Finding Comfort in Hearing Gods Voice, with Jen Weaver

Join me as Jen Weaver shares her powerful testimony of transformation. From a young age, Jen knew God, but didn't know He desired a personal relationship with her. Her experience of Christianity was marked by heaviness, hardness, and boredom... until she discovered the game-changing truth that God speaks and desires connection. Jen's relationship with God has been her anchor through numerous hardships, including pregnancy loss, delayed fertility, church wounds, her mom's passing, and chronic health conditions. Today, she passionately helps others learn to hear God's voice and navigate life's challenges with His guidance. Get ready for an inspiring conversation that will leave you encouraged and longing for a deeper connection with God.

Links to connect with Jen Weaver: 

Bible teacher & Ministry Coach 

Books: A Beckoning to Wonder and A Wife’s Secret to Happiness

Podcast: Good God Talks - connecting with God through uncommon conversations in everyday moments.

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Transcript

Israel Caminero: 0:16

Welcome to Living Testimony, Stories of Faith and Redemption. I'm your host, Israel Caminero, and I hope everyone that's listening is blessed and doing well today. With me today, I have my sister in Christ, Jen Weaver here, who reached out to me to share her testimony with everyone. Can you introduce yourself to everyone, Jen?

Jen Weaver: 0:35

Yeah, Israel, thanks so much for having me. Uh in short, my name is Jen Weaver. I'm a mom of two young kiddos and a wife and a follower of God and a Bible teacher, which is definitely not the trajectory I saw for myself growing up. Um I love getting to help people experience life with God because I like to say it's much better than I ever thought it was.

Israel Caminero: 0:59

Amen. Amen. And of course, none of us think the trajectory that we're at now, but that's where God wants us, right?

Jen Weaver: 1:08

Yeah, and he meets us in in whatever circumstances we're going through every single time.

Israel Caminero: 1:14

That's right. That's right. So before we get started with your testimony, I just want to pray. And I just want to say, Dear God, we come to you today with grateful hearts. Thankful for for the opportunity to share stories of faith and redemption. We pray that you would give Jen words of wisdom and courage as she shares her story with us today. May her testimony be a beacon of hope and light for those who are struggling. And may your love and grace shine through her words. Help her be authentic and vulnerable, sharing her struggles and triumphs with courage and humility. May this conversation be a blessing to all who listen, and may it honor you, Lord. We pray that you would guide our conversation, giving us wisdom and insight as we discuss topics that are close to your heart. May our words be infused with your love and grace and truth. May this podcast be a source of encouragement and inspiration to those who listen, and may it bring glory to your name. We pray that you use this conversation to touch hearts, change minds, and transform lives. Give Jen your peace and guidance as she shares, and may her words be a blessing to all who hear them. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So Jen is from Dallas, Texas. And it's a hundred degrees out there right now. She just shared with me, which is super hot. But she's enjoying it from the comfort of her AC, which is also good. But she's also here to share her story. And the platform's all yours right now, Jen. So if you could just share your story with everybody, that would be great.

Jen Weaver: 2:58

Yeah, I feel like first off, I love the focus of your podcast. And also, I feel like it's a hard thing to start with. I'm like, ugh, where do I begin? Where do I even start from? Uh so I'm gonna go actually kind of all the way back. I I grew up in a Christian home in a Christian family. I was the the oldest child of four kiddos. And um I grew up in all of the church environments. For anyone listening who's like, okay, yeah, that was my background too. All the Sunday school classes, I killed it at Bible trivia. Like we did awanas, which was a lot of like memorizing Bible verses and um just around the concept of God with an awareness of God. And so I am grateful I came to Christ at a really young age. Uh, I was actually five years old. And uh my mom had this tradition where she had our our stockings hung up at the fireplace, like you do around Christmas time. And uh she had this little stocking that said God on it in like glitter glue. And every year she'd ask us what we wanted to give to God for Christmas, and we we'd write it on a little piece of paper or before we were old enough to write, she would write it on the paper for us. And the Christmas, when I was five years old, I said, Well, everyone keeps telling me that that Jesus wants my heart, so I want to give him my heart for Christmas. Oh, wow. And so, I mean, my parents, anyone who's a believer, you can understand. You're just ecstatic at that moment. You're like, oh my goodness, yes, my child wants to respond to salvation. This is so great. And so they they walked me through it, and and I understood what that meant. I my salvation was genuine, me responding to that to God's invitation like that was real. But I had I had no awareness, zero understanding of the fact that that meant I got to experience relationship with God now. And so from age five till around age 12, 13, all of my experiences of Christianity were broken because I I didn't know, I didn't really practically know that God truly loved me. And so I was trying to earn his approval and earn his way to heaven. I asked him into my heart a bunch more times, like just to make sure I was gonna be okay if I died. And it was very um, it was very heavy, it was very works-based, even as a child, just trying to earn approval from what I thought I was supposed to do as a Christian, to prove myself to my family or to my friends at church and my leaders at church, and ultimately to God. And it left me feeling empty and broken and alone and lonely, and just I I couldn't, I couldn't understand why my experience in day-to-day living as a Christian didn't seem to line up with what the Bible said about how God offers us more than we can ever ask or imagine, or fullness of life. Like it, it didn't make sense to me. And when it started to make sense was actually a a weekend we were in church, and the church I grew up in, the youth, I was in junior high at this time, the youth could kind of sit in the service and hear the pastor for part of the message, and then we go out and go to the youth room, and the rest of the sermon when service would continue with the adults.

Israel Caminero: 6:27

Right.

Jen Weaver: 6:28

And so I'm in them in the room, and our pastor starts talking, and he's introing his sermon saying that he was talking with God about the message. And in my junior high SAS, in all knowing insight and wisdom, because you know that's how teenagers can be.

Israel Caminero: 6:46

Of course.

Jen Weaver: 6:47

Um, I was like, oh, yeah, yeah. That's what you say when you understand something about the Bible. Like he's he's saying he was talking with God. What he really means is like, oh, he read the Bible and he started putting an outline together. But the more he got into his sermon, the more I realized, no, he actually meant he was talking with God about this topic. And at first it made me mad because I was working so hard. I I mean, I was a child Pharisee, like just trying to check all of the boxes. I judged everyone and I judged myself the hardest. And everything was just was difficult to try and achieve this level of perfection. I couldn't, I couldn't attain to no matter how hard I worked. And I'm like, why am I working so hard if I don't even hear God speak to me? God talks to other people and he doesn't even talk to me. Like, why am I doing all this? What's the point? And did he pick special people and I wasn't one of them? And I was like, okay, well, I'm gonna process my my anger here for a minute. And and I'm so I'm thinking about this during the message. And honestly, I I tuned him out. Like, sorry, Pastor, I have no idea. I have no idea what your message was about that day. Um, but then I decided, well, if I'm already working so hard and it's not working, that means I already know how to work hard. So I'm gonna work hard at something different. And that was this pivotal decision. Like, I'm gonna learn how to hear God. And that started me on this journey of learning. Oh my goodness, you actually can have a relationship with God where you know him and you feel like he knows you and you have conversations, and it it changed the trajectory of my life and of my walk with God, and that's that's a path I'm still on.

Israel Caminero: 8:38

So you say you you learn how to talk to God. How how was learning to hear God's voice? How did that impact your life, you know, during difficult times?

Jen Weaver: 8:47

Oh, I mean, it changes everything. Like it it's great in those moments that are fun. Like it's it talking with God can be fun and lighthearted and um spark wonder and awe and laughter and joy in in the lighthearted moments. It's not only for the hard things, but I love your question because practicing that in the easier moments makes it easier to hear him when the hard things come our way. Um, because the hard things are so often loud. They're they're distracting, they're noisy, they're confusing, like our emotions get get heightened and can kind of take over our awareness. And I I've gone through some hard things. I've gone through like serious wounds in the in the church, and I've also gone through healing in the church. I'm not bashed in the church, but I've had serious wounds in the church. And um, my husband and I had had unexplained fertility struggles. So we lost two of our pregnancies. I have two babies in heaven, and I get to raise my two sons on earth. And I've I've chronic health issues that I've struggled with since I was 18, and um have had loss and grief in other areas of my life. And um, in those hard times, not not having to just be relying on myself or my own strength has changed everything, knowing how how God is there with me in the hard things, even a quick story. Um, one of the things I I love to talk with God about is I ask him to give me pictures. And sometimes he'll he'll bring like memories, or sometimes he'll show me a creative picture of something. And um I was processing some past trauma that I had gone through in a time that I had felt so alone. I had just, I had felt so isolated, I had felt abandoned, I had felt not taken care of and unseen. And I asked God, God, will you will you show me where you were when this was happening for me? Because I believe what the Bible says. Like you tell us in your word that you never leave us or forsake us, and that nothing can separate us from your love, and that in you we live and move and have our being. So I know you're you're there, but like I didn't, I couldn't see you there. I didn't experience you there when I was going through this hardship. And so I need you to show me, God, where were you? And he gave me this picture of me at a younger age, so from my past in this moment, and tears are just streaming down my face, and he is sitting next to me, and tears are streaming down his face too.

Israel Caminero: 11:38

Oh wow, that just goes to show God's comfort, you know.

Jen Weaver: 11:43

Yes, yes. And I'm like, okay, you you were there even when I didn't see you, even when I wasn't aware you were there. And um, my podcast is is good God talks. Um, and they're all these really short episodes that have a verse and a theme and a question to go ask God, because we get to talk with him in in every moment. And it's an uncommon thing, like it's an uncommon thing for people to say, Oh yeah, I talk with God all the time, but it actually can be really common. We can talk with him all the time about all sorts of things because he he is never far away from us, even when we don't see him.

Israel Caminero: 12:22

No, he's not. You know, it's funny you say that. Was that the turning point when you heard your pastor say that he was talking to God? Was that the turning point when you said, I'm gonna talk, I'm gonna try and talk to him myself for you?

Jen Weaver: 12:36

It was, yeah. And it it was like, okay, I I don't know how to do that, but I'm gonna figure that out.

Israel Caminero: 12:42

Yeah. I remember having a pastor over my house, and he was actually saying the same thing. Well, God, I spoke with God and he told me, and and I literally sat there and asked him, How do you talk to God? I remember this specifically, and he was trying to explain it to me, and I was like, I don't hear him talk. This was like years ago. I'm like, I I don't hear him. I don't I tried to talk to him, and and the way he explained it was so good because I wasn't trying hard enough, is basically what he was saying, to hear his his voice, you know. He's like, You probably heard his voice already and you didn't know it. So now like I know when it's God talking to me and telling me, you know, do this and things like that. And it's so different when you're not focused to hear him, but it's totally different when you are focused and you want to hear him.

Jen Weaver: 13:36

Yes, and it and it takes practice. I think um, I think one of the lies that we can believe that I believed, even as I was like, I'm gonna learn how to hear him, was that worry of what if there's special people? Like what if there's special people that God talks to and I'm just not one of them or I'm never going to be one of them? And that's not true. And and I love, I love like I call it conversations with God. I love having these conversations with him. But everything we hear from him is always gonna line up with what he says in the written word of the Bible. And he tells us in the Bible, my sheep hear my voice. I know them and they they answer me and they follow me. And so um, I want to encourage anyone who's listening to this of like, oh man, I I don't know that I hear God speak. Even if you haven't recognized him yet, you can hear him speak, you can learn to recognize him. And it's similar to um how we recognize the voice of someone that we love, like a best friend, a spouse, a family member. Like the more we spend time talking with each other, the more we're able to recognize their voice, even in a loud, crowded space. And that's why I love like in those calmer moments, in fun conversations with God, when it's not stressful, when it's not that hard, I love practicing, like talking with him, hearing his voice, so that when I'm in a crazy hard season, I mean, Israel, you know, my mom passed away last year. And so when when I'm grieving and people I love are grieving, and my mom was was sick, and so she was in pain, and my emotions are are like waves in an ocean, and all of these things are going on, like all of those things can get loud, and I I picture it like this crowded room where it makes it hard to even hear someone who's standing right next to you. Right. But practicing hearing God's voice in the quieter times helped me recognize his voice when he was speaking to me, even in the loud times of that hardship.

Israel Caminero: 15:42

Amen. So, how has your relationship with God, how did it process, you know, and heal you from the loss of your mom?

Jen Weaver: 15:50

Oh, that's a good question. So he has always he's always been there for me, and I knew that going into it. Um but he tells he tells us in the Bible, um, I feel like I'm gonna just be saying that on repeat.

Israel Caminero: 16:06

Right.

Jen Weaver: 16:07

Um, that he's here, he's he's close to the brokenhearted, that he's near to the brokenhearted, and he he binds up, he heals our wounds. That's and that's all I I I asked him, I asked him all the time, like God, I need you to show me how you're close, I need you to show me how you're here, I need your wisdom. Um, there were some real specific things that we were praying for for my mom just in her in her final days, and to see him answer them was like, Okay, God, I I see your kindness in this. And uh she had cancer, and we went through a season of months of okay, God, like we are asking for you to heal her fully. And if if it could be your will, like let it be on earth. Like it will be someday in her life fully healed in heaven. But if if it could be fully healed on earth right now, then we'd like that. Um, but part of my prayer also was like recognizing that I only know, I only know such a small part. I only know such a small part of of my life or her life or her health or her needs or what God's plan is for her. And so part of my prayer was God, I'm I'm gonna ask you to carry out your greatest grace for her. And I'm gonna believe that what happens is you working out your greatest grace.

Israel Caminero: 17:33

Amen.

Jen Weaver: 17:34

And and so that that brought me comfort as well. Um, going into times of worship was really helpful. And also, um, this was this was a lesson I learned a few years ago. I think part of um where again I was kind of broken in my understanding of how much God loved me or what relationship with God could actually look like. Part of that where that got broken for me was I would try and clean myself up before I came to him. Like I didn't always come to God very honestly. And he started teaching me to come to him honestly. And like I I could tell him, God, I'm mad at you right now. God, I'm I'm upset that this is happening. God, I hate that that my mom is navigating this. God, why is this happening? I could go to him with all of the frustrations, I didn't have to clean it up at all. He knew he knew it all, and he invites me there anyway. And we don't have to stay there. It's not like, oh, I'm I'm here, God, and I'm just gonna stew in my anger. But I'm like, God, I'm here and I'm angry and I'm asking for you to help me. And so coming to God honestly allowed me to receive more of his care than I would have otherwise.

Israel Caminero: 18:46

That's so good. But also, I want to bet that even though your mom was going through what she was going through with God on your side, even though you were angry at times and didn't know what the future held, you still had some sort of peace, right?

Jen Weaver: 19:06

Yes, a hundred percent. And and she did too. Like my mom loved loves the Lord. Uh I almost said loved, but she's there in person loving on him right now. I love that.

Israel Caminero: 19:19

I love how you said that.

Jen Weaver: 19:22

She she loves him. And so even in her hardship of of personally navigating this, um, she was relying on him too. And um there's there's a practice called breath prayers, which is really um, they're these really short prayers that you can pray on an inhale and an exhale. So if you don't have a lot of breath or you don't have a lot of words, you can still call on the name of Jesus. And we we see that in the Bible in the story of blind Bartimaeus, um, when he says, Son of David, have mercy on me, and like years and years and years passed. That was kind of turned into this breath prayer where you breathe, and it's son of David on the inhale, and then have mercy on me on the exhale, or vice versa, like how wherever you're praying. And so my my mom would find herself short of breath, and the only prayer she could pray was Jesus. And so she'd just be breathing and she'd say, Jesus. Amen. Jesus. And I think sometimes, even if we have the oxygen in our lungs, like our our circumstances can press down on us so much. The weight of the world or our worries or our needs can be so heavy that that's the only prayer we can pray in that moment. And I got to witness firsthand that is still a prayer that he is delighted to receive from us, that we can still call on his name no matter what is happening. Which I mean, I even growing up in the church, I didn't always know that. Like I didn't have the words for it in years past. But I really, I really felt like God loved other people more than he loved me. Like I was just a means because I was a good Christian girl who would like to serve in the church and tell people about Jesus, that I was a means that God wanted to use to get to the people he really wanted. And that that was never true. That each one of us is delighted in by God. And he longs to experience our life with us and to help us experience our lives in him. And it's a joy. Like we get to experience our lives in God right now. And so part of this journey for me is really like, okay, going from, okay, I think I want to learn how to hear God, I want to learn how to talk to him, I want to learn this relationship thing, to then realizing, oh man, like I I really misunderstood that about him. And I misunderstood that about me too. And I can trade in, I can trade in that lie I believed about us, and I can receive what God says is true. And a lot of those are kind of like layers on this nasty onion that keeps getting pulled away until it reveals this like sweet gift of God. And He's like, Yep, you're always created for life with me. You're always created to experience every moment in relationship with me. And it I keep saying, like, it's it's so much better than I thought it was. It is, it is life-giving in every sense of the word.

Israel Caminero: 22:39

That's so good. I like your insight on everything. I'm going to backtrack a little bit. I didn't want to interrupt you because of what we were talking about. You mentioned that you had chronic health conditions earlier. How have you been with those and with God in your life dealing with that? If you want to elaborate a little bit on that.

Jen Weaver: 23:05

Sure. Yeah. So one of the things that that I find, I think everyone's experiences are different. One of the things that I find is difficult with chronic health issues is how disruptive they are. And one of the areas for me has been migraines that I've had since since I was 18 years old. And it's related to like TMJ and my jaw. And so going through all sorts of treatments to try and fix the underlying issues. And it it regularly uh it regularly humbles me. It regularly frustrates me. Like I'm like, oh, we had all these great family plans, or I'm getting ready to go on this trip, or it's an anniversary, and and now this issue or that issue or whatever is flaring up, and I have to take care of myself. Um, but the the health thing for me is a reminder to rely on the Lord. I can I can kind of um I can kind of push myself too hard. Like I I am learning, I am learning to be kind to myself. And uh I I have not always, I've been kind of like a just power through and you'll find a way, kind of survival mode mentality. And sometimes we need to do that. Um, but I'm finding that oftentimes I just I just was not very kind to myself. I was not very compassionate to myself. And so it's it's a daily lesson in okay, how am I how am I stewarding myself? What does God have for me in this day? And how can I walk in in trust and reliance on him? Because even if I didn't have any of these chronic health things going on, um, I would still be reliant on him. I think it just it brings some of those dependencies up to the forefront in a different way.

Israel Caminero: 25:26

So that being said, what advice or encouragement would you offer to others that may be struggling with the same thing and feeling disconnected from their faith because of it?

Jen Weaver: 25:38

So going back a little to what we've talked about already, I if I feel disconnected from God or if I feel like I don't want to connect with him, like I'm like, ugh, I don't want to pray right now, I don't want to read the Bible right now, I don't want to go to church right now. I love to take those exact thoughts and turn them into a conversation with God. And I I've I've literally personally done this. God, I don't want to pray right now, and so I'm telling you about this because I don't want to feel that way. And I'm I'm choosing to pray anyway. So that's that's one of my encouragements for somebody who might be feeling disconnected, even if it's like I I can hardly pray right now, or I can't pray out loud right now because the sound of my own voice is gonna make me want to throw up because this migraine or whatever's going on, seize those as opportunities to draw closer to God and to ask Him for help and whatever whatever help you need. Um I also have been learning like how to be compassionate toward myself and um to okay, so there in the Bible it talks about the greatest commandments, and it's to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is like it to love your neighbor as yourself. And one of the ways that God has been talking with me through that verse um is in that very last part, to love your neighbor as yourself. And in order to love my neighbor well, that means I need to love myself well. And that doesn't mean like, oh, I just I give myself whatever I want. Every day is a pampered spa day, but like to genuinely love myself and to care for myself. Because there have been some times, especially when I'm I'm frustrated or I'm beating myself up about that I'm I'm struggling with this health issue, or my day or my week, or my month isn't going the way that it I really wanted it to. I'm just I'm not treating myself kind enough to to take that and transfer that onto my neighbor and be like, I'm gonna love my neighbor this way. Like that that treatment wouldn't be good enough for how I want to love my neighbor. And so that's been a reminder for me of okay, if my neighbor was going through something like this, like how would I want them to be treated? If my loved one was going through this, how would I love them through this circumstance? And how can I love myself? How can I be kind to myself in that same way? Because I do, like, I I am one of God's children, and I want to love all of his children, including myself, the way that he loves us.

Israel Caminero: 28:26

Okay. So Jen is also a Bible teacher and a ministry coach, is that correct? That's right, and she's also an author and a podcaster, and I'll have all those links in the description of the podcast. So if you want to go show her some love, everything will be on the description of the podcast. Can you share a little bit more about the passion? How did that begin to help others?

Jen Weaver: 28:56

Yes. So I think I think a lot of times the things that we're passionate about to help others relate to something that we we really needed in a past season. So we kind of want to share what we've received. Like one of my favorite Bible verses talks about how we comfort others with the comfort that we ourselves receive from Christ. And um, so related to me learning about how I could have a relationship with God, a lot of that was okay, how do I hear his voice? And it also was how how do I really engage with God through the Bible? Like I could I could read it just fine, but I didn't always connect with it. I didn't always understand it. I didn't always know how to see God on display through the Bible. Um, like I I really I thought for a long time that it was more like uh a textbook or kind of like a recipe book for like building a good Christian life. And it it has amazing instruction for us, but it's so much, it's so much more than that. It is God's big story of his loving redemption for humanity and of who he is and what he's like and what he's like towards us. And so as I started getting to experience that with him, I'm like, oh my gosh, like we get to actually have life with God, life with God and how we live, life with God. We read the Bible and we talk with him. And I wanted to start sharing that with other people and then being in the ministry space in a variety of ways for as long as I have the ministry coaching came in because I want to help other leaders be able to lead well in the spaces they're in and as they're walking out what God has called them to do. And so it's it's a lot of coming alongside other believers to help them experience life with God, and if they're a leader, to experience life with God in their areas of leadership too.

Israel Caminero: 30:58

Now you do this from your house.

Jen Weaver: 31:01

I do, yep. And um and traveling, so speaking at churches and conferences and retreats, and then writing for a variety of places. One of the nice things about uh writing and podcasting as is you can do a lot from a home office.

Israel Caminero: 31:17

Yes. That's true. And her books are called The Beckoning to Wonder and A Wife's Secret to Happiness. And like I said, I'll have links to those on the description. And she's also got a website which is thegenweaver.com, and that's at T H E at J N W E A V E R dot com. If you want to go and reach out to her. And she also has a podcast called Good God Talks. But like I said, I'll have links to all those in the description. So, what final thoughts or encouragement would you like to share with our listeners about the power of having a personal relationship with God?

Jen Weaver: 32:01

I would encourage anyone listening that uh there is always more of who God is that he makes available to us. So if you are like, hey, I I don't have a relationship with God, know that he offers that to you, that you um you can never be too far gone. You could never be disqualified from from that invitation. Uh, even how I'm talking about my past, like Jesus, when he lived on earth, he harshly corrected the Pharisees because they he at one point he called them whitewashed tombs. They were clean on the outside and dirty on the inside. And that that was me. And in his kindness, he corrects us and draws us close. And so no one is disqualified. And I can say that because I wasn't, I wasn't disqualified. Uh, and also if you're walking in relationship with God, if there are parts that feel heavy or dry or painful or just stuck and boring, um, or even just flourishing, no matter where you are on the this journey as we walk through life with God, there is more goodness that he has in store for you, and he will meet you in every single circumstance. The really beautiful, sweet ones, and the incredibly hard, painful ones. Just ask him. Ask him to show you how he's there, ask him to make himself known to you, and he will.

Israel Caminero: 33:29

So, how is the Weaver family doing these days?

Jen Weaver: 33:33

Well, we're getting ready for back to school. So my kiddos are very excited for all of those things, and um, yeah, wrapping up all of our fun summer activities, getting ready to launch into a new school year. And um, believe it or not, they're already starting to talk about Christmas. We were at the store the other day, and they're like, How close are we to Christmas? And I'm like, slow your old guys, it's literally still a hundred degrees outside.

Israel Caminero: 34:01

Right. Everything's so quick these days. I was looking at the calendar today and I was like, wow, it's mid-August already. Like, just turned August like yesterday, it seemed like.

Jen Weaver: 34:11

Yeah, time's flying.

Israel Caminero: 34:14

Now, while you were talking, you said a Bible verse, and you said it was your favorite. And usually I ask my guests, what's that one Bible verse? Hopefully you have another one, or unless that was it already. What's one Bible verse that's resonated in you throughout your life that you've always gone back to during hard times or during good times? What Bible verse would that be for you and what it means to you?

Jen Weaver: 34:45

So I'm I am gonna go back to the one I I referenced, but I'll actually I'll kind of read a little bit more of it. So it's from 2 Corinthians chapter one, and it's verses three and four, and it says, Praise be to the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. And there's a bunch that that I love in that that has really helped me, especially in those hard times. One is just remembering that God is the father of compassion and he's the God of all comfort. And there's there's something about that that just feels welcoming and safe to me. Um, and that he comforts us in all our troubles. So not only certain ones. I appreciate that too. Like sometimes the the hard times I find myself in are of my own doing. And like, oh, well, I made this mistake, oh, I struggle in this area of sin. Oh, I I messed that up. I don't know if God wants to comfort me here. But it says he comforts us in all our troubles. And then we get to share from what we receive from God with other people. And I have seen that time and time again, that the comfort I've received from him in a hard loss, in a painful season, um, in an area of grief or sadness or pain, I also get to comfort other people who have similar, who have similar struggles, like have a similar trouble in those ways, kind of quoting the verse, but that I get to share that comfort with them because God has comforted me with that too. And so for anyone listening, um, like I I offer I offer some of that comfort I've received from God to you. And I'd encourage you as you navigate life and you receive God's comfort to to look for those that you can also share that comfort with.

Israel Caminero: 36:51

I mean, God's comfort can come from anywhere, like you said. You know, it you could be sitting there minding your business and just look out the window and see something and know that it's God giving you comfort at that moment. It's happened to me so many times, and I'm sure it's happened to you. Yeah. And I'm sure it's happened to a lot of people, and some people might not even know it. But God definitely comforts people, whether it's through a stranger, a friend, just someone reaching out, anything like that. God is always there to try and comfort you while you're going through a storm.

Jen Weaver: 37:29

Yeah, he sure is.

Israel Caminero: 37:31

Now I'm going to my back to the past section of my podcast, Jen. And if you're not familiar with that, my back to the past section is where I ask my guests if the Jen from today could travel back in time to talk to the younger Jen, what would she say to her?

Jen Weaver: 37:55

Man, this is such a good question. I'm kind of tearing up, even just thinking about it, picturing, picturing past Jen. Um, I mean, there's a lot of things that I would want to say to her. One of which is don't give up. I mean, there were times that I I questioned, I questioned if God was real, if he was really ever gonna talk with me, if I was hearing him or not, all of those kind of things. Like, don't give up. He is he is real, he's gonna show himself to you. But I think the biggest thing that sticks out to me is that you have always been loved. And that was a that was a hard-learned lesson I I did not believe for a really long time. And so if I could go back and tell tell young Jen, you have always been loved, I would do that.

Israel Caminero: 38:52

Would she receive it?

Jen Weaver: 38:57

I think maybe. I think deep down that's one of those things like you always want to believe. Um you always want that to believe. And I I don't want to come across like I didn't have people who loved me. I knew my family loved me, but like deep down, known and loved, especially by God, she might have.

Israel Caminero: 39:18

Okay.

Jen Weaver: 39:19

She might have. So you really if not, she'd get here at some point.

Israel Caminero: 39:24

So you really struggled with uh with God's love, huh?

Jen Weaver: 39:30

I did. I did, and and I didn't know it as much going through it. It was one of those, oh yeah, yeah, God sure, yeah, God loves me. Um but it it was so connected to me to performance. It was so connected to achievements and the strive to to be a perfectionist that um it didn't feel it didn't feel at the core. Like, oh yeah, I really loved. It was more like he loves what I do for him. He loves me because I I work real hard, not just he loves me for me.

Israel Caminero: 40:12

Well, you know, it's funny because you as a young person were struggling with thinking God loved you. Most kids these days don't even think about that. So it's kind of a good thing. You know, not that you were struggling, of course, but that you were just trying to get God to love you at such a young age, because kids these days don't even know God at that age.

Jen Weaver: 40:40

Yeah, yeah, that's true. I think, um, I think we're all looking for love in some ways, but yeah, I did. Thankfully, I had the awareness that he was there, that he was real.

Israel Caminero: 40:51

Yeah, we're living in a different world these days where kids just grow up on technology and in the world in their flesh more than they do in the Bible and at church. And it shouldn't be that way.

Jen Weaver: 41:04

So Yeah, agreed.

Israel Caminero: 41:06

But Jen, I'd like to thank you for taking the time for being on the podcast today and for connecting with me and for sharing your story with everyone. Is there anything that you would like to say before we close?

Jen Weaver: 41:20

No, this has been great. Thank you again for having me on the podcast.

Israel Caminero: 41:24

Well, thank you again. But before we close, do you think you could close us out in prayer?

Jen Weaver: 41:29

Yeah, I'd love to. God, we thank you for your love for us. For anyone who's hearing the sound of my voice right now and who questions if your love could really be real for them. I ask that you would make it known, that you would um solidify it, that they would know that they know that they know in their heart and in their mind, that you are for them, that you love them, and you have always loved them. I ask for every need that's represented by us and our loved ones, in any listeners' lives and the lives that they touch. And I ask God that you would meet them in tangible ways, that you would show how you truly are close to us. For anyone who's navigating circumstances like the ones we've talked about, whether that's heavy religious experiences where you feel absent or unseen or chronic health issues or grief and loss or wanting to feel like you're close, but not knowing how to hear your voice. And I ask that you show up in ways that only you can, that you would bring your comfort to us as our God of all comfort, as our father of compassion. I ask that you minister to each heart personally, that you um that you answer prayers, that you make provision, that you remind us of who you are, that you spark things in the words, that you fan into flame the longings that we have deep within our hearts to experience life with you, and that you would show us the steps that we can take to walk that out. God, we thank you for your love to us for us. We ask that you would draw us even closer to you. In your name. Amen.

Israel Caminero: 43:22

Amen. Amen. Thank you for that prayer, and once again, thank you for taking the time out of your day to be here on this podcast and share your story for everyone. And like I said earlier, I'm sorry, go ahead.

Jen Weaver: 43:35

Uh it's been enjoying. Thank you.

Israel Caminero: 43:37

You're welcome. You're totally welcome. And like I said earlier, I will have all her information on the description of her podcast on how you can get a hold of her and just show her some love. If you want to listen to her podcast, if you want to read her books, even if you want to reach out to her for a coaching session, it'll all be on there for you to get a hold of her. And I'd like to thank all the listeners that have been supporting me throughout this time, too. You guys are the reason that the podcast is even still going. Besides God, I mean God is the one we're glorifying through all this with Jen's story. Anyone's story that's on here is just to glorify God. But the love and support that the listeners have been giving me, I truly appreciate it. If you want to reach out, if it's your first time listening, if you want to reach out to me and share your testimony, you can reach me at living testimonies at hopmail.com. I know sometimes it's scary to even want to talk on a podcast or just share your story, but it's all about touching others, and your story might resonate with someone that's going through the same thing. And that's that's what this podcast is about. Just try and reach others that are lost and bring them to Christ and glorify him at the same time. I just want to say thank you to all the listeners. Thank you to Jen Weaver for being here, and until next time, may God bless you.