Happy Birthday Podcast Parables!

[00:00:00] Hi, hello and happy birthday Podcast Parables. Oh my goodness. You just have to know right now. I'm

[00:00:15] Terry already. I am so thrilled to have hit this mark and be a part of what God is doing

[00:00:25] in this ministry of telling stories from the Bible. And this is Courtney Lee if you don't already

[00:00:31] know, I'm the host and content creator for Podcast Parables. And it's our birthday today. And

[00:00:38] actually it's July 2nd is the official date so if you want to mark that on your calendars, feel free.

[00:00:46] But today is when we are celebrating. And I've invited some friends to come along. So throughout

[00:00:51] this episode, you're going to hear the story of how Podcast Parables began. In addition to that,

[00:00:58] we have some friends who've hopped on the mic to say happy birthday and how this podcast has impacted

[00:01:04] them. And overall, we just want to celebrate what God has done through His Word and what He put in

[00:01:12] there and that the privilege that we get to consume His words on a daily basis. Let us not take

[00:01:19] that for granted and it is worth celebrating today. So throughout these clips, I have pulled some

[00:01:25] from the entire year and it's been exciting to be on this ride with you. Thank you for joining us

[00:01:31] today in Happy Birthday!

[00:01:48] Happy birthday Podcast Parables. My favorite podcast of all. One year old already, I can't

[00:01:53] believe it. I want you to know, I've listened to every episode and I love every episode.

[00:01:59] I've learned, I've laughed, I've cried. I've been convicted, I've been encouraged,

[00:02:04] but mostly my faith has been strengthened in Jesus as you always point us back to Him and I love that

[00:02:10] through all generations He is our hope and our salvation. So keep the stories come in Podcast

[00:02:15] Parables and thank you for faithfully sharing your unique gift, your touching so many lives.

[00:02:29] Happy Birthday Podcast Parables.

[00:02:50] Welcome to Podcast Parables.

[00:02:52] Happy Birthday Podcast Parables. I can't believe it's your birthday. Happy birthday. One of my favorite

[00:03:01] ones was Lydia. I love how you painted her picture and the one with the children. Oh my gosh,

[00:03:06] it felt like we were really having children there. It was just like we were sitting there at the

[00:03:12] feet of Jesus. Well, I appreciate you so much. Happy Birthday.

[00:03:22] Oh friends, isn't this so fun already to hear Ellie's music that she did originally for us in

[00:03:29] that first season? It just takes me back. It's so amazing and just a reminder of the third season,

[00:03:37] Bible kids and their little voices and how they brought the stories to life. Ah, just so good.

[00:03:44] The next thing we're going to transition into is the story of Podcast Parables and this part of

[00:03:49] this was on a previous episode but I wanted to put it here to just to be reminded of what God has done

[00:03:55] through this and in me and through me and just to give him all the glory and honor for being a good

[00:04:02] and gracious God. So this is the story of Podcast Parables.

[00:04:11] It's story time and this time it's our own. The story before the story begins in 2019, just

[00:04:20] personally for me, it was the toughest year in my history. It left me broken and wounded and empty

[00:04:29] for a variety of reasons and honestly, I wondered how God would piece me back together after that year.

[00:04:36] It was really, really difficult and I didn't have answers to how it was going to get better.

[00:04:44] So 2020 began and honestly, I just wanted to kind of put 2019 behind me. I wanted something in front

[00:04:52] of me to move forward too. So 2020, I just told God, you know, like I want to get back in the game.

[00:04:58] I want to continue serving you. I want to throw my life into the next thing so I don't really have

[00:05:03] to deal with what I left behind but God, now I can see in His graciousness, continue to close door

[00:05:11] after door after door after door. And I just I really didn't know what to do. Now again,

[00:05:22] with looking back, I could tell he was wanting me to slow down and handle some of the things that

[00:05:28] were really hard instead of just trying to avoid them and move on. So we carved out time for

[00:05:35] me to be still, to have time and space and solitude, just being in His presence again,

[00:05:44] just hearing His words come through the scriptures and through different books I was reading

[00:05:49] and just time to not be maxed out in schedule and it was a really hard time but so beautiful as well

[00:05:58] at the beginning of 2020. I've always said that if I could do anything, I just want to speak and

[00:06:04] write and travel and we had just moved to a new city. I had started the process for a brand-new job

[00:06:13] and yet still God closed even just the big door because that's when the pandemic happened

[00:06:20] and things really shut down. And now we were home full-time with these dreams and desires in our

[00:06:27] pockets so hopefully like many of you I'm not alone in this, I did my fair share of spinning out

[00:06:34] about that, about the pandemic, about what it means to everyone be home all the time. And ultimately

[00:06:40] after I had a moment, we ended up rearranging our house so that my kids could have a dedicated

[00:06:47] school space in the basement and I set up my desktop computer in a tiny closet down there so I could

[00:06:54] have easy access to what I needed while they were doing their school and I supervised so they

[00:06:59] would have their little laptops on the table down there and I would be on my computer in the closet

[00:07:03] with the door open just kind of all of us doing what we needed to do in those months of just

[00:07:09] so weird yeah having everything change on in an instant. And it was really in those months of waiting

[00:07:17] and healing and homeschooling from my basement closet that I began to think and pray about a podcast.

[00:07:26] It hit the marks of the speaking and writing dream that I had but no one could really travel

[00:07:33] at the moment so it seemed like a tremendous option to not have to speak in right from the

[00:07:39] stage but from my own basement closet perhaps. But it was also very intimidating I really knew nothing

[00:07:46] except that I liked to listen to podcasts so I considered my options and I called a friend who

[00:07:53] works in radio and we set up a meeting about a potential partnership of me kind of coming alongside

[00:07:59] and doing a podcast portion of their ministry. And the meeting went really great and he was very

[00:08:05] encouraging and it was like this open opportunity for me it felt like maybe God was just saying okay

[00:08:12] now is the time to reopen these doors thank you for waiting and being patient. He told me my friend

[00:08:18] at the radio station to record a few episodes and since I'm a newbie didn't really know what I was

[00:08:24] doing he just said why don't you why don't you give it a try and he also let me borrow one of their

[00:08:29] fancy microphones from the studio. A mic was really the only thing I knew to ask for at the time

[00:08:35] I really didn't know there was anything else needed and so I took the microphone and I went home

[00:08:40] and I tried to figure out how to do this thing called a podcast so as the kids did their math

[00:08:46] from their little teachers online I googled search podcasting software and how to record a phone call

[00:08:52] and scheduled my first two interviews and it was so exciting and so thrilling and I think I did a

[00:08:58] lot of giggling in that tiny little closet down in my basement and the kids would shush me because

[00:09:03] they were trying to learn. And those two interviews those calls went really great they are still some

[00:09:10] of my favorite conversations to go back and listen to and I'm incredibly grateful to my friends who

[00:09:16] said yes to being my guinea pigs on the mic in those first two calls. And at the end of that I felt

[00:09:23] elated I was like this was awesome I loved chatting with people talking about how God is working

[00:09:30] in their lives but then I also felt completely stuck because I got this recording I figured it out

[00:09:37] to that point but I didn't know how or what to edit I didn't know how to take these recordings and

[00:09:44] make them into an episode I didn't know how to add music and honestly I just didn't have peace

[00:09:54] I himdenhawd for a couple of weeks I didn't know how to admit that I didn't know what to do next

[00:10:02] and even if I did I just still felt this lack of peace moving forward and I attributed that

[00:10:12] to the spirit working my life of saying this is not this is not the right avenue that I want you

[00:10:17] to pursue and so I had to do what was really really hard and I told my radio friend no

[00:10:26] that I recorded some things but I just didn't feel peace moving forward and so I shelved the project

[00:10:34] and I just put it away. The no was really hard I was not used to say no to things

[00:10:42] and the silence was even harder but I honestly I couldn't quit thinking about it or talking about it

[00:10:51] and because my quarantine adult bubble mostly included my husband and my mom they bore the

[00:10:56] Brent of my podcast talk for those months they were so kind and they listened and they gave me ideas

[00:11:03] they reminded me about what I loved to do and what would steal life from me they told me when

[00:11:09] I came to them with an idea that was just completely ridiculous and then I started a spreadsheet

[00:11:16] and if you know me you know that it's what I do when I get excited about something ask my friends

[00:11:20] if there's a trip coming up there's a spreadsheet if there's something else super exciting and

[00:11:25] I want to get out all of my ideas I start spreadsheet and depending on the level of color coding is

[00:11:30] how you can tell my intensity level is about that thing so I started a spreadsheet and but I still

[00:11:37] didn't have all the answers to my major questions like how do I take an idea that's in my head and

[00:11:42] make it into a real podcast I can get to the recording part but then how what's next how do I move

[00:11:48] it forward how do I post it online for people to hear and so then I continue to add things to my

[00:11:54] spreadsheet but I didn't move forward in any way because I didn't know how and about a month later

[00:12:03] maybe a couple months I had a full spreadsheet of ideas and content and a few even graphics

[00:12:10] designed but they were just floating around in cyberspace and because honestly that I was listening

[00:12:17] to so many podcasts last year thanks to covid being home I heard an ad on one of my favorite

[00:12:23] podcasts for a free all-in-one do it yourself podcast platform called anchor

[00:12:29] and when I downloaded that app it was truly as easy as they claimed I downloaded the application

[00:12:38] I went to the site on on my computer I essentially copy pasted my show info from my spreadsheet

[00:12:46] I uploaded the graphic that I had created and then I had my very own podcast within minutes it was

[00:12:53] surreal I had this podcast but I didn't have any content beyond my spreadsheet which only included

[00:13:00] ideas so while it was super exciting to have this in front of me this opportunity this way forward

[00:13:09] I spun out a little because now I had to actually write my first episode and

[00:13:15] I thought I should start at the beginning if I were going to tell stories from the bible

[00:13:19] that I probably should start with Adam and Eve and creation and the garden but I got so stuck on

[00:13:25] the blank page with Adam I just I could not write his story I just couldn't so after many frustrating

[00:13:32] mornings I prayed that God would help me get this thing off the ground that I knew he had so clearly

[00:13:38] said yes and opened this door and that he would just continue to lead me whatever that would look

[00:13:44] and he in his loving kindness released me from my predispositions to write from the beginning

[00:13:50] and impressed upon me instead to write my favorite Courtney write your favorite just start there

[00:13:57] so I turned to mark chapter five and I began to imagine myself as the bleeding woman

[00:14:03] I'm sure

[00:14:05] but tear up now even thinking of that

[00:14:09] and word after word kept coming alive on my computer screen

[00:14:14] her story told my story

[00:14:17] after a few really rough years years that I felt like I had experienced major internal bleeding

[00:14:23] and wounds that would just not quit here in this moment she and I with one touch of the

[00:14:29] hem of Jesus experienced healing and wholeness and away forward

[00:14:42] and while we're on the topic let's go back and listen to that very first intro that I recorded

[00:14:50] about what podcast parables was last year and what it has continued to be all these weeks later

[00:14:58] so this is the very first introduction of episode one bleeding woman

[00:15:13] hi friends welcome to the brand new podcast parables I'm Courtney Lee your host and let me just say

[00:15:20] I'm so glad you're here what you'll find when you enter this space is my take on a bible

[00:15:26] character story I use my imagination to fill in what's not recorded in the word my intent though

[00:15:33] is not to scramble scripture but to explore it and interact with it in a way that draws me in

[00:15:39] and draws me closer to the author I believe in the power of stories the ones you and I have

[00:15:46] and the ones recorded for us in the bible now I know my stories may not have actually happened

[00:15:51] this way and I definitely plan to do some follow-up research when I get to heaven

[00:15:55] but I will do my best to be as factual and historically accurate as possible using every bit

[00:16:01] and morsel from what is written in the bible I encourage you to join in to come along to receive

[00:16:08] the word a new from a different perspective and to just simply enjoy today's episode features

[00:16:17] original music from the one the only Ellie powers a tremendously gifted artist and a dear friend

[00:16:24] the link to find her info is in the show notes this podcast will also feature some advertisements now

[00:16:31] I know I know no one likes advertisements but truly it's a simple way for me to receive a tiny kickback

[00:16:37] and continue the ministry the Lord has laid on my heart there's never a pressure to buy or use

[00:16:41] whatever it is just listening is what sends those coins my way today's podcast features the

[00:16:49] bleeding woman from mark five I hope and pray you can see yourself in her as she shares her story

[00:16:58] I also pray we can see Jesus working in our lives as he did in hers enjoy

[00:17:11] happy birthday to podcast parables um I am a listener I've been a listener since day one

[00:17:18] it is just so amazing to be able to celebrate the fact that it is your birthday

[00:17:26] Courtney has been taking us into different perspectives of characters in the bible that we haven't even

[00:17:33] it's something you don't even realize and don't even think about when you're reading in the pages

[00:17:38] of scripture so it is just awesome to be able to see into the possible hearts and minds

[00:17:46] of her creativity and how that comes about um one of my personal favorite ones was actually episode

[00:17:53] one was the bleeding woman because yes we hear her story we understand her story but now we

[00:17:59] actually get to feel what she is feeling so happy birthday podcast parables it's been amazing

[00:18:05] and I'm excited to hear more episodes if I remember correctly I think I wrote the bleeding woman

[00:18:13] script in one session and woke up early the next morning to record it in one take as well

[00:18:19] and uh yeah then I remembered I also needed an intro and outro and I needed to write those at oh

[00:18:25] shoot what a friend records of music for me so I could have some original music also thank you

[00:18:29] Ellie for doing that for me and then finally on the morning of Thursday July 2nd 2020 I had all

[00:18:37] the pieces put together ready to launch happy birthday podcast parables you have a true gift

[00:18:45] to bring biblical stories to life my wife and I enjoy listening to scripture reimagined on our road trips

[00:18:52] it's been a joy to listen how you give characters in the bible a voice and let our current society make

[00:18:57] those connections as well there will always be pain and suffering on this earth whether that is

[00:19:03] BC 42 or 80 2021 but there is always hope in Jesus Christ that hope is delivered beautifully

[00:19:10] through your podcast parables thank you for taking us on that journey with you

[00:19:16] but I had also scheduled doctors checkups on this day so in the waiting room of my family doctor

[00:19:22] I clicked the buttons on my phone within the anchor app to send my first podcast episode into

[00:19:27] the world I spent zero time on building a launch team I didn't know those were a thing I didn't

[00:19:34] upload three episodes to start probably should have read that chapter in my podcast book

[00:19:39] I didn't even have another episode written yet happy birthday podcast parables I have been so

[00:19:47] blessed this past year getting to know Courtney and listening to her bring so many little known

[00:19:52] bible characters to life her passion and talent is so God inspired and now I'm looking forward

[00:19:59] to hearing may even more from Courtney as she continues on through the bible sharing her insight

[00:20:05] through podcast parables wait a go Courtney keep it up I just said yes right there and then before

[00:20:12] I got too scared or insecure or fussed over it a thousand more times happy birthday podcast parables

[00:20:25] you make me laugh you make me cry you make me think you make me dig deeper into my bible and

[00:20:33] that's what it's all about wishing you many many more love you I have learned not to live my life

[00:20:42] in the idea spreadsheets at some point the ideas have to become action and action takes steps of

[00:20:49] intentional faith and for me that happened as I launched podcast parables and every week since

[00:20:56] and hey Courtney it's Caleb and I wanted to tell you that I really like your podcast

[00:21:03] I really enjoyed listening to it and I really like season three and it really got me close to the

[00:21:10] God and it's really helped me understand the bible more so happy birthday to your podcast

[00:21:25] and that my friends is why we do what we do

[00:21:30] happy birthday podcast parables and to you the faithful listeners thank you so much for being here

[00:21:39] for being part of the process and for celebrating with me as we continue down the road deeper into

[00:21:46] the pages of scripture and deeper into the heart of God love you thank you so much and go have an

[00:21:54] ice cream cone in honor of one year down podcast parables make God's name only get the glory and

[00:22:02] honor for this always and forever so until next time this is Courtney Lee your podcast parables host

[00:22:10] thanks for listening