Lori (0:1.112)

Welcome to get your rear in gear with Lori, I'm your host Lori McAfee. I don't know where you're coming to me from this morning or afternoon or night, but I want to thank you for taking the time to join me here today. So I have three of my favorite people in the entire world with me today. I have three of my four granddaughters, Ellie, who's 13 and Gracynn who is 11 and Thea who is six. And so we were just going to share a little bit about life. And so I want to ask each one of the girls, like one of the things that I really try to bestow in the girls is to be their own person and to not follow the ways of the world. All three girls are in public school and I know that a lot of times there are thoughts and temptations and people throwing things at them and I want them to be strong enough in their faith in Jesus and I want them to be strong enough in who God created them to be to just stand firm in that.

So I want to ask each one of the girls. So Ellie's 13. So Ellie, tell us a little bit about you first. 

Well, I like, I enjoy playing sports and hunting and fishing. And yeah, that's about it. So Ellie is,

Ellie's an amazing athlete. Ellie has surpassed a lot of what I would say a lot of middle school girls do in sports related. And so, hey Ellie, do you want to tell about one of your greatest sports moments?

Lori (2:10.576)

It's won an state championship for rec ball. Okay. How many times did you win an estate championship for reg ball? Four times in basketball and one time in softball. Yeah. And Ellie, how many times have you hit the softball out of the park? What? How many? you know? 

Yes, about 10 times.

Lori (2:36.785)

Yeah, that's pretty good. I would say for a middle schooler to hit the The softball out of the park ten times so I'm gonna tell about one of my greatest moments with Ellie and I think I've been at all her championship games. I think I've been at everything that she's because I try not to miss I do because I can't beat everything but

But we went last year to the Hawks Arena and Ellie got to play one of the local teams. So we all traveled down to Atlanta and it was just something fun and just, you know, exciting to get to be there. And I remember her Mac said, hey, Ellie, just have a good time and just shoot, just shoot the ball. And Ellie was at the three point line but not the normal three -point line. Ellie was at the NBA three -point line and she made it and I think I cried. Actually I think every time Ellie steps on the field or the court and every time Grayson steps on the field I cry. Like I don't know what it is but I'm just overwhelmed with emotions that God has granted me the ability to be able to watch my grandchildren play ball and to be so good at something, but not only that, to love him in the meantime. So back to you, Ellie. Ellie, tell us the greatest thing that you've learned in 13 years of life. 

If you just trust God, then everything will just...

Everything or what? It'll just be good. Yeah. Is there a time in your life that you feel like you've had to trust God the most? Certain points. And what was that?

Lori (4:36.322)

Just when I'm playing sports,

Lori (4:48.768)

They're rude. Yeah, they're rude. And so that's a time that you have to trust God. And what do you trust him for?

Lori (5:5.260)

Maybe to help you through those moments. Yeah. To help you through those moments so that you don't have an attitude back to those people like they have. Yeah. So that you don't react in the way that these people react to you a lot of times. Is there anything else, that you would want? That you would want the world to know that you think is so important in life? Be yourself.

Be yourself. I love it. I love it. All right, G. It's Grayson's turn. So Grayson is 11. So Grayson, tell us a little bit about you. I like to play softball. What else? Grayson is my makeup queen too.

Lori (6:0.088)

Spend time with my family and friends. Okay. So Grayson, what is the greatest thing that you've learned in 11 years of life? To be with and trust in Jesus. And what else? Not be someone else.

So tell me a little bit more about what you mean by not be someone else.  Don't try to be someone else just because they are cool, popular, or they may get a lot of attention. So how do you keep yourself from being like that?  Just don't hang out  around them just to try to be their friend.  Okay. So what else? How do you keep yourself from wanting to fit in with those people? 

Lori (6:57.631)

Sometimes you have to be around them don't you? you don't have to participate in some of the things that they do do you? So in other words, Gracynn, what you're saying is basically just be who God created you to be and don't be afraid of that, right? Yeah, yeah.

Gracynn, is there anything that you would want the world to know that you think is so important that you can that they can carry with them out into the world? To Be You!  Hmm. That's so good, Gracynn. Thank you so much for sharing that. 

All right Thea, its your turn.

So I kind of say that it's Thea's world and we all live in it because Thea kind of walks in and takes control and demand and I'm okay with that because we all kind of follow suit when Thea talks.

So, thea is six and she's gonna pretend like she's shy but thea is not shy one single single bit. So, thea do you want to tell them a little bit about yourself? You don't? So, thea is six she's going into second grade.

And I've learned a lot of stuff from the number one I've learned and this makes me emotional, but I've learned to never give up. They had taught me a great lesson when she was about four months old and I'll just tell you a little bit about the power of of knowing people and the power of love. And they was really sick one time.

Lori (8:53.546)

and was in Children's Hospital and was actually in ICU. And she had been airlifted from our local hospital to the Children's Hospital in Tennessee. And we happened to be up there that night. so during that time, my daughter,

Allie called the other two girls called Ellie and Gracynn and held the phone so that the could talk to them and see it was a baby. They was I want to say they was four four six months old something like that. And when she saw her sisters and she heard their voice she changed. She lit up. She smiled. Her heartbeat changed her oxygen level change. There was so much about the end that

changed and she started healing from that point forward. Of course there was a lot of prayer being lifted up for Thea but Thea is a fighter. Thea doesn't give up. um so that's that's a little bit about Thea that um that I want to say. So Thea do you want to tell them the greatest thing that you've learned in six years of life?

Lori (10:24.172)

Thea loves Jesus and Thea loves people and Thea loves to do Thea's own thing. And Thea said she would be on this podcast but she had to finish watching her YouTube video first.

So we all kind of laugh, but that's just the way kind of Thea rolls. so Thea is going to go into the second grade. Thea, is there anything that you want to say? You can say anything you want to. I would love for them to hear your sweet little voice.

Lori (11:7.314)

All of this is gonna be showin' us.

All right, so this is going to conclude this episode of Get Your Rear in Gear with Lori. And I want to thank these three girls, Ellie, Gracynn, and Thea, for being a part of Get Your Rear in Gear. Of course, we're missing little Macklyn. She is, Macklyn is only nine months old, so she would be all over the place if she were here. And I would have to be letting Thea help me with her. And, um...

But hey, I want to thank you again for joining me on this episode of Get Your Rear in Gear with Lori. And again, I want to thank these three sweet loves of mine that have made me a Mimi. And each one of them are special. Each one of them are so different. Ellie likes sports and hunting. Gracynn, she likes sports, but Gracynn also is very crafty. She loves, she loves her makeup for one thing,

She loves to make bracelets and she loves to sew and she loves to draw and to color. She's also she loves fashion. She loves clothes and Thea loves her Barbies. Thea is still a Barbie girl and she loves all of her Barbies and what else do you love? What?

Oh she got a crab when they went to the beach and she loves her little crabby. Oh and Ellie's favorite thing to do is fish.

Lori (12:46.442)

Okay, so I'm going to have to tell y 'all one more story here. So Ellie, when we were fishing one time, I've always loved to fish and I've always had the patience of job in fishing, as my dad would say. But we were fishing one day and I said, I said something Ellie goes, Mimi, let me show you how to do that. I'm like, chick, I've been fishing longer than you've been alive. What are you talking about? But here's what I will say. Ellie can fish. Ellie knows how to fish and Ellie can hunt.

and Ellie has killed deer and she's turkeys and she's she's caught a lot of fish

And Gracynn's not a hunter, but that's okay because Gracynn likes her fashion. So Gracynn and I can hang out while everybody else and goes and hunts. And Thea, she's not a hunter either because I don't think Thea could sit there. This is the quietest I've seen Thea in a very long time. So I don't think Thea could sit there quietly while, while everybody was trying to hunt something. Could you Thea?

No, no. You don't like to hunt? No. What do you like to do? I don't know. You don't know? I think you like to play with Barbies mostly, don't you? Yeah. Yeah, she does. All right. Again, this concludes this episode of Get Your Rear In Gear with Lori. And thank you for being here with me and being here with the girls as we share a little bit about what they've learned in

13 years of life, 11 years of life, and six years of life. And one of Thea's things is Thea says, and she's not, she didn't say this, but I'll say it for her, but Thea says to be bold, to be brave, and to be beautiful, and you can walk in any room that you want to walk in.

Lori (14:50.560)

So if you like this episode, go subscribe because hey, if y 'all like it and you want the girls on here more, leave a comment and I'll put the girls on here a little bit more and y 'all can hear a little bit more about them and about how life is going for each of them as they grow up. And we'll have Macklyn on here before too much longer so she can she can chime in on her her on what she thinks about life. So go subscribe, share it and always give me a five star rating.

and I'll see y 'all later. Remember, keep moving forward to be the person that God created you to be. In all your life, you've had a choice, and remember the day that you decided.

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lori (0:1.006)

Welcome to Get Your Rear in Gear with Lori. I'm your host, Lori McAfee. I don't know where you're joining me from today or what you're doing, but I do want to thank you for taking your time to spend these next few moments with me. So as promised, we're going to walk through the refinery. We're going to explore the faith, beauty of God's Word, then transformative power of living truly across our lives.

So as we focus on the refinery today, we're going to talk about recognizing the true vine ⁓ with renewed faith. Jesus ⁓ says in John 15, that he is a true vine. And that ⁓ illustrates like a very profound truth about our relationship with him. So we're going to really break down like, what does that look like? And what is that? What does that truly ⁓ mean?

And ⁓ what's the significance in it? So God the Father, he's the, he's the vine dresser and God cultivates and cares for the vineyards. He prunes and nurtures the branches, promising that they bear fruit. ⁓ And ⁓ the beautiful reminder of God's constantly at work in our lives and shaping and molding us. And that reflects his glory.

And then Jesus, the son as the true bond, Jesus is the source of all of our spiritual life and vitality because as we know without him, we can truly do nothing. He is our connection to God and the provider of our spiritual nourishment that we all need. The believers for the branches ⁓ and.

When we abide in Jesus, we are promised to bear much fruit. Now that's more than just ⁓ marking off a checklist of a cross like behavior, but it's a deep ongoing relationship with him. And that word abide. I am kind of a nerd when it comes to some things. And so I wanted to know like a little bit more about what it means.

lori (2:27.470)

And the Greek translation is mino. And it means to remain, stay, dwell, continue. And hold on, listen, endure and await. The word abide is used 11 times in John 15. And abiding in Jesus, like I said, it's more than just living a life that is Christ -like. It's about growing into the knowledge of who He is and why He truly died for you.

So what does that mean to abide in Jesus? The true vine ⁓ remain in his presence. And the thing that, ⁓ that I love about the abiding is that that word encompasses the Christian life. So it's remaining in the presence in his presence, abiding in Jesus is constantly seeking him in our daily life. That's renewing our faith, recognizing the vine.

And this means we set aside time for prayer. We read scripture, we meditate on his word. He's the central focus of our lives ⁓ and allowing his word to influence our thoughts, our actions, behaviors, decisions. And when we say connected to him, that's through power y 'all. Prayer is our lifeline to God. It's how we communicate with him. It's how we build that personal relationship, that love relationship, if you will.

And it's how we get to know him ⁓ because through prayer we, I use the acronym pray, give him praise. I repent, I ask, and I yield ⁓ and a life of prayer. It keeps us connected to the Vaughan and it allows his life ⁓ to flow through us into every aspect of our being.

And when we dwell in his word...

lori (4:33.614)

It's that richness that is within us and dwelling in his word is that constant studying, reflecting, allowing the truth to penetrate our hearts and to transform our lives. There's so much beauty in that. But again, that comes from knowing him, getting to know him, knowing who he is, knowing the things about him.

continuing in his love, abiding in Jesus. It's like living in his love and extending that love to others. And I'll even go as far as adding that continuation of loving who he's created us to be. And Jesus even says in John 15 that ⁓ as...

The fathers love me so I love you. Abide in my love. You keep my commandments. You will abide in my love. Our relationship with Jesus is rooted in love. This love, ⁓ it really ⁓ compels us to want to obey his commandments and to love others as he loves them.

And that's called continuing in his love is called to a life of obedience.

lori (6:4.142)

And enduring through the challenges abiding in Jesus doesn't mean that we're not going to face trials and difficulties. But it does mean that we'll be able to endure it through his strength. And as we know, Philippians 4 13 says that we can do all things to cross who strengthens us. And the thing about it, that strength comes from Paul abiding in Jesus. And he speaks of that again, you know, in John.

to where he says Jesus, he's speaks of the pruning and process and God the fine dresser, he prunes the branches so that we can bear fruit. This pruning, it can be painful. And we're going to talk more about that later on in the next few podcasts, but it is necessary for our growth and our spiritual maturity. So.

The last one in that abiding is awaiting in his promises. And I say all the time that we have to trust the process and believe the promises. And sometimes those promises, it takes a little while for them to come, but that's the waiting part. And ⁓ we ⁓ trust in his promises and await their fulfillment. Jesus promises us abundant life, joy, peace.

when we remain in him and he remains in us. We have that assurance of his promises that are true and that they'll come to pass. This is a hope that sustained us and this gives us courage to to really pursue ⁓ and persevere in our faith. So one of the things that really hit me in this refining process ⁓ was

sitting in a Costa Rican airport ⁓ several, several years ago. And I was just talking with one of the other missionaries. And like I said, we were, I was on a mission trip. ⁓ I had in that, at that time I was actually teaching and the youth group was teaching women's Bible study. I was doing women's Bible study. I was attending church retreats. I was attending church every Sunday. I was there every Wednesday night. I was reading God's word, my prayer life.

lori (8:29.902)

did lack. I'm not going to lie about that, but there were all these things that were going on in my life and I was just checking off the boxes, but I knew something was missing and I knew that my faith was very frail ⁓ and I was talking to one of the other leaders about that and she was like, you know, sometimes we have what we're looking for. And I was like, that's it. ⁓ I totally have what I'm looking for in the true vine.

It's just I'm not recognizing him. I'm not seeing him. My faith is lacking. I've allowed life to cover everything up ⁓ about me. That has to do with my life and him and knowing who he is. And life has just really gotten heavy. But I wasn't abiding in him.

And I wasn't asking him to come into my life and to help me out. I wasn't praying to him like I should. Like I said, I was reading his word, but my life was not aligning with his word. I might've been doing all the things, but my heart and my mind were out of alignment.

And one of the things that I put in the refinery was Psalm 51 10 and it's a powerful restoration request and it says create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a right spirit within me. ⁓ This verse totally invites us to seek restoration and asking for God's forgiveness.

It's a renewal of our joy ⁓ and a heart of wisdom ⁓ that ⁓ fuels our restoration ⁓ to ⁓ divine favor. That is abundant life.

lori (10:33.582)

and abiding in Jesus that allows us to experience this renewal and restoration ⁓ so that we can live in the fullness of his promises. And that's like, if you imagine the vineyard and it being so well manicured and

though every single vine is just full of flourishing grapes and lusciousness and the fullness. That's a life that has been abiding in Jesus. There's the bright colors. There's the manicure. There's some that have fallen to the ground even.

There's some of the bunches of grapes that have been picked up and have been cleansed and ⁓ tethered back to the vine. You know, you know, true faith. It isn't about merely checking off these boxes of cross like actions, but it is about cultivating a deep, enduring love relationship with Jesus, the true vine.

and allowing his life ⁓ to flow through us because ⁓ he remains in us and we remain in him. And that produces much fruit that reflects his love and his grace. So as we come to close of this episode, I want to invite you to reflect on your relationship with Jesus.

Are you abiding in the true vine ⁓ and recognizing him with a renewed faith? And are you allowing his life to flow through you and produce fruit? So what that looks like is hit is he flows through us and we flow out to others.

lori (12:32.174)

So I want you to take time this week to reconnect with him and seek him and his guidance and his presence. And that means that we spend time with him getting to know who he really is. Y 'all, it does end at the cross.

Salvation is not the end. That's the justification. There's a sanctification process that goes beyond the cross. That is that reconciliation into the right relationship with God. So I want you to remember that recognizing the true vine, it's a renewed faith. It's a journey that grows deeper into the knowledge of who he is, why he died for us, just like I talked about.

and it stays ⁓ connected ⁓ and endures through challenges ⁓ and it's living the fullness of his promise. So I want to thank you for joining me today ⁓ on Get Your Rear in Gear with Lori. Until next time, ⁓ stay rooted in his grace and love and continue moving forward to be the person that he created you to be.

And if you've enjoyed this episode today, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with others. And for more insights and resources, you can visit my website and follow me on social media. Keep refining your faith and walking in His abundant life. May God bless each and every one of you as you live the refinery.

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Takeaways

• Being refined means purifying and improving oneself by removing impurities.
• Vulnerability and honesty are important in the refining process.
• Staying connected to God is crucial in the journey of refinement.
• Embracing the pain of change is worth it to discover one's true self.

Sound Bites

• "Until we remove these impurities, we can't be utilized for the kingdom."
• "Being honest with ourselves is the hardest part of the refining process."
• "Abiding is not passive, but an active participant in our own transformation."

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Takeaways

• The fear of vulnerability keeps us from connecting authentically with others.
• Societal pressures and the culture of comparison lead us to hide parts of ourselves that don't fit into the mold.
• Embracing vulnerability is the path to transparency and authenticity.
• Sharing our stories and being fearlessly vulnerable empowers ourselves and others.
• Our stories are part of our healing and can guide others on a path of self-discovery and authenticity.
• Embrace your story and live as your authentic self.

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Too often in our journeys, we only celebrate the destination but forget to truly celebrate every step of the way.  However, it’s those steps that are the most important … and the ones that allow us to reach that destination!

Today on the podcast, I’m talking about what it looks like to celebrate that journey as God intended, and what it looks like to surrender your flaws to Him.

As you're listening, think about one thing you can be proud of and celebrate in your own life today!

Buy my book, "Burning Hope"

Apply for my 1-1 coaching!

Come say hi on Instagram!

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I think we can all agree that we've had bad days before ... and chances are, more than a few.

The thing about bad days is that they should be just that: a day.  However, a lot of people let one bad day turn into a bad week, a bad month, a bad year, and even in extreme cases, a bad life.

I don't want that for you!  I can't make the bad days disappear, but what I can do is teach you how to frame those bad days and put them into the proper perspective.  That's what we're talking about this week on the podcast!

Buy my book, "Burning Hope!"

Apply for my 1-1 coaching!

Come say hi on Instagram!

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Have you ever had that feeling like you were destined for me?  If so, then this podcast should inspire you!  Today, I sit down with Mary Katherine Stahl.  Mary is a fitness coach and owner of multiple fit body boot camp locations throughout the East Coast.

Mary talks about her struggle to feel like she was destined for more, how she was able to find that path of purpose, and how she can manage multiple locations, her coaching business, and her family life all at the same time.

Her story is an inspiring one of how if you listen to God's voice and trust in Him, He will truly carve out a path of purpose and fulfillment for you!

Connect with Mary!

Buy my book Burning Hope!

Apply for 1-1 coaching!

Come say hi on Instagram!

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In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to talk with ya'll about love ... but not just any love.  Today, I want to talk to you about the two most important types of love you'll experience throughout your life, and those are:

• God's love He has for you
• The love you have for yourself

When you truly understand just how much God loves you and you show that same love toward yourself, you then have the foundations to go out and show love to others as well as receive the love you need from the most important people in your life.

Discover practical ways you can recognize God's love all around you, as well as how you can start to show yourself more love in your everyday life.

"Because you trust God's plan for your life and He's got something better in store for you, you know that you're going to be okay."

Ways To Connect With Me:

Buy my book "Burning Hope"

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In this thought-provoking episode, host Lori McAfee delves into the dangers of living life on autopilot and the importance of intentional living. She explores how routine and complacency can hinder our growth and prevent us from experiencing the breathtaking moments that life has to offer. Discover practical tips on how to disengage from autopilot and embrace conscious living, allowing God to guide our paths and lead us to our most fulfilling destinations. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation that will encourage you to live with purpose and awareness.

"The most challenging paths are the ones that lead us to the most breathtaking destinations."

Links:

• Work with Lori
• Burning Hope

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In this episode of Get Your Rear in Gear with Lori, host Lori McAfee dives deep into the power of choices and decisions. She explores the significance of even the smallest decisions and how they can shape our lives. From understanding the difference between a choice and a decision to embracing the uncertainty of what lies ahead, Lori discusses the complexities and consequences that come with making choices. Tune in to hear personal stories and insights, and discover how to align your choices with your values and higher purpose.

The choice you make today, whether it is a mundane or monumental choice, the decision to follow through with that, there's a consequence that comes with that.” 

Links:

• Work with Lori
• Burning Hope

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