Are You Tired of Trying to Do It All Alone? WATCH THIS.

When I was, you know, full-time school administrator and I was hustling and working hard and I was exhausted, I was drained and I was successful, but at the end of the day, I was not fulfilled. I was not— there was just no gratification in that. It was just, again, getting through the to-do list, getting through the checklist. Now it's stepping into unknown territory and saying, okay, God, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm not totally sure where this is going, but I'm trusting you.

Where are my perfectionists at? All right, raise your hand if that's you, ladies. There's a lot of you out there. You are paralyzed. You have analysis paralysis. You don't know what to do and you're afraid you're not going to do it perfectly. So you just don't do it. Right? This conversation is for you today. I promise you. And if you're not a perfectionist, if you're like, no, I'm not afraid to dive in and do stuff, but maybe you're a dabbler. Maybe you're like, let me try this. Let me try that. And you're not a follow-througher, right? I'm just calling out everybody today. And there's a little bit of me. You know, there's that scenario in me. in all the ways, and I think we just have to get truthful with ourselves. So today, I want you to start asking, how do I tackle my health issues? Am I a dabbler? Am I a perfectionist? Or am I a denier? Do I just continue to cover up the symptoms deeper and deeper and ignore them and push through and act like everything's well? Well, inside I am just crumbling and falling apart. I would say those are the most 3 common scenarios, and we're going to tackle these today because the truth shall set you free. You need to know what the heck is going on in your head and in your body, and the sooner that you can be honest with your situation, the sooner you can climb out of the pit. So Hi, Ashley.

Hey there, how's it going?

Which one do you resonate with?

Um, you know what, I'm probably gonna have to say, um, man, I guess I would have to probably say obedience over perfection. Like, I'm— I am trying to be more obedient than perfect.

Oh, good. So you're already talking about the solution. Okay.

Yeah, I am going straight for it because I feel like it's easier. So, um, I said this on a call a couple weeks ago, but it's easier to perform for God than to sit still for God. And so that is what I am. I'm a performer, I'm a perfectionist. Like, let's just do it, let's just get it done. And I'm not great of just like sitting, being still, and being in the moment. So I'm really working on it, but it's a struggle.

I'm so proud of you. I mean, that is step one is figuring out how you are showing up, you know? And if you really wanna get deep into it, you can uncover like, why you show up that way. Yeah. And we know why you show up that way. We've done the deeper work. Yeah.

I think that was why it was easy for me to go to the solution. I should probably say that there's been months, years of work behind me being able to just be like, this is what I'm doing. I know what I'm doing. Yes.

Thank you for sharing that because some women are like, I don't know what's wrong with me.

Yeah.

You know? And the truth of it is Ashley and I have done a lot of identity work, um, that deeper work. So with experts, like, we're not just doing this on our own.

Correct.

We have mentors. And I think it's really important that you always seek out wisdom from someone who has been through what you're going through, who has godly wisdom, who can speak life into you. And so we have those mentors, but we are also those mentors for other women. And that is the beautiful thing. When I think of Jesus and the disciples, like, the whole point of him asking them to hang out with him for 3 years was not just so that they could get healed and figure their life out. It was to go and do the work, spreading the gospel and continuing to share that wisdom and pass it on. And so, We are called to do that. We absolutely are. And part of it is doing it when you're in the mess, when you've healed from some of it, because the truth is, you never arrive. There is a next layer. I promise you. It's like an onion. God will reveal the next layer when you're ready to handle it. And so that's why I'm excited about talking to our coach today, Marilyn.

Yes.

Because she's like the epitome of Being honest with herself, admitting, hey, I'm a perfectionist. I failed. I might as well give up. But choosing to be obedient instead. And when she joined our coaching academy, like, she just seemed heavy and not in a physical sense.

Yeah.

Although she was carrying extra weight, she'll say that. But Like her spirit was heavy. It was burdened. It was covered up. And by the time she graduated, she was just like glowing and beautiful. And— Yeah.

There's— she was also in a transition season too. So, which she's gonna share about as well. Yes.

Oh my gosh.

So much good stuff. Yeah. And that was one of the reasons that we created the coaching academy was because we knew women, we needed other women to help us with this mission, but we, wanted to be able to pour into them. And so our coaching academy is not like anything else that's out there, because it's not like, hey, graduate, best of luck, be on your own. I coached several years by myself doing different stuff. And that was what we changed with our coaching academy was, no, we are mentoring these women every single week. Yeah.

So I'm excited to hear about her journey. And I promise you, for all of those who are listening, you're going to get something out of Marilyn's story because She is at a time in her life that many of you are. And even if you aren't yet, I want you to be listening because 6 months from now, a year from now, you're gonna be going through something and you're gonna be like, wait a second, Marilyn said something about that. And you might have to come back and listen to the episode again, or Holy Spirit might just replay it for you in your mind. But I promise that this episode is for you. So welcome, Marilyn.

Thank you. Hi, thank you.

Oh my gosh, you look so beautiful.

Thank you so much.

And you have your Fast to Faith Coach necklace on. They get those when they graduate. I love that.

Love it.

Oh my goodness. So how did you find us? Why are you here, Marilyn? Tell us all the things.

Uh, well, you know, always been searching, always been searching for what do I need to do to be healthier. But even more so, my focus was on weight loss. So I was always looking for programs, always listening to podcasts, always finding the next book, the next whatever the case may be, and trying all different things. And that led me to, I think it's been about a year now when you did the Midlife Reset Summit. And that's how I came to find listening to you and listening to all the different experts there. And Something just kept calling me back to Fast to Faith, and I just, I couldn't ignore it. I couldn't ignore it. I just, you know, I was like, well, you know, it's just another program. But something about it just kept drawing me to it and drawing me to it. And I started with the 5-day challenge, and before I even finished that, I was like, this is not enough. This is not it. There's something else, you know? And then eventually jumped on the 40-day program. And that's when things started to kind of reveal themselves to me and God started to work in me, that it's just not just another program, but it is, it's going to change your life.

Yeah, Jesus says, man shall not live on bread alone, right? So when we continue to search out weight loss programs and programs that are of this world, They're not going to satisfy. They're not going to give you sustainable, lasting results because at the core of all of us, there is a void that we need to feed with Jesus. We need that daily bread. And when he downloaded Fast to Faith to me and he's like, I want women to meditate on my word every single day. And eat that first thing before they eat any actual physical food, like that's what's gonna heal them. I'll be honest, I didn't know if I believed it at the time. You know, this is probably 4 or 5 years ago at this point. I've lost track of time, but I trusted that God never lies and that his word is true. And so I went with it. And women started saying what you were saying, like, oh my gosh, something's different. I can't pinpoint it necessarily. Like, yeah, we're doing a macro plan, we're carb cycling, we're doing an anti-inflammatory diet, we're doing an intermittent fasting protocol and deeper healing fasting protocols. But you can do that with all kinds of people. Like, those programs are out there. Fast to Faith is different Because you are getting fed by God every morning when you wake up, and then you aren't searching and trying to fill that void. And so the cravings fall away, all the things, right? Real quick, I just want to interrupt this conversation for something super important. Even though we need to take care of ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically, we do have to take care of ourselves at a cellular level, and that is why I have my Fast2Face supplement line. So let's just take a minute to hear about something that might be the game changer that you need in this season. We really need to uplevel how we're taking care of our temple. I used to treat mine like a garbage can, I will just be honest, and I'm not okay with that anymore. So This is one of the most important things to me is that I'm taking high-quality supplements that are actually doing what they say they're doing. And I'm getting my money's worth and I'm not making my body worse by putting the wrong stuff in it. So let's talk about Hormone Tame Essential Multivitamin, because even though it gives you all the vitamins and minerals you need, there's extra goodness in there, isn't there? I think you have a bottle sitting next to you.

I do.

Tell us about Hormone Tame.

Hormone Tame is 5 products in, in one. Um, if you listen to the, the other episode, one of the things that we talked about is oftentimes, you know, women are just people, we're taking a lot of supplements. And the nice thing about a lot of the supplements that we have here at Fast to Faith is that they're, they're just so consolidated where you could take this and you are basically taking 5 products. So yes, this is going to be a multivitamin, but there is so much more. We actually kind of refer to it as a multivitamin on steroids. One of the key things that this is going to be helping is your mitochondria. All you need to know is that they are responsible for so many systems and processes in your body. The reason that we need supplements is because we're just supplementing areas that we just can't really kind of get with our food. So we're filling in those gaps. And so Hormone Tame is inviting the body to just fill in all of those gaps. So you got to fill those gaps. And Hormone Tame, it will help to do that.

I grew up with a very strong faith foundation, so I did all those things, but it was a checklist. It was getting up in the morning and, and yes, I exercised just about every day, which I still do. And I did spend time in the Word and I would pray, but it was just things that I did in isolation. And I did them as, as, as a part of my checklist, as part of my everyday to-do list. And then as soon as I finished, I put the Bible on the shelf. I put the exercise checklist, you know, I checked that off and I went off with my day. And then, you know, the stressors come and then things happen and your day gets derailed. And then it was right back to old habits again. So everything was, I was doing things in isolation. And what I learned through Fast of Faith, which really, really made all the difference, was that I am a whole person and that all of me, it's all of me. God wants all of me. He doesn't want me, you know, he doesn't want just the spiritual part of me. He wants all of me. He wants my health. He wants my family. He's in there. He's in the work that I do. He's in my home and my marriage and my role as a mom. He's in all of it. And speaking back to the perfection piece, I felt that I had to arrive at perfection before God would bless me.

Hmm.

You know, and that was a huge shift for me because I didn't feel worthy. I didn't feel worthy. You know, like God's not going to give me what I want because I didn't exercise today or because I didn't have time to you know, to read the Bible. Or sometimes I ran out of time in the morning and I was praying in the car because I didn't have time to do it at home. And I just felt like, well, that's not getting anywhere, you know. But, but it's not that I have to arrive at perfection. God wants me now and whole, and he loves me as I am. He never asked me to be perfect.

Yeah.

So that's been a huge shift for me in my life and coming to God with who I am. This is who I am. This is what I have to give and giving him my all regardless of what that looks like. And knowing that he will take that and he will work in that and he will continue to refine me every day.

That is literally the oldest lie in the book that we believe as humans. You read the Old Testament, it is all about, I am, you know, not clean enough, I'm not good enough. Like, you can get lost in the book of Deuteronomy and Leviticus trying to be perfect and fulfill the law so that you can come to God. And that's literally why he had to send Jesus, because we are not capable of being perfect. We are not worthy. We cannot do it of our own fruition. It's not even possible. And so I think as soon as we start inviting Jesus in and saying, wash us, make us clean, make us a new creation in you, like, that's when everything starts to shift. And it's not about religion. It's not about anything like that. This is about your relationship with your Savior, who is actually changing who you are, mind, body, and soul. So we talk in— I would even say preach a lot about the fact that you have to renew your mind, and that this is a surrender to your God, and that When you take that position of, I'm not going to try and figure this out on my own, I'm not going to push and hustle and try harder and starve myself more, I'm just going to surrender. I'm just going to get on my knees. I'm going to, you know, repent and accept the love, the free gift that has been given to me, and realize I don't have to be worthy. I don't have to be perfect to receive this gift. Then everything can start to shift. So what does that look like now for you on the day today?

Yeah, surrender is a big one, right? Because I say I surrender. I'm like, oh, I surrender, and I would sing the surrender song, and I was all about surrender. But but I was still in. I was still trying to control. You know, I am a whole person, and it was okay, God. Here's how you know. Here's what I'm praying for. And then by the way, I'm going to tell you. kind of like how I want you to do it, you know, that— or here's how I think it would be a good way to do it. But, you know, surrender now means that I am doing things that I never thought I would do because I never thought I was qualified, you know. I never thought I was equipped. And surrender and obedience to God means doing things that even though I don't feel ready, but God is calling me. And I know now, I know now that God has been calling me for some time. When I was, you know, full-time school administrator and I was hustling, hustling and working hard, and I was exhausted. I was drained, and I was successful, but at the end of the day, I was not fulfilled. I was not— there was just no gratification in that. It was just, again, getting through the to-do list, getting through the checklist, being that person who had managed everything, who managed all of it and did well at it. Now, it's stepping into unknown territory and saying, okay, God, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm not totally sure where this is going, but I'm trusting you. I'm letting it go and I'm going to do this. I'm going to stand up in front of people and talk, although I don't necessarily have all the words. But God, you've called me into that. And it's just not being perfect, not worrying about perfection, not worrying about having to have it all and put together before I start doing what God is calling me to do. He's calling me now. He's not saying when. He's telling me that he wants to walk with me now. He's not waiting at the perfection line for me to get there. And I have this different image, you know, and I've also changed the way I view my identity. I'm now more Christ-centered in my identity. So the things that I do now are more focused on my identity. You know, God calls me fearfully and wonderfully made.

Hmm.

He calls me to be bold and courageous. He calls me, you know, He commands me, you know, have I not commanded you, you know, to not be afraid? That he will be with me. So now that means that I am doing it now and not waiting till whatever goal I had set for myself in the past.

Absolutely. And I think Jesus tells the story of Martha and Mary using women on purpose because we need to hear this message more than men. We are multitaskers. We are doing it all. We're, you know, I love men, but they just, they do one thing at a time usually.

Yeah.

And that's why they're so amazing at it. Whereas we're just trying to like do all the things and, and we're losing our mind over it. And Martha's like, Jesus, why don't you tell Mary to help me? Like, I'm struggling over here. I can't finish this by myself. And Jesus is like, no, Martha, Mary's sitting here listening to me. She's doing what is good and right. You're over there being cray-cray, you know, like, I think it's really important for us to realize that more than anything, Jesus does not want us producing and performing. He wants us at his feet listening, taking him in, having a relationship, getting to know who he is in our lives. And if we can get into that posture every day, like, we literally become unstoppable. There was a study that showed people who prayed or read the word— it was, they studied people who listened to the word or read the word one time a week. So they went to church diligently every week. They had no change in their lives. People who read the word 2 to 3 times a week, minimal change in outcomes. People who were in the word the majority of the week, so more than 4 times a week, They actually had decreases in anxiety, in depression, in alcoholism, and all these other addictions. Like they had positive benefits because the word was getting into their mind and actually renewing it and changing their identity. Like Marilyn is saying, that is what it comes down to. You need to start to see yourself through God's eyes and. If you continue to just be of this world, I'm sorry, but Satan is the ruler of this world. That is clear in the Bible. He took Jesus to the high mountain and said, "I rule all of this. I'll give it to you if you'll bow down to me." And Jesus said, "It is written," and used the word. Like we have got to get in the word so that we can have authority over our lives and denounce. Satan, you know, in relation to what we're doing on this earth. So to me, it's just foundational. And you're such a beautiful example of— I don't know if I fully buy into this. I've tried 100 things. I don't know if it's gonna work, but I'm gonna try something different this time. And now you're paying it forward. You are coaching other women Please share with us one of your clients' success stories, because women need to hear that it, it wasn't just some fluke thing that happened to you. Like, literally, this is for everyone, right? Jesus is calling you.

Yeah, totally, totally. I totally agree with that. I, I, you know, I coached one woman that I still keep in touch with, which is really lovely, um, but I, I just I saw the transformation happen before my eyes. I was truly not expecting that. You know, I thought, well, I'm going to go through the motions. I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do and what I was trained to do. You know, and as the weeks went on, I could see her. When I would see her, I saw just like a likeness to her. I saw like just a glow to her. And in addition to, you know, weight loss, which is one of the big, you know, typical goals that women have. But she said to me things like, I am so in tune with the Holy Spirit. She said to me things like, I just feel so good. I feel so light, and not just physically. I feel so light in my mind and in my heart, and I am just really deeply connected with the Holy Spirit. And then she said that, you know, other women started asking her, her friends, like, what are you doing? Or what's going on? What's different about you? You know, and that was just, that was just so, again, so much more gratifying, fulfilling than anything that I did when I was, you know, in my full-time career. It was, it was just lovely. And, and I looked forward to meeting with her, you know, like it was— I don't think the women that we coach realize, our clients realize this, at least for me. But, you know, I am— they're coming to me and I'm providing a service, but what they don't realize that they're giving me so much. I'm getting so much from them just as well, you know. So it's not just one-sided. It's not just me coaching them. I hear their stories and it just, it's just lifts me up. It fills me and it encourages me. And I come out of my, you know, my coaching sessions and I'm just— I have so much energy and I'm just so excited to see and to hear their stories. It's been amazing. It's been amazing just being able to walk alongside these women and knowing and being able to say, I know how you feel, I understand. And then watching the transformation happen right before my eyes. I love it.

I think about how Jesus said, I didn't come to be served. I came to serve. Like he was a different kind of king. And when you step out in service and you give of yourself to others and you lift them up and you bring them closer to Jesus, it is like the most fulfilling, wonderfully selfish thing you can do. And I don't think people realize it until they actually start to serve, right? And it's so. Powerful. And you're like, man, I want to keep doing this because you get to see the fruits. You get to see this woman heal and transform. And you're like, yes, this is so good. So I would love for Ashley to talk about that a little bit because you get to see all the testimonials come in before I see them. And like, I feel like not a day goes by when we're not Celebrating something. It's so good.

Yeah, it is. And I have a super unique position, and we have started to empower our coaches in the same way. So I have been blessed over the last 18 months to do our discovery calls. And when I do those discovery calls, I get to meet the women, and then they either join our medical practice or they come and do Fast of Faith. And I no longer coach them, but I am giving our coaches women to coach. And it is really cool to see them on a discovery call. And then whether it's 6 weeks or 6 months or a year later, see them again and watch them on the Monday calls just come alive. And so I know Marilyn has someone right now that started as a 5-day challenge lead who came in and Marilyn coached her through the 5-day challenge, 'cause that is something that we do now. And so then now she's coaching her through the 40-day. And I just think that transformation from the very beginning to midway point and all the different things and just to see them come alive. And I will be honest and tell you that I could give 2 craps about how much weight they lose. For me, it's watching their spirit and all. And a lot of times we're just coaching on Zoom, so all we see is their face, but you can tell in someone's face how much they've changed. And I love that. I love when they come on Monday calls and they get to talk and they share and they go from like never speaking to speaking all the time. And it's just, It's a really powerful, like, unexplainable change that women have. And it is, obviously, women come to lose weight, but that's not why they stay. It isn't. And it really isn't. It's the community, it's the sisterhood, and it is that, it's the testimony that they get. But it is going to be work and there's going to be a test, and that's how you get your testimony. And that's what we get. And so I do love when we get testimonies, but— It's just really cool to see. So Marilyn, I don't know if you wanna speak to that at all, but I know you've got to walk women from the very beginning of like, yes, they said yes, but then getting them across the finish line.

Yeah, it's been wonderful. It is. And, and, and it's a, it's a quiet yes sometimes. It's like, I think so, maybe, you know, I'm, um, okay, I'll try kind of thing, you know? And then it's, you know, just again, that first meeting, it's, they, they usually have more questions about, um, the practical stuff, you know, like again, the weight loss. Or, you know, how do I meal plan? Or what exactly is a macro? Or how do I, you know, how do I prepare my dish or things like that? And then it changes to, you know, more like, oh, this morning while I was praying, I felt this, or, you know, I sensed that. So it just changes. And I feel that when, when we put our focus into changing our mind and really getting into the word and really starting our day with, with prayer, which I highly recommend to everybody, then the other stuff just sort of falls into place, you know, and the conversations start to change. It becomes more about the spiritual and more about learning more about God and more about just really being just in tune with the Holy Spirit so that by the time they get to the end of the program and in their 6 weeks, they're just— they're giving me so much. They're, again, they are, they're just filling me up with their stories and all that they're sensing. And they tell me things like, oh, my marriage feels better, you know, or I'm having a better relationship with my adult child, or, you know, things like that. I have more energy, or I was able to help my mom move and I went up and down the stairs and I didn't feel tired. Like, those are the things that— the wins that you get that are really— you didn't expect that because, again, you came with the quiet yes to what you thought maybe was Another weight loss program.

Yeah. And you said yes to the 5-day challenge. And when you did the 5-day challenge, you didn't actually get a coach because that wasn't something we were doing at the time. So now that you, you did the 5-day challenge yourself by yourself, and now as a coach and you get a coach and you've got to coach women, talk a little bit about the importance of doing that 5-day challenge. If your yes is so low, it's almost a no. And you're like, I don't know where to start. Talk about the 5-day challenge a little bit.

Yeah, the 5-day challenge, it's, it's, it's honestly, it's a teaser because you start and you're like, okay, what is this? I want more. Wait, there's only 5 days of this? You know, and, and you really— I mean, although it is small and it's short, it is enough to give you a sense of what can be, what can be, you know. And to have a coach walk alongside you, to have someone that you could reach out to with your questions, to know that genuinely You know, I am praying for my clients post, past, you know, and future, you know, all of them, your present ones, all of them. I pray for them. I pray for them by name, you know. So I am in your corner. So having that coach, having that person there with you and connecting with that person just makes it so much more real. It just, it just means that this is truly forever. This is not, again, it's not something that you're just buying and then you're gonna put on a shelf and move on. You are going in deep, you're going all in, and expect a transformation. Expect your life to be transformed. I came for the weight loss, but the transformation is what really has kept me here and made me go from the 40-day to becoming, you know, a Coach, to go into that program. And even honestly sort of encouraging me to retire from, you know, from being a school administrator, which I didn't think I would be doing this soon. But I just— God called me and, and, and, and was speaking to me through that while I was going through the coaching academy. And it was— I just kept asking the same questions over and over again. And what the Lord was telling me was like, I've already answered you. Now it's time for you to follow through and step into it.

So good. And if you're listening and you're not even sure that you hear from God, Or if you've never read your Bible, if you don't even own a Bible, or if you have church hurt and you know the stories of the Bible, but you're not sure the promises are for you. Like, if you are in any of those spaces, you're in good company. That's 99% of people. Almost nobody has complete faith and believes that what God has promised is actually for them. We all have this little voice inside that says we're not worthy, we're not good enough. We don't deserve the love of Jesus. And I'm here to tell you, that is a lie straight from the pit of hell. John 10:10 says that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He is coming to destroy our dreams, kill our plans, and kill you physically in your body. And he will do it in such a sneaky way. He is a total snake. He is a counterfeit. He will pretend, and he will keep you in the pit. He knows what keeps you stuck. It's like crazy how his playbook is so simple, but he knows what your weakness is. For me, darn it all, it's ice cream. He knows how to tempt me with the ice cream and distract me. It's like that simple. So Some people, it's pornography, shopping, alcohol. I just need that cocktail at 5 o'clock to unwind. Like, those are all tools and tactics to slowly just destroy you. But I promise you, Jesus said he came to give you life and life to the full. Like, period, end of story. Yes, you get amazing salvation if you claim Jesus as your Savior in your next life. That is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about here and now, this rough world that we live in, all the stress that you are going through. You can actually enjoy it, and you can like have an abundant, full life that you just want to praise Him and sing from the mountaintops like Marilyn is saying if you choose To walk with Jesus. Like, you get 2 choices. Like, you're either walking in darkness or you're walking in light. And we can teach you how to walk in the light. We can teach you how to hear from him. We can teach you how to read the Bible. I personally was intimidated by the Bible. Like, where do you even start in that huge thing?

Mm-hmm.

It doesn't even make any sense. But it is literally Alive and active. It is God-inspired, and he will talk to you through the Word. Jesus is the Word. So you're talking to Jesus. So I would encourage you today, if you have gotten to this point in the episode, God wants you in Fast to Faith. Like, that's the truth of it, right, Marilyn?

Don't ignore it. Do not ignore it. Because I Again, I, I kept hearing it and I kept sensing it and I kept saying, oh, I'm just, you know, I tend to hyperfocus on things or I'm getting a little bit obsessed with this, you know. But I kept feeling, I kept feeling that pull, that, that pull, you know, and I kept going back to it. And honestly, it's the best decision I've ever made. You know, even in my mid-50s, I feel better now than I have in decades. I just feel a sense of just Calm and the way I approach things, the way I get up, the way I go to bed, the way I sleep, all of it is just very grounded and centered on God's peace and his presence. And I, again, making decisions now from that place rather than trying to check off a to-do list or being overly productive or feeling like I have to do it all. It doesn't have to be that way. I'm I'm slowly learning to let go of these things and just truly live my life from a place where I'm centered on what the Lord wants and starting my days with, God, what do you want from me today? You know, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to go? Where do you want me to stay? And just really being in tune, you know, and doing it outside, by the way, is something else that I learned. You know, I start my days because I can now. I don't leave the house when it's still dark, so I can actually sit outside for a few minutes. Literally put my feet in the grass and just stop and listen and just pause. You know, just take a breath. Take a breath. But if you're here and you're listening to this, it's not just another program. It's transformational. It's a life. It's just a lifelong change that will ripple. It will have ripple effects, you know, from your husband asking you, you know, oh, what are you eating? Can I have some of that? Or, you know, I mean, I got my son kind of dabbling into the meals as well. So it's starting to have an— it's starting to take some ripple, you know, starting to really have an impact. People around me asking me, you know, what's going on with you? Why do you look different? Or you seem so much more calm, or, you know, you look like you lost some weight. Or, you know, just really seeing that and hearing that has been so, so encouraging, and it reinforces that I know I made the right decision.

I, I love all that. I also want to ask you a question about the accountability piece because This, as you go through these transitions and you're, you're doing all this transformation work, it is gonna be hard and there are gonna be days where you don't wanna do it. And you signed up and you got a coach. So tell me a little bit about your relationship now with your coach still, and, um, what the Monday calls that we do as a sisterhood. And then we also have a coaching call that we do once a week too. So tell us a little bit about the importance of those pieces that are built into this program too.

That is the game changer as well. I mean, you know, aside from the spiritual piece and Lectio Divina and those kind of practices, but having the women there in your corner and with you. So yeah, I still stay in touch with my coach. We check in every once in a while, you know, and we'll just go back and forth and say, you know, what's going on. And even if I'm struggling, I'll say, you know, I've had a rough couple of days and, you know, just getting her encouragement is It's just amazing. The Monday calls, when I was going through the 40-day program, I started taking off work on Mondays to be able to join the Monday calls. Like, I literally was like, oh, I can't be here on Monday. I've got something to do. You know, I just, I literally planned my— don't tell anybody that. I mean, I guess it's okay. I literally planned my days around that. It was sacred to me because I needed that. I needed to get into that group and get that energy and that boost and that encouragement and listen to other women. stories and say, you know what, me too. Yes, I understand. Or, wow, you know, I thought I had it rough. I'm going to pray for that person this week because they really are having a time, you know, and just learning off the learning, you know. So the calls can range from spiritual encouragement to some very practical nutrition-based content and knowledge. And then the coach calls on Wednesdays. I love that too. I look forward to that. Again, I schedule my weeks around that. And just being able to connect with these ladies and the relationships that we're building and getting to know them has been amazing, you know, and I learned so much from them. And it just takes one little question and then you get 4 or 5 different answers immediately. You know, the support is there. It is amazing. These ladies are just— they're just a treasure. They really, really are. And finding that community has been a huge, huge benefit, a huge blessing for me. For me. And to know that I'm giving a little bit back into that is also really nice too.

I— there's one last thing. You keep mentioning prayer throughout this entire episode. So before we wrap up, I wanna address the prayer piece of it because it is so powerful to have women, men too, but in this instance, women in your corner who are praying for you and who pray for you even when you don't know they're praying for you. And that's what Fast of Faith does. That's what our sisterhood does. Because I know that there are times where we show up for different calls and women can read other women in the room, or there's stuff going on in the chat and someone says they're gonna pray for so-and-so. And like, I know that is gonna happen. And something that is still is very humbling to me that's been happening to me recently is random strangers. They're, I guess they're not really strangers. At one point they were acquaintances, But they have been reaching out to me through social media and asking for prayer. And I'm like, man, I sometimes take for granted that I have prayer warriors in my corner, but there are other women who are looking to me to pray for them. And that is, that is a humbling experience. And every time I'm like, whoa, I cannot believe that, that God chose me still. And so I just, I wanted to mention that because I think the prayer piece is huge. I think about yesterday when we did the call for, um, the Monday call and Tabatha wasn't there cuz she was moving her son to college and Ginger prayed over her and I text her, I was like, I hope that you are heal— you are feeling this. And they got the apartment that they were doing. So I'm just like, prayer is so powerful and we are seeing it at work every single day. So, mm-hmm. I don't know, I just felt really compelled to share that.

Yeah.

So powerful. I mean, we have had women who have gone through brain surgery for brain cancer.

Yes. Oh my gosh.

Yes.

Healed.

And like a year later, She's doing amazing. This was a death sentence, and we prayed over her for 24 hours straight.

Yeah.

And she came out of that— she is thriving right now.

But she came out of it and said, I literally felt your prayers.

Exactly. Yeah, but this happens all the time. People, their parents are going into surgery, they're going into surgery, like big surgeries, heart surgeries, hip replacements.

Yeah.

And these people are healing miraculously. Or just little things like my son was struggling in school and now he's thriving.

Yeah.

Or we got him into a different school. Like when we come together and we do this together, it is so powerful. It freaks me out.

Yeah. And it's, but we are just living every single day light. Like we're just living normal life. That's what we're doing. We're showing up as moms and wives and all the things. And, but we have We have women in our corner and we know they're going to be there for us every single week. And I think that's what's really powerful.

Yeah.

Oh my gosh. I know you're so proud as the Academy Director. I'm so proud of you, Marilyn. I know somebody listening, there's probably multiple women listening right now who are like, I want Marilyn to be my coach specifically. Just tell us, like, we will get you the hookup. We will help you guys get connected so that she can guide you through Fast to Faith. She is such an incredible woman, and it's going to be the last program that you do. That's the coolest part. I just want to point that out. You don't have to ever do another weight loss program, another diet.

Starting over on Monday.

Beginning again. You're in it and you're healing and you're changing your relationship with your body. And it's listening to you and it's behaving, and the weight loss just falls off as a side effect. It's just a result of being still. And you have this scripture behind you, Psalm 46:10. That's literally what I want women to meditate on this week. Be still and know that I am God. If you are listening to this episode, it is not an accident. God is calling you home. Like, He wants you in the fold so bad. He misses you. He's not going to be disappointed when you come home. Go read the prodigal son. He is going to celebrate you. He's going to bring out the finest robes, the fattest calf. He's going to like have a party when you come back. He's not going to say you did it wrong. Why didn't you come back sooner? Why didn't you do this or that? So like let's go of per. Let go of perfection. Step into obedience and surrender this week, ladies. It is the best thing you could ever do. Marilyn is a shining example. We are here for you. Close us out, Marilyn.

Oh, I just want to say, like, as you're talking and I'm listening, it has truly been an honor, you know, to get to— I never— I mean, again, doing things that I never thought I would be doing. You know, this is my first ever podcast.

Yay!

That's something I've never done before and never thought I would be doing, you know. And I just, I'm just doing things. I'm just being obedient, you know. I, I, I serve in my church in ways that I'm like, you want me to do what? Like, you know.

Yeah.

Or, you know, and it's just like, okay. And my husband will say to me, well, did you say yes? I was like, well, yeah, I have to say yes. I'm being obedient. I'm doing what God's telling me to do. And, and it's not that I've arrived or anything. It's just that God is saying, I've got you. You know, I've equipped you. I have empowered you. You know, you do not have to be afraid. I am with you. And just to the ladies out there who are listening to this, just know that you're worthy. You are so worthy. You are so worth it. You know, Jesus gave everything for you. He does not want you to live in strife. He does not want you to live, you know, trying to hustle or trying to be perfect or trying to manage everything by yourself. Amen. He is calling you and saying, daughter, just come, come, you know, come. When I pray, I, you know, I try to close my eyes and I try to picture Jesus with his arms extended, and I feel myself just falling into his arms, you know, like we did when we were babies, you know, with our parents or grandparents or whatever. But just this image of Jesus just saying, come, you know, you— I'm here, I'm here. He wants us. He wants you. He wants to be part of your health journey. He cares about all of you. He cares about your health, your wellness, your spirit, your mind. He cares about it all. He cares about your finances. He cares about your marriage. You know, just see yourself the way God sees you. And that's been a shift for me also, just seeing myself the way God sees me. And again, to the ladies out there, you, you're just— you're worth it. You're worth it. It's been an honor for me. To be part of this community. I love it. I absolutely love it. I enjoy every minute. I've learned so much. I've grown so much. I've been challenged in ways that I never imagined. You know, I thought I was going to retire, kick my feet up and just, you know, chill out. But I am so excited to be learning every day. I honestly cannot be more, just more thankful. And I thank God for finding, finding you. It's truly an honor.

Thank you.

I'll stop here before I get emotional.

So—

I love it.

We love you. We're so proud of you. Ladies, go read The Prodigal Son or Daughter. Same goes for you. And just be still and know that God's got you. We are here for you. We want to pour into you. So we hope to see you in Fast to Faith. Have a good week. If you like that episode, I have one favor to ask. Maybe 2. Can you hit subscribe and give me a heart? I want Apple to know that this is important information to you because when we tell them that, you will get more of it. So use your voice, hit subscribe, hit the like button, share with a friend. And the other thing, I want you to download the 5-day challenge and get started on it. Take imperfect action. I will see you in the Fast to Faith Sisterhood. Till next time.