Transforming Pain into Purpose: Thomasena's Story of Healing, Hope & Beautiful Resilience

In this deeply moving conversation, Jill O’Boyle sits down with Thomasena Colbert to share her powerful story of resilience after the heartbreaking loss of her son. Thomasena opens up about her journey through grief, the role of faith in her healing, and how she has transformed her pain into purpose. Together, they explore the importance of acknowledging emotions, seeking support, and allowing light to emerge from even the darkest seasons. This episode offers hope, encouragement, and a reminder that while grief changes us, it doesn’t have to define us. 

Learn more about Thomasena and her book: Beautiful Resilience 

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Transcript

Jill O'Boyle (00:02.878)
Hello friends and welcome back to another episode of your life, your story rise up podcast. am your host Jill O'Boyle and I am so grateful that you showed up today. I know that you are going to be moved by the story we are going to share today and I just thank you for choosing this podcast and continuing to just keep coming back and listening. I so appreciate it. Today's guest is a woman whose story embodies just resilience.

faith purpose. Thomasina Colbert serves as the director of operations for secure networks and corporation where she leads with heart and vision to support families affected by sickle cell disease. She is also a wife, a mother and a grandmother, lovely called big mama. Love that. She is passionate advocate for families impacted by gun violence. But honestly, you all

beyond her roles and title, Tomasina carries a deeply personal story of loss and faith and healing. And so after the tragic loss of her son, she discovered how God can turn even the darkest moments into opportunities to rediscover her light and live with renewed purpose. So she is going to join us today to just share.

a little bit of her journey of just healing and faith and community. And I know she's going to just encourage us all to just shine that light that God has placed within us. So Thomasina, welcome my friend.

Thomasena Colbert (01:43.48)
Good morning, my friend. Thank you so much for this opportunity to share my story. I really appreciate you and our friendship.

Jill O'Boyle (01:49.362)
Yes. I appreciate you and you know, our friendship is a God story. I do believe that and he just continues to just keep bringing you back in my life at the perfect timing, I believe. And so I'm just, I'm excited that we are here and we are gonna be able to just share a little bit of your story. So speaking of that, let's just start with kind of.

Thomasena Colbert (02:12.462)
gas.

Jill O'Boyle (02:17.937)
You know, what did bring you here today? You know, what inspired you to just say yes to sharing your story on the podcast?

Thomasena Colbert (02:27.436)
Well, you know, I did attend your 828 retreat, which was amazing. God was moving. I met some fantastic sisters, women in Christ. Just the opportunity to share my testimony. I just realized that it was blessing other women when they see me. They're in disbelief that my story is what it is. And all glory goes to God.

Jill O'Boyle (02:34.717)
Mm.

Jill O'Boyle (02:57.265)
Yeah, yes, yes.

Thomasena Colbert (02:59.276)
And we, like you said, we ran into each other so many, so many opportune times that God was definitely in it. And for us to be here today and me sharing my story is nothing short of God's will in our lives.

Jill O'Boyle (03:14.213)
Yes, yes, a hundred percent. You are just a beautiful woman. And then I think when people look at you, you, you embody such strength and posture and grace. So I'm just excited for us to just kind of dive in. And I shared a little bit about that in the intro, right? In your bio of losing your son. And so, mean, I can't, nobody, nobody.

can even comprehend what that's like. So I know that it has to be just unimaginable. But can you share just a little bit about, maybe a little bit about what happened in that story of losing your son, how that healing journey has looked like since your son's passing? How do you stand with such strength and grace wherever you'd like to begin?

Thomasena Colbert (04:08.012)
Yeah, sure. So thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate that. My story, the journey has been very difficult. It was very difficult in the beginning, and it still has its days. But I always say, and I always believe that it's community.

It's God's grace, it's forgiveness. It's actually feeling the emotions that you feel and not muffling them down. It's not, I didn't make people feel uncomfortable in the beginning because of, you know, I had people pleasing tendencies that I hadn't processed. And during this journey, I realized that I was muffling down my own.

Jill O'Boyle (04:57.042)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (05:01.928)
know, emotions and needing to cry out and not be okay. I learned on this journey with study and relationships that it's okay to not be okay. And it's okay for people to be uncomfortable with your grief. You said that it's unimaginable. And I always tell women and men, know, they say, I can't imagine. always say, don't try, please.

It's one of these clubs that no one ever wants to be a member of. And it's nothing but a miracle that I'm sitting here in front of you in my right mind. So when I see moms that have lost children or dads that have lost children and you know, these people can end up, us, we can end up on the side of the road holding a sign because it takes you to the darkest pit of hell. And I actually just attended a great banquet.

Jill O'Boyle (05:55.985)
Yes.

Thomasena Colbert (05:58.574)
and I shared with the ladies that death was you die with that person. You spiritually die with that person. It is your work from that moment that you put in that'll either bring you back to life or will keep you in a dead space. So my testimony is that I have been fighting to live.

fighting to live the life for the child that I lost and for the heartbeat that I lost. And so I said in the beginning, I gained another heartbeat when my son passed away because now I have to live for him and of course my other children, but more so for him because he is no longer on earth. And that, that'll knock any sane person off of their feet.

Jill O'Boyle (06:33.956)
Mmm.

Jill O'Boyle (06:46.653)
100%, 100%. I remember when we were talking, you said this line, that your light was dimmed, but later rediscovered on wet concrete. What did that mean for you and how did that change the way that you see yourself?

Thomasena Colbert (06:47.822)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (07:06.296)
gosh. So the wet concrete was a metaphor, but it actually happened when I got the news of that my son had lost his life. I hit the ground. It was raining and I found myself lying on the ground. And then just like God does, he sent two angels that picked me up, like carried me in my house.

Jill O'Boyle (07:18.043)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (07:31.517)
Mmm.

Thomasena Colbert (07:32.502)
made a phone call to my emergency phone contact and my cell phone. I don't know how they got the number. Like I didn't remember any of how we got there, but I just know that I was standing up. I was on my feet and help was in the way. Right. And so I use that metaphor in life because when you, when I got knocked down, God stood me up. He put me in the right community with the right women at the right time. And it wasn't

Jill O'Boyle (07:41.851)
Any of it.

Thomasena Colbert (08:00.258)
immediately, right? It took time. It's taken communication. It's taken prayer. It's taken belief. It's taken faith. It's taken doubt. It's taken all those things in order for me to say, you know what? I'm going to live and not die. But it wasn't me saying it was the Holy Spirit in me. It was the women in my community praying for me when I couldn't pray for myself. That resilience came from

Jill O'Boyle (08:02.662)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (08:15.9)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (08:26.752)
a body of believers who were standing in the gap on the days that I was too weak or too hurt or too dead to cry out for myself.

Jill O'Boyle (08:33.063)
Yeah, right. Sure. Yeah, I mean, I think if anybody can put themselves in that situation, I love how you said that don't, because it is unimaginable. But I would say many of us would want to isolate. We would want to, you know, go dark. We would want to ask all the questions. Why? Why him? Why not me? I could imagine if I was a parent, I would be like,

Thomasena Colbert (08:44.355)
down.

Jill O'Boyle (09:03.247)
And I'm sure that you've had the same thoughts like, why didn't you take me? And so I think many of us in those moments carry pain, you know, quietly, you know, I said isolation, but whatever, whatever that means for you quietly, but we.

Thomasena Colbert (09:09.294)
Absolutely.

Jill O'Boyle (09:23.825)
I believe, nobody can say this when things happen and it be okay. And so I don't want to put this as a blanket statement, but I do believe that through everything God does have purpose. And in that moment, there could have been people, Christian people that have said that to you and you're like, yeah, well, I see no light in this. I see no purpose in this. I think there's so many times when we are in the dark, we cannot see any light or goodness coming.

So from your experience being in that position, how do you encourage others to recognize

how there is purpose or when they're, you know, maybe dimming their light and God is saying, I need you to actually go out and share the story like you're doing today. what, what do you, what encouragements do you have to people that might be, you know, living in that situation right now?

Thomasena Colbert (10:23.598)
I mean, I will say, don't get it twisted. Like I was in a dark spot, right? Like, and I acknowledge that. I think the best encouragement is first saying, I'm in a dark spot. Like, I don't like saying something. I don't know, you know, how, I don't know if I can get out on the other side of this. You know, I remember saying to other moms, like, if I didn't wake up tomorrow, I would be okay.

Jill O'Boyle (10:37.169)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (10:49.595)
Mm-hmm.

Thomasena Colbert (10:49.602)
but then saying it to someone who hadn't, I say other moms who had lost children, but then saying it to other, to women who hadn't lost children in the perception of what I was saying was perceived so differently because when you've lost the child, you don't want to die, but you don't want to live. So you're not suicidal. So if that makes sense, I'm sorry.

Jill O'Boyle (11:12.413)
Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (11:15.95)
For a mom who hasn't lost a child, it's like, oh my God, Thomasina's suicidal. It's not that, it's that you have to fight to live. So my advice would be to first know where you are in the storm that you're in, because we all have different types of storm where we do isolate, but the enemy is busy in isolation. And when you are alone, all you have is your own thoughts to regurgitate.

Jill O'Boyle (11:28.358)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (11:36.433)
very much.

Thomasena Colbert (11:43.03)
And if you don't have the spirit of forgiveness for yourself, because we do still have to forgive ourselves because I was more upset at myself than I was at the man who took my son's life because I wasn't there. so acknowledge it, get in a community, even if you have to just go and be quiet.

Jill O'Boyle (11:46.684)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (11:55.069)
Mm.

Jill O'Boyle (12:06.225)
Yeah, yeah. And even that you made a good statement there because I think as moms and mothers, we want to be that mama bear that's going to protect. Right. So I can sense in your saying that there was a little bit of guilt and shame that you weren't there to save, save him. And I bet there's many people that could carry that same guilt and shame and that you weren't there.

Thomasena Colbert (12:27.532)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (12:34.708)
Absolutely.

Jill O'Boyle (12:35.865)
Yeah. So you talked about the power of, of community and you said, you know, honestly, well, first I want to go back. You said the first thing is, which I think is amazing is self-aware. Like acknowledge where you are. think that is, I don't, didn't want to miss that because that is, that is, that is honestly huge. And in anything, anything in life is that's being able to be self-aware to say, okay, where am I at?

And then seek God to say, okay, God, here is where I'm at. And I'm gonna give it to you. And what's my next step from here, right? And maybe for you, it's okay. It's okay to say I'm not okay. I shouldn't be okay when something like this happens. And so maybe the next step was God did bring some amazing support people in your life and that power of community. So you said these.

Thomasena Colbert (13:09.742)
That's.

Jill O'Boyle (13:34.609)
people came around inside of you and just was praying when you couldn't even pray, right? So how had that being in that community, being surrounded by others experience and support that just healing journey?

Thomasena Colbert (13:51.938)
Well, being around others, it allowed me to, I would say, realize that I'm not every woman by myself. There were things that other women poured into me that I couldn't find the words for. I didn't have the mental capacity to express. Therapy was a part of it as well. And having other friends that had therapists.

Jill O'Boyle (14:03.579)
Mm-hmm.

Thomasena Colbert (14:18.966)
recommend good therapists to me. The women that came alongside me on this journey were not super women. They were regular moms who cried out for me. They were women who had lost children who understood the journey. They were friends of my son's parents.

Jill O'Boyle (14:20.957)
Mm-hmm.

Thomasena Colbert (14:47.822)
kids of my son's parents, not parents, but kids of my son's friends' parents. I'm sorry, I just messed that all up. it was such a challenging time being able to be open to share, because for a long time I couldn't. I wasn't able to be open to share. I was very much isolated. But once I started to be in the community and be able to express,

Jill O'Boyle (14:54.831)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. No, you're good.

Thomasena Colbert (15:17.464)
hey, I'm drowning. It changed everything minute by minute, know, step by step. And,

Jill O'Boyle (15:19.985)
Yeah. Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (15:28.962)
just

acknowledging that, I need help. I'm drowning. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (15:33.598)
I need help. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. I love that you acknowledge it. But also I think if I would guess God also knew the right people to place in your life during that time. I don't care what type of situation you're in, know, whatever dark space that we find ourselves in the suffering, right? As God calls it, there are going to be trials in our life and there's suffering.

And I even in my journey very very different hardships, right but nonetheless God continued to bring people in my life for that season for a reason and I can look back now and I can I can see how those people were uniquely placed there and sometimes they're still with me today and some

Thomasena Colbert (16:28.834)
Absolutely.

Jill O'Boyle (16:31.759)
are not with me today. They were there just for a moment in time. he, you know, I think I've shared this story on the podcast before. Like one of the ladies was someone that is a neighbor, like three or four houses down. And God used her, a woman of faith and the bachelor with wine on Monday nights. Cause that was a thing that I was into back then. For her to actually speak truth,

in my situation over that, in that type of environment. You know what I mean? Like, he's a god of details. And so I don't know if you experienced something similar like that, Thomasina, where just what we may say, random, coincidental, not for God, those people came along your path. Anybody stand out in your mind that you were like, yes, or multiple people that you can see?

Thomasena Colbert (17:06.51)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (17:26.048)
Absolutely, absolutely. So I started line dancing. So I started doing things that I hadn't normally done. Like you said, the bachelor of mine was line dancing with a sister friend, having cry out moments with a cousin in Georgia over the phone. Just my cousin, I had a grief partner. So unfortunately, while we're grieving, other people are as well.

Jill O'Boyle (17:33.637)
Hmm. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (17:46.31)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (17:53.991)
Yes. Yes.

Thomasena Colbert (17:54.816)
And it's important that your grief partner is somebody that also has the same values as you. Right. So for me, I'm a believer. Right. So I have to have the word of God spoken over my life, into my life, and I also have to speak it. And so when you're in a dead place, dry bones, right? When you're in a dead place, have to come back to life and you have to have somebody in your life that's going to speak into your life.

Jill O'Boyle (18:15.131)
Mm-hmm. Yep.

Thomasena Colbert (18:24.182)
And so those people, which was my cousin Jovita, she was a recent widow at the same time that I lost my son. And so, right, so you can imagine our conversations over the years because it's a journey. This was not overnight.

Jill O'Boyle (18:35.612)
Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (18:41.799)
journey. Very good keyword there.

Thomasena Colbert (18:44.352)
It's a journey and rushing or trying to keep up with the Joneses in grief is not a good thing. But my sister, friend, and my cousin, Autumn and Shay, we cha-chaed and line danced and drank wine, absolutely. it was one of those things that, you you're still very heavy, still carrying the grief, but that little moment of relief, you know.

Jill O'Boyle (18:52.175)
No. No.

Jill O'Boyle (19:00.357)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (19:11.193)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (19:14.466)
ended up being like, my gosh, I loved when we get together and cackle, you know, and giggle and dance. And then I can go home and fall out or that I can, usually they were coming to my house and I can go in there in a house and fall out on the couch and be okay in that moment. But I'm still grieving, but I'm not stuck. I wasn't around myself to be stuck in the.

Jill O'Boyle (19:20.507)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (19:30.375)
Sure. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (19:36.305)
Yes.

That's right. And you know, your son looking down would want you to be line dancing and cracking up, right? I mean, I think there's some of that too. It's like this fear of like, I shouldn't go out and live. I should be stuck. Like you said, I should be stuck here in the sorrow and the grief. And, sure. I mean, it never, I'm sure it never goes away. And you know, any moment you want your son to be back, but

Thomasena Colbert (19:46.094)
Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Jill O'Boyle (20:08.635)
I'm sure he looked down on those days and there was a smile up above. yeah. So talk to me about this big mama that you are known about to your grandchildren and just how this whole thing for you has just shaped the way that you show up in life for them as big mama to them.

Thomasena Colbert (20:13.186)
Yes. yeah. Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (20:32.66)
Absolutely. My son made me a big mama at like 34. And they were like, mama. And I was like, big mama. So I said, I'm to be big mama. It's a staple mama in the Black community. Like I had big mamas. My friends had big mamas. Some of my friends had a big mama and a little mama. I thought that was amazing. Changed my life because it's generational.

Jill O'Boyle (20:37.651)
Okay.

Jill O'Boyle (20:54.929)
Mm-hmm. Mm.

Thomasena Colbert (21:00.492)
You know, it's three generations before I lost my grandmother recently. And well, after I lost Isaiah, like a month later, so it was double grief. my grandmothers played a huge role in my life. Like without them, I would not have the faith that I have. I wouldn't have the ability to love my grandchildren the way that I do. My grandchildren were coming to my home.

Jill O'Boyle (21:20.754)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (21:29.538)
for the summers and we were eating and playing and going places and spending time together. And my son that is no longer on earth has two sons. And so the blessing of having descendants of him is a little piece of heaven on earth for me. I'm so thankful for that. And know that my heart breaks for women who

Jill O'Boyle (21:49.51)
Mm hmm. Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (21:57.196)
had one child, lost one child, their only child who didn't have children. So I see the blessing of God on my life in the favor for me to be able to say I'm somebody's big mom.

Jill O'Boyle (22:00.657)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (22:06.269)
Mm-hmm.

Jill O'Boyle (22:10.051)
Yeah, I love that. I love that. And what lessons are you now trying to instill in them as you pass that your lessons and journey through life to them?

Thomasena Colbert (22:18.706)
Thomasena Colbert (22:22.114)
to love God and to love themselves.

Jill O'Boyle (22:25.553)
Yes, yes, amen.

Thomasena Colbert (22:26.336)
And to be mindful, and to be mindful that you just don't treat people any kind of way. Because you just don't know what people are going through.

Jill O'Boyle (22:34.909)
Yes, yes, yes. So at the 828 retreat, one of the biggest things, know, the purpose of that whole retreat is to really identify. I love how you said love God, love yourself, right? You know, love people. At the 828 retreat, know, I, one of my biggest, biggest goals was for women to know who they are and whose they are in Christ, how he has created us on purpose.

for purpose. And so I know we go into some of those, you know, we ravel up some things at the 828 retreat to kind of just get back in touch with who you are. And then ultimately by the end of the retreat, we do that assessment. So would you mind talking a little bit about how, you know, how that retreat experience was for you and then what your two word purpose was and how do you see that purpose showing up in your life?

Thomasena Colbert (23:35.435)
my gosh, it was so...

eye-opening. I think, like you said a few minutes ago, isolation is a thief stiller. Because when you are around other women and other women are saying, hey, I have that problem too, or you too, like there is a sense of freedom knowing that it's not just me. I'm not a mistake that God accidentally created, that I am.

Jill O'Boyle (23:50.546)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (23:59.922)
Right.

Jill O'Boyle (24:06.813)
you

Thomasena Colbert (24:08.682)
fearfully and wonderfully made, So for me, being surrounded by other women who believed in God, and also for me, recognizing that I am where I'm supposed to be at, that imposter syndrome is real life. We don't even know that it's there until we're quiet enough to hear the voice to say, you really can do this, or you really are capable, you are able.

Jill O'Boyle (24:11.729)
Yes.

Thomasena Colbert (24:38.082)
to do exceedingly and abundantly above what God said that you could do with his help. And so, was really eye-opening for me too. It was really a great experience. The nature, the laughter, the tears, it was just amazing. And I truly enjoyed and was thankful, yes.

Jill O'Boyle (24:56.337)
Yeah. Well, thank you.

Jill O'Boyle (25:02.983)
Well, I appreciate you saying that. And I think, you know, a lot of the women that I connect with are high achieving women, goal driven women, because that's honestly who I was. And so when you talk about the isolation, it's so every time I talk about this, I'm like, we are so high achievers, right?

but so many of us do isolate because we have this mindset of like, I can just do it myself. Like it's just easier. I just get it done. I can do it all by myself. I don't need anybody. I don't need any you. I don't need you. I don't know you. I mean, I lived like that for a long time. And that is the enemy's biggest tactic right there. And he will want to just continue to have you believe that.

But we know as believers that is a that is a lie from the enemy. It is a huge lie We cannot do anything anything on our own. We need a we need God in our lives But he wants to have you Go out be on purpose make a difference in but you can only make a difference when you are Surrounded by the right the right people his word his truth So I love that you said that because it's so true. I think

Thomasena Colbert (26:01.728)
Yes, it is.

Jill O'Boyle (26:25.883)
what we experience at that retreat is a lot of high achievers who finally, you know, are in the presence of the Holy Spirit at an event that's not like a typical conference. We're opening up about real things that people can finally be seen and heard and known and said, yeah, you're not alone in this. You're not alone in this. So yeah, and you are definitely one of those high achieving women for sure, for sure.

Thomasena Colbert (26:41.741)
Yeah.

Thomasena Colbert (26:53.496)
I can do it by myself, for sure.

Jill O'Boyle (26:55.517)
But you can't. But you can't.

Thomasena Colbert (26:57.336)
Like, no, I can't, right? But I'm touting, I can do it by myself. Like even with saying, not just feel it and embody it, but would speak the words. So, you know, now I know wrong, incorrect.

Jill O'Boyle (27:08.807)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Jill O'Boyle (27:18.909)
amen. All right, so what was your two word purpose when you discovered it at the retreat?

Thomasena Colbert (27:25.452)
My two-word purpose was liberating greatness.

Jill O'Boyle (27:29.213)
Mmm, I love it.

Thomasena Colbert (27:30.806)
I know liberating and greatness. I was like, my God.

Jill O'Boyle (27:37.191)
So what did that mean to you when you first heard it?

Thomasena Colbert (27:40.354)
Well, first of all, the liberation part is, it spoke to my heart because of before Isaiah, I don't really feel like I was free. Like I was in, you know, I suppressed so much stuff and it hadn't processed it or acknowledged it even that when that loss happened, I had to because I couldn't grieve him because I was already grief stricken and didn't know it. So the liberation part.

freed, spoke to where I am currently. And greatness is who God said that, you know, is what God said that I would embody in bestowal. So I was like, wow, two words, one sentence. I concur, I agree with it, and I received it.

Jill O'Boyle (28:17.948)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (28:21.436)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (28:27.515)
Yeah, yeah. I love that because it's the two-word purpose is, you know, and I think I shared this at the retreat and somebody might have asked me before, like, where is that biblical? And I'm like, it's not so much that it's biblical. It's just where do you, where does the Holy Spirit speak to you through those two words? What scripture brings up those two words to you? And it just, makes it very, like when you start to reflect your whole life,

you start to see those two words come out in your purpose, right? So yours liberating greatness, is bringing light. And I see that show up in all areas of my life. It's the biggest thing. Like it got down to the bottom two and I was like, celebrate life or bringing light. And I'm like, no, it's definitely bringing light. And I can see that in all areas. we think, I remember at the retreat, we talk about, think about when you were young as a child, our purpose is permanent, right?

Thomasena Colbert (29:02.286)
Who?

Jill O'Boyle (29:26.683)
We know our purpose, God knows our purpose for us before, you know, we're in the womb. It's permanent. But he will use life experiences, he will use your gifting, he will use it all together for good, for his purpose for your life. And he's been doing that with you with liberating greatness, right? He's been doing that with me, with bringing light, like in areas of just everywhere I go, I want to bring light, I wanna show his grace. You know, I wanna remove the darkness from people's eyes.

so that they can be that light. yeah, it's, I love it. I love it. Love it. So somebody listening right now who is feeling broken, dim at their lowest season they've ever found themselves in, what encouragement would you leave with them?

Thomasena Colbert (30:01.806)
That's good. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Yay.

Thomasena Colbert (30:22.318)
Well, a friend of mine shared with me at one time, I think I spoke negatively about myself. And she said, don't talk about my friend like that. And I would suggest start there. Be gentle with yourself, give yourself grace, acknowledge where you are, and then take steps to get women around you that will speak life over you when you can't.

and go from there.

Jill O'Boyle (30:52.113)
Yeah. Yeah.

It's so good you think about the words that we say about ourselves and we would never say that to our friend,

Thomasena Colbert (31:05.014)
Never.

Jill O'Boyle (31:05.565)
So look at yourself as your friend and speak words of life and kindness and grace and mercy. Yes, I love that. We are our own worst critics. We are. And that inner voice can get real loud sometimes. But do not speak it out. That's where the enemy can... He cannot hear our thoughts, but he can hear our words that we say out loud.

Thomasena Colbert (31:15.479)
Yes.

Thomasena Colbert (31:26.038)
Absolutely.

Jill O'Boyle (31:34.535)
So make sure that they are words of love and kindness. Well, I appreciate you.

Thomasena Colbert (31:35.039)
Absolutely.

Thomasena Colbert (31:40.545)
Yes.

I appreciate you.

Jill O'Boyle (31:44.016)
I'm so glad God connected us and I know that there's always more that he's gonna do between the two of us. So I'm just excited for where that leads, right? Yes, amen. All right, so before we leave, I know that you wrote a book. Congratulations.

Thomasena Colbert (31:53.154)
Amen.

Thomasena Colbert (31:57.548)
Yes. Hey man.

Thomasena Colbert (32:06.494)
yeah. Thank you.

Jill O'Boyle (32:09.305)
So if somebody is listening and they would love a copy of that book, where can they find that or just get connected with you? Maybe they have just, you know, went through a loss themselves and you would be a great person, right? What did you call it? A grief buddy? To just be there with them.

Thomasena Colbert (32:13.998)
Thank

Thomasena Colbert (32:28.116)
A great buddy. Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (32:34.119)
So.

Thomasena Colbert (32:34.318)
So I have social media. my link to my book is on my Instagram page. And my Instagram page is thebomb, T-H-E-B-O-M-B, underscore Tom, T-O-M.

Jill O'Boyle (32:40.626)
Yep.

Jill O'Boyle (32:59.185)
bomb tom. That you are.

Thomasena Colbert (33:00.846)
It's a bomb time. Thank you. My daughter did it. I would have never.

Jill O'Boyle (33:08.135)
I love it. if it's.

Jill O'Boyle (33:13.665)
I love it. The bomb, Tom, is liberating greatness. She can liberate greatness in your life. That's a fact. Your words are just always so powerful. And so I will put your social feed there and then you set the link to the book is there on Instagram.

Thomasena Colbert (33:25.624)
you too.

Thomasena Colbert (33:32.364)
Yes, thank you.

Jill O'Boyle (33:34.142)
Great. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your story, your heart. Just, I know so many women will be in listeners, just encourage. And I just love that God is always moving. I mean, he really is. He's always moving, even in our darkest seasons when we can't see it. God is still at work. He's restoring, he's renewing, he's bringing purpose out of pain.

Thomasena Colbert (33:54.712)
Yes.

Jill O'Boyle (34:02.713)
every time he brings purpose out of pain. We may not see it right now, but I promise you, just keep taking the next obedient step that God is telling you to take and there will be purpose. You will see it. So to our listeners, thank you for joining us today. I hope you were encouraged. I hope you just begin to just lean into your own faith and trust that your light is still there. Even if it feels dim right now, be obedient to what God is asking you to do.

And if Thomasina's story touched you, I invite you to share this episode with somebody you think needs to hear it, but also reach out to Thomasina and connect with her. She will be that perfect just community in your life that you need right now, I guarantee it. So to all of you, I thank you. Go out, make it the best day, be you, love life, and just continue to keep rising up.

Thomasena Colbert (35:02.99)
this.

Jill O'Boyle (35:03.549)
See you next time.

Thomasena Colbert (35:10.988)
Thanks, Jill. Bye.

Jill O'Boyle (35:13.115)
Thank you. I can't figure out why my stop button's not stopping my recording.

I don't know, can you hear me?

Thomasena Colbert (35:24.992)
I can hear you. Do you want me to just leave?

Jill O'Boyle (35:26.503)
Huh. Yeah, I guess I'll end it, but yeah, we'll just edit that part out. I don't know why it's, it keeps saying trying to reconnect, make sure you have a stable internet. So it's done that a couple of times. So hopefully it all got, it were all worked out, but yes. huh. And God was at the end. Exactly. Right. it's so typical. So typical.

Thomasena Colbert (35:40.344)
It's the enemy.

Thank God it was at the end.

Thomasena Colbert (35:47.544)
Thank you.

Jill O'Boyle (35:52.413)
Yes, so I will let you know, this will probably go out in next, not this Wednesday, but then following. So I'll let you know. And I'll send you the link to that. And then are you, you're coming to Better Together Thursday? Or not? Okay. Awesome.

Thomasena Colbert (36:09.218)
Yes, I am. My husband is doing a send off. He's going to the Great Banquet this week. A send off, we did. Yes. So he's going to the Great Banquet this week. So yeah, keep us in your prayers.

Jill O'Boyle (36:15.931)
He's doing what?

Jill O'Boyle (36:23.197)
All right.

Jill O'Boyle (36:27.035)
I'll be praying. Yep, I will. I will. All right. Have a good one. I appreciate you. All right. See ya. Yep. Bye.

Thomasena Colbert (36:29.654)
Yes, thank you dear. I appreciate you so much. God will you too. Thank you. Bye.

Bye.