Step Out Anyway: What It Really Means to be Courageous

In this rich and honest conversation on Just Talkin' About Jesus, host Jan sits down with friends Lynn Shortman and Luba Shalya to talk about something every believer wrestles with — courage. Together, these three women unpack what courage really looks like in the life of a Christian: not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in faith anyway.

Luba shares the courage it took to launch an online women's prayer group for Oregon, the grief of losing two children, and how speaking God's Word over her life — even 100 times a day — carried her through some of the hardest seasons imaginable. Lynn reflects on her Abraham-like leap of faith in 1977, packing up and driving across the country with no plan, which ultimately led her to meet God in a new place. Jan adds her own story of choosing life and integrity in the face of an unplanned pregnancy.

The conversation goes deep into biblical examples of courage — Job's unwavering trust through catastrophic loss, Esther's surrender as she walked before the king declaring "if I perish, I perish," and Mordecai's refusal to bow. Woven throughout is a powerful thread: the more intimately you know God, the more courageous you become.

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0:00  Welcome — Introducing Lynn & Luba

0:44  How Lynn & Luba Met Through Glory of Zion Ministry

2:38  It Took Courage to Start — Luba's Story

3:08  Defining Courage: Biblical & Practical

4:10  What Held Luba Back — Stepping Into the Unknown

6:14  The Blessings That Followed — Lynn's Perspective

6:59  Getting to Know Each Other: Community & Connection

9:13  When God Tells You to Do Something — Trust the Step

9:53  Lynn's Courageous Moment: An Abraham-Like Journey

11:39  Courage Gives Way to Faith — Finding God in Oregon

12:00  Jan's Story: Choosing Courage During an Unplanned Pregnancy

13:03  The Courage to Trust God Through Mistakes

14:38  Biblical Characters Who Showed Courage: Job & Joshua

15:09  Luba on Job — Suffering, Loyalty & Surrendering to God

18:32  How Job's Story Carried Luba Through Losing Two Children

19:34  The One Thing That Makes Courage Possible: Love for God

21:17  Relationship With God Is the Foundation of Courage

21:55  Esther: Courage to Hide & Courage to Be Revealed

23:15  "For Such a Time as This" — Mordecai's Words to Esther

24:36  Fasting, Prayer & Getting God's Strategy

25:55  "If I Perish, I Perish" — Esther's Full S

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Transcript

Jan: Welcome, everyone.

Lynn: Hey.

Jan: My friend Lynn Shortman is here today.

Hello, Lynn and Luba Shalya again,

turn person here to join us. Today we're going to be talking about courage and how,

you know, just what courage is about and. And see where God leads us with that.

So,

Lynn, I've known you for many

Luba: years, so, yes, I know just being

Jan: in the same community and being in church together different times or different women's groups and whatever. So that has been delightful. Tell me how you know Luba.

Luba: Okay.

Lynn: It's a really interesting story.

About 13 years ago, I started watching an online church called Glory of Zion.

It was referred to me by my friend in Company of Women. And I just started watching it,

and I was really taken by the ministry,

and so I started watching it every Sunday and also other services that they had,

and I really loved it, and I really felt like I was part of it. And they do encourage the viewers to participate, but I felt like I wish I knew somebody in my area that was watching the same thing, heard the same sermons.

And so they have a groups of. I have. They have a group called Women's Houses of Zion, which is, like, for women that watch the program or are participating. And so I looked at a list, and I saw there was a group in Portland.

So that's how I met Luba. I looked up Luba. I think I sent an email first, and then we chatted by phone. And it's been for quite a few months now.

Luba: Yes. And it was really interesting because I'm just like God who am.

When I got an opportunity,

I was there in Dallas, Texas, where the Glory of Zion and Corinth, Texas.

And I meet with Diana, who is leading all these groups, and she invited me to that. She's like, okay, I would love to do that because Portland is my. My.

The second home. And.

And I would love to do that. And then I got an email from Lynn. I was so excited because I want to know if somebody's here who, you know, follow Glory of Zion, who love the ministry and everything.

So, yeah, we become friends doing zoom meetings, like, every Thursday.

I'm skipping it because of busyness,

but usually it's like, it's very good meetings and prayer and conversations and encourage each other, and so go forward.

And it took courage, courage for me to start this,

you know, Glory of Zion ministry for women here in Oregon. So there was one of the courageous not knowing,

you know, but so it.

Jan: Yeah, let's put a link in the show notes at the end, you know, about how people could Be in contact

Lynn: with that as well.

Luba: Yes, because I would love to.

Jan: Sure. There's always opening for more.

Luba: Yes.

Jan: Right.

Luba: Yes.

Jan: Yeah. I'm going to start with the definition of courage. So we got a couple of things here.

Courage is also called bravery. The choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation.

Courage comes in many different forms, physical,

social,

emotional and moral.

While they are each characteristic building in their own way, the most profound of all is moral courage.

Biblical courage is a God centered strength in soul.

Not the absence of fear, but acting in faith despite danger or difficulty by trusting in God's presence and promises.

It involves fearing God more than man,

choosing obedience and relying on his power. Often described as good cheer or being strong and courageous.

So when you say it took some courage for you to start that, what,

what kept you from feeling like just a piece of. Just like I can do this and make it happen?

Luba: Well, I believe because it was new for me. I was doing some home groups before, but starting on Zoom with women who, I have no idea who they are.

I never saw them.

I don't know what their spirit and everything that was like part of who do I do this with? You know, because I had no idea. I didn't have anyone.

So. And then Connie, who's another one or another sister that is attending this meetings,

she connect with me and then lean. So that was really, really answer of God, you know,

for me to,

okay, you need to start this,

you know, and I will help you to move on. So yeah, but it was, it was a little bit,

how can I say that little bit of scary like should I do this? You know,

will it help somebody or it's just like me because I, I have, I'm on fire for Oregon. I want, you know,

the Oregon be on fire for God and everything. So it changed the atmosphere in Oregon. And so that was my,

my part of my, my, you know, feelings and it, it took a courage for me to start that.

Jan: I think part of it is because you don't. There's so many unknowns about doing something like that and whatever. But if, you know, I mean, you know in your spirit when God tells you to do something, right?

Luba: Yes.

Jan: You know?

Luba: Yes.

Jan: So you know, it's coming from him and that whole big trusting. Okay, so what's this look like it. How is this? What are the steps or what do I do to make it happen?

But how long ago did you start?

Luba: That was last year.

Jan: Hmm.

Luba: September or August. Right? Lynn?

Lynn: I'm not sure. They were doing it for a while before I Joined. So I'm not sure. I think I just.

Luba: Yeah, I think it was. It was August of last year.

Jan: And so in retrospect, this few months later. So tell me the blessings that have happened because of it.

Luba: What do you think, Lynn?

Jan: Amazing.

Lynn: It's amazing.

It's amazing. We just get to let our hair down,

share our burdens,

and pray strongly for Oregon. And, you know, we have a focus that we're not the only people.

We're not singular. God sees us, and.

And it keeps us on track, and we can share what we learned from the sermons and from the different things. In fact, right now, we're reading one of the books together,

and so we can just kind of. It's kind of like an accountability group that we're. We're following along and.

Yeah, it's been great. I really enjoy it.

Luba: Yeah. And also get to know each other, because when you meet somebody, you don't know that the. That person life. You don't know their personality. You don't know their attitude, their actions.

Like, you know, sometimes people can be like,

spiritually, baby.

And you need to understand who you're working with, right? Who you. Who you are connecting with. You're not working really. You're connecting with someone. Right?

And that was amazing.

How easy was the connection with Lynn and Connie?

There was like, we learn about each other a lot, and we communicate easy. It's like, easy communications. And we communicate besides that,

zoom. You know, we. We can call each other, we text each other.

Have some. I love, like, Lean will text me the sun in the morning, just the club. But this is like. Like, got me really,

this morning, I'm just like. And I'm reading the Bible. I'm just like, in the middle of that. Lynn will just send me that message. I'm just like,

it's God. You know, it's God. And it was really, really.

You can see that God movement.

Like, you're not alone here. Okay. Lynn, you're not alone in Oregon, you know, Luba, you're not alone here. I'm here. And I have people who are the same spirit with you, you know, so that was really the Connie who is part of our group, too.

She's amazing woman of God. And she's just like.

Like an example, because she's going through, like, some tough stuff,

tough situations in her life, but she's very open.

She, you know, she will talk about it and she will ask for prayer. So same like us, you know, we need some prayers.

We will text each other. Okay. We need a prayer so, because we. We talk, we decided we're not going to hide.

We're going to. We will ask for help because we are here as the body of Christ and we want to have that unity, have that connection,

you know, through Jesus Christ.

Yeah,

it's. It's, it's. It's. I like it. I love it, actually. I love it so much.

Jan: It sounds to me like. So God tells you to do something,

you take this step out, and it becomes bigger than you ever thought it would be in. Yes, in the rewards of that, you see, and you know that this isn't the end of it.

This is to come, right?

Luba: And in all of this,

I trust God, because without it, it just, like, you lost.

So you starting. You're making that step trusting the Lord. You're making that step trusting your heavenly father that he's right ahead of you,

because he already prepared everything.

So you trust in him to make that step.

And then everything else is just like, you know,

open door.

Jan: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lynn, what has been something that you've stepped out, encouraged toward?

Lynn: Well, there have been quite a few things. I made a list, but the one that just keeps coming back to me is. Yeah, I know. And there's probably more. Luba's reminded me of some other things, but I think the one that has really been on my heart lately is like,

following, like, what Abraham did.

Because the Lord said to Abraham,

I want you to leave your family and the place that you grew up and everything you're familiar with, and come to a place that I will show you.

And so my husband and I literally did that in 1977. You know the story.

And we basically got in a car, got in a pickup truck and said, we're going to drive across the country. We're going to see where we're going to live.

And so. And at that time, I wasn't a believer. And so this is kind of like, similar to Abraham, because at first he didn't know God,

barely knew his voice.

He said, okay, I'm gonna do this thing,

and we'll see what happens. But he didn't have a plan or anything. And when you look at his first couple of stops, it's,

it's. It didn't really show a pattern or anything. So I think it was that it was like. And I had. And I left my family, my friends, and my culture.

Luba: And.

Lynn: Because the east coast and west coast are different cultures.

And so.

So I think that was really cool. And then. And then I think he needed me in Oregon to reveal himself to me,

because I think I was too entrenched in my life before I came and I might not have paid attention,

but when I came out here and things were quiet and I had some health issues and I had all these different issues leading up to my.

My conversion,

I think that's kind of like what happened with Abraham. Step by step, God led him and the courage gave way to faith,

basically because you, you don't realize it's faith when you're doing it. But then when I met the Lord, I could put a name to it. It was faith. God wanted us here.

So that would be my main thing, I think.

Jan: Yeah.

Yeah.

I was thinking about,

you know, when I just started thinking about changes and things or that courage.

I think one of the things for me was I got pregnant in college, you know, and just deciding abortion was not an option. You know, then I'm gonna have to face my family and I'm gonna face the father who rejected me.

And I have to, you know, just all of those kind of things, but just to like, what am I gonna do as a single parent? And all of that kind of things.

But that,

you know, I don't regret that, but takes courage to stand up to,

to like, oh, what does this mean now?

You know,

so making a mistake, but God can redeem that and turn it around. And part of the courage to, to have integrity,

I think, you know, to stand up with integrity.

And I do.

Yeah.

Luba: Maybe in, in that mistake, take the courage to trust God,

he's gonna turn around.

That is. That is a big. It's a big. So many people just, you know,

wants to be delivered from that mistake. Okay, I'll just get, you know, get it out, just throw it away and something like that, you know. But so I think we just talk with my friend today that not to get delivered, like just throw it away.

Like for us. For example, if I have bad kidney, I'll just get operation get the kidney out of my body. Right.

Or I can do everything to be healed.

Right. Keep that kidney and be healed. But it's take a courage to trust the Lord and to walk through the hardest things knowing that it will get better.

So it,

it's.

It's really, really take courage to trust the Lord.

And after we, we did mistakes, you know, we make mistakes and then to fix that,

we need to talk to, you know, trust the God to.

So he's going to help us to fix.

Jan: Yeah. And of course, you know, the more,

the more you step out,

the more you realize God's character, the More, you know, that God is going to be there for you.

And especially if it's something that God is directing you to do,

you know,

that's part of our spiritual growth, I think.

Luba: Yeah, exactly. Yep.

Jan: Yeah. What are some characters in the Bible that come to mind that needed to be courageous or showed courageous?

Luba: For me,

the Joshua is number one.

I mean, I can say Joshua is number two after Job.

Job is number one for me.

You know, I love that story. I love that man. He was righteous man in whole land for that time, right. He loved God so much. He trusted him.

He prayed for his children. He, you know,

and then he got tested by God.

But he never betrayed God. He never been mad at God. He was asking questions. Yes,

but he.

Even when his friends came and betrayed him, you know, basically saying it was your fault,

you know,

he did not turn out from God,

you know, he was staying in the same promises, even his wife after his wife,

you know, I understand his wife as well, because he was.

She saw,

first of all, she lost 10 kids,

right? Her mother. It's harder than her father, I believe maybe some point, right?

I could not even believe,

could not even imagine what she was going through.

And then after see her husband going through that,

you know,

the. The hardest days,

you know, being sick, being like, you know, in like completely,

you know, rejected by God. Completely rejected by God. It just,

you know, for her to see him struggling,

you know, suffering and all this sickness and skin disease and everything.

I understand why she said that,

you know,

just reject God and die.

It's gonna be better for you if you die and not struggle. Not, you know,

so it was. I think she was like lost for that moment.

But he still, he said,

no,

you saying like one of those crazy,

you know, craziest people in the world, you know.

And so. But he started asking God questions.

He was not afraid.

He was not. Even though he was not blame him for what what happened. He was not afraid to ask God, you know,

but what I like the most, that when God started answer those questions,

he said,

I'm done.

You know, I surrender.

I understand.

You know,

I believe that time he didn't remember all his 10 children. He did not remember anything.

You know, all this friends that will betray him and were. Were accused him, right?

He loved God so much.

And it took courage. It's for me, the courage. Courage.

Sorry,

my language is sometimes pronunciation, but that's what amazed me how much he loved God. He trusted him.

And so he said,

I knew about you a little bit now,

you know, I hear about you a little bit. But now I know who you are.

Jan: Now you really know.

Luba: And God. And God.

Jan: Yeah.

Luba: And God didn't betrayed him. He blessed him so much,

you know, he returned everything and even more what he lost.

And that was always my,

my example for my, my life.

Number one was my job story. I read that book so many times, you know, so when we lost our two kids, where our house was burned down,

and then two years later our daughter died, and year later our son died,

I remember Job's story every time,

Every time I was going through hard time, I will remember his story and how much courage was for him to trust the Lord and not to be mad at him, not to be upset, not to whining, like, why God?

Why did you? Why did you do that? Why did you do that?

He always had an answer for that.

He had an answer for that. So.

Jan: And I think just as Job was an example for many of us, I mean,

millions of people who look at that, whatever, but still,

people look at your story and gain courage from that as well.

Because you made it to the other side.

Luba: Yes.

You know,

and I was thinking about it, I was thinking about that answer.

So what did take me to be courageous, you know,

And I, I answer, my answer is only one love of God and my love to God.

So to love him more than anything in the world,

you know, to. To fell in love with him.

It's so many people I believe,

don't understand,

you know, that relationship with God and the closest relationship, like intimate relationship, when you love him more than your children, you love more than your husband, you love more than anything in the world.

And you're just saying like, lord,

you are my life.

You are my life. And anything I go through, I trust you because you know better what is good for me.

And Jeremiah, Jeremiah 29:11,

only you know.

Only I know. He said, only I know what's the best for you.

And this verse is like the main verse. I stay.

Because his promise never changed. We are changing seasons. The seasons are changing, situation are changing. We are growing younger every year, younger and younger.

But his promise never changed. It stays same.

Because he put himself higher than he put the word,

higher than himself, than his name.

Yeah,

his word is higher than his name.

Jan: I think part of it, the way you touched on Luba, was relationship with God.

Because when you step out into a situation that you're not sure of, that's usually where.

Or maybe it's something you already know or you've been through and you're gonna do it again. And it was hard the first time,

Luba: and you don't wanna do it again.

Jan: Something like that. There's, there's that. But it does come back to,

okay, how much do we trust God to take us through those things? Right?

Yeah. Yes,

yeah,

yeah.

I think as far as biblical characters, one of mine is Esther.

Lynn: That's who I was going to say.

Jan: Yeah, speak to that, Lynn. What are your thoughts, Esther?

Lynn: Oh, yeah, I've read that book so many times, and I just, every time I see something different,

I just think of her situation.

You know, she was put in a situation that she didn't ask for.

And I picture her young and kind of innocent because they talk about her, Mordecai being her guardian. And I just kind of had this feeling like he really guarded her.

And so I think about,

here she is, and then he tells her, don't tell anyone who you are.

So she's got to hide her identity, which a lot of us have to do sometimes.

And God's saying, open up.

Jan: And we're like, oh, no, I don't

Lynn: want anyone to,

you know, have bad things to say about me. So we're. We don't have the courage sometimes both ways. We don't have the courage to hide our identity, or we don't have the courage to show our identity.

And so she was there, and she was just following what he said to do. And she was kind of a pawn, too, because the king, we don't know much about his personality, but, you know, he was using her, not using her.

She didn't know her relevance at the time that the word came that there was an edict against her, her family and her people.

And so she's like, well, I don't have any influence right now. I can't do anything. When Mordecai said, well, there's an edict to kill all the Jews. And she said, well, what should I do?

And then he gave the wonderful immortal words, you know, who knows? But you were brought to the kingdom for such a time as this.

If you're quiet,

someone else might be raised. And he said, if you're quiet, someone will be raised up,

but you might perish.

And who knows that God didn't choose you?

And when you have that finger on you, like it's you, which a lot of times the Lord will do with me. I'm like, me, no, somebody else can do that.

But the courage. And also,

although they don't say much,

the upbringing that she had, that she knew God, she knew God's voice. And an interesting thing about Abraham that I just learned or confirmed is that one reason God chose Abraham to start the whole Jewish nation was because he knew that Abraham would teach his children diligently.

So that was so very important to pass it down,

pass down what he knew of God and what he learned from God.

And so I kind of feel. I picture Mordecai doing the same with Esther. And then she said, okay. And then she prayed and fasted. And that's the part I didn't like, said, no, I don't think you need to do that.

Um,

it was desperate. And so. And of course, praying and fasting, what would you do? You'd be talking to the Lord.

I know the religions fast too, but so. And I always wondered why was there a big gap between the first banquet and the second banquet?

And that was because God walked in and he did the timing so that the king realized who Mordecai was and how he should honor Mordecai.

And so all that pieced together because she had the courage to do the one thing that all she had to do is go before the king and then ask him to come to a banquet, which seems kind of strange considering the circumstances.

She's just going to offer to feed him,

and, you know, she's making all this food for him. It's like, okay,

so I know that when she was fasting, she was getting the strategy.

And so that's what I'm. I try to follow that pattern now, like, when you're really seek the Lord, you're fasting to get a strategy of what to do.

And so I think that's how she got the strategy to do the first banquet and the second banquet.

And then,

of course, her attitude as far as courage at first, when you read she's scared, she said, no, I'm not gonna do that. Everybody knows I'll get killed if I go before the king without being summoned.

And then as she thought about it more and more, she started having courage.

And she finally ended up saying, if I perish, I perish.

That's a lot of courage, because I normally can't picture myself saying that.

So I think that she had the courage to change her position of being like a. A wife, a servant to him,

you know, in a secular way, probably to go going before him on a specific mission that actually put her in danger.

And she had the courage to do that.

And I think that's what I really, you know, really admire about her.

And I think she.

Jan: Courage to surrender.

Lynn: Yeah.

Jan: And it takes courage to say yes. You know, in all these situations that. Yeah, it does.

Luba: Because she knew she can be killed.

Jan: Right.

Luba: You can't go to assembly that.

You know, and I. I love that movie. One night with a king.

And that's scenario like when she's opening those gates and walking in the small tiny girl with all those men sitting in assembly, you know, with the king and with all those swords and everything.

That was. That was really scary.

That will be really scary that she was walking in just like,

I don't care if I die or not.

I'm gonna save my people.

I'm gonna go and I'm gonna save my people.

That was. But she asked you fast and you pray now go do it.

So she knew the key.

If they're gonna pray together and fast together,

something's gonna happen. God's gonna be on their side.

But it took courage. Yes,

it was a lot of.

Well, I love it.

Jan: Just because. Also just because it's a complete story, you know, you don't always get a whole, you know, all the elements and everything.

Luba: And it's just like.

Jan: And the good guy wins, you know?

Luba: Yes.

Lynn: Right.

Jan: Yeah.

Luba: And the Mordecai. Mordecai was also.

Took his. The courage to not to kiss the haman hand in front of everyone. Disobey, then disobey and humiliate him.

Basically humiliate him.

So make him really mad.

It took a courage not to be afraid,

you know, that guy. Because Mordecai knew he can kill him right then,

but he knew that he was on God's mission for God's people.

He knew that and he was not afraid. He was.

He know who his God is.

Right.

He knew that and he trusted him.

That no matter what,

God is going to protect him and stand on his side.

That took a lot of courage to trust God to Kimora. I mean, it's just like he could kill him in a split second.

Exactly.

Then what? Then no one will stand for Esther.

Jan: Right.

Luba: So all the people will die. But he knew that God is with him because he was spiritually mature.

That why he was next to Esther.

He was spiritually mature and he was given her,

you know, opportunity to.

To get. To be courageous, you know, to go before the king.

Jan: Right, right.

Luba: Well, it's amazing.

Jan: You mentioned something too. And I think. I think this is something.

When you're going through something,

you know, you stepped out and you get to that place where,

you know, but is to have. She's asking her friends and companions and people to join me in fasting and praying,

which is. It's Community and coming and boistering you in that thing,

you know, that step that you're taking out to do.

So it's not like you're doing it all alone.

I mean, first of all, you're doing it with God, which is a big deal.

Luba: Yes.

Jan: But secondly, that you, you know, you people are rallying around you and, and being the rest. And she probably being your army.

Lynn: And she probably felt their prayers. You know how so many people say they felt, they feel the prayers.

So she knew that people were praying and she felt their prayers. And she had courage came also from that.

Luba: Yeah,

yeah, yeah.

Many times I, I felt the prayers, you know, the people praying for me. Because I ask people, you know,

I ask my friends, I ask lean and, you know, going through some difficulties with a business. I ask people because we are,

you know, the body of Christ. We are one family.

We are family of Heavenly Father.

We are his children,

you know, and we united with the love of God because Jesus said how this world will know that we are his disciples,

have love between each other,

to each other.

So no matter what,

love each other. And this is how world will recognize that you are my children. So if we united, if we love each other and we pray for each other, of course Heavenly Father will answer the prayers.

People answer every request.

We just need to believe them, you know. But so many people just like lost and just. They don't know who to ask,

you know, because they, they look at other people differently, you know, maybe it was with their earthly eyes, not the spiritual eyes. And, you know, and, oh, what should I ask?

They have their own problems. And like, somebody will tell, oh, do you have so many problems? I said,

if I have a problem that I can resolve,

I go to the courts of heaven and I give it to God. Just like, Lord,

you put me here.

I can't resolve. You take care of it because you promise me I'll go to God. I'm just like you promised me. And it take my courage to do that. But I have to say that because he is my heavenly Father.

He so many promises in his word and his word is above his name.

Do he promise?

He has to obey to his promise as a God. He has to, you know,

do that.

And for me, if I can't resolve,

Lynn: what should I do?

Luba: Go into the depression, anxiety,

stress? Yes. We did this when we were, you know, not spiritual, mature.

We will just stress out and just like, what should I do? I don't know about myself about it. You know,

I remember myself when I will just like, sit down and cry. What should I do, God, why? I'm gonna go to one friend, another friend, third friend, fourth friend. If I need some money to pay the bills now, no, I'm not going.

I'm going to God. And he sent the people.

I just, like a couple days ago, I asked to choose. I have no idea how I'm gonna pay these bills.

God sent me. My friend. It's just like she said, we have to pay you for this and this and this. These jobs, like nonprofit.

He already did this. We, you know,

we have to just like, look at him. It's over $7,000.

I'm just like,

seriously?

Jehovah?

Yes, that was the answer. Because I had no idea that God can do that.

But I was praying, said, lord, send me those people that have to connect with me.

Open those doors that are closed that only you can open,

because I have no idea how to resolve this.

But I trust you. And it's take a courage to trust him in that way.

When you're bills more than your sale,

when you have to pay this tomorrow and you don't have that money,

it take courage to trust him.

So you stay on his promises.

You stay in his word. I said, lord,

I trust only you.

So we have to stay on that. We have to speak up.

We have to speak that in a spiritual world.

God, I trust you.

You said it,

your word above your name.

You do it,

and I will do what you want me to do.

I will say what you want me to say, and I will go where you want me to go.

Yeah.

You promise me? I promise you. You help me to do that. Because I love you more than anything.

And you just say it.

And I love. When yesterday at the church.

I just started to attend that church.

The pastor was preaching about the promises of God.

So the Jewish people in Israel,

they will.

They will do devotion and they will meditate the word.

They will just like walking and speaking to themselves.

So when you.

You can look at them and you can see them, like, speaking like their lips will. So what's the word? Hagah.

Right?

So they will just like murmuring, you know.

So they were speaking the word of God into their lives.

Why not us?

Jan: Why not?

Luba: We can speak. I remember I had the hardest situation in my life.

There was a season that I was going through. I was growing. I was,

you know, spiritually maturing.

I will speak the word like verses from the Bible, 100 times a day.

I will say through the blood of Jesus,

same like Abraham. I came from the.

Curse my generosity. Curse and Went walk into the blessing of God.

So you are my provider. And it was amazing. But in my spirit, it was a fire to speak that over and over and over. I remember I will drive my work.

I will say it exactly same verse over and over and over. And I will put my name in it and it start working in my life.

I don't know where money was coming from. I was tied into the church.

I. You know, that time we were divorced with my husband. I was raising nine kids. He was helping me, but still I bought the new car I titled in a church, and I pay my rent and everything, and I still had money.

That was amazing.

God showed me that if you trust me, if you love me more than anything,

that when my love,

you know, intimacy,

relationship with God started and it was building more and more and more,

and it was taking courage to raise nine kids. And we remarried with my husband after seven years.

He's my king now.

He's my priest of the house, you know.

But that was a. That was the hardest,

hardest days of my life. But I've learned how to trust God because I asked him once, who are you, God?

Who are you?

It took courage for me to ask him come before a throne.

I stayed before his throne for three hours at night,

and he was telling me who he is.

And after that, I know I'm gonna go follow him no matter what.

It was ups and downs. There was a lot of mistakes and.

But my love to him was not going low. It was going up and up and up and growing big.

Jan: Yeah.

Luba: So.

Jan: Yeah.

Yeah. Because through each thing, you know, it just. It adds more to understanding who God is,

knowing that you can trust him in whatever he asks you to do.

You know, each step of the way, it's.

Luba: Yes, But I was thinking about when

Jan: you were talking to God,

it was like,

what about.

Like with Abraham and, you know, arguing with God. Well, you know, what if there's 50 people? What if there's 40?

Luba: Well.

Jan: Well, what if there's 10? You know, I mean, still kind of.

Lynn: Because

Jan: in his perspective of what the situation was, you know, he came boldly to God to ask, you know.

Luba: Yes.

Jan: Yeah. And which takes care, you know.

Luba: Yes.

Jan: But we know that he's going to reject us.

Luba: No, he won't. You know, once he answered to me through my youngest daughter.

She was born when we already been divorced,

like couple days after divorce was finalized. And she was four years that time.

Four years old.

And I was crying. I remember I was crying so hard, asking the Lord to help me.

And she Came to me. She said, mom,

please don't cry.

And if it's hard for you at work,

you always remember you are in my heart.

Oh,

that was. That was God voice.

Yes, I remember this. Until now. She does not remember. She's 28 now.

And I told her when we talked a couple days ago,

I said, do you remember this? She said, no, Mom.

I said, well, because it was God using her lips and using her heart.

I stopped crying that time.

And I remember till now that I am in his heart.

It's not just for that time.

It's for the rest of my life to remember. It's for the rest of our lives. For you, Jen, for Lynn.

We are in his heart always.

He always sees us.

And it's take courage to believe.

It's a courage to trust him.

How do I know God I am in your heart?

People will ask so many questions about.

Just come in that secret room in that secret time and start talking to him. Just be quiet and talk to him.

And let's also take courage.

What if I don't hear his voice?

What if he will answer to me today?

If he will not answer to you today,

come tomorrow,

come next day.

Be persistent.

Like that woman who come to judge, right?

Be persistent.

Close the door.

Lynn: We will edit that part out.

Luba: I know.

So be persistent. Just come back again and again and again. Because he is God who will answer to his children.

He will never betrayed because he promised and he never changed his promises to us. If he,

you know,

faithful to him.

Jan: Yeah.

Luba: So good.

Jan: This is so good.

Well, it's about time to wrap up our conversation here.

So if you are watching or listening, I would encourage you to start thinking about things that you've had to be courageous about or places where God has taken you through when you've taken a step of courage.

And because we know he's faithful, right?

Luba: Yes. Amen. Faithful.

Jan: Any last words?

Lynn: Well, I was just thinking as you were talking about God.

We are in his heart. And he says that. He says that several times in the word. His children are in his heart and written on the palm of his hand.

So he.

And so I always pictured myself when I read that,

sitting in the palm of his hand.

You know, that I'm safe there. The other day, he showed me something even better.

And I was. I was afraid about something. He goes, you're in the palm of my hand. You're underneath my hand. I have my hand over you, protecting you.

And that really blessed me.

That really blessed me because he knows us so well. And he's so personal.

And yet he. And he cares about us more than any human ever could.

Jan: Absolutely.

Luba: And I want to say,

don't be discouraged.

Find the courage.

Go back to God and trust me, he'll answer to you.

He will answer every prayer.

And it's going to be for good, not for the bad.

Sometimes we think it's, well, why God? Why? Or what's for?

But he knows the best for us.

So don't be discouraged. If you don't get the answer right away,

continue asking him.

Jan: Thank you, Lube. Thank you, Lynn. This has been delightful.

Lynn: Thank you so much.