She Wrote It Anyway: A New Christian Author on Healing & Bold Faith

Stacey C: Welcome to another episode of U Grow Girl podcast. I'm your host, Stacey C. I hope that you all enjoyed the last episode about men's skincare. Now, you know, there are moments in life where God places something heavy on your heart that you have no choice but to do something with it. Today's guests took that weight, that pain, that process, and turned it into something that is going to minister to women for years to come. My guest today is no stranger to the U Girl Girl podcast. She was on the episode in season two called Healing from Hurt, a Journey from Growth. This time, I re-invited Pastor Jacobs back as a new author. I am so honored to introduce Lisa Jacobs, a new author and woman of faith who just released her devotional, Not Easily Broken, a 30-day Journey to Healing and Restoration from Trauma. This devotional was born out of real reasons of struggle, healing and radical trust in God. And it was written specifically for women who are in the middle of their own. We are gonna talk about her journey to becoming an author, dig into some of the content from the book and hear her heart behind every page. Whether you're just beginning to heal somewhere in the middle or helping someone else through, I truly believe this conversation is going to meet you where you are. Please welcome my auntie and new author Pastor Lisa Jacobs back to the show. I am so glad to have you here. Welcome, auntie.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Thank you, thank you niece, thank you Stacey for having me back and trusting me to come and talk to your audience on today. It is an honor to be here in this space with you. It is.

Stacey C: you for coming and I'm excited and very, very happy to have you here as well. So ⁓ we get into the book itself, I want to start from the very beginning because every great work starts with a story. I want to know what led you here, what did God place on your heart and what it took for you to say yes to this calling. So let's start with your journey. How long did it take for you to complete this project?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes, ma'am. Wow. So that's a great question. And thank you so much for asking that. How long did it take for me to complete the book? Stacey, been a lifelong journey. I've always been a person that journal. I have many journals, I have so many tablets, and I always used to tell people, if you ever want to know ⁓ what's going in my life or what I'm thinking or... You know just you know my next steps to pick up one of my journals I just happen to have one Just right here. Just you know, so I'm always writing something and it doesn't have to be a journal It can be just a piece of paper and now with my phone I write notes to myself in my phone and so I I took ⁓ of those notes I took all pieces from the journals, pieces from the workshops that I've hosted throughout the years. And I compiled them into a devotional that helped me on my healing journey that I knew would help other women also. It's been lifelong journey for me.

Stacey C: Was there a personal experience or a season of pain that led you to put this message on paper?

Lisa D. Jacobs: It was, it was. So, and I speak about that the book. I about the pivotal moment in the community, call it spiritual markers. just, it was for me I that I... I put the page together, but I did. That it was the moment that I knew needed to ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ paper so that ⁓ could write this book ⁓ for myself. To put it on paper for myself. And then I met someone. And she said, no, no, no, no, no, no, you need to print this. This needs to go to print because there are other women that are navigating life's challenges that need to walk in their purpose ⁓ how to navigate their trauma.

Stacey C: great. Have you always dreamed of being an author or did this call in surprise you?

Lisa D. Jacobs: And you know, as you know, I've always been a reader. I've always been a reader. ⁓ ⁓ me to places that I only dreamed about. Some of our best conversations have been about books. Have we've always delved into two different books. From books our culture. to books that were mainstream books, you know, that are happening now. books have been my lifeline. And so there was always a spark that. I if I could write something. And if I did, would people read it? Would people be as excited about my book as you and I have been excited about books throughout our journey together as aunt and niece? And so, yes, it was always in the back of my mind that I knew I had something to say in the written world. But I just didn't know how to do it. I didn't know if people would read it. I didn't know if it would, know, something about not easily broken, a journey to healing and restoration from trauma. That's heavy work. So I just didn't know. But it was always the spark was there to write. To write, yes.

Stacey C: Wow. So that leads me to my next question. did you hesitate to write this book out of or being vulnerable, or transparent?

Lisa D. Jacobs: All of them. There was fear. There was, you know, being vulnerable and then being transparent. When you're writing a book about trauma and healing that involves other people, you have to be sensitive to not telling other people's story because they may not be ready to share their story. And so I had to make sure that I told my story from a first person, so, and what I did. I was sensitive to other people who were, who witnessed things without involving them in my ⁓ book, it was positive.

Stacey C: Okay. At what point in your healing, your own healing did you feel you were called to share your story?

Lisa D. Jacobs: May I read an excerpt from my book, Stacey? And this will answer that. And this

Stacey C: Sure, absolutely.

Lisa D. Jacobs: This is part three of my book. And it's the beginning of my story, but it's part three. I wrote these words. I walked through a season that felt unbearable. Health struggles weakened my body. Painful family revelations shattered my heart. And my beloved sister, the rock of my family, was facing cancer. Darkness pressed ⁓ from every side. and I could not see light. Grief, betrayal, and trauma threatened to consume me. I was breaking, yet within a fierce spark of hope refused to be extinguished. whispered, this is not the end of your story. One day during a church service, my former leader, Pastor Valerie Tripp Frazier, spoke words to me that cut through the shadow of my despair. And she said, Sister Lisa, the Holy Spirit told me to tell you that you will triumph your trauma. Those words were more than encouragement. They were a prophetic release of freedom that changed the trajectory of my life. In that instant, chains were shattered and my breath returned. My heart, fractured, began to win. Mend, I And I worshiped at that altar. I cried out to God to heal everything that was broken within me. And in that sacred moment, I felt something that I had not felt in years. And that was the peace of God. And it was peace that defined understanding. Stacey, I remember lifting my voice in praise for the healing that had already began taking place in me. And at ⁓ ⁓ vowed to dedicate my life to helping ⁓ women discover that they too could triumph ⁓ every trauma. And I'm here today as living proof that when you surrender to God, that he will do exceedingly ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ that you can ask or think. The enemy tried to destroy me. He tried to silence me. He tried to shame me, but through God. I was able to triumph my trauma. And in that ⁓ was where my ⁓ was birthed, especially my healing ministry where it was birthed. It's where I got my strength back. It's I found my identity ⁓ in And this is where I began to walk out the calling on my life. It was in that moment, in that sacred moment.

Stacey C: Wow, thank you for sharing that.

Lisa D. Jacobs: You're welcome. You're welcome. Let me share this one thing also. At my book launch, ⁓ invited that pastor to come to my book launch and she had never heard me share that, what she did for me. And I remember, ⁓ this just a couple of weeks ago, and I asked her, ⁓ she's an apostle now. ⁓ I apostle Valerie, Do you remember that moment? And she said, yes, I remember that moment. And we both began to embrace and we both began to just weep in each other's arms because she wasn't aware of the ⁓ her words had ⁓ me. The power of words, Stacey, the power of words.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. That is not true.

Lisa D. Jacobs: You and I know that. The power of the written word and the power of the spoken word. Yes, ma'am. Thank you for allowing me to read it.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm, yeah. no problem. You like you said, ⁓ you know what your words or your actions and how that impacts someone else because just like people always say, you never know what someone's going through. you know, may or may not have known exactly what you were going through and how her words truly impacted you ⁓ and helped you know, set you on that trajectory of your ministry.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes, yes, and freedom, just to be able to be able to live. Yes, yes.

Stacey C: Right. Yes. Yes. How did you choose the topics you wrote about?

Lisa D. Jacobs: chose topics that were... that me. So I figured if it helped me, it will help someone else. ⁓ Stacey, I've been a life coach for about 17, 18 years. And I've coaching women, you know, for a long time. And these are some of the topics that in my coaching business that I you know, just spoke with women about throughout the years. And so I knew that a lot of women would go through grief and loss. And I know now that grief is just not about death. You can grieve the loss of you put it in. So I knew that grief was you grieve the loss of a relationship. You grieve the loss of a home, a beloved home.

Stacey C: Right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: that you lost to a fire or to a flood. So, and I knew that secrets, that a lot of people, that they inside because they're carrying someone else's secrets. So these were topics that I had coached women through. And I knew that if they show up over and over again, I knew that They were important in our, you know, as women and that other women in the broader audience would benefit also.

Stacey C: Right. That is so true. And you can grieve a lot of different things. you said, suggested, know, jobs, barrage, a lot of different things. It's not just, you know, the death of losing someone. That is so true.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes. Right. Right. Right.

Stacey C: Okay, so I had the privilege of spending some time with your devotional and I have it here. And I have to say that there were moments where I had to put it down and just sit with what I read. I do not want give too much away because I want people listening to be able to experience it for themselves. But I do have some questions from specific days that really stood out to me. So I want to get into that content. And I also taken it from specific days and ⁓ three different parts in the book, in the devotional. ⁓ it's a couple ⁓ from each part. But we get into that, what is the core message you want every woman to receive from this devotional?

Lisa D. Jacobs: that healing is possible, that we don't have to wait the believer, that we don't have to wait until we ⁓ in heaven to get our glorified bodies to be healed, that healing is possible and that you hear the saying, Stacey, that hurt people hurt people. You've heard that all your life, right? ⁓ as a believer, hurt,

Stacey C: Absolutely.

Lisa D. Jacobs: believers have a responsibility to heal. We have a responsibility to ourselves, to our children to heal and that healing possible. ⁓ sometimes that healing begins with one word, ⁓ Stop. I'm not going to allow this to happen again. And ⁓ that instant, your healing begins because you've taken back your power to simply say ⁓ And you know, I love boundaries. I love creating boundaries boundaries are for us so we can have safe passage ⁓ to other side. ⁓ And just creating boundaries, you can change the whole ⁓ dynamics your family.

Stacey C: Yes, you can. Yes. Yes!

Lisa D. Jacobs: You can heal. You got to do the work as Iyanla used to say, but you can heal.

Stacey C: Yes. So who is your target audience? I know you said you mentioned women, but could men as well read this devotional?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Absolutely, absolutely. And though I had, I have men who buy the book and then they will wink at me and say, it's for my grandma. And they will wink. I'll be like, okay, okay. And then I'll say, who do want me to inscribe it to? And they'll say, John. Okay. So men, this really is universal. It's universal. It is the principles are for anyone who has experienced any type of hurt, grief, trauma. You've experienced anything. If life has thrown you a lemon, this book is for you. If you're struggling in any area, this book is for you. It's for you. Yes, ma'am. ⁓

Stacey C: great. Yes, because trauma doesn't, it's not selective. It doesn't say, I'm just gonna get the women and not the men. So everyone experiences trauma in some form or way. How do you address women who may be in different stages of their trauma? Like some just beginning and some further along.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It's not gender specific, is it? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Well, I meet them where they are. So I am training to be a community mental health caregiver. And that is ⁓ program where lay people will know how to just talk to people who may be experiencing some ⁓ mental health or illness in our congregations or in our ⁓ families. or in our coaching practices. And so as a community health liaison, we meet the people exactly where they are. We meet them where they are. So with women who are just beginning their journey of healing, you don't push them. You don't push them. You need to do this, you need to do this, you need to do that, you need to do that. I let them tell me. where they are, where they would like to be. And I hold their hand. I do a lot of hand ⁓ holding. And I'm a hugger by nature. You know that I'm a hugger by nature. I am a nurturer, but you know, I am a ⁓ mother by, you know, I was born to mother. I know that about me now. I was born to mother. I really was. This is...

Stacey C: right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: This is something that God has uniquely placed in me that I was born to mother. I only have one birth child, but I have these daughters and these sons. I have sons other than Christopher. So I was born to that. So sometimes people just need a mother hug. And I just, give that to them. Sometimes they just need.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: to to hold my hand. And do that ⁓ So whatever it is they need in the beginning, is what ⁓ I try to for them.

Stacey C: Wow, I can say ⁓ that I'm that makes them feel safe, safe enough to be vulnerable with you, ⁓ to express things that they're going through as well, because you're not trying to trigger them or overwhelm them with, like you said, you need to do this, you need to do that, you just meeting them where they are.

Lisa D. Jacobs: I do, I meet them where they are. just, yes, meet them where they are. Whether it is ⁓ in, you the crack house, whether it is ⁓ in the, gentlemen's club, ⁓ you know where go in the work that I do, whether it's in the church house, wherever God sends me, I go. with no judgment, but with love. Because the Bible says with love and kindness will we draw all men unto Him. And so that is what I do. Now I'm I'm tough, but it's done in love. But it's not the first time that I'm telling you, you need to get off of that. No, no, no.

Stacey C: Right. Tough love. And like they say, ⁓ God will meet you where you are too. So he's sending you. Okay, let's get into some days in the book. So ⁓ of the first days that stood out to me was day five, and it talks about silence. So in silence, when you experience silence, are you often led to scripture? And if so, what has been some scriptures that have led to peace for you?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. I learning that ⁓ is speaking. Silence is learning when to use and lend my voice. Okay, that's that's that's key. Um, but Psalm 46 and 10 where it says be still and know that I am God in the stillness. I am silently listening to him. And the moment he says Lisa speak. is the moment I begin to speak. But that's one of my go-to scriptures when I am seeking something. Because we have to discover God's voice in the quiet ⁓ the stillness. We live in a noisy world. There's something beeping all the time. ⁓ is, I was watching a TikTok video ⁓ ⁓ manager and I, we giggle about this. ⁓ Because have gotten a little hook on them little tick-tock videos that y'all be sending me now So and I enjoy them I enjoy them so there's this one with this lady is calling in For work her friend notes for herself and she's at the microwave hitting the button and she's pretending she's in the hospital and so there's noises ⁓ all the so It's hard to get silent. It's hard. you agree, Stacey, that we have to be intentional about finding silence and ⁓

Stacey C: Yes,

Lisa D. Jacobs: that's the outside silence.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: but the inside silence. is harder to shut off. So that be still and know that I am God. That stillness is when I have to be intentional and say, am giving this 30 minutes to God and ⁓ am going to train myself to cut off the noise in my mind so that I can hear. God. is hard because you start thinking did I turn the stove off? For those that steal iron, is the iron turned? Be still. Be still, yes.

Stacey C: Yes, that is so true. That is so true. Because when you said that, when you were being silent and things, you start thinking of other things. And I'm like, yes, I was just thinking that. ⁓ so yes, you have to train yourself.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes! Yes! Yes! You have to train yourself. And look, I write on day five, silence can feel uncomfortable, even with yourself. Because especially when you are recovering from trauma.

Stacey C: Hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It can feel uncomfortable because guess what? That's when those memories come back. Okay. So we stay busy so we can shut out the memories, but it is often where God speaks most clearly in silence. Listen to this. Your heart hears.

Stacey C: right?

Lisa D. Jacobs: his guidance and receives his peace. Quiet moments allow reflection, restoration and spiritual alignment. I'm just going to show you day five for me. This is my own book, but day five. Can you see all this? All my notes in this is my book, day five, because this silence and stillness

Stacey C: Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: is so important to our healing journey. It's so important to get silent and steel before God.

Stacey C: Yes it is.

Lisa D. Jacobs: that we can be in alignment with him.

Stacey C: Yes. want to move to the next one. It's day six, ⁓ rejection. And actually want to ask, did you answer the question in your book about how rejection has shaped your perception of yourself?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes. I'm going to try to answer that without getting too personal and without weeping. First, I want to say rejection hurts. Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow. Rejection can bring up. all the other rejections that you've ever experienced. Rejections can wound ⁓ deeply. But here's the thing that ⁓ came to understand about how has shaped my perception of myself. The times that I experienced rejection, ⁓ once I over the initial sting ⁓ of it, the initial hurt of it, the initial bitterness of it. There was a song that said, I can see clearly now. I took a step back from the rejection ⁓ I was able to see the big picture, I realized that it was for my good. Even it hurt, and even though sometimes the rejection ⁓ was of other people's issues and not mine, It was still for my good. So that rejection made me into the woman that I am now. It made me stronger. made me more purposeful. It me ⁓ sure my identity ⁓ in ⁓ It me, it just, ⁓

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It made me. into the version of Lisa that Jeremiah 29 said that I was going to be in the beginning. Rejection.

Stacey C: Right. Rejection is sometimes protection. And I can say personally for me that, you know, experiencing rejection, like you stated too, you do go through something, you start to think about all the other times you were rejected. But I know for me, especially being a mom to a young lady, a young adult, to have experienced the, you know, certain things in my life for, you know, experiencing rejection, when she goes through that, I'm able to help her.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It is.

Stacey C: to help her to acknowledge those feelings that they're real and you're allowed to have them. However, it's also a reason for that rejection. It could be protection, it could be not right yet, or this is no altogether. And that's okay too.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Mm-hmm. Yes. Exactly, exactly, exactly. And that is the way I look at it. Even at my age, that there are some places that I would love to be invited to. There are some places that I would love to go. And it's not the rejection of like, no, it doesn't look like that at my age anymore. Okay. It's just not getting the invitation. It's not that. and, and it is protection. It really is. It's protection. but how has it shaped my perception of myself? ⁓ It, ⁓ it, it just, it, rejection takes through the refiners fire and it purifies ⁓ what is in And as long as you don't wear that rejection as a banner, as long as you don't become the woman who was rejected all her life, as long as you, you know, I have some friends, they say, ⁓ I'm the woman with the issue of blood. Read the rest of the story, baby, she was healed. Bible says that she was healed, but you stay right there where she was the woman with the issue of blood. I want to be the woman that was healed from rejection, the one woman that was healed from abandonment, the woman that was healed from mother wounds, the woman that was, do you understand what I'm saying? And so don't wear the rejection your banner.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. Yes. Mm-hmm. Right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: This happened to me, but now I'm who God says I am. And he says in Psalms 139, that I am fearfully and wonderfully

Stacey C: Right. Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes.

Stacey C: So my next day that stuck out to me was day 11, making time for God. Now I know for me, the busyness became overwhelming when I didn't make time for God. So it talks about busyness. And I do wanna say this too, don't wanna give too much for me. I mean, of course you're the author for this, you're devotional, but.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Okay. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Stacey C: I just wanna give like a snippet of each day. So that's why I'm not trying to go too deep in there, cause I want people to read it. I want them to get the book and to read it for themselves. So I just wanna give them a sneak, that's a little snippet, a little sneak peek of it. So, Day 11 talks about making time for God and having the busyness of life. And I know, like I stated before, I know for me the busyness became overwhelming when I didn't make time for God. Did you ever experience that as well?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Okay. Right. Okay. Mm-hmm. one the things I write is life demands a lot from us, especially women, because our schedules fill up quickly, responsibilities pile up, notifications, I'm getting notifications now, and I know you are too. Never stop. And we often tell ourselves we're too busy to pray, but this is the thing.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: We're too busy not to pray. That is the key. And it's a trick of the enemy to make us think we are too busy to seek God. That we're too busy to seek him. That all of these other things are more important than seeking God. And our scripture is from Matthew 6 and 33. It says, seek. first And and those that are listening, ⁓ even in your physical bibles, that word first but seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness And then it's a comma and then it says the word and ⁓ these things will be added to you What are those things you want added to you after you seek first? the kingdom of god

Stacey C: Right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: What are those things you want added to you? But we all, and I understand there are seasons in life. you have really, really little ones, ⁓ ⁓ know, your day looks different for mine. Your busyness looks different for mine. But make time for the one who created you. Make time for the one who blew breath into your lungs.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Make one time for the one who decided to wake you up this morning. Clothed in your right mind with the use of your limbs.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Don't be too busy for God. We understand that life demands a whole lot from us. look, I'm one of those older people that I love technology. ⁓ love technology, okay? Because ⁓ have, I listen to a podcast every morning and it is a devotional. ⁓ I listen to that.

Stacey C: right. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: And of course I mine. ⁓ once I wake up and I say my prayers, I listen to this, ⁓ to devotional every morning. And it's because I can just grab my phone. I'm not even out of bed, but it's because of technology that I can do that.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: guess what I'm doing? Seeking first. I'm seeking first.

Stacey C: right. ⁓ I would say too that because you said you do every morning and I bet it makes your day go a lot better when you ⁓ then versus not seeking God. ⁓ Right. It does for as well. Cause I know my way to my professional job, I pray and it definitely makes my job ⁓ a lot better. And every night I...

Lisa D. Jacobs: It does. Mm-hmm. It does. It does. Yes. Left. Left. Left.

Stacey C: read scripture or I read the daily bread and things, know. So I can say, you know, making that time definitely, you know, makes my life and my day much better than not having that time and, you know, spending that time with God.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Unless... Exactly. And it's not a chore. I want to hasten to Him. I want to run to Him. He is my heavenly Father. And so I want to go to Him and tell Him how much I love Him, how much I need Him, that I'm thankful for Him. And so upon waking up,

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: You know, those are the things I do and upon going to sleep, those are the things that I do. And then throughout my day, I am, ⁓ you know, just giving thanks to him throughout my day also.

Stacey C: Right. And I just want to say too that day 11 is in part two and I have a couple more days in part two, but I think part two really stood out to me. And I just want to say too, I love the fact that you put your book in three different parts because it's like a transition. like you're going through certain things in part one and you're going through certain things in part two and then you're coming out in part three. So I really love that. Yeah.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Okay. Thank you. And part three, yes, yes, thank you, thank you. And that was intentional. That really was. And I'm glad that you guided. Part one was healing and restoration. And then part two was breaking free and becoming whole. We're talking about the things that you, the tools you can use to become whole, to become the person that God designed you to be. And then part three.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Stepping into your purpose. ⁓

Stacey C: Right. You I love it. So day 15 was another day, unanswered prayers. Denial is often preparation for something greater. Could that not, you know, when you have that not yet moment, is that also when God needs you to do something in that preparation period? Do you think that?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Mm-hmm. Woo! We live in an instant society. We have instant meals, instant popcorn, instant grits, instant oatmeal, instant everything. We have church services that are advertised with being instant, 30 minutes. not criticizing, just stating. But we need to learn how to wait on God. And we need to learn how to wait on God's timing. But there's a posture to waiting. We need to learn how to wait without murmuring complaining. And that's the key. Because I do believe when we wait and we're murmuring,

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: and complaining, we go back to the start line. We start over. And so the waiting begins again. understand what I'm saying? We need to learn. ⁓ when there are ⁓ prayer, ⁓ means they're just unanswered ⁓ now.

Stacey C: Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: that they're unanswered right now. still here. So it doesn't mean it's not going to come to pass, that it's not going to come to fruition. It doesn't mean you're too old for ⁓ Y, and Z. It just means he hasn't answered it right now because perhaps we need to get some things in order in our lives

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: before the manifestation of the answer of the prayer comes to fruition.

Stacey C: Yes, exactly.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Okay.

Stacey C: So, Day 16, imposter syndrome. Did you feel imposter syndrome while writing this book? And if so, did your own words help you? And did you have any like daily affirmations of God's truth about your value and purpose?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Bye! I like, I think we all have moments no one is gonna read this. It'll just be for me. Maybe my best friend, my niece Stacey, my best friend Renee, Pam, Darlene, like my inner circle, they'll buy it and they'll read it. So yes, felt inadequate in that area because it was the first time I had submitted some work to be published. And I have a great publisher who really works with me to make that I put out a quality product, which was important. So felt inadequate, you know, in this space. But I also knew who God called me to be. And I also knew who he equipped me to be and the he had equipped me to use ⁓ in season. And one of the things, this is one of my One of my favorite days also states they see because sometimes we do not embrace our God given word. Sometimes we hold on to what other people say we are. And I here and I know we're not going to give a lot away because we do want the people to buy the purchase the book. The scripture is 2 Timothy 1 is 7 for the spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love and self discipline. Imposter syndrome whispers lines about inadequacy and undeserved success. But God reminds us that his spirit empowers us to walk confidently in our gifts and calling. So this is what I our listeners and our readers to know. It's his spirit that empowers us to walk confidently in our gifts and our talent. It was him that gave it to us. It was him that empowered me to write these words.

Stacey C: Right. Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: So I have to feel inadequate. I don't have to feel undeserved because it was him that gave it to me.

Stacey C: Right. Right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It was him.

Stacey C: And that's how you overcome it. Okay. I want to get into part three. Day 27, bold faith. you ⁓ a time your life when you had to take a step in bold faith?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Wow. Yeah. I am working on a sermon and called My Faith Feet right now. So it's in the beginning stages because we all, in this time, dispensation time that we're living in, we have to have ⁓ bold faith. ⁓ and we have to step out without fear. We have to step out without hesitation. that comes with trusting who God says you are trusting that ⁓ ⁓ who he says he is and knowing without a doubt that he has called you to be the mouthpiece for him. in that situation. There have been times in my life where I have had to confront situations personally and be bold and just be bold. And then there have been times in my ministry, before I was a pastor or an elder ⁓ I had to be bold and confront some things. There's something in Bible college that we call untwisting truth, where people will take scripture and then they would twist it for their benefit. And this is not error of doctrine or you misspoke, but this is a deliberate act to control you or to control the congregation. ⁓ there was a time where I had to confront that because I saw the spirit behind the scripture being misused to control the people. And it takes boldness to do that. And especially as a older woman, because they expect us to be silent and they expect us to be timid. ⁓ faith has to have feet. This boldness, this boldness, it has to have feet. What does that mean? It has to be able to go and speak and do what God has told us to do. Old faith, all of us need it. You have to step out without fear and without hesitation.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. like that. And I was thinking, ⁓ know, with the feet to stand firm too, as well. But I like that, to step out. I like it. I can't wait to hear it. ⁓

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes. hmm. hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. You want to step out of that comfort zone. If you're going to be bold, if you're going to be bold even for your family, you got to step out. You got to take that one step out of your comfort zone.

Stacey C: Right. Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: You got to have that faith. got it. Your faith has got to have feet. I can't just be, it's important that I'm faithful in my home, right? But don't know if it's Terry, it's just the two of us. This faith has got to step out into the world and it takes courage to be bold. It takes courage to confront your bully.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm. right. Right. Yes, it does.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It takes courage to confront your abuser. It takes courage to confront injustice.

Stacey C: right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: and your faith has to have feet.

Stacey C: It does. Yes. OK, the last day that stuck out to me was day 29. Speaking your truth.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes. Okay.

Stacey C: you think ⁓ your truth could help someone else who may be afraid to speak their truth?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes, because Stacey, there comes a time in everyone's life when we know that staying in silence costs you too much and you have to speak your truth. And it's important that you speak your truth in love. But you have

Stacey C: Yes. Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: to speak your truth. by doing that, you give other people courage and you give other people's faith speak their truth and be ⁓ able break curses, to be ⁓ able ⁓ speak to their bloodline that we're not tolerating this anymore because we have called out that which is going on in our families, our homes, in our job, in our country. I'm muted. Speaking your truth. I'm muted and I'm reclaiming the voice God gave you. We don't have to be timid Christians or timid women.

Stacey C: Right. And that's true? No.

Lisa D. Jacobs: We don't have to be.

Stacey C: Okay, I wanna get into your writing process. So I think a lot of times when we see the finished product, the cover, the pages, the words, and we do not think about everything that went into it to get there. So writing is not easy, especially when you're writing from a place of personal pain and purpose. So I wanna pull back the curtain a little bit and talk about that actual process looked like for you. My question is,

Lisa D. Jacobs: Okay.

Stacey C: Is there a devotional or devotion in the book that was the hardest to write because it hit so close to home?

Lisa D. Jacobs: think the one that I read, was the ⁓ hardest write because it was so personal for I wrote enough so that people would get the message, but that's not all of the story. And all of the story was just too, it was too close to my heart. But that...

Stacey C: right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: was the, if you go back, that's not a devotional, that's the page for three. And it's called Stepping into Power and Purpose. So that was the hardest one to write. And it was probably, and I write longhand.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: I don't my stuff. Sometimes I do, but I prefer to write by longhand. And for those that don't know that, I write in cursive in a journal or notebook by longhand. So it was therapeutic to do that. yeah, that writing for section three, that section was the hardest for me. It was the hardest.

Stacey C: you face any challenges or writer's block while writing?

Lisa D. Jacobs: No, I didn't because some the writings in here are from the pandemic. Some are post pre pandemic. Some are from 2009. So I got all of these things together ⁓ and put them into this the ⁓ And as you say, it's a 30 day journey. I just got 30 days worth. But this was years of writing about different topics. Stacey, I don't know if you remember this, but during the pandemic, we would have Zooms and I would have different ladies to come on. And it just called triumph over your trauma.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: And I would have women to come on and just tell their stories. And then so it was some of the things that we discussed, you know, even during the pandemic. So I didn't have any writer's block writing this journal. Now my next book, I'm having a little bit of, it's a little block there.

Stacey C: you ⁓ Who poured into you during this process?

Lisa D. Jacobs: had several people to pour into during this process. And ⁓ one my Chris, Chris a reader also. And so I would just bounce things off of him. And he's such a believer in his mother's ability. Like, I mean, he just really just believes and affirms me. And so his first instinct is, mom, you can do it. Mom, you can do it. And then also you, Stacey, you've always been a believer me that I could do ⁓ things. You always affirm. that I can do. You would say, Auntie, you could do it. Auntie, can do this. Auntie, ⁓ I can see you doing this, Auntie. You always have done that. So it's like the young people in my life. ⁓ And then there is ⁓ lady, her name is And is a writer also. And Kimball, just watching her, And just, she just affirmed me also with how she navigated the writing world. But it's been so many other people, people who I don't know, different ⁓ authors from from Oprah's Book Club, and listening to them, ⁓ regular women, right, had a story to tell. and then just wrote. They just wrote. They just they just wrote the book. And then there's one more I want to mention. There is a lady named Joyce at my at she's a resident my job and just believes in me. is that person that she walks by and she puts her hand on your shoulder ⁓ and she just affirms believes ⁓ in.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: me and she tells me you are going to be on Good Morning America. She, you know, and I'm like, oh, Miss Joy, you know, you are, are, Miss Lisa, you are going to be on Good Morning America. You're going to be on Oprah. They are going to find your book and your book is going to be on there. So I'm appreciative of every voice that has spoken into my life.

Stacey C: wow. Shout out to Miss Joyce. ⁓ do you want your readers to take away after completing this devotional?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Yes. Yes! After they complete this devotional, Stacey, want them to give themselves a hug and to say, I completed perhaps the first step towards my healing. That healing is possible me. That healing is the children's I can be healed in the earth.

Stacey C: Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: That's it.

Stacey C: Is there a particular devotion in the book that is most personal to you?

Lisa D. Jacobs: think it is stepping into purpose and let's see. It was day four. Shame walking in God's unfailing grace.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: shame because we can carry from things that happened to us that wasn't our fault.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: And I want people to know that the whisper of shame that came to distort your identity and steal your confidence that God's grace covers every misstep.

Stacey C: message.

Lisa D. Jacobs: It covers it. It covers every failure and every moment. And you do not have to walk in shame.

Stacey C: right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: that you can be free and you can be free today.

Stacey C: Speaking of which, so what do you want your readers to feel closer to after reading it? Do you want them to feel closer to God, themselves, or both?

Lisa D. Jacobs: want them to find their identity, to know who they are, and always feel closer to God. That he is drawing you closer to him. He's drawing you closer to him. It is always about God. God first, God first, God first in all things, in all things. his ⁓ and then finding your true ⁓ finding who you are, finding your purpose.

Stacey C: Yes. in all things.

Lisa D. Jacobs: And then what better way to find your purpose than to ask the creator who created you? Who am I? Rick Warren in his famous book, The Purpose Driven Life, he asks that question. And by the end of his book, you have the answer. So after you read my book, if you're searching, read his book.

Stacey C: right.

Lisa D. Jacobs: But keep God first, keep God at the center of everything that you do.

Stacey C: Yes. You have to.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Mm-hmm, and he'll help you discover your identity. Mm-hmm.

Stacey C: Yes, he will. Yep. Okay, I want to get into the impact of your devotional in the community. So you wrote this book primarily for women. And I want to talk about the woman who is going to pick this up because I believe that this book like this does not change the reading. It has a ripple effect. ⁓ I think it starts with conversations. opens doors and it gives women permission to finally say out loud what they've been carrying in private.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Mm-hmm.

Stacey C: So I wanna talk about impact. What do you hope a woman feels after reading just the very first devotion?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Wow. that she feels the hope. that she feels that there's hope, that there's light at the end of her tunnel, that she says there are other women. who have gone through trauma and that which tried to break me, it didn't break them. Because sometimes the secrets, the secrets will make us think that we're the only ones that are going through, ever gone through something traumatic. So we keep it hidden. because of the shame of it. But I want the women who read these words to understand that there is hope.

Stacey C: Is there a specific type of trauma or pain this devotional speaks most directly to?

Lisa D. Jacobs: No. And when I was writing this, I was writing it from my own personal family trauma. But when I, as I ⁓ to women and I coach women, ⁓ realized that trauma is trauma. Trauma is trauma. ⁓ this book ⁓ to trauma. It speaks to trauma. It speaks to women who have endured storms. Who've endured storms. who've endured storms, who've endured trauma and refuse to surrender. If you picked up this book, you refuse to surrender. If you picked it up, if someone picked it up for you, you've, you've refused to surrender. You know that there is more, that there is hope and there is more. I hear the Delaware train. it. I love it. ⁓ But this is not a specific trauma. write in the introduction.

Stacey C: Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: that this is for every heartbreak, every hardship, every loss, and every disappointment. We have all experienced moments when we felt as though we were ⁓ our breaking But by the grace of God, we are still here. We're still standing, still becoming, because of Him. We're not easily broken, because of Him. And when we pick up this book, there's hope. We're saying, there's hope. There's hope.

Stacey C: Mm. Yes. Yes. you just answered my next question because I was going to ask you, I what do you hope this book opens conversations that women are too afraid to have?

Lisa D. Jacobs: There's hope. There's hope for you.

Stacey C: My next question is, how can women use this devotional? So what I mean is, would you suggest women use it solo, in a small group, both?

Lisa D. Jacobs: So I'm so glad you asked that question. So ⁓ ⁓ will be hosting a masterclass for the ⁓ book. It going to be a six week virtual masterclass ⁓ where we will be in deep. We will be using it like a Bible study. It is going to be powerful. This first cohort, we're going to keep it intentionally so that we get to know each other. We will be able to, we will sign a statement of trust that what is said in this room will stay in this room. And this one will be for women ⁓ only. There not be any roosters in the hen house for this one. The next one, I will open it up, you know, to ⁓ men also.

Stacey C: Mm-hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: but it will be a safe place for us to dive deep and to begin to tell our stories. Sometimes you need is for someone to listen to you tell your story. So we're going to talk about the hard things and we will encourage the women that you can do.

Stacey C: Yes.

Lisa D. Jacobs: hard things and healing is hard. Doing your healing work is hard work. Doing your alter work is hard work. the why questions that be hard. That can be hard, but it can be done. and healing is hard. Doing your healing work is hard work. Doing your alter work is hard work. Asking the questions that can be That can be hard, but it can be done.

Stacey C: Yes. Yes. Yes. That's so funny you brought that up because that was my next segment. Like, what's next? I always love to end with this I believe God never wastes a step of obedience. And I always want to say to my mama, you always tell me and I'm pretty sure my brothers ⁓ better to be obedient. finishing this book.

Lisa D. Jacobs: Okay.

Stacey C: is just one step into a much bigger journey. So I want to know what else is on the horizon for you and also give you a space to speak directly to someone who may be listening right now who feels called to write but has not started yet.

Lisa D. Jacobs: So what is on the horizon for me? I'm so excited that at this stage in my life, God, because of obedience, Charles Stanley says, he used to say, obey God and leave the consequences to him. My job and job is to obey God. Whatever he says in his holy word, we obey him and we leave the consequences to him. It may not make sense, okay? But we obey God and we just leave everything to God. It's hard for us because we have those where we want to see the end before the beginning. I learned to obey God. Obedience is better than sacrifice. So in this season, ⁓ because obedience, God has opened up some marvelous doors me. ⁓ I'll be speaking ⁓ about not easily broken. ⁓ And have another initiative called Wonder Woman Go ⁓ for women that have finished the book and have finished the coaching. ⁓ And that the question of what's next? Well, we want you to go. We want you to go out in the world We want your faith to have feet and we want you to go out and be who God has called you to be. So I am open and available for workshops and conferences and retreats and speaking engagements. So I'm excited about that. I'm also in the beginning stages of writing a new book and I just heard God whisper last year ⁓ gardens. So those that know me well know that I to garden, I like to plant. And this is something that I got from my father, that he had a big garden. And those that study scripture, he talks about a lot of agriculture. He talks about, in John 15, he's talking about grapes and pruning and agriculture. know, Jesus uses a lot of metaphors about, you know, gardens. There's the garden of Eden and the garden of Gethsemane. There's gardens. So he began to speak to me about the gardens and the four gardens that are mentioned in scripture and how those gardens,

Stacey C: Hmm?

Lisa D. Jacobs: parallel with our lives. So that the genesis of my next book. It's going to be about the four gardens. What are we planting in these gardens? What needs to be pruned? What needs to be uprooted? And what needs to have feed?

Stacey C: Hmm.

Lisa D. Jacobs: So I'm working on that also. And then as I said, my master class that is coming up in June. ⁓ think that's it. I think that is I'm excited about life.

Stacey C: Right. Right. Where can people find and purchase your book?

Lisa D. Jacobs: I'm excited. So you can go to my website there is a link ⁓ my website that you can either order it directly from me and I will gladly just send you the book. I have some here. Or you can go on Amazon and order ⁓ the It's not broken and it's Lisa D. Jacobs. Or you can go to my website and contact me ⁓ will order the book. Or you can reach out to me on social media and ⁓ just me want a book and I'll put it in the mail today. ⁓ I will, I ⁓

Stacey C: You Thank you. I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being obedient. Thank you for being vulnerable. And thank you for trusting that your story was worth telling because it absolutely is. To everyone listening, this conversation stirred something in you, that is a coincidence. Maybe you need this devotional. Maybe you need to give it to a woman in your life who is walking through something hard right now. Either way, do not let this moment pass you by.

Lisa D. Jacobs: them.

Stacey C: Not Easily Broken, A 30 Day Journey to Healing and Restoration from Trauma available on Amazon ⁓ ⁓ aunt's ⁓ website, which I'll have in the notes. And we will make sure all the information is linked below so you can grab your copy today. And auntie, for anyone who wants to follow your journey, stay connected with your ministry or hear more from you. Where can they find you?

Lisa D. Jacobs: Thank you for asking. So on Instagram, it is the PlatinumLife63, I think. That's on Instagram. And then on Facebook, it is just Lisa D. Jacobs. Lisa D. Jacobs. ⁓ yeah, so I'm just trying to figure out this Instagram thing. I'm not on, X, I'm not on that yet. But Instagram and Facebook, hit me up as the young people say, and you'll see. motivation, you will see daily motivation. Sometimes you'll see recipes. I love to cook. I love to do all that stuff. yes, but mostly you'll see things you'll see, you know, things about my book and, and speaking engagements.

Stacey C: Thank you. All right. Thank you so much for being here. This was truly a gift and to our listeners, thank you for showing up, for being open and for choosing to pour into yourself today. Do not forget to subscribe, share this episode with a woman who needs to hear it and leave us a review. It truly helps us to reach more people. Until next time, keep healing, keep believing, keep going. God is not done with your story.

Lisa D. Jacobs: You're welcome.

Stacey C: I'm your host, Stacey C., make time to see U grow, girl.