God’s Plan is Better Than Your Plan. A Lesson on Blind Faith.

Hi Friend,

Did you ever stop and consider that maybe God’s plan is better than YOUR PLAN?

Human nature has us hyper-focused on what WE want, think we need, goals on goals on goals. But, when we take a step back, we often learn that God has a different idea for our life. And, if I had to bet on who’s plan is going to play out better I’d bet on God every time. God’s Plan wins.

In this interview with Misty Phillip, learn how we can tap into His plan, even when it calls us to be patient and unclear at first.

I pray this blesses you!

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:00):
Super excited about today’s episode, my friends, I am interviewing Misty Phillip who runs By His Grace Podcast. Oh my gosh, you guys, Misty is just such a sweetheart. She is a mom of four. Homeschooled them all, which is amazing. Y’all that are homeschool mamas amen to you. Okay.

(00:22):
She is just a fierce woman that speaks out for the Lord. I’m just, you know, excited that we got to collaborate. She’s an author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, you name it, Bible teacher. She really is on a mission to inspire women to live authentically for Jesus.

(00:40):
It’s just amazing the work she is doing. So really excited to have her on today. We are going to be talking about why God’s plan is better than your plan and just a lesson on blind faith, which we all totally need. I know you’re going to love this one.

(01:39):
Before we dig into this interview, I want to know, are you on my email list? I send out usually weekly, sometimes biweekly, depending on you know, life, little love notes to you guys. You guys also get to know before anyone else, when there’s a special promotion or there’s a new episode dropping.

(01:59):
I do a monthly roundup for all of you guys with specifics on like podcast download numbers and how my business is doing so that you can get the inside scoop every single month. So if you are not on my email list, we got to fix that head over to stefaniegass.com and you can get on the email list any of the ways, okay.

(02:18):
Take the quizzes. Opt in for the 30 growth hacks. Whatever you want to do to get on list girlfriend. I want you there.

(02:28):
Hey Misty. Welcome to the show.

(02:31):
Hey Stefanie. So glad to be here.

(02:34):
Cool. Well, we just had so much fun over on your podcast, and I’m really excited now to hear your side of everything, because you’ve just heard all about me. So I kind of want to start with that. Will you share with us Misty your story and how you navigated into what you’re doing today and homeschooling with your kids and all of that?

(02:54):
Yeah, I’d love to. So I am first and foremost, a daughter of the king and I’m married to my amazing husband. Who’s a rock. We have three boys and I worked for Enron back in the day when it was a company, it was a fortune two company. I was climbing the corporate ladder and I knew that God had called me to homeschool my kid.

(03:19):
I went to my husband and I said, God wants me to homeschool. He was like, that’s weird. He said that elementary school that I went to is good enough for me. It’s good enough for my kids. I think they need to go to school.

(03:32):
So I worked and my son was in half day kindergarten and we did that whole thing. Our second son was born and he was born with a lot of health challenges.

(03:44):
At the end of that school year, my husband said, let’s give this homeschooling thing a try. I had a great opportunity to work from home. So even though I was in a corporate job, I only had to go downtown to Enron two days a week, I was making a ton of money.

(04:05):
I had all the things and then I was home the other three or four days a week. I got to take my son to school and pick him up. When I did have to work in town, I lived next door to my, my mother-in-law and would help me out with the kids.

(04:22):
So it was just, I really had the best of both worlds. Then my boss said, we want you to work full time. We want you in the office every day. I knew that that would be a huge commitment for me to drive from the suburbs into town.

(04:40):
I did just knew it would be huge, but I also knew that God had called me to homeschool my kids. So on the day that I was supposed to give my boss an answer, my son started having grand mal seizures.

(04:54):
So God had to get my attention in a really big way. I think you have a similar story where we’re going along and we know he wants us to do something different, but sometimes I’m hardheaded and it takes a big thing. So I quit my job. I started homeschooling.

(05:15):
You would think that everything is easy and wonderful and no, we just went from difficult. I mean, there was wonderful in there too, but my motherhood season when the boys were young, was very difficult between having an ectopic pregnancy that nearly killed me. My second son that was born with all those problems, ultimately ended up with a brain injury that he’s still struggling with today.

(05:45):
We had a baby with trisomy 18 that passed away that I had to birth and miscarriage. We lived next door to my husband’s parents, like I said, and they had brain tumors, both of them at the same time. I mean just the craziest of things.

(06:01):
So in the midst of the joy of raising these wild and crazy boys and homeschooling them and doing all of that, we had all of these major life challenges at the same time. After we had the baby with trisomy 18, I was asked to speak for Texas Right to Life.

(06:23):
I knew God had been calling me to take all of those experiences in the time at home. You know, those hidden years, God was really working in me and in my heart and birthing a lot of things. Then I realized I’m the older woman.

(06:38):
Nobody wants to realize they’re the older woman, but God had given me a wealth of experience in these hidden years. He put it on my heart to begin sharing. So once I spoke for Texas right to life, I began accepting other speaking engagements.

(06:54):
Then I began my writing journey and wrote a Bible study that came out last year, called The Struggle is Real But So is God, because I want people to know that God, no matter what our struggle is that he is right there in the middle of it with us and he’s faithful and he’s good. He will see us through.

(07:14):
Then that sort of led into my podcasting journey. So it’s been quite the journey to transition. My youngest son graduates this year. I’m excited that I started before I had an empty nest and you know, I probably will never have an empty nest with my special needs son.

(07:34):
I’m so glad that I didn’t wait until my kids were all gone because that a lot of women my age and in the season of life that they pour their life and their heart and their soul into their children and then their children leave and they don’t know what to do.

(07:52):
So I began journaling when my oldest son went to college, just as a way to, to cope with my feelings and how I thought about this and all of that. So from journaling, then it became a blog and a Bible study. Then God was like now I want you to do a podcast. Then from the podcast, he’s like, now I want you to host a conference.

(08:18):
So it’s been this series of just taking the next step of faith, you know?

(08:24):
Yeah. Oh my gosh, what a beautiful story I love whenever you hear there’s hard parts, but always those hard things are ultimately in preparation. You had to have all of that because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to resonate with that woman that you’re so greatly impacting today.

(08:42):
Right. You know, I was really upset. One time. I was like, God, why have all of these things happened to me? I mean, I didn’t even touch on all of them, but you know, just really tough stuff.

(08:55):
He said Misty, because you know how to minister to all of these different women. I was like, okay, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. If that’s what it takes. If that’s what you require of me, then yes.

(09:09):
Oh man. I love that. So going into kind of the business aspects of that journey that you went through and you say, oh, you know, I started journaling and then that just went into the blog and that went into the podcast. I think so many of my I call them Lolas.

(09:25):
My Lolas get stuck on how do you know when I think God is kind of planting this idea, but I don’t know. Should I really wait till it’s super clear? How did you know when to go to the next step? Right? How did you know when to build on the thing that you were sitting in?

(09:45):
Yeah, like I said, I’m really hardheaded and I broke both of my arms. I had a bicycling accident. I did it endo and I wasn’t wearing a helmet. So I put my arms out to protect my head. When I did, I snapped both of my arms. So here I was a homeschool mom in a house of all boys.

(10:06):
I couldn’t do anything for them, eat for myself, dress myself or bathe myself, and do anything for them. They were really used to me doing most of the things.

(10:21):
So it was a reality check. Then that’s really when God birthed the book in me. I went to my husband and I really feel that God is calling me to write. I talked to my friends and I prayed a lot.

(10:39):
I had a friend who was actually a Bible study author and was a few steps ahead of me that we talked a lot and we prayed a lot. She said, I’m going to this conference called she speaks. That’s a conference out of Lisa TerKeurst ministry, Proverbs 31 ministries, which I’m sure everybody knows.

(11:02):
They teach Christian women leaders to write and speak and lead. It was a huge investment for me because by the time you have hotel and conference. I asked my husband, can I do this? He was like, yes, you can.

(11:17):
Awesome.

(11:17):
For me, that’s how the journey started. Then they really prepared me to start doing all of the things. Because I had been a professional, I knew that it needed to be professional. I started my blog, I got a website, I got professional headshots.

(11:36):
Then I just started doing the thing. Now I’ve taken most of those posts down off of my blog because wow, that was really embarrassing. But you just have to do it.

(11:49):
So if I was going to talk to one of your listeners, I would just say, if God has put it on your heart to do, if he has given you a marching order, then just do it. Step out even though you’re afraid, because I remember being on that first Proverbs 31 conference call in preparation for the conference.

(12:11):
I hadn’t done anything like that in like 16 years, because I was like just all in educating my kids and I was nervous. I was like, why am I nervous? This is so weird. But God showed up so big in all of that. I had a friend I went to the conference with, I met other girls from Houston at the airport and we all became best friends.

(12:35):
We started a mastermind group that I started in my home and I’ve been doing that mastermind group for four years now and have just developed the sweetest friendships along the way. God has every step of the way as we step out in faith when we’re obedient, there’s blessings tied to that.

(12:57):
So much. I love how your whole story there is just infused with miracle after miracle of him being like, because you’re doing exactly what he said, even though it’s blind faith.

(13:08):
Oh, I’m going to come back to this workforce online space. When for 16 years I’ve been educating my children. That’s terrifying. I can’t imagine how much doubt you probably had in yourself.

(13:20):
God’s like, but I said step. When you did, here you go. The right people that you need, the right friendships, the right resources, this event, now your husband’s going to support you spending thousands of dollars. He just lines it all up.

(13:33):
Right. It’s so cool.

(13:35):
Yeah. I mean, my husband, when I started, he was like, is this going to be another thing that because I did crafts and I did this and I did that. He didn’t know how long he just kind of basically set me up with some things because he was like, how long is she going to want to do this?

(13:50):
Then after I’d been doing it a while, he was like, she’s serious about this. So it’s been a fun journey.

(13:56):
Yeah. Wow. So now I think the biggest thing you’re working on is you’re creating an event and an event is not something that I’ve done. So I would love to hear, how did you know, okay, now I’m ready to do an event and kind of talk us through like the moment where you knew and then maybe some of the hardest things about putting this event together.

(14:21):
I was working on my next book actually. I was working with an agent who wanted to represent me and I was really struggling to make the message of this book, the way that the agent and I were sort of trying to work on the book. When you do something, I think you had a similar experience. You’re working really hard at, at doing this thing. But you know that it’s not really coming together and it’s not right.

(14:51):
My husband in his wisdom said to me Misty, I think you’re just flattered that this agent wants to work with you. I don’t know why you would take time away from your podcast to work on this book. When I see it’s not coming, it’s just not coming. When I finally released that and said I don’t think this is the right time.

(15:15):
Let’s keep this relationship open. I would love to work with you, but I’m just, it’s not the right thing for me right now. I went back to the Lord and I just said, God, what is it that you want me to do? If I’m not to write this book, I run that mastermind group. I also run the Christian women in media for Houston.

(15:38):
I love to gather, encourage, resource, and connect people. Those are all in my gifting, my natural gifting. I love to throw a party. Anybody that knows me knows that I am the hostess with the mostess, right?

(15:56):
Yeah.

(15:56):
So when I took that to God, I’m like, how do all of these things intersect at this time, in this season of my life? Because I’m in my final year of homeschooling.

(16:09):
So that was the other thing I didn’t want to spend my whole year. Because once you write the book, it’s not just the writing of the book. It’s the editing of the book. It’s the marketing of the book and writing does not come naturally to me.

(16:21):
So I knew it would be a struggle and I didn’t want to be so heads down that I missed my son’s senior year. Yeah. So I took it to the Lord and it was birthed out of just my gifting. When I stepped, who would I want to do a conference with? So I started just praying and thinking and I was like, I’m going to need a vendor and I’m going to need a speakers.

(16:48):
I just started like listing out all of the things that I thought I would need. Then I started reaching out to people locally in the Houston area that I know that are involved in podcasting, other Christians. Then from there, I sort of went regionally like, who do I know? I’m in Houston. Who do I know in Austin, Dallas, some of that kind of stuff?

(17:09):
Then from there I was like, who else Lord? Literally he gave me like 10 people to call and I reached out to all of them and they were all like, yes, there’s not a place for Christians to gather who are podcasting.

(17:24):
I had been to writing and speaking conferences that would have a podcaster there or would have a podcasting track, but there was no place for Christian podcasters, even at the large podcasting conferences.

(17:37):
There’s great big podcasting conferences. But the people that I knew would sort of find the other people who were Christians, but they weren’t hearing from other Christians. They weren’t being taught a kingdom mindset in terms of their podcast and their duties and their responsibilities. Which as Christ followers we’re held to a higher account.

(18:01):
I wanted to create that space. Once I’d just stepped out in faith, you know, I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve never been to a podcast conference, but God. He just gave me all of the tools and resources to do it.

(18:19):
My husband, the other day said, I wish we would’ve contacted a television program to do a series about us because you know, he’s watched the good, the bad, and the ugly of this event because God gave me the idea in October. I said, I’m going to host it in February. So I gave myself four months to put on a huge event.

(18:41):
On wow!

(18:42):
But God connected me with great companies, like Focus on the Family who is sending their head of content here to the conference and podcast service providers to come help supplement the cost of it being in a hotel. I’ve got vendor space and just every step of the way Logos Bible Software is coming.

(19:09):
Every step of the way, he’s just given me the next step.

(19:13):
That’s crazy that you put that together in four months. What’s been the hardest thing about putting an event together?

(19:20):
Just all of the things.

(19:22):
Just a lot of balls in there.

(19:24):
You know, once I reached out to all these people and then they said, yes, then it was time to start making decisions and schedules. I had to pray through the event and you know, what do I want people to come away with? How do I want people to feel when they’re there?

(19:41):
What do I need to do to make that if I’m going to give a lot of really technical sessions, then I need a break for people and what is going to be fun for us. Just praying through all of those things and then implementing all of those things and building a team to help me to do that.

(20:01):
I’m sure the finances like events are no joke financially.

(20:05):
Yeah. When I signed the check to the hotel, I went into a panic that day. I did because you have to put on payment down and my husband’s like Misty it’s okay. He’s like, stop freaking out. I know God is faithful and that it’s all going to work out, but my husband would kill me if I hosted an event and went $50,000 in debt.

(20:27):
I mean, yeah.

(20:31):
I really tried to be a really good steward of what the Lord has provided. I don’t get too far ahead of him, you know? So I don’t do or add or change anything in terms of the conference until I know that the provision is there so that I don’t overstep what the Lord wants me to do.

(20:50):
I really want to highlight something. You said a little bit earlier, just so that my girls heard it. You had said that you were working on this book deal and it just wasn’t really coming through. I really want to bring that to light because a lot of times we think we have to do something that either someone brings to us or someone bigger than you says, come and do this for me.

(21:13):
Whatever that might be. I always challenge myself and anybody that, you know, works with me to say, is that from God? Or is it not? Because I think in your case, the book wasn’t really from him, but it was great icing on the cake. But a book deal, like, of course I should do this.

(21:34):
So I just really like that you had brought that up and said, not everything works out perfectly. Sometimes you have to discern, you know, what really is from him. If you pray through it, trust through it, keep working through and be willing to release it. The stuff that isn’t really from him, he’ll replace it with something bigger and better.

(21:54):
It doesn’t mean that the answer is completely, no, it’s just not right now.

(21:58):
Sure.

(21:59):
Because I’ve already got 40,000 words written and I know that that’s a story he wants me to tell it just wasn’t the season for it because there are seasons for things. I would just encourage your listeners too, be okay with saying no, but knowing that no may just be for a season.

(22:20):
Yeah. Probably you need to have the event under your belt because that’s going to be in your book.

(22:25):
Right. The Bible study that I wrote this year that prepared me for the event. God does not waste anything and he will use every step that you take in the journey for what he has next for you.

(22:43):
Yeah. That’s beautiful. Well, Misty, this has been amazing, like hearing your story and all the moments of just pure blind faith and trust that have really, you’ve been rewarded with miracle after miracle. I just love all of the testimony in your journey. Thank you for sharing and tell us where everybody can find out more about you and your show.

(23:08):
Absolutely. So they can go to mistyphillip.com. If any of your listeners are, you know, in a season of struggling, I’ve got some pre resources on there that they can take. A lot of blog posts and a lot of guest posts. Then my podcast is all about all kinds of struggles because we all struggle.

(23:34):
We have big struggles, little struggles, and everyday struggles. Sometimes when we’re in the midst of a really difficult struggle, we feel like nobody understands I’m so alone. I just want people to know that God is with you in the midst of that struggle and that he is faithful to see you through.

(23:53):
Wow. That’s amazing. This won’t air in time for your event, but next year. I’m sure you’ll end up doing it again. Maybe hopefully, podcast for Christians. I have a ton of podcasters in my community.

(24:07):
We’re definitely, because we’re already working on next year’s event and for anybody that did want to take part of this we’re offering a digital conference package as well that they can purchase.

(24:24):
Oh, awesome. Cool. That’s all at your website, I’m sure.

(24:28):
Yeah. It will be post-conference.

(24:30):
Nice. Well, thanks again, Misty. This has been amazing and sending you so many blessings for your upcoming event and thank you for doing such incredible work here.

(24:40):
Thank you so much for all that you do to encourage and inspire women to love God and serve him through their business.

(24:49):
Thanks Misty.

(24:51):
Okay. Well, I hope you loved that episode with Misty and that it inspired you in some way to trust. We talk about faith and trust all the time up in here, but sometimes it takes someone else to say a similar message as me for you guys to be like, oh my gosh, I got to trust.

(25:09):
I have to totally continue to move my feet because I know that God’s got this figured out that his plan is more incredible than my own plan could ever be. You guys that couldn’t have dreamed my life would be what it is right now today three years ago. Okay.

(25:26):
There is no possible even moment where I thought, okay, one day I’m just going to be sitting there hanging out, recording a podcast episode in my comfy PJs, making more income than I ever have in my life while doing something that feels like a dream job.

(25:45):
It’s not even work. It’s just so mind blowing that God’s like Stef, I’ve got something great for you. Quit getting in my way. You know what I mean? Any of you get in his way? I know I get in his way still. I’m difficult. I’m his problem child.

(26:02):
Anyway, I pray over you. Now, my friend that you found encouragement today that, you know, greatness is right around the corner for you, that you’re ready to do the thing with him pushing you and holding your hand and that you continue to believe that you are worthy of God’s plan for you and whatever it might be. That’s holding you back. I ask that God releases that from you.

(26:27):
If there’s anything inside that just feels hard or like you’re unworthy or you’re comparing. I pray that God lifts that off of you so that you can move forward in courageous, perseverance of the call that he has planted in your heart.

(26:41):
I pray that you’re surrounded by mentors to help you and inspire you and encourage you and that your spouse or your loved ones will wrap their arms around you and lift you up so that you have the support that you need to march forward.

(26:55):
I pray that your children behave them little selves so that you have time and space to go create and do your best work while you’re here. I am cheering for you and will see you soon. As always, love and light, Stef.