Art of Surrender: How to Manage the Emotional Highs and Lows of Creative Life w/ Melissa Vargas, Publicist

What do you do when life is standing between you and your creative dream? 

In this powerful interview, we sit down with Melissa Vargas, a multi-talented communicator, strategist, writer, and poet, who shares her inspiring journey of faith, resilience, and creative growth. 

Melissa is a repeat guest, who opens up about her recent move to Colombia, the loss of her father, and the unexpected twists in her career path. Through her candid reflections, we explore:

• How embracing our God-given identity can lead to fewer bumps in the road
• The power of honesty in our emotions and relationship with God
• Why pain isn't the teacher, but Jesus is the constant mentor through it all
• The importance of learning to lead ourselves before leading others

Key Takeaways:

• Trust God's timing and purpose, even when the path seems unclear
• Embrace both joy and sorrow as part of the creative journey
• Focus on your relationship with God rather than seeking specific outcomes
• Recognize your unique gifts and use them to serve others
• Build a supportive community to navigate the ups and downs of creative life

Melissa's story reminds us that our creative calling is not just about producing art, but about allowing God to work through us in unexpected ways. Whether you're facing a career transition, personal loss, or creative block, this conversation will inspire you to trust the process and keep moving forward.

Transcript

[00:00:00 - 00:00:40]
You do no one a favor, especially God, when you're not honest with your feelings. Like if Jesus had the confidence to weep over Lazarus dying. Like, let's just. Let's just think about that. Homeboy is gonna save the man. Like, he's gonna resurrect this man. Like, he knows what's coming, and yet he had the confidence and the trust to weep. You do no one favors. No one. Not yourself, not God, not the people assigned to your creativity and your gift and your purpose, not your family and I, those around you. You do no one favors when you deny or avoid your feelings.

[00:00:48 - 00:01:12]
Ladies and gentlemen, my friends, this has been one of the most long time coming encores you might ever hear or see. But it's worth it. If you can wait a year and a half for Game of Thrones and you can wait for the Star wars prequels, then you can wait for the encore of Melissa Vargas coming back on the show. But she has so much to share. Melissa, welcome back to the God and Gig Show. How are you?

[00:01:12 - 00:01:18]
I am so good. I am so happy to be back. And somebody wants to make a cameo, so let's see if we can make this happen.

[00:01:18 - 00:01:22]
Oh, my God. Wait, this is the first. Oh, my gosh. Look. Okay, He.

[00:01:22 - 00:01:24]
She. She. Her name is Samba.

[00:01:24 - 00:01:26]
Her name. Oh, my gosh.

[00:01:27 - 00:01:30]
She, she. Her name should be Shadow because she does not want to leave me alone.

[00:01:30 - 00:02:22]
Okay, yes. So. So we have our first three. She's going to be interviewed, too. Samba's going to explain how I can get around to Colombia and find all the nicest bones. Yes, yes, Very cool. But, yes, this is really. I. I've been actually pursuing this, as, you know, this interview to come back for a while, because seeing you, even though we were not able to stay connected directly throughout your transitions and things like that, I was following you like a hawk on social media. And so when I appreciate which, I saw the transit. So we're going to have to give everybody kind of like the rewind. They can go back to the original interview, but you know the drill, the 30 second elevator pitch. Just so people who are listening for the first time, who didn't hear our first interview, just give them a little bit of what you do and, you know, the one thing that you want them to remember about you, if they didn't catch anything else, that.

[00:02:22 - 00:02:53]
That last part was a little off guard. No. So things have happened. But I am an overall communicator, strategist, writer, poet, content creator. There's a lot of things creative artists, let's Go. Let's call it one thing. I was born in New York. I am now living in Colombia. As of March of 2024. God sent me. We can talk about that one thing that people. That I want people to know me by or remember me.

[00:02:53 - 00:03:02]
Yeah. Like when you know how you do the 30 second pitch. And then, you know, just people are like, okay, that, that, that, that. And then there's like, there's the one thing that. Oh, that's the lady.

[00:03:02 - 00:03:22]
That blank, that blank. One of the things that I'm really, really passionate about is about is artists accepting their artist identity and walking in boldness in what God has called them to do, trusting that God has their path designed specifically for them.

[00:03:23 - 00:03:35]
And this is why we need. Why we needed the encore, because you cannot be reminded about that enough. But, yes, you mentioned so many new things in four years, since we've been five years. Wow. Since we.

[00:03:35 - 00:03:39]
My life has changed. We are not. I'm not in the same continent. Let's start with that.

[00:03:39 - 00:04:33]
Exactly, exactly. Connection. Same connection, different continent. So seriously, I have to take you back to a little bit before that transition. We were talking back before in Covid and others. We were really going on, I believe the theme was. And it's so funny. That's fresh now. Even though it was four years ago, I really remember us talking so deeply about the artist and how you handle life's changes and ups and downs. I remember you talking about your original position at Univision and having to deal with all the back and forth with that. Now you got a whole, whole nother set of back and forth. But I guess the first question would be is how did your career move forward in that post Covid area? You know what I mean? The pandemic area. Because a lot of us made. We got hit, things went crazy, and then it was like, okay, back to life.

[00:04:33 - 00:04:35]
So what was your one day to the next?

[00:04:35 - 00:04:44]
Yeah, so what was your transition? You know, back to what some people might call normal as an artist. Like, did you find a new kind of groove after all that went out?

[00:04:44 - 00:06:28]
So, okay, let me try to summarize this as quickly as possible. So what was interesting was 2021 was still kind of co. Right. So. And I was still trying to be an entrepreneur and have an agency and build clients. And I remember by 2022, nothing was happening. And so there were a lot of interesting conversations with God because I didn't want a job. But by 2022, I was like, all right, let me get a job. I remember 2022. I actually no, let me, let me, let me rectify that. 2022 was still a year. I was looking for clients and I got some clients. And I remember by the end of 2022, I was like, I don't like working with clients, telling God, just complaining. And I was like, just because I'm like, I, I can't handle you. And, and I think one of the things I'm really going to say about this, and I want to put this out here first, if you jump out at any point, one of the most important things about understanding your identity, your God given identity, the, the, the, the way he fashioned you is that if you're willing to accept that, you're gonna have less bumps in the road and you're gonna find your groove way faster. The problem is we think we know better than God and, and let's just be clear. We don't like, just, just, just make peace with that realization and then walk from that, right? So he goes, okay, cool, you don't want clients, what do you want to do? I said, I want to create content. I want to write like I'm a writer. He goes, great, I never asked you to create an agency, so I'm glad we're on the same page now. And I'm like, listen, sir, I, I don't, I, we didn't need all that. Okay, you didn't need.

[00:06:28 - 00:06:35]
I love hearing people's prayer lives speak acted out like this because everybody has a different name for God and I.

[00:06:35 - 00:06:36]
Call them different things.

[00:06:36 - 00:06:39]
Sir. I love the sir. Like I love.

[00:06:39 - 00:08:58]
At that moment I needed a sir because what on earth. So then I was like, all right, cool. So then I ended up accepting a job in 2023, beginning of 2023. And I was there for seven months. And can I just say, the hurt people, hurt people in the workplace had not happened to me. So evidently, as in this job, because my boss was young, my was not a creative director. Being a creative director, she was thrusted into a position and she's 20 something and I'm 30 something and I'm being brought in under her to do other things that she does, knows nothing about. And when I say my anxiety was through the roof by the time I got fired, I cannot explain to you the, the best way I can explain it to you is this the friend that got me the job. I talked to her and I was like, ah, man, I just, like, I just wasn't feeling peace and I just kind of felt like the time is ending. But you know, if I lose this job, what Am I doing that kind of thing? And I remember the week after they fired me, she. She went to crew. We went to a small group, which I was a leader of, and she goes, mel, your expression changed, like you're at peace. And I was like, if she can see it, what was going on in my heart and in my mind and in my soul that I was not paying attention to. And so I'm not going to be responsible. So I'm not going to go where my mind was going to go. But I think that that was really important. And then after that, I got a friend who I got a couple of other clients, but then things weren't. Nothing was solidifying. And here's where I went to the identity thing before. As I'm losing my job and as I'm kind of getting clients, but finances are really getting tough. The underlining conversation that God is having with me, this is December, and in. Since September, God is like, I need you to drop your business and trust that I will provide. And as someone who had not learned to trust God at that level, and mind you, I live by myself. I have no roommates. My parents are in Colombia. Like, I'm by myself. And having had the upgrading that I had, I only knew how to provide for myself. I am someone who worked since the age of 16 because she had to.

[00:08:58 - 00:08:58]
Yeah.

[00:08:59 - 00:09:29]
So I was not prepared to say, okay, God, give me my daily bread. My system was all like, fire alarm. What is happening? We need money. We need to go. So I couldn't be at peace and trust them to provide. However, end of February comes of 2024, and my cousin calls me and she goes. I mean, she sends me a text and she goes, you know, sometimes God will close doors so that we'll walk through the one that he wants us to walk through.

[00:09:29 - 00:09:29]
Yeah.

[00:09:29 - 00:10:43]
And the conversation about moving to Colombia kept coming in since the pandemic, but I was always hesitant because I have a very strange relationship with my mom, with my family, because they're very Latino. They're very. In your business. You know, the day of the. The day of the funeral, they're like, oh, this is how you should dress all the time. You shouldn't wear jeans. I'm like, thank God I have a slow reaction time because I thought about it two days later, and I'm like, I'm in a funeral and you're telling me how to dress? Like this does not make sense. Yeah. And. And God is good in the way that he's teaching me to, like, just let things go. Just But I, I just always felt very, very alarmed by the way that they were. I'm like, I don't feel like having, going to the same city to just be in conflict with them. However, end of February, 2024 comes and I have 20 in my bank account and there's nothing coming. And I haven't paid rent and I haven't paid bills and I haven't paid anything. And that my cousin sends me a text message, one of my cousins on Tuesday. On Wednesday I get a call from my other cousin. He goes, things are not as bad here. You should come Thursday. Let me, let me give you the chronologies of how crazy God is.

[00:10:43 - 00:10:43]
Wow.

[00:10:43 - 00:12:27]
Because Wednesday, Wednesday night, we have what we call crew Catch Up. I used to go to VU in Miami. So we had what we call crew Catch up, which is in the middle of the season. We would gather all the crew leaders, all the small group leaders and just talk about what the season was like. And that night's theme is the garden. And what Pastor Adrian says is, we caught it. The garden. Because we believe people should get their flowers whether alive to smell them. I think it's the way the phrase goes. And I have been a leader for two years at this point. And that is the night that they give me and my co leader our flowers. The next day at 3pm I am deciding to leave my apartment, leave Miami, close everything up and move to Columbia. The way I sobbed that night was insane because of the timing. Because God was like, let me make sure that you know you're loved and that I'm sending you in love. I move to Columbia March 13th and here's where I'll end my chronology in April. I had been following an agency, a PR agency for months. We're talking about six months before they're from Miami. They had never had an opening, a job opening. April comes around and they have a first opening that they post on Social. And I, and I message them and I send them my, my resume, but they never see it in May, end of May, they post another opening. I messaged them again. They finally get my, my, my resume and my portfolio. That's Thursday of that week, Tuesday of the next week at 2:30, I'm having an interview with them. Wednesday at 6pm I'm getting an offer for my job. That's where I currently work right now.

[00:12:28 - 00:12:28]
Wow.

[00:12:29 - 00:12:41]
Why would God give me a job with a Miami agency the moment I moved to Columbia? And I, I would argue that it was obedience because there's nothing else. Nothing had changed in My resume.

[00:12:41 - 00:12:54]
Yeah, that's exactly what I was about to ask you. Was that step of faith again. I believe that God sometimes whispers and then sometimes God uses the storm. Right? Either way, he still speaks.

[00:12:54 - 00:12:59]
And it's still love. Let me just make sure that we know this. It is still love.

[00:12:59 - 00:14:22]
Exactly. It is not that God is punishing you by creating these situations that make you kind of realize, all right, it's time to listen. Israelites went through the plagues just like the Egyptians did, Right. They just weren't burned, they weren't, they weren't stung. But the same thing that covered everybody went over them. They had to prepare, they had to do all the things. And so they weren't protected. They were protected from the storm, but they weren't protected like from the actual existence of the storm. The Harry would go through it. So my question is when you get to that moment when you arrive in Colombia, when you say, okay God, I trusted you then. Now what? Were there any moments? Because every creator that's listening has. I had that moment twice. Leaving my job from my, my teaching position to go full time homeschool dad, you know, part time worship musician and then leaving my church back then from full time worship musician to part time whatever I thought it was going to be, right? So each time I'm like, okay, I'm obedient. And then there's that okay, God in between. Now what? So how did you experience those couple of weeks, days, hours after you follow God, you move, you make the move. So talk to anyone that's kind of like at that moment of where, you know, they might do the second guessing and like how to get through that second guessing or that moment of silence right before God moves.

[00:14:24 - 00:14:37]
I think the, the way I handled it, I was mad and I cried. Okay, let me just, let me just make sure that like cuz here's the thing, like you do no one a favor, especially God when you're not honest with your feelings.

[00:14:37 - 00:14:38]
Yes.

[00:14:38 - 00:15:56]
Like if Jesus had the confidence to weep over Lazarus dying. Like let's just, let's just think about that homeboy is going to save the man. Like he's going to resurrect this man. Like he knows what's coming and yet he had the confidence and the trust to weep. You do no one favors no one. Not yourself, not God, not the people assigned to your creativity and your gift and your purpose. Not your family night, those around you. You do no one favors when you deny or avoid your feelings. Feeling avoider. But I was mad, I was sad. I was confused. I was afraid. I really didn't want to come and be in that close proximity to my family. I love them, but I have had a really hard time accepting and loving who I am because it is so different from who they think I should be. And they're not Christians, they're not believers, so I can't have conversations, you know, even in these past two weeks. My mom was like, the next day, she was like, oh, let's talk about, you know, changing the. You know, the title of the apartment to your name. And I was like, I don't have the. The bandwidth for you. You guys handle it.

[00:15:56 - 00:16:01]
Let's make sure to let. So, because you mentioned the last two weeks, and I know now you've opened that door. I just feel you.

[00:16:01 - 00:16:02]
You want.

[00:16:03 - 00:16:14]
So, yeah, I guess we should let people know in the last two weeks. I mean, us having this interview is honestly, like, touching my heart because of the loss that you suffered. So, yeah. So, yeah.

[00:16:14 - 00:17:03]
My dad passed away two weeks ago. And it's not something that I'm avoiding. It's just for context. My dad and I had a bit of a strange relationship. So I. I'll tell you this much. Talk about that transition period. I remember asking God, I said, if you're gonna take me, I need you to tell me why you're not just taking me to keep me in Colombia. Like, that's not what you're doing. We're not going backwards. Like, let me just. Sir, I hope you understand. And I said. And I said, I need you to tell me. He goes, you're gonna go to say goodbye to your dad. Talk about a loving father that will prepare you. See, this is where it says, in the world, you will have troubles, but I have overcome the world. I'm paraphrasing. I'm butchering. I'm sorry.

[00:17:03 - 00:17:05]
No, you got them. But meaning is right there.

[00:17:05 - 00:18:21]
But. But, you know, I felt his love in saying, this is coming and it's inevitable. And what's interesting is here's. Here's where God is very intentional. I have a half sister on my dad's side. She's also Christian, but my dad is not. We are. We are first generations on both sides. I'm first generation on both sides. And when I called her to give her the news because my cousin called me, my. My dad's niece called me, I said, I want to call my sister, because I knew we would have a different conversation. When I called her, she goes, God had already told me I was not going to say goodbye to My dad. So. What a loving father to take both of us through the journey and prepare us for what was to come. Mind you, I got that March 2024. And I think that that gave me purpose. Like, that started to shift it for me, because it's. It meant I was on a mission. And it always felt like, you're going on a mission, you're going on a mission, you're going on a mission. This isn't God thrusting you into Colombia that say, it's just you're there to do some things. And I also. If you're not familiar, something that I would recommend as a incredible resource is called Soul Care. It's a book, but there's also small groups related to it, and it's a step, like, seven step healing process of the soul.

[00:18:21 - 00:18:22]
Okay.

[00:18:22 - 00:18:43]
One of the chapters is the families and, you know, generational curses, generational patterns. What are some things? And I remember I was very hesitant in that chapter because I'm like, if I call my aunt to ask her about, like, what we were, like, she's not gonna tell me. They're not. They don't think about, like, oh, you know, so. And so was unfaithful, and so that.

[00:18:43 - 00:18:46]
Like, they're not making those connections for you.

[00:18:46 - 00:19:05]
They're not making those connections. And they're also like. Like, when it comes to my grandparents, they're. They're very much like, on my mom's side, they're like, oh, they were perfect. You can't say anything about them. So we don't. We're not critical of people in a way to heal. They're just critical of their. The younglings, because they're like, we're adults. You should almost, like, not worship us.

[00:19:05 - 00:19:07]
But venerate us a little bit of a pedestal.

[00:19:07 - 00:19:45]
Yeah. Yeah. Because we're the adults. And so I also understood that God was like, well, you don't want to. You don't want to make the call. I'm gonna send you over there so you can get all the juicy details so you can heal. Like, I got to see. We're liars, we're selfish, we're prideful. The way we talk to each other, like, there's just all these little things. So that for me was like, okay, I'm going on a mission. And I remember the first therapist I ever talked to him about, because we think of mission as, like, what's my life's mission? She goes, you got to think of missions as, like, military assignments. You get a letter, you get a start date, you get an end Date. And that's it. Like, there is no. This isn't your life's work.

[00:19:46 - 00:19:46]
That's great.

[00:19:46 - 00:20:30]
This is an assignment. And so I said, cool. Columbia is an assignment. I can trust that I have a start date. I don't know my end date, but God does. So that really helped me. However, when I got here, I went into my mom's apartment for a month. And plus. And I was like, I couldn't pray. I couldn't. I was like, screaming off the top of my lungs. Inside, I was like, God, I need to go. It was super humid. There is no AC in there. The window barely, like, gives in air. I was. We were all going insane. But I just. I kind of said, I don't know what was the thing that's keeping me in peace. But I just was like, but I'm here. You got me. Like, yeah.

[00:20:31 - 00:21:13]
I mean, and it's not permanent. You said, number one. I love the, The, The. The. The picture of the assignment because to all of us especially, and what you're describing right now, I'm going like three different directions at the same time. What you're describing right now is what I'm starting more and more to call and borrow from other people who named it their portfolio Life. Because you have this portfolio of both experiences and expertise. You have the experiences of what you've gone through with God. You got the expertise of all the different things you do. And it's like, how does this portfolio equal, like a. A life that I can like, make something out of? And it's amazing. It's okay.

[00:21:14 - 00:21:15]
She just.

[00:21:15 - 00:21:17]
She's wanting to start our co host.

[00:21:17 - 00:21:26]
Exactly. But here's. And here's the other part that's even more important is that as artists, we tend to make our identity whatever it is that we do.

[00:21:26 - 00:21:26]
Yes.

[00:21:26 - 00:21:51]
And that is always going to change. And unless we make our identity that we are a child of God, provided with so many gifts that can be introduced and used and employed in different seasons, in different ways, in different forms. Forms. If we don't look at. If we don't have that outlook, we'll always be frustrated when life changes with our life changes.

[00:21:51 - 00:22:37]
And that's exactly what I feel. I can speak of. You can speak of. And I'm just hoping the listeners and the watchers really get this understanding that this is not, like you said before, it's not a punishment when things go what seemingly off the rails in your life, period. Because that's the thing. Other part of Portfolio that I really like is that it's not just one section of the book. Right. It's not just your photography. It's not just your music. It's not just your writing. It's like. It's the whole thing. And then just the bad parts or just the good parts. Same deal. He works together, all for our good. And so knowing that, that all is part of it, I'm just. I'd love to hear from you, but, yeah, I want you to go ahead, because that's. That's where I'm at. Like, I'm hearing, right? He put all these in the. In the cauldron.

[00:22:37 - 00:22:38]
Absolutely.

[00:22:38 - 00:22:38]
Yeah.

[00:22:38 - 00:22:43]
Think about it this way. If. If you. I don't know why, but this is the illustration I'm getting right now.

[00:22:43 - 00:22:44]
Sure.

[00:22:44 - 00:24:14]
Let's call it is the Holy Spirit illustration. If we think of our lives as a lighthouse, right? We need to be built, right? And we need the bricks, and we need the cement, and we need, you know, the. The paint and all the things, and that's what life should look like. And unless we allow all the different seasons to build all the different floors and all the different heights will never get to be a lighthouse. And we need to stop making life about us. And what happens to us. One of the things that I understood many years ago was if I am to have a message for others, then the things that happen to me are happening to me so that I have something to say to others. You think I'm the only one that has had a dad who lived with addiction for 40 years, who passed away? How many people are hopeless right now living through that? How many people are living with guilt for the. The daughters and sons that they weren't when those parents were alive? How many people wish they saved people? The biggest thing that I can learn from my dad passing away is that I am no one's savior and that I have to make peace with the fact that the Savior is Jesus. It's not me. I could have. I remember telling my sister, because she was like, I feel very guilty. I feel like I didn't call him enough. And I said, you. And I could have called him every day, could have talked to him about Jesus every day, could have prayed and fasted and pleaded with God for him, and he still would have been saved. And maybe we didn't have. We would have never had a different relationship, and he still would have just wanted money from us, which is what my dad wanted, because that's what addiction does. It changes you.

[00:24:14 - 00:24:15]
Yeah.

[00:24:15 - 00:24:37]
I'm not living this because I'm a victim. And God somehow Forsake, like, forsook me. Like, he. He's here with me, and he's given me the strength to live through this experience because I know that somebody else is going to need it. And as an artist, the things I go through are going to be. Are meant to be displayed through my art so others can be healed. But I need to take myself out of the center of my own life in order for that to happen.

[00:24:37 - 00:24:38]
Yeah. Yeah.

[00:24:38 - 00:24:41]
And as an artist, most of us don't do that.

[00:24:41 - 00:25:27]
Very true. We have that main character syndrome, I've heard it called, where everything does revolve around you. And I want you to speak to this because this is so touching. Number one, I love your bravery, and I so appreciate your bravery and your courage of saying this so clearly. Again, I know this is emotional labor. I have a whole blog post on emotional labor that artists go through. Everybody goes, every human being goes through, but especially those of us who have to kind of, like, wrestle with this and also have this other part of us. It's, like, expressive anyway. But now you have the expressive of what I want to say and the expressive of what I have to say, which is not fun. So what you're doing is the second one, which I so appreciate. But I want you to go to a little bit of what I was thinking of was how much in terms of the things that you're going through right now.

[00:25:27 - 00:25:28]
Yeah.

[00:25:30 - 00:26:13]
Seeing how you are able to do that emotional work and then talk to the person who. Maybe this is what I find out. People kind of think, like you said, put yourself in the center of it. They think the only way that God speaks is through them or to them is through pain. They feel like I have to suffer more. Right. And that's the problem, I feel, with, like you said, the main character thing, where it's like, oh, it's all about me. It's all about me. So if I'm going through it, it's because God has to teach me something or teach me a lesson or Even for artists, unfortunately, we see artists who literally drink themselves to death or literally go to the drugs because they're like, this is how I express out of my pain and my anguish.

[00:26:13 - 00:26:14]
Right.

[00:26:14 - 00:26:21]
You speak a little bit to that to make sure that we have the balance, because obviously the pain is part of it, but it shouldn't be. Like you said, your identity, I feel that's one of them.

[00:26:21 - 00:26:27]
It's not. It's not. Well, first of all, it's not your identity. And second of all, you know, joy is a Fruit of the Spirit.

[00:26:27 - 00:26:27]
Yes.

[00:26:27 - 00:30:31]
It's not pain, it's not suffering, it's joy. So if you are not finding joy in the midst of pain, then you are not like. Like, you're, You're. You're. You're a main character energy right now, because I remember it is night one of the funeral, and I'm going to dinner with my friends and I'm laughing, and I'm not laughing because I'm avoiding what's happening, mind you, I'm also not great at emotional processing. Welcome to New Divergence. But I'm laughing because that one, that's who my father is. And second, that's what my father taught me, right? So my dad was a very joyous, jolly person, my earthly father. And that's something that we would share. And I would make him laugh and he would be like, you're hilarious. And I know that that was. I think one of the things about my earthly father was he had this magnetic personality. Like, he just made everybody, like, everybody just gravitated towards him. And part of it was the joy. Part of it was the laughter. Part of it was he knew how to entertain and make people laugh. And in. In this very short process of four days, which was the time between him being in the hospital passing away, I think God was very quick to be like, hey, but. But you know that you're also your dad's daughter. And, like, there's things about you that are from him. And so one of the things that I could recognize was the joy. Pain is never a teacher. Like, I'm just going to make this. I'm going to make this controversial statement. Pain is never the teacher. Joy is never the teacher. God, Jesus, through it all, is always the great friend next to you, the great mentor in the middle of it all. We make pain, we make joy, we make happiness, we make love, we make all the feelings, the ones who speak to us. But Jesus is the one in the middle of everything. I am not happy because he did. He passed away and he left. I am just understanding that it is part of life. It was something to happen, and God in his love was preparing me for it. There were times. So the last time we spoke was May of last year, so that people understand. Part of what was my struggle was I didn't know how to handle him wanting to ask me for money and me not knowing what that money was for. And he tried to separate me and get me to stop talking to my sister. So I was like, these are things that are too. I'm very Black and white. And. And I'm learning that God is teaching me the grace of humanity. But I'm very. Like, my brain, the way I was, the way life taught me. I was very black and white. So for me, I was. Was like, God, I don't know how to handle this. And I remember asking God a few times. I'm like, I don't feel like calling my dad because I don't know how to handle this. But. But if you tell me, I will do it right. And it was almost me asking him, like, give me the strength to. To want to have a relationship with him and not give in to the black and white. But it just never happened. But I remember there were a few times where I. Where I felt like, one day I'm gonna get the call that my dad is either in the hospital, passed away. Like, one day I'm gonna get. And I just understood it. I understand now. And the way I see it, because it's. My perspective, is that God was in his love, preparing me to be strong for this. And so, because I feel like God was walking me through this because I don't feel alone in it. I'm able to have peace in it. And I think we are so focused on, am I in pain? Am I in love? Can I be happy in this? Like, we're looking to define our emotions and we're looking to define the moment, and we're missing the picture of it all, which is in the. In the midst of everything, Jesus is there. I'm going to give you an example that I think some videographers will love. I remember this because it. I love how God speaks to me. I just think it's hilarious. You know, there's a lot of talk about Peter and Peter walking on water.

[00:30:31 - 00:30:32]
Right? Right.

[00:30:32 - 00:30:48]
And a lot of preachers are like, oh, but he looked at the waves and he got worried, and so he started drowning. I hate that perspective. It pisses me off because I'm like, hello, welcome to life. Like. Like, what do you all do expect from Peter? Like, if Jesus web.

[00:30:48 - 00:30:49]
How would you do? How would you know?

[00:30:49 - 00:32:57]
Right. If Jesus wept, how do you expect Peter not to look at the waves? So God goes, okay, put that story in a set, in a TV set. And I said, okay, cool. It goes. It's a one camera shot, right? So the way I see it is the boat, Peter and Jesus, right? And the camera is right here. So he goes, okay, cool. Every preacher has. Because you have a one camera you can pan, which this is what it is, right? And then Zoom is in and out, right? Cool. So he goes, pan to Peter. And I said, okay, cool. Well, that's what everybody does. Great. Just one shot. Everybody's looking at Peter. They're not looking at the boat. They're not looking at Jesus, just at Peter and. Okay, cool. He looks at the waves and whatever. He goes, okay, pan to Jesus. What happened? And so he. What he was asking me to do is, what is Jesus doing? As Peter is worrying? And he goes, jesus never takes his eyes off of Peter. It doesn't matter what Peter is doing. Like, your worrying is not moving God's eyes off of you. His eyes are always on you regardless of how you worry. And he's not worried about you being worried. Like, that doesn't faze him. Like, God isn't here. Like, oh, here he goes again. Here she goes again. Did I not teach him? Like, no. Okay, cool. That was day one. And I was like, jesus never took his eyes off of me. That's great. And then he goes, okay, pan all the way back to the boat, right? So you don't see Peter, you don't see Jesus. You only see the boat. And he gave me this picture of the. The apostles being like, what did you hear? Look at Peter. He just walked on water. I would never do that. That's crazy. This man is insane. And it was this lesson of, like, it doesn't matter how many times you fall. You've already taken the stuff off the boat, which so many people are willing to do. But you need both perspectives at the same time. If I'm going to walk on water, which is what an artist does, it's. The impossible is we step into the unknown. We step into the new ground, right? We. We get to have the essence of Genesis 1. Like, the first thing that we know about Jesus is that he creates. I mean, God.

[00:32:57 - 00:33:00]
But. Yes, exactly, Absolutely. The beginning was a word.

[00:33:00 - 00:33:42]
Yeah, in the beginning was the word, but. But the first thing you hear him is create. And create through his speech, through his language, through words. The story is not, oh, he sat here with some clay and he just started building leaves. Like, that's not the story, but that's the first thing we do. But if we're gonna do that, need to have the perspective that God never takes his eyes off of us, no matter what we go through. So it's okay. Like, mind you, I'm going to say this. Feel the fear, feel the sadness, feel the happiness. Feel all the things with the understanding and the perspective that he never takes his eyes off of you. And that there's a whole group of people that are watching you step into the unknown and say, oh, I wish I could do that.

[00:33:42 - 00:33:43]
Yeah.

[00:33:43 - 00:33:49]
And if I think that that gives us a healthy perspective because it takes our eyes off of us.

[00:33:49 - 00:33:50]
Yes.

[00:33:50 - 00:34:27]
And it gives you. It gives us the fuel to keep going. But your emotion is not. We are not our emotions. Our emotions are meant to be a connecting path with God. There are times that we feel sadness as artists because of the environment around us. There are times that we feel sadness so that we can empathize and have compassion for others. There are times that we feel pain because the world is full of pain. But if you succumb to the emotion, thinking that that's who you are, how you are, and that's your fuel, that's when you give the enemy power 100%. Because then you've become a power, then you become a tool for him.

[00:34:27 - 00:34:27]
Yeah. Yeah.

[00:34:27 - 00:34:28]
And that's very quick.

[00:34:28 - 00:34:52]
Well, that's. I think that's where it's funny. We're talking about in. In a very roundabout way. Your father's addiction was clearly something that you had to deal with. But artists and us as people, period, we could become addicted to that same kind of. Whether it's control, wanting to have the control, wanting to control other people's opinions. Like you mentioned the people in the boat. Some of us look back at the boat. It could be social media, could be whatever we care about.

[00:34:52 - 00:34:53]
It could be food.

[00:34:53 - 00:35:20]
Right. It could be anything. Like, all these different things that are like coping mechanisms to. To not keep, like you said, Jesus having his eyes on us. But I love that analogy and seeing both sides of that, realizing that, number one, we as artists and creatives do have Jesus called us out. Right. So I'm going to continue your analogy because I love it so much. Jesus calling Peter out and saying, come. Peter being willing is like us putting that first demo tape out.

[00:35:20 - 00:35:20]
Right.

[00:35:20 - 00:36:30]
It's like us putting that first song or that first artistic piece and like, sending it in for the gallery. It's like, come. And you don't know what that first. Let's go to Peter again. We. We don't talk about Peter's first step. We know he sank, but he took the first step. If you take that first step and realize that you're not going to drown, how many steps would you take? And yes, we're all literally. My. My verse today, Melissa, as I was reading today, was in Psalm 37, where it says, it's talking about the righteous of forsaken. But then, right before the one he says, I've never seen the records forsaken. It says, though he falls, he will not be utterly cast down. God knows we are going to take the falls. And he still says, come. So I think. I love. What about your story is about stepping out in faith, going to Columbia, and not immediately having the angels appear. And the job is waiting for you to second the second you step off the plane. Right. I think that's what a lot of us get into. Like that. That worship of the. The blessing is we expect. Okay, I was obedient. Here we go versus Jericho. We walk around it seven times and we gotta wait.

[00:36:30 - 00:37:02]
But let me tell you the craziest part about my job so that you understand how. How good God is. So one of the things that I did as I was coming here, I said, okay, God, I'm. Now I'm here. Now I'm really dropping marketing, right? Like, I have been doing marketing, but I'm dropping it. I haven't. I was even going down the route of, like, maybe teaching Spanish and English, right? Because there's a lot of tourists here. Where I live. It's not Medellin. If people are looking for it, it's not Medellin. Medellin is expensive. I live in a small, very small version of Medine Co, which is right in the coffee region. So this is why. This is why. This is accompanying me right now.

[00:37:02 - 00:37:13]
Oh, wonderful. Okay, you're making me a little jealous because I have my Ethiopian coffee over here. We have our bean sent from all over the place. But. But clearly you get. You're getting the. The. Literally.

[00:37:13 - 00:37:22]
Yeah, seriously. And so I. So I was like, all right, maybe, maybe. And this is what I was looking at. And I was like, okay, cool. And I was like, okay, great.

[00:37:22 - 00:37:22]
The.

[00:37:22 - 00:39:04]
The best part is, is that I don't have to earn as much living here. I don't have to pay rent. There's, like, a bunch of, like, benefits. I was like, I don't have to worry about, like, making so much money. I'm like, okay, cool. When I get this job. This job is a publicist job, and it's a lot of writing. I'm a writer. And I was very nervous because in my past job, I had gotten so many red marks. Like, you know, the edits about my writing. Like, you need to do this, you need to do that. So I was really nervous. And the few, like, first few weeks, and then I started getting the hang of it, and then I get the first, like, this is great. This is great. We Love it, we love it, we love it. And my boss automatically was like, you know, you're such a great story storyteller. And I'm like, what is happening? Like, I'm getting validated in all the ways that I know I needed. And then we start getting strategy sessions and she's like, oh, you're really good. And then we're doing. I remember the first time she goes, I need you to do these key points for a client. So, like, kind of telling them kind of what to answer for, Q A and stuff like that. And the client's really happy. And then we go into a media training and she's like, you're doing great. You know? And then I'm like, how do I end up in a job that I love? My bosses are divine. They're heaven sent. Like, they're the nicest humans ever. And I'm getting to display what God has brought me through for the past 20 years in a. Like, you know, yesterday, yesterday we had a whole day with a client, and I'm the only one that's off site. And at the end of the day, they're like, just, thank you. Like, you just brought it home. And, like, for bringing it. And I was like, I'm. I. I'm out of words. Like, I'm. I don't know how to thank God enough.

[00:39:04 - 00:39:06]
The writer. The writer is at a loss for words.

[00:39:06 - 00:40:22]
I love it, seriously, because I'm just like, it just. It baffles me that it's this good because of all the things that I've been through before, but had I not been through that and accepted the leaving, the marketing and accepted. And because it was also a conversation sometimes with God, like, you're a writer. Just live that out. Enjoy it, accept it, embrace it, celebrate it. And for it to be celebrated in a workplace place which I feel like had not happened before, feels baffling for me. But it. It needed. There needed to be a surrendered, a surrender of, like, I don't know what's best for me, and a surrender of honesty, of God, this is who I want to be. This is what I want to do. And I told them, I said, if you're sending me to Columbia, like, we're focusing on writing. He goes, that's exactly what I want you to do. So for it to be my job and for me to be compensated and for. For it to be validated and seen and appreciated, there. There was a lot of ego and the old Millie that needed to die in order for that to happen. And so the Reality is that the dream is on the other side of us dying ourselves, in a way.

[00:40:22 - 00:40:23]
Yeah.

[00:40:23 - 00:40:52]
And learn that it's okay that it doesn't make sense for the world. We were not created to make sense to the world because we cannot influence what we're a part of. And I'm saying this to myself because I hate the word pioneer and I hate it. I hear it in my life quite a few times, and I just heard it recently. But we cannot fit in and influence. And if you look at Bernie Brown, fitting in and belonging are two very different.

[00:40:52 - 00:40:56]
Oh, no. I had this. Literally just read Darren greatly. You're right on it. Yeah.

[00:40:56 - 00:40:59]
And. And so it's. It's square peg, round hole.

[00:40:59 - 00:41:00]
Yeah.

[00:41:00 - 00:41:08]
But we still fit in the box, right? So. Because we're not trying to. I mean, we're still part of the box. We're still one of the. One of the pieces.

[00:41:08 - 00:41:19]
If you make yourself. Here's the interesting thing. The only way. And this is why we. We. We. Because we go these things. The only way a square peg fits in a round hole is if you shrink it.

[00:41:19 - 00:41:33]
Right? And so a lot of us are shrinking to what's normal. To make sense, making art for. For it to fit. Like, here's something that God told me in the beginning of this year.

[00:41:33 - 00:41:33]
Okay.

[00:41:33 - 00:42:06]
Because for people to like, so people understand. I'm very half and half. Like, I'm strategist and creative. You would think that's great, because, you know, you got everything that you need. No, because you sabotage yourself a lot. And I remember at the beginning, and I. I. One of the struggles that I have, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna write. Do I have a substack? Do I create my website? Do I write on medium? Like, where do I go? And I'm like, and here's. Here's something that I was. So another big, big, big update is I'm doing bssm, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry.

[00:42:06 - 00:42:06]
Okay.

[00:42:07 - 00:42:11]
You. If you're. You're not ready, like, people are ready.

[00:42:11 - 00:42:23]
We have. We have so many. One of my dear. Well, two or three of my. Our dearest friends from our. From our church either graduated from there or. Or currently going. And so for people that love it, right.

[00:42:23 - 00:42:52]
For people that don't know it, it's a school to take you. Take your eyes off of earth and into heaven. That's the best way I can put it. It is literally looking at God and the relationship with God and who he is as a father and. And everything else in a completely different way. So. But I was like, okay, I'm gonna write. But then, you know what? I'm. Why are they bringing that up? Oh, what am I doing? Right? Like, I want to write, but. But, like, where am I?

[00:42:52 - 00:42:54]
Was it actually. Yeah. Was the actual, like, practical?

[00:42:55 - 00:43:12]
Right. And then this week I remember hearing, like, we start the relationship off with God, tell me what to do. Right. And that's kind of like the obedience part of our starting off, but then it goes into relationship. And then your conversation should go from tell me what to do to, like, the heart behind what you're asking me to do.

[00:43:12 - 00:43:13]
Right. Okay.

[00:43:13 - 00:43:19]
Because at the end of the day, does it really matter if I have a blog or put it on substack? God's gonna do what God's gonna do.

[00:43:19 - 00:43:20]
Yes, yes.

[00:43:20 - 00:43:31]
But then the strategist is fighting for the strategy, and the daughter needs to start taking hold of the strategies and saying, like, hey, we're just gonna obey. And that's where I'm at.

[00:43:31 - 00:43:33]
Sounds like a mind to heart thing. Like, the heart.

[00:43:33 - 00:43:34]
Absolutely.

[00:43:34 - 00:43:38]
God is speaking to the heart. Your mind is like, I have to have it in this particular package.

[00:43:38 - 00:44:38]
And God's like, no. And also. And also it. Let's just be honest, it's an immaturity in my relationship with God. Because the reality is, is if I trust them, like, okay, let me go here. Matthew 11:28 30 is my favorite verse in the message. But in the message, one of the things that he clearly says is, walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. When I read that, God was like, I'm also a strategist. Did you know? So can you trust that when I ask you to do something, I have a strategy. And I don't have to tell you, you can just trust me. Because faith is the way I see faith. And I've been seeing it for a while this way. It's almost like a thick mist. And so all God is going to show you is step one. Can you obey me to take step one so that I can clear step two? I'm not going to clear the first five, because if you clear the first five, you're going to get to see six to ten and you're going to see the tomochos craziness that's coming. You're not going to take step one?

[00:44:38 - 00:44:39]
Yeah. Yeah.

[00:44:39 - 00:45:28]
Not going to take step one. I'm just going to show you step one. Can you trust me? Can you trust my goodness? Can you trust my love? Can you trust that I got you? And even if you fall, I can I can heal you. I can cure you. I can support you. Like, I got you. So at the beginning of the year, I was like, God, what do I do? And he goes, would you still obey me in writing if no one ever read it? And it was only for me. I was like, the strategist is not happy just letting you know that. And so. But it was this feeling of, like, I. I want you to put it out there. I just don't want you to worry about where people are going to find it, because. Because I can take them there. Like, you know, seed.

[00:45:28 - 00:45:34]
And he's. He's the Lord of the harvest. Like, the seed is writing, and you just keep sowing. Keep sowing, keep sewing.

[00:45:34 - 00:45:34]
Right.

[00:45:34 - 00:45:36]
And let. Let God take care of it.

[00:45:36 - 00:45:59]
Exactly. And so for me, mind you, this was, like, January 4th. So it was right before my dad went into the hospital. So I'm kind of, like, trying to come back to all the things God and I had spoken about, like, that first week to, like, act up. So, yeah. So, you know, the substack is coming, the podcast is coming. It's all coming in, like, the next week. But by the time this is out, this might, like, my stuff might be.

[00:45:59 - 00:46:30]
Yes. Well, no, don't worry. We'll have all the links to all the things, all the male things. But here's what I want to make sure before I forget, because. Yeah, because otherwise. Because this question, like, when you. When you hit it, it was like, oh, gosh, this is what I want to know. Because you mentioned, like, the dreams. Even right now, you're talking about, like, how God was speaking. And then you went through this season. But part of what I would love, I think another listener would think or ask, is, okay, and I'm. By the way, I'm speaking to myself here. Once you pass a particular test.

[00:46:30 - 00:46:31]
Yeah.

[00:46:31 - 00:46:59]
There is always the next one that you're like, okay, God, I've solved this. I got this. I made the movement to Columbia. I did. So is this a place where you're like, lord, I'm also looking forward to the next. Or are you in a place where it's like, let me just trust him right here? And I'm not even. You know what I mean? And I'm not saying not to dream, but I'm just wondering where your mindset is. Is it like, no more tests. Let's just handle this?

[00:46:59 - 00:47:00]
Well, that's impossible.

[00:47:00 - 00:47:00]
Okay.

[00:47:00 - 00:47:01]
That's like. That's.

[00:47:01 - 00:47:09]
But you know what I mean, like, you're like. You're like. You're. You're not that you can't go to another or won't, but it's like, yeah, let's just chill on this dream.

[00:47:09 - 00:47:41]
I want to. I want to chill. But there was something that happened between. That happened with my mom's family on Thanksgiving, and I'm coming out of that, and then my dad. So I'm like, all right. But I. It's funny because I think I hadn't seen them as testes, like, until you mentioned it as test, because I was just looking at, like, this is just the next thing. And the next thing, I think if we look at life's happening in this test, or if we look at life happening, adolescence, and then we, we. We try to create the peak and trust of it.

[00:47:41 - 00:47:42]
Okay.

[00:47:42 - 00:47:48]
We're going to be completely disappointed because they may not happen when it. When we want them to happen.

[00:47:48 - 00:47:49]
Yeah. Yeah.

[00:47:49 - 00:47:58]
I'm at a place where, like, I'm so focused on my closeness with God, and I'm so focused on my own healing that I'm just taking it kind of day by day.

[00:47:58 - 00:47:58]
Okay.

[00:47:58 - 00:48:48]
I'm excited about the podcast. I'm excited about the substack. I'm excited to, like, it is gonna be kind of nerve wracking because I. If I'm writing, if I'm giving it my all, you're getting my all. Like, I'm telling you about my dad, and I'm telling you about the nitty gritty, and I'm telling you about the things that I don't know. And, you know, God's gonna have to reel me in on some wisdom thing and be like, maybe that stuff you don't need to say because I am that transparent and open. And I think it comes from. As a child, there's so much that was withheld that I'm like, I just. This for me. But I think I'm not. Like, when I came here, I was like, all right, I'm done. Like, you need to, you need to. You need to leave me alone for a few months. But I. I am also. I understand that saying yes to him means again, dying to yourself.

[00:48:49 - 00:48:49]
Yeah.

[00:48:49 - 00:48:59]
I can only focus on my perspective on what's happening. I can't focus on what's happening because for the most part, I don't have control.

[00:48:59 - 00:49:00]
That's good. Yeah.

[00:49:00 - 00:49:15]
And I. And I gave up my control, but I get to. Something that's been coming up a lot for me is I'm a natural born leader. And I. And I say this in humility, and I also say this in recognition of what he has given me and understanding that it's not for me. Me.

[00:49:15 - 00:49:15]
Yeah.

[00:49:15 - 00:49:57]
It's not for me to take the glory. But if I don't believe that I'm a leader, I'm always going to reject the times where he allows me to lead. Yeah, right. I recognize my gifts. She's like, I'm done. I recognize my gifts because. And I'm learning to do that. It's not natural for me, but I'm learning to do that because then I can say yes to God when I hear him calling 100, you know, so. But something that's been coming up a lot is you need to learn to lead yourself in order to lead others. And so for me is, okay, God, then I need to learn to lead myself. I don't feel. Senorita Gracias.

[00:49:59 - 00:50:03]
She's like, for those who are listening, was it. Was it samba?

[00:50:03 - 00:50:04]
Yes.

[00:50:04 - 00:50:09]
Samba is absolutely going to be. Make sure she gets camera time. So that's why you're hearing the pauses.

[00:50:09 - 00:50:13]
She wants my attention. She's like, why are you.

[00:50:13 - 00:50:15]
No more gardening gigs, no more podcast listeners.

[00:50:15 - 00:50:15]
Exactly.

[00:50:15 - 00:50:16]
Summertime.

[00:50:16 - 00:51:02]
Yes. She's a shih Tzu, by the way, for those listening. She's a very demanding and spoiled shih tzu, and I am aware that I spoiled her. So, you know, learning to lead myself is kind of important, and that's something that artists, we need to do. We need to learn to say, hey, I'm going to be sad in this moment, but I'm giving myself five minutes because I have my kids coming up from school, and they don't deserve a sad mom because it's not their fault. You get me? I'm going to be angry at whoever did me wrong. But then I'm going to change this because I shouldn't take out my frustration on others. Like, whatever it is, we need to learn to lead ourselves if we're going to be effective for the kingdom. Kingdom, which is what this is all about, Right?

[00:51:02 - 00:51:03]
Exactly.

[00:51:03 - 00:51:14]
And so I think that. That. That's been a part for me. I. I think there came a point last year where I just stopped looking at tests and blessings like they're all happening at the same time.

[00:51:14 - 00:51:14]
True.

[00:51:14 - 00:51:15]
You know?

[00:51:15 - 00:51:15]
True. Yeah.

[00:51:15 - 00:51:32]
Like, it's all happening at the same time. And if. If we don't learn to. Part of the problem with. With black and white is that we miss the duality of things. And most of our life is duality. Most of our life is we're celebrating one thing and mourning the other.

[00:51:32 - 00:52:13]
Yeah. And sometimes, like you said, it can be at the same time and God is speaking. I love what you said earlier, that. That God. We're not worshiping the pain, we're not worshiping the joy. Neither one of those are the actual teacher that God is using, whatever it is, and he's the one that should be focusing on. But I love this conversation so much. I wish we'd keep on going for hours and hours. You know that. But we're going to have to make it to part three very soon to make sure that we get you either or. By the way, I. Or go ahead and put the pressure on you publicly. Because as I mentioned, we do have a membership that we do these conversations all the time. And it's like we said, you said it earlier and I wish we had got on recording. But you mentioned something about community. You said community is not optional.

[00:52:13 - 00:52:15]
It's not optional as artists right now.

[00:52:15 - 00:52:39]
Is creating this community. The people that are listening and watching are part of the community. But I would just encourage you, as Melissa is saying right now, is make sure that you're not going through this alone or whatever you need to do. If you need to connect with our community, if you need to connect with Melissa, make sure that you follow her. We're going to make sure all your links, by the way, whenever you're listening, by the time you get it, we'll make sure those links are there when your podcast is available. Because I'm going to be listening, I'm going to be subscribed.

[00:52:39 - 00:52:55]
Thank you. And it's going to be. Well, one of the things that I'm having trouble with and you can help me and we could do this either on recording or off recording. I'm a bilingual person and I'm here now. So it's like one of the struggles that I've had is like, what do I name this thing when it's bilingual.

[00:52:55 - 00:52:55]
Yes.

[00:52:55 - 00:53:17]
Because there's going to be episodes in Spanish, there's going to be episodes in English. And what I'll probably do. And I'm. And this is the. The other part is some of the episodes are going to be reflections of just me. And then some of it is. And it's accompanied with a YouTube channel. Some of it is going to be interviews with people that I love. And I'm also going to be very selfish and just call on people. Like, I want to learn from you. So I'm just going to bring you in.

[00:53:17 - 00:53:35]
The beauty of the. Literally, I've said for years that the guiding gigs is literally free coaching for me. I've got a chance to talk to people like you and other people that have so much expertise and I've learned so much. And some of my. This is the other selfish part. Some of my best business contacts. I'm part of an app now because of podcasting.

[00:53:35 - 00:53:36]
Let's go.

[00:53:36 - 00:54:29]
Like, these are the things that people don't realize even in terms of again, the portfolio lifestyle, right? This. It's not just one size fits all. It can. It can be partly working from home, it can be partly working for a job, it can partly be self entrepreneurship, and it can be partly, hey, build somebody else's vision, be the CEO, be the whatever. But it's all God using it. And that's what I love about your life. And how again, you might not use the word eloquent. I'll use it eloquent because I feel like just the ability to share what's actually going on in your life and not be ashamed. You know, the Bible says we're not be ashamed of the gospel and we shouldn't be ashamed of our testimony either. It's something we share today. Honestly, just open. I think someone's going to respond eventually and say thank you because I didn't know how to share this and now they have the confidence too. So just tell them quickly before we wrap up. I know the links are in the show notes, but just tell them how can they stay in touch with you? We'll add everything else that's added, you know, after the recording. But let me know how they can get you right now.

[00:54:29 - 00:54:50]
So right now you can find me on Instagram as Hola. H O L A. It's Mellie. Hello. Welcome to my bilingual trip, almost trilingual life. Okay, come on all. It's Melly on instagram and then melvar.com. what I'll probably do is have it linked to the substack so you can go straight there. But perfect. You know, if I give you all the links, it'll be like, what?

[00:54:51 - 00:55:06]
So, yeah, we'll let. We'll let them go down the rabbit trail. You always get them to one place and then let them go down the breadcrumbs. But this has been amazing. God bless you, my sister. I'm so glad we got to reconnect and I am super happy to see that God is continue as usual. We can't wait to see your next chapter.

[00:55:06 - 00:55:10]
Thank you. It was great and it was a pleasure to be here, my friend.

[00:55:10 - 00:55:56]
Thank you for watching this episode. If that blessed you, you got to make sure that you stay connected with this community and this channel so that you can get more where that came from. We're sharing great interviews, tactics, strategies, mindsets, lifestyle choices. Everything is going to help you become a totally confident creative. And don't miss an episode of the Gotten Gig Show. If you are staying connected to our channel, you'll be able to find us anytime we release new episodes, and you can check out some of our archives of almost 200 episodes now that we've shared over the last few years. Make sure you check out one of the suggestions right now, because it's probably perfect for you to continue to develop as a creative and continue to stay connected with us, because we're here to help you become the creative that got created you to be. We'll see you in the next episode.