Petty Prayers, Real Healing

Keep it Positive, Sweetie

Host Crystal Renee Hazlett sits down with author and faith leader Nona Jones to discuss her new book, The Power of Petty Prayers. The conver

Key takeaways

• Nona Jones transitioned from 20 years of corporate leadership to full-time ministry after being part of the 11,000 layoffs at Meta in 2022.
• The episode highlights that forgiveness releases a person from debt, but it does not automatically heal the 'broken leg' of the emotional wound.

Main topics

• Forgiveness vs. Healing
• Career transitions and layoffs

Notable quotes

Success doesn't change people. It reveals people.

Conclusion

The episode offers a restorative perspective on finding spiritual stab

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. I'm Lacey Mosley, author, actor, stand-up comedian, creator, and host of Scam Goddess Podcast. The true crime comedy podcast all about robbery, fraud, and those who practice it. Each week I bring on an amazing guest. Ooh, I scammed him. What? I could talk to you for an hour. You're a generational yapper, like me. That's Speaker 1 (0:21) why I had to make yapping Speaker 2 (0:22) a job. And now you can catch full episodes of my show on YouTube. Start listening to Scam Goddess on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (0:34) Lisa, tell them about our new show. We have a new podcast. It's called Don't Lie to Me. I'm Lexi Iwano. We're two best friends, 22 years apart, but so close at heart. And I'm Lisa DiGiulio, the old one, which means we have wildly different references, occasionally different opinions. And at this point in my 50s, I've lived it all. Now in my 30s, being the founder of New Shoes, good taste is my business. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 7 (1:06) Hi, this is Kylie Brakeman, Angela Geritana, Jeremy Speaker 1 (1:08) Colhane, Patrick McDonald, and Speaker 7 (1:10) we're the hosts of the Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists podcast, the Speaker 1 (1:14) improvised character comedy podcast, where each week a new panel of artists discuss their craft. Join us for a panel of Eurovision participants. And Speaker 8 (1:23) we do a little Halloween sometimes. Does the Pope dress up? He winks on Halloween. Speaker 1 (1:28) He gets right up next to the microphone. Speaker 8 (1:30) I hear you can almost hear the eyelashes hit each other. Speaker 1 (1:33) You've never seen Italy so quiet as when the Pope gets up to wink on Halloween. Speaker 8 (1:38) Listen to Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 2 (1:46) Is there an epidemic against literature? More specifically, Black literature. I'm Jacquees Peace Thomas, and on this season of the Black Lit Podcast, we're outside asking why. They don't want a whole bunch of little Ella Bakers, Malcolm Xs, and Martin Luther Kings running around. And when you look at a lot of different cultures, they're like, we need to know where you came from. And considering this is Black Reading Month, the only real question is, what are you reading next? Listen to Black Lit from the Black Effect Podcast Network on our iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 1 (2:19) Hey, I'm Mike Yam. And I'm Trevor Sykema. And together, we host the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Because if you aren't locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind. Whether you're a first-time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship, we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 2 (2:48) What up? This is Jay Valentine, co-host of the R &B Money Podcast alongside my brother, R &B legend Tank. Together, we've built a space for artists, executives, and fans of R &B music to reminisce and tell the real stories behind the music. I Speaker 6 (3:01) have no money. I was hood famous. Speaker 2 (3:02) They think you're going to get everybody out. We Speaker 6 (3:03) lived in a project. Real Love came out. They're hearing the music and we had nothing. From Speaker 2 (3:08) Smokey Robinson to Mary J. Blige, B2K to Jill Scott, if you're a super dedicated R &B fan, this is where you belong. Listen to R &B Money from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or Speaker 5 (3:20) wherever you get your podcasts. The World Cup is over, but if you caught the soccer bug and aren't sure what to do now, check out our podcast, Big Kick Energy. I'm Cameron Dicker, the kicker from the Los Angeles Chargers, and I'm here with Timmy Tillman, current LAFC star player. So, we know a little something about kicking balls. Each week, we'll tackle things like who's winning the Premier League this year? What do you think is harder? Scoring a penalty kick or scoring a field goal. Join us each week for a quick chat with your soccer-loving bros about the best sport in the world. Soccer. Just don't tell my coaches I said that. Listen to Big Kick Energy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Speaker 3 (3:58) Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Speaker 3 (4:08) Welcome to Keep It Positive, sweetie, the place where we heal, grow, and learn together. There are some hurts you forgive, but still carry. And sometimes the hardest part of healing isn't knowing what you're supposed to do. It's being honest about what still needs to heal. Today, I'm sitting down with Nona Jones, bestselling author, speaker, faith leader, and a former Metta executive whose work has reached people around the world through conversations about identity, healing, and faith. She's also a woman who has been incredibly honest about her own journey through trauma, rejection, and the work it takes to truly heal. Her new book, The Power of Petty Prayers, deals with something I think so many of us can relate to. What do you do when you know you're supposed to forgive, but you're still hurt? Kids family, please give a very warm welcome to Nona Jones. Nona, welcome back. It's so good to be back. When I first had you, we were at the house. We were just getting started with this podcast. And now we are here at Tyler Perry Studios. I'm so happy to have you back for another book. Oh gosh. Speaker 4 (5:13) I am excited to be back. But I want to say this first. I am so proud of you. Speaker 3 (5:18) Thank you. Like Speaker 4 (5:19) genuinely. I've said so many times that success doesn't change people. It reveals people. Absolutely. And you have been revealed as a woman after the heart of God, a woman of integrity, a woman of care and compassion. And so I'm just proud of you, honored to know you. Thank you. Same, same. Speaker 3 (5:36) When I got the call, said you had a new book out, I was like, absolutely. Anything for Nona. You're always welcome. Some people, it's like it's an open door policy. We are always happy to have you back. Before we dive into the conversation, we're talking about the power of petty prayers, which I absolutely love. But I want to play a little game with you before we get started. And your Instagram is called Nona Not Nora. So I want to find out what is very Nona and absolutely not Nona. All right. So I'm going to throw out a few things and you just tell me Nona or not Nona. Okay. The first one is saying exactly what you're thinking the first time. Ooh, Speaker 4 (6:17) that is Nona. I Speaker 3 (6:18) love that. Canceling plans because your social battery is gone. Not Nona. Speaker 4 (6:25) I'll keep the plans even if I'm depleted just because I believe in keeping my word. I know that's right. That's good. Speaker 3 (6:30) That's good. Asking for help before you try to figure it out yourself. Asking for help is not Speaker 4 (6:37) Nona. Speaker 3 (6:38) She's like, nope. Unfollowing somebody for your own peace. Speaker 4 (6:43) So it's not Nona because what I'll do is I'll mute. Me too. I don't unfollow. I'm a muter. I'm a mute. Until they start asking, Speaker 3 (6:55) what happened? I can't tag you on nothing. Speaker 4 (6:58) Oh, I don't know. Maybe there's something wrong with the platform. Speaker 3 (7:03) I'm a mute too. A mute or a block. Yes. If you really cross me, then I'm just going to block you. But I'm with you on that. And then the next one is taking an entire day off and feeling absolutely no guilt about it. Speaker 4 (7:14) Ooh. Speaker 4 (7:17) Oh, that's a hard one, Crystal. I know that's a not known. I will feel guilt because there's so much I need to do. I know. Speaker 3 (7:24) You're busy. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Final one. Something people probably assume is very known, but it's actually not known at all. Ooh. Fill in the blank. Speaker 4 (7:38) Being comfortable being in the front. Wow. It's like I don't mind it, but it's not something that I pursue. And I think that God has graced me with a leadership grace. So it happens naturally. But I'm cool just. Being I don't have to be in the in the front or the leader. Yeah, Speaker 3 (7:59) that's Speaker 4 (7:59) good Speaker 3 (7:59) You know a lot Speaker 4 (8:00) of Speaker 3 (8:00) times people think because you're on stage all the correct that that is something that you actually enjoy I'm the same way just because I'm a quote-unquote celebrity or famous I don't crave that attention. Sometimes I just want to be I do like to connect with the people But a lot of times I just want to chill, want to be able to move around like a normal person. Yes, I'm with you on that. I love it. Thank you so much for playing. Oh, yeah, that was fun. It's a little icebreaker. So you have done so many things professionally. You are an executive, an author, a ministry leader, a wife, a mom. And now you're entering your new chapter because you've written, you're an author, you've already done books. But now this is a new one, The Power of Petty Prayers. Before we get into everything that is Power of Petty Prayers, I want to know. How is Nona in this season of her life? Oh, Speaker 4 (8:47) girl. This is probably the best season I've ever been in, but not because of something tangible. To give you a little bit of backstory. So I actually have had a shift in my identity over the last couple of years. So, yes, I spent 20 years in executive leadership in corporate America, loved what I was doing. Speaker 4 (9:10) Back in 2022, God called me into full-time ministry. Now, at the time, I was in leadership with Metta, making really good money. I had just got a promotion, had a team with Global Scope, like really having an amazing career. So when the Lord said that, I looked at my lifestyle and I said, ministry can't pay for that. And so I said, thanks, but no thanks, right? Speaker 3 (9:36) Well. You're like, that's not my ministry. No, I said, Speaker 4 (9:39) I don't think God's called me to that ministry because I was out and I was preaching, I was teaching, but it was more like a hobby than a vocation. So it was not paying the bills. So when God said that, I was like, no thanks. Fast forward a few months and the Lord literally released me from that job. I was one of the first 11,000 people that went through the layoff at Metta. My job literally went away. And when that happened, I found myself having an existential crisis because it wasn't just about the money. I remember the first question that popped into my mind was, but if I'm not an executive, what am I? And, you know, if you would have asked me, was I a woman of faith at that time? I would have said yes. Like, absolutely. I believed God. God would tell me to give people money. I would have no problem giving people $500,000 strangers just because God said to give it. Speaker 4 (10:34) But the Lord broke me down to a place where he said, Nona, I have to teach you what true faith is because what you've been calling faith in me has been faith in you. It's been faith in your positions, your bank accounts, your connections. I kid you not, Crystal, everything I tried to do in that season failed. Like I tried to get other jobs that failed. Jobs I was more than qualified for failed. I tried to... get consulting contracts failed. Everything failed. God said, Nona, this is going to be your year of manna. And this was back in 2023. That whole year. I had to literally rely on the provision of God because everything I tried to do failed. Speaker 3 (11:20) And Speaker 4 (11:21) when I tell you, Crystal, I made more money that year without trying than I ever made on anybody's payroll. And so in this season of my life, the reason why I say I'm in the best place I've ever been in is because I knew that God was Jaira. But now I know him as Jaira, right? Like I knew he was faithful, but now I know him as faithful. And so I'm living in faith now. And so I have joy. I have peace. I'm not striving. I walk through the doors that God opens and I'm not wrestling anymore. So it is a wonderful season to be in. Speaker 3 (12:07) I love that. I love that. That's amazing because I think so many women, I've spoken to a lot of women at different events and somewhere along the conversation, the word pivot comes up. How are you navigating the pivot? But to have a shift in your identity. Yeah. Speaker 4 (12:25) I Speaker 3 (12:25) think that is so important, you know, because you were hitting home. Like a lot of times we put identity in what we do. in our bank accounts, in our connections. Like you were spot on with that. And I think that a lot of times when we figure out what that true identity is, which is in Christ and what he sees in us and our purpose on this earth is, that's when we can realize, okay, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. That alignment and abiding in him. Once you're in that alignment, it's like, okay, I Speaker 4 (12:55) get it. Well, and the challenge is what God revealed to me is whenever God's calling you to a new season, He's also calling you to a new identity. Speaker 3 (13:05) And Speaker 4 (13:05) so what happens is we want the new season, Speaker 3 (13:08) but we Speaker 4 (13:09) want to take the old identity with us. And so that is why what will typically happen is when God calls you to a new season, things will start to strip away. Relationships, even opportunities, things that you placed your identity in will start to disappear. And you'll wonder like. Why is this happening? Like, why are these people no longer showing up for me? You know, why is my job so hard right now? Why are the things that used to come so easily so difficult? It's because God is literally stripping you of an identity that will not serve where he's taking you. And so I had to learn that. So now I can sit in this seat and I can declare it with authority that, sis, if you're in a situation where you're like, everything's falling apart, I don't understand. It's probably because God is forming something new in you that your new season requires. Speaker 3 (13:59) Right. That's so good. I want to ask you this. You spend so much of your life teaching others and preaching and pouring into so many people and even just giving. In the book, you talk about how you use your resources or however you can support people. You've done that. I want to know in this season, what has God been teaching you that has nothing to do with what you're teaching everybody else? Speaker 4 (14:20) Ooh, man. So much. I think the power of abiding in his presence. You know, I start my day every morning just in his presence. And it has become my lifeline. You know, there was a time when I would start my morning looking at my schedule for the day and like what it is I had to do for the day. Now I just start in his presence because Psalm 91, 1, it says that. He, she who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. I don't know what the day holds. I know what I have planned, but I don't know what it holds. As long as I'm under his shadow, I'm protected. For sure. And so he's been teaching me that is just dwelling, abiding and being a daughter. Not not and I have businesses and I have all that but it's like not being a businesswoman not being executive being a daughter Yeah, I didn't know what it meant to be a daughter. My dad passed before I was two My mom and I are estranged. She let her boyfriend abused me. I didn't know what it meant to be a daughter Yeah, now I know now, Speaker 3 (15:24) you know, that is beautiful What is that journey been like first time you hear you were here you opened up? about what you went through as a child about your relationship with your mother and I want to know now, what has that journey been like realizing that I am the most highest Speaker 4 (15:40) daughter? It has been restorative in ways. Like it healed parts of me that I didn't even know were wounded. Speaker 4 (15:49) We talked last time about just rejection and how rejection can teach you that you're not wanted, that you're not worthy, that you are only as good as the value that you create. And what God has taught me about being a daughter is like, you're worthy just because you're mine. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing that you could do that would make you any more worthy. That has been... just incredible for me because that's not how I lived my life. I thought I had to work my way into approval. Now I know just the fact that I breathe. Yeah. I'm approved of. That's Speaker 3 (16:26) changed Speaker 4 (16:26) everything for Speaker 3 (16:27) me. Yeah. That's so good. I love that. You've been very vocal about. everything that you've gone through from the from your childhood to even through adulthood I want to ask because a lot of people assume that with everything that you've accomplished it comes with confidence but you've been very vocal about even the wounds yeah I want to know when did you realize that being successful and being healed were not the same thing because you talk about the very high paying job with meta and going through navigating healing at the same time yeah And sometimes we can confuse the two. It's like, oh, I'm good because success can mask the wound. When did you Speaker 4 (17:07) realize that they were different? I have come to realize that success doesn't have periods. It has commas. Speaker 4 (17:14) there's always a next, always another thing. There's always another achievement, another goal. Like there's no peace. And I think that's when I came to that realization that success and healing are not the same. I did believe for the longest time that, okay, if I can just get to this level, if I could just get this recognition, just get this award, then I'll actually matter. And you get the thing. Speaker 3 (17:39) And Speaker 4 (17:39) then, you know. A couple days later, it's just like, all right, what next? Speaker 3 (17:43) Yeah. Speaker 4 (17:44) And so that's what really taught me that, yeah, you can achieve, but you don't necessarily heal. Yeah. And healing is a process, and that absolutely requires the power of God. It does. Speaker 3 (17:54) That's so true. I know for a long time, I had a habit of when things weren't going right, I would go buy something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like Speaker 4 (18:04) a Speaker 3 (18:04) car. Yep, yep, yep. Not a pair of shoes. Correct. That's so stupid. Speaker 3 (18:13) But I literally go through a breakup and I'm like, I deserve a new car. Yes. I'm getting another house. And a place to go. Literally. It's true. But the moment you get that thing, whatever it is, it doesn't heal the broken heart. Yeah. It doesn't fix whatever the root of the cause of that hurt is. Yeah. You realize after you drive it around 285 a few times, it's like. Yeah, I'm still feeling empty. I still feel the same way I felt before I got this. So it's so true that a lot of times we try to like. use items or like