hear it in the beginning,
but you're like, I don't fully understand it.
And then it just takes time to kind of like unpack.
So, but anyway, but yeah, the Lord just kind of,
the Lord reveals more and more to us,
the more that we, don't want to say the more
that we're responsible with what he's entrusted us with,
but it's like the more that we,
the more that we value and safeguard
and honor what it is that he's revealed.
And we actually receive, we receive it,
which is what faith is.
You're actually receiving God's word,
which is peace and parcel of himself.
You're receiving that unconditionally,
and then you act on it.
You allow it to change you and to change how you act.
And the God's like, okay, see,
I can entrust you with peace and parcel of myself.
So I will give you more of myself.
So anyway, the revelation comes after the poor
receiving the acceptance, whatever.
So anyway, so we're great.
That's very helpful.
Thank you.
You know, I think it's because like,
we've watched so many like out week
over the course of those two days,
which I think it was good because it's like,
we started off with this foundation.
Now I'm like, if I went back through it,
maybe I would like encourage myself personally to like,
okay, go back and listen to a,
listen to one of them again, once per week to just.
Good idea.
Cause sometimes I'm just like,
like I get the essence of it,
but it's like, I'm left with the essence.
And I'm like, you know, when I wrote,
when I bullet notes,
it's like sometimes when it was going through,
I would take bullet notes or whatever.
And I'm like, okay, okay, okay.
But just like washing my mind over again with it.
So that like it could really infuse because I think at one point it's like, yeah, I was like, yeah, but then I hit another challenge and I got stuck.
You have to walk me through.
It all sounds great. And then you hit a challenge and you're like, it's like the Israelites, we have such compassion for them. It's like, oh, so that's why every three days they forget the miracle from the three days ago, you know, it's because you hit this new
challenge and it's like, yeah, but, but what about this? And, and all it is, is it's just revealing the areas in which we're not believing God, just like say, even though he did this, you still don't believe him here.
You still don't believe him to this depth or whatever. And so God's just like, hey, now I'm giving you the opportunity to step into more love and freedom and giving you the opportunity to actually believe me that I am better than you think that I am.
So that's the great thing again, about running into any obstacles, any, any struggles, any trials, any tribulations is know that God is always giving you, giving you the opportunity to believe that it's actually better than what you thought that it was.
It's always better. That's always the answer out of the trial or the struggle. Always, always, always without exception. It is never worse ever.
It's always God's truth is always better than what you're believing in the middle of the struggle or the trial or whatever. So anyway, that's exciting.
We don't have to hate struggles as badly. They're always invitations for, hey, wouldn't you like, I'm giving you the opportunity and I've already invited you to want to have more love and more freedom.
So now you can choose to step into it. Would you like to, you know, that's always his invitations, trials, struggles, tribulations are always his invitations into more love and freedom and the truth is always better, always better than, and in the way that we want it better than what we're currently believing.
You can, so when you're in this struggle or in the trial, it is always at, it is always up from there. Always. It's always better. So it's, again, it helps in those trials and struggles as opposed to thinking, oh, see trials of the struggles in when they were in the middle of them, we can think that, oh, see, this is confirming a lie that I'm believing about God that see, I'm really not as great as I thought I was.
I'm really not as great as I hoped I was, you know, God really doesn't love me as much as I hoped he did. You know, life isn't as easy as I hoping that it would be. And it's, they're all everything in those, in those trials and the struggles that makes it, we have a tendency to affirm, believe that they are affirming the lies.
And it's always the opposite. It's always, however you are feeling in the middle of a trial and struggle. It is the truth is actually always better than that. Always without exception. So there's nowhere to go but up from trials and struggles.
That's so good because I started just thinking like I just was trying to distance myself from the world and all its craziness and all the drama and distress of life. And now I'm like, oh, okay. Like what you're saying is like, no, it's an invitation. I'm like, oh my God.
Paradigm shift, you know, like pain. Yeah, I listened to how to go through pain the other day and I was just like, okay, yeah, that's good. It's not trying to avoid it, you know, so, yeah, because remember there's no need to avoid it if it no longer poses a threat.
It's like, who cares? Let it be what it is. It's like, so you will go through life's experiences in rest, even though you can go through some similar experiences as to what you've been before, like maybe, for instance, you're in the same situation, same environment as before you were in rest, and it still hasn't changed.
What you experience will be different because you will no longer feel threatened by it. That's the thing about living in rest is it still, it doesn't get rid of the chaos.
You now move through the chaos and rest because it's no longer a threat to you. So who cares if it's still chaotic?
It's no longer a threat. See, the reason why we think of chaos is so negative is it's posed a threat. That's the meaning that we've attributed to chaos is there is a problem and it is creating a problem.
But what if it's not? So that's what Jesus did, you know, in the boat, which is the example that I like to use a lot is when Jesus was in the boat, he didn't even feel the need to wake up in the middle of a storm that the disciples who are seasoned fishermen said, hey, look, we know the sea and we're telling you we're going to die.
And then Jesus didn't even find the need to wake up, let alone, you know, sit there and then and then just, you know, just watch it and just let it happen. He's like, no, I'm just going to go to sleep. I'm just going to stay asleep.
He, in other words, he didn't find a need to change the situation to make it not chaos.
He was like, let it be chaotic.
If you want to, you care because it was not a threat.
So if it's not a threat, why change it?
So God does not always want us to change the environment.
Um, uh, from what it is, because sometimes the chaos isn't negative.
Doesn't mean that it's evil.
It just, it just means that, you know, it's going through a process.
And so God's like, Hey, take it through its process while you're in rest, which
will allow the, something to be birthed out of the process it's going through,
as opposed to there being no point to the process, because you're going
through the chaos chaotically, meaning that nothing can be born or
birthed out of the whole process.
Now that's a waste.
So, so we're not here to change the chaos.
We're here to birth something out of the chaos.
And you can only do that in rest.
Chaos is not evil.
Okay.
How do you, my, it's your teaching in regards to like us being free will
beings, you know, and like, that's been really impactful for me as well in
like, I guess, coinciding that with, like, when you talk about like the
chaos around you or like remaining in rest, right, I think some of the
difficulty that I've had throughout, and I'm definitely at a higher level,
but it's like, when I, if I'm like, okay, if someone is doing something
that I don't appreciate, or I feel is like, oh, that's not what I want them to
do.
Right.
And, and if I'm like, okay, you know what?
I'm not gonna worry about them.
Like, I'm just going to be like, what God's giving me control over.
Right.
How do you, I think I have a tendency to be then detached from that person
emotionally, you know what I mean?
Like, I'm just going to stay in my little box, your little thing.
But I feel like, like, that's not operating in love.
Like, I don't want to operate out of resentment and be like, you stay over,
you know what I mean?
Like, it's like, I still haven't, um, those two, I haven't been able to put
together.
Well, we disconnect because we believe what we're threatened, that to stay
connected, it's going to affect me.
It's going to change me.
It's going to mess with me.
It's going to do something to me that I don't want.
So that's the thing is that we have to realize, no, I can stay in this
situation and still not be threatened because they can still do things to you.
They can say things to you that are mean and whatever, but you don't have to
receive them as actually a threat because it's just like, if they say something
to you, you're like, yeah, but who am I in the Lord?
Is that actually true between me and God of who it is that he says that I am is
what it is that they're saying.
Does that threaten my identity?
Say for instance, and I'm totally making this up and I'm making this up based off
of a real story that happened to me.
Say for instance, that someone you love tells you that you're prideful.
This was not my husband's way before my husband, way before I met my husband,
actually, but anyway, somebody, somebody told me that I was prideful.
I was shocked.
I was so hurt because that was like a very important thing to me.
I did not want to be prideful no matter what.
I was just like, okay, pride was this very big thing that I was always
trying to make sure of.
I didn't have in my life, you know?
So when this person said, actually, you were very prideful.
It hurts so bad because I'm thinking, what if that's true?
Okay.
So that's where I'm getting this example from.
So say for instance, you're in that situation and someone
taught you you're prideful.
So it's not true, but I'm just, I'm just like trying to get an extreme
example as y'all probably, you know, know by now, I like to use extreme
examples to let everyone know, Hey, look, the simplicity of
the gospel is very powerful.
It's not for the little things.
It's for the big ones.
So say for instance, that it really, whatever it is that they were saying,
and maybe it's not pride, maybe something else, whatever it is,
say that it really is true.
Is it still threatening to you?
And this is the big thing is that, are you still under threat
by the fact that they said that?
No, because even if you are dealing with the thing that they are accusing
you of, like say for instance, an alcoholic or pride or something, just
because they say something about you, that is true because the things that
they say about you that aren't true.
That's a little easier for us to understand that, Oh, I shouldn't
feel threatened to whatever, even though it hurts to somebody says it, but let's
talking about the really serious ones, what if it is true? You're still not under threat because
here's the thing, if you really are prideful or if you really are an alcoholic or if you really are
whatever it is that somebody said, I'm totally making all these things up, then are you and
God still okay? Yes. Are you an alcoholic or prideful or whatever it is the person said,
are you that thing in your spirit? No, that is not who you are. So therefore,
what it is that they're saying isn't threatening because it can't touch who it is you are,
it can't touch your identity, it can't be said about Christ, it can't be said about you, period.
So as a friend of mine says, what can be said about Christ can be said about you and what
can't be said about Christ can't be said about you. So that's where you're not threatened.
It doesn't mean that whatever someone says about you and says that you're struggling with,
oh well, that's always a lie. We all know that no, some of that is the truth. I mean like,
say for instance that they say that someone deals with pride or whatever, but where is someone
dealing with pride? In their soul, not in their spirit. They are fine. Who it is that they are
is fine. That's why I'm saying we have got to understand and choose that who it is that we
really are is our spirit, not our struggles, not the pride that we deal with or the, I don't know,
the rebellion or I'm trying to think of other things, our fears, our anger or whatever, that
is not who we are. So even if people were to call us onto the carpet for it, that doesn't mean you're
under threat. So you can, we can hear things without taking them to heart as our identity.
Your identity cannot be threatened, but you can, your life can experience, the life experience
that you'll have is as if you're threatened if you think that what they said about you is your
identity. Then the experience that you have is of one who's actually threatened. So again,
that's what I'm saying. That's why it all goes back to the, what we're experiencing in life
is based off of whether or not we're believing what God says about us is true. So you're not
experiencing his, his inheritance to the degree to which you're not believing that it's real.
If you believe it's real, you'll get to experience it. So it's the same thing with
this whole threatening thing. You have to believe that you really are the spirit.
Yeah. Meaning like that your identity is in this is seated in the spirit part of you. That's one
with Christ that can't be corrupted. That literally is the new man that according to James,
you know, meaning the book of James has never sinned. You have to believe that's who you are.
And if you do, you won't be threatened by anything that someone else says,
even the things they say about you that are actually quoting true facts, like dealing with
pride or dealing with fear or dealing with whatever you are. Does that make sense? So you
no longer, you no longer need to disconnect from relationships. If you're no longer threatened,
the disconnect is a coping mechanism. Unless of course we're talking about, we're talking about
relationships. God wants you to stay in. Unless you want to disconnect and not have a relationship.
Correct. So we're talking about relationships that God wants you to stay in because you don't,
you know, you don't want to disconnect from everybody. So if, but if there are those that
God says to do disconnect with, or to just do it for a time, well, that's different part of it.
You might just need to heal because as much as we wish that we were the way that I just described,
are we all that healed? No, not even me who teaches this, right? But point is I have lived
that to a particular degree. And that's how I know that this is possible. So that's, so yes,
there are some people we do need to disconnect from and all of that stuff. But what I was talking
about is that disconnection is not a requirement in order to be, in order to live in rest.
You can live in rest and not be threatened because you do not, you were in this world,
but not of this world. You do not need to be removed from it in order to be okay.
The power of the gospel is that you can be okay, no matter what you're in.
If you were over your environment, you're not subject to it. Does that make sense?
It does. And you know, as you were talking to like that totally made sense. And then it's like,
if I have an all against my brother or whoever, you know what I'm saying? I was like,
the whole love part. Cause I'm like, okay, well,
I don't feel like you did what you were supposed to do
in your role as what you're supposed to be with me.
But then it's like, you know what you said is like,
well, God loves me whether I'm ideal or not.
You know what I mean?
So then that's what he does to them as well.
And he calls me to love, not their soul only,
but love them from their spirit, man.
Like see them through God's eyes and be okay with them.
If you're choosing to still be in that relationship,
to be okay with them and see them from that point of view,
despite their offenses.
Yes, correct.
That helped me so I can stay connected.
Cause I just like, I'm good over here at rest, but you know.
I know, and then you're like,
but I'm not living in real life.
You're disconnected from everything.
Now, again, as Diana was pointing out,
if you need to disconnect from people
or certain types, certain people, you know,
for certain times, a certain season in order to strengthen,
in order to heal, that's fine.
You follow the Lord and all of that.
And then there are certain people,
God will just tell you to disconnect from permanently,
you know, but so there is that,
but I'm talking about the fact that you don't,
that disconnection is not what you need
in order to be safe or okay.
We don't need anything outside of us
in order to be okay.
Everything that you need, you've already been given
and you've already been given all authority.
You've already been given,
been put in the position of all authority and power
in Christ, always only being in Christ.
Like if ever you start acting as if you're not in Christ,
well, then you're, you know,
you've lost power and authority to,
in other words, the right to act like that.
And that, so, but anyway, so hopefully that's helpful.
Yeah.
I know.
Hey, Karen.
Hi, Karen.
Hey, everybody.
I just, I'm just leaving Cedar Creek.
Oh, you're just leaving?
I'm just leaving over there.
They're just talking in there.
So yeah, I'm pulling,
I'm out in the parking lot and I'm pulling away
and I had to jump on.
Oh, well, I'm glad she did.
Yay.
Yeah, does everybody know I'm at a meeting tonight
at my favorite spot, the spot where I met Ashley.
And did you tell him Ashley who's speaking tonight?
Yes, I did.
Yeah.
Okay.
It's been awesome, you guys.
Great.
Isn't he good?
He's really good.
He's really, really good.
Yeah.
He's very, yeah.
I'm telling you what, in his testimony is wild.
Etienne Bloom, he's the guy who officiated
Ed's and my marriage, wedding.
Yeah.
So he, yeah, he has spiritually mentored Ed for years
and Ed stayed with he and his family in South Africa,
that Etienne's from South Africa.
He stayed there for a month or two, something like that.
Maybe a month.
Anyway, a while.
It was at least a month.
It might've been longer than that.
And that was probably like four or five years ago.
And anyway, so, and in fact, that is where he met.
Ed was staying with Etienne where he met the guy
that introduced Ed and I eventually several years later.
So anyway, but anyway, the point is Etienne's really neat.
He had a very, he had one of those wild, radical
transformations, salvation story.
He was, if I remember the story correctly,
he was, had children and everything, you know,
with his wife and he was a, if I remember correctly,
a raging alcoholic, horrible.
He had a very, very rough life before Christ
and then God radically saved him.
And then within a month of being saved,
of getting saved, God opened his eyes
and all of a sudden Etienne gets into the spirit realm
and a very wild, wild experience.
So he's a very, very neat person,
but he has a tremendous heart for people
and a lot of very solid wisdom, so spiritual wisdom.
So anyway, so.
If anybody wants to, anyone wants to text me
their full name if they're on Facebook,
his message tonight is on one of Linda's pages
so I could send it out to you all.
Great.
I can invite you to this page
and I can invite you to this page
and you can watch part of this conference, you guys.
Oh, wow.
So text me your name that's on Facebook
if you want me to invite you to this page
to watch part of it.
All right.
Thank you.
Well, we were all, I don't know.
know, if you can do this, so if you can't do it while you're driving, you know,
and just like, tell us like audibly, then that's fine.
But we were all just updating each other on, um, how on the, uh, the, the
rest intensive and like where it is that we had started and what it is that we
were wanting between us and the Lord.
And then how we were wanting to experience him in our lives and new ways, you know,
and rest and affecting our lives, expecting basically, you know, affecting
us emotionally and our relationship with the Lord and et cetera, and
then where it is that we are now.
So do you have any, any update for us?
I'm sorry.
You haven't gotten to hear everybody else's, but you will on the recording.
Okay.
Sure.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I, I feel like I guess the word that just came to me is a little more grounded
in my, um, relationship with the Lord and these tools, these tools have been
really good of just choosing God instead of worrying about circumstances or
outcomes, choose, choosing God.
And then, yeah, so, so it's been really good.
It has, it's been really, really helpful and still pray for me for sleeping at
night, I'm just believing it's going to get better, um, um, but, um, but yeah,
there's, I can, I can just tell some shifts and some shifts, even in this
last, you know, week, and I was telling Ashley and, you know, that transformation
session, just some wins and, and, um, I just feel, um, I feel better.
And then, you know, at TMC tonight is, you know, just our oneness with God,
you know, truly, truly we're one with him.
We just haven't really been taught that and haven't really, uh, we're still,
you know, learning that and practicing it, but, you know, he talks about just
keeping our eyes on God, you know, and that we're one with him really, but if
our eyes on God, it can't really be on any darkness and that, that was really
good.
I'll put this on for a second.
Um, yeah, that's one of the things that I really like about Etienne's viewpoint
is he's one of those people that always encourages people to look at God.
In other words, you know, look at the positive, not what you're trying to
escape from and to always focus on God instead of the demons and instead of
Satan and all my word, everything's so hard and he's like, no, no, no, you
don't, don't give it power.
You don't have to worry about it so much if you're focused on the truth, because
then you'll recognize it and it won't have that power over you because you're
focusing on the thing that does have the power.
So, yeah, that's great.
Go ahead, Karen.
Yeah, it's just, I mean,
yeah, it's just, it's just good, you know, and this, and I was struggling with
some things and when this intensive started and, and I'm just so glad that I
did this, excuse me, and you know, God's so good to meet us, you know, and we're
at our knees, you know, and I heard about the intensive conduct the last minute
and, and he's got, you know, I'm, I'm very grateful because I'm very grateful.
I'm so glad.
Yeah, I really am.
And I'm grateful for all of you and in this class.
Yeah.
Well, thank you, Karen.
I appreciate you giving us an update.
Yeah, I'm on, I I'm on I-70, but it's not very busy right here, so.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
So yeah, I'm very familiar with I-70.
So I've been to Cedar Creek quite a few times, but so many, it's a major
highway back and forth between Cedar Creek and like, say, Columbia and stuff.
So anyway, it's good to get to see everyone.
I'll let y'all all go.
And we were one last housekeeping thing that I can think of.
You remember that this, that the program closes on March the 11th.
So through the end of the day, March the 11th, which is Saturday.
And then you'll still have access to the things like in the platform, not the
Facebook group, because remember the Facebook groups closing, but the the
platform where it's like the teachings that are in there and, you know, on the
left-hand side, along with fireside chats, your transformation sessions and your rest
groups. And let's see what else.
Oh, and then I'm going to, Ed and I thought that we were traveling this next
week, which is why I delayed the transformation sessions to next weekend.
But I have found out that we're not traveling this week.
So there's opportunity to do transformation.
sessions earlier so I'm going to open up times and so and see if some of the
people who had scheduled for the weekend would like to go ahead and bump them up
sooner and then that also means that the personal ministry times will be able to
be sooner as well they'll be so I'll be reaching y'all out specific those who
have personal ministry times and reaching out specifically and about
those so and that's all. Ashley do you think you can do do me a favor do you
think if you can would you be able to upload there's a video on the Facebook
group and it's it's the one about healing of the soul. Healing the soul and
the body. Yeah it's about healing the soul where you talk about about talking
to the soul and then talk about about I don't know you it's a lot about healing
and that yeah it's in your in the list of videos you think you can upload that
one? Sure I'll upload that one for you. Okay thank you. That's the one Diana that's the one with the vision with the like the wound? Yeah. Okay yeah oh my god I was at the airport yesterday and I was like dictating that it's about oh my god it was
like so I was like I have to like. So good yeah. Oh good. I'm glad you like it. Okay good. Ashley if I scheduled
something like for next Sunday can I make it sooner too because I'm actually
going to be at another ministry conference at Cedar Creek next weekend
too. Yes yeah you can do it sooner as well so well that that'll work great so. Okay
okay can everybody say everybody say something to me? Yeah. Hi everybody. Hi. Hi Karen. How you doing? Good to see you all.
Good to see all of you and then I think that Tammy said that she would be
reaching out about like a community group or something so y'all can stay in
touch if you'd like to Karen so. Okay okay yes. I'm so glad I got to see you all for a few minutes. Yes thank you for coming on. Yes thanks for doing that Karen. So good to see all of y'all. Y'all take care I'll see you in the
next session. Thank you Ashley. Thank you everybody. Bye. Bye. Thank you. Bye everybody. Bye.