Did you know Priscilla’s sister and two brothers all serve in ministry, too? When your dad is Dr. Tony Evans, one of the nation’s most respected evangelical leaders, though, are you really surprised? Chrystal Hurst, Priscilla’s sister, is a writer, speaker, and worship leader that has learned a thing or two about how to love your life even when it’s not easy. Her new book dives into how to rescue that girl inside you that you thought you lost. Anthony Evans is one of Christian Music’s premiere male vocalists and songwriters, and worship leaders. He leads worship for Priscilla Shirer Live, The Fervent Tour, and other leading Christian events. Jonathan Evans, former NFL fullback, is now a mentor, author, and speaker serving alongside his father in the local church and with the national ministry.
have you ever had a conversation with
somebody and you’re excited about the
conversation but you’re also a little
nervous at the same time because that
person knows you I mean like for real
really knows you and you know they know
all your business you know all their
business so you’re not exactly sure how
the conversation is gonna go this is
going to be one of those conversations
because I’m talking to my siblings today
members of my own family it’s going to
be a good one
so stay tuned
[Applause]
[Music]
I’ve been waiting on this one looking so
forward to talking to a few people that
have known reasons you know I was born
I’ve known them since they were born you
know we’ve just had lots of lots of
years together together lots of history
lots of memories and we’re looking
toward the future now as adults I’m
talking about my brothers and my sister
we’re gonna be talking to them over the
next hour but first I just wanted to
spend a little time with my older sister
all by herself just so I can you know
put the spotlight on her just a little
bit because for most of my life I’ve
been under her shadow
cuz she’s my older sister she’s my sweet
older sister and I can’t wait to
introduce you to her would you please
help me to welcome Krystal Hurst to the
program
[Applause]
my sister okay let’s clear it up mm you
are my older sister but that’s not what
everybody thinks that is not what
everybody thinks what’s up with that
what do most people think they think I’m
younger why do you think that is is it
because I’m more mature no why do you
think it is that people think I’m older
than you I think there’s a lot of
reasons I think one of them is because
you seem to have a more outgoing
personality so they just figure maybe
I’m the one that grew up kind of in your
shadow maybe I don’t know I think that’s
one reason I don’t I don’t know yeah
that better be the only yeah that’s it
the reality is though Chris all my
siblings and I we are three years apart
almost literally so you’re three years
older than I that I’m second and my two
brothers who will talk to just a little
bit later on they’re just kind of
stair-step right after us but you came
first named crystal because she was the
crystal the light in everyone’s eyes yes
in the family the first grandchild
on either side of the family so there
was crystal and you just lit up
everybody’s life and I did really grow
up in your shadow quite a bit because
you’re quite an achiever that’s your
personality yes to the firstborn typical
firstborn so it just kind of described
yourself as a young person if you tell
me that the perfect score is a hundred
and it’s possible for me to get extra
credit I’m gonna get the extra credit
she made it so easy for you to come
behind me in school I’m sure no I would
study y’all I would study and study and
I might pull off at 88
I might get and crystal would kind of
not really think about it and make the
105 so she wouldn’t mess up the curve
for everybody not just in a class but in
our house because then mom and dad were
like well where’s your hundred because
Chrissy got a hundred yeah yeah it’s
okay
you were also extremely have always been
you still are extremely beautiful so I
spent my life sort of just kind of
looking up to you and wanting to be
crystal Evans at the time
crystal heavens yeah you have quite a
story actually you have quite a story
and it’s been one that has been it
really has sort of kind of become the
trajectory of your life in terms of
ministry in terms of what you’re doing
with in connection with with other women
right now and really pouring into their
lives so I just sort of tell us a little
bit about you and what parts of your
life have sort of made up the journey of
your life which you’ve chronicled in
she’s still there returning to the girl
in you so sort of just give us some
backstory on crystal Evans
so basically I just was the typical good
girl and I actually wanted to be but in
high school there was a guy that went to
our church and over some time he was
interested in me I wasn’t interested in
him but after a while it was kind of
like we were friends and he kind of got
grafted into our family too and when we
went off to school he had a football
scholarship and I had an academic
scholarship and we wound up at the same
school so my freshman year I got
pregnant and so that whole good girl
thing was just really it was a shock to
everybody it was a shock to me too
because that wasn’t you always hear the
thing about preachers kids being the
ones that are always in trouble and I
wasn’t but by the way were preachers
kids they didn’t know that yeah so
that’s that and so that was 19 I had my
oldest child my sophomore the fall of my
sophomore year and then spent the next
ten years of my life I graduated from
college went into the workforce as a
single mom
my husband and I now together we have
five children and but that season of my
life the season of my life where I was
making decisions that were not in
character for me also that were not
necessarily with full intentionality or
consciousness about how I was impacting
or hurting other people the season of my
life or even after making the decision
to keep my daughter going into those ten
years as a single parent and struggling
through trying to achieve trying to have
a job and do well and make money and
make a life but wanting to also yank my
hair out because it was really hard that
whole season of my life where I where I
can vividly recall just thinking you’ve
got to be kidding me
is this is this my life because this
certainly wasn’t what I had intended or
aimed for but Here I am trying to make
the best of it and say let’s back up
just a little bit because I want to ask
you when you’re 19 and you’ve got you’ve
got this baby coming and you happen to
be in the pocket of family that you’re
in so it was a it’s it’s a little bit of
a not that it’s any more unique in one
family than another but you’ve got mom
and dad who were pastoring this church
and they’re their reach is sort of broad
and wide what would you say that mom and
dad did well and what would you say that
maybe even they would admit they didn’t
do as well as maybe they should have
they do it differently now what do I
think they did well I think they were
very supportive my dad said well you’ll
still be able to climb the ladder you’re
just gonna have to climb with a backpack
I mean it was just kind of like it
doesn’t ruin your life a baby born a
baby Jorn you know or a Maya rap you
know there’s all kind of wraps when you
have babies but anyway but but it was
just the idea that you can keep going
there’s never a question about can you
keep going or is your life gonna be okay
it was it’ll be okay he’s got to find
another way yeah I mean also they let us
be we were so excited do you remember
I remember the day that we found out
that you’re gonna have a baby and I
remember right after we kind of had this
family conversation yeah you were like
we went back crystal and I shared a room
our whole upbringing olai so we went
into our room and I remember just
looking at your stomach like there’s a
sweet niece or nephew in there I could
not wait and then Karras was born and
Karras has been she is 26 96 she’s 26
she is now having her second child so
crystal is is it is a meemaw
stop it Karras is now on daughter yes
you have a granddaughter and a grandson
a grandson or daughter that’s coming
soon yeah and it’s just it’s so exciting
because here you are sitting on this
side of it you know this end of all of
those years of like you said it was just
hard just hard but now you’re getting to
just enjoy some of the fruit of all of
that hardship in all of us a favor but I
kind of cut you off because you said mom
and dad did that part well and I was
just saying they also let us enjoy it
like we just enjoyed that baby as a
family yeah she’s like our sister
actually I know she’s the she’s the
fifth child of the for Evans kids I know
and we keep trying to remind her that
she’s not who are not I know yeah you
can’t tell her and you know I know it’s
okay so what do you think mom and dad
cuz I’m thinking about parents who might
be in this situation right now
mm-hmm so they did that well what do you
think that then maybe they would have
done differently if they had a chance to
do it again in response a reaction to
the baby coming I mean when you asked me
that I was I have to tackle the other
one first because I don’t know don’t
know I don’t know I don’t know what they
wish they would have done differently
I do remember that my dad asked me or
our dad asked me is there something we
did wrong I do remember he asked me that
because I’m thinking they were trying to
figure out like how did this how did
this and I honestly told him I said I’d
you know nothing yeah I don’t you know I
think and I always say this Adam and Eve
had the perfect parent and they messed
up so we have to we do what we can and
then we have to know that just like we
get to choose so do our kids yeah that’s
scary isn’t it but it is scary yeah
because you I was talking to some
friends of mine the older couple their
kids are now in their upper 20s and I
mean y’all they just raised their kids
as best as they possibly could
rooted in the church at all the right
youth group over their house devotions
at the table you know two-parent home
all the stuff that textbook looks great
yeah and both of her children right now
we’re just breaking her heart
they have just chosen lifestyles that
are so completely out of alignment with
the way that they poured their life into
raising them she just she was just
talking to me about just how heartbroken
she is devastated it’s devastating
because you pour your life into doing it
the right way but still your kid has to
make their own choices you know yeah I
mean I mean he’s a sidebar I had a
conversation with my daughter and looked
her in the face and said this is this is
all of the hard things that I’ve done
all of the hard places where I’ve done
my best to love you and raise you well
you need to understand that it is
killing me to see how you’re choosing to
live your life we had at one of those
hard conversations but I say but you
know what I realize it’s your life I’m
here to love you I’m here to pray for
you I’m here to give you guidance but at
the end of the day you need to know that
I know that these are your choices and I
think we have to kind of love people
love our children but take ourselves off
the hook a little bit because as much as
it hurts you can’t fix it
mm you know release them but you can’t
yep
yeah you just have to yep release until
the Lord okay so you got this you got
this baby sophomore year of college and
you went back to school right cuz it
never occurred to me not to it never
because of you or because you’re just an
achiever well but you know people said
so are your parents gonna keep the baby
and I was like why would they do that
it’s my baby like I don’t know it never
occurred to me I don’t know it just
didn’t so I just figured it out so
you’re in college full time yes and you
have a baby yes and then you’ve got
these 10 years as a single parent if you
graduated you’ve got all these years as
a single parent you’re working okay talk
to us about that because really the the
point of she’s still there when you’re
driving down the freeway
lord please break my legs both of them
so I can be in the hospital long enough
to take a break from work and figure out
my life and listen y’all are laughing
but I remember that day yes when my
sister literally was driving down the
road and this was like Lord oh if I just
take me out for a hot just an accident
don’t kill me don’t kill the car don’t
blow up the car mark up my face so mark
up my peg yeah I mean come on y’all how
many of you have ever had that day Lord
just take me out for a little while I
just need a break
I just need a break so talk so just
describe those 10 years as a single
parent and you had supportive family but
still yeah you’re the one pulling the
weight so talk to subscribers I think
anytime you end up in a place where
you’re doing it a way you didn’t
envision you ask yourself the question
how did I get here and and and how do I
fix this
yeah and when you don’t see a way to fix
it you can you feel stuck nobody wants
to feel stuck yeah so I did I felt stuck
because I have to work cuz I’m a single
parent I can’t you know I can’t just
decide I’m gonna take a year and find my
life that didn’t work that way
yeah there was an account financed it
was an accounting okay so you had an
accounting kind of job a number punching
job and I still loved numbers I didn’t
like that job yeah well I remember you
had to be there at like 7:00 in the
morning or something yeah and then it
was a really really late you’ve got
school work with Karras and so your life
was just crowded on all sides mm-hmm and
this is for year after year after yeah
and I was just trying to figure out how
to hit the reset button in fact I’d said
I’m gonna work for five years I’m gonna
get vested and then I’m gonna you know
Bank all of my retirement stuff and I’m
gonna get on a plane I’m gonna go to
London we have an aunt who lives in
London and I wasn’t gonna work at
Starbucks until I figure out my next
step like I had it all planned out it’s
like I’m gonna take a break and live
with somebody so I can and I never got
there I met my husband before I did that
but the but the point is I was trying to
figure out of London I was gonna go to
London you did not tell me about the
plan to go to London London with you
yeah well I didn’t make it I didn’t make
it I just I’m just mad right now that
you planned a trip to London without me
well I didn’t plan it you did plan it
you were saving money I was yes but I
gotten them yet she was about to skip
town without her sister a little bit
okay so yeah so I I spent a lot of time
and energy trying to figure out what’s
next I literally the first job that I
had I quit it with no job and I worked
him because I was like I can’t yeah if
I’m wishing myself into a hospital this
is not healthy yeah so I quit that in
work temp then found another job making
a lot less money but I had peace and
then I went from there into another job
that that I worked out until I until I
later decided to stay home with kids
okay and in the midst of all that yes
you lost yourself like crystal is gone
there’s no time for crystal there’s no
bargain yeah your health yeah your goals
the ambitions that yeah you kind of
putting stuff on the side cuz you got to
just do the thing that’s in front of you
to do today so you’re forgetting the
girl in you like she’s you’re wondering
where she is where’s that 18 year old
girl that had dreams and aspirations and
was you know pointed towards specific
tasks you’ve kind of lose and losing her
along the way and it wasn’t just this
single parent situation because then you
got married mm-hmm you got married to a
wonderful guy named Jesse that you’ve
been married to now for 17 years almost
okay 17 years but those 17 years haven’t
just been you know I gotta change
diapers and make dinner and like you
like to say chicken a million different
ways how can I cook it again tonight
Lord yes they don’t know about your
other children so after you guys got
married we okay so we each brought a
girl to our wedding and gave each other
the gift of a girl on a wedding day then
we added three boys after that yes so
there’s his mine and ours and so I still
have a nine year old at home so there’s
14 12 and 9 at home yes in a home school
and there’s that
so this is just so y’all are clear on
this achievement situation in her life
crystal is the kind of mom that when she
had babies you know she didn’t buy them
the the organic Gerber option off the
shelf because she was gonna puree all of
their baby food from scratch that’s just
the way she wanted she’s the kind of mom
who doesn’t want to go to a hospital to
have the baby just in case there is a
more natural shaking utilized so she’s
had all three of her while all of her
four children four pregnancies she’s had
them all without an epidural which I
don’t understand that at all but then
three of them she had at home so home
burst so she did that which is switches
awesome
praise the Lord but just that’s you just
kind of if you tell me there’s a hundred
yes I’m gonna try to get to 105 you’re
gonna try to get to 105 okay but that
has taken its toll in the sense that you
kind of lost yourself along the way tell
us what that look yeah and I think for
for I don’t even think you have to be
wired like that I think life is like
that regardless of your design if you’re
not careful you get lost
in doing you get lost in being for other
people you get lost in doing what you
thought you wanted to do and then
realize 15 years later actually time is
passing this is not what I wanted to do
even the things that you really want to
do means you have to put other things on
the Shelf so for me choosing to be at
home with children during that season I
wanted to do that that didn’t mean that
I didn’t look up and see friends or
family members and go well that’d be
nice if I could do that that didn’t mean
I didn’t have those feelings it didn’t
mean that I had to you know I didn’t I
mean I used to tell my husband this is
this is the truth and I love Jesus this
is true but this is the reality when I
looked at my husband has said I need a
bible study this is what I was really
thinking I need a break from y’all and
if I have to use Jesus and a Bible study
to do it
Soviet cuz really not same I love Jesus
but really what I loved the most was
going to Starbucks after the Bible study
and getting a drink with it with extra
room for whipped cream enjoyed it by
myself yeah that was what that was about
so I just needed space and time to be by
myself yes and so even in the season
where I wanted to be with my children I
still was craving time for me yeah so I
think we just have to I had to and I
think all of us girls at some point we
asked that question how did I get here
and what do I do to shift it and so this
is just kind of my my offering ok so but
what point and what was the catalyst to
you kind of looking up one day and going
wait a minute I have lost myself I’m
gonna go find her where is she what was
the catalyst that made you sort of wake
up out of that slumber of realizing ok
it’s really two questions I want to ask
that question but I also want to ask
what parts of you slipped enough that
you were just tired of watching them
sort of fritter away and you wanted to
kind of get the reins on those things
again in your life well this happens all
the time it happened it happens all the
time so it’s there’s multiple one was
not having the job you know hating the
job and another time it was babies and I
remember the night that the kid took off
the diaper and I had to clean up the
carpet god save me please there have
been other I mean looking in the mirror
and going where who is that you oh
you’re just covered up with fat I fear
now you know that’s a moment having
moments where it just even even now like
I life is totally different my kids are
older I’m able to do a few things but I
still sometimes have to sit down and say
I’ve got to carve out some time to
breathe in a minute to breathe yeah and
to communicate that to my husband and
kids and say I love y’all but I need a
minute yeah give me a minute I’m in the
bathroom leave me alone
this is holy ground in here stop
knocking on the door I’ll be out in a
minute you know what I mean it is just
little things it could just be that the
day has been crazy and so as I’m cooking
dinner I turn on music I want to hear
until everybody else to be quiet I just
need I just need a minute to enjoy this
part of my day yeah
so it comes and it comes it comes but I
think what I’ve learned is that when you
when you realize that you have a need
that it’s okay to meet it it’s it’s okay
to say I want to honor the people in my
life but there’s a gift in me God gave
me the gift of life and I want to honor
the gift that he’s given me by honoring
me and how can I have anything to pour
out in other people in ministry at work
in my neighborhood in my community if
I’m not taking the time to honor me okay
give us some more practical examples cuz
I think this is very helpful for women
that are either saying I don’t see where
I have the time yeah or number two I
don’t have a supportive environment like
my husband doesn’t care that I want to
honor the little girl in me he’s not
going to support that hour that I need
away from home he’s I don’t live in a
place where where I’ve got people
applauding that mm-hmm so how what are
some practical ways that that we can do
that when life is so full and maybe our
environment is not supportive so just
being super super creative so like I
miss time with friends and I would say
because I really didn’t have my husband
at one point traveled a lot so I was
with the kids a lot by myself and at one
point my daughter was old enough to at
least my home to be safe if I wasn’t
there and some of our girlfriends I was
like I’m dying for some time with y’all
but I can’t do it between here and here
but I can meet you at 5:00 a.m. at the
Waffle House like will you meet me at
5:00 a.m. at the Waffle House your kids
are asleep my kids are asleep let’s look
at each other and have a conversation
again
just having putting my kids to bed that
was a thing watching the movies that I
want to watch with with my kids but
saying y’all go stab and watch this
movie with me or go to bed or go to bed
but y’all have to be
quiet but this was me getting in me so
just finding these you know these
reactive ways I didn’t save this because
this is so great this is what I’m
basically hearing you say they are not
the parent no I am so you get to decide
this is the music that feeds me it
doesn’t really matter us you guys like
the music right now this is my time to
listen to this music so we’re watching
this movie as a family you’re the parent
DirecTV has a great classical channel
and I could care less whether y’all
enjoy this or not I enjoy it and the
China like my my my special glasses I
bring down pull out some apple that
sparkling apple cider and they’re like
oh mom that’s for me I’ll give you all
some at Christmastime but here during
the rest of the year this is for me so
he’s so just treasuring and I ain’t cuz
it’s me time sometimes it gets a bad rap
and it can be a bad thing yeah you
overdo it but all I’m saying is like
even when you’ll call me and say us
girls the family girls were going to the
mall I’ll come but what am I gonna do
while we’re at the mall she doesn’t like
to shop I hate shopping she’s gonna come
but she’s gonna have a boner hand she’s
gonna sit in the middle of the mall with
whatever store were in she’ll be right
outside just like this reading the book
but she wants us to shop to her if you
so now if you see something just call me
in I just don’t want to go through the I
don’t want it’s too much it’s too much
Amazon works just fine for me you’ve
gotten some cute things off Amazon too
I’m so grateful yes I’m so good by the
way this is something else I think
people do you know because for a long
time there you also did not you just
didn’t buy any clothes you didn’t
nothing you weren’t concerned about it
you still kind of not consistent yeah
but it’s okay cuz look I only did this
for you I know what you you look good
girl like your converse you got on and
everything yes that’s good I’m good
happy medium yes it’d be cute but I tell
them about the website you found that
will get some close to you so you don’t
have to shop stitch fix stitch six six
Finch stay come buddies attach fixed I
paid twenty bucks a month and I get a
box every month and I can keep it or not
but it keeps me out of the store and
keeps new things coming into my house
and probably every third month
I’ll keep something yeah most of the
time it just lets me try on things that
never pick so so it’s something just and
then you come and clean out my closet
yeah yeah because y’all she has this
sweater I’m not throwing it away you
gotta throw it on me I’m gonna do it let
it go I’m not gonna do it let it go no
it’s time it’s not well it’s just time
what would you say are the main things
you’ve learned about finding yourself
again why like personally not further
people why it’s important but what has
happened in your life over you know
writing this book really having to dig
deep into your past again and think
through it and what you’ve learned and
what you’ve gained what is it what is it
done for you to find yourself again to
pay attention to the little longings in
your heart again well I I have just been
reminded of still a reminded because I
was talking to somebody the other day
and I said you know what I could say
this is so much more eloquently if I
would just read you this chapter but I
forgot what I said already so I’ll look
at that if you ever had that happen
where you’d know something and you wrote
it but you don’t remember what you said
so you have to okay you know that never
and never happened of course it doesn’t
because you’re priscilla shirer i’ve
learned that these principles work
because writing what i know i still have
to use it yeah so when I am in that
situation again where I’m feeling lost
or where I realize that I get to choose
to live like this thing right here that
breath mm-hmm it means I’m alive but
choosing to live that’s something I get
to do every moment yeah yeah so if I
start feeling a little under the weather
if I start feeling a little lost if I
start feeling a little misunderstood or
whatever I get to make choices that I
don’t have to walk as a as in reaction
mode all the time mm-hmm I get to
proactively make some decisions and
sometimes I do a good job of it and
sometimes I don’t but I can remember I
remind myself girl you have breath so
choose to live mm-hmm whatever that
looks like today what have you
done let’s see what’s today is today
Monday today’s a Monday today’s the so
today’s a Sunday Sunday what have you
done this previous week to make margin
in your life to have some breathing room
this previous week what what are some
things practically you did this week to
give yourself some space or to just
treat yourself well number one is I had
been walking in the neighborhood had
been a while since I got went to the gym
so yes I’m then girl into the gym went
to the gym and the other thing is I
turned up my heated blanket a notch
because I love a heated blanket and it
makes me so happy so I turned it up a
notch because I can yeah as I can
I like a simple pleasure that’s like a
big deal that’s a big deal yeah and I
bought some mrs. Myers hand soap the one
that smells really good yeah if they had
the so honeysuckle is my favorite and I
was in Target and I was like Target we
don’t need it you know Don would work
just fine but I want mrs. man and I hid
it so I’m the only one that can use it
you’re in so so it’s there in the house
but it’s here just on a special shelf on
a special show they can use the regular
stuff and then when I want everything to
smell or burning a candle burned a
candle a special candle the kids know
not to burn unless I say to burn it yeah
rules at your house no it’s good though
yeah and you know what I appreciate
about sort of what you found in your
journey is that really what she’s still
there does and what you do when you’re
ministering to two people is you really
give people permission to do what they
don’t feel like they have permission to
do they don’t feel like they have
permission to take care of themselves or
honor that little dream that they had
when they were 18 or that little longing
that they have to sit down for 15
minutes with a novel they’d like to sit
down with or burn that candle or buy
that hand soap that that just likes
their fire that they just enjoy you’re
given the permission to find that girl
and that’s that’s in there and honor
find it yeah I have two books that sit
in my car because when I find five
minutes I read those I mean I think
here’s the problem we
that Oh life I’m just she’s just
supposed to be there and if she’s not
there well then oh well no no no no this
is like effort one of my favorite
stories I talk about in the book most of
us remember Jessica McClure being six
feet underneath the ground and she was a
lot a little girl that fell down a well
when CNN it first started we all watched
you know cuz they were trying to get her
out and here’s the thing they would have
gotten her out eventually anyway but
because she was alive and because time
was ticking it was it was super
important yeah to rest me to her rescue
yeah and that’s the thing we have to
understand that if we’re alive and we
feel Six Feet Under
well then you need to get busy about the
business of rescuing that girl because
time is running out mm-hmm that’s good
well you need to get your hands on this
book and listen not just if you’re in a
place where you feel like you’ve already
lost yourself but if you’re 18 19 years
old and you’re just getting going and
let me help you please because life is
going to happen you’re not expecting you
need to be already connected with the
little girl in you the one who’s got
dreams and aspirations who’s headed
somewhere so that you can continue to
make margin in your life to honor that
girl and my sister has done a beautiful
job of chronicling I wanted to say your
first book but you co-authored a book
with dad um called Kingdom woman that is
an incredible book but this is your
first solo this is your first solo book
and I’m and somebody wrote the foreword
you did I was so excited to do it
because I’m excited to see the journey
of your life you’re such a Cheerilee
well I am I’m very excited for you I am
I’m so excited for you and your blessing
a lot of people I enjoy when I hear you
share your story with others your
authenticity your vulnerability and then
the lessons you’re so practical see
that’s the thing a lot of us hear people
speak about stuff and we walk away going
yeah that was so great what am I
supposed to do mm-hmm with all that
stuff I just heard and what you do is
deliver one two three let’s go do this
together together let’s go do it
together we really do need each other
we really do yes so thank you so much
you guys helped me to honor and thank my
sister
[Music]