Morgan May Treuil [00:00:00]:
Okay, you guys, welcome back to Am I Doing this Right? And Leslie and I have just the best surprise for you today. We have very Special guest Janelle McGuckin on Am I Doing this Right? And by the way, let me just set the record straight. She actually is one of those people who is already doing it right before she comes on the show. So.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:18]:
That's true. She's going to tell us how to do it.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:21]:
She's gonna tell us how to do it. And also she has to tell us first where she got her shoes from because they're very cute.
Leslie Johnston [00:00:26]:
Yes.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:26]:
Oh, thank you. You want to really know?
Leslie Johnston [00:00:28]:
I really, really wanted to know.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:30]:
Target.com.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:31]:
See, okay, they look like Doc Martens.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:34]:
I know, right? And they're squishy and comfortable.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:36]:
They're squishy and comfortable.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:37]:
I know.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:37]:
See, Doc Martens don't look squishy or comfortable. So those don't look squishy.
Leslie Johnston [00:00:41]:
Yeah. I feel like if I'm gonna wear a Doc Martens, I have to like, be prepared to work out because those things are heavy.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:45]:
They are.
Leslie Johnston [00:00:45]:
Do you have Doc Martens tromping around? Yeah, I have like the slip on ones.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:50]:
Ooh, okay.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:51]:
That was great.
Leslie Johnston [00:00:51]:
But I don't really wear them. Cause they're.
Morgan May Treuil [00:00:52]:
They're too heavy and they're not squishy. They're not comfy.
Leslie Johnston [00:00:54]:
Yeah, not squishy.
Janelle McGuckin [00:00:56]:
I had a pair of Mary Jane Doc Martens for years. And when cleaned out my closet a few years ago, I got rid of them. And then the very next year, I think they were like, in style again. And I'm like, darn it, isn't that the worst? But I know, I know. And I. The first time we went to Europe, I wanted to have like one pair of shoes that I wore with every outfit, like skirts, shorts, jeans, whatever. And I wore those because I wanted to pack light. And I had a lot of miles on those.
Janelle McGuckin [00:01:21]:
And they were actually really comfortable, even though they were heavy. But yeah, they never left my feet. Yeah, I know. Oh, my God.
Morgan May Treuil [00:01:27]:
See, we gotta stop doing that. We gotta stop getting rid of clothes because.
Leslie Johnston [00:01:29]:
Well, but here's the problem. They always come back around is because when they come back around, they're just different enough that you can't use your old stuff.
Morgan May Treuil [00:01:36]:
Fashion is such a scam.
Janelle McGuckin [00:01:38]:
Totally.
Morgan May Treuil [00:01:39]:
Fashion is such a scam. Like changing something just ever so slightly to where what you had was in. But mostly it's out is like, not okay. It's just a money making scheme for sure. But props to them. If I was the inventor of fashion. I would be happy about it.
Leslie Johnston [00:01:51]:
But that's right. Like, someday when skinny jeans come back in, I think are not going to be the same.
Janelle McGuckin [00:01:57]:
There will be a tweak.
Leslie Johnston [00:01:58]:
And none of our old skinny jeans.
Morgan May Treuil [00:02:00]:
What if they're like skinny jeans, but at the end, they've got this little, like, flare saucer of swords in the end, one of the ones.
Leslie Johnston [00:02:06]:
You can't clip this in, like, 10 years and be like, Morgan saw it.
Morgan May Treuil [00:02:10]:
We prophetically spoke about it. So funny. Oh, my gosh, Janelle, we are so happy to have you on the show.
Janelle McGuckin [00:02:16]:
Oh, I'm happy to be here.
Leslie Johnston [00:02:18]:
This is the way we always start, though.
Janelle McGuckin [00:02:19]:
Okay.
Leslie Johnston [00:02:20]:
If you've watched our episodes with an unpopular opinion, and when we asked her, okay, do you have the unpopular opinion? She said, oh, I have multiple. So give us one of your unpopular opinions.
Janelle McGuckin [00:02:30]:
Okay, well, I'll start with one. Because I was thinking about it and I thought, which one should I do? And I was thinking maybe a medical one or, you know, but I have a family one.
Morgan May Treuil [00:02:42]:
Okay.
Janelle McGuckin [00:02:43]:
And it is that I don't think that you should ask someone for what's. What's on your Christmas list. I think that you should just be close enough or aware enough or pay attention to know what they would like. Ooh. And I've always been this way. So when Scott and I were dating in college, he would, like, break into a sweat, like, every Christmas and birthday because he was like, oh, my goodness, I don't know. And the first time we had a holiday together, he was like, okay, what's on your list? I'm all list. No, we don't.
Janelle McGuckin [00:03:21]:
You're just supposed to know me. And he's like, like, oh, pressure. There's so much pressure. So funny. This week, Natalie text the group fam and says, what's on everyone's Christmas list? And I was like, h. How am I going to answer this? This is so not Janelle.
Leslie Johnston [00:03:43]:
So do you like my list? Is that you would know what I would want on my list.
Janelle McGuckin [00:03:46]:
Exactly. Exactly.
Morgan May Treuil [00:03:47]:
Do your girls not give you lists every year, or do you just know?
Janelle McGuckin [00:03:52]:
Well, I mostly know, but there are some things that they, you know, that they'll say. But I. I just find so much joy into, like, figuring it out. And. And actually, honestly, the last few years, I'll sometimes like about a serious, like, event or something. I'll pray, like, God, give me an idea of how this person would feel loved and known, you know, And I feel like he does. He, like, brings these ideas to my head. That I'm like, oh, I wouldn't have even thought of that if I wouldn't have asked.
Morgan May Treuil [00:04:20]:
That's so sweet.
Janelle McGuckin [00:04:21]:
So. So I can ask him, you know, what's on the list.
Morgan May Treuil [00:04:24]:
Yes. And then he'll give you something.
Leslie Johnston [00:04:26]:
I agree with you to an extent.
Janelle McGuckin [00:04:28]:
Okay.
Leslie Johnston [00:04:29]:
I feel like I love gifts. Like, I love gifts is one of my love languages. I like giving gifts more than even receiving them. Yeah. Although I love to receive a gift.
Morgan May Treuil [00:04:39]:
But you doesn't.
Leslie Johnston [00:04:40]:
But I love thinking about throughout the year, I'll have a note in my phone. And certain people, like, if something pops up where I'm like, oh, they said that they wanted this or that they like this. I'll write it down.
Janelle McGuckin [00:04:49]:
I love that.
Leslie Johnston [00:04:50]:
And so it's a great way to keep track. So when someone's birthday comes up, I'm like, okay, that person likes this. I love that. But I make a Christmas list still to this day.
Morgan May Treuil [00:04:59]:
I do, too. It. Because it's. It's what we've done in our family.
Leslie Johnston [00:05:02]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:05:02]:
I will say my mom has this really cool idea, and I think she wants to try it next year because we've always done lists. I have two younger sisters, and we always send lists to mom and grandma, and then they like to go off of the list. And they probably know us well enough to where if they got us whatever, we would like it.
Janelle McGuckin [00:05:18]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:05:19]:
It's funny how, like, as our husbands have entered the picture and they have to buy for our husbands, it's very imperative that Benji makes. Makes a list because he's now realized what happens. They're buying regardless. So either you make the list of the things you want or you don't. My mom has this idea, though, of what would it be like if one year she let the girls pick for the girls? So she's buying the gifts, but she's not asking us for a list. She's saying, like, Amanda, pick out all of Morgan's stuff for this year, or Kristen, pick out Amanda's stuff. Because we all know each other so well. Because the.
Morgan May Treuil [00:05:51]:
The fun in that is the surprise. Like, if you make a list, then you're not surprised. I know which you're getting what you want, but you're not surprised by something really cool that you didn't want.
Janelle McGuckin [00:06:00]:
Right.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:00]:
You don't feel. You're not like, oh, my gosh, they really took the time to know me and.
Morgan May Treuil [00:06:04]:
Exactly.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:04]:
Well. Yeah. I also. Here's my. Here's my unpopular opinion. I'm gonna add on.
Morgan May Treuil [00:06:09]:
I'm ready.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:09]:
I don't think you should ever return a gift unless you already have it changing for a size or something. I don't think. I think if someone. If you've not, like, been like, oh, I kind of want this, and then you decide you don't like it, I think that's fine. But if someone, like, really goes out of their way to buy you a gift.
Janelle McGuckin [00:06:25]:
Right.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:26]:
No matter if you hate it. I don't.
Morgan May Treuil [00:06:27]:
Have you returned a gift before.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:29]:
I have returned a gift.
Janelle McGuckin [00:06:30]:
But you don't think you should.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:31]:
But I don't like when other people return like it.
Janelle McGuckin [00:06:34]:
And sometimes on an app, you can see when they returned it. Like, yeah, that's. I got my gift. You can see. Oh, it was returned. I'm like, oh, that's was good.
Leslie Johnston [00:06:44]:
This actually is a confession. I think you bought me a shirt one time, but it genuinely didn't fit me, so then I did have to return it.
Morgan May Treuil [00:06:50]:
Oh, that's okay. I actually don't mind if you return it. If you, if you use the money to get something that you like, I'm fine with that. My problem is I can never locate, like, once. Once a receipt enters my possession, I'm like, it might as well have gone into the abyss because I. I can't ever return something. I got three of the same shirts last year for Christmas because I accidentally sent the same list to everybody, and then all three of them are still in my closet, and now I just rotate through all three of them.
Leslie Johnston [00:07:14]:
I love returning. You should just give them to me and I'll go return them.
Morgan May Treuil [00:07:17]:
The problem is, like, the time that it takes for me to recognize there's something in my possession that ye to be returned. It's too late. The year has passed. The policies have changed. It's a whole problem. I do want to hear your medical one, if you have one. Yes. Because I'm.
Morgan May Treuil [00:07:31]:
I. I'm fascinated by the medical opinions and I just need to know.
Janelle McGuckin [00:07:35]:
Well, actually, my other. My other one that I was going to say was with travel, I was thinking, like, we fly Southwest a lot, and I think it's okay if you're an A list person to save a seat for somebody in the C group.
Morgan May Treuil [00:07:50]:
In the C group. Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:07:52]:
Right.
Morgan May Treuil [00:07:52]:
That's what you Southwest people do anyways. Right?
Janelle McGuckin [00:07:55]:
I know, but we've been totally.
Leslie Johnston [00:07:57]:
Your Delta, you and Benji and your Delta, you Southwest people.
Morgan May Treuil [00:08:01]:
I feel like if you're. If you're on a Southwest flight, this is. This is a hot take. So I'm sorry. If you're on a Southwest flight, because you're a Southwest person, and especially if you're a list preferred. So that means, like, you do Southwest.
Janelle McGuckin [00:08:13]:
Right? Right.
Morgan May Treuil [00:08:13]:
You guys don't have etiquette. Y'all are like, y'all line up. Y'all are fighting for seats. Y'all are saving seats. No one accept. Expects you save as many seats as you want to, Janelle.
Janelle McGuckin [00:08:23]:
I don't think anyone expects anything called bad names. But. But seriously. Oh, yeah, totally. People.
Morgan May Treuil [00:08:29]:
People get mad.
Janelle McGuckin [00:08:30]:
Oh, yeah, People get mad. Well, I think people are a little edgy post Covid, but. But, yeah, it's going to change in 2025 anyway because they're assigning seats or pick seats.
Leslie Johnston [00:08:39]:
Yeah, I know. I'm so.
Morgan May Treuil [00:08:40]:
Why are they doing that?
Janelle McGuckin [00:08:42]:
I know.
Leslie Johnston [00:08:42]:
It's like, Southwest is.
Janelle McGuckin [00:08:44]:
They want it. Yeah. They said they wanted, like, the customers were like, this is the one change we want.
Leslie Johnston [00:08:49]:
No, I think that is so fake, because they didn't. I never got an email. They did not ask me, like, when.
Morgan May Treuil [00:08:56]:
You guys must not be there.
Leslie Johnston [00:08:57]:
An email, Never.
Janelle McGuckin [00:08:59]:
Oh, and Southwest knows that I love gifts because I got in the mail recently. I got eight little cards that are Southwest for Southwest employees, and I get to give them one when I think they're doing a good job as a gift, and they get to go pick out a gift in the Southwest gift store.
Morgan May Treuil [00:09:16]:
Wait, that's so funny.
Janelle McGuckin [00:09:18]:
I love giving gifts, and I have them in my purse, and I've given them to a few people when we travel because they're just, like, doing their Southwest thing.
Morgan May Treuil [00:09:25]:
Do you guys exclusively fly Southwest?
Janelle McGuckin [00:09:28]:
Pretty much. Unless, you know, it's not because we have, like, the free companion and the points.
Morgan May Treuil [00:09:33]:
That's really nice. Points. Does a lot.
Leslie Johnston [00:09:35]:
I also just think Southwest is a vibe. Like, I think it's a vibe.
Morgan May Treuil [00:09:39]:
It's like a retro. Stuck in the 80s. No rules, lawless. Gross.
Leslie Johnston [00:09:44]:
Delta's gross.
Morgan May Treuil [00:09:45]:
It's really not. You say that.
Leslie Johnston [00:09:46]:
It's not every Delta plane I've gotten on, I'm like, there's, like, crusties in the sea. It's growth. It's old. And everybody's like.
Morgan May Treuil [00:09:53]:
And you're like, on Southwest, when there's crusties, it's just fashion. It's just fashion.
Leslie Johnston [00:09:58]:
No, it's cool and, like, modern, and the people are so much nicer on Southwest. I feel like they sing songs when they, like, sit you in your seats. We just. I flew back yesterday, and they did trivia on the plane.
Morgan May Treuil [00:10:11]:
See, I have too much anxiety to walk onto a plane and not have an assigned seat. That's mine with the people that I know are sitting next to me. It's just.
Leslie Johnston [00:10:19]:
Yeah, I think Southwest is doing it for the money because they're going to start charging for the nice receipts.
Janelle McGuckin [00:10:23]:
Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:10:24]:
So they're not asking the customers. No, they're not. They're just wanting to charge more.
Janelle McGuckin [00:10:27]:
That's true.
Leslie Johnston [00:10:28]:
So, anyways, I have lots of thoughts on this.
Morgan May Treuil [00:10:31]:
You know, those are great unpopular opinions.
Leslie Johnston [00:10:33]:
Yes.
Janelle McGuckin [00:10:33]:
But you can tell medical one.
Morgan May Treuil [00:10:35]:
Oh, I do. Yeah. By the way, you can tell that an unpopular opinion is successful when it sparks debate. That was that. The whole goal is to fight with.
Leslie Johnston [00:10:42]:
My blood pressure is high. You Southwest?
Morgan May Treuil [00:10:45]:
Yeah, I do want to. The medical one.
Janelle McGuckin [00:10:47]:
Okay. So I work in surgery, and people who are in the medical field know this little secret. But I live for this, by the.
Morgan May Treuil [00:10:56]:
Way, the medical secrets, I live for them.
Janelle McGuckin [00:10:59]:
Well, you know, it's a benign secret, I should say, because if you are having surgery, you should bring your healthcare workers a treat the day you're having surgery. Just so you know, just a little tip.
Leslie Johnston [00:11:12]:
Does it make the surgery?
Morgan May Treuil [00:11:13]:
What happens if we don't? I'm taking notes.
Janelle McGuckin [00:11:17]:
No, but we love treats. We love treats. So, like, people who have, like, had a lot of surgeries or are in the medical field, they'll like, bring, you know, homemade cookies or candy or something, you know, to say thank you to the medical staff. I don't know why, but we like a lot of sweet treats, and we should be, like, healthier. Yeah. Like, sometimes people bring Noah's bagels or, you know, fruit trays, but we really just, like, treats.
Leslie Johnston [00:11:43]:
I love that you and I are the same, because to me, I would think of a bagel as healthy, too, and I know it's not. You like our fruit tray or nose bagels?
Morgan May Treuil [00:11:51]:
Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:11:53]:
I love that. So what happens if you don't bring the sweet treat? Do you get less of a good surgery?
Morgan May Treuil [00:11:59]:
I'm assuming the surgery goes with planned. Hopefully.
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:02]:
I'm just saying you will create instant endearment.
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:05]:
They're attached to you.
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:06]:
Yeah, Instantly.
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:07]:
I like that.
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:07]:
Instant endearment.
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:08]:
Okay, now, I've got things in mind. Now I'm gonna go to urgent care and be like, here, here you go. Be invested in my case, please.
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:15]:
That's right. That's what my nurse friend told me.
Leslie Johnston [00:12:17]:
That's okay. I will remember that if I'm not in extreme anxiety before a surgery.
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:22]:
And you're usually fasting, so you're, like, hungry, and you're like, wow, I don't get to eat these yet. But.
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:27]:
But you still bring it.
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:28]:
You should.
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:29]:
Can I ask you a question?
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:29]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:30]:
How often do you get text messages from your friends with photos of the.
Leslie Johnston [00:12:35]:
Medical things that are medical?
Morgan May Treuil [00:12:37]:
I will start today. Janelle, you don't understand what kind of friendship that you just. How often do your friends text you?
Janelle McGuckin [00:12:44]:
Funny. I. I think I probably have dozens of people that use me as advice nursing, which actually, I love, because it is nice to be able to help your friends. Because it is. If you don't have a medical person in your family, sometimes you just don't even know. Like, do I go to the doctor for this? Do I not? And not that I have all the answers, because I remember in nursing school, I literally had taken, like, one med surg class, and everyone in your family is asking you about a fungus on their toe or something, and I'm like, I don't know. I don't know.
Morgan May Treuil [00:13:14]:
I'm just starting.
Leslie Johnston [00:13:15]:
Yes.
Janelle McGuckin [00:13:17]:
But, yeah, I do. I have a lot of people, and it's super fun for me when people I know have surgery, too, because it's just, like, so special to be able to take care of somebody in that vulnerable space and just make them feel like they came for their spa day. They're getting the little acupuncture with their iv. They're getting a little massage things on their legs. That's crazy. I'm like, oh, yeah, I do. I love when I get to help people feel comfortable in those situations. And honestly, like, yeah, do the SOS like, yeah, you know, Ali Sweeney, text me.
Janelle McGuckin [00:13:50]:
I think Lucy might have broke ankle on the trampoline. Help.
Morgan May Treuil [00:13:53]:
Oh, my God. I love that.
Janelle McGuckin [00:13:55]:
I know. It's sweet.
Leslie Johnston [00:13:56]:
That is really sweet. It's like using your gift. Well, Morgan and I are going to create a group text with you. I was gonna say, and send us all of our.
Morgan May Treuil [00:14:03]:
I have a lingering cough. Should I go to the doctor?
Leslie Johnston [00:14:06]:
We had to convince Morgan yesterday that she did not have pneumonia.
Morgan May Treuil [00:14:08]:
Oh, I already talked to her about this. This morning, the second that I saw her, I was like, hey, well, how do I know if I have pneumonia?
Leslie Johnston [00:14:14]:
Because someone who told this hor horror story about this person who had pneumonia, Jake Messner.
Morgan May Treuil [00:14:18]:
I'm gonna add him every single day.
Leslie Johnston [00:14:20]:
And then he's like, oh, yeah, the doctors gave her something. And on the way home, she had this horrible reaction, and we're like. And Morgan's like, what? What were the symptoms?
Morgan May Treuil [00:14:29]:
I just gotta know. I gotta know.
Janelle McGuckin [00:14:32]:
I know. Sometimes you know too much, and then it can make your brain go down a bad rabbit trail.
Leslie Johnston [00:14:37]:
Yeah. What's your thoughts on WebMD? Because that's like my social media sometimes.
Morgan May Treuil [00:14:41]:
Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:14:42]:
That I used to.
Janelle McGuckin [00:14:43]:
That is such a good question. I love that you asked that because so I had, I had surgery, you know, several years ago for some thyroid cancer. And I, my, my surgeon told me, he's like, okay, you can't look at any blogs or any other websites except for WebMD. Like, I'm not letting you look at anything else because you're one of those people that'll go down that rabbit hole and start getting freaked out. And so he said, just look at WebMD. And I was like, really? Yeah. And it does, it does, it's kind of like a protection where you kind of can like learn enough. Like every blog of every person that ever had a bad allergic reaction to medication or whatever because, you know, it's, it can, it can trap us, you know.
Janelle McGuckin [00:15:29]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:15:29]:
Interesting.
Leslie Johnston [00:15:31]:
Still freaks me out.
Morgan May Treuil [00:15:32]:
Well, you usually hear about it as like the cliche of like, well, don't be a WebMD doctor or whatever. But actually it's not terrible. Not the worst thing you could do.
Janelle McGuckin [00:15:39]:
I think it's kind of like a good overview that's not all these opinions and skepticisms and it does have a little bit of evidence based medicine in it.
Morgan May Treuil [00:15:51]:
Totally, totally.
Janelle McGuckin [00:15:52]:
So, yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:15:53]:
Okay, so you, you're a nurse, as we're finding out, right?
Morgan May Treuil [00:15:56]:
Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:15:57]:
But our listeners didn't tell us a little bit more like, what does life look like right now for you? What does your family look like? What do you do?
Janelle McGuckin [00:16:03]:
Okay. Yes, I've been a nurse for 28 years.
Leslie Johnston [00:16:07]:
Wow. And you are the nurse that I want.
Morgan May Treuil [00:16:09]:
Oh, yes, Exclusively.
Janelle McGuckin [00:16:11]:
Yeah. That's so sweet. If you have surgery, bring me treats. I'll take care of you.
Morgan May Treuil [00:16:14]:
I trust me, I'm only bringing treats now.
Leslie Johnston [00:16:16]:
I'll recommend.
Janelle McGuckin [00:16:16]:
Yeah. So, yeah, I work in the recovery room, so we call it the land of milk and honey. Especially outpatient recovery room because everyone's had a shower and we have really nice clients.
Morgan May Treuil [00:16:31]:
Yes.
Janelle McGuckin [00:16:34]:
And you kind of hang out with mildly intoxicated people, so it's super fun. And people respond to anesthesia like they do to alcohol. Usually you get your chatty or your criers or your angry people.
Morgan May Treuil [00:16:48]:
It's happy hour or quiet.
Janelle McGuckin [00:16:49]:
Yeah, it is happy hour.
Leslie Johnston [00:16:51]:
That's hilarious.
Morgan May Treuil [00:16:52]:
That's funny.
Janelle McGuckin [00:16:53]:
But yeah, it's a good, it's, it's great. I love it. I work at Kaiser and so I work three, four days a week and take call and, and I do, I enjoy it. It's this piece of my life where you meet people that you would never meet otherwise, and. And you get to use the gifts God gave you. And I actually remember, I was a fifth grader, and I remember somebody asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said a nurse or a travel agent.
Morgan May Treuil [00:17:26]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [00:17:28]:
So, yeah, I wanted to be a nurse from early on. And it's funny, because now that I'm older and know myself better, I see, like, I kind of. God designed me that way. Like, I naturally want to run in and help someone hurting and usually band aids and ice fix most things.
Leslie Johnston [00:17:48]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:17:48]:
That's really cool.
Janelle McGuckin [00:17:49]:
Wow.
Leslie Johnston [00:17:50]:
So what. So you're married, You've got a few kids, right?
Janelle McGuckin [00:17:53]:
Yes.
Leslie Johnston [00:17:54]:
Tell us how old they are.
Janelle McGuckin [00:17:55]:
Okay. Yeah. Scott and I have been married 28 years as well, because we got married right after we graduated from college.
Morgan May Treuil [00:18:00]:
Oh, my goodness.
Janelle McGuckin [00:18:01]:
And then we have Grace, who will be turning 21 in a couple weeks.
Morgan May Treuil [00:18:06]:
That's insane.
Janelle McGuckin [00:18:07]:
I know. And she's a junior at Lipscomb University in Nashville and studying nursing and running. Oh, cool. And then Natalie is going to be 19 in a couple weeks, and she is at Baylor, Texas.
Morgan May Treuil [00:18:22]:
Love it.
Janelle McGuckin [00:18:23]:
Second, entrepreneurship and playing lacrosse.
Leslie Johnston [00:18:26]:
That's so great.
Janelle McGuckin [00:18:29]:
Until they get home in eight days.
Morgan May Treuil [00:18:30]:
They're getting home in eight days for Thanksgiving?
Janelle McGuckin [00:18:32]:
Yes. So excited.
Morgan May Treuil [00:18:33]:
That is a little wild to have. Like, both girls have left the state for college, and they're in the South. Were you expecting that?
Janelle McGuckin [00:18:42]:
Well, we. We did travel a lot, as, you know, when they were younger, and I just. I was just happy. I feel like they're where they're supposed to be, so I feel like even if they were closer and it wasn't a good fit, it wouldn't be good, so. Totally. And they're super engaged. Like, we have this family snap and family group chat, and we FaceTime a lot, so it feels good. It really does.
Janelle McGuckin [00:19:05]:
I feel in some ways, I feel more emotionally connected to them now that they've actually left, because that first, the year that they're gearing up to leave, they're kind of breaking away, and they have their own life. Of course they should. So there's just a natural, like, you know, shredding. I think of that bond, and I feel like it's just different, but it's good.
Morgan May Treuil [00:19:27]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:19:28]:
So I know empty nesting is good. It is good.
Morgan May Treuil [00:19:31]:
I will compliment you because I'm not a parent, but it always seems like I would assume for the parent, when your kids leave the house and they go farther away than maybe you thought they would, it would be sad because they're not right in your vicinity. Not that they'll always be that far away, but for right now, they're far away. But I always think whenever a kid leaves the nest and then goes, like, at least hours away from home, I just think those parents had to have done such a good job to instill that kind of confidence in their children, where they could pick up and move to a new place and, like, start over and create their own community. Like, that means you guys have taught them how to find good friendships, how to build their own church community, because they're doing all of that, but, like, away from you, which is sad, but also really cool that you guys have instilled that in them and that they feel confident in that.
Janelle McGuckin [00:20:19]:
Oh, thank you.
Morgan May Treuil [00:20:19]:
That's really cool. And you have great kids.
Janelle McGuckin [00:20:22]:
Well, we have two Southern independent women who like to travel, which is amazing.
Morgan May Treuil [00:20:27]:
I mean, your family unit, all four of you guys, plus you have a dog.
Janelle McGuckin [00:20:32]:
We do. So it's how many corgi?
Morgan May Treuil [00:20:34]:
So five?
Leslie Johnston [00:20:34]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:20:35]:
Four and a half.
Morgan May Treuil [00:20:35]:
Four and a half. She's only half of a being. She's a dog. She doesn't get the full.
Janelle McGuckin [00:20:41]:
She thinks she's one.
Morgan May Treuil [00:20:42]:
But yes, I would say you guys have a really solid family unit. Like, people look at the McGuckens, and they're like, those guys are awesome. Very kind, very hospitable. You guys are a part of our church, and we love being around you guys and being led by you guys. And Scott's on our board for Bayside, which is awesome. And. But I think what's cool about your story, and we'll get into this, too here, is, like, you know those people, and I think, listeners, you can all resonate with this. Those people that go to your church, and you look up to them and you look at their life, and you're like, they must have had the most perfect, steady upbringing in the faith.
Morgan May Treuil [00:21:20]:
No problems. All good influences and mentors, because they're just so amazing. Like, how did they get to where they now only to, like, look underneath and realize there were actually so many instances that built that kind of resilience and faith. Like, where were we at yesterday? Someone was talking about. Maybe it was in sermon prep, Talking about how lots of people want resilience but don't want to have to go through the things that actually build resilience. And so what I think is cool about your story, Janelle, is that you would think, by looking at you, that life has been just the perfect series of building blocks to get you to where you are now. But life has also included so many plot twists for you, and we would love for you to share a little bit about how you grew up and what life was like.
Leslie Johnston [00:22:04]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:22:05]:
Maybe adulthood and all that kind of stuff.
Leslie Johnston [00:22:07]:
Like, did you just have, like, the perfect family growing up that made you into this beautiful, perfect nurse?
Janelle McGuckin [00:22:13]:
Yes, I thought I did. I. And I did. In many ways, I did. I. I grew up in the Central Valley in Modesto.
Leslie Johnston [00:22:26]:
Okay.
Janelle McGuckin [00:22:27]:
Which isn't, like, glamorous. A little step up above Stockton, Cobb's.
Leslie Johnston [00:22:34]:
Chosen place in California.
Janelle McGuckin [00:22:36]:
I know, right?
Morgan May Treuil [00:22:38]:
Wait, have you guys seen those videos, though, on Instagram, where it's like this untouched or like this unknown, secret, hidden gem destination in California, and it's like, stocked in California, but it has all these videos of, like, waterfalls and beach fronts and all this stuff, and it's basically tricking all the non. The non Californians.
Janelle McGuckin [00:22:59]:
It's so affordable.
Morgan May Treuil [00:23:01]:
Exactly. You're like, where's the beach from property?
Janelle McGuckin [00:23:03]:
Sorry, crime right there. Anyway.
Leslie Johnston [00:23:06]:
Yeah, that's so funny.
Janelle McGuckin [00:23:09]:
So. So I actually moved from Southern California to Modesto when I was like, two. My parents helped start a church there. And they weren't in ministry. They were, you know, my dad had a pool business, but they were really good friends with the pastor that was starting the church. So. And the church grew. It was like the biggest church in Modesto.
Janelle McGuckin [00:23:31]:
And my parents were like, part of everything, you know, every door opening. I mean, I kind of was a pastor's kid, honestly. Felt like that with Awanas and all the things. And I went to a Christian school, went to Modesto Christian. So I lived in this bubble, you know, for sure. And I just, you know, life was pretty easy, I would say, like my childhood, and I felt like I had this leave it to beaver life. And then it was like my senior year of high school, our family started to crack. And it started with my grandmother passed away.
Janelle McGuckin [00:24:19]:
And that year my mom went back to work for the first time. She had been a stay at home mom, so she went back to work in the hair business, you know, and then my brother and his girlfriend at the time got pregnant out of not being married. And then they moved in with my parents. And then my mom started going to counseling to work on some, you know, abuse that she had had as a kid. And I went away to Colle. And it was just like this perfect storm of lots of unearthing. Right. So we had lived this life that was.
Janelle McGuckin [00:24:59]:
I call it checkboxes. You know, you do this and Then you do this, and then you get this, and your life is good. And God was just kind of a piece of that. So I did accept Jesus into my heart as a little girl. I remember. I remember the day. I feel like it was real because I remember my mom was actually the Sunday school teacher with the flannel board. And I raised my hand to accept Christ, and she's like, no, no, put your hand on.
Janelle McGuckin [00:25:33]:
You're too young. And I'm like, no, I really want Jesus to live in my heart anyway. But I would say I didn't need him. My life was just easy and good for the most part. And then I go away to college at Point Loma in San Diego. And I could feel like my parents shifting something. You know, I think there was just something that was happening in them. But I.
Janelle McGuckin [00:26:04]:
You know, you're going through a life change yourself, and it's hard to, like, you know, know what is normal, I guess. Cause you're kind of creating a new normal.
Morgan May Treuil [00:26:12]:
It is strange, though. Like, I'm thinking about being in your shoes and having. Having your life is pretty much, like, set by the time you leave college. You're like, when I go away, I'm coming back to the same thing that's been for previous 18 years.
Janelle McGuckin [00:26:26]:
Right.
Morgan May Treuil [00:26:26]:
So that's a really weird thing to experience. Like, everything you've known for 18 years is all of a sudden different and changing. Like.
Janelle McGuckin [00:26:34]:
Right. And I was the first person on both sides of my family to go to college. Like, oh, wow. Like, no one had gone to college. And I just. I had this really big burn to be a nurse and to go to college. And my dad was super supportive. My mom was like, I want you to stay home and go to junior college.
Janelle McGuckin [00:26:51]:
I don't want you to leave home. And it was. It was like. But I. I feel like I'm supposed to go. And so. So anyway, I mean, once she saw Point Loma, she's like, oh, it's beautiful. You can go here.
Leslie Johnston [00:27:04]:
She's like, I'd love to visit.
Janelle McGuckin [00:27:05]:
Right. But going 500 miles away was kind of a big deal for me in my little small town.
Morgan May Treuil [00:27:09]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:27:10]:
Because, you know, I went to school with, like. I would say most of my class of 50 didn't go into school.
Morgan May Treuil [00:27:15]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [00:27:16]:
You know, and so anyway, so I went away to school and nursing. It was hard. You know, it's a hard major. And.
Morgan May Treuil [00:27:23]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:27:24]:
And so my sophomore year of college, I come home at Christmas and my. I remember being home and my parents were kind of like, having some Sort of little argument. And I could sense there was like this kind of warfare feeling in my heart of like, something bad is going down. And, you know, I went in the other room and I just started praying. I started praying and I prayed that God would heal my parents. And I heard my dad say, let's stay together for the kids. And mind you, like, my whole childhood, it was like, anytime you'd hear somebody, like, going through a divorce, you kind of get nervous and you're like, are you guys good? And I always heard, oh, you never have to worry about us, you know, But. But I was really worried that night.
Janelle McGuckin [00:28:19]:
And I started praying, praying for them. And then it all went quiet. And I think because of the counseling that my mom was going through and the relationship where it was. Where she kind of went into a traumatic. It was kind of a traumatic experience for her. And so I remember just thinking, she needs to feel safe. And so I called one of her friends and she came and picked her up. And my mom left and never came back.
Janelle McGuckin [00:28:55]:
Like, didn't take anything. And they had been married 28 years. And so my dad, I think, was just thinking, oh, it'll just, you know, be a couple days until we get things fixed. But, yeah, that started this 20 year prodigal journey for both of them. And they both walked away from their faith. And I was going back to Point Loma and going, I don't even know what I believe. Like, I. My whole world was just crumbled, you know, and it was like.
Janelle McGuckin [00:29:32]:
I mean, every college student, I feel like, has to come to a point to, like, where you make your faith your own. And you question, what do I believe? Because it's what I believe, not because it's what I was raised. I mean, we all kind of go through that, but mine was, like, forced in that moment to go, okay, what do I believe? And I remember sitting on a, you know, an oceanfront cliff one afternoon, going to the Lord with this, and just really overwhelmingly feel like he was carrying me. Like, you know, that cheesy little poem, footprints, you know, I felt like that, like, I felt like he was, like, really holding me. And I feel like that's when I became a real believer because I felt like that was the first time, like, I need God and I couldn't fix my family. And I joke around that I went from, like, this leave it to be real life to, like, days of our Lives because it got really, really crazy, really soap opera. Like, my. Both my parents started dating non believers and, like, you know, just totally Living worldly life, completely worldly lives.
Janelle McGuckin [00:30:44]:
And so I was just kind of a mess, just not knowing how to help and how to fix. And I'm a helper. Like, you know, that's my heart, and I couldn't do anything to do that to fix it. And so, yeah, I just. I walked some hard roads and learning, like, how to love them and how to love the people they were bringing into my life. And. And the Lord by his grace, has helped me navigate that because it's a lot of heartbreak and disappointment. And when Scott and I were dating, he was like, oh, my family's all, you know, broken, but at least I get, you know, a cool family with Janelle's family.
Janelle McGuckin [00:31:27]:
And then he didn't.
Morgan May Treuil [00:31:29]:
Wait, so did y'all start dating before your parent?
Janelle McGuckin [00:31:32]:
Yeah, we met the middle of our senior year of high school.
Leslie Johnston [00:31:36]:
Okay.
Janelle McGuckin [00:31:37]:
And when we met, we both had already applied and been accepted to Point Loma, so.
Leslie Johnston [00:31:42]:
Okay.
Janelle McGuckin [00:31:42]:
We both went and. And we dated all four years and never broke up, thank goodness. But, yeah, and he was seriously one of my best therapists. He's like, I've been through this before. I'm so sorry. And the Lord did provide really sweet people for me along the way. One, my chaplain at Point Llama, Gerard Reed. I was in his.
Janelle McGuckin [00:32:08]:
Dr. Reed. I was in his ethics class, and I felt like I was. Was, like, getting counseling from him just with the way he loved God and walked with God and showed what that looked like, because I felt like what I had experienced with Christianity was not walking with God. It was formula. It was like, you know, it was empty. When stuff hits, you know, hard things hit. It wasn't.
Janelle McGuckin [00:32:36]:
It didn't have the roots in it.
Morgan May Treuil [00:32:38]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:32:39]:
That is so powerful. So when you were walking through the season of. Your parents are both kind of, you know, living this kind of worldly lives totally opposite from what you grew up in. I'm sure that was so jarring. Was there a moment you were like, you know what? I'm just going to not have relationship. I'm just going to do my own thing, start my own life. Was there a temptation to do that? Or how did you. How did you kind of keep that relationship through such a difficult time with them?
Morgan May Treuil [00:33:10]:
Right.
Janelle McGuckin [00:33:11]:
Yeah. You know, it. I still loved them, and I did still feel this urge to honor them, you know, not because of being amazing parents, but just because they did have a lot of good in them. And I remember when my mom turned 15, I'm turning 50 in a few weeks. I remember when my mom turned 50, she. She had a party with her new husband, who was not a believer, and. And was so opposite of my dad in many ways. I remember.
Janelle McGuckin [00:33:50]:
I think. I think it was funny. I was even watching. I was like on an Oprah session or some show where she was talking about gratitude and, you know, because she likes that and. And I do too. But I remember thinking, because I love giving gifts for her 50th birthday, I wanted to write 50 things that I loved and appreciated about her. And this is in the middle of the mess.
Morgan May Treuil [00:34:13]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:34:14]:
And so I kept this little book next to my nightstand and I started, like, writing down things. This is a couple months before her birthday. And it was really hard at first. It was like packing my lunch and, you know.
Morgan May Treuil [00:34:27]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:34:27]:
Piano lessons or whatever. But the more I did it, the more it got easier and deeper of deeper things. And by the time I got done with that list of 50, it took me probably like a few weeks. But after I got done with that, I felt like I was able to see her differently. And it did help me love her better through the mess because. Because she. There was still a lot of good. And my parents were like good, loving people and they always loved me and believed in me too, which helps, but I think it just helped me see a little beyond the dysfunction.
Janelle McGuckin [00:35:14]:
And I was 20, so it's easier to do than when you're 10 or 12.
Morgan May Treuil [00:35:18]:
Totally.
Janelle McGuckin [00:35:19]:
But that was one thing that helped me start looking for the good. But I would say our relationship felt distant and like we don't really know each other. Like, we talk about recipes and send pictures and. Yeah, what are you doing this weekend? But not like. Like the spiritual discussions were not part of it at all. Or, you know, the things that I was growing in. And the Lord was like showing me.
Morgan May Treuil [00:35:48]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:35:49]:
I didn't share, so. And then. And then my dad had a. Out of wedding pregnancy as well. So then I had. I was.
Morgan May Treuil [00:36:04]:
You're like, what?
Janelle McGuckin [00:36:04]:
I was.
Morgan May Treuil [00:36:05]:
What is everyone.
Janelle McGuckin [00:36:05]:
What I know. So I was. I. I was like mid-20s, late 20s when I had a half sister. Sister. So.
Morgan May Treuil [00:36:17]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [00:36:18]:
Yeah, I know. That was crazy too. Yeah. Crazy and hard. And that their marriage didn't last but a few years. And. And then. And then when she was 7 and I was 30, my dad died.
Janelle McGuckin [00:36:38]:
Sudden, Sudden death, actually. So she was only 7 years old. And I felt like I needed to step in and kind of be there for her when my dad wasn't. Oh, my gosh. So. And I feel like the Lord gave me. And Scott. Scott was amazing.
Janelle McGuckin [00:36:58]:
Strength to know what she needed and to like set healthy boundaries and yet like help her have a. As stable a life as possible without a dad. And, and I, and I think the other amazing gift that I clearly see was from the Lord when he says in Proverbs that he's a father to the fatherless. Like there was like two really specific like father aged people that started loving on Scott and I, them and their wives that just came into our life, like showed up at my dad's funeral and really have of. Are still like father and mother figures in our life.
Morgan May Treuil [00:37:41]:
Can you talk about incredible. Can you talk about. Because I, I'm. I'm guessing people who are listening to this maybe have had an experience where they're kind of right in the middle. I love the whole like middle of the mess thing that you just said. Cuz that's real. Lots of people are having to learn to love people or live with people or live with themselves in the middle of the mess. And you're right in the middle of figuring things out with your dad.
Morgan May Treuil [00:38:06]:
Things have not met a resolution and then all of a sudd lose him suddenly. Can you talk about the grief of not only losing your dad, but like losing him at a point in time where you weren't actually able to see him to the other side of his journey. Right. Or like your. Maybe your relationship hadn't fully resolved in the ways that you wanted. How did, how did you deal with that?
Janelle McGuckin [00:38:30]:
Yeah, it's so I, I would say like after he and his wife had. Or his girlfriend got pregnant.
Morgan May Treuil [00:38:42]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:38:43]:
And he had to come kind of tell me that news. I feel like all of a sudden these walls that he held up for everyone else kind of came down and he and I started having like real conversations.
Morgan May Treuil [00:38:57]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [00:38:57]:
And I think I was probably one of the only people that really saw his true heart before he passed, which I feel like is such a gift. And so I do think that broke him in many ways to see his own need for God and his own brokenness that got him into the deeper waters there. And so I am thankful that I did see him turning back to the Lord on his own too and starting to go to church on his own again before he passed. And we had gotten more emotionally closer through those last few years right before he died. And we would talk like every few days and just check in. And so it was really probably one of my deepest heart pains when he died because we were at my grandfather's funeral the day before he died. And so I had seen him, his.
Morgan May Treuil [00:40:02]:
Dad or your mom's?
Janelle McGuckin [00:40:02]:
My mom's dad.
Morgan May Treuil [00:40:03]:
Oh, my gosh.
Janelle McGuckin [00:40:04]:
I know. And he came to the funeral, and he just looked really tired. And I'm like, dad, are you okay? But he was going through the divorce and he had, like, a six year old, and, you know, I mean, it was hard. And so as a, you know, mid-50s guy.
Morgan May Treuil [00:40:18]:
Right.
Janelle McGuckin [00:40:18]:
And so anyway, so that I. He called me the next day after the funeral, and I remember the day clearly. Grace was like a year and a half old. And he said I had this. He was a golfer, totally golfed all the time, like, amazing golfer. And he said, I had the winning putt for, you know, to qualify to play at pebble beach next month. I want you and Grace to come watch me play. And then it was like an hour and a half later I got a call from a friend that said, you know, your dad's died in his sleep.
Janelle McGuckin [00:41:00]:
So I was the last person to talk to him. And he was like. Like, he was going out to a concert that night, and his friend came over to pick him up, and he didn't answer the door, and he actually died in his sleep. Wow. And so it was horrible when I had to drive down and go, you know, say, yeah, that's dad. But he had grass on his socks and he had a smile on his face, and he was like, it was best day for him. He had the best day. He had the best day.
Janelle McGuckin [00:41:27]:
I know. Wow.
Leslie Johnston [00:41:28]:
Oh, my goodness. So.
Morgan May Treuil [00:41:30]:
And that's.
Leslie Johnston [00:41:32]:
That actually is incredible. And I'm so glad that you got that experience with him, with your mom. We know your mom, actually, and she's a queen.
Janelle McGuckin [00:41:43]:
She.
Leslie Johnston [00:41:45]:
She has. I mean, we see you guys in church together all the time now. How did that resolve?
Janelle McGuckin [00:41:52]:
Yeah, there's so many beautiful God stories in this, honestly. And. And just to encourage anyone listening that, you know, when you sing, like, Waymaker and God's not finished yet, I mean, he really is like. And after about 20 years, I remember it was probably about 12 years ago, I started praying and asking God, you know, God, I want a closer relationship with my mom. And he was already wooing her back at that time, but I started praying for that, too. And I had been praying for her to come back to the Lord, obviously, you know, too, because I knew she was not happy living away from him. And so anyway, I remember the first time she started asking me about, like, what do you feel like God's teaching you or something? And I'm like, what? And so it began this like. Like, conversation of her asking Me questions.
Janelle McGuckin [00:42:56]:
And then, and then it was probably about, I don't even know how many years ago now, eight or 10 years ago, that maybe, probably about eight years ago she said, I want to come to church with you. And so she came to church with us at Bayside and she hadn't been to church in years and years and years and years. And I, it was uncomfortable at first, you know, for her and for me because it was that like kind of parental kind of shift of like I'm like, you know, and you're hearing things.
Morgan May Treuil [00:43:30]:
And you like don't want her to feel like too convicted or not convicted.
Janelle McGuckin [00:43:34]:
Or all those things about where she was. But yeah, I could also see that the Lord was working something, you know, something out and the way that she even wanted to be there and wanted to be with us. And. Yeah, and, and so fast forward, you know, where we are today, where you guys see her sitting next to us in church every Sunday. She actually lives two hours away, but she comes home every weekend to go to church with us.
Morgan May Treuil [00:44:00]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [00:44:01]:
And she loves church. And she like, her relationship with Jesus right now is like the sweetest, most authentic. Like, you know, where you're kind of walking alongside someone, you know, and then they're like, oh, I'm like going all in with Jesus on my own. And you know, she just. And now she like mentors people all across the country to have an abiding relationship with Jesus. And it was like. So I just want to encourage people too. Sometimes when you look on the outside of someone's life and you think, oh, well, I don't have that.
Janelle McGuckin [00:44:39]:
That. And there's always layers to people's story and to just remember that first of all, God's not ever done. He's always working it out. And while I'm praying for my parents to come back to the Lord, like he's working out something in me too. Pride and just his, you know, showing my need for him or the grace he's given me. And so it's not a one way thing. I mean, he's working stuff out in me too. And so just keeping my eyes on that and also praying for them and trusting and staying in relationship.
Janelle McGuckin [00:45:19]:
It was, you know, of course it's. Unless it's like not an emotionally healthy, you know, for your heart, but knowing what the boundaries are and inviting other people in to parent you and love you and mentor you along the way has been a huge piece of the way God fathers us and the family that he brings us.
Morgan May Treuil [00:45:40]:
You know, what's cool about your story is it kind of feels like you all started in the same place from the same experiences, one family unit, and then something that God planted in you was like the anchor. And it feels like there were some for each of your family members besides you. There was, like, the floating away. And then you remained sort of that constant force, which is funny because you would think that your parents. Parents are the constant. But then in this case, it was like what God had planted in one of your parents. Children, which was you, that kept everybody sort of, like, grounded and coming back. And so to me, it's like, clear through your story that you exude incredible strength because it's what God built in you.
Morgan May Treuil [00:46:24]:
But you did mention that there has been, like, a diagnosis in your life and some other, like, scarier moments, too. And I'm curious because the whole premise of the podcast is like, am I doing this right? So it's addressing the fears and the insecurity thoughts that are, like, ravaging our brains, and we're not often open about those things. So I'm curious, maybe it was during your time of experiencing scary cancer diagnosis or whatever it was, but, like, have you ever wondered or questioned God? Are you actually in this? Like, do you actually have me. You know what? Talk. Talk to us about that.
Janelle McGuckin [00:46:57]:
Yeah, Yeah, I think that is. That. That's it right there. It's like asking God and being so real and honest with him and going to him with the mess.
Morgan May Treuil [00:47:12]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:47:12]:
You know, and I feel like. I feel like the Christian checkbox life is like, I'm going to go to him with my praises, and then I'm going to go to him with my list.
Leslie Johnston [00:47:25]:
Yes. My Christmas anti list.
Janelle McGuckin [00:47:27]:
My list of things.
Morgan May Treuil [00:47:29]:
Yes.
Janelle McGuckin [00:47:29]:
And so I think just the raw spaces of going to him, like David does in the Psalms, with, like, your whole heart, your mess, your fears, your anxieties, along with your praises, like, looking for the good. The gratitude pieces that I mentioned with my mom, like, doing that with the Lord. And when I start looking for them, I see them and then I see more and then I see the next one and the next one. And so I feel like in those moments, like. Like the first time I went through cancer and had isolation for the radiation and all that, I did start a gratitude list. And it was like that I'm here in this hotel room by myself that somebody provided to recover. I have great doctors and I have a loving community.
Morgan May Treuil [00:48:23]:
How old were you when this happened?
Janelle McGuckin [00:48:24]:
I was 36 the first time.
Morgan May Treuil [00:48:26]:
You had both girls already ready.
Janelle McGuckin [00:48:28]:
Oh, my gosh. Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:48:29]:
And how you. You talked about the hotel room.
Janelle McGuckin [00:48:32]:
Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [00:48:33]:
Tell. Tell a little bit of that experience because I think this is crazy. Like, it's just what you had to go through in some of these seasons.
Janelle McGuckin [00:48:41]:
Yeah. So the first time I had the thyroid cancer, you take a. You take a nuclear runoff pill, and it's what? Yeah, yeah. They seriously. They time your appointment with the time that the plane lands with the nuclear runo from the government regulated light canister. It's like Jack Bauer.
Morgan May Treuil [00:49:03]:
Oh, my gosh, what in the world?
Janelle McGuckin [00:49:05]:
And you're like, down in the dungeon of the hospital. And they're like, here, take this. And you're like, okay.
Morgan May Treuil [00:49:11]:
Are you sure?
Janelle McGuckin [00:49:11]:
Yeah, I know. Am I gonna die?
Leslie Johnston [00:49:13]:
Yeah. Seriously.
Janelle McGuckin [00:49:14]:
I'm like, okay. So I take the radiation and then you go isolate for a week because you're radioactive. And I know, I know. I'm like, okay. So it's just a weird thing, but the amazing part of it, when you're looking for the good, is this radioactive iodine pill only kills thyroid cells, whereas a lot of chemo agents kill all cells, good and bad, but it only kills thyroid cells, good and bad thyroid cells. So it kills thyroid cells that are throughout your body that can cause problems. So. So anyway, so the first time I'm in the hotel room and I start to just kind of be tired and not feel good, and I turn off the Food Network and I just lay there and I just felt like I experienced the Lord and his presence.
Janelle McGuckin [00:50:17]:
If you could feel a physical presence of. Of goodness and love and joy and peace and all the fruit of the spirit, like, it was, like, enveloping me to where, like, I felt like I went from living everyone's nightmare to, you know, living a dream of this experience with God that changes you. Like, changes you so much. Because it wasn't because I was doing anything or bringing him something or who I was. He was just coming to be with me in the valley of the shadow of death. Like, it was his presence. And I can't explain it. I mean, if you've seen the movie the Shack, I felt like I had a shack experience.
Janelle McGuckin [00:51:01]:
I really do. And I've had a couple of those throughout the cancer journey. And all I did was invite the Lord into that space and it became like a sanctuary, honestly. Wow.
Morgan May Treuil [00:51:14]:
Which. Which is insane.
Leslie Johnston [00:51:16]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:51:17]:
So. So you said that was your first round with thyroid cancer.
Janelle McGuckin [00:51:21]:
Yeah.
Morgan May Treuil [00:51:22]:
Did you have a remission? Did you get re. Did you. Did they find more? What was the story there?
Janelle McGuckin [00:51:28]:
So that was when we lived in San Diego and then we moved here. And then at the year mark, they said it came back and it was in my lymph nodes. So I had a big neck dissection surgery and 29 lymph nodes taken out and drains. How many do you have?
Leslie Johnston [00:51:44]:
I didn't know we had 29.
Morgan May Treuil [00:51:45]:
How many lymph nodes are there any less?
Leslie Johnston [00:51:47]:
I just think you have two, right?
Morgan May Treuil [00:51:48]:
I was like, there's one here, one, and they get swollen and that's it.
Janelle McGuckin [00:51:52]:
Yeah, I know.
Leslie Johnston [00:51:53]:
Oh, my goodness.
Janelle McGuckin [00:51:54]:
But, yeah, so I. I went through that a year later and went through the treatment again. And. And it's kind of the nurse curse. Like, honestly, nurses and people in medicine, sometimes you get that, like 5%, you know, it's only 5% of the people that have recurrence are fine. You're like, no, but. So it came back and went through that here and then. And again, the Lord was so kind and good and with me and provided people and ministry opportunities that I would never have had.
Janelle McGuckin [00:52:30]:
You know, I mean, sometimes we say, lord, use me, but I want to be used, like, to mentor high school girls or to serve in children's ministry. But no, like, this was going through.
Morgan May Treuil [00:52:40]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [00:52:41]:
Something that other people were watching and seeing the Lord work and move. That didn't know him or maybe kind of knew him. Yeah. Wow.
Leslie Johnston [00:52:51]:
You know what I love? First of all, one thing you said, I loved that you said, when you're in that hotel room, you're like, I wasn't doing anything. That, like, all I did was open up the door kind of for God to come in and be with me. But it wasn't like. Well, I had just read, like, six chapters of this and prayed this long and whatever, and then God finally came. It was like the fact that God has the ability and the power and it's not based on what we do, that God is with us, that God is with us no matter what. And I also love the way you talk about your story. It is so. And this theme that's been woven out through this is like the gratitude.
Leslie Johnston [00:53:30]:
Like, I see how you even look back on your story and go, but God was so, like, the first thing you say. Like, the first thing I think I would say if I walked through, I was like, man, that sucks.
Morgan May Treuil [00:53:40]:
Yeah, God, you chose the wrong vessel.
Leslie Johnston [00:53:43]:
Go back all the horrible things that happened to me. But you're like, no, God is so good. And like, these are all the ways. But you only do that. You can only recognize that when you've actually taken the time totally to really lean into gratitude and know that, like, your life is not your own and that God was using you through it.
Morgan May Treuil [00:54:01]:
Well, even, even, like the two, the two full circle moments for me is like, you're talking about making a gratitude list for your mom's 50th birthday and how you started with the small stuff and then, then, like, just the starting with the small stuff allowed you to see the bigger stuff that could heal some of your relationship with your mom. And then to, like, being in the isolation room while there's nuclear radioactivity in you and you have the awareness to be able to make a gratitude list, then it just reminds me, like, actually, gratitude is a weapon from God and it's meant to destroy feelings of discontentment or bitterness or fear. And it's like it's the most underutilized weapon that ever single believer has in our arsenal. Yeah, and that's such a theme throughout your story. Wait, so are you, are you in remission? Are you cancer free? What's your current status?
Janelle McGuckin [00:54:51]:
So then it came back a third time.
Morgan May Treuil [00:54:54]:
Oh, my gosh, we need two podcasts.
Leslie Johnston [00:54:57]:
Seriously.
Janelle McGuckin [00:54:58]:
No, no, no, just fast forward.
Morgan May Treuil [00:54:59]:
No, no, you're good.
Janelle McGuckin [00:55:01]:
It came back a third time. The next year, two years after the second time.
Leslie Johnston [00:55:08]:
Oh, my God, I'm running out of sprays in my gratitude trip.
Morgan May Treuil [00:55:11]:
And no one running out of radioactive.
Janelle McGuckin [00:55:15]:
Exactly. No more lymph nodes. And so anyway. But it was these three spots that they were watching. And then it became like a waiting practice of, like, every three months. It was like labs and scans and waiting, and you're waiting for results. And in the meantime, you're doing life. You're going to soccer practice and Trader Joe's and having people over for dinner.
Janelle McGuckin [00:55:39]:
Oh, my gosh, you're doing stuff right. You're just doing life. Life goes on because you're just waiting, you know, waiting rooms. That's the whole thing. Waiting rooms.
Morgan May Treuil [00:55:47]:
Waiting rooms.
Janelle McGuckin [00:55:48]:
Yes. But anyway, so yeah, then, then it was about another year later that Scott came to my appointment with me, and the doctor's, like, scanning my neck, and she's like, I, I, I don't, I'm not seeing those spots. And I kind of got excited. And the day before, they had given me some lab results that for the first time in four years, it said non detectable. Wow. Wow. And I had not seen that. I had not seen, like, these numbers that they watch.
Janelle McGuckin [00:56:27]:
They were like, never not non detectable. So as a nurse, you're like, oh, is it lab error? Did they get my numbers mixed up with Somebody.
Leslie Johnston [00:56:34]:
Yeah, like, I'm not deciding.
Janelle McGuckin [00:56:35]:
Like, like, yeah. Is it possible, God, like, yeah. Did you choose this for me? You know, and so we're at the appointment and she's like, she couldn't find the spots, and she found one tiny little sliver that, you know, was where the other three were. But they. They thought they were going to be doing surgery again. And so I was like, I. I think God healed me. And I know, and it was so.
Janelle McGuckin [00:57:05]:
It was so emotional because I know that's not everyone's story, and I know that's not what everyone, you know, gets to experience in that moment, but God chose that for me for now. And I know it's not the end of my story. I've had other things since then that have come up, but I am. Yeah, I have one little sliver and I call it my thorn. Like Paul, Like, I feel like it keeps my dependence on the Lord because I don't want to lose, like, the etching and the.
Morgan May Treuil [00:57:37]:
Yeah, yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [00:57:37]:
The experience with him that, that changes you and seals you to, like, such close friendship with Him.
Morgan May Treuil [00:57:45]:
Wow, man.
Janelle McGuckin [00:57:47]:
And I would say one last thing, please, that the healing isn't the blessing. The blessing is like him with you all along the way in those hotel rooms, in the day to day in the, you know, car rides and walks and. And it's. It's him. It's him as the blessing. And the trial, honestly, has been the blessing that creates this need for him that I didn't have growing up, that I've, you know, learned the. The true joy of it, because it. It does ground you with him and it lets you taste like.
Janelle McGuckin [00:58:27]:
Like being with him and heaven on this side of it and not just waiting for us to get to eternity to experience the goodness of his overwhelming goodness and presence. Because we can taste it now. We really can. We really can. And that's like, I. I would love for people to just experience that themselves. And whatever it comes through gratitude or just coming to be with him or whatever it is, like, like that. That's the gift.
Janelle McGuckin [00:58:54]:
That is the gift.
Leslie Johnston [00:58:55]:
That is so good. We talk, we talk all the time on the podcast about, okay, what happens if you're not healed from whatever your thing is that you're worried about, whether it's, you know, fear or a situation that you're in, if it doesn't resolve in the way you want, like, what do you do with that? Because we talk so much about healing and all these things that God can do, right? And he does have the power to do But I love that you said that. Cause it's like the gift actually is not the healing. The gift is every day the deep relationship that gets to grow if you're not the one that gets healed. And that. That's such a blessing. I love that you said that we can experience God on this side, on Earth. Because I think a lot of times we just go, well, you know, someday I'll be in heaven and everything will be better.
Leslie Johnston [00:59:42]:
And it will. But you don't have to wait till heaven to experience the love and the presence of God.
Morgan May Treuil [00:59:49]:
My favorite thing about all of this is that what you go through is never just for you. It's for you, but it's also for someone else. Or maybe in your case, it's for lots of other people. And I'm really excited about a project that you have coming out that talks even more in depth about all the things. Like, if you were encouraged by what we just talked about, which I was like, that last thing you just said, the gift is not the healing. The gift is being with him. I'm like, clip. And then let's put that somewhere where I can just watch it over and over again.
Leslie Johnston [01:00:19]:
Totally.
Morgan May Treuil [01:00:20]:
Because that is the thing. And you only learn. You only. You only live that way if you've been through the stuff that you've been through and if you've seen God in the midst of it. So talk to us about where people can hear more and be blessed more by your experience. And it's through reading this book that you have coming up. But tell us the details about this book.
Janelle McGuckin [01:00:37]:
Yeah, I. It's funny. Before I got the healing, you know, news, I felt like the Lord clearly whispered to my heart. I remember where I was sitting in our backyard, and I felt like he. He laid on my heart. Share our story.
Morgan May Treuil [01:00:53]:
Wow.
Janelle McGuckin [01:00:54]:
And I'm like, oh, sure. Like, I'll, like, tell a friend and, like, email about it or whatever. And. And it became a, you know, clear over the next several months that I was meant to write it down. Write the story. Denise Belden. I remember sitting. I know.
Janelle McGuckin [01:01:13]:
Sitting with me at Jack's one day, and she's like, you have a story and you have a voice, and you need to use it. And I'm like, okay, yeah, so I'll start writing. And I originally thought I would just write it out for my girls so that they would know the story, because they went through this as a young girls, and now they're young adults. And then I had someone, several people say, but what if the Lord wants to Use it for more than just your girls. And it was funny because the very next day I was reading in my Bible in a year or whatever, that the Samaritan woman went back to her town and told her story, and her whole town believed. And it wasn't just because of her testimony. It was because they experienced Jesus, too.
Morgan May Treuil [01:01:57]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [01:01:57]:
When you read that little part of the verse, I was like, oh. And then I was like, yes, that's what I want. Like, if this can help someone and experience, like, the realness of Jesus, not the religion part and not, like, what they think they should, you know, the should things in your life, that's not him, and getting to know, like, really who he is. And so I wrote over the last several years the story. And then, you know, you go through editing and finding an agent and publisher and all that. It's a long process. It's not for the faint of heart to the final, you know, finish line in this. And I know this isn't the end, obviously, but I have written just raw, honest, vulnerable journal pages for people to read if they're seeking and wanting it on their own and to see what it looks like.
Janelle McGuckin [01:02:50]:
And maybe they can go, I want that. And how do I ask God for that? And so, yeah, so the book is kind of a story and testimony to what Walking with God looks like.
Leslie Johnston [01:03:07]:
Well, I want to read this especially because this book feels like I could read this in, like, a day.
Morgan May Treuil [01:03:12]:
Yeah.
Leslie Johnston [01:03:12]:
It's not. I'm not, like, a huge reader. So to me, I look at this.
Morgan May Treuil [01:03:15]:
I'm like, this is perfect, manageable. This is a great, beautiful.
Leslie Johnston [01:03:18]:
This is a great book. It's beautiful. It's called the Gift of With. And when is this, like, out for people to buy?
Janelle McGuckin [01:03:24]:
Actually, you can order it on Amazon right now. November 15th, tomorrow.
Morgan May Treuil [01:03:28]:
Oh, my God.
Janelle McGuckin [01:03:29]:
I know.
Morgan May Treuil [01:03:30]:
That's amazing. Okay, great.
Leslie Johnston [01:03:31]:
So when this episode comes out, this book will be out.
Morgan May Treuil [01:03:33]:
Yes. So, yes.
Leslie Johnston [01:03:34]:
The Gift of With. You can order it on Amazon.
Morgan May Treuil [01:03:37]:
That's Amazing.
Leslie Johnston [01:03:37]:
By Janelle McGuckin. And I just want to like some of these table of contents things. I'm like, these chapters are incredible. It's like, with me in the struggle, with me in the disappointment, with me in emptiness. Like, everybody can relate to this book on any level because we all experience what life is like. And I'm actually really excited to read this. I don't know if I can have this one because it says not for resale, but I'm not order because I believe it.
Janelle McGuckin [01:04:02]:
You.
Leslie Johnston [01:04:02]:
I'm going to order on Amazon and.
Morgan May Treuil [01:04:03]:
Actually read this copy.
Leslie Johnston [01:04:05]:
I feel like I need this right now.
Morgan May Treuil [01:04:06]:
So, Janelle, thank you so much. I feel encouraged. Leslie has said she feels encouraged. Our listeners feel so encouraged by this. And being around you makes me want to go spend time with Jesus. And that's, I think, what's the best compliment. People don't say that about us. So.
Janelle McGuckin [01:04:25]:
You bring the joy of Jesus. You do.
Morgan May Treuil [01:04:29]:
So thank you so much for coming and giving us your heart and sharing your story with us. And, yeah, just thank you so much for being who you are. And we can't wait to read your book.
Janelle McGuckin [01:04:38]:
Thanks for having me.
Leslie Johnston [01:04:38]:
Yeah.
Janelle McGuckin [01:04:39]:
Yep.
Leslie Johnston [01:04:39]:
All right. We'll catch you on the next episode of Am I Doing this Right?
Morgan May Treuil [01:04:42]:
Bye.