Episode 65 :: Alicia Perry :: The Light that Breaks Through Disappointment
Today on the podcast, we’re continuing our Advent series of walking through some prominent people in the Christmas story today by chatting with one of my dearest friends Alicia Perry about Elizabeth. We talk all about friendship, motherhood, the activity of God, living with disappointment, about the hope that God has not forgotten you, and what we glean about all those things from the story of Elizabeth and so much more.
You know, it's funny, when I felt God lead me to ask Alicia to come on the podcast and talk about Elizabeth, and this is true about every person I approached for this Advent series, I didn’t totally know why and then He began to just unfold it all in the sweetest way. In this case, I realized as I was talking with Alicia that we essentially are like an Elizabeth and a Mary in our own way. I am in no way the mother of the savior, but I am a younger woman who was given a relationship with a woman who further along in life to learn about God, about marriage, and Motherhood from and we have overflowed onto one another over and over again.
In my Advent study I’m doing from At His Feet Studies, there was a section that said this: “We see God answer individual and corporate prayers of his people through the baby in Elizabeth’s womb. What does this tell us about God’s care and use of details in our stories for His glory?” and I just couldn’t help but think about the overflow. The answer to Elizabeth’s prayer impacted her, her marriage, her family, her community, and ultimately a nation all the way to you and I and the Church as we know it today. How incredible is that? That is the God we serve. That is a God who cares about His people individually, as a family of His children. What a gift.
We have all walked through fire this last year in some form or another, and the activity of God in our lives, the exercising of our faith and how we share all of that with the people in our lives matters. It builds us up and helps us persevere. So, whether you are dealing with disappointment, or feeling forgotten, or suddenly faced with something new and overwhelming and you have many questions for God, keep going, friend. He hears you, and He has not forgotten you. You matter, your story matters.
*Our Advent series intro music is by Chris & Stephanie Teauge of Out of the Dust. We’re so grateful for their generosity in allowing us to share their song “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Listen on Spotify to the rest of this song and the remainder of their Christmas EP here.
*Sponsor and Outro music is from audionautix.com
*This episode was sponsored by : Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty Listeners can go to www.crabtreehomestn.com to connect with Tony, and also connect with him for advice and current trends on his social media:
Facebook.com/tonycrabtreehomes
instagram.com/tonycrabtreehomes
youtube.com/c/tonyteaches
References:
-The Levites and how they were separated
-Gluten Free Great Value “Black and White” cookies (see also vanilla creme, which are currently in the cookie jar on our counter lol)- (not sponsored, just SOOOOOO good!)
-Gluten Free Red Lobster biscuit mix (not sponsored, just also SOOOOOO good!)
-Elizabeth means “oath of God”
-Conversation about Zechariah with Dr. Chris Williamson
-Israel in exile and then brought back (also see the books of Ezra and Nehemiah)
-the ark of God never returned to the Holy of Holies after the Babylonian invasion/captivity
Scripture References:
Luke 1- - Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary
Hebrews 2:5-18-Jesus was fully God and fully human
Luke 1:15-John the Baptist was full of the Holy Spirit from birth
Luke 1:41-45 -Elizabeth’s declaration upon Mary’s arrival
Romans 8:26 / Romans 15:14-asking the Spirit to help her understand the words (Romans)
Genesis 16:1-15-There was surrogacy in the Old Testament
Luke 1:18-25-Zechariah and his questions for the angel
Luke 1:26-38-Mary and her questions for the angel
Psalm 16:5-6-the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places
Galatians 4:4-7-the fullness of time (Galatians)
Jeremiah 29:11-despite who we believe we are, God has something for us
Matthew 18:21-23-forgiveness when its hard
1 Thessalonians 5:11-encourage one another
Romans 8:11 / Ezekiel 36:27 / 1 Corinthians 3:16-The Holy Spirit dwells inside each of us
Luke 1:24-25-Elizabeth and her processing for 5 months of seclusion
Luke 1:37-for nothing will be impossible for God
1 Chronicles 24 / Numbers 3-The descendants of Aaron and their responsibilities
1 Peter 2:9-A holy priesthood
Luke 1:14-17-John the Baptist spent his whole life filled with the Holy Spirit
Matthew 18:11/ Matthew 20:28-Jesus was the Son of Man
Joel 2:25-the Lord will restore the years the locusts have eaten
1 Corinthians 2:13-the Holy Spirit ushers in wisdom and truth
1 Corinthians 15:58 / Ephesians 6:11 -standing firm and confident in the Lord
Romans 12:6 / 1 Corinthians 12 -leaning into the gifts He has given us
2 Corinthians 3:18-working on being made more like Him
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The Perry Family has made a few appearances on the podcast! Kevin and Karleigh helped me with the reading of Esther, and Kevin and I also got to talk about the history of Pentecost before our reading of Ruth.
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