Episode 3 Transcript- Judi Anne
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And now for the next episode of Letters From Home, sending encouragement to your doorstep by capturing the heartbeat of God’s people. One story at a time.
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Today’s gases Judy and sharpen up. She and her husband, Vance, and their two girls live in Shoreline Washington, Not too far from me and known Journey for many years. And she is a really good friend of my sister, Kim. Her life has been filled with so many joys as well a sorrows, and I think there’s so much in her story that I I can relate to. And I’m sure many of us will be able Teoh
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and it’s a story of victory through our chin And I’m just so
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glad that she’s here to share it with us today. Judy Ann, thank you so much for coming. I’m so happy to have you have you air your story today When I think of you, Judy and I love to hear you talk about the Lord. The way you talk about our Lord always lifts me up. And when I think of God’s glory, you come up in my mind. You so elevate the Lord with what you say in and just in your life and not without struggle. Life’s hard. We all have things. Thank you so much for coming. Yeah, you’re ready. I am. Yeah. What would you do? You like this guy?
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Well, I guess you know, I might as well start from the beginning. I was born in 1970 in which you talk hands. This My mom was from New York, but she met my dad in the Navy and and ultimately, I guess they ended up. I’m getting pregnant and it made my mom end up in Kansas, where she married my dad. And that’s where I was raised. It was a good childhood. It was not a great childhood because my parents had really been raised by parents who struggled to raise them. So was my parents. They didn’t. They really have a lot of tools. And so there were some struggles. I mean, they love me. I feel very fortunate about my childhood, but it was really hard. I think one of the hardest parts about my childhood, though, was that when my parents got a divorce, I was quite young, and my mom ended up marrying a Vietnam veteran which had its own struggles because he had struggles. But the coolest thing he had was a dad whom I adored. Um, I had ah, Gramps, who I spent every weekend with, And he was my bestest friend in the whole world, and and, uh, I just lived. I just live for him and and there were a lot of fun things that we did together and and I just always thought that he was gonna be there. Then in the seventh grade, my mom and step dad end up getting a divorce and much to my where I also lost my grandpa out of the deal. And so it was seventh grade when I began doing well. I guess I was smoking cigarettes first, which led right into marijuana. And then when my step dad found out I was smoking marijuana, he actually gave me my first drinks. It’s kind of weird that my stuff that will give me my first alcoholic beverage, But that was the case. And a few months later, when I started the eighth grade, I got in quite a bit of trouble with alcohol, and when my step dad had gotten wind of it, he called me and to inform me that our relationship was now over because I was now a drunk like my dad. And so that was just kind of, you know, middle school was really rough in losing that part of my family. And then I got into boys and not good boys. And so, you know, it was rough. At 15 I tried to take my life with pills, and it was more of a cry for attention, which I didn’t get, so that it was something really that I kind of buried for a long time. Fortunately, a year after that suicide attempt, I met my husband and I was 17 and I’d like to say it was happily ever after. I mean, for the most part, it waas um very blessed, very blessed the two of us. After I graduated from high school, we moved to Washington State because the Wichita economy was doing really badly and Seattle was the most livable city. And my mom had actually moved out here my junior year. And so we follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.
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She moved here.
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She moved here. Yeah, I had been dating my husband for about four months, and my mom decided she wanted to move to Seattle to take care of her brother, who was sick with AIDS. And since I was going to be 18 in September and I was gonna be a senior in high school, she let me stay. And so my boyfriend, Vince of four months and I we got our own place and and so my senior year, I lived on my own and I was able to excuse my own absences and, yeah,
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where was your mom when you were going through the struggles? You know, when you said you felt like it was suicide and that sort of a thing and alcohol was she just kind of checked out
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was she was kind of checked out. But, you know, I guess a lot of my friends were drinking and smoking and, you know, it was just kind of the normal. Back in Kansas, kids were partied in middle school, and if you didn’t have sex by high school, you know, you were kind of weird and, you know, keg parties galore. You know, there’s a lot of partying going on, so it was really just kind of the norm. So and I didn’t feel like like it wasn’t normal either. So
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right. Well, that’s funny. How that is your childhood. You don’t realize it’s not? No. Do you grow up being after process? If you
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write and then you have kids, you’re going into their senior year and you’re like, Oh, my God. You know, I can’t imagine not, you know, being there. But, you know, my mom was just she was done and I was done. It was this the natural next step.
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So you’re here in Seattle with your beloved Vince teenagers living on their
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nearly 30 years later. Here we are.
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Incredible. Yep. Absolutely. So where did you at one point did you find the Lord?
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Well, our first baby. She was actually do on her nine year anniversary. We met in January of 98 she was due in January of a late pretty much the same week. But six days before her due date, she passed away in my tummy and so I had to deliver her stillborn. I like the term born in heaven more than stillborn. Still weren’t has such a cold feel to it. But it is what it is. She was. She was born no life and and it was heart wrenching. And I didn’t have the Lord yet. I know who the Lord waas, but I was kind of had a Catholic upbringing, and I didn’t really understand salvation. I knew the gate was narrow, And so I figured that was for preachers and nuns and missionaries, and not for horrible, terrible centers who were drinking and smoking and doing terrible things. I never really considered that I would ever actually get to go to heaven. And the fact that I had, like, my baby in Heaven, which I never doubted to me, it was really mind blowing for me. It was like she opened up the Wonka Bar and got the Golden ticket. You know, she was while those few who actually
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got in, you
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know, and I was actually kind of excited for it was like, Wow, a little piece of me is in heaven, and that’s kind of cool. So my next step was I was going to start talking to God about how to get me on a road where I could actually get close enough to wave and blow kisses. So that she would let she would know that Mommy loves her and that Mommy tried. And so that was kind of my next step in my faith journey. And then I was given a book called Left Behind By Someone, and I was not a big reader, but they really like you got to read this book and, boy, they were right, because inside this book was about the Gospel of Christ, where if you receive Jesus is your savior, your name is written into a lamb’s book of life and will never be blind, that you could know that you’re going to heaven. And I don’t know whether I had heard that and my childhood or not, but I know that I hadn’t really received it. And the funny thing is, I didn’t even receive it until some table asked to talk to me at my restaurant because their server told him I was reading these left behind books and they wanted to know more about him. So I went to the table and I said, Well, there about these people who, if they believe in Jesus, and I started to tell him about it, and I realized at that very moment that hadn’t really received him for myself. And so, like, right there on that Friday night telling the story, like of the Gospel. You know, I received it right there. And I realized this. Yeah, it’s really kind of
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correct there, at the
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right there at the restaurant that were getting paid for it by customer on. So I just It was so cool. Because I know is a believer that, you know, at that point, the Holy Spirit in 12. My body and I have been changed ever since, And I wish I could tell that table, you know, if they were Christian or not that, you know, that was epic moment in my life. Best moment ever.
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What year was not,
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uh, that was 2000 and one. Melvin may amazing. Yeah, it 17 years ago. And it was a good thing because he knew he knew that I needed it because my life is still very broken after losing after losing my first child. Now, by the time I received the Lord, I did have number two child. Her name was Faith. I wasn’t a Christian yet, but I surely had faith that God was going to give me this baby. So I named her faith and she was about 2.5. So the next step was going to be to get into a church. And then my husband’s like, Okay, what do these crazy books you’re reading? Because you don’t need a church to be saved. And I’m like, Yeah, I know that. But our kid is two years old and she needs a church, and he couldn’t argue with that. And so then we went on our journey to find our first church,
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and it was pretty amazing
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because my church hunt was was very interesting. I had a long list of questions and I called about 20 different churches with the help of the chaplain at the hospital who was there for me when we
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didn’t even have a Google. Then, you know, I did a lot of
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work, let me town other research involved. And I had a long list of questions that I wanted in a church. But there was just this one that that answered all my questions is if it was Angela herself on the other side of the phone, so much patients in love and that’s the church where we ended up going to. They had an amazing Children’s program. Ah, very wonderful, wonderful family to be accepted into more so than the own family where I came from. But I think the big problem was that Vincent and I were in a very broken place in our marriage. And so what we ended up doing was serving this church so much that we really neglected ourselves and our Children when the new pastor came and he want to sit down and talk about what we were doing in the church. He said, OK, so instead of telling me what you do do, let’s just keep this simple. Why don’t you tell me what you’re not involved in, which obviously is a problem, Because when you have young Children, you have toe you know, your ministries at home first and foremost, and so it kind of turned into an area where we didn’t know how to to say no when there were needs in the church and these were great. And so they went it up, going to another church for a while where where needs were met and we could literally sit at the feet of Christ. And what I learned from Scripture is that Jesus, during the whole ordeal, actually says to marry. That actually says to Martha that Mary chose the better. And so pretty much. Since stepping away from the business in the church, I have refocused my priorities on what’s important, and that’s the ministry of my own home. I still love to go to church and tie that church and be involved in this and that or the other. But in this particular season in my life, it’s really important for me to remember that my marriage, my Children, consume a whole lot of my time. And there will be
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another
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time in my life where I can just really serve the Lord. And I’m looking forward to that. I’m not quite into that new season yet.
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That’s great. What? How one of the last 10 years look like for you? Well, the last a very 25. 30. Have you been married?
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Three. We’ve been married 25 1 couple for 30 and so it’s been a It’s been a long journey, Um, on our first passed away at nine years into our marriage that our marriage took a a pretty terrible turn where I agree of poorly and my husband grieve poorly. We didn’t believe in divorce, and so we didn’t go that route. But we didn’t treat each other very loving. And and we were. We, in essence, didn’t do the best job of parenting again. I didn’t have the best skills. My parents didn’t have the best skills, and I feel like I haven’t exactly passed down the best skills to my own Children, not because I didn’t love them, but because of my own issues of sadness and depression. It made it really hard to be the mama that that I really wanted to be to be the mama that God called me to be in. So I’ve had some issues, really, of forgiving myself. And so I think over the past 10 years, that’s what God’s really been work working on. Mia’s areas of forgiveness started in 2000 and nine. I was in the mops and there was a lady there who was the pastor of the church and she wanted to come and share her story, and her story was such a reflection of my story that it started to really, really frustrate me with the alcoholic father and the mom who just wasn’t really connected, and and I just didn’t like the way the story was going. And then she started talking about forgiveness, and I’m like, OK, whatever. So I sat there with my arms wrapped around myself, holding myself tightly why I cried and just couldn’t wait until it was over. And as I walked out of mops, I literally not out loud. But I did tell God very intently that I will never, ever, ever, ever get in front of a mops group and tell them how important it is to forgive and let go. And so that’s when God started to do a serious heart work in me. I had already about six months earlier began a journey of weight loss because I was almost £200. 200 moms asked me when my baby was due and my baby was in kindergarten. And so I was working on my my exterior, so that day it muffs is when God came to work on that stony heart and mind start to teach about forgiveness, but I didn’t want anything to do with that. I didn’t. And so I walked away all cold and angry. And then the very next day was the day before Bible study and I had waited all week to do it. And so I had to cram everything into one day, and so I opened it up, kind of frustrated myself anyway. And it was about forgiveness. And I was like, Really? Here we go again. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to talk about forgiveness. God, you’re gonna have to wait until the other side of the
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grave. Anybody
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and everybody who’s ever cared about me. It’s hurt. May I have an entitlement? I am entitled to feel bad, and I just don’t want to do this. So he put it on my heart. So it leaves, just read everything. So I refused to pick up a pencil and I cried through the whole thing. But I read the entire Bible study and I closed it. I stayed angry on I woke up the next morning and I felt like hungover, even though I hadn’t drink and I didn’t want to drive in God’s like you got to go and I didn’t
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want to go,
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but I went and for two solid hours, I didn’t say a word. I just sat there and cried. I didn’t really want to talk. Nobody said anything. They love me and they prayed for me. And then I went out to the lake because I still didn’t feel like I could drive. And I cried some more out inside of the church and I was just terrible. It would reminds me and Jacobs about a with God, you know, where he just had such a mighty battle. And he just So Vincent gets home from work that night and I met him at the door and he’s like, Are you OK? I mean, he literally thought I was drunk or something, and I like No, I have been fighting with God. He’s like, What do you mean? I’m like, Well, well, he
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seems to be
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wanting to deal with me on this area forgiveness, and I just don’t want to go there. I don’t. And he said, Well, I don’t understand. What do you mean? And I said, Well, he wants me to forgive, like my ex boyfriend Randy, who hurt me, and I can’t forgive him, and And I can’t forgive me for, like, sticking around for the abuse, and and he’s like, Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute here. I mean, if if you’re like, hold on to that, like place in your heart, it’s almost like you’re you’re holding this place in your heart that neither me or God has any access to. I’m not sure I like that. It’s probably the smartest thing my husband said, Hey, because And I’m like, Oh, God, get it out of me. I don’t want to, like, hold a spot in my heart for him. And so that was how the journey started. Now that wasn’t the biggest boulder in my heart. That was the one that needed to come up and out first. I think the biggest boulder was issues I had grown up with my grandpa and rejection and the nightmares that I used to have about being rejected. That was, were the big, big boulders that I had to deal with it. My heart. So, uh and so a few months later, I went, I talk to the pastor lady that had shared her story church, and I said, I just want you to know that that your story really resonated with me. And in that, you know, I’m trying to lose weight and and God’s, like, trying to, like, work on the inside. I seem to beginning this like whole body makeover thing going. And I just wanted to say Thank you for sharing your story because I was the one sitting there crying the whole time and she said, Oh, honey, there were There were a few of you crying and I thought, Wow, you know, you know, And it started to open my eyes to how important it is to maybe share your story. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m really happy to be sure in my story now, especially because I had literally told God, you know that? No, I am not going to tell people how important it is to forgive, but for me, I mean, that’s everything. And I feel like that’s what God would want me to have me share today. And it’s funny, because about two years ago we were kind of church hopping around. Honestly, we were we were just kind of living in the desert and put intense up here and there. We were at a church and pastor started talking about forgiveness, and I got all cocky in my seat. I’m thinking, Oh my God, I could totally preach this. I could I know so much about forgiveness, letting go God’s taught me so much my staff, that all smug and
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cocky. And then he
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started talking about forgiving yourself. And that’s when my cocky pop like a balloon and I was like, No, no, a lot of years had passed and God had been working on my heart for a long time. And believe me, I understood how important it was to forgive people. And I have. And I do. I mean, as soon as I’m offended, I I let it go. I give it to God because I know that otherwise I’m the prisoner on the Libyan her. I get that. But my struggle for me is the forgiveness of myself, because I’ve raised Children now who were sad and depressed like I was. And how in the world could I take myself off the hook and forgive myself for the things I’ve said? Things I’ve done when I have said Children and so and so That’s one of the things that God has been working on me, most recently in the last couple of years that, you know, you just you just have to take yourself off the hook and forgive yourself. I never meant to make bad choices. I never meant to raise, you know, unhealthy, sad Children. It’s just kind of part of the process. But one of the things I’ve learned just in the last year is that God can restore this. Last year has been absolutely the best year of my life. My marriage has taken a bad turn for about 21 years. He and I just kind of kept
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going and Golan and and
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not really being on the same page. And it’s really hard to raise kids when to parents are on the same page. And so things got really, really ugly. Both of us had so let go of addiction. We have both gotten addicted to alcohol. I quit before he did. I just celebrated 3.5 years of
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sobriety. Hey, by God’s grace,
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that’s just so great. What was a big turning point for you to do that? I mean, it’s amazing,
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right? No it truly is amazing. Actually, my best friend and her family were going to Simi AAMA one weekend 3.5 years ago. Almost four and one of their family members couldn’t go when it was paid for, and they begged that I would go and I went and it was amazing. And there is an actress of the Philippines named Judy. And so all weekends they kept
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duty and Judy and and
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it was really an amazing weekend because these girls were so, so loving and so much fun. And they put on my makeup and I got to where their jewelry took a bunch of pictures and it was just epic. And then the last night, see Miyama Resort that give you wood and some wars to have a fire. And so there’s a fire pit. We all went down and had a great time, and I just never wanted it to end. And they all went up to the hotel and I knew the fire was down there burning. And I said, You guys, I’m sorry, but I gotta go down and enjoy that fire. And so as I shut the door, I could just since the lower put on my heart. All right? Just me and you. Now, almost to the point where I wanted to open the door and let those ladies No. I mean, this was gonna be amazing. I
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knew from the minute
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I shut the door that it was going to be amazing, and it waas I went down to the fire and had the most amazing five hours with God ever. It was a full moon and looking across semi on the waterfront, there was Canada, and I could swear the animals were singing to me and the sky was dancing. And I just had the most amazing night with God, and, um, he said that I know you can’t quit drinking on your own, and I’m gonna I’m gonna intervene, and I Honestly, I can’t tell you exactly what it was that he did that night, but it changed the way I thought, and the way I felt quitting alcohol was still going to be and still is really hard. But God did something to me that night, to the point where in the morning, when I woke up with the girls, I said, Just so you all know I am Judy. And now and I feel like the Lord has given me a new name and a new heart. And I went down to the fire pit and I retrieve some warm rocks. I’m holding one right now. I keep them in my house stones of remembrance for the night where where God came and let the animals sing in the skies dance
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and and and
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help me with my addiction. And And I walked a ways Judy an and and that my husband was confused. He said, I don’t understand And I said
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because he was so for, like, 25 years.
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And I said, Well, you don’t need to understand for one, you don’t usually call me by my name and number two. You know, you gotta wait till you meet this girl. And it’s true because Silver Judy is very different from the drunk Judy. And so I began using my full name. My first in my middle Judy Ann, Ever since that epic night were God helped me with my addiction. It was truly miraculous. It was lifesaving.
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And I love that you have stones of remembrance for the precious time.
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Me too. I’m glad I remembered. I didn’t think about it until the next morning. And when I went and got the rocks, they were still hot from the thing. And I come from in my pocket all day and they’re really dear to me.
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So you you stopped drinking first by God’s grace. Amazing it. But then vent still Waas, How was that period for you from people act? Talk to her drinking? I think I think one of the hardest parts is trying to deal with all the problems in the life in front of you. Without just giving you something to kind of relax and make you forget and all those kind of things. Was that Was that it a journey for you? No, no,
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no, no. So much good. Not so much.
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It’s pretty smooth in.
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Yeah, Why was I was just going back to work. And so I was busy. I was busy with work. As a matter of fact, I was. I had been home with my girls for eight years, and then they hit that teen Tween stage, and I just couldn’t wait to get back to work when I was working too much. Now I have had that. You know, I you got to find a happy medium when it comes to working outside the house and spending time with your kids. So absolutely, Once again, you know, you really need to be praying and and seeking God’s wisdom and in those things.
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And I feel like I remember you telling me something about that. Vince had a piece in his story, too, because I think you said now he’s sober and something about did you get another couple’s retreat? Er, I can’t remember.
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No, no. We went back to see me on the one or 25th wedding anniversary, but it got it got pretty bad because at first I didn’t mind that he was drinking, but it seemed like he was drinking more and more all the time, and then he wasn’t being honest about it. And I can I can do addiction. I understand addiction. I can deal with it, But But when your husband lies to your face, that’s when the real trouble started. And so that’s when I really had issues with alcohol. Then there’s the outside world looking
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in and thinking
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just cause you, you know, don’t drink, doesn’t mean you have to make your husband don’t drink. And so it was kind of awkward time for me because ah, lot of friends and family were judging the fact that I was struggling with my husband’s drinking When when it really wasn’t so much. The drinking is the dishonesty, but ah, but he gave up the drinking and and the trust has been rebuilt. And I’m just so thankful that we weathered the storm because for 22 bad years or, you know, well, they were, You know, the last year has been like a fairy tale. You know, Nobody pinched me were we’re sober and our kids are healing. And and I enjoy his touch again. And I just praise God that he loves us and he’s been there for us, protected us there. God only knows what and provide for us in in in amazing ways. And so I just get to feel like I’m kind of living the dreams, even though I know Jesus is coming back soon. For whatever reason, he has kind of got us all living our dream right now. And I’m just really thankful for that.
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That’s so great. I just love to savor the moment or the years or this season’s cause. There’s always other. There’s other seasons. And then there’s the precious seasons that you you just try and soak in Judea. And what would you say to any women I’ve heard? It’s just kind of, Ah, a growing problem. But there’s a lot of people dealing with alcohol and secret and moms, you know, Mom’s to do. Yeah. What? Is there something you would say?
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Well, you have the secret things hard because I can’t my alcoholism a secret for two reasons and one is because I’m a Christian and I’m a very out spoken Christian, and I don’t believe that being a drunk and being a Christian really goes hand in hand. It doesn’t reflect Christ the way Christ needs to be reflected. And so it was a secret for that. But it was also a secret because I knew that if other moms knew that I was a big drinker, they wouldn’t let their kids come over. And there was no way I was gonna let that affect my kids. So I was a closet drinker. When I came out that I was an alcoholic, a lot of people were really shocked. But if I hadn’t come out and told people about my alcoholism, I wouldn’t have been accountable. And it was that accountability. It was that being honest and being real with people that made me think that I can’t I can’t do it again And a lot of people told me I needed to go to Alcoholics Anonymous. And I get that because without God’s grace, without whatever he did that night to me, I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own. I wouldn’t have. But I told people that if I ever drink again one more time, I would absolutely go to alcohol classes. But the truth is, I didn’t have time for them, and I’d rather be at work. I didn’t want to go to a A meetings. I wanted to trust God and know that he did this work in me. So for me, you know God was enough. But you know, if
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you need
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those classes, that’s what they’re there for. There’s a lot of support there. I mean, I say get help, Ah, lot of times with alcoholism. The first step is admitting to yourself that you’re a drunk.
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Well, that’s what I was mourning because you said you knew you were How did
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you get a You know, I was seven. I was 70 days. I was 10 weeks into my sobriety. God wanted me to put on Facebook. And I’m like, No, God, no, I can’t do that. And he’s like, But you have to because I’m the one who broke this addiction to maybe the glory. And, you know, if you keep this a secret, I
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just something huge. And
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you, I’m like, Yeah, I couldn’t deny that. And so I went ahead, and I put it on Facebook. And the cool thing about that is that, you know, not everybody thought that was the coolest thing. I think my family was a little embarrassed for me, but, you know, a lot of people got support from honesty and and started being honest with themselves and their drinking, and it and it’s caused a lot of people to look in it themselves. I know I’ll actually like going to work parties of bars after work, and you get to see people you know a little bit more with their with their guard down, get to know them a little bit better. And then, you know, most of the time it ends up in them almost sweeping a tear and saying, How do you do it on you come into a bar, not have a drink? How do you do it? And then I get to tell him. Well, well, because, God, he didn’t big working me. And so I actually really do enjoy still going to bars. I know some people think that’s really weird, but but I dio I just to God’s glory
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do again. You told me that the Lord told you to write your story and the title iss,
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right? Well, the first time he told me to write my story was after I talked to that pastor lady about forgiveness, and she’s encouraged me to do a 40 day fast. And I knew by the time I got to my car that the good Lord will want me to do a food fast cause I was, well, still dieting and well under my goals. And so I did the Daniel fast and just a few hours into the Daniel fast. The Good Lord said, you know, Judy, and if you really want me to heal you. I need you to write your story. And it made total sense to me. It really did it for one. I don’t like riding it all. And number two, my story is just Oh, my gosh. It’s terrible. How can How can God do anything? I just didn’t like the whole idea of it, but I got it. And then I told God for the next year and 1/2 that I wasn’t gonna write my story till he gave me an outline. And so I you know, I had a good excuse. I’m just digging in my heels, not doing it till they gave me an outline. And then I’m working on my health outdoors. I’m kind of running down the street. It was a beautiful in its hard and day and and I I wish I had journal. Did it? Those of you who have never drilled like me, you should, because I don’t remember the exact outline. But God gave it to me right there with clear as day. I knew exactly what God wanted me to write. And I was just so moved and so excited that I threw my arms up into worship right down. Run the street. I just was like, Oh,
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my God, Yes, Lord, you’ve done
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it. And as I looked up with my arms up in the air about five or six feet up to my right, there was an eagle in all of its splendor and all of its glory. Just looking at me, just soaring at my exact speed, the two of us. So here we are, just running down the road, me at full speed and the eagle fly and just looking at each other. And I was like, I just cannot believe it was such a god moment for me. Let one of the ultimate now my husband, he says. I am Native American, partially, and he says, My Indian name is Judy Sores with Eagle because that day was absolutely incredible. And at the very end of the street, I just thought it was really cool because as I looked down, there were two workers that had pulled over to eat. Their sandwiches in their jaws were just open at the side of me, running down the street and worship with my eagle. I’m really glad that I think it because it was cool. That’s awesome. Yup. And I wrote my story and I titled it my story for God’s glory. And I didn’t like riding it all. It was actually what I considered vomit. I considered it vomit because it was all that stuff inside that made me sick stuff I didn’t want to think about. And now God wanted me to, like, find some words for it all. Oh, God, it was just awful. I did not care for the process whatsoever, let me tell you. But I did it. I finished it. And then I went
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to the
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library to print it all out cause yeah, it was long. And as I hit the door, I felt God since on my heart he said, It’s out of, you know And it was It was a very miraculous thing that happened by me writing my story. And then two years later there was a lady who was who was gearing up for people to speak it mops, and she had asked me toe to write my story second time, and I was just blown away at not only how beautiful my first writing was when I thought it was nothing but mere than nothing more than mere vomit. But how beautiful. My story wasn’t that it was also amazing to me how easy it was to write my second story that I titled God’s Glory in my story. So I wasn’t dragging my heels anymore. I was chomping into bed every minute. I got to ride about all the wonderful things that God has done in my life. And what it showed me is how much healing had transpired in just two short years. And so I just I’m thankful every time I get to share my story cause it’s it’s like getting a little bit more of the yucky stuff inside that makes me sick out. And so if God can maybe use it for his glory, whether it be a podcast like this, or maybe someday sharing my story in front of a lots and stressing the importance of forgiveness, I don’t know what it is, but but I still do need a lot of healing. So I I’m super thankful for these opportunities to get to share
spk_1: 33:58
well, thank you, Judy, and it’s been a joy having you here today and so appreciate your story. I love how you talk about the Lord, and I will be going in my heart with the joy that you have. Just speaking of the savior. He’s so good to us. And I also think that Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man. What God has prepared for those who love him. And Amen. Judy on the best is yet to come.
spk_2: 34:27
Oh, that’s for sure. On then, there’s having
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Wait.
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That’s right.
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So, for now, let us be
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letters from heaven. Here is your P s. Some extras about our guests.
spk_1: 34:46
Well, you ready for some questions? You bet. All right. What was your first job? Well, actually,
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my first job was working at a toll booth at the ocean Summer I got to spend in Long Island.
spk_1: 34:57
Who fun. When were you in Long Island? I guess that would have
spk_2: 35:01
been 1985. I was 15 and I got to go stay the summer with my godmother who didn’t have kids. So it was quite an
spk_1: 35:08
adventure. Oh, that’s great. What do you like? I know you work in the restaurant business. Would you like about the restaurant? business.
spk_2: 35:15
Well, it is good for my mind. It’s good for my body. I have to think a lot. Walk a lot. And I do like that. I make good money
spk_1: 35:22
doing it. I always think I’m in a restaurant. All these women, they are packing in the steps. You get your steps in rough.
spk_2: 35:30
Yeah. Get exercise, Get paid for it. And I work at waterfront restaurants. So I have an amazing view. I just love that too.
spk_1: 35:37
Oh, that’s great. Yes, I’ve never seen that. All right, what is your worst service experience? Well,
spk_2: 35:43
back in my early years, I had some gentlemen asked me for a Collins. I’ll take a Collins. And so I just brought him a Tom Collins. And at the end of the dinner, he said, Well, I didn’t order a Tom Collins. And he looked at his little five year old son over there who drank the whole thing. And it was not good. I didn’t work there for very much longer after that. So
spk_1: 36:06
way to go, Judy. And that makes you more careful in the future, though, about alcohol, kids for sure. Once a total accident. So all right, your best tip you’ve ever gotten.
spk_2: 36:23
Okay, so I’ve gotten good percentages on bills. But my favorite tip that I ever got was one time that I had gone to a Steven Curtis Chapman CD signing. And I got myself in a lady from Church a CD, and I had them both signed, and I didn’t really have a budget for it. And on my way to work that night, I was praying to God like I normally do. And I just kind of said, you know, God, if you could just cough up the 40 bucks I spent, that would be great. And by the time my my brain even process what I had just prayed. I felt bad. I was like, Oh, my God, seriously like the Lord doesn’t provide, you know. And so I just felt really silly. And so I said, You know, Lord, maybe from now on, I’ll just pour out loud so that, you know, kind of prayer doesn’t kind of come out. So I get to work. And of course I’m in the very back of the restaurant and it’s a super slow. Not I don’t remember if I had that, maybe one or two tables. But what I do remember is that one of my tables had come in and their food came out way before their drinks, and it wasn’t even busy. There was no excuse. It was terrible. On their bill was $50 by God’s amazing grace. And when I got my tip, it was a $50 Teoh $50 bill for a table. Obviously got terrible service, not by my own fault, but it was if God spoke to my heart and said that you know, Judy and you can pray for anything. You don’t have to pray out loud. I just you know, you can ask for anything and why we’re on the subject of prayer. I do want to say one more thing that I learned about fair. When I’m at the gym, I get on the machines. The first thing I do is I think, God, that I have the ability to get on these machines and actually do it. But I don’t Sometimes I just kind of don’t even say in in Jesus name. I just move out on Oh Lord, I’m so sorry.
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And then one time
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it’s like the Holy Spirit, said Do you really think I want you to hang up the phone? You know I want to be in total communication with you. You don’t have to choose his name when it comes to
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praying. You can
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just keep on talking and then come back when you’re ready. Set. Don’t hang up. I never feel bad when I started prayer that I don’t finish cause I’m not sure God wants
spk_1: 38:34
me to unless I’m with other people.
spk_2: 38:36
If you started prayer, it’s probably going to finish it. But when you’re praying on your own, you don’t have to hang up the phone. He wants to just keep that communication going, and I think that’s important.
spk_1: 38:44
Oh, that’s awesome. I love that. What would you like? Every restaurant customer to know when they come in?
spk_2: 38:51
Well, I think it’s important for everybody to know that when they come into a restaurant, their server’s gonna pay out a certain amount of their total sales. It’s usually around 5% so if a guest actually doesn’t leave a tip on $100 tab, their server just actually paid over $5 to serve them. And I don’t think people realize that when they come into a restaurant, they think stiffing the server means not giving them anything, but it actually means taking out of their pocket. Oh, I didn’t. It’s almost like you’re giving your guests a little tiny loan each and every time they sit in your section, you’re kind of giving them a little alone. And people don’t realize that step stiffing a server is pretty bad. 5% you know, cover their costs.
spk_1: 39:36
What’s a good average percent selects around 20%. 2040%. A
spk_2: 39:40
great tip, You bet 15% of its not great service, 10% if it’s poor service, you know, But But yeah, 20% is a plane ticket. Tippett has up
spk_1: 39:49
great. Well, that’s good to know. And that’s people’s livelihood. Like you said, What is your favorite movie or a TV show? Well,
spk_2: 39:56
I love Toy Story. I love all Pixar movies, but Toy Story. I was always nearest and dearest to my heart because my first child, who passed away before she was even born, I held her while I watched that movie in the hospital. And so I am a big toy story fan always will be,
spk_1: 40:13
Oh, well, I will be to now write something a little less years now, your least favorite household
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chores. I do not like scrubbing the toilet. It’s just kind of gross and germy. But about 10 years ago I met a lady who couldn’t scrub her own toilet because she physically didn’t have the ability to do so. And it crushed her not to be able to care for her family on that level. And so whenever I scrub the toilet, I’m like, Thank you, Jesus. Kind of like what? I’m in the gym, you know? Thank you, Jesus. My body works
spk_1: 40:43
true. The best money saving tip
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to not use credit. Just, you know, it’s I wish I had to follow that advice. I have a terrible track record when it comes to saving money, but I’ve learned that you just don’t
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do it. If
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you don’t have the money, you just don’t
spk_1: 40:57
you save any pet peeves.
spk_2: 40:59
Well, my biggest pet p working in a restaurant is when the church folks come in on Sunday and they’re very critical and spirit and they’re not very nice. And then the end, they leave. Ah, poor tip. And it just really reflects Christ we’re supposed to reflect Christ in each and everything that we do. And when those people see you on Sundays, especially your church clothes or if you pray or talk about Jesus, you know, that’s what they’re going to see as Christ. And still that bothers me so, so, so much. So when a pastor starts talking about restaurants and tipping and stuff in church, you know he gets my amen Yeah, on the people around me, I like Are you listening, people? This is very important. You know, you have to take care. You have to reflect Christ in all that you do. And we we have very, very an uber generous God. I mean, he is the king of generosity, and so we have to reflect that and what we say and what
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we dio Absolutely thank you for that. Who has been a mentor to you?
spk_2: 42:01
You know, I’ve actually had several. It’s really kind of hard, I guess. Growing up it was my aunt. She loved Jesus more than life, and I kind of thought she was a Jesus freak in all that. But now I see how cool it is to be a Jesus freak And so I’m I’m I’m just so thankful for all the praying that she did for me and all the Christian materials that she set me when I did finally become a believer. I had this amazing library of Christian literature because my aunt never give up on me. And then there were other ladies through church who were who were also very close and near and dear. Ah, lot of women have put me under their wing for a time or two.
spk_1: 42:42
It’s that it’s such a gift. Your favorite verse. Well,
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there was the one that I clung to when times really bad. One of the first versus that I really, really, really clung to is Joel 2 25 where it says I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locus, and it’s because I felt like so much of my life had been eaten away and eroded. And so I took this verse to say that this some day God was gonna restore what had been taken, and he has. And then I think another verse that I truly love is that Ezekiel 36 26 where it says I will give you a new heart. I will put a new spirit in you. And I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Because I have I have had many struggles with anger and unforgiveness and and God has really, really done a work in in
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me of members. A great great vs. You have an a amazing husband, two lovely daughters. What is one thing that you admire about each of them?
spk_2: 43:47
Oh, my kids were so easy. My first daughter, What I love so most about her is her love for people. She just loves to take care of animals and people. And I just love her heart for humanity and then trinity my next daughter. I really love that I love so much that she has a heart for Christ. First and foremost, that makes me feel amazing as a mom that I must have done something right because my kids just is she’s a Jesus freak, too. Yeah, What I love about her, too, is that ever since she was just a really little girl, when things would would not go her way or she would get down, she would go take a moment to herself and she would come back out and, like, say, to
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doll
spk_2: 44:31
like nothing had ever happened and she would just spring back to life. I always wish that I would be able to just spring back and bounce back when things didn’t go my way and I was upset. And so I love that about her and now is a 14 or 15 year old. It takes her a little bit longer sometimes to bounce back and say today, but she still seems to have that ability. And I’m thankful. Well, my husband has a lot of wonderful qualities, but I do admire the fact that he’s just a really good thinker. He thinks things through before he acts, and he’s been a very good provider to. He’s been able Teoh to take care of his family, and I really appreciate that about him,
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all right. He helped. What is your favorite Bible study ever done?
spk_2: 45:16
Who this one is so easy? My favorite Bible study and I have done a lot of Bible studies bit, but there’s not even a close second Really. Priscilla Shirer. Armor of God was absolutely amazing, even if you don’t have the videos or,
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you know, even if you only have the videos,
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you really need to see what she’s done here. When you read it and and you hear it and you see it, that’s like, Wow, that is straight from heaven because, you know, the enemy is very rial. He has a plan. He knows us and their strategy. And, you know, if we don’t know much about him and we don’t have a plan and a strategy against him were really more defenceless. And we really need to learn how to defend herself against the enemy because the fire darts keep coming and weaning to know how to protect ourselves and protect her family. Protect our marriages s. So that was a really amazing study. I enjoyed it very
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much. It’s when it happened, have done to, and I likewise loved it. It was really, really helpful. What characteristics do you love most about our God? There’s
spk_2: 46:25
a lot of, you know, as a woman. I appreciate all the love, but ultimately what? What I really need the most is his forgiveness, cause I’ve gotten a lot of troubling me a lot of bad choices over my life and it seems like he’s just kind of had to follow behind and clean it all up. And he sure does. You know, he’s just such a living god for constantly looking out for me in spite of me.
spk_1: 46:48
What are you most looking for two about heaven and that
spk_2: 46:51
one’s hard too? Because I think about having a lot is going to be awesome. So but obviously saying my Jesus face to face is gonna be the ultimate Through my times I’ve struggled a lot and the one thing that I just have really clung to more than anything is I have a perfect husband in heaven. He intercedes for me. He praised for me he loves me. He is so present in my life when it seems like sometimes you know, my own family is not present in my life. I just can’t wait to see him face to face. And I guess just hug him holding. I don’t know how it’s gonna be, but but ultimately that’s the ultimate. But having a daughter who was stillborn that I never actually got to really meet and you know she’s got all this time in heaven. I imagine that she’ll be the next face I get to see. I’m pretty looking forward to getting to meet her. I feel like I know her a whole lot less that I know my Jesus, right? I don’t have to get to know him as much as her. And so I have really looked forward to getting that time with my perfect husband in
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my precious daughter. Thank you for sharing that. This’ll wraps up another story of how our great God is at work. You know, hearts and in our world to find out more about Judy and and this podcast follow letters from home on instagram
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Second Corinthians 33 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, right? And not with ink, but with the
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spirit of the living god. No, on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts Till next time