Homecoming Season

But I also wanted to bring it to your attention. So I faced time and I go, hey, girl, are you cool speaking about the Adam stuff? And You're like what I know? And I was like, wait what, I'm always a little behind anyways, So I'm like jogging a treadmill. Just google it, call me back. By the way, I feel like every dude in America would die to get my face times from you. Like it's just always Janna and her sweet face. What's happening here? It was like

always Janna and her sweet face. And then these voluptuous boobs just doing this Pamela Anderson, Like all I can hear is like the Baywatch theme song and I'm like, hey, BF, talk to me. And I'm like, every dude in America would die if they got to get this spacetime. So once in a while, I like to FaceTime Janna with my forty year old twice tried to nurse boobs and just show her what the difference looks like, well, I'm on the treadmill. I do my work on the treadmill.

You do, and you can also talk while you're running, which is a real feat. Wait time Hunt intended, didn't Luke Brian one time? You you picked up and you're like, she's usually in a sports bra or whatever, and I was like, so embarrassed, Yeah it was. Was it, Luke Brian? I think it was. And You're like, it's Janna, She's usually just I was like, oh Jesus, Chris. I was like, oh, you're welcome, everybody, look at my hot best friend. But I was like in a like sweatshirt that when tears

rolling down her face, a real Lauren Conrad. Anyhow okay, so I said Google and she walked in and we're like, we just have to like press records, so here's my let me just start. Can we just start with his apology because I feel like it's very similar to the Tristan Thompson apology, and I'm just gonna break down his apology for a second. Do they have the same PR team,

because that's usually where those heartfelt responses come from. It's a I think, you know, it's so triggering, and again, not trying to like make this about me or anything, but I feel like when someone is in when someone cheats or is inappropriate there, apology is what triggers me the most because it's copy paste and it's like, okay, for example, a lot is being said about me. This is what Adam Levin said. A lot is being said about me right now. And I want to clear there.

I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in any kind of flirtatious manner. I did not have an affair. Nevertheless, oh rewind, I crossed the line across the line during a regrettable period in my life. In certain instances, it became inappropriate. I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family. My wife and my my wife and my family is all I care about in this world. Really, mhm. Triggering to be this naive and stupid enough to risk the

only thing that truly matters to me. To me was the greatest mistake I could ever make. I will I will never make it again. I will take full responsibility. We will get through it, and we'll get through it together. Mm hmm. Well he sure made her his team and that didn't he She Yeah, he sure did. I'd love to know what her statement is, you mother, there's some isn't she pregnant with this third baby? Whatever? So that was that was super well again, I think anything that happens.

And I got an email from a fellow person who we've been in it together, and she texted me and I'm going to read you her text message. And she goes and she's by the way, she's actually met her at a wind down event and she was married to a sex addict and she ended up just saying like he kept kept cheating and now she's um remarried with the baby and her life is you know, it is good.

But she goes, I don't know about you, but whenever a cheating scandal hits my internet, um my betrayal trauma gets triggered a bit beyond happy that we are both on the other side of it, and I'm so grateful for all the amazing women I'm now connected to through our shared experiences thinking of you and sending you love.

And it's like I connected with that so much because it's like, yeah, like I'm over the stuff that happened, and you might be over some of the things that you face, but it's still very triggering when something comes up, especially when it's that specific. I think, Yeah, it's like, oh, I was pregnant with my when Max cheated. I was like, and it's like to hear these words, it's like, I just when my wife, my my my wife and my family is all I care about in this world that

I can just a little hard to believe. And that's where that's where I always was my biggest in my marriage. I was like, how am I? How? How are you thinking? When? When? When are you thinking about me? Was when before or after you said that, Oh my god, you're the hottest like girl in the world, so some other woman? Yeah, didn't He also link it to a separate Instagram account, like I thought I read somewhere that and I did it quick because I was also just like belly ached.

I also feel for his wife and I forget her name. Um, but I just hate that it has to be so public. I think that's the one thet I thought you said the hottie. I was like, no, she is quite beautiful that. Um. I just hate it that it's so public because it's so embarrassing and even as a confident person, it still feels a certain way, and you'd still prefer that it not be. Like, no one wants that done to them, Certainly no one wants that done to them in such

a public way. She's pregnant with the third baby. She's probably trying to get her grip on life and her feet back underneath her, because that'll knock you down pretty fast. And now it's all online and he will never do that again. Well that's the thing that never really bothers me too. I'm like, you can't say that. You can't. And that's the thing, Like, Okay, I agree with one's cheater always I don't. I'm sorry, I don't agree with once a cheater, always a cheater. Okay, I don't either.

I I because I was a cheater in my twenties. I cheated on a few relationships. Not proud of that, Like not proud of that at all, okay, but also twenties not. It doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I just I had, like I see now why I did certain things. Sure, because I'm like my worth and this whatever, like I've dissected it. Oh you like to give me attention. Yeah, so I've like dissected that piece of meat. But I

can't say so. So I go to the once you always hear, I don't believe so because I in my core I don't think I could ever do that again. But I can't say never. Well we should, So I get in trouble and therapy for using absolute language with Preston. I use always and never as absolute language, and it is triggering for him and also just pins people down. So I'm trying to think of a good example off

the top of my head. But I'll say, like, well you never do that, Well, it's not true that it's never, But that makes him feel like defensive, same way we feel defensive when we read never. Yeah, because I'm like, you can't say that, how do you know? Like, and then she's got to be wondering is there more when? But that's the thing, and I'm not saying it's it's one equals the other. It's the same thing that happened with but like when there's one, there's always more if

a man can step outside like that. Always absolute language runs in the genetics of Michigan girls always and you never um. But I think there's something to be said, like if there is one, I'm sure and quite possibly there could be another that he's slidingly, most likely sliding through someone else. And that's where my brain always went to. I'm like, you're only and here's here's what I think

hurts the worst. Two. I'm only finding this out because it got discovered, not because you came to me and told me the truth. Like, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe hopefully he said something to her, but I'm gonna say he probably didn't because most men wouldn't do that. Most men don't have the balls to go. I sipped up. Yeah, I can't think of a time in my life where I have felt that they've owned it coming like saying I need to tell you something.

I also there was one other thing about that that I wanted. Oh, let's talk about this for two seconds. It's interesting to me that it's not an affair. Oh, interesting. Yeah, I'm like, so, let me get this straight. Because you didn't sleep with her. It's not cheating. It's not cheating. It was just inappropriate and sorry, let me just go back to his words. I don't want to like speak up on his path as I crossed the line during

a regrettable period. Um, I did not have a fair never Nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period of my life. It's like, okay, well that sentence is not for anyone but him. M hm, I did not have an affair. Nevertheless. You know who did it really well? Actually was justin Timberlake. Yeah, what did he do? He basically said. I'm I don't think he ever put out like the I did not have an affair, because when you're speaking those words, you better be damn sure. Well, also,

is it not an affair? Well, that's that it's interesting too, well because it's an emotional fair for sure, a guy just sending a message. Because she said her side of the story is they've been having a year long affair. I believe that's what she said. I'd also like to just talk about her for two seconds, because she knew he was married, right, Okay, there's that's all I wanted to say. Okay, okay, yes, just like my husband's mistress knew that I was pregnant mhm mm hmm on this

episode of Quality Humans. So here's okay, this is gonna sound really bad that song. Don't mess with my man? Can I just say something though, I'm going to give it.

I have a little empathy for the other side. I know, I know, and it's it's even when I screamed at my husband's one of his husbands, my husband's a fair girls, the longer one, there was still a piece of me that was like, she's so broken to have done this, and so I can have a little piece of grace for her to know you just winced because she must be struggling with something really bad too. It doesn't make

any of it when you're struggling with something. And I'm not saying it's right at all, but like I do think we are all human in some aspects of where it's like I can, I don't, I will. I I could never imagine sleeping with a man that knowing his well that he's married A or B, she's pregnant or whatever. But you all, I also don't know what he said to her. Yeah, and I will say this too. This may actually lead us quite wachfully into your guest, but

we both believe in Jesus and redemption. And that's the love story of being a Christian is our brokenness, our sins, forgiveness, grace, redemption, resurrection. And I feel like I am hopeful that this is really his truth, Adam's truth. I'm hopeful that that lands somewhere with her and that can be you know, maybe it's a pivotal point in their marriage that they need something like this is gross and left up as that sounds, but like maybe this is the turning point along overdue

reconnection or something. That's that's my prayer over that family because it sucks and it's hurtful and there's kids involved, and it's public and you know nothing about that. But back to your and amen to that for sure. But is it if it was just texting, is that cheating? I say yes. I mean I say yes too, But I don't think the general public would say because I think a man, which is like I was just being inappropriate. So it was towing the line. Is towing the line cheating?

Would you like to do an Instagram poll. What I will say is the rule for us not always followed, is is you communicate as if I'm next to you when you're in public, when you're with a person, with your representative, a radio person, anything, and then also in the same breath when you're communicating and writing something, is this something that you would group text with me on? And if you would not, then you should not in a boxer with a fox or with a boat or

a hoe. So I think it's cheating. I mean, I agree with you. I do agree with you. I absolutely agree with you. I think if you're especially if you're you know, I mean yes, and my flirtatious person. Sure, I mean, but I would never O don't say never, right, Um, I would like to think that how do I say this? Like the things that I've read which I was made to believe it wasn't cheating, But I'm like, you are telling this woman how beautiful she is and how sexy

she is. Like that's a hurtful and that's emotional, that's an emotional because like I mean, that's that's still that's still cheating. I'm still like I'll stay I'll stand my ground that too, Like I still think it's cheating. I do too, And I also just feel like doesn't matter what it's classified as because it just sucks and it's hurtful. So if it's hurtful, I guess it doesn't matter. It just all I mean, that's a whole family, I know.

But then it's also too where like for the end of mine, where it's like, but it had to be physical cheating to make me leave, but like why all this other stuff is that not enough? It's inappropriate, still inappropriate and still wrong. So now I look at it and I'm like, your marriage exactly. So it's like when I look at it now, I'm like next dude, Like I'm like, here's all the things, like this is what it needs because it's like I don't I want to

be respected. I'd love to know what it feels like to actually be respect And honestly, I have a date tonight. I'm sorry, I know, but my first thought when I saw this and I was like, there's no good. Guess oh that's been the theme. I have a lot of

girlfriends feeling that way right now. There's no they're gonna she's she's a supermodel pregnant, you know, like I'm sure everyone has their issues, but I'm like, I just I'm like, is there any man that's not going to slide into someone else's a young thing and say how freaking beautiful you are? Is there any man that's not going to do that? I don't know. Isn't that sad? I will say this though, I think this is I know we both get fired up fight you and I versus the world.

I I do. I think it's worth noting that you have this man who is essentially on top of the world, right Adam Levine. We all know who he is. He's successful, he's handsome. Wasn't he like America's sexiest person alive or some sexiest man alive one time? I don't know, I might have made that up. I throw a lass information into the internet, but you know what, I feel like everyone does it, so I get to do it once

in a while. But he was, you know, like he's everybody loves Adam Levine and then all of us in you just realized Adam Levin is an insecure person who needs to do his own work like us, all right, just a human, yeah, a human making a mistake. But can we come up with a better can we please come up with a better I just instead of just saying nevertheless or I did not like, just just be like that's not even needed in there. Actually I did

not have an affair. Needs to not even be anywhere near or even saying me, my wife and my families all I care about this because again, m then why did you do? It's just like, you know, what would what would I want? Yeah, you know, would be really hot. I messed up? Huh, And I love and my wife is beautiful and tells and I'm pretty sure that's what

Justin said something along that line. Well, he needs a new PR team, Adam does because he's been I feel like he did actually write this yeah, because it sucks. I will never make it an like yeah, I just I just it just also is like it just needs to be I messed up and she doesn't deserve this, and I'm going to do the work to fix this period period and then take it offline at him. It's almost like this is a burn, it's a pub It feels a little public declaration for his wife be hottie.

The hottie I don't know, And it also feels like a sting against I don't know what the girl's name is, Jesus uh some it's some Sumner Sumner yeah, which again I mean, I know, I know, I know broken people, broken people, broken hey, broken people, broken world connect with broken people. They do. Like my unhealthiness has always connected

with unhealthy people because I was unhealthy. So now when I'm in or you know, starting dating, I'm like, oh, I'm not gonna because he's not healthy and I'm healthy enough to see the flags this time, whereas a year ago, six months or no, like a year ago, I was like, or six months ago, I was like, oh, those are still attractive flags. So I just don't want us to skate past the fact they have a date tonight. I just want to take the pin out. Just chatted out

a little. It was the story I tried to tell last week. And then we got on I will never mention even the BJ born Jewish, but I was gonna say I don't want to the BJ. I had to clarify that we talked about bjs on the Wine Down tour drop Mike, um did do that, so yeah, so we we. Then I got on the whole like I texted the BJ situation. Um, BJ, that's not that's not his nicknames Born Jewish guy is b J. I hate it for him, but anyways, we got Jewish. Here's the

thing we've now got. We've now a lot. Got on that train again of just going to him like we were diverting from the date tonight, I'm gonna put a black hard in it and then I want to talk about who the date was. It's tonice Eke. Tell me tell us still, because even last night or the last time we podcast, are you protecting him? I'm protecting on the queendom chat right, it has not entered queendom chiant any of a smile? I like it. Um, he's flying here right now and wings of an angel? Can we

have one in entertainment? Um? No? Mm hmm. Is he in mortgages? Why do you say because you didn't? We haven't notoriously done well with guys and mortgages? Oh you you us? Whoever, I can't say that they never really had a job, and I can't say that some of the nicknames I have for these guys are their names plus something. So I can't like girl, I don't know

if we can get by now. It's a great time to miss and that you shouldn't listen to this while you're taking your children on the morning Wake Up Live with Janet Kramer. I'm sweat team. You can keep asking questions. I got nothing all. I will say this. We need to have a better transition into your guests, like Anti, Yes, that's right. Yes, we're going to the church world in a minute. Um no, But I'll tell you the story of how I met him. How's that? Okay? Okay, I've

actually never met him in person. Tonight's the first night. Have you FaceTime dated? Yes? Okay, three times? Okay? Have your clothes day one? Oh my god? Yes, well once there was a time, Kramer, when I don't know, I've never done that. I don't think so. I like, I don't think so. I don't think I ever have really, Yeah, because people have screenshot that. What Okay, I may have sent a photo or two one time. But anyways, Oh, our guest is in the waiting room. Oh, we need

a transition quickly. So I guess we're going to have to share this story eventually. It's gonna take us in in five podcasts. When I'm over him and the date went terrible, I'll tell you a horrible nickname I'll tell you exactly who is um to transition, please away from what's just happened. Um, please with any downs. She's actually a guest speaker at cross Point in Franklin. Um. She has a new book out. She's the best New York Times bestselling author. She's a new book called Chase the Fun, Um,

hundred Days to Discover Fun. Right where you are available now, UM, let's get her on. I'm so excited. Hey girl, nice to officially like meet you. I know we follow each other on Instagram. It's been needing to happen. Yeah, this is this is needed to happen. And I've I'm obviously a huge fan of yours and I just I love everything that you do for the church and your books and um, so thank you for coming on wine down. This is my trusty sidekick, Kristen Annie. I don't know

how we haven't met in real life. Are you in Nashville right now? Yes? And this is my question. I've thought the same about both of you. How is it that we have not just done this in actual real life? And no, should we just pause it? And I'll just get in my car and come sit on your lap, Come on over to Green Hills girl, we got you. You're really not that far. I'm like, how have I never met her? And so many mutual friends that a door?

You a door? Yeah, we're very lucky. We have a beautiful community, right, Like, we have a lot of friend to care about each other, so and it's fun when they all tie together. Yeah, no, really do. And I'm so excited about your new book too, because I was on that Sound Bad that I'm like, I have the date tonight and I had a date last week. But the guy goes, he goes, what do you do for fun?

And I was like, um, and he's like really And I was like, I mean I have like my kids like and he was no, what do you do like for fun? Like you? And I was like, I run like that's fun for me just rhymes yeah Ryan, But I really, like, I truly had to take a minute. And I go, well, that's kind of sad. I was like, I honestly can't think of I mean, I like to have game nights, but everyone's so busy with her kids. And it's like also she likes to pick games that

only she wins at sometimes and I'm like, can't make it. Sorry, I'm not available to watch you defeat me again, right, you just don't know how to play, you ker. So I'm just when I saw your book and like what it's about, I'm like, oh my goodness, Like yes, like please inspire fun? Like how just like where do we even start? What happened to us? Any tell us what happened to us? Yeah? I mean I can tell you both things. I can tell you what happened to us.

What happened to us is we aren't in third grade anymore? Right? And when it when when everything felt easier? And I use third grades of example. Someone's going to send you an email and be like third grade was the worst year in my life. I'm like, no, no no, I'm not talking about third grade. I'm just saying, like, as kids, this is what we did. We got home from school and we threw our book bags down, and after a snack, we wanted to play. We rushed through homework because we

wanted to do something fun. Right. But then this thing happens when you grow up and you start to know a little bit more. And I would venture to say, you get to know too much the older we get and and we stop prioritizing fun because we think it is supplementary instead of primary. And and what one of the things I talked about a lot with my friends is moving things, all sorts of things from my to do list to my calendar. Because on your to do like right now, on my to do list is clean

out two of my closets in my house. That isn't gonna happen on Wednesday because it's not on my Wednesday calendar, right, And so what's ended up happening is we have moved whereas as kids fun was on our calendar, we've moved it to hard to do list. Like, I mean, you'll have fun when we have enough money in the bank, I'll have fun when I'm with the right partner. I'll have fun when the kids are a little bit older.

I'll have fun when we finally have kids. Whatever the thing is, it just stays on our to do list. And so Janna to your question of what do we do, you're doing it. I mean, you really did it exactly right where when you run into this roadblock of what do I do for fun? That is what you ask yourself, what do I do for fun? And that really, y'all, y'all would be fascinating by this because I asked this. I asked people what sounds fun to them every single day, and so I am talking about this all the time

and over and over again. This random thing happens where when you say what sounds fun to you and someone answers, if you say why two or three times, you really get to the heart of why that sounds fun to them, And overwhelmingly it's because of something from their child hood or something with their grandparents. So I could cry right now because I was just thinking that. I'm like, she's like,

I'm like, what sounds fun? I'm like going up north, like that's my childhood memories, and it's like that's where I have I had the most fun as a child. It's where I have the most fun as an adult. Like that's where I feel like I'm like the most myself. And it's like I can't go there. It's in Michigan, Like I can't you know, and it's like or the people don't exist. So it's like, how do I then go? Yeah, exactly, it's like my grandpa just passed and so it's like

it's like how do I then where? How do I find that special place here? Yes? And that's like that makes me sad to totally that is the journey, because first of all, the only way we know this from that very theologically sound movie Inside Out Right. What Inside Out said to us is joy and suffering actually need to coexist for you to have the best human experience. And so Janna with the example with your grandfather, which I saw that and I'm so sorry. I thought the

singing was beautiful. I just death was. No. It was never supposed to be like this, right when we go back to how God made the whole planet, death wasn't at the start. And so that's why we feel it every time, even when it's a grandparent. You think, wait, he lived a long life, and wait, she's been here for you know, the Queen of England. Wait she's nine six. And we still feel this like this isn't right, because

it isn't. It isn't right. And so so what you do, what I think you do next, is first you tell yourself the truth of everything. And and this is going to both the old question about that like everything that I used to experience as a kid, I cannot have again, right, So tell yourself the truth and grieve that we can't None of the three of us can go back to before we had Instagram. We can't go back to before

we had a phone with us all the time. I sat last night with some of my college friends for dinner, and we talked about how we all just showed up on time in the early two thousand's, because what did we do if we were late. We couldn't text and say we were five minutes late. So everybody just like got there, right, You just got there where you're supposed to be there, um And so we can't go back to all of that, but we can go back to

pieces of that. So, Janna, my question for you, if I can fun coach you for a tell me more about what you love about being up there, Like what did y'all do? So it was on the lake, like I love being on a lake. I love wake surfing and just being outside like I love to be outside. There was no no phone, like there's no service up north. You know, everything I had filmed that was, you know had because I can post. It's like everything there's You're so present with family and outside in the lake, like

it's just so fun. So what let me reflect back to you what I'm hearing you say that that there's something about being disconnected from what the world is asking of you that brings you a lot of peace and feeling like you're just allowed to be Janna without being Janna Cramer dot com and without having like the internet

attraction or anger. And so there's something sounds like that's really powerful for you about being disconnected like that, and something about the gift of water, which is really a

globally beautiful thing. A lot of people feel that. And so what I would say to you, what I would encourage you, is it may be worth figuring out a way to turn your phone off half a day a week, not for you know, you don't have to Saturday and Sunday, my phone's off, but like, hey, from Sundays from two to four, I'm with the kids and my phone is off. So if you need me, this is my address and

you can come knock on the door. Because and as you start doing that, as you give yourself an hour and then maybe two hours, you will build a rhythm that people go, hey, I can't get jan on Tuesday after or on Saturday afternoons, like I can't get her or on Tuesdays. Whatever, you know, like our world, our road life makes Saturday's not Saturdays for us. But people go like, hey, jan is just not available to me

on Tuesday afternoons. Her textra green and it's every Tuesday, right, And so there are pieces of what you loved that we can still So for me, one of the things that I loved was sitting on the porch with my grandmother and snapping green beans and none of that right right, it's like such like a childhood and you know what I loved about it? Tell me if you agree with this.

But I when I when I was writing about that memory, the thing that stood out to me as I was thinking about nothing, and I miss thinking about nothing, and it's and I can't. My grandmother is not alive anymore. They do not own the house where we sat on the porch. In fact, it's now a sunroom, so there is no porch, and I don't really cook. So I'm like, to one end, I'm gonna look at him and be satisfied. Great. So then I asked myself, well, what can I do? Well?

I can still find some hobbies where I think about nothing. So working on a puzzle, I think about nothing. I just like work on a puzz I'm gonna need to be with you really soon, Annie Down. We have a lot of similar grandmother interest and I'm here for yes, yes, and so so the thing I'm going for when I am searching for what we'll call fun, but what all three of us feel in our hearts and know because we're all teary about it, is it's so much deeper than that. And so what we're actually going for is

that sense of peace that we don't have anymore. And so that can sometimes be tied up in a soccer match, that can sometimes be tied up in a jog you go on, or a hike, or just listening to your favorite record or working on a puzzle or turning your

phone off. And and as we find that thing that restores our peace, the next thing that happens, Jane, to get you excited about this continued journey is it's there's a new connection with God when you go back to where you knew him on an easier way, right, So then there's this new connection and you go like, oh, I can hear more clearly, My heart is calmer. Oh, now I understand that it was never about the green beans.

For me, it was about feeling loved by someone where I was totally safe and I wasn't having to take care of myself. Someone else was taking care of me. So God, can you tell me how you'll do that for me the way my grandmother did that for me? Right, So it's it is. It is always so much deeper than like I love being alsoide sure, yeah, I actually feel this. I went for yesterday. My husband and I played tennis for a minute and then he did around with our trainer tennis match and I was like, I

don't want to just sit here. And I'm we're both from Michigan. We say that a lot, but we're Michigan proud. We gotta have something because there's not a lot of um. And I was like, I'm gonna sit on a bench, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna just run for a minute just so I like it's when my heart matches my brain, it just all feels in sink. It's like very in

alignment for me. But I don't run as much as I used to bad back hashtag forty but whatever, So I was like, I'm just gonna run for as long as I can feel like I can run, and it would is actually the biggest gift I've had in a long time. This will make me teary eyed, but I was across Country Girl, and that was the piece, the crispy leaves, and like just the air is different, and there's just something about running and hearing crunchy leaves or

the smell of leaves that just does something. And I took this run and it was the biggest gift I've gotten from God in a long time. And I've been in this season of like homecoming is what I'm calling it, Like I'm just there's pieces of me that are coming back home and home is nowhere but like right with me, and it's been really beautiful. And I had a homecoming moment yesterday and I took a video of my feet on the leaves so that I could just play it.

And it sent me into a place yesterday of just like empowerment and like I don't it was such an innocence and it was just also so calming and wonderful and empowering to remember, like that girl is still in here. Yes, that's it. That girl is still in here, and that is that is what we are waiting for someone else to say to us. We are looking for the person we're on a date with our our friends or our kids to go you're you're you are as great to me as you were to yourself at seven, right, and

that and that we are looking for that. But I also want to say to you, I want to really celebrate you calling a season what it is because we are so good at going like here comes the fall, here comes the winter, here comes the spring. But in our own lives, we don't call season seasons. If something's going really good, if if all of a sudden like things are hitting, we just go like, man, I feel so lucky versus going like I am in a season of fruit from seeds I planted two years ago. I

am a season of God giving me gifts. And so so I want to say to you, this homecoming season is going to give you. So it's gonna give you a gift at the end of it. I don't know what it is, but I am just so moved that you went like, hey, God, I'm calling this a homecoming season because I already saw you doing it. Just like the credit she leaves, it's hot as business outside, but it falls coming and we know it because we see

little pieces of it. You're seeing little pieces of something God's wanting to say to you about Homecoming, and you said, hey, I'm calling it a season. I'm calling it a season. And I think God loves when we do that because he goes, yeah, I know, let's go. It's you and me, let's go. He keeps leaving bread crumb so that I can get back to myself, like I'm watching it happen, like even just doing this with Jama, this is like an O, gim me kind of thing to do, like radio,

the podcasting, like all of that. It's it's it's really like, I'm trying really hard not to cry on this episode because I'm kind of like I'm like a the time I cry on down, but I really already have the tears because what you're saying just makes so much sense and it feels I hope you're journaling it. Are you journaling it as you go? I do. I write a lot so because that to me, what saves me, and

Desert Seasons is everything I wrote. And Dessert Seasons, you know, like what saves me when I can't find I can't get a light at all, and what's going on is going back and going. But God showed me abundance in my life a year ago, and he's not done with me yet those problems. So this season matters too. It's so much easier to call a grief season a season than a joy season, and so it just says it says so much about you that you called a joy season a homecoming season what it is so that you

can get the gift out of it too. Question for you on the other side of the homecoming season where like a losing hope season and just wondering like alright, God, like I've done. I've done, I've I've I've put my head and I've worked my butt off. It's like, you know, I'm getting help. I'm doing this. It's like when like and I'm like, can you throw me a bone? Can

you show me? Like I'm like, yes, I'm so grateful for a B and C. And I can know that someone else could look at and like, oh you should be so grateful I am, but also like the things that I've really prayed for and really just like I'm like, where's where's the where's the wink, where's the bone? Where's the I'm like, and it's like just to sit there and just like not wait but just like, I'm like, where to know? I wish? I was like, how do you not just like his plan? I just sometimes I'm

just like, what give me something? I'm like a little I'm like last night, I was like, just give me a pebble of something to like. I again, I get like, and I'm so grateful and I stayed all the time, like I get like, and there was a remember if you spoken in church or if Kevin did, and to to look at everything you do have, and I do that every single day, and I'm so grateful. But there's things that I'm like, I'm like yearning for and like I'm like, when is that? Will that come? Ever? I

don't know what's God's plan? And how do you stay? And when you're in a season of just like kind of waiting, yes, I mean you're you're asking the questions. That's so many of our friends listening and going, oh my gosh, me too, because what is actually true is we all probably ate breakfast and we are going to want lunch. And some people would say you should be satisfied with breakfast, and you're like, but but I'm hungry again,

right like we are wanters. It's how we're built. So I love Jane that you're like not shying away from your want because I think a lot of times, what happens in the seasons where we don't start getting answered prayers the way we're predicting, or it's harder to hold onto hope, we start going I don't want that anyway, you know what, I don't want that anyway. And I

think that's when our hearts hardened. And I think that's why I've I've had a season one time where I went, you know what, I'm not gonna hope to get married anymore. I'm not gonna hope for kids anymore. And that'll feel so much better to stop hoping. And it felt great for like a day and one half and that was it. And then I was like, oh, everything, when you remove hope, everything goes a shade grayer and you don't even realize it until you're like, wait, why is nothing fun? We

hope makes the heart sick? Yes, And let me tell you this. Okay, I just did it. I just researched this for an advent thing we did. That word deferred is the same word they use in the Bible when you're pulling an arrow. Back in a bow that your mind. So it's not hope canceled, it's not hope removed. It's hope pulled back like an arrow in a bow. And so when, of course, and I know the Bible, you guys, close my money, you know there's an answer in the Bible. Well,

that wraps up any down. There's an app that I love called the Blue Letter Bible that you go and you look up the original word and it tells you where else it's used in the Bible. I use it all the time because I think it's fascinating because then you read that and you go like, oh, now, I

understand why that makes my heart sick. Because when you're holding an arrow back, you see a target, you know what you're going for, you just haven't released yet, right, and and there's a strength, there's a muscle thing going on, there's a focused thing going on. So of course your heart feels overwhelmed by it. The second part of that verse is a longing fulfills the tree of life. Right like when you let go of that arrow, something happens.

And so Janna, one of the things I'm thinking about, one of the things that I've decided for me is a sin, as I say a lot that I'm gonna die with hope. I'm gonna die with hope. I would rather ask God and trust God and get because because then we what we get to say when we get to heaven is like, that's on you, like I didn't, I didn't get. We got to talk about this. I'm here and I brought all my hope with man. That's right, that's right I got, And then the laud will go.

I love you so much, I love how you think. Let me tell you why the story I wrote was better than any story you could have ever written. And then he'll tell us. Right, But it doesn't feel that way today for me either, Janna, because I'm like forty two and not married yet, right, Like, this isn't the story I would have proved. Yeah, I know, I know, And so then and so then you go like, so I've got this choice to either say this arrow I've

pulled back. I'm just gonna shoot in the sky and forget about it, or I am going to hold this at that target and at some point God's gonna say let go, and when I do, it's gonna hit some sort of target that's gonna matter in my life. And if we get to heaven and the arrow is still pulled back, I'm gonna be like, my muscles are tired. My muscles are tired. Um. My favorite, probably my favorite person the Bible that I wish was a real person. But it's someone Jesus. It's one of Jesus's parables. Is

the Persistent Widow. Do y'all know that story? Or she just keeps going back? Okay, I put my Bible here because I just thought I just may wish I had it. Um, let me see if I can even look up where it is really quick. But but the persistent Widow what she does? Can you look it up for me? Craig? Can you google persistent Widow? Who's Craig? Annie? Yeah, they're kidding. I'm gonna lovely I we introduced him to his wife. Has one of the joys of working here as we

try to help you find his spouse. Um, okay, it's Luke eighteen. So in this story in Luke eighteen or I mean, can wind down handle straight from the Bible? I think so because we don't listen to the first twenty minutes right well, I mean, what a better life than to say we can hold laughter, joy, sorrow and scripture altogether because we can, of course we can um so okay, So in this story of the persistent Widow, can I just read it? Okay? This is Luke eighteen

verse one. Then Jesus told his disciples a parable. I'm going to ball reading all this. Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. So right at the front, Jesus tells him the reason I'm telling you this story is you should always pray and never give up. He said, in a certain town, there was a judge who was neither fear who neither feared God nor care about men.

And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea grant me justice against my adversary. For some time he refused, but finally he said to himself, even though I don't fear God or care about men yet, because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming. And the

Lord said, go to that. And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says, and will not God to bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. Will he keep putting them off? I tell you he will see that they get justice and quickly, right. I mean that's and the beautiful thing about that story is the judge wasn't God. The judge wasn't a good man. He didn't honor God. So what Jesus is doing is going in this story. I'm telling you the guy wasn't even as good to

you as as God is. And he changed his mind and he and he started acting on behalf of the widow because he didn't want to be worn out. So you should hear me when I'm talking Lord, I'm like, hey Lord, I'm gonna wear you for myself. Yeah, that's it, and for people and for people who need healing in their lives, and for people that I love and care about it, some of our mutual friends that have really hard stuff going on. I'm going, hey, Lord, I'm not

gonna quit asking you for this. Either you're gonna change the story or you're gonna change what I want to pray, and I trust either one. Right, So Janet, long loop back to your question about what do we do when we feel like we're out of hope. We just hold on. You just hold on because you know what you know from your story, what you know from your friends stories, but in your own life is this won't last forever. It doesn't last forever. He is going to do a

new thing and it is coming. And and so how we want to be found with the arrow pulled back when God says new season like he did to you, right, Like when he says new season, you were there and you were crunchy leaves and ready to go. Oh and and so that's easy to say when we're sitting on microphones in our offices and like having a good time, and way harder at ten o'clock tonight when we're crying in our beds. And I get that, and that's true

for me too. But also that's when I go to sleep, I go, we're gonna try again tomorrow, and we're gonna give it our best. But man, I just I don't want us to be the people who give up praying for what we want or what our people want and what they need from God, you know. So when it feels like everything's fallen apart, is when we just hold on and go Okay, today, I can do it. Today, I can ask God for the things that I'm longing for and to be the God that I hope that

he is. And they keeps saying that he is in scripture. I mean also when I'm reading the Bible, I'm saying things like, well, you said you provide, Well you say life abundant. Yeah, that's it the story. That's because if scripture, I mean, I will read him back scriptures all the time and go in scripture, you said that you give good gifts. And I've got friends who are waiting on good gifts. So I'm just I know, you know the Bible. God, I'm just gonna remind you that you say you give

good gifts. Like I think praying Scripture is one of the most powerful things we can do. And so look up those hope verses and keep going until the story changes. I love that so much. And in the meantime, have fun, right, try to find moments of fun, and I feel like the day goes by, Like when I go hiking with a friend or we have it's like it's the day

feels lighter no matter what you're going through. When you actually incorporate bring in fun into your life and yes, yes, and fun is just getting back to yourself really, So if you're full and abundant in yourself and in your relationship with God, then usually that's when he's like, okay, you, here's a little gift. I mean, that's the wild thing

about fun. And it's been funny with the devotional with Chase the Fun, we're we're leading a big group of people through it when it came out, and so we're in the thirties, so we're a third of the way through. People keep saying things to me like I feel bamboozled because I'm crying as I'm reading this today, and I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah,

Fun it is simple. It is we're turning back to the joy and the childhood innocence that you knew whether you had a good childhood or not, you had moments right, you had a good teacher, you had a good day, you have these there are there is innocence in us. And so when we talk about fun and finding it, it's gonna be it's gonna be a bigger journey than

people rise are signing up for. But you've both said a thing I think is interesting is connecting your physical body to your spiritual journey, going on walks, going to the water, going on runs, playing tennis. There is something about that that is worth people exploring. Can you give us a little devotional that you have in the book, one of your favorite ones? Yes, hold on, because you know we read the one book. Now we got to read your book, Chase the Fun, which is available now

everyone will get up, yes, of course. Um let me let me look at the table of contents. I think you know, Oh, I've flipped to day thirty eight. Fall in love with being outside? How about that that one? Real quick? Yeah. A few years ago I started hiking pretty regularly at a place in Nashville called Radnor Lake. It's a beautiful natural park in the middle of the city with a lake, du and hills and paths and

all sorts of wildlife. It's been a great use of about an hour of my day a few days a week to go and walk at Radnor Lake, up the trails that lead to the top of the hills and back down around the lake, getting to pass my favorite bench, which is number ten, and then back to my car. I just love being out there. And one thing that can be frustrating, but It's actually really good for me,

as you aren't allowed to run at Radnor Lake. The short little part from the parking lot to the trail entrances, the part that used to be a road people could drive from Granny White Pike to Franklin Road. You can run on that part, but that's it. The rest you have to walk. I don't like walking. It feels like

it takes too long. I'm not great at running, Honestly, I don't run much faster than I walk, but it feels like I'm getting more accomplished when I'm outside, whether it's at Radnor Lake or just walking around my neighborhood, I pay a lot more attention to the world when I move a little slower. I see the geese and their gosling's. I see the flowers that have changed since the last time I was passing by. I see the

new for sales sign on my neighbor's house. And whether it's sunny or cloudy, or cold or rainy, warm and bright or windy, I love spending a few minutes breathing fresh air and seeing the world move. Just yesterday, after a few hours of working inside, I said to my coworker, I just need to breathe outside for a couple of minutes. It wasn't that anything was going wrong or things were bad. I've just been a lot of time under office lights

and breathing office air. There's just something about getting outside a short walk, a few minutes in the garden, reading a book on the porch a few hours by, or in the pool, walking a few blocks to the bagel shop, or parking a few spots further back from them. All the more you're in nature, the more you see here and smell the real world, the more you will crave it, and the more you will see God in it, and

the more you will love it. M beautiful. Adding to Kurt Chase the fun and by now, um Annie, no girl, thank you so much for coming on wine down. Can we please all get together and do this in person and just please let's go and love it. Really, let's just I think it would be so fun. Yeah, I don't know. I think Janet, your calendar is probably the one we can build around that. It would be great, That would be awesome. I think that's a good goal we've got. We've got an entire quarter to sort out

a walk. I believe in us. I love that you can do it. Thank you so much. But I appreciate you coming on, man, I'm grateful for you. A special human. See you soon, meet you at bench times. Okay, so thanks friends. I really could have, like really just I

had to. I'm trying my credibility back on this podcast because I've just I feel like I just keep weeping so much of what she said, the arrow pulled back, growing outside just to breathe, like coming back to like our like Michigan parts that we love that who we who we are at our core, the like the the little girl and like the little girls inside of us. But no, I mean it's really truly like she wants

to have fun. Every person, our little child and ourselves wants to have fun, and we shouldn't let them have fun. And if you have kids, that's like the best way to get your inner child back out. But sometimes it's

like it's it's it's like an easy way. It's easy way, but also like I feel like it's it's hard to because it's like, Okay, I gotta um be responsible, responsible and or not I'm responsible just like I mean, it's I'll do laundry while they go play or all you know, but it's like getting getting out there and like going and like yeah, letting your letting your little inner child play with your kids. Um. So I got a text message, Okay,

I just need can you just interview one comedian? I was like, can we just get I mean and he is actually a gift to the world. Taking off to Minneapolis, babe, I'll text you when I land, but looks like everything is on time landing in nash at babe, So if you need us at five twenty, we will be at the Nashville Oh um. And it just so happens that we're wet hair fluff happening while were talking about and I need to shampoo before shading when my legs like a little Dina Carter in my life or nows for

the song. Um. I would tell the story of how I met him, but it's now fifty three minutes, so I feel like, given my dates lately, there probably won't be a sex in one because I'm very quick. So we can just talk about it next week about like kind of because again, you know, like I'm so like done when I see something now I know, but I'm really excited. But again, I don't want to get too excited. So next week I'll be like, OK, let's pull back the arrow, okay, and let's just aim it and see

where it lands. Yeah, let's not. We're not gonna lose hope. Yet he hasn't even landed and we already broke up with him. I don't need him the game, I know he is, But wherever you are, I want you to know I was on your team for the five minutes you left it. Okay, I have to tell you how I'm at him. Yeah, it hasn't run six few minutes yet. I walked into a wine store and the clerk goes, I have a guy for you, and I go, well, I just walked in for some camis, but I'll take

a man on the side. Perfect, And then we were introduced man in a bottle. Well, I have to go get ready, and there's a lot to shave off my legs as I this. This actually shows me that I'm wanting here. Doesn't a lot happening over here, but and I'm gonna go breeze the air. Um. I love you guys, and stay tuned for next week to see if my body is a wonderland. This done by