The Spiritual Condition of America, Politics, Culture, and Current Events Analyzed Through the Lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. You know, in the world of fashion and retail and even perfume and fragrances, everybody knows the name Kathy Ireland. She's famous. She was on Forbes magazine, I don't know, at least about three times.
Super model, super mogul. But what you may not know is her very dynamic, very committed walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Hi, Alex McFarland here. I'm on the floor of the NRB Convention. And if you hear a lot of background noise, it's because we're in a beehive of activity.
It's really great. Ministries from all around the world, radio networks like the American Family Radio Network, we come together to strategize and talk about the gospel. But it's always exciting when you see cultural. Figures that God has raised up that are globally known, world known, and they're making their mark in art, business, so many fields. And one of those is Kathy Ireland, and she's with us now.
Kathy, thank you for your time, and thanks for your stand for the Lord. It's a privilege indeed to speak with you. Alex, thank you for inviting me. It's great to be here.
Well, you know, everybody knows your name. For years, we've seen you on, I think if I read correctly, By maybe age 20, you were on like 100 magazine covers. Is that right? I don't know. I didn't, it wasn't my plan, so I wasn't paying too much attention.
Well, I want to hear the journey. What has God done in your life? You know, let's hear this exciting story. Oh, my goodness. God is so good, He's so faithful.
And you know, l life is hard. and beautiful. With the Lord, it's amazing.
So, I mean, growing up, I was always an entrepreneur. First job, four years old, sold painted rocks for my wagon. I was always that kid going door to door selling something. Cool. And when I was 11 and a half, I got a paper route, kept it for three and a half years, just always worked.
And modeling was not my path. When the opportunity presented itself, I figured, okay, this is an opportunity to save money for college or to start a business. The entire time I worked in that industry, I was trying and failing at businesses. Until starting our company with a single pair of socks back in 1993. Wow.
And today, our company designs and markets products from fashion to furnishings to fragrance to services for entrepreneurs and business people who are needing resources, mentoring, wanting to scale to help them grow. And if they can learn from my journey, I'm really grateful. Wow, that's very exciting. Very exciting. And I appreciate your initiative.
Okay, the paper route. You grew up in California, right? I did.
So on your bicycle, delivering newspapers? On my bicycle, I couldn't wait to get that job. And you had to be 11 and a half where I grew up. When I was finally old enough, my dad kind of shoves this newspaper ad under my nose, and it read: Newspaper Carrier Wanted. Are you the boy for the job?
And he knew the reaction that was going to get. I wrote to the newspaper, and I said, no, I'm the girl for the job, and I can do it just as well as any boy. And Alex, my first day was New Year's Day and the papers were extra thick with those inserts. And I was a really scrawny 11-year-old. I couldn't even lift the sack.
So, you know, the sack with papers in the front and the back. I had to crawl on my belly and then try to stand up. Oh, my word. And when I would get rid of the front, it would choke me, the weight of it, and I'd fall off my bike and start over. The first day, I had a hilly route.
Okay. And I'm riding up this steep hill, and I see a man at the end of his driveway, and he looks really agitated. I thought he's having a bad day. Where's my newspaper?
So I handed him his paper, and he started yelling at me. And he said, This is a boy's job. What are you doing here? You're never gonna last. And I didn't let him see me cry.
But I have to say, to this day, I'm grateful to that man because there were a lot of days I wanted to quit, but I was not going to give him the satisfaction, and I couldn't, because what would that do for the next little girl that would want that? And my dad always said, Kathy, You give 110%. If the customer expects the paper on the driveway, you get it on the front porch. That was so powerful. That was foundational for me to learn to under-promise, over-deliver.
And I've won Carrier of the Year for my district for each year that I had throughout. And it is a founding principle of our work today. You know, I love that story. First of all, that is such a quintessentially American story, isn't it? But that work ethic, and I love the fact that when they said the boy for the job, that drove you all the more, didn't it?
It did. I do, you know, I love a good challenge. Oh yeah, for real, for real.
Well, so modeling. You were in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. a dozen or more times, right? Yeah. Yeah, what was that like?
I mean, was it intimidating? Did you feel like, okay, this is my big break? Or, you know. Talk about that season of your life, if you would.
So it was um it was an interesting time. I grew up on the beaches of Santa Barbara. I was a beach rat. Swimwear, it wasn't like a hoochy thing. It was like uniform.
Didn't think anything of it. Yet, there were some that I just wasn't comfortable in. Even though I My faith was very, very tiny. I had boundaries. Yeah, sure.
Julie Campbell, the editor, I loved her. What a wonderful woman. And I had the joy of being able to travel the world and experience all different cultures with her. And I had the privilege of being able to do a Bible study with Julie on the phone. Towards the end of her life, and what a privilege that was.
I saw you on the Today Show, and I want to commend you. And I realize in media and as a public figure, this takes a lot of. courage and I want to applaud you. as my sister in Christ, you were on the Today Show. And you were talking about this colleague who she started the swimwear issue, didn't she?
She did. But you talked about having a Bible study with her. and praying with her. And I re I distinctly remember And I thought on that world platform, you got in Jesus and the Bible and your ministry in her life. And I just want to say thank you for doing that.
I know a lot of I've met a lot of believers that are in a lot of different fields, but for you to. go on international media and take a stand for the Lord. Kudos, my friend. Thank you. You know, the Lord is so kind to me.
And there was a time When I was a very slow learner.
So I grew up with. We believed in God, but we didn't know him. Our family didn't know him. And when you don't know him, you don't know that you don't know him. He was.
in the periphery. Yeah. It wasn't until I was 18 that I became a Christian.
So, as a teenager, my mom came to know the Lord. She went back to city college to become a nurse, a woman in her class, Suzanne. My mom said, What is it with you? You've got three teenage daughters. I have three teenage daughters, but you have this peace.
And Suzanne said, Jesus.
So mom becomes a Christian, she's quiet about it initially, but I'm noticing this like this strength in her that was very attractive. Yeah. But but I'm a self-absorbed teenager, so I don't think too much of it. I go off to Paris and I'm modeling and it was a It was a hard, lonely time in my life. I was staying in the apartment of my agent and I did not feel comfortable there.
So, any. time that I spent there, I would lock myself in my room. Hold that thought if you don't mind. We've got to take a break. Forgive me.
Alex McFarland here at NRB, and we're talking with Kathy Ireland, entrepreneur and follower of Christ. Stay tuned. We've got a brief break and we'll be back. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly and we seem to be on a rapid moral decline. We've rejected God, morality, and we've almost completely lost our sense of patriotism. It's no wonder that many are asking the question: is this the end of America? Hi, Alex McFarland here, and I want to make you aware of my book, The Assault on America: How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late. You know, our nation has seen politicians that are corrupted by greed and they've got a vested interest in power, and many of our elected officials seem to care little about the country that they've been appointed to serve.
Read my book, The Assault on America. We can stand up for our great nation and defend America Before It's Too Late. It's available everywhere. You can learn more on my own website, which is alexmcfarland.com. Read the book, The Assault on America: How to Defend Our Nation Before It's Too Late.
He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the show. Alex McFarland here. The noise you hear is the NRB convention.
And hey, please be in prayer for this because all the ministries, Samaritans Purse, Compassion International, all the great K-Love, we're here to. Plan a year of ministry and taking the gospel to the world. Kathy, I want you to resume this story. You were talking about Paris, but. You know what's so cool is, yesterday I was meeting with Christian Radio of Ireland.
And they're talking about what God is doing in Ireland, and they want Christian radio and Bible teaching over there. And we were talking with some people about what God is doing in China. millions of people every month. Coming to the Lord in China. And, you know, we hear so much bad news, and the world is in.
Kind of imploding, it seems like. But God is still at work around the world. And I have to say, this is my first time at NRB. Oh, really? It is so encouraging and inspiring to experience so many people.
like yourself more so committed. To sharing the good news and people who are doing wonderful, innovative things for good. Yeah. Truly exciting. It really is.
And late last night in the lobby, there were all these prayer huddles, and I saw colleagues from all sorts of ministries. And you know, in the last year, there have been some homegoings. John MacArthur, who I've interviewed. James Dobson, who I worked for for eight years, who was like a mentor to me. He went to heaven.
Kay Arthur, who spoke in our conferences. But with the homegoing of beloved leaders, that's all the more incentive for us. And for the young people around us.
Now it's our hour to stand tall, isn't it? Absolutely. Every day that we have breath, you know, why are we here? Yeah. So he hasn't taken us home yet, so we need to be good stewards.
Before the break, you were talking about going to Paris and You know um Being alone, and you were a young person. I mean, you were a young adult, but still pretty young. Um your faith, I would imagine, your faith in Christ really gave you strength. At a time, you know, isolation and aloneness can be pretty debilitating sometimes.
Well, that's how I came to know him. Yeah. I'm 18 years old. That apartment where I was staying, I did not feel comfortable. I'd locked myself in the room.
I later learned other girls would tell me, oh, you were staying in the dungeon because it was this dark room at the end of a long, dark hall. But it was 1981. There was no technology distractions and Middle of the night, I had jet lag and boredom, and without telling me, my mom packed a Bible in my suitcase. I'd never read a Bible before. We never had them in the house.
And I didn't know how to read it, but I picked it up and I opened up to the book of Matthew. I was a rebellious teenager. questioning authority, I was wondering what really is truth. And as I read, I knew that what I had in my hands was the truth. And everything I had heard about Jesus, I recognized.
Was a lie. I had heard that, oh, well, if you're a woman, no, that's not for you, that's not good. He's oppressive. I was like, oh my goodness, Jesus loves women. He honors and respects women.
He's revolutionary. and being a young woman, eighteen years old, at a time and place. in an industry with a lot with men of questionable character. To say the least. That, yes.
I mean, that relationship empowered me to walk away when. The situation did not feel good. If he's with us, who can be against us? It gave me the courage to rebel against unhealthy things, like, no, I'm not going to go to your party. Yet, what I regret.
I wasn't discipled. And As I would read, there would be verses that I loved. I'd read them over and over. There'd be other verses I'd come across, and I was certain that, well, that's a cultural thing or a translation or maybe a typo.
So I was picking and choosing. Which is so arrogant. And I was trying to mold God into what I wanted Him to be rather than surrendering. And Letting him mold me into the person he made me to be. He's so patient with me.
I love the scripture that speaks of the one who is forgiven much, loves much.
So I love a whole bunch. And I was 44 years old before I finally read Genesis 2 Revelation, and it just. Though I was saved at 18 when I made that decision, I'm following Jesus, and there was nobody in the room with me saying, Be this denomination or that denomination. It's like, no, I'm just following him. Amen.
It was when I finally read through, it was so bittersweet, and it was sweet because. There was a part of me that felt a little bit afraid of Old Testament God.
So I just kind of avoided that part. And when I read it, In cohesion, how it's meant to be taken in in its entirety. I was just flooded with the love of the Father, the love of God, and So beautiful, bitter because I recognized I had wasted so much time. And the verse that the Lord put on my heart, it's Joel 2:25, intended for the Israelites, yet. applicable to all of us.
I will restore the years the locusts have eaten. And he's so good and he's so faithful. I love that verse. I've shared that verse many times. Folks, if you're listening, the voice you're hearing is Kathy Ireland, Alex McFarland here.
Maybe you're listening to her story and you think, yeah, but it's too late for me. Too many years have gone by. Don't believe it. Our God. raises the dead.
Our God can rewind the tape and give you a do-over. God can restore the years the locust has eaten. By the way, locusts were an insect. They could devour crops. Imagine you've got all your crops and they get eaten and you're just going to be hungry till next year.
No, God can restore the years that have been wasted, squandered. May be stolen away from you. And we say this, Kathy, on probably every show: Jesus is as close by as a prayer. I mean, really. And to everybody listening.
Kathy, what would you say? We've got another segment, so stay tuned. But somebody out there who is just. may be afraid to give themselves permission to have hope. one more t am i going to get my heart crushed one more time Jesus is the restorer of lost lives, isn't he?
Absolutely. The redeemer of our souls. Absolutely. Amen. Hey, we got to take a quick break.
Don't go away. One more big segment. Stay tuned. We're back after this. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert.
Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Hey, producer Mike here for the Alex McFarlane Show, and I'm here with Alex in the studio. Alex, I was just thinking about the Cove and the great time I had last summer out there with my wife. It's coming up again this summer. What's going on?
Oh, wow, Mike.
Well, thank you. We love the Billy Graham Conference Center in Western North Carolina. It is beautiful. The presence of God is so strong there because, you know, Billy Graham and his wife, they prayer walked over those hillsides. And a visit to the Cove will change your life forever.
I'm going to be there July 17 through 19 teaching Bible prophecy. Then I'll be back July 27 through 31 with world-renowned scholar Gary Habermas teaching apologetics how to defend the faith confidently in any situation.
So go to the website thecove.org, T-H-E-C-O-V-E, theCOVE.org, make your reservation, and we'd love to see you there in the summer of 2026. Would you invest a financial contribution to see young people saved? People give their lives to Christ, and people care about. God and country. If you would please make a donation securely online, you can give at alexmacfarland.com or please mail a check to TNG P.O.
Box 485 Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. Your gift will be faithfully handled, fruitfully used, and we thank you in Jesus' name. Uh He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program.
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Well, you can listen to the show again. It's on all the social media platforms. But we're talking with Kathy Ireland. Kathy, thank you so much for your stand for Christ. And for being with us.
There's so much I want to ask you about your businesses. But you mentioned reading the Bible cover to cover, like all the way through at age 44. What prompted you to do that?
Now I was at a women's retreat. I was asked by some friends to go. I had every excuse in the world not to go. I go. It was during a time of worship.
Quiet worship, it was a woman just quietly playing the guitar.
So everybody's just praying to themselves quietly. And it was during that time, I felt the Lord speak to me. I heard no audible voice, but it was clear. It was that conviction of my heart, and I felt the Lord tell me. You say I'm your first priority.
but I'm not. And my internal response to him was, Yes, but Lord, you know how much I love you. I love you so much, but you know my life right now. Three children, husband, the work. You know, I'm being pulled.
I'm gonna have so much time for you later. It's gonna be great, but right now, this is. And he cut me off and I felt him say, Okay. Put me first, and I will give you more time with your children. I'll give you better time.
and without recognizing it. I made our children idols because anything, even good things. Are an idol if they come before God. He has to be first. When that relationship is right, every other relationship is better, and relationships He doesn't want us to have, He will reveal and help us root them out.
But It was then that I made that commitment. I started setting my alarm clock 15 minutes early. struggled a little bit, but just the prayer sometimes it was just, okay, help. Help me understand. I don't want to know what other people, I don't want, I'm not interested in other people's opinions.
I want to know, Lord, what you have to say.
So, help me. And just reading through Verse by verse, and what began as fifteen minutes soon turned into an hour and more, and the best, richest, Time of day, and to this day, when I don't have that, if that ever happens, it's not a good day. By 7 a.m., I'm apologizing to someone because something came out of my mouth that. We need that every single day. You know, I'm reminded of Martin Luther in the Reformation.
He said one time, I have so much to accomplish today that I must spend at least two hours in prayer. Yes. And you know, it it's better to have you know eight hours with God's blessing than ten hours without it. Yes. Yeah, I can make real big mess if, you know, if I Don't have the priorities right.
And if I don't have the Holy Spirit leading me, I'm going to be making a lot of apologies by lunchtime. You know, there's a verse, Matthew 6, 33. Says, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you. And You know, I say this, you know, we give God the glory, but You've got to be one of the busiest business leaders in the world. I mean, you're leading multiple businesses.
And then there is the very time consuming Job of being a celebrity. I mean, that's being a public figure is time consuming, and yet you put Christ first. And if Kathy Ireland can do that, You know, the rest of us could too, really. I mean, he's so good. He expands our time and.
This season October to March, we're almost wrapping up. My husband's a commercial fisherman. I'm serving as his first mate this season. Cool. So that's.
A verse that it's hard because it's pre-dawn to post-dusk and it's non-stop. And sometimes uh I love a good challenge, and what I'm learning at sea applies to life and business in so many ways. When I'm filling bait jars with squishy mackerel, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, whatever it is. Very cool. And it reminds me to.
What I share with others when you're going through a hard time. Keep your eyes on him, not the wind and the waves. My husband named his fishing business the fourth watch, based on the scripture in Matthew where Jesus came to the disciples in the fourth watch and he walked out on the water to them. And it is darkest before the dawn, and so just keep your eyes on him. Amen, amen.
Say a word, we're almost out of time, and Kathy, before time does fleet away, I want to say thank you for being with us. But you started with the sock business, didn't you? Yes. That's really cool. How many products What would you say you're involved in now?
Oh my goodness, there's too many to count right now. We work in everything from fashion apparel to home products and including Services for entrepreneurs and business people. services that will help them scale, provide resources, mentorship. And that's exciting. And these are businesses that are doing meaningful work in making the world a better place.
How did you know that, for example, the sock business? How did you know it was viable? And you're like, okay, this is going to work. I mean, this has legs, no pun intended.
So, what would you say to some aspiring entrepreneurs out there that You know, maybe God has called me to do this. This is going to work. This is going to bear fruit. How did you know you had a winner?
Well, in answer to your question, if God has called you to something, got to listen to Him. You really do. But I would also say to the entrepreneur, business is hard. And don't be afraid of that. One of the greatest gifts of that long ago modeling career was all the rejection.
Didn't appreciate it at the time. Because so you not everything was a slam dunk, was it? Oh, no, no. When I told people that I was going to start with socks, People said it was a really stupid idea. You can't start a brand with a pair of socks.
They didn't have a reason why. They said a lot of other things, it wasn't nice. Hung up on me, doors slammed in my face. But that didn't bother me because I was so used to know.
So, no just meant now. We're talking.
Okay, I'll come, you know, help me understand why. I always wanna know and grow and do better. And I like criticism. It's better when truth is delivered in love, but I like. I like a good critique.
But don't let anyone's opinion of you define or destroy you. Don't let anyone put you in a box. And Learn from whatever it is that's blocking you, but persevere. Got to have that perseverance and resilience. And if you believe in what you're doing and you know why you're doing it, and you seek to always do better.
You'll come through with God's help. If it's His will, He's going to carry you through. And if it's not, we say no more than we say yes. And I will not be pressured into making a decision quickly. God is my boss, and right after him, it's our customer.
telling us, giving us direction. And our core team of executives, I intentionally keep that small. These are a group of extraordinary executives who share my faith. We pray before every decision. And If it's not of God, if it's at variance to His Word, the answer is no.
Amen. We're out of time for this visit.
Social media, where can people find you? Just all the platforms, Instagram, X, Facebook. LinkedIn. God bless you. We've been talking with Kathy Ireland.
We got to go right now. But, folks, remember: Jesus is as close by as a prayer. Alex McFarlane Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you. For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmacfarland.com.
You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YESGOD and the number 1. That's 1-877-Y-E-S-G-O-D-1. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarlane Show.
