Parenting Series Part 3 - The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Rev. Michele Owes: [00:00:00] Welcome, welcome, welcome back to the Teachable Woman Podcast. I am so excited to be with you today. So thankful that you are listening to this podcast. I am Reverend Michele Owes. I have the one and only Reverend Mrs. Diana P. Cherry with me. Together, we are teachers of good things. Mrs. Cherry, say hello.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Hello to our podcast family. I feel led to say something that I say periodically, and that is, 'The day that the Lord has made.' Let us rejoice and be glad in it as we begin this podcast. God bless you real good as we teach.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. I feel like we started Church Service, Ms. Cherry. It is, isn't it? Right? It is a church service. [00:01:00] Well, listen, we again, are so excited to be back with you. We want to thank you for your patience with us. As we work through the details of life, because as with you, life is life and life is lifing with us as well.

Rev. Michele Owes: But always know that we are taking every opportunity that we can to get back to you to share the gospel of Jesus Christ the good news. With you. We are on our parenting series and on our parenting series. We first began just with what parenting is according to the Bible. And then we also coupled that with the fruit of the Spirit.

Rev. Michele Owes: And last podcast we talked about the fact that parenting requires love because God is love, and we talked about the fact that the fruit of his Holy Spirit. Is love. And so as we parent, we want to acknowledge the fact that the children that we [00:02:00] have, we are stewards. Over God's heritage. They do not belong to us.

Rev. Michele Owes: They belong to him. We want to do them no harm, if you will. But we also shared that that does not mean giving them everything they want and everything they ask for or giving them everything the world has or is doing. We, uh, shared with you that we are to train them in the way that they should go, and when they are old, they will return to it.

Rev. Michele Owes: I, I love that scripture to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will return to it. And I, I, I always wondered, uh, as a early Christian, what that really meant. And, uh, I learned. Through the ministry and hearing our pastors teach that it means to track a child, like a train is on a track.

Rev. Michele Owes: And, um, that when we track that [00:03:00] child, we are setting a direction in the way that they should go. But, but the thing that puzzled me the most was, and Wendy is old. He will return to it. What exactly is old? And, uh, I remember doing some research on old because it's not, it's not an age, uh, old is when they are mature enough to know that they need a God and mature enough to reach out for their creator and sustainer and accept Jesus' Lord.

Rev. Michele Owes: So, um, we trained them up. But there's a period where the election has to be made by them. And when they are mature, they will know they need a God and they will make that election. So, um, after training them up and the way they should go and knowing that we have to love has to be in our response. That was one of the definitions that we gave and that love was seeking the best, good for the object of [00:04:00] concern in a spirit of self-sacrifice.

Rev. Michele Owes: Regardless of feelings, which means that we can't parent based on how we feel. We have to parent knowing that children are God's heritage. Now, today we're going to talk about the fruit of the spirit, which is joy and how we have to parent with some joy. There's nothing like laughter in the house. Uh, one of my favorite things is to hear my children laughing with one another and to hear my grandchildren laughing and, and, and people enjoying being together.

Rev. Michele Owes: And, you know, the Bible tells us that laughter is a medicine. And so, uh, it's. It gives me joy just to hear, uh, my children laugh and to hear my grandchildren laugh because now we're not focusing on the issues of life and the heavy duty details, uh, that life requires that we pay attention to, but we're [00:05:00] taking a moment to have some joy and to laugh with one another.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mrs. Terry.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Wow, that's, um, good. I was just thinking about me and my current state. I'm 99.9% of the time in the house alone, but I do have joy. I have joy. Deep down in my heart, I talk to God and being alone. I talk to God out loud. I talk to God about crazy things, anything that I do. And at 82, sometimes, you know, you'll forget to do something something that's so common that you

Rev. Michele Owes: Uh,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And I'll say to the Lord, well, you look at this foolish old lady, how could I have forgotten to do that? How do you even put up with me? So that is the joy that I have in the house now because I am absolutely, uh, home alone about probably 95, 90 8% of the time, little ones are in college. Um, I mean in school, back in school now. um, so my joy has to be from within.[00:06:00]

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: have it or I don't have it.

Rev. Michele Owes: yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I'm thankful that I do have it, and I'm grateful. I'm so grateful and so thankful that I do have and I pray every day. I thank God for the sound mind and I thank him for his joy and I thank him for all of the fruit of the spirit. But right now I'm a home alone. Absolutely. So, uh.

Rev. Michele Owes: And Okay.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I am really okay with it because not only do I have joy, but I have peace. One pickable peace, and that's a good thing. I've got my, I have two rabbits and I have one doggie, and so my joy now is watching my little rabbits hop around and watching my little doggy trying to eat the rabbit's food. So that's my life now.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Well, you know what? That's a beautiful thing and. You know, for all of the years of raising a [00:07:00] family, for all of the years of being in ministry and being around crowds all the time, you deserve some peace. You deserve some moments of quiet and some moments to just be mss, Deanna p Terry. Uh, and, and I'm glad.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I find, I find I have more time now. I'm beginning to, um, out a little bit, going to things at the church that I never had an opportunity to go to. Like our hit class, our high intensity exercise class, and the day we were boxing, you know? So I get joy out of, out of going to those classes and I get joy out of being invited now.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: To go. We never, my husband and I never did participate much with the members. So now periodically I get invited to a member's house, uh, to a birthday party or to different things like that. So joy has changed, but it's still joy. But whether I get an invite or don't get an invite, I still have the joy [00:08:00] of the Lord in my heart and that, that, that is exciting, that now I can do things a little bit differently.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: it's okay. I'm okay with it.

Rev. Michele Owes: Excellent. Excellent. Well, we've learned that joy is knowing that your life. Is God directed, that it's not necessarily a giddy happiness where we're laughing and joking all the time and you know, everything is akay,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: but it is knowing that our life is God directed so that in the midst of the storm, in the midst of.

Rev. Michele Owes: Turmoil in the midst of situations that others would shake their head at. We can still allow the Lord to be the lifter of our head and still allow the joy of the Lord to be our strength because we have trust in and we rely on our Heavenly Father. And his [00:09:00] word says that he'll withhold no good thing.

Rev. Michele Owes: From us.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: even in the midst of the storm, even when in parenting things are tight or in parenting, the children do something opposite than what you've taught or that you ever thought they could do. And even when it seemed like someone has run away from the fold, if you will, all of this can happen in parenting.

Rev. Michele Owes: And listen, we're not just talking about parenting small children. Because even though we have, uh, we can have small children, at some point, those small children become grown adults, and it doesn't matter whether they're in the home or out of the home, the position is still the same. We're still mom and dad, so we're always gonna be parents,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right.

Rev. Michele Owes: though they may be adults as it relates to the world's age and the world system.

Rev. Michele Owes: We still care for them as our children. And I don't mean that we got to brush your teeth in here and put your clothes on. Now, I'm not, I don't [00:10:00] mean that in our hearts, you're always our children. It doesn't matter how old you are and, um, because the age gap will never change. You know, between the parent and the child, there's no catching up in the age gap.

Rev. Michele Owes: Right. So, um, to, to, I'll tell you what gives me joy as a parent, it is to see when my children have made their election sure. In Christ Jesus. That that gives me greater joy than degrees and awards and making big money or find houses, cars, and land, knowing that they now have invested. The God that they learned of as a child in the God that they witnessed in our household and, and they're having these personal experiences that take them away from, oh, [00:11:00] this, well, this happened to my dad, or this happened to my mom, but now I see how God came through for me.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes. Yes, yes, yes. And it, there comes a time that, uh, they've got to do that. They've got to know him for themselves and know the joy of the Lord is also their strength. and it's important nowadays, I think more than perhaps at than perhaps any other time in life for everybody. To seek joy and to know that joy is not happiness.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm. Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: come and go and, but joy stays with you. When my husband went home to be with the Lord, you know, I didn't become handicapped and I didn't become, incapacitated because I knew. I've been taught I'd learned too much and I had taught too much,

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: knew that this was my time to dig deep

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: hold of that joy and to make it [00:12:00] manifest in my life.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And I've always made a statement. And the statement is this, there are not many opportunities that we have in life whereby we can really glorify God. In other words, situations that are so devastatingly bad and hurtful to us if God doesn't come, we're out of here.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: to, for me, that. Experience That's freshest in my mind.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: There probably have been others, was when my husband left.

Rev. Michele Owes: yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: gotta be kidding. How could you do this to me?

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: child. He was a man who loved you. I know my husband obeyed you. I know he served you. How could you do this to me?

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That was the encounter when I had my hands on my and my finger pointing to God, and my head wagging and my, my hips twisting. that's when God spoke to, to me and said, when are you gonna [00:13:00] thank me?

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And I made the, and I, I said, thank you for what? I mean, I was downright bold with God God spoke to me clearly. For what I have delivered you from, the doctors had told me that my husband was gonna be a vegetable. The doctor told me, I will never discharge your husband home. Your husband will never go back home to you. So

Rev. Michele Owes: Lord.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I supposed to do? Die. Crawl up in the grave with him. And there wasn't call up in the cremation, uh, furnace with him. No. That's not the time to give up. That's the time to put, to practice what you've learned. What's, what's a, what's a, what's a good, what's the value of being a Christian if you can't grab strength?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: At times when, when it just looks hopeless, when you can't reach out and get hope. When things look hopeless, when, when everybody is and questioning, I [00:14:00] had had some kind of a breakdown, it is no telling what it would've done to the church. So my joy was to look outside of the circumstance and to look deep within and to grab hold to the word of God that's planted in my heart. um, to really be a person who held onto the word of God without God's word, I would not have made it. But that was a time that I had to. Show forth the goodness of God. I had to show forth the power of God. I had to show forth the love of God, and I had to manifest joy. And I tell you, um, you know, to me, homegoing services or home passings are such wonderful times to get together with family and to joke and to remember that wonderful person that we've lost. And, and it's a not, it's not a time to be so grievous that you're [00:15:00] functionless. And so I thank God because I know it was his joy that got me through. I know I could not have made it without the joy of the Lord. And that truly the joy of the Lord was my strength, and it did get. Oh, I had moments, I cried, real tears. um, as the days went on, I was allowed to cry less and less. God would almost like slap me in my face and say, what's wrong with you? So I had no choice, and I know I, I, I don't, I don't believe that. I have not grieved. I know I had the amount of breathing that I needed to do to get through, but I also know that I didn't have a right. I didn't have a right to get down in the, uh, conundrums of, of always Oh, always me. Yeah. I didn't have a right because, um. You know, we have a higher calling and a higher [00:16:00] responsibility as preaches and as ministers of the gospel. If we are just like the sheep, what good are we? How can we be an example? I. And so, I live my life always aware of the fact that everywhere I go, even if it's at a member's house and it's a party and we're having fun, I never lose sight of the fact that I'm a preacher. I'm called by God

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes, yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: always keep a certain standard, and that's not grievous to me, that's joy joyous for me.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So,

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. And the scriptures do tell us that we are living epistles known and read of all men.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: uh, with such a high profile, uh, position, I, I want our listeners to understand that it is not, um, it's not faking. It's not pretending. It's not denying yourself. [00:17:00] The opportunity to grieve, or it is understanding the moments that God allows you to have.

Rev. Michele Owes: As Mrs. Cherry said, she had opportunities and times at home to weak and to have these discussions and yay even challenges with God,

Rev. Michele Owes: but also she understood the gravity of her position and understood that. Making herself available for what God needed to do in her life was more important than giving into her feelings.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: um, I, I think as parents, when we parent our children, if we can not only shepherd them in a loving and nurturing way, but also teach them to manage their emotion, and there's no greater way to do that than how we manage our own.

Rev. Michele Owes: Um,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: true.

Rev. Michele Owes: yeah. And you [00:18:00] know, if we're flying off the handle and we are wondering why our children are flying off the handle, if we saying all kind of crazy words that you don't find in the Bible, and yet we wanna know where they got the words from. And, you know, if we have these momentary moments and we just say, Lord, you just have to forgive me while we go on and do what you know, so I'm just saying.

Rev. Michele Owes: Children learn by what they see more than what we say.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right.

Rev. Michele Owes: And, and Mrs. Cherry being a living epistle known and read of all men at the death of her husband, was an. A living example of how the rest of us who were going to fall in line after her and become widows that we, we didn't even know it was the timing for us or it would fit this dispensation.

Rev. Michele Owes: There was no way you could have told me that my husband was gonna pass just [00:19:00] way too young. Right. But because I saw her example, I knew what was required of me. What was required of me by a holy God

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: and which is to trust him, be more than lip service in it. And you think about all the homegoing services Mrs.

Rev. Michele Owes: Cherry and I have participated in with our husbands and how many times we went to the bedside and prayed with people and told families to be encouraged and to trust in the Lord and to wait upon him and, and then our time comes and we can't. And we, we can't wait upon the Lord and we can't be a good example.

Rev. Michele Owes: And no, that's not how our Heavenly Father would have it. And so we both recognize that the joy of the Lord was our strength and we can teach our children the same. There are too many young people that are choosing to die because they don't know where [00:20:00] their strength comes from.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: yes, yes. And you know, we live in such, um, it's such a crazy world now. Joy is such a, a savior.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: joy will strengthen you. Joy will, um, give you a happy heart

Rev. Michele Owes: yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Um, the word of God says that a happy heart do with good like a medicine.

Rev. Michele Owes: yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I used to teach years ago, um, that it's so much easier to smile. Than it is to frown. And there's a scientific data on the fact that it takes so many more muscles to

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: it does

Rev. Michele Owes: yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: to smile. we just have to dig deep And in, in the world of, in a world of cruelty. In a world of hatred, in a world where people at the highest level spew out hatred, [00:21:00] we just have to be different.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: We have to be distinctively different. We have to show the world that our God is God, that Jesus is Lord, and because he is my Lord, I can have joy. I can be different from the world. I can survive most horrendous challenge. have a, a young nephew, um, by marriage he, uh, was he succumbeded to, uh, death And it was, um, a friend of his gave him, he had, uh, medical marijuana card, but this friend gave him. Um, a joint of marijuana and told him it had come from the, you know, the, um, dispensary, it was laced with fentanyl he died, you know, he died. Now, we as a family, could get in the [00:22:00] pits of despair or we could rise above. And because of that man's, that young man's death, his parents, my nephew and his wife have taken on his. to teach, um, through basketball, basketball, coach at a local college to teach through basketball how they can achieve greatness.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: this ministry is achieve greatness, and they have taken it on as their own. So instead of them being totally wiped out by this, they found joy and

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: This woman now is invited to the White House.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: She's invited to Congress to

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: a mom

Rev. Michele Owes: Yeah.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: her baby.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: we can either be wiped out by

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: or we can use these things as stepping stones to continue living and to live a higher purpose life than we had [00:23:00] before. And I'm just so proud of them for what they're doing. Each one of us can do that.

Rev. Michele Owes: yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: it is that we're going through, can choose to have joy rather than grief. We can choose to, um, be better and not bitter. We can choose to glorify God to make him look good, there are not many opportunities that we have to really make God look good to, for the world, to know truly there is a God because that

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: No way on earth that woman, that man, that child, that boy, that girl could be that strong

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: supernatural power.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And that supernatural power is the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes, it's

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: gives us those fruit of the spirit. So we can have joy can have peace, and we can be a witness for others.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: We can be tracked. We can be who [00:24:00] God plans and purposes for us to be.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. And we can also make sure that the example that we are setting before God's children is an example. That he would have us to set before them.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: the scriptures tell us that in thy presence is fullness of joy in Psalm 16 and 11. And at thy right hand, our pleasure is forever more. So if we are feeling like we are lacking a little bit of joy in our life, if it's a little bit of lackluster, um, then we gotta get in the presence.

Rev. Michele Owes: Because it's in the presence of the Lord is the fullness of joy.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: right?

Rev. Michele Owes: that means we just gotta spend more time in his word. We've gotta spend some time alone with him.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: promise you. There is no better person. To spend time alone with them. The Lord, nobody knows you like he does. Nobody can love you the way that he can.

Rev. Michele Owes: Nobody [00:25:00] can correct you so privately the way that he does and then direct you in the right way. He wants you to go. The way that God works with us is it's nothing short of miraculous,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: but we do have to get in his presence to get it.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: The

Rev. Michele Owes: if you, if, if there's no joy going on at the house, if you know, if things are getting heavy, it is time to get in his presence and then allow the fact that you've been in his presence be demonstrated by his joy

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: family.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm. Amen. Amen. So important. And the thing is, we are not, uh, special. not different. The strength that God has given us, he'll give to you the joy that he's given to us. He'll give to you. I remember when my brother-in-law passed and my sister, who was about 85 years old at that time, she said, Dee, [00:26:00] finally know what it means to have that peace that passes all understanding, and that's what we wanna, uh, strive for. You know, it is the peace that the world can't give it, but the good news is the world can't take it away.

Rev. Michele Owes: Cannot,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: See

Rev. Michele Owes: cannot.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: gifts that we have, the things that we have, the strength that we have. Nothing can take it from us. maldy, no sickness. No death, nothing. Nothing can separate us from the love that God has from us.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Nothing can separate. I mean, what on Earth is there like that? And the answer is nothing.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. And you know, Mrs. Cherry, if, if we can teach our children that joy. Is not in things that joy

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: True.

Rev. Michele Owes: is not something else someone else can give you.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right.

Rev. Michele Owes: people feel like they fall in love and [00:27:00] they can't live without the other person, or they can't do this. Or have to have someone in their life every mo minute of their life.

Rev. Michele Owes: Uh, that's not where joy comes from. It comes from being in the presence of the Lord and he feeds our souls, right? He feeds our souls and he reminds us of who we are and encourages us in our inner man to, you know, fight the good fight of faith. You know, get up child. Let's do it yet another day. You know?

Rev. Michele Owes: And we learn more every day that we get up, uh, how much he is living and moving in our lives.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen. God is good and what he has done for us, he'll do for you. We're not special to God. We're just obedient to what he's called us to do and get in his presence. You know, don't

Rev. Michele Owes: I.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: anyone get the. Better of you. [00:28:00] Don't let anyone talk down to you. Get in the presence of God. Go in the bathroom, close the door.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Most of the time, nobody will follow you in there. Go in the bathroom. Right, right. You know, take a nice soaking bath by yourself. Just have some, you don't have to be down on your knees or prostrate on your face. get a quiet moment, a quiet time. Turn off the radio in your car when you're driving to work and spend that time in the presence of the Lord. can find time to have time for God. It doesn't take much 'cause He's quick to answer and you'll be so blessed and you'll understand some of the things that we've gone through and some of the things that we share with you.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Well, that is going to bring us to the end of this podcast. We feel so special that you are listening. Uh, we feel so special [00:29:00] that you will allow us to share with you, and we thank you for. Requesting this parenting series from us because it's been a blessing just to go over some of the things that we have learned over the years and the things that we've experienced.

Rev. Michele Owes: Uh, but what we want you to know is that this parenting job is not for the faint, but it is for those who will get in the presence of the Lord so that he can strengthen you. Right. Children are the heritage of the Lord. And you know what's so wonderful? You don't know what you have. And so you raise your children as though they are the kings and queens of God.

Rev. Michele Owes: I don't mean that they don't do anything. I mean that you are taking every uh, possible care. That you can't, as it relates to them, to make sure that they feel safe at home, to make sure that they feel loved at home, to make sure that they feel wanted at home, such that when they see you, there is a smile [00:30:00] on your face because you are welcoming them home.

Rev. Michele Owes: Not that you're scowling because they didn't make the bed smile first. And then when you get 'em home, just say, uh. No snacks or anything, go right up to that room and make up that bed. You know how we do, you know, just, just make sure that the joy of the Lord is demonstrated rather than our anger and our wrath

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen.

Rev. Michele Owes: it's not productive.

Rev. Michele Owes: All

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And if you are blessed real good, not only will you have an opportunity to raise your own children, God will bless you to have grands. And if you, like me, have great-grandchildren, and that really is.

Rev. Michele Owes: That is wonderful. All right, well that is gonna do it for this podcast. We will be back with you very soon. So keep looking for a podcast every week from the Teachable Woman. We love you. God bless you. Bye.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Thank God bless.

[00:31:00]

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