Everybody, what is going on? You know what time it is. You're listening to join the Journey podcast with your host, Emma, daughter. Thanks for joining. Today, we are reading Daniel 8 through 12, and I am in the podcast studio with Kathy Hempel Cox. Hey, how are y'all doing? Very well, Kathy, thank you for joining us. You've been on the podcast before, but it's been several months. Would you share for those who maybe didn't hear your previous episode a little bit about what God has done in your life and what you're up to today? Sure. I'm a Midwest girl. And by heart, I grew up in St. Louis and grew up going to church more than just Sundays. We were actively involved in

the church's ministries, and that's where most of my parents enduring relationships came from.

However, there was no connection between church and our daily lives. So my dad was a professor

there, and his job brought him back to Dallas, where he grew up his home and to his alma mater to teach.

And again, my parents sought a church home for us for our family.

And now I'm a teenager and I'm again really involved in church with the youth group choir serving.

And that is where I found acceptance socially in a very materialistic environment

that I wasn't used to of Dallas. But it's ultimately where I heard the gospel with my youth group

and at an altar call at a conference, I asked Jesus into my heart. But I didn't really get it.

I was recently walking my dogs and listening to Shane and Shane Devo in the morning.

And he was talking about having fire insurance versus saying, I love Jesus.

And all of a sudden, I had words to put to what I felt back then.

I had fire insurance.

So at that time, I went to logos and bought a Bible. I went to James Avery and bought a

cross and voila. I'm a Christian, right? But I was never disciples to be shown what actually being

one with Christ meant. So my attempts at trying to read the Bible, usually stopped around Leviticus. Classic.

Yeah, right. I'm sure that story's very common. I loved the Lord, but what I really had back

then was fire insurance. So from the outside looking in, I looked like I lived in the world with my

fire insurance, tucked inside my Bible,

which was on the shelf, off the shelf, and put aside because they didn't really understand it.

But God never let go of me. He withheld things from me for sure, and he let me experience

consequences of my naivete and stupidity. But all that time, he never stopped pursuing me. I mean, we're talking

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