Living Joy – Book Study with Kara

Lorissa: (00:56)

Yes. Okay. So real quick, just tell us a little bit about yourself, your family.

Kara: (01:01)

Oh goodness. Okay. So I am friends with Sterling and Lorissa and I get to be the spiritual director for Made for Greatness. It is like my life’s joy. And I also have three beautiful kiddos and my best friend, my husband, Jim, and we are so madly in love and I live in Idaho. We are actually moving to Northern Idaho here soon. So I’m super excited about that. And I just love, love getting to learn alongside of the women in this group. And the masters members are so inspiring and I love to be able to partake in the richness of that community brings. And of course, getting to learn about how your mind plays into your spirituality is such a wonderful, wonderful thing to be learning about.

Lorissa: (01:59)

Yes, absolutely. I mean, we talk about this a lot so much in, in the work that we do, but managing our mind, managing our thoughts and taking cap of our thoughts for Christ, right? I mean, that is so much of what we do. And we’re really excited because in a few weeks we’re gonna be launching a very special book study. Kara is gonna be launching this normally all of the book studies and Bible studies that we do are for our members in masters. And so we’re doing something really special with this particular book study. We are opening it up to any woman that wants to come and participate with us. So it’s gonna be a really powerful larger group book study. And it’s in this book. So do you wanna tell us about the book Kara?

Kara: (02:53)

Yeah, absolutely. So it is called living joy by Chris D and I don’t know if you’re familiar with him at all you guys, but he is fabulous. I love his, his, you could just tell, like he speaks in joy, he writes in joy, like he radiates the love of Christ and just this attitude of fun. It’s really refreshing to read his writing and to be able to dive into this book, I’ve, I’ve already read it probably like two times just in my excitement for this, this study and this group that we’re going to be doing, because I just really, there’s so much wonderful depth to what he’s saying in here. And one of the things I love most is that he offers his thoughts on how to find true joy. Like us, I feel like all the self-help out around us, everything, you know, in the world around us, social media, anything we’re trying to seek is almost geared towards this pursuit of joy. But I think what he does differently is it’s this clear delineation between what the world seeks as far as happiness versus what Christ offers in joy and the way that he put this book together was in just a very practical way and a way that is just so grace filled. And so in my own life, it’s just been such an encouragement and I can’t wait to share it. yeah. With you all

Lorissa: (04:27)

I know, and this is why we really wanted to open it up to everyone. Because as women, as, as wives, as mothers, we have so much on our plates. We live in a hectic high-paced world we’re going, going. And I think we all could, could use a little bit of joy and, and use the tools on how to cultivate joy. Because so much about what we talk about in masters is like a lot of times we seek joy. We seek happiness in things that are outside of ourselves. Like, oh, you know, I’ll be happy when I lose 10 pounds. I’ll be happy when I make more money or I’ll be happy when the babies are out of their diapers or, you know, like all these things. So it’s kinda like we’re chasing happiness, but the difference with joy and the true joy that comes from God is that that joy is cultivated from within us in our relationship with Christ.

Lorissa: (05:26)

And so that’s what, you know, kind of, I know that’s what you’re, you’re talking about Cara. Like he gives those practical reasons on how we cultivate that joy, no matter what season of life we’re in, whether we’re dealing with toddlers that are potty training and not sleeping through the night. And we feel exhausted, like it’s possible to still have joy. It’s possible to have joy. If our BA like, our youngest child is leaving for college and we’re gonna be empty nesters. And even though we’re experiencing maybe some sadness with that, we can still cultivate joy. And I just can’t think of a better way to do this than to like, not only dive into this book, this is really beautiful, simple, it’s short, it’s not like a volume. I mean, it’s something that you find very easy to read, but then to do it with a group of other like-minded Catholic women and moms, like how powerful that is to know that the things that you are working on, that others are doing it to, and we’re doing it together.

Kara: (06:32)

Yeah, absolutely. And I think what is so exciting about the way that we’re, we’re going to be doing it this time around is, is the ability to invite your friends. Like we could have, like, you know, they do like viewing parties or whatever for, for, for things. And I think it would be really neat if we had, you know, a group of, of women even in front of like one computer, you know, here, and then one across, you know, the states like it’s so neat that we can, gosh, we live in this wonderful time where we truly truly can create a community like around the country, around the world. I know we’ve had women in other countries in studies in the past. And so if we could get, you know, gaggles of women together in living rooms, in front of their computer, you know, all of us gathered around, so to speak, to be able to do this, and then to sort of offshoot into these, these really in depth, genuine conversations, I think it’s just such a blessing and such a community atmosphere to be able to really offer a tangible way to joy.

Kara: (07:39)

And what I love about this too, is, is the way that it’s created, it’s not a burden, right? Like we have this there’s commands and there’s promises in the Bible where, where Jesus is like have joy, you know, like I have come so that you may have joy, have life to the full. And I have to be honest, in the past sometimes I’ve been like, okay, great. The, how , you know, like, I don’t know if you’ve seen the world around us. I don’t know if you’ve seen what I’m dealing with, but yet something that I’m learning through through the thought work offered in the made for greatness community. And then also, you know, in this book is just that we really can have true joy. And so to be able to invite women who have never, maybe even heard of this mindset work, who have never really gotten to participate in any of the master’s work in the past, this is just very, I mean, it’s free. And it is such a wonderful, rich component of being able to sort of tie in this mindset, work with faith, with even science, to be able to, to change our lives for the better right. And super soaked.

Lorissa: (08:55)

Yeah. And I know that Chris Stefanik is he’s, he very much is into like, he, I, he understands life coaching concepts, he understands the neuroscience, the brain, how the brain works and how we operate, and this is the deal. Like we can either live our lives just on responding to everything that’s happening. And we’re just like, kind of going through our day, just reacting, or we can choose to live more intentionally. And this is the mindset work like, okay, how do I wanna show up today? How do I wanna feel today? And how do I want to manage my mind in such a way that I am experiencing joy, that I’m open to joy that I am again, cultivating it. That’s the word that I keep coming to because we get to create the life that we have. And so if we look at our lives and say, gosh, I want to create more joy in my life.

Lorissa: (09:54)

I wanna make more room for God. And, and the joy that he wants to give to me then this book is kind of a blueprint for that. It gives some really concrete steps on what we need to do to generate more joy in our lives. And I love even in the introduction, the first scripture passage that I see in this book is from John 15 verse 11. And it’s these things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Some translations say your joy may be complete. Like, this is the promise of our Lord. Just like you were saying, Kara, he wants our joy. Like he wants his joy to be in us and he wants it to be full mm-hmm . He just can’t imagine how powerful it would be if we really believed what our lives would look like if we really believed that that was possible?

Kara: (10:54)

Yeah. I mean, I think that this is one of the great sort of crux of our, of our faith is that when we, when we can grasp that joy, and it’s not like a once and done thing either, I mean, as, as you can attest, you know, in the mindset work, like it is like a constant battle between, you know, your thoughts and orienting them to Christ. Like it is a constant fight for making sure that you are oriented towards the truth and the beauty and the goodness. But when we can really do that, that is where the devil is defeated. Like that is where the truth of Christ prevails. And that is where we are our most genuine, authentic, and powerful force of change and good in the world. And that is where we can’t literally change the world for the better, you know, and it seems almost like too simple, but yet this is, this is like the key to everything.

Lorissa: (11:53)

Right, right. And I think that I love you know, in following Chris over the years and the work that he’s done a lot, a lot of which, because he’s done a lot with youth ministry in the church and, and adult ministry. But he really is someone that genuinely exudes joy. Like you said, mm-hmm, , he’s fun to listen to, his books are enjoyable to read, but he doesn’t, he’s not just lucky. Like he doesn’t, it’s not that he just has come across. Like he has this blessed life. He’s so lucky. Like he has a big family. He’s spoken about suffering in his life, the struggles that he’s had to endure, he works really hard. I can’t even imagine all of the things that he’s juggling in his life. So he’s very much in a similar way, like all of us, like we’re trying to do the best we can.

Lorissa: (12:51)

Our lives are not void of suffering. Many of us have great suffering in our lives, but it is still possible even in the midst of suffering. And even in the midst of grief, in the midst of pain that we can have the abiding joy that comes from God and, and him alone. And that’s the promise like when, when our Lord, when Jesus spoke those words, like I have that my joy might be in you and your joy might be full. Like he said this right before he was about to be crucified, right. Between like what was to come. And when he says like, and he wants our joy to be full or to be complete, it doesn’t mean that our lives would ever be, you know, that there would be no more suffering. That’s not it, but that with him, even the suffering, even those painful moments can be steeped with these glimpses of God and his profound love in such a way that we, we do feel that joy, that the world cannot give it, but the world also can’t take it away. Yeah. And I find a lot of hope in that and yeah, go ahead.

Kara: (14:06)

Oh yeah. So he, there was this one, one part in, in the book where he’s describing what joy to him is like, and, and he describes the surface of like a stormy sea, so to speak where the waves are just thrashing back and forth. And when you’re on that surface and you’re trying to get somewhere and it’s beyond hard, right? Like you’re getting thrashed. But then he said, joy in that circumstance would be like diving deep, deep, deep down into like, sort of that, that space in the middle where it just gets calm and it gets quiet. And you know, that there’s a storm raging on the surface, but you’re able to get your heart and your mind into that place where you know, that there is sort of this pocket of calm, where you know that through your relationship with, with Christ, your ability to tap into that trust.

Kara: (15:01)

That goes along with the fact that though life is messy. And though life is crazy. Like you still trust, and you still know the final, the final scene, so to speak, like how things all work out. That perspective place in the middle is joy that knowing deep down that the end is not now, right. That we know the end and that the end is the fruit of everything God has ever promised us. And that that’s that place where God desires for you to meet him in that and that true intimacy with him. Like that is the joy that is spotting right there. And I thought that was such a beautiful picture because I can, you know, Larisa I’ve, I’ve heard you talk about, you know, those feelings in your body that you get when you are in this, this pain, this unrest, this anxiety ridden society that is just everywhere around us. Right. It’s Inex, Inex, escapable. But that ability to pay attention to that in your body and to, to sort of diffuse that and to align that into the truth of Christ and, and to be able to manage your mind in a way that, that sort of like, can straighten all of that out. That’s that piece right there. Yeah. And I just loved that.

Lorissa: (16:17)

I love that analogy, that visualization of diving deep into the surface and getting to that calm.

Kara: (16:23)

Yeah.

Lorissa: (16:24)

And because it is, it’s always like the anxiety and the stress is always on the surface and it just hovers there and it just torments us in a way. Right. Then I think God is calling us to like, be like, slow down. Yeah. Turn to me, trust in me, this is gonna pass this. Isn’t that big of a deal to focus on. What’s really important at this moment. And just trust in me, like you said, so for you, since you’ve read it, and I know you’re so excited to bring this to women, what, what would you say is something that has been maybe your biggest takeaway for you, like applying it to your life?

Kara: (17:03)

Oh my goodness. Okay. So there’s so many, and I’m really excited to do this, you know, over the course of the next four weeks, we’ll be just getting these beautiful nuggets. But I think what I really have appreciated about the way that this book is laid out in the way that he explains it is this, isn’t another thing to put on your to-do list. This isn’t another thing to sort of beat yourself up over the head and be like, I should be drinking more water. I should be doing all these things. I, oh, darnit, you know, I’ve gotta add that to my plate too. It’s not the way that this is written. It is a beautiful invitation to, to sort of just rest and to find this place in your heart where you can take a deep breath.

Kara: (17:50)

And that’s what this book has been to me because it’s sort of this Oasis in the midst of this crazy, it’s a beautiful perspective of, you know, how God has desired us to interact with him and how he’s designed us and how he finds joy in us and, and wants us to find joy in him. And so it’s a great reminder, but it’s also just this breath of fresh air to me. I mean, he talks about resting and what that looks like in light of finding joy. He talks about making friends and what that looks like having fun and what that looks like. All things that I typically would almost discount as less spiritual or less important. He really does a good job of reminding us that those are the things that we do need, and that that’s not only okay, but necessary yeah. To taken

Lorissa: (18:54)

This and that God is in those moments. He wants to be like, he wants us to rest and to be refreshed because, and he can be the one that helps us move that he wants to refresh our souls and our bodies and our mind. He wants us to be in the community. He made us be in community with one another. So having good, meaningful friendships is in a way, very life giving. And it’s very much, it is a spiritual experience spending time with friends and having fun and laughing and experiencing carefree timelessness. All of that, those are God moments. They can be God moments, even if we’re not necessarily praying or whatever, like sitting with a group of friends and, and drinking a glass of wine or having a beer like that, like God can be in the midst of that. And he is so often, and we need to create more of those moments, but I love what you had to say about that.

Lorissa: (19:55)

As far as that, it’s not like doing this book study isn’t gonna be okay, like a whole list of, to do things it’s gonna be, how do I embrace this concept of, of bringing more joy into my life and having the mindset and maybe doing a couple of the things that, that he encourages us to do. Like you said, rest all of that. And really take that to heart. Maybe, maybe just be even more intentional. I think probably the biggest thing is reading. This just makes you a little bit more intentional about these things that are already hopefully happening in our lives, but maybe we wanna create more moments like that.

Kara: (20:40)

Yeah. I mean, so one of the most profound things that have really struck me in this was that he says, you know, we’ve, we’ve essentially in our culture, we’ve lost this ability to sink deep in a way. And that to me was very profound because whether I’m doing, you know, a tour around the house, I’m listening to a podcast, or I’m constantly trying to pursue this knowledge, you know, we’re trying to, I’m reading books, I’m pursuing, pursuing, pursuing, and, and he actually makes this really great point that like, sometimes what we need is just that silence. And in that silence is like this beauty and this depth and this profound holiness that we so often miss. And so in my own life, that’s been something I have really, really tried to just latch onto in those moments where I’m like, oh, I should be listening. I should be filling this sort of space. I’m actually just being silent and, and allowing the Lord to sort of just allow my thoughts to go, because that’s where you pay attention to the thoughts. And that’s where you pay attention to what you’re thinking about. And then that goes back into, you know, what you guys are constantly talking about is the importance of paying attention to your thinking and how that affects your joy. And so that’s been something I’ve been really paying attention to in this.

Lorissa: (22:08)

Awesome. Awesome. Okay. So this is the deal. We want every woman to have more joy in their life. We believe in Made for Greatness in masters. We believe that we really can impact the world in a significant way with the joy and the love that we have in our hearts. One of my favorite quotes is that joy is the most profound. joy is the most profound, like revelation of the presence of God. Yeah. And like that is, you know, one of those, you know, like when we show up bringing joy, we can’t help, but bring Christ. It’s bringing Christ and it’s bringing joy and his presence into the world in a very authentic and beautiful way. We want people to look at us, whether it’s in the grocery store or it’s our best friend or our children, our spouse, people at church, we want ’em to be like, what gives her joy?

Lorissa: (23:13)

What does she have? Like, where does that come from? Like, there’s something that exudes from her that just brings this, like, that’s this presence within her, this lightness, this beauty. And I mean, that’s like, that is how we can really, I mean, more than probably anything else, like just our presence and how we show up can make such an impact in this world. So we want this, we want this for all women, and that’s why we’re opening up this book study to any woman that wants to participate in it. All you have to do, you have to go on and order his book. You can go onto his website, you know, look up Googled Chris, or you can go onto Amazon it’s on there and order his book, go to our master’s on page we’ll, we’ll put the link in this podcast episode, and you can just go in and sign up to join it’s free. And you can invite friends, anyone that you want and have them come by the book. And then we’re gonna dive into this, the kickoff for the Bible study or book study, not the Bible study, but the book study is August 3rd. And there will be times I think it’s gonna be 5:00 PM. Mountain standard time, Kara.

Kara: (24:34)

Yeah.

Lorissa: (24:35)

Yeah. Okay. So depending on what time zone you’re in, it’ll go, you know, we’ll have all of the time zones listed. All you have to do is go and sign up and you’ll just put your name and your email in the sign up form. And then we will start sending you emails, letting you know, okay. You know, here’s a link where you can buy the book. This is when it starts, and then you’ll just jump on, it’ll be a zoom call. Kara will be leading this. And we’ll be sending out each week every, you know, a day or two before Wednesday. We’ll be sending out some question prompts that you can be kind of thinking about as you’re reading through the specific chapters that are kind of assigned for those weeks. And then you’ll jump on the call and there’ll be discussion and opportunity, you know, prayer discussion. And is there anything else Cara that you can think of?

Kara: (25:27)

I guess my only thought is that it’s only four weeks, even though we could probably spend like a year truly going through all this. And so our goal I think, is just to really be able to get to these really highlight points. And it may seem a little quick and I, I want to just say that if you haven’t read the book, if you haven’t caught up, so to speak on the different chapters and whatnot come anyways, because what we’re really trying to glean is just that sense of community and that, that ability to, to sort of help and to cultivate just this depth of thought, to be able to thinking, to be able to create this, thinking about your thoughts and how that can relate to joy. And we’ll be tying in of course, scripture, because that’s what we use.

Kara: (26:22)

Right. and so really it’s, it’s going to be pretty quick because we didn’t want to add, you know, several months of this, because we know we got crazy schedules. We know school is starting up again. We know it’s nuts. And so the point is to just be able to dive a little bit into this, to be able to hopefully begin to get some communities that could maybe even keep going, you know, after the study is completed. And then to really be able to get you to start thinking and to be able to start seeing opportunities for joy in your life.

Lorissa: (26:58)

Yes. So good. So really again, to recap, if you do not like it if you join and then you miss a chapter or two in reading, don’t worry. Kara’s gonna recap at the beginning of the call, she’ll share some highlights insights. You’ll be able to participate in the questions and the discussion, whether or not you’ve read it. I mean, obviously it would help if you read it, but if you, if you don’t get to it, there’s no pressure there, right? This is not one of those books. I mean, this is one of those books that’s really there to just help guide you, but we can all have meaningful conversations around the topics. So we all kind of get the topics anyway. Yeah. So, so good. Well, Kara, thank you so much for your heart, your love for God, your desire to spread his joy. Thank you for leading us in this book study. It’s gonna be so awesome. Yeah. And we hope that everyone listening to this right now is like, heck yeah, I wanna be a part of that. I wanna be a part of a group of women that are bringing more joy to their lives. I want that. I wanna, I wanna be a part of that. And in this world right now, there is probably aside from God, like we need community and

Kara: (28:16)

So needed.

Lorissa: (28:17)

Mm-Hmm and so I just think, I know, I know that there’s gonna be some really neat friendships that are made in this group and we’re gonna come together. It’s gonna be super powerful and we’re gonna do this work together. We’re not alone in it and we’re not alone in our struggles. And we’re also not alone in who we place our hope in. And that’s pretty awesome. So, amen. All well, ladies, sign up for this, go check it out. Invite a friend. And of course, as always remember that you are Made for Greatness.