The Sam Acho Podcast

Sam Acho: Welcome back to the Sam
Acho podcast, and if y'all are

watching this podcast, you'll see
that I'm smiling from ear to ear.

Not only am I with my cohost
Cliff Marshall, but man, we have

a very, very special guest and as
we always do, cliff, I'd love for

you to introduce our special guest.

Clif Marshall: Absolutely Sam.

I am super excited today
because we have Priscilla Shire.

A bestselling author, speaker, and actress
known for her work in Christian ministry.

She founded Going Beyond Ministries,
which focuses on teaching the word

of God and equipping believers
through various resources.

Priscilla has starred in several
faith-based films, including the

War Room, overcomer and The Forge.

She has also authored a
number of books, including The

Armor of God and God is able.

Her newest book will be released this
fall and it is called I Surrender All.

Priscilla is wife and mother, Priscilla.

Welcome to the Sam Acho podcast.

Priscilla Shirer: Thank you for having me.

I'm so glad to be here.

Sam Acho: Priscilla, we
are so honored, you know?

Yeah.

And Cliffs got the first
question, but I did want to say,

Priscilla, we're so honored.

Um, we were talking for about 15
minutes before this podcast, and

just a chance to catch up with you
and hear about you as a mother.

Um, that's what stands out to me.

I know all the stuff you do in
ministry and I get that, but like

you are pouring into your three boys.

You're pouring into your husband,
you're pouring into women, men,

and like I see it firsthand.

I got a chance to talk with one of your
sons earlier, and as a, as a, as a parent,

as a father, um, watching you lead and
love well, uh, brings me a lot of joy.

Priscilla Shirer: Uh, thanks Sam.

I, I think, um, coming from
you, that means the world.

'cause I don't, you know, everybody
might not know this, but Sam and

I basically grew up together.

I think I'm a few years older
than Sam, but basically we

grew up together at church.

Our parents, as you talk about
pouring into your children and

families, that's because we just
have had the joy of having parents.

His parents, the Achos and my parents,
the Evans is, they raised us all together

and they poured their lives into us.

And so I, I appreciate hearing that
because that to me is what Christlikeness

looks like and being faithful with the
small circles that the Lord has given

us right underneath the roof of our
own houses or our local church context.

So hearing you say that,
um, really means a lot.

I, I hope to be faithful in that.

Sam Acho: Mm.

Amen.

Clif Marshall: Well, Priscilla, you grew
up obviously with the Achos, as you said.

Sam grew up.

He probably, uh, knew at a very young age
that he wanted to be a football player.

He knew that he had a skillset that
would allow him to make a living playing

football at a high level, and by the
grace of God, he did that at both Texas

with the Longhorns and then in the NFL.

I want to know.

For you, when you were growing
up, what was like your dream

job or what was it that you saw
yourself doing when you got older?

Priscilla Shirer: Well, let, let
me be real honest and tell you that

what I got in trouble for most of the
time growing up was talking too much.

I was either talking too much or
out of turn or the wrong tone.

So I was the kid that my mother
always had to say, watch what, watch

how you talk and be a little girl.

Um, so, and I'd get in trouble in
school 'cause I'd be talking when

I wasn't supposed to be talking
and the teacher would have to call

my parent, you know, all of that.

So I would be disciplined
mostly for my mouth.

And I remember my dad in particular
saying to me after, I would have

to be disciplined 'cause I was
gonna have to respect authority

and those sorts of things.

But then my dad would always say,
you know, I wonder if communications

is actually the gifting, the, the
unique wiring that God has given you.

So if you would just surrender
this thing, not get rid of it, just

surrender this thing to the Lord.

Um, it could be exactly what
he's wired you for, for the

purposes that he created you.

So by the time I went to college, it
was my dad who was encouraging me to

go into school for communications.

At the time, what I was thinking
was broadcast journalism.

So I intended to do the news.

I intended to be a broadcast journalist.

Um, when I was graduating from school,
I was ready to go to Podunk Nevada,

which is where you gotta go to start
a career in journalism and just sort

of slowly climb that journalism.

Ladder.

That was my intention.

So you could have never told me
in a million years the direction

our life has taken in ministry.

And, um, in, in that way.

You could have never told me in
a million years that would have

anything, any bearing on my life at
all, because that was not the plan.

But the Lord and his grace and mercy
still has used communications just

in an entirely different way than I
had, uh, strategized to initially.

Sam Acho: That's such a great
point and such a great story.

I want to dig a little bit deeper.

We love on this podcast to go deep, right?

We talk about going first, giving space,
and growing hope, and so my question

is, when did you surrender your gift?

Priscilla Shirer: I would probably say it
was during those college years, you know,

that was the first time I was outside
of the bubble of my parents' house.

Um, and sort of the bubble of, you
know, Sam, the church we went to where

it seemed like everybody was sort of
incubating you in some form or fashion.

Of course, you had other pockets
of friends in high school and

stuff, but in general, my life
was sort of incubated with.

Our faith, um, and with an encouragement
to walk in a way that honors God.

So then you go off to college and
you out there by yourself, and you're

gonna have to make your own decision
about the circle of friends you're

gonna have, the influences you're
allowing, and I did just didn't do it.

Well, in the first few years of
school, I didn't do that well at all.

I made a bunch of decisions that I look
back on and wish I hadn't, but that is

where my faith sort of, it occurred to
me that God doesn't have grandchildren.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

Priscilla Shirer: Just children.

So I was gonna have to make my own
decision to follow God and honor

God because I'm not gonna be able
to ride my parents' coattails

or the coattails of anybody.

I admire their walk.

I can't ride their coattails.

I'm gonna have to accept Christ as my own
savior, which I had earlier on in life,

but then choose to be a disciple myself.

So I would say it was during those
college years, my early twenties,

that I was like, okay, Lord,
what do you want to do with this?

What's your purpose and
your calling for my life?

Would you help me to
begin to see that clearly?

Accept the doors that you're
closing, and then engage the doors

that you're opening and not try
to swap those two, just because of

my own will and self-centeredness.

Clif Marshall: Wow.

I wanted to ask you, Priscilla,
you're doing motivational speaking.

Um, you're doing, um, authoring books.

You're in so many different films.

Um, you're doing ministry though, and
you're doing it at a high, high level.

I want to know what brings you the
most fulfillment from your ministry.

Hmm.

Priscilla Shirer: Well, I would say
teaching the Bible is, is my joy.

Um, so.

Gosh, with such respect for people who
are motivational speakers, I can think

of like so many in my head that I admire
so much and they're great at motivation.

I don't know that I do that well
because I'm just teaching the Bible.

Literally.

I'm just walking through a passage
of scripture, helping people

to hopefully understand what it
means to walk in victory, to have

a relationship with the Lord.

Yes.

But beyond that, what does it
mean to actually experience what

a life with Christ is designed
to help us experience, not just.

When do we get to heaven?

But while we're on earth,
there's supposed to be abundance.

There's supposed to be peace.

There's supposed to be
freedom and victory.

How do we grab hold of that?

So my whole goal with not just speaking
and teaching, which you asked me what

do I find the most satisfaction out of?

It's probably when I'm actually standing
on a platform and I, because I can see.

You know, if I write a book and someone
grabs hold of that book, well, I

don't actually get to see the impact
that that had on that person's life.

But when I'm standing in front of a group
of people, I can actually watch light,

the light bulb go on, or a moment where
I can see them duck their head and write

something down that I can tell the Lord
stirring something in them personally

from a, a general principle I just shared,
but the Lord brought it home to them.

So watching that is a joy, but.

With all of the unique ways that the
Lord has given us to do ministry to me,

the only reason why I've done any of
them is because they're still ministry.

So with the films, for example,
folks have asked me, you know,

are you gonna be an actress now?

Well, I never really
looked at it that way.

I just saw it as another
way to do ministry.

So I've been in four films,
which is a shock to me.

I don't know how this that
happened either, 'cause I'm not

an actress or a trained, you
know, trained in that industry.

But the only reason I agreed to do it
is because there is a person who can be

ministered to through a movie that may
never read a book that I've written.

They may never see a
podcast like this one.

They may never come to a church or a
conference like that, but they will go

sit in a movie theater and eat some hot,
buttery, salty popcorn and drink that

soda and not even know that this is a
setup for the Holy Spirit to actually

challenge them and draw them to himself.

So to me, it's all the same.

It's all ministry and the Lord has
just kind of given me different

ways and opportunities to reach
different kinds of people.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

That's so good.

Priscilla, you said something in that.

That statement, and what I heard was
people think that, okay, when I follow

Jesus, when I give my life to God, it's
all about going to heaven and in heaven

I'll have peace and all these things.

But you said we're supposed to have
that peace and abundance here on earth.

What does that look like?

Priscilla Shirer: Well, um, peace
doesn't mean the absence of problems.

It means there's a steadiness, there's an
anchor that holds you in a stabilized way

while you're walking through hard things.

That is one of the biggest differences
that I have seen in those who have a

anchored life with Christ, not just
a Christian in name only, and they

go to church on Sundays and read a
verse day to keep the devil away.

Not that.

I'm talking about people who really
have a thing going on with the Lord.

One of the biggest differences that
I've seen is that when life caves in

and it will like, you don't have to
go looking for hard times, just keep

living and your body's gonna falter.

Health is gonna fade.

You're gonna lose a loved
one, you're gonna be betrayed,

your heart's gonna be broken.

Your kid is gonna do something that
is totally different than the way you

raise them, and now they're making life
choices that are breaking your heart.

Life is going to happen.

And the major difference I've seen
the older and older I get is that

folks that have a real thing going on
with Jesus, they're going through the

hard thing with a sense of stability,
a sense of hopefulness, a sense of

assurance and ability to keep the
equilibrium about their life, despite

the fact that, yeah, it's hard and
there are tears that fall and they

wonder why, Lord, have you allowed
this sickness or this hurt, or this?

Harm, but their, um, belief that
the character of God, that he is

who he says he is, despite the hard
thing that I can still trust him,

that I can have hope beyond Earth.

That this is not my home.

I know that I'm just passing
through here on my way home.

There's hopefulness in that.

Um, and we live in a very hopeless time.

Um, if you, you know, just
look on your Instagram feed or.

You get too much information.

On any given day, we will all have anxiety
and not be able to sleep good at night.

Forget just what's happening in our
own little, you know, neck of the

woods, but just what's happening
around us in the culture and in

the world, it is overwhelming.

So if you don't have something
rooted on the inside, that

gives you a sense of stability.

I don't even know how you get up out
of the bed and keep functioning and

get dressed and parent your children.

Um, uh, devote yourself to the spouse
and keep going with that ministry

or that calling, or that job or that
career, or that entrepreneurial endeavor.

How do you keep going without hopefulness?

That's what Christ offers, so that you
can be sustained during hard times.

Clif Marshall: Great word, Priscilla.

Anytime we have a guest on.

As Sam had mentioned, we like to
talk about some adversity that

they've been through, right?

And we've had a number of high level
pro athletes, college football coaches

who have all been open to sharing
something that they've went through, uh,

a tragic event, maybe, uh, that really
changed their life even for the better.

So do you have a test that
has now become your testimony?

Priscilla Shirer: Oh man.

Let's see.

Which one do I give you?

Um,

I'll tell you, um, that probably the
most, um, impactful one has just been,

in fact, Sam and I were talking about
it before this recording, that, um,

starting in about 2018 until about a
year ago, we have lost 10 family members.

So over the course of five or six years,
literally every four to six months.

We had another family
member that passed away.

Um, it started with my best
friend who was my cousin.

Her name was Winter, and um, she was 36.

So in some of these cases, it's
not like this is somebody who

was elderly or an older person,
or someone who was even sick.

She and I were actually planning
to go to the movies the next

day, and her heart just stopped.

Um, and she left four little
girls behind my nieces.

Um, and so that started basically a
trajectory of, of just loss, just grief.

Jerry's brother passed away
in our home where I'm at now.

Um, we had dinner together.

He walked up the stairs to go, um, to bed.

He was spending the night
with his nephews that night.

He walked up the stairs and
collapsed at the top of the stairs.

Um, same thing with Jerry's mother.

She went to take a nap in our home on
a particular day and did not wake up.

And my son, my oldest son Jackson,
found her, um, with their uncle.

They were there while the
paramedics were trying to.

Get him revived.

Um, so watching my sons that they
have seen more death in their

young lives than I have seen.

Here I am at 50 years old and I, I
can't even imagine, and I'm prayerful.

That the Lord has allowed them to
experience this at such a young age

because it's part and parcel with
the character, with the perspective,

with the compassion that he wants
them to have for whatever ministry

or work he's calling them to, that
it's molding them and forming them

into his image in a unique way.

'cause I didn't have that when I was 14,
15, 16, 20 years old, but my sons have.

So, um, experiencing all of that loss.

Uh, for the past few
years has been jarring.

It has been completely disorienting
because like I said, other than

the past five years, we haven't
had a lot of death in our family.

So it's been very disoriented.

It has uprooted, um, the, the,
what we've felt like is the

stability of our, our family.

Um, but I will say part of the.

Joy that has come out of it, or part
of the benefit I would say that come

out of it, has come out of it is
that you do look at life differently

when you've experienced death.

Um, it, it sort of loses, um, you
know, the scriptures say death has

lost its sting, and in any eternal
sense it has, but the actual reality

of death loses some of its, um, the,
the fear that might be attached to it.

You lose that a little bit in a good
way that I'm not really afraid of death.

Um, having sat with my mom while she
took her last breaths, watching her,

um, still give reverence to the Lord,
watching him anchor her while she was

literally in her last days and hours,
that kind of an anchor, that kind

of a peace it diffuses the sting of
death even more for those that are.

Around knowing she's with Jesus.

Uh, now is a big deal.

And then I will also say, this is a
long answer, I'm sorry, but watching

and absorbing the things she did
say, my mom said in her last days,

one of those things was for her
children to stop and smell the roses.

She said that to us all the time.

Y'all are all busy in life.

I want you to make sure you are also
not being so busy, that you're not

taking time to just like enjoy the ride.

Man, I have taken that so to heart, she
said to us she would've done that sooner.

That, that if she'd known that 70,
her 70th year would've been the end.

She would have started sooner not
being just as busy and productive,

but actually taking time to
just do the stuff she enjoyed.

And that brought her, um, joy in life.

And so here I am at 50 years old now.

She passed away when I was 45.

So from that point on.

I have made it even more of my business
to make sure that a priority in life is

just enjoying what is it that God has
given me that I can, um, be passionate

about, uh, be energetic about, that
puts a smile on my face that makes my

body feel good, whether it's exercising.

Um, what are the things
that just bring joy to life?

Those aren't supposed to be
lesser on the rung of priorities.

Know I can enjoy life and
serve the purposes of God.

Sam Acho: Wow.

Clif Marshall: Hmm.

Sam Acho: What?

What are some of those things,
Priscilla, in the last five years?

Since your mamas went to be with
the Lord that you've started to do.

Priscilla Shirer: Yeah.

Well, um, one of 'em I kind of just
mentioned, I, I've always been an active

person, but making time, like what?

Okay, y'all are athletes, so you might
not appreciate what I'm about to say, but.

You know, working out, sometimes
it's really about the benefit you're

getting more than the workout itself.

I don't know that I love the workout
part, I like the benefits of it, but

for me, one of the workouts I really
love is just walking like it seems like

one of the most simple pleasures in
life, that you actually don't appreciate

it till you can't do it anymore.

And so for me, making time, pretty much
every day, I will walk out the front door.

And just walk for an hour,
an hour and 15 minutes.

The margin that gives me mentally,
emotionally to just listen to the sounds

of nature, to listen to my playlist and
pray and worship God, and to work out like

it has been so beneficial for my body.

Um, I think walking is one of the, one
of the underrated workout regimens,

um, that, that humanity needs.

And we've undervalued, but man, more
than just the benefit to my body.

The benefit on my mental
clarity, the endorphins.

Um, so outside of the other workouts
that I'm doing that are sometimes

more strenuous, that you can't enjoy
them really 'cause they're strenuous,

the weightlifting or the whatever.

Um, sometimes that walk man, it
is one of the simple pleasures of

life that brings me so much joy.

So making time to do
that has been something.

And then, like I've shared with you
before, Sam, um, making sure that

I am saying enough no's To give
myself margin for better yeses.

So taking the guilt or the fear that
maybe I'm missing a great opportunity

off of the privilege of being able to
say no to an invitation, no to the, um,

request to come do something, saying
no without guilt or fear, knowing that

that no leaves a margin in my life.

For a yes, to spend time with my kid, yes.

To take that walk on a Saturday,
yes, to have a clear calendar

so that I can go with the spur
of the moment and spontaneously

go on a date with my husband.

Or, you know, having that margin is
something that I don't know that I

prioritized as much before hearing
my mother say I should have taken

more time to just have space in
my life to do the stuff I loved.

And what I'm learning is sometimes.

You don't even know the thing you
could have enjoyed because you

haven't left any margin for it.

The spontaneity that God brings into
your life, that there's a coffee date

you can have in the moment 'cause you
ran into somebody you haven't seen in a

year and all of a sudden y'all can sit
down 'cause you have 30 minutes to do it.

A lot of times in my life, my
calendar's been so packed, even

when there were spontaneous moments
of possible enjoyment or impact.

I couldn't have made space for it.

So I like leaving margin now for God
moments, and that requires giving

myself permission to say no so that
I can leave room for those yeses.

Sam Acho: Wow.

Clif Marshall: Priscilla, I love
your eternal perspective, man.

Stop and smell the roses.

That's something that, gosh, Sam
and I were just talking about

that on the phone yesterday.

We're so busy with life.

Sam Acho: Yeah.

Clif Marshall: That sometimes
we forget to do that.

And gosh, that's a word.

That is a word, and thank you
for sharing that testimony.

I, I wanted to talk a little
bit about you being a mother.

Um, I read this quote just recently.

I wanted to share it with both
of you guys and our listeners.

It's from Body, him, and, uh, it
says if I teach my son to keep his

eye on the ball, but fail to teach
him to keep his eye on Christ.

I have failed as a father.

I read that and it brought a little
conviction to me because I do have a

10-year-old son who plays baseball,
and also I have a 14-year-old daughter.

Um, and I know Sam obviously has
four beautiful children as well.

Do you have any advice to us, uh, and
to our listeners about how you brought

up your children in the Christian faith?

Priscilla Shirer: Well, first of all,
can I just say I'm still trying to figure

it out, so when y'all know, tell me,

isn't it something that as
parents, literally you are just

doing the best you can, the best.

You know in the moment you're
just saying, Lord, would you take

this little bit that I have what I
think is the best thing to do here?

And would you multiply it and
help this to impact my kids?

So I certainly don't
have it all figured out.

I will tell you what I learned from my
parents that I've kind of brought into the

upbringing of our children is basically
pick the two or three things that you're

going to be consistent about and do them.

So for our family, for example,
one of them was sitting

around the table for dinner.

So obviously that changes so
much as your kids get older.

'cause one person has a practice,
one person has this, you know, so

it's hard to get everybody together.

But through the years, um,
I watched my parents do it.

Now I know how frustrating it probably was
when you have four small children trying

to get them to be still for a second so
that you can just sit at dinner with them.

Somebody doesn't like the
way you made the chicken.

Somebody didn't want rice today.

You know, that's exhausting to keep
showing up and doing it anyway.

So one of the decisions my husband and I
made was just as many times as possible.

And again, it has looked different
in different seasons of life, but

as many days as possible through
the week, like, no, we gonna

sit down at this actual table.

Everybody's putting their phones
away and we're gonna actually talk.

And since I have all boys, what that meant
was getting an actual conversation starter

game from Amazon where you gotta pull this
card out and ask this question and you

go answer the question and we gonna talk.

So sometimes it's like, it's literally
like pulling teeth, but what I learned

from my parents is do it anyway.

Just keep being consistent, and then
to let yourself off the hook that

you don't have to be perfect at it.

You just have to be consistent.

So choose the two or three things
that you and your spouse, or if you're

a single parent, that you are gonna
just decide, here are the two or three

things I can keep up with and that
I'm gonna try to be consistent about.

And I think if we just show up in doing
those things somehow the Holy Spirit

uses our consistency to embed it in
our children, a sense of integrity

and character, and stick-to-it-ness
and resilience and stability.

He uses those things and mushrooms
them in supernatural ways.

Than if we were just trying to
hammer God's word into them, it

wouldn't be as impactful to them
as us just being consistent with

what the Lord has entrusted to us.

So yes, we taught them scripture
verses yes, we took them to church.

Um, yes we did those overt.

Spiritual things.

Yes, I have bible verses that are
posted on their bathroom mirrors.

I try to swap 'em out every few months,
so they'll be running into God's word.

So yes, I did those overt things, but
probably more impactful than that, at

least from my own upbringing, I can say,
is that my parents just kept showing

up for the regular realities of life.

And the Lord used that to instruct me
and to counsel me about how to raise

my own children in that same way.

So I hope that's helpful.

Clif Marshall: That's great.

Really good.

Thank you for that.

Sam Acho: I had a coach, uh,
Mac Brown when he coached.

He used to say, consistently
good to be great.

And so often we think that it's about,
yeah, we think it's about, okay, I

have to be the best and I have to
do it now, and I have to hurry up.

And it, and it, it just, for me, it was
this eye-opening moment because we, he

was on the podcast not long ago and.

I said, Hey, coach Brown, why
did you recruit me and my family?

And he, and he said some things,
but one of the things he said,

well, Sam, you weren't that good,
but we knew you could improve.

You know, like we knew
you'd be consistent.

We knew you would show.

And I was like, okay.

I thought I was like, I thought I was
somebody, but I get, you know, but,

but the fact is it doesn't, and almost
didn't matter how good you were when

you showed up, but would you continue to
show up and would you continue to show

up and not necessarily at your best,
but the best that you had that day?

That was a thing that, that stood out.

And so even hearing you say that
as a parent, I got four kids

and I'm trying to, you know, I
was gonna ask you the question.

Cliff asked about, okay, how
do you do it as a, as a parent?

You answered it.

You said, no, I just keep on showing up.

No, I'm not perfect.

No, I'm not trying to hammer it
into, hammer the word of God into my

children, but somehow, some way God
uses my actions and my presence to

permeate into them and to show them.

A nonverbal way.

His love.

Priscilla Shirer: Yeah, absolutely.

And I think also, you know, cliff,
I don't know what your story is.

I know Sam, that you and I had
parents who had integrity, so

their lives weren't different at
church than they were at home.

Our parents weren't perfect,
but they had integrity.

That right there, to me, that is the goal.

The goal is that my children, that
all of our children, they don't see

us behaving one way when we're doing
a thing and then when we're at home.

There's no joy in following Christ.

We don't actually wanna
spend time with them.

We have no respect for our spouse.

We just are kind of whatever.

But if they see, again, not perfection
because we're able to be vulnerable

and apologize when we need to, even
to our children, but where we have

consistency about the fabric of our
lives, the tenor of our lives that they

see what we're doing for the Lord isn't
a show like we really love the Lord.

I think that communicates to them
that following Christ is worth it.

And I don't just think
they get that from parents.

By the way, you all are athletes, so I
have to say my sons, some of the biggest

influences they've had are from folks like
you that they've seen from afar who have

that integrity across their lives in their
athleticism coaches that they've had.

Oh my gosh, I don't, I don't
know if coaches realize.

The power and the impact they have
on these young men and women that God

has entrusted to them to steward more
than just in their physicality, but

the consistency the coach has, the
integrity the coach has, the way he

speaks to the kids, teachers at school.

All of these folks who are impacting
younger, the younger generation

man, they're, there is something
that a coach could say to my kid

that I've been saying for four
years, but when the coach says it.

It impacts my son in a way that
really draws them out, that

convicts them, that challenges
them, that course corrects them.

So there's impact not just in our
parenting, but even as parents

praying and saying to the Lord, Lord,
would you line my son or daughter's

life up with somebody else who's
going to emphasize and underscore

the way you want my child to live?

Sam Acho: Hmm, Priscilla, I want
to dig deeper on that because

there are some coaches who listen
to the podcast or even athletes.

You have three boys, two of them
collegiate athletes, one of them 17,

and he's, he's shooting up like a tree.

So it's like you've been
through this process, you're

going through this process.

What would you tell a coach or even
another parent who's going through

this process about what it's like?

To raise young people, I'll just say
young boys who are going off and doing

things after their high school days.

Priscilla Shirer: Yeah.

Um, gosh, one of the intangible
things that comes to my mind is the

importance of separating for them,
their identity from their sport.

Um, I think in our day and age, you
know, it used to be when we were

growing up, there were actual seasons,
like baseball season came to an end

and then there was a break, you know,
or basketball season came to an end.

It really is all year long.

All consuming.

Um, you know, used to be, I sound
like an old woman, but it used to be

nobody had practice on Wednesday night.

'cause everybody knew that Wednesday
night was church nights or nobody was

gonna have a tournament on Easter weekend.

You know, there was an actual respect
as a society, whether people were

claiming to be Christians or not.

There was a respect and an appreciation
for other priorities in a child's life

that they also needed to prioritize.

Their faith, they needed
to prioritize their family.

Well now as parents, coaches as
well, if, if we don't actually

carve that out for the kid.

The society's not gonna do it.

The culture, the sports
culture is not gonna do it.

So there has to be something about their
family or about their, their coach in

the best way they're able to do it.

Or, um, the environment that the child
is in that helps them to understand

the importance of prioritizing other
things in their life at the same time

that they are engaged in that sport,
that their identity and value is not

wrapped up in just producing as an
athlete, but also having character.

Also having reading so that you
can have intellectual stamina.

There are other areas of your life that
actually need to be just as significant

and that you are pouring as much time
and energy to as you are that sport.

And I, I don't think our
culture is showing that

balance as much as it used to.

So we're gonna have to be the linchpin
for that in our athletes' lives.

Sam Acho: That's good.

Clif Marshall: Those are all great points.

Priscilla, I I wanted to
talk quickly about the films

that you've been a part of.

You said you were in four different films.

I have watched two of them.

I love the War Room, but most
recently I watched The Forge.

Do you have a film that you enjoyed
more than the others, so to speak?

Priscilla Shirer: Well, I, I think
I'm gonna have to say, uh, war Room.

And the reason I would say
War Room is because that's

the first one I had ever done.

I'd never been on a film set before.

I didn't know anything about.

What it meant to do it.

So I felt like a kid in a candy store.

You know, whenever you're in a
completely new environment and you're

just sort of soaking it all in.

I was watching, you know, I have such
appreciation now for people who are in

that industry and make films because now I
realize, oh, to make that one scene work.

There were 80 people on the other
side of the camera and hanging

from ladders and holding lights and
sweating, profuse, I mean, forget

the people in front of the camera,
although their part is important too.

But if the 80 people on the other side
of the camera weren't meticulously doing

their jobs, then it doesn't matter what
the person in front of the camera does

because the light's not right, or the
camera's blurred, or the scope of the

the, um, the cinematography is off.

I mean.

So I loved watching and
absorbing the industry of it.

And I think there were only two of us on
that set who weren't in the film industry.

Everybody else, I mean, the camera
guys, the every, the lighting they had

just come off of the last Marvel film.

Like, these are people,
this is what they do.

Um, and so watching their
expertise, their craft, um, was.

Just eye-opening for me.

I enjoyed being outside of my comfort
zone and being challenged in that

way, so I enjoyed all of them.

I can't believe that I've done four.

I thought war room was like a, um.

You know, it kind of came outta nowhere.

And so I thought, well this will
be the one time in my life that I

ever get to do this, so why not?

Let's try it.

Um, and so for that reason, I'd
have to say that was my favorite.

'cause I just leaned all the way in
thinking this is the one time in my

life that I'll have this adventure.

Um, and so I just absorbed everything
about it and loved so much.

Again, being a fish out of water and
just finding my way through the process.

Sam Acho: Hmm.

That's so good.

Continue continuing on that theme.

What is next?

For you, Priscilla.

Priscilla Shirer: Well, it's interesting
you say that, um, because that's been

one of the major things I've been praying
about even recently, uh, in my life.

I mean, the main thing for me is, is, uh,
launching my boys into their adult life.

They're at right in their twenties,
the beginning of their twenties.

So just helping to steward that.

'cause it's interesting how they,
they don't really think they need you

anymore unless they need some money.

it's like, you know what?

You're still gonna take my advice boy
to go with this dollar I'm giving you.

Um, so just wanting to
launch them into manhood.

Well, that seems like.

The gift to me is if I can see them
flourishing and finding purpose and

passion in whatever God calls them to do.

Um, but then in ministry, um, probably
going back into another writing project,

which I haven't written anything in,
in quite a while, um, very decidedly.

Um, when I am writing a book,
it is all consuming for me.

It sits on me at night, it sits
on me while I'm making dinner.

Like I, I just have to kind
of, uh, process it and it's a

very weighty process for me.

Um, I'm about to probably go slowly
back into another writing project and

so looking forward to that as well.

Sam Acho: So good.

Clif Marshall: Well, I want to just, uh,
at the end of every show, Priscilla, I

like to just, my name's Cliff Marshall
and I do a cliff notes of each guest

that we've had on and what really
hit me today talking to you was.

Again, the eternal perspective, uh,
that you shared and stop and smell The

roses just really hit me because as Sam
and I, we're both super busy and I know

all our listeners, you know, your day
to day routine, it's busy, busy, busy,

and even when we're not busy, we have.

Uh, the phone, we have social media,
and to your point about getting up and

just taking a walk in the morning, my
wife and I were able to do that this

morning for 30 minutes and just talk and
catch up, and that to me was a chance

to just stop and smell the roses today.

But I think a challenge for myself,
a challenge for our listeners out

there is to take Priscilla's advice
and stop and smell the roses.

Priscilla Shirer: Absolutely, and I wanna
tell both of you too how grateful I am for

both of your voices in this generation.

Again, as a mom of sons.

Knowing that there's content that
is available that's gonna be not

just uplifting and motivational and
encouraging, but also course correcting,

that's gonna challenge and stir up, um,
stir them up to want to elevate their walk

with the Lord and elevate their experience
in the practical rhythms of life.

Whether it's as an athlete or
otherwise, knowing that they can look

to folks like y'all is a big deal.

And I think you need to know that
your content, your investment in this.

Is going further and wider than
either of you may even be aware of.

And so we're, we're grateful for for it.

Sam Acho: Wow.

That's so good.

Um, well, before I let you go,
Priscilla, you said you're a teacher

of the word of God and you've
been teaching us this entire show.

Uh, but what's one thing that you
think that the people listening.

May need to know about
the character of God.

Priscilla Shirer: That he is faithful.

I think the older and older I get.

The more rest I find in knowing
that when everything else is

crumbling or disintegrating
or in some way disappointing.

'cause everything on earth is you buy a
house, the house starts to break down.

As soon as you drive the car off the
lot, the car starts to disintegrate.

Soon as you get the new clothes, there's
a thread that's already coming unraveled,

because that's the nature of earth.

Everything is temporal.

So when all of those things are happening.

And maybe you're a little disappointed
that the relationship is going that

way, or the kid is making a different
choice than what you anticipated.

The rock behind all of that is that
he's faithful, that he keeps showing

up, that his mercies are new every
morning, that he's gonna sustain me

and keep me, and, um, continue to even
encourage me so that I can honor him.

Like I don't have to do it by myself.

He's the whole engine that's
helping me to honor him with

my life and keep showing up.

With what he's entrusted to us, whether
in family or in ministry or in business.

So the faithfulness of God, never
discount it, never walk away from it.

You can question, let me put it this way.

You can ask questions of
God without questioning God.

Meaning he allows us to say,
why, Lord, would you allow this?

Or, how long do I have to
walk through this hard season?

Ask the questions.

It is grace and mercy.

He lets us ask questions, but you can do
that without questioning his character.

He's still good.

He's still faithful.

He's still kind.

And knowing that, anchoring
ourselves in that, it'll take us

the distance every single time.

Sam Acho: Wow.

That is so good.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, thank you all so well.

First of all, Priscilla, thank you.

Before I start thinking
our audience, thank you.

You've been, you talking about us
being role models for young men.

You've been a role model for me.

I've known you since we've known each
other since we, I, since I was little.

As I was, as little as I can
remember and just watching you.

I, I, I, as little as I can
remember, I'll be in this few,

you'll be in that, you know.

Priscilla Shirer: that's right.

That's right.

Sam Acho: navigate life
as a follower of Jesus.

You said there are no,
uh, there's no grant.

God didn't have grandkids, and
you've taken this faith as your own

and you stewarding your influence
and your reach and your impact

and your yeses and your nos.

I mean, the grace in which you say
yes and the grace in which you say no

is what stands out the most for me.

And so just know from, uh, little
brother, whatever, I don't know

what the, just, just know for me.

That, um, have a fan, and when I
say fan, it's not a fan of uh, yes.

I think the work you do is great and the
books you write and the movies like I

I but a fan of your, of the character,
the type of character that I wanna

live out both publicly and privately.

Like I, I'm not gonna say
even I, we watch you at home.

I watch you at home.

My wife watches you at home,
watches your character.

Right.

And I have a, I have a daughter, I have
an 8-year-old daughter, like my prayer.

Our prayer is that our daughter
would walk in the integrity and

the impact and the influence short,
but like that God has for her.

And so, uh, from me to you, Priscilla,
thank you so much for modeling, uh,

modeling consistently what it looks
like to be a follower of Jesus.

And everyone listening, thank you'all
so much for joining, uh, the Sam Macho

podcast, featuring Cliff Marshall and
our special guest, Priscilla Shire.

Go to sam macho com to listen to
this episode and so many more.

We'll see y'all next time.