• Facing 24 medical diagnoses and still choosing hope

• How to find humor and gratitude in the middle of chaos

• The biblical truth that Jesus never promised an easy life—but He did promise His presence and victory

• Practical tools for advocacy in hospitals, workplaces, and schools

• Why knowledge plus action equals true empowerment

• How our words and agreements shape our experiences of healing and hope

• Hope is tangible. It's not just a Sunday school answer—God shows up in real, practical ways when you cry out.

• You can advocate. Whether with doctors, teachers, or employers, you have the right to speak up and stand strong.

• Humor heals. Laughter isn't denial; it's medicine for your heart and perspective.

• Cover yourself spiritually. Don't carry what God never asked you to hold—armor up in prayer and truth.

• Knowledge empowers. Do your research, ask questions, and make room for God's wisdom alongside medical advice.

Crystal's story is a reminder that you are not powerless. You are a child of the King, and you carry His authority into every valley and every battle.

As I always say—you are powerful for the Kingdom of Heaven and dangerous to the system of darkness. Now it's time for you to rise up, advocate with courage, laugh in the face of adversity, and roar with hope.

To connect with Crystal and access her free gift, check out these links:
https://linktr.ee/kcrystalgriffith.com
https://stan.store/MedicalMomWarriors

And don't forget:

• Visit https://CarrieHurley.com

• Explore https://TheVerseThing.com

• Support on https://Patreon.com/RiseUpCarrieHurley

• Connect on Facebook and Instagram

• Download your free 100 Declarations of Truth & Grace PDF: https://CarrieHurley.com/100

• Book a Personal Soul Care Session: https://CarrieHurley.com/private-dsc-session

And if this episode blessed you, please take a moment to leave a review—it helps more people find hope-filled conversations like this one.

Carrie walks listeners through the deeply personal and spiritual practice of forgiveness — not as weakness, but as a choice to get "unstuck" from what has been holding us back.

• You're not stuck because of what happened. You're stuck because of what you believe about what happened.

• Forgiveness isn't about the other person. It's about your freedom.

• Forgiveness is a process, not a one-and-done.

👉 Challenge:
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you who you need to forgive — even if it's you. Write their name down. Speak it out loud:
"I forgive ____ for ____________________. I cancel all offense, unforgiveness and bitterness that I hold against them and I release them to Jesus."

Your healing matters to God — and so does your freedom. Don't wait for someone to apologize before you move forward. Today is a good day to forgive… and get unstuck.

🔗 Dive deeper into spiritual renewal with these resources:

• 🧘‍♀️ Book your Personal Soul Care Session here: https://CarrieHurley.com/private-dsc-session

• 🌐 https://CarrieHurley.com

• 📖 https://TheVerseThing.com

• 💖 https://Patreon.com/CarrieHurleyRiseUp

• 📱 Facebook.com/CarrieBrownHurley

• 📸 Instagram.com/MrsCarrieHurley

💬 Leave a review on your favorite podcast app so more women can find freedom, too!

📥 Grab your 100 Declarations of Truth & Grace PDF: https://CarrieHurley.com/100

Do you even recognize when the enemy is attacking you?
Spoiler alert: It's not usually with pitchforks and fire—it's in your thoughts, reactions, stress triggers, and doubts.

Spiritual warfare is REAL.The enemy can't read your mind, but he absolutely studies your patterns. Whether it's fear, pride, perfectionism, or self-doubt, he'll use it.

Spiritual warfare is personal, not fantasy

But God didn't leave us defenseless—He gave us armor…HIS armor:
Isaiah 59:17 - "He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head.He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion." (Note: I misspoke in the audio and said Ephesians 59:17. *facepalm*)

Let's walk through each piece of armor found in Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT, and break down how it applies to real life—yes, even when you're yelling into a pillow or trying not to lose it in traffic.

• Recognizing enemy attacks and emotional triggers

  • The enemy is strategic. But so is our God.

• How to stop fighting people and start fighting the real enemy

  • Recognize people aren't your enemy

  • You don't fight for victory—you fight from it.

• • • Armor isn't optional—it's essential for daily living.

    • Belt of Truth & Body Armor of God's Righteousness

    • Feet shod with the Gospel of peace (hobnail boots!)

    • Shield of Faith

    • Helmet of Salvation & Sword of the Spirit

    • Pray in the Spirit at all times - Prayer is a weapon, not just a comfort.

      What each piece of armor represents and how to "put it on"

• Practical ways to stand firm, even when life is a battlefield

  • Intentionally armor up

  • Recognize the real enemy - ask Holy Spirit for revelation

  • Repent of any legal right the enemy may have to you

  • Bind the enemy to the foot of the cross

  • Cover the whole situation with the blood of Jesus

  • Speak and Act in congruence with your identity as a Child of the King

  • REMINDER: Standing firm doesn't mean never being hit—it means never staying down.
    
    

💥 Challenge of the Week:
Every morning this week, before your feet hit the floor, speak Ephesians 6:10–18 out loud. Visualize putting on each piece of armor. Declare it like you mean it—and watch what shifts.

Sister, you don't need to stay worn down, discouraged, or caught off guard. God has equipped you, but it's your job to put the armor on. You're not fighting alone—and you're not fighting powerless. Take your stand today.

💥 Ready to go deeper?
Join me inside The Verse Thing: Armor of God for Scripture memory, spiritual strategy, and powerful encouragement! You'll get bite-sized truth that packs a punch—perfect for busy women who are ready to fight back with the Word of God.

🎁 Use code TVT5 at checkout to get $5 off each month!

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📄 Download the 100 Declarations of Truth & Grace PDF: https://CarrieHurley.com/100

Have you ever stopped yourself from trying something new because you weren't sure you'd be good at it? Welcome to the club—and welcome to the latest episode of Rise Up & Roar. Today, Carrie gets real about perfectionism, the fear of failure, and how God calls us to step into progress, not perfection. What if the bravest thing you can do is try…and be bad at it?

Carrie shares personal stories from her younger years where she quit things not because she couldn't—but because she was scared to fail. From basketball to baking show metaphors to bold faith steps like Peter walking on water, this episode is a freeing reminder that failing doesn't make you a failure.

With Scripture as the foundation, Carrie challenges the lies of the enemy and invites listeners into a growth mindset rooted in grace and identity in Christ. Whether you've quit too soon or never even started, this episode will light a fire under your faith and encourage you to rise again.

• The perfectionism trap: tying your identity to performance and productivity

• The lie of "I failed, so I am a failure"

• How the enemy keeps us living small by keeping us afraid of failure

• What it means to "fail forward" in faith

• The difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset

• Biblical encouragement for when life (or water skiing) gets messy

• How to embrace God's grace in the learning process

• Declaring truth over your identity, even in the awkward places

• Failure is not your identity.

• God invites us to keep going, not give up.

• Grace is for the mess, not just the masterpiece.

• You can't grow if you're not willing to start.

• Faith starts where our expertise ends.

🔔 Challenge of the Week:
Take one bold, messy, imperfect step toward something you've been avoiding because you were afraid to fail. Bonus points if you can laugh at yourself in the process.

Need a little extra encouragement on your brave, messy journey?

👉 Book your Personal Soul Care Session - https://CarrieHurley.com/private-dsc-session
📥 Grab your FREE 100 Declarations of Truth & Grace - https://CarrieHurley.com/100
🌐 Visit: https://CarrieHurley.com
📖 Join The Verse Thing - https://TheVerseThing.com
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💬 Let's connect on Facebook and Instagram

✨ If this episode spoke to you, please leave a review! Your words help other women rise up and roar in their God-given purpose. 🙌

• Why Paul's "one final thing" is the ultimate focus reset

• How your thoughts shape your reality—and your peace

• Carrie's heartfelt prayer over you (grab a tissue)

• An invitation to The Verse Thing community for Scripture memory and meditation

• A sneak peek at what's coming next

• Your focus feeds your faith. What you dwell on determines your peace.

• The world may be a mess, but your mind doesn't have to be.

• Memorizing Scripture isn't just for kids—it's your spiritual armor.

• You are powerful for the Kingdom of Heaven and dangerous to the system of darkness.

• Challenge of the Week: Choose one of the words from Philippians 4:8—true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy—and actively seek to focus on that throughout your day. Journal what you notice shifting in your heart and mind.

You've come this far, and God's not done with you yet.
Your thoughts matter. Your words matter.
And your next step might just be the roar that shakes the enemy's camp.

So go on, daughter of the King...
Fix your focus. Fuel your faith. And rise up & roar.

👉 Join The Verse Thing to memorize Scripture with support and joy — https://TheVerseThing.com
🎉 Use coupon code: TVT5 for $5 off your monthly membership
🛡️ Explore topics like Philippians, Armor of God, Foundations of Prayer, Renewing Your Mind, and the brand-new Victorious Thinking in Jesus
🙌 Need personal support? Book your Private Soul Care Session: https://CarrieHurley.com/private-dsc-session
📜 Grab your 100 Declarations of Truth & Grace PDF: https://CarrieHurley.com/100

• 🌐 https://CarrieHurley.com

• 📖 https://TheVerseThing.com

• ❤️ https://Patreon.com/CarrieHurleyRiseUp

• 👍 Facebook.com/CarrieBrownHurley

• 📸 Instagram.com/MrsCarrieHurley

💥 Leave a Review! It helps others discover the podcast and join the journey. Share what this Philippians series has meant to you!

• Confession time: My lifelong obsession with the destination. Goals, checklists, and getting there fast—rest stops were for the weak, right?

• God's gentle correction: Learning that He is the God of the journey, not just the breakthrough.

• Celebration as worship: When we stop to celebrate, we honor the One who brought us through.

• The moment it hit me: My friend Noelle asked, "So what needs to be celebrated for you right now?"

• What I realized: 103 podcast episodes... and I hadn't even taken a minute to let that settle into my soul.

• God's invitation to YOU: What if your pause is actually His applause?

• The tension between striving and savoring

• Why we struggle to celebrate milestones (hello, comparison)

• Biblical examples of celebration and remembrance

• Practical ways to pause and celebrate with God

• Encouragement for listeners to stop minimizing what they've overcome

1. Ecclesiastes 3:13 (NLT) → Celebration is not a luxury—it's a gift from God.

1. Luke 15:22-24 (NLT) → God throws a party when something is redeemed. Shouldn't we, too?

1. Joshua 4:6-7 (NLT) → Every milestone deserves a marker.

1. Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)→ Even small steps are worth celebrating.

• God is not just interested in your destination—He's present in the process.

• Celebration is a holy habit that guards against burnout and breeds gratitude.

• You don't have to "earn" celebration—it's already yours.

• Pausing to reflect isn't lazy, it's life-giving.

Ask yourself:

1. Are you about the destination or the journey?

2. What needs to be celebrated for you right now?

Maybe it's getting out of bed on a hard day.
Maybe it's showing up 103 times.
Maybe it's simply saying yes to God again today.

🎉 Whatever it is—let's celebrate together.

💌 I'd love to hear from you!
DM me or comment on today's post with your celebration moment.
Let's build a community that rejoices on the way, not just at the end.

🧡 And if you haven't yet:

• Book your Personal Soul Care Session (https://CarrieHurley.com/private-dsc-session)

• Download your free 100 Declarations of Truth & Grace PDF (https://carriehurley.com/100)

• Join the conversation and support the show on Patreon (https://Patreon.com/CarrieHurleyRiseUp)

• 🌐 https://CarrieHurley.com

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💬 Don't forget to leave a review if this episode blessed you. Every kind word helps someone else find hope too.

• Carrie opens by clarifying what joy is not—it's not based on circumstances or fleeting emotions. It's a fruit of the Spirit and a gift from abiding in God's presence.

• Personal testimonies bring the lesson home: from worshiping through tears during a family crisis to witnessing the joy of the Lord in a 25-year-old grieving widow.

• Four foundational truths about joy are unpacked with humor, raw honesty, and a whole lot of Scripture.

• Carrie shares a hysterical-yet-holy parenting moment (yes, there was a Duplo block fight), illustrating how joy can shift the whole atmosphere.

• She closes with encouragement to start a joy journal, share your joy with others, and most importantly, ask the Lord to restore your joy if it's been lost.

• The difference between happiness and true joy

• How joy is rooted in God's presence—not your present situation

• Using joy as a weapon against bitterness, anger, and burnout

• Abiding in Christ to unlock overflowing, Holy Spirit-produced joy

• Why joy is meant to be shared and how it multiplies in community

• 💡 Joy is not a feeling—it's a fruit. Cultivate it by staying connected to the Vine (Jesus).

• 🛡️ Joy is a weapon. Use it to combat exhaustion, anger, and cynicism.

• 🌱 Joy grows when you abide. Don't let a "kink in the hose" block the flow of God's goodness.

• 💧 Joy is contagious. Splash it around. Let others catch what you've got!

• 📖 Challenge: Start a Joy Journal this week. Write down joyful Scriptures, moments of choosing joy in difficulty, and testimonies of God's faithfulness.

Are you feeling joy-adjacent but not joy-filled? Ask the Lord to restore your joy. Start that Joy Journal. Text a friend. Send a coffee invite. Be a joy bringer. And if you're in a season where you just can't, reach out to Carrie for prayer or schedule a free 15-minute call. You are never alone.

Remember, Sister:
🦁 You are powerful for the Kingdom of Heaven.
🛡️ You are dangerous to the system of darkness.
👑 It's time to Rise Up & Roar in your power, place, privilege, rights & responsibilities as a Daughter of the King!

https://TheVerseThing
https://Patreon.com/CarrieHurleyRiseUp
https://CarrieHurley.com
https://CarrieHurley.com/100