Demonic Influence vs Faith, Fear, and Spiritual Growth

Have you ever pondered over the mystifying realms of demons and their influence over humans? Allow us to take you on a journey where we unpack these intriguing facets, as we re-visit the drama unfolding between Uncle Screwtape and Wormwood, and delve into the vexing predicament Wormwood has thrust himself into, by allowing his human charge to fall in love with a faith-filled woman. Join us as we explore the implications for Wormwood due to this cardinal error.

As we close in on the final leg of our journey through The Screwtape Letters, we close off by emphasizing the importance of investing in our spiritual growth, leaving you with titillating anticipation for the book's conclusion. So, tune in and embark on this spiritual exploration with us, as we traverse through the enthralling world of C.S Lewis' The Screwtape Letters.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:19

Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me is the lovely and lively and absolutely brilliant Sherry Swalwell.

Speaker 2: 0:32

How are you doing today, Sherry? You are seriously way too nice to me I don't know if anybody else who ever decides to me the way you do, but you sure do make a person feel fantastic.

Speaker 1: 0:47

I made every word of it. You know how are things going on, this Well at least. Well, it's a misty day, but you know I'm not upset about it. How about you?

Speaker 2: 1:05

Yeah, we actually, which is really weird because you and I usually have the same type of weather, but today it is like the sunshine is so bright it is actually almost blinding me and I am not. But, we have had the best weather. I cannot complain whatsoever. So yeah, I am very happy this morning.

Speaker 1: 1:27

Yeah, and it's. You know, misty weather is just kind of like oh, what's the word I'm looking for? It's kind of like an in-between mood, right, like the weather is like, yeah, it's not going to be sunshiny, it's not going to be stormy, but you know, just kind of here I am and it's. Isn't it intriguing, though, how many movies, books and things like that take place in misty weather. I think it adds something to the plot. Maybe, or just add something to the scene. That's it, the mist.

Speaker 2: 2:12

You just got me thinking. I never talk about weather in my books. Maybe I need to start changing that up.

Speaker 1: 2:18

Oh see, it's like, yeah, the weather is like misty, and you know it's just funny because you know it's almost like a oh, I think they call it like a red herring, so like, if you know they're in a scene and are walking down the street and it's really kind of misty and rainy out, you kind of suspect something's going to happen, right.

Speaker 2: 2:43

Yeah, there we go. My books must be pretty boring because I never talk about the weather. It happens in a.

Speaker 1: 2:55

Oh, my goodness. Okay, all of you who are just tuning in, welcome to the Cheer Up podcast. And for those of you who do not know, sherry and I are both authors, we're both Christian novelists and she also writes devotionals, and she was just referring to incorrectly referring to her Christian novels, where she was somewhat. They're boring. I have read them. They are not. You will be blessed. Okay, so you will be blessed, but it's just amazing, you know, when you just think about these things, you know. So, sherry, I can't wait, because I am pretty sure now you're going to add a misty scene, a thunderstorm or some you know crackling lightning or something. So it's going to be interesting.

Speaker 2: 3:43

Absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 1: 3:46

Oh my gosh. Well, welcome again to the Cheer Up podcast and those of you who are faithful listeners. We just want to thank you so much for tuning in every Wednesday or throughout the week, whenever you can, to listen to the Cheer Up podcast. We acknowledge you. We want to thank you. You mean so much to us and, for those of you who are new, thank you for giving us a shot and for joining in and becoming a part of Cheer Nation. And it is based on the scripture of John 1633. And Sherry will get into more at the end of this episode. And we're just glad that you're starting your day, your evening, your afternoon, your night with us and we're just so, so glad you're here.

Speaker 1: 4:37

We are in our third season and for the past one, two, three, four months is it From June to September? Okay, we have been covering the book by CS Lewis LEWIS called the Screwtape Letters and in this book is pretty much what the title talks about. The Screwtape Letters is about letters that a demon screwtape is writing to his nephew, wormwood, and who is a new demon. He's a new young demon, or young temp tour, as his uncle Screwtape likes to refer to him, but they're both demonic spirits and his young nephew, wormwood, has been assigned his first human to snag him into hell. Pretty much, and so far, in Uncle Screwtape's letters to his nephew Wormwood, he is not pleased with the way Wormwood has been handling his human. He is not pleased at all and there is a. It is 31 letters altogether and today in this episode we're going to be covering we're near the end. We're going to be covering letters 28, 29, and 30. And we're just going to be talking about some of the topics that is covered in the book and pretty much at this point.

Speaker 1: 6:18

Just a quick recap for those who haven't seen. First of all, I want to say, if this is the very first episode you're listening to, please, after listening to this episode, please go back and listen to the June 7th episode. This is the introductory episode about why we're doing Screwtape letters and we answer lots of questions. Well, we answer what the Bible has to say about demons Are they real? Can they have? What type of thing do they have on humans? What can they do, what can they not do, and that would give you a like a more foundation into where CF Lewis is coming from with this in regards to spiritual warfare. And again, we're nearing the end. It's only 31 letters and we're going to talk about the topics covered in 28, 29, and 30. Letters 28, 29, and 30.

Speaker 1: 7:08

And for, if you remember, in a previous episode, the previous two episodes, uncle Screwtape is very upset with his nephew Warnwood because he has messed up royally, because he has let his assigned human fall in love with a girl who's on fire for the Lord, and not only is she on fire, her whole household is on fire for the Lord. They're just really good Christians, they have very strong faith, so much so that when people come into their house for the weekend that you know they leave changed, you know, in a good way. And so Uncle Screwtape has really, really been, has really been, upset with his nephew Warnwood for allowing this to happen, especially in the midst of a war, because the book was written in the 1940s and so and Wormwoods human is a male, I believe he's in his 30s and they are in Europe. So it's 1940s Europe and he's a young man in Europe and there's a war brewing. It's like literally at his doorsteps right now at this part of the book, and he and screw tape is just trying his best to get Wormwood to reverse what he's done. He's like you've let her fall in love with this girl. You've let him fall in love with this girl. Not only is she a Christian, she's the kind of Christian that we definitely want him to avoid, definitely not our family and definitely not her friends, you know, because they're all alike. And he's been just trying to tell Wormwood different tactics, different strategies to use to either pull him away from this girl or get him distracted or something.

Speaker 1: 9:05

And so in letter 28, he continues his attack on Wormwood about how much he's failed. You know, at this point, and he's really mad at Wormwood now, because he's like Wormwood, you're showing too much enthusiasm over the potential for human fatalities due to war. And because the patient is a Christian, the last thing screw tape wants is for this man to die. So because then they have lost their grip on him. He's not going to be a new resident of hell, you know and everything else. So he's just asking, reminding and demanding for Wormwood to just continue his evil attacks and to persevere until he sees a change in a man's walk with Christ. He's like you've got to persevere, you know, and just keep drawing in distractions. And you know and everything else, because at this point, you know, if we lose him like we've lost him, you know, and he's like you're so ecstatic about this war.

Speaker 1: 10:30

But then he goes on to say do you not know that bombs kill men? Or do you not realize that the human's death at this moment is precisely what we want to avoid? He has escaped the worldly friends with whom you tried to entangle him. He has fallen in love with a very Christian woman and is temporarily immune from your attacks on his chastity, and the various methods of corrupting his spiritual life which we have been trying for so long have so far been unsuccessful. At the present moment, as the full impact of the war draws nearer and his worldly hopes take a proportionally lower place in his mind and his mind is full of his defense work and full of the girl, and he's been attending to his neighbors more than he ever has done before and he is liking it more than we expected him to. So he says he's daily increasing in his conscious, dependent on God. He will almost certainly be lost to us if he has killed tonight.

Speaker 1: 11:39

This is so obvious that I am ashamed to write it. This is the letter he's writing to his nephew, wormwood, he's like. But so, whatever you do, keep your patient as safe as you possibly can during this war. So isn't that an interesting take, sherry, because a lot of times, as Christians, we, I think we kind of have the opposite effect, right, you know, like thinking that, no, the enemy wants us dead, but sometimes he just wants us alive, because if we die he, you know, while we're Christians, he really doesn't benefit. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker 2: 12:21

You're right, I never really thought about it that way, but it's so true and I think I figured out why. I think I figured out. So I'm a people pleaser and this screw cape cannot be pleased for anything. No, so why do you want to serve somebody who is never happy with you? Like seriously, that is what we're doing, like that is what he has Lewis is pointing out is that when we choose not to follow God, we are choosing to follow somebody who is never going to be satisfied.

Speaker 1: 13:00

Never.

Speaker 2: 13:02

So you're down there with him, Right? And even then he's not going to be satisfied with you.

Speaker 1: 13:06

Oh no.

Speaker 2: 13:08

He's going to delight in torturing you, so why do you want to follow that?

Speaker 1: 13:13

Why. That is a question for the ages right and actually a question, and how did I think about it that we need to ask ourselves every day, because how many times have we tempted to do something that we know we shouldn't do, but someone has pushed us a little bit too far, you know?

Speaker 1: 13:34

We're just like, hi, anna, and it's like, okay, nope, don't fall for the bait, Don't take the bait, don't fall into the trap, you know, because when you do it it's a never ending cycle. Right, it's a never ending cycle. And then the enemy is like, oh good, they took the first step, so now I can really bring them into a spiral. But it's all a situation. So, yeah, it's just.

Speaker 1: 14:00

It's very interesting that he was just writing. He's writing one was saying no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, because of all your other failures and because you've let him fall in love with this girl, which was a huge, monumental mistake and everything else, like the last thing we want him to do is die at this moment. So you need to keep him safe because you have failed so far and I'm trying to help you avoid the ultimate failure. So you keep him safe, no matter, you know you do the steps that's necessary. And so that was his first one of his next things for Wormwood to do. And in his next letter he is recommending that. He is telling his nephew Wormwood that he, now that war is there it is like at his front door he says you know, I recommend you defeat the patient's courage, I need you to make him a coward.

Speaker 1: 15:05

So, instead of him wanting to do brave and heroic things not at these foreign troops or in his land, probably coming to his door make him a coward, make him afraid. Definitely don't make him do anything heroic, because human beings will feel shame and guilt over cowardice and we can use that this is pretty much a school tape is saying to one would because humans feel shame and guilt over that. We can continue to use that. We can continue to use that to drive him away from God, because that fear and his shame of being a coward and not being courageous and not being heroic and not standing up and everything else would eat him alive. It would eat him alive because humans are just made that way. He's gonna constantly feel shame. He's gonna constantly feel guilt.

Speaker 1: 15:58

What kind of man are you? How could you let this happen? You're responsible for your mother. Still, how could you let them take her? How could you let them do this to her? How could you let them do this to your girlfriend? How could you let them do this Like? Take away his strength, take away his heroic thoughts and make him a coward, make him shimmer and shake in his boots so that because then we can work with that, because we can use all that guilt and all that shame when everyone is looking at him like you yellow, yellow coward, you know, and we can use all of that to draw him away from God. What are your thoughts on that, sherry?

Speaker 2: 16:41

I think you said it, I think you nailed it, nailed it, yeah, and that is a crazy place to be right.

Speaker 1: 16:51

What a crazy place to be, especially when you're in a situation. So our bodies are wired right For fight or flight and freeze. From what I understand, right, when we are in situations like that, it's like are you gonna fight or are you going to flee, or are you going to freeze in danger with situations? And I think a lot of that depends on our personality, right? Like, I think a lot of it depends on the situation. I think a lot of it depends on our personality and a lot of it depends on how dangerous, how potentially dangerous, the situation is.

Speaker 1: 17:45

And I'm now, if a person was to come up and attack me, I know from past experience, I know myself to know that I'm gonna fight, right, probably in that order fight, then flee. You know that type of thing. But and I was having a discussion with one of my sons, for some reason we were we were talking about bobcats, I don't know what had been seen in our area, you know, or something like that but and I'm like that is very scary to me because I'm like if I'm just out walking and a bobcat crosses my path and he's looking at me and I'm looking at him, I'm like there's no fight in me. You know Cause I'm terrified. I am absolutely terrified and petrified of being ripped apart by a mountain lion or whatever. It is right.

Speaker 1: 18:42

And it's like and besides, why would I fight? It's not like I can win. How can I win? Again, I mean, I don't know how much they weigh, but I just don't see that as a fight that I could possibly win. And I'm like and I can't run either, so I can't flee because they can climb trees. I can't even climb a tree to get away from them, so if I climb a tree, they can follow me. If I run through the woods, they can outrun me and overtake me. And I'm like so probably I would freeze in that moment. So doesn't it? Have you ever been faced in situations like that, sherry, to where you're just you're? Some where you're sure how you would react, and then some where you're probably like, yeah, I can see me like cowering, completely turning yellow in that situation?

Speaker 2: 19:32

Well, it's interesting because we've had a few instances in our lives because I have always considered myself someone who would just flee or freeze. But I've had some situations where I've surprised myself that I've had the power of the Holy Spirit come over and I'll be like was that me? Did I really say that? Did that really happen? And I'm like thank you God, because I couldn't have done that on my own. So, yeah, I mean I just pray the power or the protection of God every single day because I am not.

Speaker 1: 20:09

yeah, yeah, because it's like, and as I'm thinking about that situation, if I'm in front of an animal that I know I can't outrun or out, hide or outmaneuver, I'm frozen but I'm praying. You know I'm like Lord. You have shut the mouths of lions, right. So, intervene divinely. Let me be able to walk away from this situation, because I'm no match for this animal Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, here, kitty kitty. Wouldn't that be awesome, though, when I talk about a testimony right.

Speaker 2: 20:52

Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 20:53

Yes, but if he did it, you know, for Daniel, he could do it for us. He's the same guy yesterday, today and tomorrow. The only question would be, when I listen to God, when he say, oh, you're fine, Just say here, kitty, kitty, here, come to you and you're able to walk along, you know, you're able to walk through the woods with them and everything. That would be the only question.

Speaker 1: 21:14

It's like well, I've been able to freeze myself long enough to be able to obey, but it's so easy for us to say no, I would never be a coward, no, I would never do that, no, I'm not going down like that. I'm going to go down fighting no matter what the situation is, no matter what. And I believe that there are people like that, and I believe they make the best soldiers and warriors, physically, when it comes to war. Amen, and those are the ones God called, like David in the Bible right, yeah, I was just thinking about him.

Speaker 1: 21:47

Yes, and I was like David. Those are the ones like. He's like what you coming at me with this man Like, but the same God who helped me with the lion and the bear and all those other things is going to help me take him down.

Speaker 2: 22:00

Okay.

Speaker 1: 22:01

And then the birds are going to eat you, right? He was like so confident. He's like look, I don't care how big you are, how tall you are, how you're growling at me or whatever. Goliath Like this is a, I already got the victory. Okay, so you're already going down. You don't know it yet, but you're a dead man walking right.

Speaker 1: 22:24

Yeah, you know, and he's like and of course they laughed, right, the Philistines laugh like this little puny guy. He think he's gonna take on big a lion, you know, and Not only was their side laughing, but his, the people on his own data side, were a cowarding. Right, they were so. But God has made those type of people. They are just like, yeah, no, this ain't happening. You know, and I believe and I'm so thankful for those people, because those are the people we definitely want on our front lines. You know, and and like you said, sherry, sometimes we surprise ourselves. Right, you were talking about how you always thought you were a plea or freeze moment, but if you were out with your child and a small there's.

Speaker 2: 23:10

How much you want to bet you're gonna fight. Oh, I did, and that's the funny thing. Like I mean, god was like right there, in Nothing about it is my son and I were just talking about it yesterday. I was like.

Speaker 2: 23:22

We were talking about Just all kinds of different things and and I said to him I said, well, you know what I said. God already protected us from that, remember? And I Reminded him of it and I said God was right there with us through the whole thing. I said we had nothing to worry about. He showed us that he was right there and that we, he, would take care of us. I said so he would do it again if he had to.

Speaker 1: 23:45

Oh, Absolutely, Absolutely. You know and it's you know what do they call they like with the mama bear in us comes out right when we never even knew we had a mama bear inside of us.

Speaker 1: 23:56

And that situation happens, right, and we've all heard stories of people who have showed significant physical strength. And then the situation's like when a car has built on a child or something and the mom or the dad is able to lift up the car, right, they're like where did that strength come from? Like, I never knew I had that, right. But when someone we love and care about is in danger, we it's amazing how God strengthened us to react and how he gives us the physical strength we need, how he gives us the guidance we need to get out of that situation quickly. You know, and it's just, it's just amazing.

Speaker 1: 24:36

And and the next letter screw tape to his uncle Excuse me, to his uncle. Screw tape to his nephew wormwood. I get, these are demons. And it goes back to what you said earlier, sherry, about how a screw tape, the head demon, just cannot be pleased. There's nothing he do, but he works for someone who can't be pleased, right, so right. He works for the father of lives who can't be pleased, so, and Now he's pretty much Calling wormwood his nephew, his demon nephew wormwood, and utter failure. And he continues to scold him for his incompetence and then he threatens his existence as well. He's like you either bring us food down here or you will become food. It's up to you. How do you, how do you want this to end? You know?

Speaker 1: 25:31

And he's because now screw tape is upset, because the the, the human that wormwood has been assigned, is Very afraid and he has become cowardly, just like uncle screw tape recommended Wormwood do. But in spite of his fear and in spite of his cowardice, he has behaved well during an air raid that was on his town as good. I think this is very upset. He's like you haven't made him a coward enough, because when air raid came, he was, he was. He turned out to be very heroic. Like, what are you doing? You know like you need to continue to pound him and pound him, and pound him. You know, and he's like you know you've got to let this war wear him down and he's like you got. He's a right now. He's tired. This air raid has happened and he's been doing this, he's been doing that, they've been doing this, he's been doing that for him himself and people around him. He's like. So he's tired, but he has getting ready to sit in and Now I want you to use that, because now that he's tired and he sees everything that's going on, he's no longer just a spectator, he's active in this war and everything else we need you to, we need you to jump on that fatigue and weaken his resolve. Because you weaken his resolve by manipulating his emotions About everything that's going on.

Speaker 1: 27:06

Sherry, like how can, how much can we relate to that? Right? How many times where we have been in a situation has been so overwhelming to a lot of our mental, physical, spiritual, sometimes financial, emotional strength? And we're just done, we just can't do anything else and we're exhausted. And he's telling one would like, when humans are in that place, when they are tired, when they are fatigued, when they've just seen the worst of the worst or they've been through the worst of the worst or they just been through a very chaotic situation, use that to manipulate their emotions. And how many times have we been in situations like that? And you know we're tempted to just, you know just think oh, my goodness, this is never going to end, it's never going to get better. It, no matter all my efforts, no matter everything I've done, I still got to fight the good fight. What does it ever end. Have you ever been in a situation like this, sherry?

Speaker 2: 28:10

So where the?

Speaker 1: 28:10

amateurs manipulate your emotions regarding that when you're tired.

Speaker 2: 28:15

I think all we got to say for that is COVID-19.

Speaker 1: 28:18

Oh absolutely the pandemic.

Speaker 2: 28:20

Yes, yes, Because I was talking to somebody the other day and I was saying how in the past, pre-covid, people would have pop, people would have, you know, life would happen, but the entire world was not experiencing the chaos, the mental, physical fatigue, spiritual fatigue, overwhelm. At the same time, covid introduced at the same time and there was no recovery period. There was no one person who is doing okay, able to strengthen and carry those who are not, because even believers and I'm not saying that those of us, well, I'm not saying that we were without hope during that time. I'm just saying it was a hard time in general. Overall, yes, right For the world.

Speaker 1: 29:16

So totally yes.

Speaker 2: 29:18

So we were filling up with God and had hope. They were still tired People are still tired and there hasn't really been at least in my opinion, there really hasn't been a recovery period, because we've gone from the COVID to a lot of people are dying, and so then we have the grief on top of the everything else. And so, yes, kara, I have experienced that and I think you have too.

Speaker 1: 29:49

Oh, absolutely, you know, and I think that's why what's the word I'm looking for? I think most people will call it self care, but actually it's more of like I'm caring for the other person, and what I mean by that is when I am in a, when I am in a vexed mood, right. But whatever the situation is, whatever happened, and I'm tired, I'm tired of the situation, I'm tired of the people involved in the situation, I'm tired talking about the situation, I'm tired of thinking about the situation, I'm tired of all the emotional stress that has come from the situation and I just become vexed, right. And I have told people like my husband. He will say, hey, you know what's wrong. And I say you know what? I can't talk about it right now. I'm very upset, I just need to be alone. And so, in a lot of you know, in that self care, right, but I'm also letting him know that you don't want to be around me right now, you know, because I am not in a good mood and you may say something extremely sweet and super nice and I may just roar, you know, because I'm just tired, I'm fatigued, I'm just. There's so much going on and a situation has me so upset that I really just need time alone. I need time between me and God, because if I don't, then the enemy will use that, you know, and instead of me calling out to God for help, like, oh Lord, you know how tired I am of this, you know how upset I am with these people, you know how draining this situation has been for me. Help me, give me clarity. Be a bomb, a place of bomb on my heart, my emotions, because it's just been so hard. I have to do that because, if not, it's exactly what's grudtate was telling Nirmwood Wernwood.

Speaker 1: 31:59

You get to manipulate their emotions when you do that, you know if you don't, and you get to use them and bend them to your will because I could ease it instead of calling out to God. Be like that person. How dare they? Who do they think they are? Do they not know who they're messing with? Flim, flam, flim, flam, flim, flam, flam, right and just rant and rant and rant and roar and roar and roar.

Speaker 1: 32:23

But what is that doing? That's deepening the root of what the enemy wants me to do, because it builds up again unforgiveness, bitterness and rudeness. You keep playing everything they said or everything that happened, or you know what that situation did and it just becomes a repeat videotape in your mind, you know, and it's like after an hour or so my husband would come back and he's like you okay, and I'm like okay, at least I can talk now without spitting venom. So, yes, you know it's like me and God had a conversation about it and you know we've, you know he's calmed me some because I was just spitting mad, right, and so a lot of times, you know, I think sometimes it's just good to just get away and be alone. Have you ever had those times where you've had to do that To where you're just like I need to be by myself right now?

Speaker 2: 33:16

Oh, absolutely, and those are the times when I make sure to keep my mouth shut. I think what I'm going to do is I'm just going to buy you and me a t-shirt and we're going to it's the I'm done people in t-shirt, yeah, and we'll wear it on those days, and then our, our husbands and our kids will know oh day, way for mom, today, not a good day.

Speaker 1: 33:36

Yeah, it's not a good day. Just don't add shirt, and they'd be like, hey, are you in there? And they're just like, okay, never mind, I'll come back in an hour or two. Yup, yup. It's like you know, cause I have to decompress.

Speaker 1: 33:50

I am not one of those people that can keep stuff in, you know, and just simmer on it. I'm either going to rant and rave and screaming y'all or I'm going to have to talk to God about it. And it goes back to what you said why? Why give the enemy a foothold? Because he's only going to use it to destroy you further, right, and the relationships and the friendships you know and everything else that may be involved in a situation or the circumstance. He's just going to use that as as fodder, right, um, you know future and you know, and it's like I really need to talk to God. So I don't pick up the phone, and you know, and yell at people, yeah, cause I'm like I don't want to do that, cause then, you know, god's going to, then I'm going to have to apologize later, right, cause I spoke in a heat of anger, right, or whatever the situation is, it's like it's it's.

Speaker 1: 34:47

You can either rant and rave and screaming, yell and um and everything and just let that continue to take root. Or you could take it to God. So, and the scriptures always tells us to cast our burdens on him and um, no-transcript. That does us more benefit than I think we realize, right? Because not only is your mood improved because you've lessened the burden that you're carrying, but you can think clearly now because your mind's not so clouded. You've talked it over with God, you've shared how you felt, you shared your frustrations, you know, and everything else, and just because we have a good, good father, by the end of that conversation you feel so much better. Am I right, sherry?

Speaker 2: 35:33

Amen and amen, yes, and like I'll start out and I'll just yell at him, like I'm not yelling at God, I'm yelling towards God, and I'll be like, look, this is what so and so did, and I think it's really unfair.

Speaker 1: 35:47

And.

Speaker 2: 35:48

I can't believe that somebody so and so talked to me like this and I can't believe that this actually really happened and blah, blah, blah and can you believe? It. You said that, lord. And then by the end of it, he's very gently saying okay, daughter, but this is where you need to change. I'll deal with so and so. I'm doing this now, and then I'm like okay, father, you're right, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2: 36:10

I'm yes, and then and then, by the time I'm done with it, I'm at a place where I'm like, okay, I was wrong, they were wrong, I was wrong, we need to, and it's I don't know. He de-escalates yes.

Speaker 1: 36:24

He de-escalates it. And which ends in what Peace? Yes, right, which ends in peace. And that is exactly what the enemy of our souls does not want, and I'm going to leave it at that, sherry.

Speaker 2: 36:43

Well, it all still ties back to John 1633. Do you?

Speaker 1: 36:48

see yes.

Speaker 2: 36:49

But in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. You know, when we live opposite of what our carnal nature or our fleshly desires are, we do have peace. When we swim against the tide, when we swim upstream, when we choose to do things opposite of what feels good, we end up feeling so much better. If you need prayer or encouragement, please reach out to us at cheeruppodcastcom. We would love to pray with you, we would love to stand beside you and we really do love people. It's so. I'm not, I'm done peopleing, it's just a Every once in a while thing. We truly do love people and we love them.

Speaker 2: 37:42

Yeah, we're so glad that you're. We truly are. In fact, we're going to be doing a whole episode on self-care in November, so stay tuned for that as well, and we'll get the biblical way to self-care. So anyway, having said all that, please head on over to Kara's website, k-a-r-a-r-h-u-n-t dot com and check out her Habakkuk series. She has Pretty soon Lydia's going to be out. It might not be out yet, but I'm pretty sure you can pre-order it. So look into that. Lydia is fantastic. So it starts with paper dolls and she introduces all seven of them. When it is kite or paper dolls kite, then it is paper dolls Priscilla, and then paper dolls Lydia. And, trust me, you will absolutely be blessed if you pick up her series and read it.

Speaker 2: 38:35

You can head over to my website also. I have fiction and nonfiction books that you can check out over there, sherry Pwellwell dot com, c-h-e-r-i-s-w-a-l-w-e-l-l dot com. And, more importantly, I have a membership, and the membership is to help you grow closer to God. It's to build your relationship with Him personally, in your own way and in your own pace, and it's really the heart of who I am. I want nothing more, and I know Kara feels the same way. We want nothing more than to introduce you to our Heavenly Father and to help you find ways to grow your relationship with Him personally. It's a personal relationship, and the closer that you get to Him, just the more joy he fills you with. It doesn't mean that life is perfect by any means, but it means that he is right there with you as you're facing the different trials and tribulations that you're going through. So check out that. It's called Jesus in the Everyday.

Speaker 2: 39:37

It's on my website. It's $9.95 a month, and the reason I do that is because I think that it's really good to invest in your own spiritual growth. If it doesn't cost anything and if it's easy to get, then sometimes we devalue it, we think that it's not important enough. But if you pay a little bit, then you're investing in something, and there's nothing better than to invest in your own spiritual growth, in your own spiritual journey. So that's why I do it the way that I do it. So come back. Next week we are going to wrap up the screw tape letters. I cannot believe that we're almost done with them already and it has just been a delight it always is and I'm looking forward to next week too. So have a great week and we will talk to you next week.