(upbeat music)

- If there's one thing2020 lacked for most of us

it was joy.

COVID-19 spread sickness, unemployment,

isolation, depression and anxiety,

but we don't have to carrythose burdens into the new year.

There's a way to experiencea mountain of joy,

even in the valley of suffering.

- [Reporter] Author Talasi Guerra says

for years she believed the lie

that real joy was out of reach for her.

She struggled withanorexia and depression.

- In my life, joy has neverfelt anything like a fountain.

In fact, to me, the pursuit of joy

has always felt much morelike an arduous climb

up a steep unforgiving mountain.

And I don't think I'm alone.

- [Reporter] Just like many people today

who are full of stress,worry, depression, and fear,

she struggled with finding true happiness

until God healed her.

In her book, "Joy Like a Mountain,"

Talasi helps you discover intentional

biblical joy for the journey,

and how to reclaim the lifeyou were created to live.

- Please welcome to "The700 Club," Talasi Guerra.

Talasi, it's wonderfulto have you with us.

- Thanks so much for having me.

- People have been reallyhurting during these tough times,

and for many joy has been hard to come by.

How did you learn to choose joy?

- Well, it's honestly been a process

throughout the course of my life.

I have struggled withjoy for most of my life.

As a kid, as an adolescent,and even into my adult life.

But this is something that God has had me

on a journey to discover.

And really what it was is learning

to really take the Bible at its word.

Listen to God, understand thatthere's more to biblical joy

than maybe what I knew growing up,

and allow him to changeme from the inside out,

allowing him to fill mewith the joy of the Lord

rather than trying toachieve it on my own.

- You know, the Bible says

that the joy of the Lord is our strength,

and yet so many believers, Christians,

seem to be joyless or tofall easily off the cliff

when things don't go accordingly.

But the kind of joy thatyou're talking about

you say is intentional.

How does one begin topursue that intentionally?

- You know, it's daily choices.

It is waking up in the morning

and considering what amI grateful for today?

It's taking time to actually reflect

on what good things Godhas done in our own lives.

It's a daily, it's a momentby moment choice that we make.

And it's something that we have to choose.

It's not something thatjust necessarily will happen

because circumstances don'talways allow for that.

We have to choose it in themidst of our circumstances,

and even in the midst of our suffering.

- Your book is called"Joy Like a Mountain."

But the mountain you write about

in the book is not joy, it's life,

and something that needsto be climbed by everyone.

So when we recognize that it's a mountain

and that we need to climb,

and we recognize what you're talking about

that our joint needs to be intentional,

that kind of helps us set ourmind in the right perspective

don't you think?

- Absolutely, I mean, thereality is that suffering

in life is inevitable.

Life is like climbing a mountain.

I mean, climbing a mountain is difficult,

especially for a novice likeme, and life is like that.

We go through challenges,

and joy isn't the absence of suffering.

The Bible teaches us that joy is available

at every step of the journey of life,

even in the midst of suffering.

In fact, the Bible actually says that joy

and suffering producessome of the most profound

spiritual growth that wecan actually experience.

You look at James 1.

It says that we are toconsider it pure joy

when we were faced with trials,

because it develops perseverance.

Or Romans 5, it says that whenwe rejoice in our sufferings

it produces endurance, andthen character and hope,

and these words,perseverance, endurance, hope.

What more could we possiblyneed at a time like this

in the season that we've been through

in these unprecedented times?

And you know, this book is notunlocking some new mystery.

It's just returning to the idea

that God makes a way for joy,even in the midst of hardship.

- And reminding us thatbecause he calls us to that

he provides for us.

You talk about some of thespecific traits that we need

to develop in our journeyup the mountain of life.

Discuss those, if you would.

- Yeah, you know, this is actually

one of the chapters in thebook, it's called The Gear.

We keep the mountain climbinganalogy throughout the book.

And so kind of compare somemountain climbing equipment

to various practices that wecan engage with in our lives.

Practices like gratitude, focus, mission.

So for example, missionbecomes sort of the specialized

footwear that is necessary

for climbing an icy snowy mountain.

And it's so much like howour mission as believers

fits our feet with the Gospel of peace,

and that propels us and that propels

the Kingdom of God forward.

I hope that this book is more

than just a philosophical book,but that is also applicable.

It offers tangible, practical steps

as to how people can implementjoy in their lives right now.

- Well, and with that inmind you invite us all

to a seven day challenge.

Tell me about the challengeand the invitation.

- Absolutely.

The 7-Day Joy Challengeis what it sounds like.

It's a one week long devotional plan.

People can sign up through my website,

and and basically justreceive a devotional,

a daily devotional in theirinbox, one day at a time.

It comes with an applicationactivity for the day.

It comes with a Biblereading passage for the day,

and then it just really will help you

to take some simple steps

to start implementingbiblical intentional joy

in your life right now.

- Talasi, it's your ownjourney that gives credibility

to what you write in the book.

And even to the invitationyou extend to us.

I mean people who are suffering

from some of the the thingsthat you suffered from,

the eating disorder,and the low self-esteem,

and you know you say you just developed

kind of a negative perspective

on yourself and life in general.

How did God arrest you in themiddle of that and change you?

- I believe it was miraculous healing.

Some healings happen in an instant,

like you shared earlier on the show,

and others happen over time.

Mine took place over time.

I spent seven years battlingwith this eating disorder,

but I came to a pointwhere I was really ready

for God to make a change in my life.

And I ultimately just cameto a place of surrender,

and said, God, I need youto, to something here.

And he took my life andhe turned it around.

It was a process.

It was gradual, but it was miraculous.

It was the power of God at work in me.

And it took some time.

It took several months to sort of overcome

some of those physical behaviorsof the eating disorder,

but then over time, several years

continuing to work through depression

and ultimately pursue thisidea of intentional joy.

- Well there are two things I hear you say

in that description.

One is you were ready for Godto do something in your life.

And the second was you surrendered.

Boy, we just come to thatword at every turn in the road

of our walk with Christ, don't we?

I want to say this bookis the book for us,

as we start out 2021 folks.

"Joy Like a Mountain," you can have it,

it's yours for the asking

because God will provide it for you

when you surrender to Him.

The book is availablewherever books are sold,

and Talasi, we just say thank you to you.

If you'd like to find out more

about her 7-Day JoyChallenge, go to cbn.com.

God bless you, Happy New Year.

- Thank you.