Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from The Path.

And you're listening to live from The Pathway. It's gonna be from the Pathway Studios here in The Bronx. Proper. Okay. I don't wanna start this off wrong. But, like, what what it doesn't sound better. Right? What what cultural group of people say? May? You know I'm saying? May. May. Because it's a Like m a n g, mang? Yeah. Yeah. So because at the beginning of the the tune sounds like like, I have a what was it? I'm a working mang. You know what I'm saying? It sounds like it says with a slur bit. You know I'm saying? M a y n e. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I I thought you're doing, like like, my like a Yeah. Yeah. Like a yeah. Yeah. That's right. Like a like a trucker? I think that's like a diesel. I think there's quite a few of them. Yeah. But but those these guys are Canadian. Yeah. Maybe Canadians are a cultural group to use that. Can they? I don't know. Not a cultural group. I don't know how to carry on a conversation with a Canadian Latino. No. I just like to have Canadians say the word about as many times as possible.

Have them say full amount. Boat? Boat? I can't even I even do it. What's that, dad? A boat. It sounds like he's calling for a boat. That's I his don't even know if you could racially profile Canadians. I feel like I feel like you've done it. That's great. I'm just the way they speak. I just love I love their their A boat. Place. Isn't it a boot? A a boot. Boot. A A boot. I can't even do it. Take it easy. I can listen to it when I can't even say it back to them. You mean a boot? A boat? I thought it was a boot and, like, form and stuff like I talked to a lot of fellas for work from Minnesota, and they do that. And they I think they're making it funny. And what's funny, I will say stuff where I'm I thought of a joke somebody told me once. It's great. I said, take it easy, mate.

I said, that sounds like an Alabama trucker to me. You know what saying? Yeah. I picked up a full load of tomatoes, man. No. I think it's I think it's quite a few different cultural groups that do it. It's just like a rapper Gucci, mate. You're just saying it for me. That's legitimately his name. It's m a n e, Gucci Mane. M a n e. Yeah. But it's Mane. Gucci Mane. Well, that's the same concept we're talking about. We're we no. It's it's the twang on the end of Mane. Mane's got, like, a hard g on it, and and a guy and, like, a guy that's too lazy to finish it out. Was like, man. Man, Mike Mike. Yeah. Yeah. Like, he was gonna say it. Improper. It's just sad. Yeah. He thought of something else, and then he's like, yeah. Forget it. Hey, Mike. Ow. Alright. Yeah. Alright. You're listening live for the that was the tops of what we have going on tonight. Welcome to shore, mate. Yeah. Go go

hook your wife for thirty minutes. Alright. So so, Booby, you had some suspected suspected pop stuff? Yeah. You can call me out on later. Yeah. Oh, I'm not I'm at I just need to prepare. What do Yes. Okay. I do. But do you I mean, what are you mulling over? How me about?

How to be honest about an an answer that you get from God that you did not want. Oh, yeah. Because I ran into a situation where something like

I I'm not great at prayer. I'm I'm terrible at consistent prayer. The whole prayer without ceasing, I'm awful at. And when I really get into the business on prayer, I I get into a very, very weird place where I'm almost,

unrighteously expecting something from God. Because you've been working really hard, so he owes it to you, kind of. Yeah. And I've I I I always try and catch myself when I get there. Yeah. Yeah. But, like, I've definitely gotten there with this. You don't know how spiritual I've been, God. Right. Exactly. It's like, God, do you realize this is the first time I've actually done what you asked me to do? Come on. Come on, mate. Come on, mate. And Hey, man. Don't don't don't mind that god. Yeah, booba. Hey, mate. Here's the deal. I got pope style advice. You watch how you speak to the lord. Sometimes I need to catch myself with it too. I said holy cats in a prayer today. No. I think that's I think that's alright. I was praying aloud. I said holy cats. That's a sweet lion of Judah. Yeah. Lion of Judah is holy cats. Very similar. But how do you how do you

respond to that with respect and still honoring God? And be human about it and be upset. Yeah. Okay. Mike Mike, that sounds similar to what you were talking about. Yeah. Yeah. One of the questions that we had on the docket today was what do you do when God doesn't answer? Uh-huh. So maybe that's it. Maybe we'll just theme of the show, your responses to God. Okay. What was that? Like, how do you actually respond to, like

and and sometimes this is hard for us to sort out because, like, you meet you meet some people that seem to be like, hey, God. I was thinking about going here. What do you think? Yes. Go ahead. And then they do it. And you're like, what? Every time I answer, it's like, you're waiting for a book to fall off the shelf. You're like, does that book say king of Paris? Because then I'm going to Paris like I asked to. Yeah. You know, like, some people seem to hear hear from God, you know, in a fairly clear and concise manner, and then there's, like, the other giant portion of the Christian population that's like, I don't know. The cat came by after I was praying. I'm like, I think that means we should get more cat. Or Does that mean Egypt? They're cat. That's I just don't know. That's true. Like, I have the sense. Like, it just feels like some people are just like, hey, papa. How should I eat? Taco truck. And I'm like, this is not the relationship I have with Jesus. Yeah. Well, see and the problem is is like, my my first instinct is to tend to not believe them. You know I'm saying? Like Right. I think you're making this up. Just and and some of that I heard Jesus say Taco truck. I'm hesitant. Some of that's because, like, because of of this show. Like, we've had a lot of a lot of folks come in here, and they're like, I I was praying, and the Holy Spirit told me I was gonna be a a stellar musician. I was gonna make millions of blah blah blah. I'm like, no. I don't I don't know if the Holy Spirit said that to you. Yeah. And then here we are here we are, like, you know, six years later, like, you you you're not the the star like you said. Will the holy spirit tell lies? You know what I'm saying? Like and so now I'm real careful when I feel like I've heard from God on something. I tell, like, five people. You know what I'm saying? I don't tell everybody. I tell, like, five people. Careful. And it's mostly just to bounce it off them. Like Right. Does that sound legit? Am I making stuff up? What's what's really going on here? But then the best part you do is you find that more

the the one that talks to Jesus in a regular conversational type basis, and then you tell them the story, they're like, oh, yeah. That's definitely Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. Go with that. And so but but yeah. We'll talk about that a little bit. Just like your response to God in in good things and bad things. Like, how do you actually relate to this God? Like, you can learn about him by reading the Bible. You can meet his people who have had interactions with him. But, like, what does that actually mean to you when you're praying for something or even trying to start a relationship with God and you're like, you know what? I feel like I'm it's gray and coming back empty and I'm talking to the ceiling. And it doesn't matter what hand motion I do or how far I put my face down on the floor, I'm just kinda going through the motions because it's I I don't know what's going on. Right. So, yeah, we'll talk about that. That's that's a good conversation. Okay. We're

also gonna debut what I like to call Nick Harris's corner, which be I have no idea what he's gonna say. No I'm excited. But Nick Harris come in here every week smiling it up, and, like, we we I just think we need more of him in our life. You got so, Harris, you got, like, twenty minutes to put something together. Put the think on it. Oh. I mean, that's good a topic we'll be speaking on right now. Okay. Nick Harris is trying to take the show's main topic and put it in Nick Harris' corner. I mean, it's a good topic. It's good topic. It's pretty cheap living, Nick Harris. Well, as long as y'all already talking about it. Mean, do have a lot of things to be talking about, but, I mean, today, like, what you said,

today, I mean, the topic is great because, I mean, I could put it in my life, and, you know, that's something that I would talk about. So Okay. Perfect. Alright. So maybe it's it's possible that Nick Harris' corner will be swallowed up by the other conversation. We'll just be ready for it. We'll see. Okay. I'd I'd like to talk about tonight, maybe disappointment in God. Okay. I'm just saying that because it's pretty much what everybody is saying. Sweet. I really So that's something else in Dan's corner. Sorry. Yeah. That's right. Okay. Hold on. Everyone else has put it in a very positive light.

Dan is disappointed with God. I'm a realist. Why didn't you just say taco truck? Hey. Can anybody flip to the end of Job for me for Dan? There might be something in here for him. You didn't mention the Akulai. Hey. Hey. You know, I've listened to two or three people,

like, from from some podcasts and and interviews, of people talking about the book of Job. Oh, And, like, I've had a couple of guys like, both of these fellows said something to the extent of, you know, you didn't see God actually admonish Job for his reaction. And I thought, you were not reading the same book. They got bored and never made it to the end. Yeah. It's like I mean, they they picked out they picked out, like, the or or or they just skipped to the end. And, like, god, you know, god describes Job as a faithful servant. Right. God does react to the what Job has done in a seemingly positive way, but, like, there were certainly a line of chapters chapters of which Job is getting it handed to him. He literally says, gird your loins and answer as a man, doesn't he? Yeah. See, what so what they're envisioning is is like, God was dealing with Job, dealing with Job, then when he gets on his on on his throne and starts saying, here's the deal, he pushes Job aside and then just looks at the audience and begins to speak of the depths of the ocean all eats elsewhere. And how fawns give birth in some thicket. Do you know where the snow is kept? I just I just think they shafted the discussion with Job. Like, there was there was some nuance to this conversation between God and Job, and they were like, even through all of this, notice that God, you know, wasn't really admonishing Job or, you know, he wasn't against

Job. And I'm like, I certainly put him in his place. Can we at least can we at least get right on that? Hey, man. First time I ever read through Job, I was really kinda worried the first 34 chapters. And I was like, this Job guy is not gonna do very great in life. No. Like, he's not gonna do too well. And then when I got to God just basically saying, hey, Stand and be counted. You will I will question you, and you will answer as a man. I kid you not. As I was reading, I was standing on my bed. Yeah. Like, legitimately stood on my bed, and I was like, heck, yeah, God. Get him. You get him. I've listened to 34 chapters of whining. You best get him. Actually, that that is, that is my book of humility, but not not from putting myself in Job's place. But as I read it, I find myself finding the friends are reasonable. Yeah. And then I'm like, oh, yeah. No. That's that's pretty solid advice. And then it's obviously not solid advice, and I think, I I have learned nothing. I need I need help reading the bible correctly. That is why that the the very last three chapters of Job are impactful as they are. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Because I've tried to just read those three chapters before, like, to it, like, as a quick energy bump. Mhmm. No. It doesn't work like that. You gotta go through the dribble of the friends. Yeah. You know I'm saying? And which this kills me because, like, I found that their their initial reaction to Job, I actually apply in my own life. Right? Where they just show up and shut their mouths and sit there with them. Right. You know I'm saying? Like, when when bad stuff really happens, they sat there in silence for, like, days. Yeah. And I'm like, you know what? I'm a that sounds like good advice. I'm a and every time the worst of the worst has happened to people around me, I I I say absolutely nothing. I I throw a hug at him, and then I stare at him, and I I might swear. But that's it. That's pretty much all I got. I mean And then you've never hugged me. You haven't had real bad things happen.

Woah. I'm sorry. You're gonna have to bring it heavier. I mean real bad things, but we'll see what happens. Alright. Okay. I remember the first time I I read Job, I was like I was like angry at the middle chapters. Like, who are these idiots? Why is this in the Bible? Who put this in the Bible? Because you figure, what's in the Bible, it's gotta be true. Right. Yeah. Not it's in the Bible because some idiot said this and it's really stupid advice. Until you get to the end, you're like, oh, okay. Oh, yeah. Yeah. You never had the you never had the issue because, like, the second time I read it, I did start to sit in the friends camp. I'm like, hey, These guys are making some kind of sense. But that was that was the first time I read it. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, these guys are like, cause I the first time I read it, I already knew they were stupid. Right? I I already knew from hearing random bits of the story throughout my life that, like, these guys are wrong. And so I knew I read that into it. And then the second time I read it, I'm like, I don't know. They don't seem that unreasonable. You know what I'm saying? I'm like

and, you know, and then they kinda caught me on. I'm like, yeah. Listen to Bill Dan. You know? Bill Dan makes good sense. And then it's that z character who I always forget his name. He only shows up here once in while and really does some heavy lifting. But, like, but, I mean, now the third time around, when I go back through it, I'm like, no. You guys are wrong, and you were born wrong. You it. I don't like anything you're saying. Yeah. Book of Job. That's good stuff. Alright. What else? I I I had something else. Oh oh, run it. Yeah. I I have some it's not it's not necessarily well, yes, it's Pope style. It's a I run a tight ship. That's my Pope style advice. You gotta run it. It's it's a good idea to run a tight ship, so we'll get to that. K. We also have know what I know. I don't wanna talk about. Well, Nick Harris has got his own corner firing up. He's painting the walls and putting furniture in. Okay. Wait. You're ready to go? Can you us a preview? Nick Harris? Can you preview the the corner? Yeah. I could do that. Basically, like, the topic will be about, god's unfailing love, basically.

And, you know, like, we supposed to love people the way the same way god will love us. And, I mean, I think that's one of the most hardest things that can that can happen. You know, like, if you don't really Okay. Wait. Now don't get don't give away the farm, Nick Harris. Okay. Give her a preview. Okay. Got it. Got it. Unfailing love of god. Unfailing love of god. And that's has hard stuff. Okay. Coming back that that's coming up later in Nick's corner. Yes. Yes. It is. Okay. Alright. Hey. We got plenty of stuff on the table here. Let's see.

I tell you what. I'll do I'll do my Pope style, and then and then, Boob, I think maybe we'll shift into yours, and that'll touch on the stuff Mike and Mike was talking about. Dear life from the path. What? What? No. What no. No. I'm gonna go first. Hey, man. If you don't know what the pope style advice is, what's happened is people in the local pubs have intentionally and in a wrong way told people that Ben is the pope. Can I can I interrupt real quick? No. What are you doing in the local pubs, booah? Hey, man. Playing pool? People need Jesus in the local pubs too. Okay. That's all I wanted to hear, that you're doing good things. I'm here to go. Yeah. Hey. They they went there to drown their sorrows, and I prefer they drown in living water. Exactly. Like, hey, man. You know what's gonna quench your thirst more than that beer? Jesus. Hold on a second, mate. Hey, mate. Don't ring back. Let me tell you something. K. Go ahead. So people people have mistakenly told other people that that Ben is the pope. So there's a couple of

drunks, if you will, at this point in time that stumbled their They're drugs. Totally. They have stumbled their way onto Ben's lawn and will not until be he gives some kind of papal wisdom that has to apply to his life as well. So he's trying to get people off his lawn.

This is Pope's advice. Yeah. Okay. Pope's advice from Pope Ben the first is is you gotta tighten up your ship. Like, it's it's you need to run a tight ship. And I ran into this myself this week, is when when I let one thing start to kinda slide,

it's an avalanche of sorts. Like, it especially things that you have to keep a tight rein on. Like, I've been I've been trying to exercise. I've been trying to eat correctly. I've been trying to keep my bible reading up where it needs to be, and also with some kind of my supplementary reading. And and then also kind of just the the various things that caused me potential grief in my life, where my temptations are at or whatever, kinda keeping that stuff locked down.

And I I've noticed, I've been trying to hold all that stuff, probably you know, I've been doing reasonably well over the last three or four months, but I noticed over the last two weeks that as I started to let one thing slip, everything else just kinda just kinda fell with it, and and and kind of the the modern Christian gut reaction is don't be such a Pharisee about this kind of thing. But but here's the thing. It's like, those fellows aren't completely wrong here. They they just they they went with the wrong things, and they pointed people in the wrong direction, and they used it for their own gain. But the truth is is that and we've talked about this before on the show, is that fences are good, especially if they're your own fences. Right? Like, the Holy Spirit's in in you, and he's saying, yeah. It's okay for one guy to act this way. That's not for you. You don't get to do x y and z. This is where your limits are. And so I recognize that, like, as soon as I started to let my exercise stuff slide,

I started eating improperly. My body reading stopped being as consistent as it needed to be. And then over time, like, because all those things happen, some of the temptations that otherwise exist in my life started popping in up in a way they had not popped up in the last four or five months. And and I think to myself, like, mean, God is not is not upset with me because I'm not exercising. He's not upset with me because I'm not

counting calories like I have been. Right? But I know I know where my where my limits are. And I know personally that, like, if I if I start kinda slouching on responsibility and things that I'm fully capable of doing, like, I'm fully capable of exercising reasonable amounts of times a week, full capable of not eating or drinking a bunch of soda if I shouldn't, of eating things marginally without going overboard, of reading my bible like I'm supposed to. Like, these are all things that aren't extra things. They're not actually even really hard things. They're easy things to do. But as soon as I it's it's a it's a mental thing that as I start to let go of one thing, those things start to avalanche down and I start losing all of it. And so even when I'm saying, hey, boy, I'm just I'm really fighting some temptations this week, what I'll also do is start looking around at kind of my peripheral items and say, what else am I letting go of? And it's it's generally an attitude and a mindset, not a specific behavior.

And then once I've I start kinda praying through and rethinking and checking my accountability, my fences on, the things that otherwise want in place, everything rises with it. And so, you know, maybe that's not you or maybe it is you, you just didn't recognize kind of the correlation to you. But at least for me, from, from Pope Ben the first style, I I gotta run a tight ship. Like, I I and and and not not saying like I feel this crazy burden of if this doesn't happen, everything falls through, but like, it's generally more of an attitude or a, or a mentality thing than it is a individual action thing.

And I can easily recognize that in a number of different things that I have going around. So, you know, keep an eye on your ship. Run it tight. Keep keep a look around. Notice when things start to fall out. Put the right things in place where people will say, hey, man. I noticed that stuff's falling on you. Or I I noticed this thing isn't happening the way that you wanted it to because it tends to be a good beacon or a good barometer for other things that are falling out. And that's that's not that's not God, you know, hamstringing you and saying you're paying back for salvation. That's not a demand to be a Pharisee. It's a right response to right living that says, because of what Jesus has done for me and how he loves me, this is how I react to those things. I steward his gifts

responsibly and I try to react with grace and mercy and I know that I'm not stewarding it well. If all these things start to fall, then then I I it's an indication of my life. So that's my Pope style advice this week is run type shit. Yeah. I think that's actually

we we don't like to think of things in that way in the all or nothing category, you know. But, like, it it always took me back a little bit when when Paul was talking about the law, and he's like, you wanna be accustomed to the law? Great. You break one, you broke the whole thing as far as I'm concerned. You know what I'm saying? And, like, now I always thought that seemed a little harsh. You know I'm saying? I I mean, you just broke one log, but he's like, no. No. No. If that's how you wanna get saved and you break one, you're out. You're out. And that and he was trying to make a point, which is not the same point Ben's making, but the the all or nothing is. Is right? Like, either you're driving the boat or you ain't driving it. And there's not a there's not a middle, right, where even even in our modern times when we're talking about, you know, distracted driving and texting and then all this crappy people are doing when they're driving. Either you're driving the vehicle or you're not really driving the vehicle. And I and I think that's kinda what Ben's getting to. If it's like, are you are you an an active, leader and participant

in the in the machine that is Mike Foost? Like, are you driving this car or not? Because if you ain't, something else is driving or you're drifting in an area and you're not you're not doing it. And so, like, it seems very very simple and counterintuitive to our our grace filled, homogenous everything is just alright kinda Jesus existence that you're gonna have to actually pick up some rocks and move them. And and and when when you're not, you can expect to run a little bit faster and run a little bit off course. That's that's pretty good advice, Ben. Yeah. And and like I I I I tell you, I ran into this, like, I that came to a head yesterday As I was thinking back and I and I watched is like, I had done I mean, I I had been running like a like a crazy man. Like, I got I went from, like, not being able to run at all to be able to run a five k over, like, an eight week time frame because I had the sweet app on my phone to help me do And I started riding bikes. Like, I was going, you know, like that one bike store. I never got back out to whatever the 18 or 19 miles. Oh, yeah. Where you got lost in your presumed death. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And decided to make a couple miles away from your house. So I but I did I got up to, like and then this is I I grant people will ride better than this, but, I got to 13 or 14 miles a few times a week. And so, like, I was getting decent amounts of exercise,

and and then I I I looked back on the last two weeks, and, like, it just it just slowly started fading away. Then I started eating however I wanted to, and I wasn't reading the way, keeping up with my bible reading. I had some other study stuff that I was doing, and I wasn't keeping up with that. And, like, and, like, some of the stuff, like I said, some, temptation stuff just started popping in there, and I'm like, where is this coming from? I haven't had this. I haven't run into this for months. And where is this coming from? And I kinda looked at it all and said it's it's, God's not whipping me over these things individually. Right? But like, I feel like he's calling my attention to say you gave up at some point. You said, I'm just not gonna I'm not gonna worry about that, and I'm not gonna worry about that, and it was it was a kind of a malaise attitude thing. And so this morning, I've been meaning for for years to move some of this stuff to, like, the the morning. Like, I wish I was reading my bible in the morning as opposed to trying to do it at night. I can't stay awake. Doing exercise in the morning. Actually, I eating breakfast at home with eggs that we own as opposed to having to buy it from the king of burgers. And so, He makes good eggs, Obin. I know. That's what I'm saying. He's not he's he's not lord of all, but I mean, he's working He's on lord of precooked eggs. He's the he's the tower of babble for restaurateurs.

He's trying to he's trying to reach higher than he probably should. So anyway, so that so I woke up at like 06:40 I don't know, 06:15 or something this morning, and I thought I need to get up and go exercise. And, like, I could do it some other time. I've done it after the show before. Like, I'll go running. There's no nobody out. It don't matter. But, like, I thought I have to do this this morning. I need to do this this morning to to some semblance of control that says, I'm running a tight ship here. And so I got up. I I ran. I came home. I read.

I ate some eggs that belong to me. I made coffee at home like I was supposed to instead of mine. That was fantastic. And then here's the thing. It's like, not just for though, like, hey, do I feel I made responsible choices? It's just in general saying, I I I know when my ship starts to turn, and it's not just because temptations are popping up. There's like a few other things that sit beyond that. That's an attitude thing. And so for me, I gotta keep a tight ship. Yeah. It's the same way with me too, Ben. Like, if I don't set the fences up, like, my daily routine, like, things would go wrong for me, like you said. And it's, like, a attitude thing, you said. Like,

if don't wake up and pray and, you know, just go outside and look in the sky and just see a bird and be like, hey. God made that in. It's beautiful. Yo. Right on. Praise him for the things that he created. You know? And I believe, like, if I don't do those things every morning, my whole day will be in samples. Like, I'm one of those guys that I gotta fully depend on god. And if I don't, nothing will go right for me. So it's like, that's why it's so important for me to just wake up and and do certain things that I do to bring attention to him, to let him know that I see him, what he's doing, and, you know, like, everybody sees sees they sounds different from other people. You know? God has a way to come to people in a way that they can understand. So Yeah. Like, when I mess up and I don't I could forget to do those things, like, nothing goes right for me, and I know that. And then I can just think, like, oh, okay. I I missed my prayer that I do at 12:00 or, you know, like, something that the routine that I know, like, the things that I I set up physically, like, that if I don't do it, it won't work. And that that's the thing. It's, like, the risk we run with some of what I'm saying and some of what you're saying, right, is that, like, we we make things holy that aren't holy. We say, god demands this or you put it on somebody else's if these are things that they have to do. And, like, that that isn't the intention but, like, I do think, and this is where I think what what you and I are saying is that, like, I I know I know well enough in my relationship with God

what keeps me what keeps me focused on the right things and what doesn't. Right? And so and you're and you're right. Those could be different for for certain people and it it it doesn't mean that, like, you have to do the same things I do or have to do the same things that you do. Right? But, like Mhmm. When you get to know somebody, when I get to know my wife, like, I know the behaviors that cause me separation for even if it's not just offensive to her. I just know there's things that I do that otherwise aren't enriching that relationship and there's things that I can stay away from that otherwise help. And so, like, just just kind of knowing what those things are and keeping an eye on them and not because you have to, but because you want to. That's the point of spiritual disciplines. Right? I pray because I want to. I read because I want to. These these are all positive things in your life. And so it's you can take in the same same action. You just reorient the desire that says, I I wanna be doing this. Like, you don't have to tell me to pray without ceasing. I wanna be talking to you, you know. And so and so, like, I think that's that's kind of what I'm getting at and that's kind of what I think what you're saying to you. So after listening to that discussion, I've written down some things I'd like to add to my life after you guys have have listed some of these things. One is the definition of malaise.

Did Nick Harris use that word? No. No. Two. I told him to stop using words like that. Number two, any amount of supplementary reading. I don't

don't I don't even have any to fail at. Just do the required stuff first. Yeah. Vince Vince says, I gotta catch up on my supplementary reading. And I thought, what is What is what does that do? I don't even know what that entails. He taking supplements while he breathes? What's happening? I mean, you just read the bottle and take them. You know what mean? It's not shouldn't be that big of a deal. Number three, Nick Harris's simple but powerful love of God's creation. Right. Like, I never see a bird. I never stroll outside and be like, yeah, man. This is right on. I'm always like, it's too hot outside, or I don't like this weather, or I wish it wasn't spitting rain, or I'm upset. As soon as I walk out the door, Nick Harris goes outside, smiles, three birds laying on his shoulder. He's like, yeah. Yeah. God's creation. I gotta I gotta change some stuff. Yeah. That's how it goes for me. Like, if I don't exactly how that Like, I read like, I read the things that God favors, and, like, I I ran across some stuff that he, like, you know, like, it was a passage I was reading and it say, like, when you it's a certain way that you talk to him to get his attention, you know, like and God never talks to nobody, like, through voice, so it's it's like, I look for signs. Yeah. So it's like when I pray and and do certain things,

I see signs and I wait for them. You know, like, it's sort of like you waiting on the peace of man to come. Like, I know it's coming soon. You know, like so it's like I I pay attention to every single detail of the day. Like, from the time that I asked them for something to the time that it happens and I know it's gonna happen. You know, like, I look for the signs. I love that. Right? Because that, like, that shows that, like, you have faith that God is gonna answer. And maybe that parlays into a little bit of our question. Right? But, like, I in the opposite of your example, I asked for all kinds of crap, and then I forget about it. I didn't write it down. You know, I'm like, man, Lord, pray for blah blah blah blah. Maybe.

Yeah. You know? Yeah. I prayed because someone said I probably should. I'm like, okay. I'm in. I'll pray for that. And then I don't wait to see what happened. I don't you know what I'm saying? I'm not involved. I'm not in intense intentional about it to figure out what God has done. And, like, some of that is because we agree to pray for any and any and everything, which we have you know what I'm saying? Like, there's that's that's gonna sound bad. There's nothing wrong with praying for for lots of stuff. Right? But, like, I I do believe if you're gonna be able to do that with any type of integrity and to be able to actually watch God do something, you might have to pay attention to what you're praying for. So that there I think I don't think it's unlimited. I think there is a a certain amount, you know, with like your your aunt's best friend's, you know, cousin's dog or something that it would get back in the vet. I'm like, you know, I could pray for that, but I mean, I I got some big stuff going on right now and like, you know, I'm still praying for my daughter's husbands, future husbands and stuff. Like, you know, standard list of stuff that that we're talking about, and like, I don't know if I get involved in this dog thing right now and actually watch God come through. You know, our kids aren't like that. If they ask you for for $10, they're going stare at you until they get an answer. That's right. Where's my $10? I

used to, when they were young, try to come up with these ambiguous answers. I never really answered it, and they'd still just stare at me is that a yes or a no? Is the $10 coming? $10 does exist in my pocket. Money. You know? But then, you know, it's a certain way how you talk to god, though. You know? Like, you can't ask for specific things. Like, if I was in need of money or whatnot, I would ask god, like, god, can you show me a sign that, like, a a opportunity to make something happen? You know, like Yeah. Instead of asking god, like, please, I need $500 to get something fixed. I ask god, like, can

you give me an opportunity to make something happen that I need to make happen? You know? Like, it's a certain way you ask, and it's it's not really asking him. It's really giving him the opportunity to and, you know, to help you, basically. You know? Like, inviting him in your life to really do his job, and, like, he's not gonna do the whole thing for you, but Yeah. He kinda will. Like, take the first step and Yeah. And everything else is let him work, you know. So it's a certain way how you ask for things from him to really see that he's working in your life. Yeah. And see, that's cool because it's not it's not like there's a a formula to it, but you ask in a certain way when you understand who he is and who you are. Right. Right? Like, it's a perspective thing that changes the way that you ask, not like a a set of phrases or something out of Psalms. You know I'm saying? And like that yeah. That's a that's a perfect example. That's that's acknowledging who he is versus who you are and then saying, can you just let me see where my opportunity is to get this done? Because this is what I'm after. That's cool. Yeah. I like that.

Yeah. I will I keep thinking that I that I I need to I need to keep a prayer journal simply because I, like, I need to be I need to be reminded just like the Israelites failed often to to remember what God has done. I think I I run into the same problem. That's that's the beauty of those. You can always look and see exactly what you asked exactly what got answered. I'm terrible at it. Terrible. I go about four days on a journal. Then it's gone. Was going say, I think I've gone a total of three so far in my entire life. Got 100 of them started. I usually write in my journal after my supplementary reading.

Lord, now that I've done my supplementary reading, I would like to do my supplementary prayer prayer journaling before my supplemental prayer. I don't know if any of you all like this, but, like, I always think I always think I would have drew a prayer journal right, but I can't just do it on, a steno pad. I gotta get some kind of, like, leather bound thing from the Internet. Yeah. Yeah. You know? So I'm like, so I'm looking through Amazon. I'm like, oh, handcrafted leather, $60. Lord has look looks more holy. That's for Jesus. You get a look. And then you're like, I'm gonna keep a lifetime of these. There'll be a big stack of them, and I'll hand them to my kids. It'll be a great heirloom, and watch this how God created my life. You know? And then, like, here I am like, oh, but there's a socket set also on sale for $40. Maybe I'll have that shit next day, Aaron. Think about this leather journal thing. Maybe a steno pad's alright. Years years and I mean, years ago, I think before we had any kids, we'd heard some radio program or something. Somebody had a book making Sunday special, and their big thing is on Saturday, you know, kind of treat it like a Sabbath and and and how all the work that went into preparing for the Sabbath. And their point was start early and and, you know, have a special dinner, whatever, blah blah blah. It's all about gearing toward get ready for Sunday morning. So then you go Sunday morning, you're, like, you're already primed and you don't you don't have to quote get in the mood, whatever. You're just you're just there. Right? And so Sheryl and I were, yeah. We're gonna do that, but we're not gonna use our common crap. We went out shopping and like bought a special little crystal bowl. I mean, just all this junk that

made it like special, our own little communion thing we did. And we did that for, I don't know, a month or something, and it was really cool. Then we got busy, and then it was sat in a box for years. Yeah. I think I've done that prayer journal, like I said, like Yeah. For three days, and it's because I was having difficulty hearing from God. And so if I have difficulty hearing from God, there's, like, three people that I go to that are just, people that freak me out for Jesus. Like, I'm just, wait a minute. God talked to you like that? They're, like, yeah. It was a license plate, and then something happened with this, and then someone got out of their car, and I'm, this must be Jesus. He's, I don't know what you just said, but it worked because that's happened. And so and they told me to do a prayer journal. And I said, yeah. I'm a get on that. Three days in, I'm like, I don't think I'm gonna get on this. Yeah. This doesn't get an offense. Yeah. But when I look back at those three three days, all those prayers were answered. Yeah. So I have proof that it works. Yeah. I just am too stubborn to go back and do it. Even now, you're like, yeah. It was it was very beneficial, but I I don't know if I want to do days of my life. Right? I'm just like, oh, man. That was a pretty sweet deal. Like, I have the answers to the prayers. I'm like, yeah. Yeah. I ain't gonna do that. I don't think I wanna do it again, though. Seriously, I I lose a pen, and I'm like, right. I'm like Do I have a leather bound book or not? Plus, it takes forever to be like, dear lord, I'm praying for

Our heavenly father. My first entry said, god, I have no idea what to put here. And then I looked at that. I'm like, that is the most honest prayer I've ever done in my entire life. I think it's it's it's even the technicality of it because, like, in the first page, you've been using dashes for your outline, and then then you'd switched over to numerals on page two, and then you look at it and you're like, oh, man. It's not even the same. No. It looks stupid. I could do a prayer trip.

But that's kinda crazy you said that, though. Like, you had wrote in the prayer journal, and then, like, three days later, you're saying it worth it. Like, you know, like, we do have a a thing with, like, not really remembering what god do for us. You know? So Mhmm. I mean, like and then it's, like, once you understand and you see, like and and god's here to be on the road with you. You know? Like, he's so out for you once you see what he's doing. Yeah. You know? So it's like if like you say, I had the same problem. Like, if I see him working, and I can be stubborn sometimes, it's like, how can I why would I do that if I seen, like, he is so out for me? Like, if I do the things that he like. You know? Like, and I just think that's crazy because I, like, I have a problem with that sometimes, and, you know, I just like keeping the ball rolling, you know, but sometimes I tend to forget the things that he do. Yeah. You know, and that can kinda throw you off a little bit. I I have I have had that, pop up numerous times where where I thought, you know, I don't I don't know what God's up to here. And then, like, if I spend any amount of time thinking about, I'm like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That yes. That too. Yep. Sure. It's all that. And, like and it's,

and then I I at least sympathize, not in the way of, like, I guess, least understand the failure of the Israelites who were constantly having to be reminded, like, no. No. I'm the god that brought you out of Egypt. No. No. Remember, a god that brought you out of Egypt. Pillar of fire, fed you from the ground, water out of rock, that god, and and and you they get ten years out, and they're doing stupid stuff, and you're like, how could you forget? And I thought, oh, yeah. I do that all the time. Yeah. See, that's unfair. Like, you know, we read that so foolishly. Right? Like, ten years ago was, like, two paragraphs for us. We're like, but I just read it how he just saved you out of there, and then like two paragraphs later, you're like, oh lord, how have you forgotten us? You spoiled rotten Israelites, you know. But like, mean, seriously, we will do that. You know, we'll see the lord do a mighty thing, and then the next week, we're like, feel I like God don't listen to me or listen to my prayers, and I'm like, I he's just not being faithful to me. Hey, man. That's general Bible reading that we get wrong. Yeah. Because if we're reading to the Bible and we read about fools in the Bible, and then we go, how are you doing this? You're terrible. We do this with Peter way too often. Yes. Every time you talk crap about Peter, you need to step back and realize you are Peter. Yeah. It's you know what? Peter's talking about building tents. It's like, no, Peter. You wouldn't do that. I would do that exact thing like, hey, Jesus. This is a sweet deal. Let's make some tents so they can stay. Yeah. That's exactly what I would do. You hear the third guy in the room being like, Peter, say something. Well, that was stupid.

I don't even I don't even have the call to say that they do Jesus. I'm not one of the disciples just like, hey, man. Jesus, do you want us to, like, strike the lightning on that town and get them taken care of because they're messing up? And Jesus is like, no. Yeah. No. We're all like, hey, man. Don't be stupid. Jesus can take care of that. And you think to yourself, like, how how I mean, how deaf do you have to be to be having the who is the greatest conversation within earshot of Jesus Christ? Hey, man. I'm gonna I'm gonna sit in his right hand. My mom's gonna ask him. And then, like and then he even had to say it out loud. Hey. We we we were just wondering who was the greatest.

We thought we thought it might be one of us. It's like, hey, Jesus. I know how you you love everybody. Like, Whole bunch of us, but, like, I just am I it? It's I could be though. And, like, it like, at least the guy who who's we we assume it's Luke. Right? The guy who who runs away buck naked when when somebody grabs you and ropes. Isn't it? Mark. No. Mark. Sorry. Yeah. Mark. It's Mark. Right? So, like, I think I would have done that if I got caught having the who's the greatest conversation in front of Jesus. He's like, are you are you guys talking about who's the greatest? I just run away because I feel like I do I have no way to reconcile what what I've been doing. It's been a weird word you said the last three years. Hey, man. Why was that dude just wearing a loincloth? That's all they wear. What? It's The Middle East, boo. It's got, like, six layers on. You get a you get a loincloth and a tunic. That's it.

Well, alright. You get two that's why that's why the the the suggestion that if, like, takes your tuna, give them your thing also, give them your tuna also. And you only got, like, two things with the clothes on. Your bustle out. Outer garment was at home with pillows underneath it, so his mom would think you'd be still sleeping. Yeah. He's I got you. That's the Sticking out with Jesus late night. Hey, man. I'm a go watch this thing go down. He he walked out. I don't have time to get dressed. He looked back at his pillow and cock. He's like, I am the greatest. Jesus will pick me. I'm heading out. I hope he goes. Taco truck. We

really do get that way messed up, like, like like and I think that's, that's one of the things that irritates me about my Sunday school upbringing. Right? It's like it was always black hat, white hat. You know? Like, Pharisees are bad. The guys in Job are bad. Israelites are stupid. They don't realize it. Blah blah blah. But, like, if you actually get back and look at it, the Israelites are you know, they actually show more faith than I do most of the time. Right. The Pharisees were just trying to make sure that they didn't cross a line. They cared enough about it to at least make some rules and try to keep them in force. Now they did miss Jesus and they did miss grace because they misplaced where their ultimate loyalties were. But, like, they set up a system where they're like, we wanna honor God. We're gonna get three fences away from that, so we can't even touch it. And then they made the mistake of worshiping that. That was their problem. But, otherwise, their initial intention of trying to follow God of of the Hebrews, I don't know. That's better than I do most of time. I'm just trying to follow the law. Yeah. Peter runs his mouth like a crazed fool, but, like, when it's time to get on the water You love Jesus. Yeah. He go on the water, and I'd be like, I don't know. Jesus, you know, you could make a bridge because you're God. Can you just get the mountains to move closer? Hey, man. Can you send one of those big fish? I've heard you send that before. Yeah. I know your MO. You do fish in Manhattan Bridges and Lots of fish, fish with money in their mouth. Let's work this out.

Jesus, you seem to be a god of fish. Just send me, like, a dolphin to ride or something like that. I don't know. Yeah. It's it's definitely not black hat, white hat. It's a it's a white hat and me. That's what it is. Alright. Wait. Do we do do we tie up the the your discussion?

What was my question? What do you do when God doesn't answer? Just think about how you're as bad as Peter. Pray on that for a while, and you'll forget what you were even asking for. I'm not that guy. Yes. I am. Well yes. Well, I mean, what's the what's the down and dirty? What do do when God doesn't answer?

I mean, most people panic first. Most people panic. And then, like, I think the first thing you should do is pray. Like, you gotta pray yourself out of the hole, you know. So like, I was having a spiritual attack of I said about two weeks ago.

Like, around the time you was asking me, like, I was going through it, but, I mean, I was, you know, still holding up, but I didn't understand the full what was really going on. So it's like I I I Jesus guided me to start looking stuff. Like, what's going on? You know? And I found out, like, I was under spiritual attack. So, you know, like, the first thing I did was panic.

You know? And then I got to reading and reading, and it's like, the first thing I sit and done was prayer. You know? And that's the only thing that can really help you. Yeah. Bubba, you had that experience. So you this is kinda the lines up with your pope style or quasi pope style. So

well, do you want me to do the pop star? Answer the question. Yeah. But it was a perfect segue, booba, and then you're like, should I do the pop star now? Hey, man. This is It was already set up. I mean, it was perfect. Like, we're running a legit program. Guys, we've done this for for years. When have I ever successfully landed on the other side of a good segment? All I'm gonna say is is, like, Ben said that, and I thought, we're gonna do it. We're gonna pull off a segue without being stupid or phony about it. And then here come Buba from left field. I was on the edge of my seat. Yeah. I'm back. Here's the deal. I'm back. Once again, let's set up expectations and realize that I'm not going to hit. Is it time for me to do my poop time? Alright. Congratulations, Ben, on a well put segue.

Shoot. I don't feel like it anymore. Next. Food and boobah for screwing up. Alright. One more thing. So within the last couple of months, something has has happened within my life where I've been connected with, a group of kids that are in, in a different country that are trying to get some stuff taken care of.

Because on that. That deaf part is just something that that's going on right now. She is joyous and she's incredible. And so an opportunity has arisen for her to be able to go to a school, for the deaf and blind that's in this country, and it's it was total long shot for her to be able to go to the school. It was, nothing was correctly aligned up from from a a worldly perspective. She didn't know what she needed to know. She didn't have everything she needed. She wasn't going to know what she needed to know. Didn't have the resources to go. And so it was a total God thing if she was gonna be able to go. It was completely him. And so I have been,

myself and then a a big group of people have been praying about that for a long time trying to figure this out, and see if if this was something that God was gonna lead us into and make happen. And so

it's been a couple months since that started, and, they actually have gone through a couple meetings that have given us a little bit more hope and and her being able to go to the school and getting involved in that. And it's so amazing. We're so excited. And then the, the final meeting was today, where they went and they spoke to headmaster of the school, and he loved her and loved, loved her personality, loved her smile, which I would be astonished if he didn't. And, the eventual answer was we don't have room for her.

So it had nothing to do with whether or not she was prepared. It had nothing to do with whether or not she had the resources. It was legitimately just the fact that she could not go to the school because they didn't have a room. And that was heartbreaking. I have, myself and a large group of people have cried and wept over this girl,

because we were so excited for what, what God could do for her. And this was one of the big things we're really working on and really hoping for. And I was told today that it didn't happen. And so for, realistically,

a minute, I sat there seething in anger. I mean, I haven't been that angry at God in a while. And

I'm very happy that it only happened for about a minute. And that's that's probably a personal best for me, because I was I was upset. I was mad. I was really mad because I'm like, here's the deal, God. You know, we've been praying about this. This is something you could do without even trying. This is something what they don't have enough room? Like, really? You're not strong enough to make it so that a school has room for this girl? You you don't have the power to do this? Are kidding me? And then maybe a minute later, I kinda just smacked myself up top inside the head and was like, yeah, that's the worst possible way you could take that.

You are, failing in your faith, and you are trying to put it as, your will is better and,

more correct than God's. And I don't think there's ever a biblical place where that's a good place to be, on the other side of God's will and and defying him from that perspective. And so I had to quickly deal with that, and quickly deal with the fact that, like, here's the deal. Just because

I had something, we all had something that we wanted God to do and he didn't, doesn't mean that he doesn't love her and us more than we could ever even imagine. That's that's the first thing I had to reestablish was just because he didn't do this does not mean he does not love her. Because he is her daddy, and he loves her more than I could even imagine. And I know that. And so I had to reestablish that perspective of this is not a lack of love. And I had to look at it from a worldly perspective of if God didn't want this to happen, was it the best thing? Was it the best timing?

Is there something better waiting? Because I wholeheartedly believe in a God that looks at our worldly plans and goes, hey, I love your heart and I love what you're thinking about doing, but I've got something better. I've got something more, important for them to do, or I've got something where this timing is not correct, or the school's just not right, or whatever that is. I wholeheartedly believe that God's bigger than that. God is big enough to to look at our plans and

say, hey, you know, I appreciate where you're going, but I've got something better or I've got something different. And so I had to take a step back and look at that as well. Just because we had an idea of what the best plan was, does not mean that it's true. It does not mean that it aligns up with God's will. So we have to be obedient to that. And so the third thing I had to run into was how am I gonna praise God for this? That was probably one of the toughest. Because I didn't really know. I didn't really know at first. You know, I I've I've heard the cliche, hey, you know, you gotta praise God through your storms, and you gotta praise God through everything bad that happens and realize that he's still, your eternal God, and he's still the one who who's in control of everything. How do you take a step back and, like, you really praise him for that? And so I kinda just started listening to some worship music.

And I started praying, God, I'm I'm not I'm trying not to be angry about this. I'm trying not to be upset because I know that you're her father, and you love her, and you will take care of her. I know you will. My heart's not in the right place, and I need you to get it there.

And I started singing, and I started praying. I started praising God, and I was talking to the person that that's my contact there, and just started talking about the fact that, like, this is just possibly something that, you know, isn't the best thing for her, which means something better is coming.

Luckily for me, I was able to go through all of that within a couple of minutes, which is definitely not the case for a lot of people, and which is definitely not the case for me most of the time. But for the sake of I didn't wanna waste any time angry at god when I could very easily be praying about what's the next best thing for and how is he gonna make this even better and

even more perfect along with his will and his plan. And I didn't wanna waste any time that I could have been praising him and more excited for her for something bigger. It it was it was interesting to be able to take a step back and look at all of that and objectively break it down from what is my, what is my problem with this and how am I gonna get over it.

And I don't think it's gonna be that easy for everybody, and it may not be those three steps. You know, I'm not trying to give you a three step process to getting over hurt from God for not doing something you wanted him to do, but that certainly will work for me. And and it's definitely something that maybe not from like a corporate perspective of breaking it down as my process, but looking at it as how I can do that for when I know I'll get an answer that I won't like again. And so

my pope style advice to you is not follow my list, because I don't care what you follow. But you've got to realize that if God doesn't do something aligned with what you wanted, it does not mean he does not love you,

or it does not mean that he's not a good father. It does not mean that he's upset at you or take anything out of you. You have to realize that's not a personal thing against you. God is love. And that's a lot of times means he's not gonna give us something that we want. We need to realize that he's not a genie. He is not

a parent to spoil children that he's just gonna give us everything we want. He's gonna love us and care for us and give us what we need. And then you do really have to break it down from the perspective of realizing that that God is still the God of the universe that is your Lord. He's your king, and you do,

have to find yourself in a place for your praise in him. It may not happen immediately. It may not be easy by any means, but God deserves praise. Like, that's simple what it is. He deserves our praise no matter what situation we're in. Get yourself there, and it's not gonna be easy.

It's not always gonna be easy. Yeah. I think that's I think that's it's tough to be to to to desire right things. Right? Mhmm. Like like, there there are things that that I think we as humans, as part of being in the image and likeness likeness of God, that we have that are innate. We have a sense of

a desire for justice. We have a bent towards mercy. We have of this communal desire to to share things with others. Like, as we as we see God work in our lives, we wanna share that with other people and like there's there's certain worldly ways in which we want that expressed. And so, like, those desires are not implicitly bad things, but like, Boob is Boob is right. Like, where we run into risk

is where the our perspective gets skewed and as opposed to recognizing that these things that we feel or desire are part of kind of a reflection of how God has otherwise interacted with us. And then we think we've got a better handle than God himself does. You know, perhaps I love better than God loves. Perhaps I have a better sense of justice

than God has. Perhaps he he's not paying attention the way that I do. Right? And so, like, we don't intend to think it that way, but that's really what we're saying is that, like, if I were God, I would have done this differently. And that the very fact that it got done differently validates that you should not be God. Because, obviously, God has made the right choice here and you have not. And it doesn't mean that it's not something that God doesn't might not weep over. Right? Or that he doesn't have a reaction to. And it doesn't always like, the truth was hard is it doesn't always

end up in something that he's got something better, by our standard of better. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like like, we I can't reasonably say that. That anybody's death when you've been praying for a healing or we've been praying for impoverished children or, like, whatever is bigger or larger circumstances than that,

it doesn't always be like, oh, well, something better is coming. Maybe it's not. But still, God is good. Still, he loves better than I love. He knows better than I know. And and that's why our

it's it's weird. We'll, like, we'll fight to make sure people know that we don't have a workspace righteousness, that it is it is because of our relationship with Jesus and what Jesus has done that changes our state. But then when confronted with a reality that says, can I trust in who God is as opposed to the validation of what he's done in my own eyes? That and that's where we start that's what we start doing. We say, well, God, if you don't do this, I'm gonna be pissed. Or you're maybe you're not a good God if you don't do the things that I think are good. And, like, that violates basic premises, things that we obviously understand about if I was perfect, then I would be qualified to be God. But because I'm not, certainly, God will do things differently than I would. Otherwise, that would validate me as a deity. See, I I feel like that's actually better

than most of Christianity. It is even the fact that you were upset. Right? Like, here's what I see most of the time. I see I see prayers prayers for things, and then when it doesn't happen, they go, okay. That's okay.

You know what I'm saying? Like, the reaction the the reason that you're upset is because you wholeheartedly believe that God could have done something, and he chose not to. Mhmm. Right? Where I I think actually the the the much bigger problem is most people will pray for things, and this is me included, will pray for things, and then when it doesn't happen, I'm like, yeah. Okay. No big deal. Like, I didn't think God was actually gonna do anything in the first place. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I'm not saying that it's it's a it's a feather in anybody's cap to be, angry at God, but, like, if if the thing that you were praying for and your knee jerk reaction is to be, why didn't you do that? Right? That means you had enough faith in him that he that he could have done it in the first place, which I think actually a lot more people don't have. Now, you're right. You gotta get over that chest. Right? You're you're you're a fool. Right? But, like, no one gets mad at somebody that is not capable of doing it anyway. I don't look at my dog and say, hey. Thought I told you, paid a mortgage. You know what I'm saying? And then boo to him and be like, I've had enough of this. But, like, I will look at my wife the same way and say, hey, man. We were supposed to pay the mortgage. I'm a little upset because you're fully capable of doing it, and you did not. Being mad at the dog, not reasonable.

Wife, capable, reasonable. Right? This also shows our very small perspective, though. We weep over the story of one little girl because you have some emotional investment, and you've been praying, and, like, you know that girl. She's she's across the globe. Right? And you know enough about that girl. I think I really care about this girl, and I really want what's best for her. God,

however, knows the story of all the other little girls that are in that school already, you know, that we don't know. We don't know their names. We don't know their story. We don't know how he got them there. Mhmm. We don't know. You know? So which one of them needs to go out so that she can come in? You you you know? And and that's just the perspective. The the emotions are raw, and they're real, and and he knows that and he he appreciates that, I think. But it also shows our lack of perspective that and maybe that's why we do say, well, okay, because god

with me anyway, when when god says no or or or god says that, you know, I'm just not going to do this, it it's I know he has a bigger perspective. And and I don't get it. I don't like it. Right. I hurt. I weep. I I I groan inwardly, but I still know he did what was right. Mhmm. Yeah. So you just kinda go, okay. And and and you'll still continue praying. Yeah. And who knows? Because he can still or something. But

it's just the bigger perspective that that I was thinking I had thinking through the whole thing. I think, well, all those little girls, boys, whoever's in this school Yeah. Have a story too. And I don't know what that is. Right. Yeah. I think one of the most hardest things that we gotta understand and hopefully should live by is being comfortable with being stretched. You know, like, god stretches us

in wide length. So, you know, like like Dan said, like, you never know the situation with the other girls. And then you gotta always believe because god can change things in the blink of an eye. Right. Like, he can that can happen today. And then tomorrow, they can be like, well, we found the house to come live at and, you know, like, a school and everything. Like, it's just, you know, like, not really giving up on god, but, you know, like, but you did the right thing by, you know, changing the way you thought. And, you know, you had that fence set up, like, okay, you listen to the music and, you know, that's kinda what I do. You know, like, if I feel uncomfortable with the situation and I know, like, the world is taking over, like, I I do things to put my man back on track. Like Mhmm. And that's one of the things that I woulda did was, you know, put in some nice little tunes and let that kick in and, you know, calm down

and just, you know, just get comfortable with being stretched. Yeah. Absolutely. Alright. Let's move with Pope style advice. I'm pro angry. Was so would I don't know. David seemed to be. Right? Like, I mean, if you look if you look at the expression in a lot of that, it's it's dealing with God

kind of on the terms, Mike, that you're talking about. Yeah. I listen. I I get it. I know that's a real hard line to toe. You know what I'm saying? I'm not and and and, like because that can very easily be prideful anger. But there's there's just I don't I mean, God had had full option to make you a mindless drone and do not. You know what saying? For all the all the parts of his character that are wrapped up in that, God you know, when Christ weeps for things, he weeps for things. And, like Right. There's part of his ingrained character within people where you weep for the for for other people. And, like, I don't see how logically it's it's not okay to say you could have done something and you didn't. And I'm disappointed and I'm maybe I'm not pissed at you, but I am pissed. You know I'm saying? Absolutely. All that seems reasonable to me because God God had totally option to not give you that and he gave it to you. And I I and and and you're right. The the the thing that I I think I would have a harder time with is what you're saying is, like, it's it's it's praising your way back out of that. I know people say that. I know and I'm I'm not saying it's a bad thing. But like sometimes I think we settle for phony. You know what I'm saying? We're like, I mean, if you if you angry and hurting, I'd be there until you ain't. You know I'm saying? And you can pray your way out of that. And the Holy Spirit is absolutely there to help you through that. Mhmm. And and and and, of course, you know, worship music is is it's always solid, but, like, sometimes I catch people hiding in there, hiding in that worship music like it done changed something. And your mind is still your heart is exactly where it was, and you phonied your way out of that, and then you're secretly still mad at God. You do that for a couple years, you're gonna find yourself not in relationship with God. Right. You know I'm saying? You gotta deal with that stuff. I'm not saying this is you, bubba. I understand. Like like, you gotta do that stuff honestly. Right? Like, there's no reason to religionize your way out of that thing. You deal with the creator. You deal with the holy spirit. If you're mad, you say, look. I'm mad. And I love you, and I know you're good, but I'm mad. I'm mad right now. Mhmm. And that's okay. That is that is okay because that is your option. There have been times that I've gone gotten in scream fits

with with with God before. Oh, boo. I'm sorry. That's wrong. Yeah. Every everybody that's wrong. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Yeah. Like I mean, we're talking about regular normal behavior, and you're, off the rails. Well, and what I'm saying is I've I've been in a place before where I've, like, gotten to my knees screaming, punching stuff because I was so mad at God. And that is the kind of anger that I was not Right on. Right with.

Like, I was I was, not to not to get the whole story, like, in front of front of Mercy Hospital one point in time, I was on my knees cursing God, screaming, like, cussing up a storm at him, all this different stuff, saying I didn't believe in him. He was useless, worthless, and all this different stuff. That is where I've been before. Sure. And I'm very glad that this was yeah. This was a different kind of anger that I was in. Because it was you're absolutely right. It was I you could fix her entirely if you wanted to. Could make it to where she wouldn't even need to go to the school if you wanted to. And and what I was asking for was her to go to the school, and you didn't. And but that's why within, you know, a minute, was out because I was just like, you know what? That's that's real. That is exactly how I feel right now, but he's still right. Right on.

Yeah. That's all. I think you could be mad as long as you have as long as you have the right perspective. Right? It's okay to have your your feelings and be disappointed. Mhmm. And, yeah, I think that's completely healthy. Because like I said You can't fake it with God. It's not like you could be mad and say, well, God, thank you. And you're, like, boiling on the inside. He's like, well, he snowed me. Exactly. What what are you gaining by phoning it in? That's exactly right, Dan. Yeah. God has Yeah. God has has thrown my anger back in my face before and and laughed at me in a good way. Not in, like, in a you silly little Not the way we laugh at you. Exactly. Not the way you guys laugh at me. But, like, he's he's made a mockery of my anger before, and it it's it's done nothing but made it more constructive when I when I feel that way about something.

When I'm able to get to that point where I'm so emotionally invested in something that I want him to do or his people or something like that where I can get that anger back, but it's for the perspective of, like, I really wanted something to happen for his children or I wanted something to happen within my life. Yeah. He's taken he's taken the other part of that anger and just thrown it back in my face and said, you puny little man. Like, you think you are tough and you are strong and you are powerful, but you are nothing. You are absolutely nothing and your anger does not scare me.

You've been listening to Life From The Path. Hey. I think for hanging with us so far tonight. Hey. I just wanna let you know the the new light 45 video is out for steeped. They they were talking about it on the show where they went down to Florida and stuff. And I I I was here. I was at work. Right? So I don't have the volume up. But, like, they're trapped in something. And then they break out and do some some jamming in the barn. You gotta watch the whole video. I don't wanna spoil it for you, but critter is trapped in a box. Yeah. What?

Yeah. Yeah. Anyway Was he hit by some woman in a pancake house? No. He's in a pallet. Okay. In a pallet box. Shanty pallet box. Yeah. Anyway, go go check that out. Go to if you go to the Light forty five Facebook page, they got uploaded there. You can take a a watch of it. And, anyway, those guys are just really excited to see what they were doing. Actually, when they after they left here the following week, they were playing on the their local news, like, CBS station or something. And then they're still they're still within the top five on the the Christian Christian Rock Billboard charts. Five Christian Rock. I mean, that's uptown. That's crazy. That's uptown living. Yeah. Yeah. That yeah. Those guys, I'm excited for what they got going on. So go support them. Go to light45.com,

and go find their Facebook page. You can watch take a look at that new video. And of course, we've got the the acoustic performances from the show that are sitting out on our website at livefromthepath.org. Hey, man. The acoustic performance of the maze is it's it's it's excellent. Stellar. I mean, all the songs I did that night were good, but like, I mean, The Maze is just it was really, really good. Yeah. Okay. Dear life from the past, forty five years ago, I had a mistress. Oh, Nakaresi, you don't like that? No. That ain't the way to live. My wife knew about her. Both of our spouses have now passed.

I have found her address on the Internet and I'm debating if I should contact her. What do you think? Unsure in Iowa. I'm sorry. I I found her address. Yeah. That's creepy. No matter what you do, no. I just Google searched mistresses I used to have. And this came up. I looked back at my mistress file. I don't know. What why not? Yeah. I mean, I they've had spouses have passed away.

Still creepy. Well I don't know. I'm not saying, like, I'm not against it from the perspective of, like, hey, you were married and all that different stuff. I'm just against it because it's a creepy deal. Here yeah. Here's here's why this is no good. This woman has caused you to throw away what you swore was important to you already once. Oh. Good point. Right? You cannot be trusted with this woman.

That's it. That's why I think it's a problem. I I mean, if it's all if you're talking about technicalities and and on a divorce slash widow level of what as far as the God's law is concerned, I yeah. I I don't know. I suppose you're fine. You know? I I I I I don't know. That's a real odd oddball situation. But as far as I can see,

you chose to be a certain kind of man. This lady come along, you abandoned that man, and then had to revert back to where you came from. I don't think How many years earlier? I I mean, which is Forty five years ago. Forty five years. There's a chance that someone changed within forty five years. No. Yeah. I mean, there's possibility this gal has changed, and he's changed. Okay. Tell me this. The man has changed. As soon as his wife dies, he's googling his mistress. He is still looking Does this sound like a high quality immunity? Formed. He said since then, both our spouses have passed. Because of he said three months? Yeah. But rat poison involved. He's been waiting for her spouse to die. Yeah. How does keeping up on the obituaries? Actually, yeah. How does he know that? How does he know haven't been in contact. Okay. That's a good point. How many mistresses do you keep up on for forty five years? He's fired on it on Facebook. Ugh. Yeah. Technology,

he coulda just ran across it. Googled, like you say, like You don't just run across it. You intentionally hunt it down. Here's the deal, boys. We're not gonna have a bunch of discussion on this. This we're doing a straight yay or nay vote. Okay. Okay. I'm going with nay. I think this is a bad idea. Nick Harris. Bad idea. Nick Harris, nay. Moova. Nay. Go for it, man. Dan's a Knew it. He's a solid positive.

Yes. Someone that has trade and wrecked your life before, invite them in. What can it hurt forty five years later? They're probably in their sixties. Are you saying that people aren't very dangerous in their sixties, Dan? Because it's slowly approaching.

Maybe seventies, probably. Don't know. Here is a secular's advice. Because you are both now unencumbered, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. It's the worst way to in common and a lot of shared history. Now now now just understand

Love Dave Hood. Exciting this time around. It was naughty before, that's what made it exciting to you. And and that was bad, and and hopefully, you've changed. Just understand you're getting into a real relationship now. I don't know how you're for this, Dave. This seems like such a terrible idea. Hey, man. No longer encumbered is the grossest way to put that. Does that mean when you're Doesn't there just seem something sleazy about you or the lady that I cheated on my wife with? As soon as my wife dies, we get together. That seems wrong. It it just seemed wrong

in my in my gut and my left toe. It hurts me. Hey, man. My left toes are tingling. That's okay. Alright. Here we go. Next one. Oh, boy. Dear oh, this has to do with with

oh, anyway. Dear life from the past. Are well into we are well into school summer vacation, filled with days by the pool, trips to the zoo, and plenty of time for kids to goof off around the house. This extended leisure time for the kiddos may be a good time to remind parents to be thoughtful about what they post on the social media. Great and open letter to everybody. Go ahead. Some basics why I'm great. When your child accidentally dumps all the sunscreen from your beach bag onto the car floor, you do not have to post a picture of a regretful crying toddler to prove that he really did it this time. When your child falls off her bike and gets a big great big scrape on her forearm, you do not have to post a picture of the scrape for the world to see. When your child is running through the backyard sprinkler without clothes on, you do not have to post a picture to let us know. Live from the path, please encourage your readers to have and listeners to have a memorable, safe, and exciting summer, but to keep those photos to themselves. Sincerely, someone who cares way too much about what other people post on social media. Dear person I don't like. Why don't you mind your own business? I was gonna say it's gonna be a quick one. You have misunderstood social media completely.

How dare you post something that means something to you and not me? Yeah. It's not called what greglikes.com. It's called stuff everybody likes to put on about the family. Now I I agree with the naked baby stuff. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like,

yeah, I I just wouldn't do it. I just wouldn't do it. There's crazy creepos on the net. It just ain't worth it. It's it's I don't care how cute it is. Keep that to yourself. Show it to your sisters. Hey, man. Spilling all the stuff on the floor, though, that's funny. Yeah. That is funny. I mean, are they worried that you're shaming a young child? It sounds like it. Because if your child is that young, he shouldn't be on social media anyway. Greg. I don't like Greg. I think Greg is thinks very highly of his own opinion. This is an odd letter. Anybody wanna support Greg?

Nope. Nope. No. Straight straight zeros for Greg. Okay. Let's hear your secular response to to this amalgamate of greatness. Dear

Greg, we'll call him. You obviously don't want the children put at risk or shamed. Some people feel a compulsion to record everything a kid does for the world to see because their child is so special and unique. Unfortunately, we seem to have reached a point in our culture that nothing is private anymore. I'll print your suggestion to parents, but while I applaud your wanting to protect their children, it's their job. If the photos bother you, ignore them and scrolling. I agree entirely with the last part. I don't understand what she said though. She said

well, about the protecting the children. Read that part again. Let's see. It says I'll print your suggestion to parents, but while I applaud your wanting to protect their children, it's their job. Oh, it's their job. You're you're highlighting it differently. Oh, it's their job. It's their job. You're saying it's their job. This is their job. That's what we're supposed to say. See, if I did more supplemental reading, this would be better. Yeah. That's right. Where is your supplemental reading at, Mike? Pay attention to your old kids, mate.

Here we go. Dear life from the path, we are a family of six children. Our elderly mother lives with us each of us three to ten months of time. What? What? Okay. Hold on. Our elderly mother lives with each of us three to ten months of So they're all adult children. We've to surround our mom. Dad's picking it up. That's a wide disparity of time. Go ahead. Out of the six of us, only one is a homemaker who has the room and ideal setting for her to live comfortably. Oh, what's this? Oh, no. However, she refuses to have mom permanently. The rest of us have jobs that don't allow us to be with her during the day, yet we all agreed that putting mom in a nursing home would be out of the question. If I didn't have to work, I'd take care of her permanently myself. Oh, yeah. I bet. Admit that she can be difficult to live with. She can cut you down, insist insist you do all kinds of errands, and is suspicious about someone taking her money. Mhmm. I don't know what to do. Keep passing her up. I've an idea. I've done

my obligatory four months with Ma. You take her. Yeah. Don't don't worry. She'll be dead soon enough. You can get on with your life. Hey, man. Yeah. You guys are gonna bicker about keeping her for three to ten months at a time. Why is a nursing home out of the question? So I was having this conversation with somebody the other day. Like, you know, when you're a kid and and you you're around adults and, like, up until a certain age, you're just like, whatever they say is solid. You're like, yeah. That sounds good. Mhmm. Yeah, that sounds good. And then let's say, you know, ten years later, you haven't seen them in a while, you you run into just like your uncle or your cousin or something. And then and they say stuff, you're like, you know what? I don't agree with you anymore. The stuff that you're saying sounds stupid. You know?

Sometimes, while you can respect and honor your mother and father, she's an old lady, and you're a grown man. So when she cut you down, you gotta be like, that's not true for me right now, ma. It doesn't matter what you say about me. I know I'm not a bum. Everything's fine. You know what I'm saying? Like, I I just there's a there's there's a place to honor your mother, but if, like, if you're still letting her chides and and disparaging comments control you as an adult, you'd somewhere, would you? My mama has a lot of emotional power over me. Yeah. Yeah. And and and and the the weird part is when you're like, hey.

If I were a stay at home dude, I would watch mom all the time. No. You would not. You would. You sound terrible. You are purposely not a stay at home man, because you don't want that to happen. You're very obvious in your in your very sheer sheet of ghost that you're wearing. Well, I I hate to disappoint this family, but their their mom is showing some early signs of dementia, and they're gonna be carrying a lot more more for her soon. You think the cutting down is a part of a dementia? I think the accusing people of stealing things is. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That sounds right. Really, they they should be really taking care of mom, you know? Yeah. Because I mean, think about all the sacrifices mom made, you know? 12:00 at night changing diapers, like, people don't remember these Call calling me an idiot when I was three months old. Yeah. A pizza diaper, you idiot. Pickers on that stuff spilled in the car.

You're trying to hide all my money in that diaper. I know it. Yeah. Video of me naked running to the backyard, printing it on Facebook. Okay. Let's see what Secular has to say. Wait. He says the question was basically, I don't know what to do. Everyone's advice is keep on keeping on. Suck it up, big boy. Yeah. You can't just like, the crux of the problem is that they're saying, hey. There's a homemaker, someone who whose family is made it so that this woman could stay home.

And your reaction is to say, well, she should then be responsible for my for the mother all the time. Right. Mhmm. No. That is the wrong you've come to the wrong conclusion. Okay. Secular says, has your mother always been this way? If so, then perhaps it's time for another family meeting. To expect one sister to shoulder the entire burden of taking in a demanding, suspicious parent is unfair to her. If there have been changes in your mother's personality, consider having her being neurologically evaluated

to see if there is something wrong with her. I read that right. A geriatric psychic psychiatrist could give you some helpful input regardless of whether she's ill and help you decide upon a workable permanent living situation for her. I I don't think there's a permanent living situation for her. I I think round robin's probably the best way to go. It sounds like you know I'm saying? If you can only take so much of you know, every three, four months Yeah. Mom be shipping on. Three to ten months at a time means one of the one of these siblings has a lot of patients, and a couple of them have no patients. Yeah. Yeah. One's a mom, she's out. Out of six kids, there's usually one that's kinda like the lovely one, the homemaker, the family, keep the family together person. And that person ain't even stepping forward and be like, she can live with me. I mean, there's gotta be something going on there. Right? Yep. Okay. Let's do one more. Yep.

Dear life from the path. Uh-oh. No. No. We're not reading that one. That's too much. Not reading that one. Nope. Not reading that one either. The first one had to do with two fellows who whose relationship's on the rocks because they're having career difficulties. Like, one person wants to go get a job over here and gets a job over here.

The other one's something about grandma cooking cake. It didn't make any sense. Here we go. Dead eye for the past. We do best with old people. I recently retired, but I haven't told anyone. Yes. I love this guy. I receive widow's benefits, so I'm comfortable financially. I like my privacy and I'm afraid things will change if I tell people about my retirement. My father is dying of cancer. My best friend says if I were her sister, she'd be mad at me. My sister lives a mile away and I don't want her dropping in on me. If she knew, she'd include me in everything she does. I feel this is my life and I want to enjoy it alone for the most part. Am I wrong? Am I hurting anyone? I was widowed twenty years ago and I've had no serious relationship since. You should look up your ex flings. You have any ex mistress? I'm independent, attractive, and have joined a few dating sex. Did Jesus say attractive?

But I am picky, and I have not met a man who attracts me. Holding it in. This is wonderful. I'm 66 in good health and look younger. Yes. Am I being selfish? Do you have any advice for me? What the heck was all that extraneous information for? Yeah. Why did she tell us her dad has cancer? Why do we care if she's pretty or has been on dating sites? The question is younger. You retired. You don't wanna tell people. Is that wrong? But you are also apparently have a dad who's not not well. You're super hot. We're 66. You

have big money. Understand any of this stuff. Here's my suggestion. Alright? She needs to let people know she retired because she's obviously spending too much time at home alone. Staring in the mirror. Yeah. Exactly. She she's she's she's confused. Oh, Angela, you look great. Yeah. She needs to get out and have a life and and let people enjoy it with her. I I this is this always amazes me when people write in with these questions like, I'm telling a lie right now. Should I keep up on that lie? Or just tell the truth because the truth seems hard. But she's not even lying. She's just not saying. Hey, man. I love everything about me. Am I full of myself? You're lie for the past?

Yeah. It's but it is a lie. Like, isn't a lie by what what's that called? Omission? Yeah. You're just not bringing it up because I don't want my sister dropping by. Why don't you just say, hey, sis. Don't drop by. Yeah. I'm retired. As long as she doesn't ask the specific question of, have you retired yet? I don't have to lie to her. Yeah. Right. Right. I mean, I'm not you know, I didn't I haven't walked around this morning saying, hey. I had Cheerios for breakfast. Doesn't mean, you know, I did. But Yeah. But So I'm not lying. Well, Dan, I don't know. I feel I feel like not telling someone what you had for breakfast and not explaining to your family. You're you're like that. Just something huge has happened in your life. Yeah. Dan's gonna win this one because I'm not very smart, but there's something very fishy about what you're saying, Dan. About the about the Cheerios and the and the retiring secretly. There's that something on them. It ain't right. It just seemed like she's selfish. Like, she don't really wanna help anyone Yeah. But herself. She wants to be a loner. She wants to just kinda yeah. Mean Yeah. That's not she's she's weird. She's willing to say, I'm not gonna tell my family and friends that I'm retired for the sake that I wanna spend time on my own. But she is not willing to say it and then just tell them, hey. I'd like to spend time on my own. She's taking the lazy way out. She doesn't wanna bother with her dad who's who's dying. She wants to let her family take care of that. Yeah. She she's trying to take the lazy way out because she wants to spend no time with people, but she doesn't wanna have to con inconvenience herself by explaining to them that she does not wanna spend time with her. She's got a lot of cats. Tell your family that you retired, and then deal with the backlash of, hey. Haven't why haven't you told us we'd like to spend time with you? And then just tell them, well, I don't wanna spend time with you if you wanna be that angry, old, apparently good looking 66 year old commercial budget. Yeah. Yeah. She's gonna have to face it sooner or later. I mean, at some point Yeah. Nine eighty one, are you still working? Oh, no. No. I actually retired thirty years ago. See when I was hot. I thought I was a licker. This is the thing that irritates me the most. It's like

it it it's proven that, like, your words mean absolutely nothing. Like, your actions mean something. Right? And so this this always drives me crazy when people are like, this is what I wanna do. This is what I wanna be. This is the things I wanna accomplish. And you've made no actions to step that way. So, like, let let's say you really mean it, that that you you're retiring and you don't want a bunch of people dropping by. Retire, tell everybody, and then say, don't want you coming over here. In the meantime, you buy a taser. And when they come over, you taser. Yeah. Taser? Do you know why? Because your actions speak louder than your words. People are like, I don't want you coming over. Sounds like, please come over. But when you come over and tase people, they know you mean business. Get yourself a cattle prod and get them off your lawn. That's right. Now Right. When I say I don't want you dropping by here, I don't want you dropping by here, aka taser. Booby trap your whole house just in case they get in. I know. The fact that people don't know she's retired says she has no real relationships relationships anyway. Anyway.

I mean, how do you not know? Right? Yeah. Yeah. Chuck goes to work every day, and then Chuck no longer goes to work every day. Oh, yeah. Hey. I drove past your house at, like, 11:30, and your car was still there. Not working today? Oh, no. No. Just sick. Not today. You think she's you think she's keeping up the roofs, like, driving off at 07:30 in the morning? Sandy, I'm 66. I can work from home. She's, like, sitting at the Waffle House for eight hours and then driving home? I really hope no one notices that I'm not at work. You're working. Alright. Segular's advice to round out tonight. Segular says, if your sister has shoulder the responsibility of caring for your dying father by herself,

thinking you are too busy working to help, then she would have every reason to be very angry. Get it. True. Even if that's even if that's not the case, her feelings will be hurt when she finds out and she will that you're avoiding her. If she didn't love you, she wouldn't want to include you in her life. All you need to do is say no to her invitation if the activity isn't your cup of tea. And surely, you can find a tactful way to ask any drop in visitor to make plans with you ahead of time instead of dropping in. Taser. Taser. You say you want to enjoy your life alone for the most part, but you have joined dating sites. In this life, people have to give in order to get. It may be the attitude you're projecting that's keeping you from beating bid on those dating sites. And yes, I think you are selfish.

Yes. That is the, like, the harshest seculars ever been. Yeah. Yeah. Dear dear Greg, you're a boob. Stop it. You were listening to Live From The Path. Thanks for hanging out with us this week. You can catch past clips from the show at livefromthepath.org,

including those aforementioned music videos from Light forty five, and and a special section of website devoted entirely to Nick's Corner. Friendly bits of advice and discussion from Nick Harris. We've not really populated any content, but we're gonna work on it.

I fell in love. I fell in love. And, actually, so we'll be back with you next week. And, actually, we got a band I was gonna say who's coming in? I think Michael Rebans in next week, and I think Brett Reisley's in. And so, hey, it should be a great show next week. Well, we may even do it live. We'll see if I can work out a technical problem. In the meantime, be faithful to the means. God will handle the end. You've been listening to Live From The Path.