Announcer 0:01

It's time now to get the hell out of your life. A weekly broadcast with real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire, and empower you to face life's challenges with a bold confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, Ron Myers, the promoter.

Donna’s Loss And New Reality

Journaling As A Spiritual Lifeline

Ron Meyers 0:20

Hello, my friends. It is so good to be with you today. Let me start today with something that might surprise you. Life may look chaotic, it may look unfair, it may look like you're behind while everyone else is ahead. But what if I told you something different? What if the truth is it's rigged? Rigged for your redemption, rigged for your restoration, rigged for your destiny. And once you understand that, everything about your life begins to make sense. Hi, I'm Ron Myers, and this is Get the Hell Out of Your Life. This is the show where we share real stories, real struggles, and real hope. Each week, we highlight stories of God's limitless grace from people just like you and me. People who hit the wall, cried out to God, and discovered something amazing. God was already working behind the scenes. My goal for the next few minutes is simple to give you a spark of hope, a dash of encouragement, and plenty of inspiration. Because no matter where you are today, your story is not finished. So have you ever felt like you were behind in life? Like everyone else seemed to have it all together while you were just trying to hold things together. And you wonder what happened to my life? Well, my guest today, Donna DeSalvo, knows that feeling very well. After losing her husband of nearly 30 years, she suddenly found herself in her 50s and the sole provider for her family. Imagine that moment. The life you built, the partner you love, the future you expected, suddenly gone. And the question staring at you in the face is what now for Donna? The answer began quietly, not on a stage, not in a church service, but in her personal journals, page after page filled with raw reflections, spiritual insights, hard-won wisdom gathered through life's highest peaks and lowest valleys. And then one day she sensed a clear prompting. Other women need to hear this. And that's when her devotional book was born. What if this is your Lydia moment? Donna, I'm so glad you're here today to share your story with our listeners. So, Donna, what's your story?

SPEAKER_04 3:04

I I could go way, way back, but the whole story with me when writing the book was this was my journals. This was notes inside of my journal that I used during highs and lows in my life, different things I had gone through. And one day I heard the Lord say, Other women need to hear this. You need to share this.

Ron Meyers 3:21

Why do you journal?

SPEAKER_04 3:23

This is that's my release. It's my way of getting along with the Lord, especially when I'm inside of study. If I am doing a scripture study, then my journal is out because there's all kinds of different things that the Lord's going to reveal to me. But for me, it is nothing fancy. I've seen those fancy journals where they got the beautiful lettering and the gorgeous colors. That's not me. That mine is simply just words that that the Lord gives to me. And a lot of times they have no rhyme or reason to anyone other than me. But it is my way of just putting thoughts that I I could either use to teach in Sunday school one day or to share with another lady or just to put down my thoughts that the Lord's given me.

Ron Meyers 3:58

Were there a lot of circumstances in your life, the ups and downs that really made this book come to life when you were putting it together?

SPEAKER_04 4:05

Absolutely. I one of the biggest things in my life was I lost the love of my life two years ago. My husband of almost 30 years, he passed away. And that was some very hard times. Very hard times. It was something I was prepared prepared for, but not prepared for, if that actually makes sense. So that was one of the big things was the journaling. The last part of the journaling and stuff come from that. But absolutely, there's there's each devotion hits on different, different points. There's times I felt stuck in my life. There were times that I was angry at things in my life, confused on some things, wondering if I was behind. I here I am starting a business in my 50s. I'm not a social media influencer. There's, you know, I don't have this great big huge following, but yet I knew I needed something for myself. But then I felt behind. So then I tried to catch up. There's the moments of comparison to other women, of what she's doing and how I want that, and I want to be that, and I need this, and lots of different ups and downs. There was some things that went on, you know, in my Christian walk to where I walked away. Lots, lots of ups and downs happened to bring this book together.

Ron Meyers 5:08

So God takes our messes and turns them into a message.

SPEAKER_04 5:13

Exactly. How many times I told someone that my life was a wreck in my own sense, but God turned it into something absolutely beautiful to hear the women now come up and tell me how day number two touched them, or I'm on day number six, and this is what it meant to me. I have to actually go back and remember what day number six was because it's like, oh, I do. Over the weekend, I was able to share a devotion with a group of ladies I was with because then we all forgot our devotionals. And it's like, well, I have one in my pocket here.

Ron Meyers 5:41

I just happen to have one.

SPEAKER_04 5:42

So I pulled it out and read it, and then to go back through and and live back through the memories of where I was at when that devotion came alive. So this book was written for other women, but it's also written for me.

Ron Meyers 5:53

Is there one that's your favorite?

Feeling Behind And Fighting Comparison

SPEAKER_04 5:54

So one of my one of my biggest ones is is just feeling like I'm behind. When you're my age, and I will gladly let everyone know on Saturday I'll be 56. But I, when my husband got sick and we knew it was terminal, I knew that he could no longer work. So we were losing an income and I was gonna be the only provider in the home. So at that point, I had to make a decision on am I staying with my job? Will I be able to stay with my job that I love and have had all my my career, all my life there? Would I be able to stay? Would I have to come home and take care of him? What if all the what ifs started happening in my head? So I decided then that it was time to look for something I could do at home for myself, but still yet take care of my family and keep my full-time job because we needed that. And when I looked at what other ladies were doing and the businesses they had built and they had been doing it for years, I felt behind. I needed to catch up. But not only that portion of it is I oh I watched other ladies in their Christian walk and I was behind as much as I have studied all my life and grown up in church, grown up, taught the word of God how to study it, I felt behind. I it it they knew so much more than I did. And it was, I was getting it for the wrong reasons. I I had all the wrong reasons there.

Ron Meyers 7:06

I'm gonna say something that I've said many times over quite a few years is that with God, He can take what it might take us 10 years to do. When we fall in line with what he wants us to do, he can do it in days. He can do it in weeks, he can do it in months.

SPEAKER_04 7:23

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Lydia’s Lesson And Don’t Wait

Ron Meyers 7:25

So did you find when you were writing your book, your devotional, that you just couldn't slow down and the writing just kept coming and coming and coming, and you realize, boy, I've been behind, I'm getting ahead.

SPEAKER_04 7:34

Yeah, it's it's funny that you say that because what actually even brought about the title of the book is I was I began to study different ladies in the Bible and different things. It started with the study of Titus chapter two, verses one through five. I thought the Lord would never let me out of Titus chapter two, verses one through five. So much is packed in there. But then I began to look at other ladies in the Bible and I I came upon Lydia and the words in my head after I watched, or I I read, I actually did watch it in my my mind, I guess, but after I read the the the scriptures and really dug into Lydia and who she was and how she didn't wait. With Lydia, there is only a very short blip in in the book of Acts about her. And so we do know that she was probably a woman of wealth just because of the the business that she had. And I think that's why it she resonated with me, is because she's a businesswoman and so am I. But she probably had a higher clientele, you know, because she was a seller of purples, of the rich colors of purple and things. And we know that was you had to be pretty wealthy to have that color back then and in your garments and different things. But she was a seeker, she was looking for more. She was looking for the Lord's what she was looking for because the scripture talks about her and the women are at the river and they're praying. They're not in a synagogue, they're not at church, they're at the river together. They have gathered together. And Paul comes into town and he comes to the river and he finds them there. And no sooner than Paul had spoken God's word, Lydia was like, if you find me worthy, then come to my home. She didn't wait. She did not wait. And this is where it is is I heard the words, this is your Lydia moment. Don't wait. Put this book together. So as I started to write, every day kept happening. Every day I would find myself at night, still up writing, going through the journals and going, This would be a good one to put in. Because what if she feels stuck? This would be a good one to put in because what if this is her time to say yes? This is a good one because maybe she's grieving the way I was grieving when I wrote this. So many different devotions started to come alive. And it just felt like talking to my friend across from a table. So the writing kept happening. So yeah.

Ron Meyers 9:37

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 9:37

Yeah.

Ron Meyers 9:38

Listeners, if you could just see her face, she is just a glowing young lady in here speaking about her uh book. So there's some ladies listening right now that relate to you. They are afraid to go to church. They just feel like Scott's not going to use them. They've just messed up too much in life. The kids are grown and they don't know what to do in life. Yeah. What advice would you give them?

Finding Motivation In A Noisy World

SPEAKER_04 9:57

So a lot of us are going through that transition. I'm at the point in my life where my daughter will probably soon marry. She's still at home with me now, but I know that day is coming. So transitioning into a new season in my life. And that's something that the Lord and I've actually talked about is Lord, what do I do now? She's grown. You give her to me for 18 years, and I got to help grow her with you, Lord. What do I do now? There's a new season for all of us. God has given me a room full of fourth and fifth graders that I get to pour into every Sunday. I get to pour into on Wednesdays, anytime with that. So I still have children that I'm helping to raise. There's the time now that I'm starting to think for the first time about retirement. That's a whole new time in my life. So it's like, what am I going to do after retirement? What am I not going to do?

Ron Meyers 10:42

Well, Donna, right now in this world, when you turn on the news and all this negativity out there, how do you stay motivated in this world that just are encouraged when this world it seems like it's fallen apart?

SPEAKER_04 10:54

Well, number one, I only turn the news on very briefly to catch the local, a little bit of the national that's going on, just enough to keep me going. And then I turn it off because it is so much negativity. I just, I can't, I just don't allow myself to go into that. It was, and I think that's probably comes from all the years with my husband because the news stayed on 24-7. So I try and avoid that. I really, truly do. I find I have to be around my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen. That's me. I I look forward to the middle of the week because I know I'm going to meet with them on Wednesday and I'm going to be refreshed for this world. And then I look forward to Sundays and Sunday nights and any other time that we can absolutely get together. But it's it's stay in the word. Stay in God's word.

Seasons Of Life And Serving Well

Ron Meyers 11:34

Well, let's give a plug for your church. Where do you go?

SPEAKER_04 11:36

So I'm at Campground Baptist Church. We're out on Highway 53 here in Govport. We started there when my daughter was four years old. And still never forget the day that a beautiful lady met me in the parking lot, took me to Sunday school, my daughter to Sunday school, walked me into church, did not let go of me until it was after church services. And then we get in the car and my daughter says, Mommy, please let's don't go anywhere else. This is this is where we need to go to church.

Ron Meyers 11:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 11:59

And needless to say, that's where we're still at all these years later.

Ron Meyers 12:03

I tried to encourage listeners each week through the show that God created them on purpose with a purpose that it's never too late for a new beginning. You might be encouraging someone right now that has been thinking about writing a book, maybe singing a song or an artist, maybe doing a picture.

SPEAKER_04 12:19

God did not put us here without dreams. He did not. That would be such a dull and boring life. Take those dreams, no matter how small they may be. I I would have never thought that writing inside of a notebook, several notebooks actually, but writing inside of a notebook would ever come together into the pages of one book that could just go out to women everywhere. There's women all over the United States that have already gotten the book. And it was to know that just that little bit goes out and touches one life. You never know. I I'll give all of you a bit of encouragement. I watch other ladies, and a lady that encouraged me, her simple thing was making bookmarks for your Bible or your or a book, whatever you want it to be. And she has built that into a box of encouragement that she now sends out to women. So that kind of inspiration I got. Take your inspiration, look around. There, there's people doing things right now that the Lord's put on their hearts. You you have a purpose.

Ron Meyers 13:12

The fountain of youth is doing what God needs you to do. Love what you do, do what you love. And if you're stuck at a point in life now and you don't know what to do, spend some time with Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 13:21

I always tell them too, we're each in a season. So uh, and what I mean by that, and some examples of it is I watch the ladies at my church. We call them the kitchen crew. They're in a season of their lives to where that's where they serve. But those ladies one time served in Sunday schools, teachers. They served as camp administrators, they served in the nursery, they served in different capacities along their lives in church. I I hear new moms a lot of times will tell me, I can't serve here because I have littles. Okay, that's fine, but then serve here. Maybe you're not serving here because you have littles, but once they grow up, then you know you got a purpose here. So we're each in a different season. I happen to be in a time of my life where there are no children at home to raise. My daughter is raised her, is it's grown. You know, I get to now be your friend. I love that portion of our lives. I'm not raising a baby. I'm not raising one that's in school. You know, it I don't want this to come across and sound bad, but I also don't have a husband that I go home and have to take care of anymore. Uh it's a new season. And I think that's what's helped me through the grief is to know, take where I'm at and serve to the best of my ability because God's going to have me in another season soon, and that'd be a different way to serve. So you're right. It is the fountain of youth. It's what keeps us going.

Ron Meyers 14:34

It is. And if somebody listening says, wow, you know, I live around this area. I might want to head up to her church. Could they look for you? Could you absolutely church Campground Baptist?

SPEAKER_04 14:44

Campground Baptist. There's a seat sitting right next to me and it's empty. Come on. I would love to have you in that seat with me. Absolutely.

Ron Meyers 14:51

Wow, it sounds like you got a great church family.

SPEAKER_04 14:53

I do. I have a very supportive family, a great group of ladies there. You know, our ladies' ministry is just continually growing and being able to focus around on the ladies and helping them grow. Of course, we have other ministries there too, but those are the ones I'm involved in. And it's just a heart for the Lord.

Ron Meyers 15:08

You know, I believe that every day is a new day when God gives us some fresh things and we by what we is happening in the world. Anything that's on your heart now, what you see going on, is there something that you just want people to know that maybe God placed something new on your heart, a new thought?

SPEAKER_04 15:24

Just realize that God's timing's not yours and God's plan is not yours. If I went back and told you complete history and I'll just very briefly, I I grew up believing I was going to be a missionary. I had the entire dreams of being overseas, going to be trained as soon as I was 18 years old, didn't know where I was going to be going, but that's where I was going. That wasn't God's plan. God's plan was for me to be a missionary, yes, because I do believe that is what I do here right now in my local area. I have a mission to do for the Lord right here. So while I didn't go off to train at age 18 and go overseas and serve overseas, the Lord's brought me around full circle and I get to do a mission for him right here in my local area.

Ron Meyers 16:04

Yeah, but listen, you you are doing mission work in Texas last week. You said you've got books that have been out of the country.

SPEAKER_04 16:11

So God is It's just different, it's a different place. It's a different I just didn't go put my foot in a country overseas.

Ron Meyers 16:17

Amen. I believe this that if we really knew what God had for us, we wouldn't believe it. No, that's why he can't reveal it to us because we'd say that there's no way I couldn't do that.

SPEAKER_04 16:26

Yeah. Because if you think about it, and you know, I yes, would I have gotten to to step foot on foreign soil and teach and and minister there and and and just you know teach and pour in? Yeah, but look now what he's given us here. How many people are going to be touched just today by listening to the podcast? That is an amazing thing. So yeah, God's timing and God's plan, they're not yours.

Ron Meyers 16:49

I like to ask my guests. The title of the show is called Get the Hell Out of Your Life. So, Donna, how do you get the hell out of your life?

SPEAKER_04 16:56

You know, I try and stay totally grounded in the in God's word. It's all make every day about him. It's not about me. It's about the Lord. It's what can I do to shine forth the glory of God and what he's done in my life. He doesn't ask us to do any more than share what he's done in our lives.

Ron Meyers 17:12

That's it.

SPEAKER_04 17:13

Share what he's done in our lives. And that's the witness that we're supposed to be for him. He does the rest.

Ron Meyers 17:18

He does the rest.

SPEAKER_04 17:19

He does the rest.

Ron Meyers 17:20

So beautifully put. Before we go, will you pray for the listeners that are listening now?

SPEAKER_04 17:26

I would be honored to. Heavenly Father, I thank you so much today, just for the opportunity for those that are that are listening, for the opportunity for me to be able to speak today, Lord, and just to show your glory, Father, and to do and honor you in everything. Father, I ask that if there is someone that is listening today that does not know Jesus as their Savior, Father, that today be that day, because ultimately that is the ultimate thing. Father, I thank you. I thank you for just everything that you've given to me, Father, and those things that I don't even know that are still coming. Father, I pray for blessings on those that are listening. I pray that you touch their lives in mighty ways that Father, they, when it happens, they know beyond a shadow of a doubt. It's all God. It's all God. So, Father, as we close out today, just um thank you. Thank you for the blessings and thank you for everything in our lives, Father. And may we honor and glorify you in all that we do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Ron Meyers 18:22

What a wonderful story. I enjoyed talking with Donna. You have to check out her book available on Amazon. This may be your Lydia moment. Friends, when I return, a commentary you do not want to miss. It's rigged. How do you get the hell out of your life?

Announcer 18:39

Get on your knees and cry out to the Lord. He hears you right where you are. How to get the hell out of your life? Well, yeah, replace it with Jesus. We gotta be born again, born of the Spirit, and that's by trusting Jesus Christ, turning from our sins, and trusting Jesus. How do you get the hell out of your life? Oh gosh.

Ron’s Commentary On Grace

A Prayer For The Listener

Ron Meyers 18:54

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Welcome back, listeners. Let me say it again. It's rigged. Yes, life is rigged, but not the way the world thinks. It's rigged by a loving God who has a beautiful plan for your life. Now let me explain what I mean. Over the years on this show, I have talked to hundreds of people. People who hit rock bottom, people who lost everything, people who reached the worst moment of their lives, and in that moment, they cried out to Jesus. And that's when the rigging began. Jesus came in. He cleaned house, he forgave their sins, he gave them a new spirit, a new heart, and a new life. And suddenly life started getting good. Why? Because once Jesus enters your life, the story changes. Now, don't misunderstand me. That doesn't mean that life suddenly becomes perfect. No, you're going to have setbacks. We all do. But here's what I have discovered. Those setbacks often become the very things that puts you back on the path. God isn't causing your pain, but he is powerful enough to redeem your pain. And when he does, your story becomes even more powerful. You know something interesting? A lot of people think the way to introduce someone to Jesus is to keep inviting them to church. You know, over and over and over. But sometimes all that does is annoy them. Let me give you a better idea. If you want someone to know Jesus, start bragging about Jesus. Tell them what Jesus did for you. Tell them how he changed your life. Tell them how he brought you peace when you were falling apart. People don't want a history lesson about Jesus. They want to hear your story, your life, your transformation, your testimony. Because when your story is real, people listen. We are living in a time when people are scared. The world feels unstable. There's anxiety everywhere, fear everywhere. But years ago, God impressed something on my heart. People need to learn how to do life with me. Friends, that is so true because when things get difficult, a building won't give them peace. A radio show won't give peace. What will give them peace is a personal relationship with Jesus. Talking with him, walking with him, living life with him. Wherever they go, he goes. When they leave the house, he goes. He becomes their church. He becomes their worship, their prayer life, their armor, their destiny. Now here's something that many people struggle with. It's called grace. Because we live in a merit-based world. Work harder, do more, earn the promotion, earn approval, earn something. Success. But God says something radically different. Grace is a gift. You don't earn it, you receive it. If everything depended on learning more, studying more, doing more, well, then salvation would be about performance. But that's not grace, that's legalism. And Jesus already settled that question when he said three words on the cross. It is finished. So sometimes the most powerful thing you can say to Jesus is this Lord, I don't have it all figured out. I don't know everything. But with you, I know I'm going to be all right. After hundreds of interviews and after looking at my own life, I can testify to you today, it is rigged. When I gave my heart to Jesus, something changed. Old desires started disappearing. New desires began to grow. A new life opened up. I was forgiven. I mean, forgiven, completely forgiven, past, present, and future. And suddenly I was free to become the person that I was created to be. And my friend, that's what God wants for you. No fake version of yourself, not a religious performance, but the real you. Because the real you is the person God created. Now listen, on this journey, you may stumble. In fact, you will stumble, and you may fall, you may mess up. We all do. But that doesn't cancel God's plan. Sometimes those mistakes become the very things that strengthen your testimony. Because people don't connect with perfection, they connect with authenticity. Let me ask you something today. Are you more religious or do you have a relationship with Jesus? If someone asked you today, what has Jesus done for you? Could you answer in a personal way? Or would you start giving them a history lesson about the Bible? You see, my friend, people don't need a lecture. They need a living example. They need your story, your experience, your transformation. Friends, I don't know how many years I have left on this earth, but I do know this. I have a mission to tell as many people as possible that Jesus loves you. Jesus has a plan for you. And you don't have to earn his approval. All you need is Jesus. Now, I just heard a lot of chairs fall over in the Bible belt because people haven't been taught about grace and God's forgiveness. But today I want you to hear this clearly. Jesus is not against you, he is for you. And when you truly rely on him, he gives you a peace that surpasses understanding. So I want you to remember something. Life may look messy, your story may look unfinished, but if Jesus is your life, your future is secure. Because behind the scenes, God is working, God is guiding, redeeming, and restoring. And one day you will look back and realize something amazing. All along, it was rigged. Rigged by grace, rigged by love, rigged by a God who never stopped pursuing you. Let's take a moment together. Friend, if you're listening right now and you feel like you're at the end of your rope, like you've tried everything and you're just tired. Tired of fighting, tired of hoping, tired of trying to hold it all together. I want to pray for you. Jesus, right now there is someone listening who feels like quitting. They feel behind in life. They feel like they've made too many mistakes. They feel like everyone else figured life out except them. But Lord, you see them. You know their story. You know the nights they couldn't sleep. You know the tears nobody else saw. And Jesus, right now, I ask you that you wrap them in your presence. Remind them that they are not forgotten. Remind them that their life is not over. Remind them that your grace is bigger than their failures. Lord, if they feel like throwing in the towel today, give them just enough strength to hold on one more day. And then another day and another. Because you're not finished with their story. Jesus, help them feel your presence right now. Not religion, not pressure, just your love. Let them know that you are walking with them, that you are for them, and that their life is not falling apart. It's being rebuilt. And we thank you for that. Amen. Friends, thank you for joining me today on Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you would like to share your story of God's amazing grace, visit my website, thepromoter.org. And remember, no matter what you're facing today, Jesus hasn't forgotten you. In fact, he's working behind the scenes. Because my friend, it's rigged.

Announcer 27:21

Today's show is produced by Ron Myers Ministries, a listener-supported ministry. For a copy of today's broadcast, please visit our website, thepromoter.org. And would you prayerfully consider making a tax deductible donation so that we may continue to share stories of God's amazing grace with the world? And join us next week for another broadcast of Get the Hell Out of Your Life. Real people, sharing real struggles, and offering real hope.