Kim Moeller [00:00:03]:
From the National Christian Foundation in San Diego, I’m Kim Moeller, and this is the Generous Girl podcast a show that shares inspirational stories about generosity through faith, family, finances, fitness, and print as well as deep thoughts about what matters most and practical tips. My guests are all amazing women who have overcome adversity and are big believers in hope and in maximizing their time, their talents, and their treasures, and making their lives count. So we’re so happy that you’re here Thanks for joining us. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the generous podcast. Today, you are in for a treat. I have Jenn Tarbell here. Jenn is from Orange County, and she’s the mom of 2 Littles. and you she can tell you all about how cute they are. And her husband, Kevin, they have recently launched a redemptive real estate portfolio called preserving places, but she also works part time at an organization that I frequently mention on the podcast called Generous Giving. So I wanted to have someone on the show who actually works for Generous Giving and can tell you more about it because it is such an amazing organization in which NCF partners with them quite frequently. And she’s also an author. She is very accomplished at her young age and her book is called $4.83, the cost to impact a child for a year and maybe forever. So welcome Jenn to the generous curl. T
Jenn Tarbell [00:01:40]:
Thanks so much, Kim.
I’m really excited to be here. Thanks for having me.
Kim Moeller [00:01:43]:
Absolutely. Tell us about your family. And your life stage.
Jenn Tarbell [00:01:48]:
Yes. So I’m in the stage of life where sleep is at a minimum. And, exhaustion seems pretty high, but there is so much joy and laughter and giggles all throughout my day. So, I have a son who is and a little over two and a half and then a daughter that is just about 8 months.
Kim Moeller [00:02:07]:
Wow.
Jenn Tarbell [00:02:08]:
Yes. My hands are constantly full, but I’m grateful because in this season of life, the thing I hear the most from everybody around me is it goes so fast. Cherish every minute. And — Right. — so much that it would you know, it could be kind of like, this is annoying, but I actually really appreciate it because it helps me stay really present and not miss it because there are definitely moments, a lot of them, where I want it to go faster because it’s really hard. But it just helps me again, and they said be present and cherish it. So I’m grateful. And then my husband, Kevin, we’ve been married for 10 years this year. And — Congrats. Thank you.
Kim Moeller [00:02:46]:
Yes. Somebody told me, and you’ve heard it before, I’m sure, the days are long. but the years fly by. And we recently digitized all of our home videos. And my oldest, who’s 30, we caught her on the video, and she was like six years old saying, well, when I’m thirty and I watched this video, we thought, this is happening right now.
Jenn Tarbell [00:03:09]:
Oh my gosh.
Kim Moeller [00:03:10]:
And just as, you know, the blink of an eye in 24 years went by, and she’s already 30. So you’re right. It does go by so fast. And there the days can also be a little long. But I wouldn’t trade it. I just love your heart, and I love your heart for children. Tell us a little bit about the book. And then I want to jump into the Preserving Places that I mentioned at your newest venture.
Jenn Tarbell [00:03:40]:
Yeah. So I used to work with an organization called Hope International, which focuses on Christ-centered microfinance in the developing world. And so I I spent a number of years there and have stayed involved since. And so a dear friend and, current board member of Hope, his name is Lance Wood. He and I decided, let’s write a book together and talk about how microfinance this idea of giving out a really small loan to the working poor, is actually really helpful for kids because the recipients of loans or any kind of micro enterprise service are typically adults, you know, when they’re older. And so often not appealing to people who in their generosity want to give towards kids or impact kids. And, so we made a case that actually, this is one of the best ways to impact the life of a kid, is to help their parents so that they don’t have to give them up for adoption. They can afford to feed them. They can afford to put them school, so on and so forth. And so we, just collected a bunch of stories. I was able to spend some time actually in Ukraine and Moldova gathering doing some research and gathering some stories Kevin, and, and we put the book together, to make that case that that’s one of the best ways to change the life of a kid in their trajectory forever.
Kim Moeller [00:04:50]:
I love that. And I do hear so many things about Hope International here in Southern California, but I know you have big impact around the world. so we’ll have any organization like that linked in the show notes for people as well to look into it further. But you’ve had a heart for children as we’ve talked about. Then you’ve also had this heart for real estate, and I always love real estate as well. and especially with when it can be used for multiple purposes and especially for kingdom purposes. So how about if you tell everybody about this newest venture with Kevin called Preserving Places.
Jenn Tarbell [00:05:26]:
Yeah. We’re really excited because it really feels like the culmination of both of our individual experiences kind of coming together, and that’s always been a desire of our hearts is that we’d be able to work on something together. And, so the idea, the redemptive real estate portfolio is a portfolio of real estate ranging anywhere from, you know, luxury homes to agricultural fields, to apartment buildings, whatever it might be, but the idea is building a mechanism of vehicle that cash flows for kingdom purposes. So, it’s not a portfolio that we own. It’ll be something that’ll be held into perpetuity or permanently for kingdom purposes. And the idea will be to cash flow properties for
Kim Moeller [00:06:03]:
kingdom impact. And then also
Jenn Tarbell [00:06:03]:
to utilize the properties to have, transformational impact within the community where those properties are located.
Kim Moeller [00:06:12]:
So maybe other organizations would use the property, and they’d be able to do fundraising events, and that would generate new capital that would help their organization and who they serve in community. Exactly.
Jenn Tarbell [00:06:24]:
And they think subsidized rents, incubators for businesses, places where, you know, you can partner with organizations working with the homeless population or with widows or with orphans or the foster care system and for, you know, apartment buildings or commercial buildings, whatever it might be. And then with luxury homes, hosting, yeah, fundraisers, like you mentioned, and the idea being how do we use real estate? God cares about land. He cares about buildings. And how do we use these things to have positive impact in the lives of others? So that’s what we’re trying.
Kim Moeller [00:06:52]:
And I know your husband has this real estate license. It’s been in real estate for a while, so that helps give you a little bit of a leg up of even putting this whole, you know, idea together, but it’s a beautiful idea. I just think I’ve been to, you know, a number of beautiful properties around the world that the stories of how they came about and how they were funded by generous donors. And now, you know, we were at a year and a half ago in Wales, a prayer retreat center. The book is called the Grace Outpouring and it talks about this place, but this woman just really had this picture vision of what it would look like and prayed and prayed to find it. And it just took so long that it didn’t seem like it was going to happen. She finally wrote it on an egg-shaped piece of paper, put it in her Bible and said, okay, God, when you hatch this dream, then it’ll be ready and it’ll be time. And fast forward a number of years later, they did find the property and ended up, you know, basically, the country of Wales owns it today as like a historical site, but they run it as the prayer retreat center. And so for perpetuity and generations, and the son is on the board, and it’s just so lovely.
The vision of as you know, being able to preserve those places. I love the title of your organization and that both of you can work together with this dream. So you’re working part-time right now, which makes it sound like you’re not quite superhuman to be able to do all the You do. But why don’t you tell, you know, talk about working with the National Christian Foundation. Explain why Generous Giving loves to partner with the National Cushion Foundation (NCF) and then just your role and what you do in Orange County for Generous Giving. Yeah. Well, to start,
Jenn Tarbell [00:08:40]:
I think the partnership between 2 organizations s really because we have the same end goal. Right? I mean, we want to see more resources released for kingdom use and kingdom purpose. And, so at the heart of our two organizations, it’s just that to encourage people in generosity and to, find a purpose and release what the Lord has given them. So, you know, at Generous Giving, we’re blessed to be an organization that creates safe spaces for people to explore the topic of, biblical generosity, and we you know, do that through retreats and experiences that we create where there there’s complete safety and there is no ask. There’s no solicitation. There’s no hidden agenda. that’s really purpose to create, you know, an intimate conversation and help encourage people to, like, I love how you talk about with your podcast, Kim, to take the next step with and what’s the Holy Spirit saying to you? What does that look like? And each of us are on our own journey, and that could be totally different for me than it is for you. And it could be different today than it is from a year from now, and our seasons from life, you know, our different seasons in life. So, that’s what we’re about. And my role with with Generous Giving is to encourage people in Southern California in their pursuit of generosity and to see more and more what we call Journeys of Generosity. We shortened to a JOG, so to see more jogs happening in this region. So, I partner with individuals, churches, organizations, to encourage them in creating cultures of generosity, whether it’s in their business, their home, their ministry, by utilizing the jog as a resource.
Kim Moeller [00:10:14]:
So listeners who are hearing this podcast all over the country, they could go to your website and sign up I I believe during COVID, you started them online, but now they’re both. Right? You could do online or in person. Yes.
Jenn Tarbell [00:10:27]:
Yep. And there’s one, like, people with my role. There’s one of me all over the country. And so, you know, it’s not just in Southern California, but anyone anywhere can participate you said, either online or there are in- person jogs that we’re doing all over the country as well.
Kim Moeller [00:10:41]:
And they are so fun. I I had mentioned on another podcast that I had facilitated a job more recently, and I did that for the listener with Jen, the two of us here in Orange County. And each time you’re a part of a jog, it’s obviously a different group of people. Sometimes it’s just women. Sometimes it’s couples. Sometimes it’s a one day as ours was like a 9 to 4. Other times, it’s a Friday night, Saturday, but I always come away very inspired. Maybe it’s a story that somebody tells in the group. Maybe it’s a video I’ve seen before, but each time I watch it, I get something new out of it. But I love that, you know, we’re carving out time and space to listen to other people’s stories and then ask god, what is it that you want me to do to be more generous? Maybe it’s with my time. You know, maybe I’m not the one with the little ones right now, and I have more time than I used to have when I was sleep deprived. And I can volunteer in a way that I didn’t used to, or maybe, you know, the incomes change and people can give in a way. I never want I know people sometimes say when they hear the word generous in a title, like, oh, wait. Do you think I’m not generous? And that’s why you’re inviting me? And just for the listener, no, that’s not it at all. Like, we just want to inspire and encourage more generosity, but obviously, we think you’re generous and interested, which is why we’re telling the person we’re talking about it to about the JOG and we want it to be an open door for everybody.
And, you know, sometimes I think with generosity and this whole topic, like, was on a call recently with a a lot of podcasts that are, you know, categorized and there was barely any podcast on generosity. So I think it’s like a newer container for it’s going on. It’s definitely happening, but in the last 10, 20 years, it feels like with organizations like yours, Women Doing Well. These organizations that have been so generously funded, so people don’t have to pay for them to be a part of them. everyone is beginning to learn. Wow. This is really cool, you know, because a lot of times our view of generosity is either how we grew up and we see the world that way or in our marriage and how our spouse saw it. But this kind of allows you to get a bird’s eye view of other people and some that have, you know, maybe not that many resources, but it’s their generosity from their heart. or it’s that they have the millions and the billions and how they’re being generous. And so it’s very inspirational. So, I just feel blessed to kind of get to work in that space with you when we get to do things like that together.
So any thoughts you want to share with the listener about how you navigate all of this right now with your life stage of 2 little ones. And it sounds like you have a husband who’s very helpful
Jenn Tarbell [00:13:33]:
and must be flexible
Kim Moeller [00:13:35]:
to even allow you to do a podcast in the middle of the day. But any tips or pointers?
Jenn Tarbell [00:13:40]:
Makes me a little emotional. I’m really so grateful for my husband. And, yeah, I’m here right now. He took the kids to the store so I could have a quiet house and He made a little adventure out of it, and they’re going to go buy frozen pizza tonight for dinner or whatever.
Kim Moeller [00:13:56]:
Yeah.
Jenn Tarbell [00:13:57]:
And, you know, people often ask, how do you do it? My job’s only 10 hours a week. I’m not, like, superwoman over here working 50 hours and doing all the things. But, you know, I like to say that working or having a role that I love is it adds a layer of complexity that is beautiful in my life. And the job that I have with Generous Giving was such an answer to prayer for me. I was in a season of my life coming into motherhood. I was 6 months in, and my journey into motherhood was really hard. And I super traumatic birth and just all the things. Like, everything that, like, could be a thing was a thing from breastfeeding to sleep, to tongue ties, to cut, you know, all the things. I’m sure there’s so many with women who had really rough journeys, even more difficulties than I had, and gave me so much sympathy and compassion for women just in general and all that we have to navigate.
Anyway, so for me, I just I had major depression and had a really hard time envisioning even being able to do the laundry again or, like, take a like, I couldn’t envision it. Like, I was so just in a pit that I was like, how am I ever going to feel alive again. And I remember at the six month mark, I started, like, having vision again. Like, I could see was like, I came out of the fog, and so I just started to dream again. And I started to dream with the Lord, and I was like, alright, god. Like, what’s in my heart? And where do I go from here? And I feel like I could do a little something, not much, but a little. And so, anyway, it was just this the beautiful way that the lord works, and I we’re talking about generosity For me, this is, like, how I’ve one of the recent experiences are experiencing in God’s generosity towards me and how he worked in this situation. But as a dear friend of mine, Janice, I think who you had on this call, she’s actually my predecessor at Generous Giving and she has served on the board of of National Christian Foundation as wel, anyway, she was getting ready to move on and was having a conversation with some dear friends and said, you know is there anybody that you can think of that might be interested in this role?
These two different friends were like, oh my gosh, you should talk to Jenn. And it was so perfect because I had told Kevin, I had said, you know, I really I want it if I’m going to take on a role, it needs fto be lexible. It needs to fit my life stage. I need to have autonomy. It needs to be relational. I want it to be aligned with my passions, and my passions are in the nonprofit space. And working with people in regards to generosity, those are my heart passions. And so when this role came my way and Janice reached out, we my husband and I Kevin and I sat down on the couch when we opened the job description, and it was, like, oh my gosh. Like, this role was made for you kind of a thing. And it just was a beautiful way that the lord worked in the season of my life. So I share all that because as I said, it adds a layer of complexity, in our life, but I wouldn’t trade it because it’s been such a healthy thing for my soul, in this season to keep me engaged and to keep me thinking about things beyond myself and my little, my, you know,my being the 10 square for a hundred square feet of living space use of the day cleaning up endless messes and whatever. Right. So, it’s been a beautiful thing in the season of life.
Jenn Tarbell [00:17:04]:
I’m just so grateful for so one is that I do believe that the Lord provides in the seasons when we’re in and we’re really I think he can be so generous. He is so generous to us in whatever season that we’re in. I’m so grateful for my husband and how he has been committed to seeing my heart fulfilled and my soul care for. And part of that for me has been a 10 hour a week gig. And so we’ve just figured out how to compromise and how to make our life work. In some weeks, it’s a complete disaster, and it’s the messiest thing ever, and we’re like, what even happened this week? I don’t know. And then some weeks it flows really per like, really beautifully, but, you know, we’re constantly figuring it out. And I’m just I’m really grateful for the support that I’ve had from him and from other people in my life that help make it all possible.
Kim Moeller [00:17:49]:
Well, it is a juggling act motherhood for sure. And I but I think that’ you said something really that’s a neat nugget like can you know what you wanted, you know, the 10 hours type of thing? And then you listed the various components of the description. And I think sometimes it’s hard to even articulate what we want. And so when our spouse doesn’t know what we want, it’s hard for them to be able solve it and go after it. And sometimes, you know, maybe it’s trying to, you know, you do quit your job and your quote at home. And you try it, but then you go, you know what? This was fine for this year too, but I really feel like I have these skills in this, and I need to use them, and I want to go back to the workplace. And what does that look like?
And It is just a very beautiful, delicate dance of figuring out the finances, the time, the child care. And ultimately, as you said, I mean, God is the provider and He knows our hearts. And I know there’ve been, you know, sometimes in life when I feel like I’ve been firing on all cylinders and other times where I feel like I’m only firing on one because I’m having to focus on other things at that time, but it doesn’t mean that God’s forgotten. but He is just faithful. So I think I want to just say to the listener as you’re hearing about Jenn’s life and where the season she’s at right now, be encouraged because if maybe you’re not in a suite of a season, maybe you’re in figuring out, like, should I quit my job or I can’t afford to quit my job and I’m maxed out kind of thing. I just want to encourage you that you will get through it, and it will be something that you can look back when you ask God to just guide you and provide how you need Him to provide, whether it’s emotionally or financially, you’ll be able to look back and look at at his faithfulness. And I remember at one point, my husband interviewing for a job, and they doubled his salary without him even telling them how little he made at the time. And that was the income we needed at that time to then make, you know, decisions with our little ones kind of thing.
So sometimes you feel like you’re right up to that, you know, the brink and that the edge of how is this ever gonna work out? And then low and behold, it does work out. So I love that you right now, you know, with 2 little ones, you’re able to do something for 10 hours that gives you life, which is why I’m so grateful. Yeah. Yes. Okay. I always like to also ask the listener and you mentioned some hard things. I mean, I ask I like to ask the guests for the listener’s sake. but you mentioned some hard things with the birth of your child. But prior to this podcast, we were also talking about what else might you share with the overcoming adversity side of things. And I know you mentions sleep deprivation now and getting your child to sleep. So talk about that. But then you also mentioned when you were between the ages of eleven and 13 something that was really challenging that you went through. Yeah.
Jenn Tarbell [00:20:45]:
I can start there. So when I was young, there were several instances of abuse in my life, and that kind of started this ripple effect of poor body image and body just not being able to see my body in the right proper lens and just it that lent itself into straight hatred for myself. And so I started toy around with, bulimia and then ultimately anorexia and, was very, very sick. I couldn’t I went down this rabbit hole that I couldn’t pull myself back up from. And so my life got really, really small. I ultimately was pulled from school. I had to be monitored at every meal. I had doctor appointments just about every day. My parents were trying everything they could do just to keep me alive at that point. And so I finally, they got me into a hospital that had been trying and trying and trying. And, they were finally an opening, and so it was a Christ centered program that was really important to them, the faith piece. And so they we went out drove out to Arizona, and they dropped me off. And I was there for a couple of months to go through their program and ultimately gain the tools to heal and recover and hopefully have a you know, successful life after that.
And I learned in the hospital. I was it was an amazing program. I have nothing I mean, mostly good things to say about it, but I learned a lot about blame and how to blame circumstances or other people for what happened to me. but I didn’t learn how to deal with shame. And so I walked away with really great tools, but still with a broken heart and soul. And I was told that I would have an eating disorder for the rest of my life, that it was never it was something that you could never fully heal from. the impact on the mind was so severe that it’s like dealing with an addiction. And the hard thing with a food addiction, whether it’s too little, too much, whatever form that takes on, is that you have to interact with food multiple times a day. And well, learning how to have a healthy relationship with food again is a difficult thing, and it took me it took me a really long time. It took me another about 15 years or so to get to that point. And and I remember, I’ll share it I think, one of the breakthrough moments for me. I remember I was out of college and was just asking the lord, like, I’m so sick of feeling so ashamed. And, you know, it’s it’s the patterns in our life. When we’re not healed when we’re broken, when we have negative thoughts, like, that generates more of that in our life. Right? So someone’s abused. It hasn’t dealt with the abuse. They walk into abusive situations again, or they become abused again. And so I had all kinds of continual things that were happening in my life that were creating more hurt and pain and shame.
And I still had a really healthy relationship with food on top of all of that. And so, I remember praying and asking God, like, I am I’m so done with the shame. Like, I feel so imprisoned inside of me, and I don’t know how to get out of it. And I feel like I prayed all the prayers and done all the things, and I don’t know what to do. And and then I I told the lord, I said, I, like, I’m reading the Bible and you are a god that parts the sea and heals the sick and does all the things. And you say you don’t change, So either that’s true or it’s not. And so I need you to show up for me and show me who you are. Otherwise, I’m done with this whole facing. Like, I don’t what’s the point? Right. anyway, that was when my life started to get real crazy in the best kind of ways. And I started to hear from god. I didn’t have a paradigm that the lord could speak to me that I could hear from him. And so I started to hear from him in really radical ways. A friend of mine called me from out of the blue. He had no idea what’s going on in my life, and he had been praying for me, and the lord spoke to him a word for me. And he shared that word for me, and it was so spot on. I I started subbing, and it was an answer. It was so much what was going on in my life in that moment. And then I remember the lord kept telling me, like, very specifically. I he said that I needed to share part of my story and one of the abuse situations that I’ve been, and I need to share that and all the details with one of my best friends. And I was like, I don’t want to do that. It’s too shameful. I’m just going to you and me, God, we’re just going to deal with that. on our own, and I couldn’t shake it. And so I called my friend, and we sat down, and I just dumped the whole story out before her. And she sat there and she cried with me, and she held me, and she affirmed me. And it was such a significant part of my healing journey. that God used that friendship and relationships for brain healing. And I had to be obedient. I had to step out in faith and trust that there’s something to this. So anyway, I’ve actually been working on another book to tell this part of my story, but the lord showed me so many different things, both there were very practical tools that I needed to utilize to heal and to retrain my brain and to, learn how to think differently and to have healthy relationship with food and with myself and with the lord and with people. I had to relearn a lot of things, but I’m so grateful because, again, going back to you know, just the generosity of God that I mentioned before. I I’m so grateful that he continued to give me multiple chances And I look back over the journey and it was painful and excruciating and hard, but I’m free. And I walk in the fullness of that freedom. And that’s God’s generosity and and graciousness and grace. And I believe that that’s possible for anyone, and I don’t say that lightly. I really believe that that’s our invitation is to walk in the fullness of god’s freedom. And it takes some work to get there sometimes. So it’s a little bit, some of the adversity I’ve overcome with regard to that. But, yeah.
Kim Moeller [00:26:10]:
Thank you so much for sharing. Be and it’s just interesting because our last podcast, we also touched on shame. So how ironic that your podcast follows that one. And that guest, Ines Franklin, really talked about being able to live and realize that god has called her to tell her story as well. And it encourages so many people So you were called to tell, you know, your story that also by doing that, your friend comforted you. And, like you said, you can’t, and you weren’t meant to do it alone. So ,I admire your honesty and your bravery and your courage and just how the hard things you went through have made you just who you are today. Such a beautiful person. So wise beyond your years at your age? I wish that I had been like you when I was in my thirties because I feel like you’re just, you’re really ahead of your game, girl. So thank you for just sharing how the struggles, you know, have then led you into what we said, the preserving places, and working with generous giving and being able to cultivate the things that really matter and not listen to the lies. Because again, that is the goal of this podcast. Like, I want the woman listening to live to her fullest potential. That’s that is my heart for this why we do what we do on this podcast. And I I don’t want there to be anything that is holding her back. And they know we all can have areas, you know, where if we do believe the lie or, you know, we’re limiting what god can do, we only have our one life. And so I the goal is for each of us wherever this listener is to look at the resources people in her life maybe she needs to seek out a pastor or a counselor. We’ve talked about spiritual director or maybe just sit in silence and journal listen and kind of slow down. I like, many different ways people can take the next step, but I do encourage anyone listening. Like, if they are struggling with any of these things that Jenn mentioned about to think about how could you take the next step to become more free and be beautiful women that god knows that you are and and hopefully deep down this idea, you know, that you are as well.
Jenn Tarbell [00:28:26]:
So Yeah. You touched on something. If if I may —
Kim Moeller [00:28:28]:
—
Jenn Tarbell [00:28:28]:
expand on one something that you were saying just the significance of lies and how we are. I mean, there is there’s a spirit realm, right, and we’re being lied to all the time. And learning how to take our thoughts captive and renew our mind is such a significant thing. And in terms of generosity, I think that one of the ways that we can be generous with ourselves is with our own thoughts. That was a really significant part of my own healing journey. So I just wanted to share one little tidbit that might be including thing for. I love it. with regard to maybe a a little next step that’s not hard to do, but one of the things that I would do as part of, like, the I mentioned
retraining my brain was I I started speaking affirmations, and I still do this. I try and do it every year or I could do it more frequently than that, but I just do it every year. I write up a little card of the things that, I feel like are important for me in this year that I want to be attentive to or thinking about that I want to wash over myself. And so I back it with Scripture, and I make them positive statements that are, truth from the word of God. And I have it on my mirror, and I speak them over myself. And I did this with, actually another dear friend of mine really encouraged me in this too, and we would talk on the phone every day in this process of retraining my brain. And I would literally just say, like, I’d look at myself in the mirror and I would say, Jenn, you’re beautiful. Jenn, you’re beautiful. And I had to retrain my brain to remember that I’m, I’m a child of God. I mean, beautiful. Anyway, that was just one little tidbit. Now I’d do a whole bunch of different things with that, but just to counter the lies that we’re all getting all the time, the importance of keeping our head in a space that is focused on truth and centered on the scripture is so critical and forcing our brain to repeat truth and not repeat lies is a really significant way, I think, of finding more freedom in our lives. So I just want to touch on that, Kim, because you were talking about that. And so just as far as, like, a little next next step, just write up a little card of affirmations that are relevant to you in this season and wash yourself in it daily. just a word of
Kim Moeller [00:30:29]:
encouragement. I love that encouragement. You remind me of the fact that I used to lead a women’s, discipleship group, and we would meet for 6 months just twice a month But what we did in the group was we would memorize the first chapter of James. And if I remember correctly, it has, like, 26 verses in it. And most girls in the group had never memorized scripture at all. Maybe if you, you know, forgot to love the world, kind of scriptures, but not an entire chapter. And so we just started slowly. Everyone who get their little index card, you know, with the metal rings on it and a whole index card holder, and then they write one verse on each page. And then each time we come back, and It was amazing. The progress that people made. And by the end, they’re just sitting there going, James, the servant of God, the gorgeous crisis, you know. and they would go through the whole thing. But when we put the message there of truth, then when we are in that moment of tempting to think of negative god can call that memorized scripture to mind and allow us to claim, you know, what is true. And one last thing, it also reminds me of is friend of mine has many kids and has done an incredible job just getting scripture in their hearts and the little neighborhood kids were teasing her and and she just stopped all of them and said, that is a lie. Like, I am a daughter of the king. I’m saved by His grace, and she just, like, 5 or 6 years old rattled off the truths, you know. So, I love what you shared, and thanks for the practical tip of, you know, just pinning a little post it note on our dashboard and when we’re driving. So That’s great. Okay.
So I like to wrap up the podcast with the 3 additional practical things. favorite Bible verse and then book or books that you’re reading right now and then any bargain.
Jenn Tarbell [00:32:25]:
Yes. Okay. So, one of my favorite scripture verses just came to my mind in James. It says consider it pure joy my brothers as you face trials of every kind because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. And that was one that was so significant to me when I was in the hospital. and has remained kind of one of those that’s just been deep in my heart. So that is one of my favorites.
A book that I’m reading currently is this book. It’s called of God by John Bevere.
Kim Moeller [00:32:57]:
I love John Bevere.
Jenn Tarbell [00:32:59]:
Great author. incredibly impactful and practical. about the holiness of god and how we put position and posture ourselves before the lord and recognize his holiness. So that’s been really impactful for me. and a good bargain. So I love thrift stores. And, for Father’s Day, it’s a funny story. I asked my son, Jaden, I said, what do you want to get for a dad? And he said, shorts. I want to get shorts.
Kim Moeller [00:33:26]:
I was like, alright.
Jenn Tarbell [00:33:28]:
So we went to our favorite thrift store And I said, Kev, go and get yourself a pair of shorts. And, so we walked through and meet me love buying secondhand clothes. Anyway, one of tshe fun bargain was there was a there was a shirt inside that was, a name brand shirt that had a tag on it had never been worn or used. and we got it for, like, a quarter of the price. And so I was so happy.
Kim Moeller [00:33:54]:
It’s the little things that are so great. So Yes. I want to encourage you the listener to go visit your local thrift shop and see what treasures you might you might find there. Oh, that’s so fun. Well, I have just so enjoyed this time with you, and I really want to encourage the listener to check out Generous Giving if they haven’t into the website already generousgiving.org. And think about attending a JOG. Your life will be changed. You will not be the same person. And just as you ponder Jenn’s story, just think about how in your own life, like, what she shared, how can that encourage you to take the next step and to live by a truth and be just all you were made to be. So each woman listening people out there, and we’re just thankful that you took the time to listen to the generous drill today. And Jenn, thanks for being here and just sharing all your wisdom.
Jenn Tarbell [00:34:50]:
such a joy. Thanks so much, Kim. God bless.
Kim Moeller [00:34:56]:
Thanks so much joining us today on the generous growth podcast. We’re so glad that you’re here. And if you know of someone that you think needs to be a guest on this podcast, please reach out to us. New episodes are released every other week,
Kim Moeller [00:35:10]:
and you can follow us on YouTube
Kim Moeller [00:35:12]:
and on all platforms Thanks for being here, and we’ll see you next time.
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