Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from the path.

Am working May. Get things done. Work for the holy ghost. Work for the sun. I am working May. Nice to be with you here on this Monday. Here's the deal. I failed to keep my promise. Remember at the start of the year, I said, hey, man. We we didn't make 52 episodes, and I and I was supposed to make them up for Pete, and I didn't do it. And I thought to myself, no. We're gonna do better. Right? We're gonna be just fine. And sure enough,

I'm not even sure that I posted the second episode of the year, and then we we were gone for two weeks. Yeah. So I mean, like, instant instant fail. Yeah. It was it was I I have good well, the weather was bad one night, and then what was it? Oh, I was out of town. Out of town? Hey, man. I I see I'm not used to this. Mike Mike Mike, you're more used to this than I am, but, like, my work has been taking me out of town and I hate it. It's brutal. I used to like it. I used to like, oh, gonna be in a hotel. Oh, gonna eat at a fast food restaurant. And I was there for four days, and I got to day three and I'm like, this sucks. I want my own pillow. I will eat I will eat whatever salad or thing that my wife is making that'd be fantastic right about now, and I wanna go home. Yeah. This is is how they suck you in. Right? They tell you sales stuff like, hey. You know, you might have to travel every once every once in while, and your brain thinks, yeah, that sounds cool. Yeah. Know a hotel. You don't gotta clean up a movie star life. Yeah. That's cool. I can go out to eat. That's gonna be awesome. You know, like, you got your whole life planned. You're like, oh, 15% travel. That don't sound like too much. That that'll be cool. You know? And then you start doing it, and you're like, boy, I really hate this. I mean, I hate everything about it. And then all of a sudden, you get started getting picky, and then your hotels are crappy, and you're like, I don't want any McDonald's no more. I don't even wanna go down to the Texas Roadhouse because then you gotta go in there and you gotta sit down and you gotta wait for the food. Like you like people. Yeah. You're like, hey. You know? And then if you're especially if you're working out of town by yourself, now you're eating all by yourself in a restaurant full of people, and you're like, you know, how hurried it is to just get this thing to go and I'll eat it watching, you know, the the the junker reruns on the A and E, you know, where they go where the storage wars, you know. And it's it's just terrible. It really is. So, like, the third night I was there, it was the night before I was gonna leave, and, I was at a I was at a Hyatt. And like this it's like a business Hyatt. So like no one uses the pool that's there but they got a, you know, they they got a pool and they got a

hot tub. And I think to myself, man, I I should go sit in that hot tub. No. And so I put I put my shorts on, I go straight in and of course, the are off because no one's been in there for ten hours. And so I walk in and I I'm sitting in the hot tub but I couldn't have been more than forty five seconds and I thought, I feel ridiculous. You are a lone man in a hot tub. Just sitting in a hot tub, you know, I turn A bunch of lonely businessmen watching. Well, you know what the scary part would be is there's a bunch of dudes walking by, they're like, look at that lone wolf. Alright. There's a guy in there. I'm going in too. Oh, my hoses. Let's do this. That's what was deathly afraid of that. I thought someone's gonna come in here and I thought I'm gonna have to awkwardly get up and leave right away. Oh, no. But but then, like, I I just I felt it felt elitist and wrong because I get in there and then, like, I have to turn on the bubbles and then, like, what's going on my mind is these bubbles are just for me. They are tailored to my preference. This is stupid and, there's no my kids aren't here swimming in the pool, like, whenever you're right, Mike. You go out to eat and, like, I'd like to share it with my wife and be like, oh, good. Hey, look at all these places we eat. But no, I'm just like, oh, hey, I got the salmon burger. What did you oh, there's no one else here. You know what? Like, it's a it's a terrible dichotomy. Right? Because, like, my when I have to go out of town, my work gives me, like, x number of dollars per meal or whatever. Right? And so when I started this job, I mean, we were, you know, we were just a young family growing out, so we didn't have much money. And so I was eating like a king when I was out. So, like, I I'd go out and and you know, for dinner and and and they'd say, look, you can spend up to, like, $25. I'm like, well, no. That's a nice dinner for a dude. Right? With $25,

you know? And so, like, I'm like Go to the lobster buffet? Yeah. Give give me a steak and a potato and some soda then, I guess. You know? And then I'd call home, like, how was you guys tonight? Well, we had ramen and chicken. I'm like, well, well, yeah, I didn't. You know? So you feel like a big schmuck. You know? So the next day, I'm toting it way down. I'm like, I don't care. This company ain't gonna own me. I'm gonna eat ramen and chicken like my family. I ain't being some highfalutin' dude out of town. And then the worst part this is this is the true story of what happens when you when you take a job that takes you out of town a lot. It's it's sooner or later, your house starts to run without you. Right? And so you have to and it it it has to happen. It has to happen. Right? And it's it's not anything offensive to you. You know? But, like, when you go out of town for four or five days at a time and then it starts happening, you know, every six weeks or something, sooner or later, the house starts to run without you. Someone else feeds the dog. Someone else takes the garbage out. Someone else tucks your kids in bed at night, hopefully your wife and not some

Uncle Joni's here. Wait a minute. But, like, I hired a guy named Randy. But you get Randy from Craigslist. Randy. I need a I need a a a bed tucker. Aw. So you get I'm Ian.

So you get home you get home on that Friday or whatever and you're like, this house ran without me. Like like it it You're like a stranger. They're looking at you like, we don't do that, dad. And you don't actually know your place. That's not where the cereal goes, dad. That's right. It's brutal. Like, it it's and it's really hard to get used to and like it it's it's hate everything about it. By the way, we drink soy milk now. Yeah. Actually, that that happens at my house all the time. I was gonna say, I I'm a 100 certain that's exactly Yeah. They're like, well, Grace has stopped drinking milk now. She's off dairy. We've put we put her on rice milk or something. I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. Oh, I did? You know? And I think this happened because I was gone or just or it just happened to happen while I was gone. Want rice milk. Hey, man. Here's the deal. Like, I think that might just be a married dude thing because I love traveling. Like, traveling forward is one of my favorite things to do. I would go everywhere, and I'd have so much Actually, it was in a while. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, well, so well, last year, I was gone for, four months out of the year altogether because it was it was almost a a little bit of over a month at a time. I loved it. I thought it was amazing. And I I was the dude in the hot tub, and I thought it was great.

Yeah. But see, you had as much marital interaction away as you do at home. That's what I'm saying. I think it it might just be So that's probably a married man problem because, like, I loved it. I had so much fun eating out all the time. Like, I loved going to restaurants, and I rented I think you know what the funny thing is? I'm so used to driving beater, awful vehicles that I think my favorite thing was renting cars Yeah. And finally feeling what it was like to drive in a nice vehicle for a extended period of time. That's true. Six beds passes, you're out like, I hope this doesn't break. You know what? I'm in a rental. Exactly. Right? Like, I'm sitting there thinking if it does. Do I need to worry about something snapping? Like, my tire's gonna explode or my brakes gonna give up? No, man. I'm in a rental vehicle. This is living life. We started doing that for vacation. We'll we'll rent a vehicle now just because it it kinda adds to cost, but it's like, you know what? It's a new vehicle. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good point. It's not it's it does add to the cost, but, like, relatively speaking, it really ups the game. It does. It does. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Going somewhere in March, and it's like I already got my vehicle picked out. Alright. If I weren't trying to figure out how finances work loving Jesus, I'd rent one every Tuesday. Oh. Just drive around the day feeling good in a nice vehicle and then go back. Do that one. Go back. Mustang convertible, and I drove to Davenport.

That was a nice day. And it was like $40. I mean, really wasn't much. Yeah. Right. It's cheap. I was just like, oh. There was a bit during the week to one day. I was just like, I can do that once every year. It's like, don't treat myself to something nice. Oh, what are doing? Going on vacation? Nope. I'm a rent a must. Driving around. What are you doing? Wait. Where are going? West Des Moines. There's a hoo because that's where I'll Is there some kind of buffet there? Because I'm kind of excited about it. I do have I actually, I I found that now I'm becoming an elitist with a rental car. I Yeah. So I had to rent a car and they gave me like a 2,015

Sentra. Woah. Nissan Sentra. And I thought, what is this old school? So I get in there and it has a red dash, like the like, it's not a full screen, in a full color. It's red and beige with and I I was disgusted. And, and then they don't it doesn't have Bluetooth. It it has dare they? Like, you can talk, you can make a phone call with the Bluetooth, but you can't listen to your tunes. Oh, that's And so I had to stop at the gas station and buy an overpriced cord so that I could listen to tunes for a three and a half hour drive to Minneapolis.

And I and the the tune connector is in the, it's in the armrest. Mhmm. So, like, it's you can't shut the armrest all the way. It didn't have that little little lip there? No. Have? No. It's annoying. It's a terrible design. That's lame. Hey, man. You should you should go. The next time you rent a car, you should immediately look there and go, wait a minute. I'm not getting involved in this situation. I put it I put it in my, request because I'm I'm going again Wednesday or picking up a car tomorrow, and I said, prefer Bluetooth audio. Exactly. I I ran I ran out of truck recently. I I can't remember where I went. It was, like, a pretty long trip, eight to twelve hours, whatever. And Colorado. It might have been. I I don't know. Anyway, I I I have a pretty nice truck now, and I thought I'm gonna get a new truck because it's not new, but it's nice. Nicer than I've had. Yeah. I thought I would get me a brand new truck, so I ordered the thing. You know, it's all mine. You know? It is a full cab, full thing in the pictures, you know, like, kinda like mine, big Yeah. Store thing. And I'm thinking, this is gonna be nice. I'll be lie I mean, mine's mine's kinda riding in style now. Yeah. This is gonna be, like, real style. And I showed UltraDam. And it's like a it's not it's not full size. I was I was cramped. I was cranky. Oh, no. But I'm like, I was gonna get something else from thought, but it's it's a little, like, satellite place. It's not like you have a whole parking lot. Right. Like, I'm gonna get what I get. You know? It's like, crap.

Oh, no. And and, yeah, and I drove this big trip, and I'm like, oh, this is not comfortable. I should've taken my own truck. That was terrible. I'm paying for high society. Know. High society. I deserve better. It was newer, but Yeah. You never feel more entitled than when the the car rental place screws something up. Right. Lexington. I went to Lexington, Kentucky. That's what it is. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That is a long drive. In a cramping field. Other direction. I had to rent a car on the way back from I was working in Colorado, and I'd I'd ridden out with a guy, and he ended up having to go home early and took his company truck with him. Right? So I'm like, well, I you know, I can stay at work for a couple days, but I'm you know, I I'm gonna have to rent a car to get back. And it's the first time I'd ever rented a car. And, like, I I I ended up with, like, a Jeep Patriot or something, you know, and it was like a four cylinder Jeep Patriot. I and I'm normally used to driving, say, a a diesel Dodge 5,500

truck. You know? And so, like, this thing is getting blown all over the road. I'm driving across three states, and I'm like, I don't know what's wrong with this thing. But then I don't have to stop at weigh stations. Right? Right. And so it was a luxury as far as I was concerned. Like, I would smile and wave at the weigh station man, and he'd have no idea why. And I'm like, because I ain't stopping to have you look my thing over and find me. And so I'm rolling home. And, like, I I I hated it because I I mean, every time I get my own car, I spill soda. You can't eat chips in there. You make a big mess or something. And so, like, I I really hate the whole experience of just traveling in general, but, like, I I didn't like that. I I I I feel like you guys like that rental car business, and it's it's not for me. I like my own vehicle. Yeah. Yeah. My yeah. I do. I like to. Yeah. I love rental cars. Yeah. Yeah. You're an outlier. Speaking of refugees, anyway, you're listening to Life From The Path. We got here's what we got going on the show tonight. Mike wants to talk about immigration,

in response to the executive, presidential executive order. I also found this article and it says pastor caught in bed with parishioner's wife won't resign because God has already forgiven him.

I have totally heard Oh. This excuse from someone in the past couple weeks. Really? Like, what are you not not not this exact, not the exact situation. Right? But the situation happened and, like, some follow-up discussion needed to happen. And they said, look, I've already asked for god for forgiveness, so we should just drop it. I'm like, that's bold. It's very bold. That is that is bold. Way to use the scripture for your gain. Right on. So yeah. So that's interesting. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So we'll I wanted to I wanted to hit that I wanted to hit that discussion. That's hold on. I'll just read this to you.

A Tallahassee, Florida pastor who was forced to wait. This is the story. Forced to flee naked after he was caught having an affair with the parishioner's wife, says he will in the act. Yeah. I mean, his the husband comes in and goes to get a shotgun, Man flees in the buck wild out into the streets. Oh, man. And he says, you know, I'm not stepping down. Yeah. The Lord's already fixed this for me.

Oh, what happened? Oh, man. We got some sort of got some sort of virus. Well, that's unfortunate. It sounds like an awful article then.

Hold on. That that puts a whole whole new level. He got what he had coming. Oh, man. He got okay. There we go. Alright. Alright. Just days after the reverend o Germaine Simmons senior, pastor of the popular Jacob Chapel Baptist Church, was caught sleeping with the parishioner, he was recorded telling his very supportive church that it's better for the church if he remains committed to God's work in the pulpit. Right on. What I want from God, I've already received it and that's his forgiveness. What I'm asking of our members is something I may or may not get and that is your prayers. I'm asking for your forgiveness, Simmons said as his congregation said, amen, and gave him a standing ovation. Says a report from the Tallahassee Police Department acquired by the Christian Post said Simmons 37 was caught in bed with Clayneisha Stevens, 34, by the woman's husband, Benjamin Stevens the third. Both Clayneesha and Benjamin are his parishioners.

How does everybody have these super elongated names? Know? Yeah. There's Simmons senior. There's Clayneesha. Where's a Todd Smith when you need him? You know? Clayneesha has been named, married for seven years, told police that she first met Simmons in 2014, but they have been establishing a relationship as of October 2016. On January 17, she said Simmons came over to the home she shares with her husband and their children so they could talk over starting a business, patents and trademarks, and providing less fortunate kids with clothes and shoes. Oh, come on. During the meeting, she said they started having sex. Alright. Yeah. That'd have been That's read a logical business meeting.

The time. Happens all the time in churches. Yeah. You know? Yeah. On. The Christian post to Tevlin Be The Delegate here. While they were engaged, her six year old son's school was trying to get in touch with her to pick him up. Since she didn't answer, the school reached out to the boy's father. Oh, he picks up their son, heads home, only discover his wife engaged with Simmons in their oldest daughter's bedroom. Wait. What? Wait. No. Okay. I have a question though. Like, why is there so much detail to this story? Do know I'm saying? That a crime hasn't been committed? You know what saying? It sells.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. It's it's raunchy. But they would have gotten it they would have gotten it from the wife or the guy. No. That's right. Who's explaining all these information? Husband. Well, he wasn't there for the the discussion on the trademarks and patents. Story though. Patent and shoe discussion. Let's

see. Benjamin reportedly screamed, I'm gonna kill him, and went to the couple's bedroom to retrieve a small handgun. On hearing the the threat, the frightened pastor fled the couple's home naked without waiting to see what would happen. That's understandable. We're later called to the scene and were able to prevent any loss of life or injury.

I I just I I just don't I don't understand this man. Okay. Wait. Here's the explanation. Sorry. If I, he said he will not be deterred from God's work regardless of what the public or dissenting members of his congregation might think of his decision to remain at the helm of his church. Yep. If I stop preaching, if I stop doing what the Lord called me to do over this, it presupposes that I was qualified to do it in the first place. Well, okay. I I mean, that's a solid explanation. He's kinda sucked me in. Go ahead. What? I'm not even following it. It presupposes

if he stops, it presupposes that he was qualified in the first place. That means if he doesn't stop, it it supposes that he wasn't qualified at all. Oh, crap. Yeah. Okay. Now It doesn't even make any sense. It's clearly reverse. I feel like I feel like it what what I took away from it, and maybe it's because he's a wordsmith or whatnot. Oh oh, wait. Get I the point. So he oh, here he continues. If I quit, if I walk away over this, it presupposes that I deserved to preach last Sunday when there was no scandal. I was a wretch then. I'm a work in progress now, but what the Lord allows, we will move forward. So his point is is that, like, I didn't deserve to preach last Sunday either. So I'm just in the same spot here. You just have something definable.

Okay. What Okay. Seriously, this this guy cannot seriously think that that's a valid argument. I know. He he sucked me in. Hey. We're all imperfect. I mean Yeah. Well, yes. The we are all imperfect, and that that is a very valid point. But does he not take into the concept of the ramifications of, like, losing people in his congregation because he's saying, oh, I was a bad guy then, and now I'm a bad guy now. The only all you know is more information. And then on top of that, yes, he may still be a sinner no matter what, and yet God may forgive him for that, and that's a good thing. But that doesn't mean that that you're still fit to lead a congregation. Now that's I so he's paraphrasing paraphrasing Paul's description of qualifications of pastors and elders is basically, as long as you suck yesterday, it's okay to suck today.

Just get up on the truck. I've been in the muck and the mire the whole time. I mean, Paul struggled. He didn't do what he wanted to do and did what he didn't wanna do just like me. Just like me in the nude. And this guy full of himself is refusing to step down

and then gives his full on explanation for not stepping down. Here's here's the thing, though. I mean, here's what I gotta take away from this man that I might maybe I might appreciate. Is everyone else at least phones in a phony trial of, like, a couple three weeks of I just gotta get right with the Lord and then separates himself with the congregation knowing full well they're just gonna rock back in within a month. You know what I'm saying? And this guy, he at least saved the the the show. He's just like, yeah. I'm not gonna go anywhere. Everyone else puts on this big PR campaign. Like, it it all the the the popular pastors that have been caught doing something like this are like, I just need some time alone with the Lord and with my family. I need to work it out with my wife. Yeah. And it's like six weeks later, hear that whiz bang there. Well, it's all fixed. The Lord has done it. Correct. Our marriage is great. And people applauded. Right? Yeah. Right. Shows there's no accountability going on. We I mean, you can't have a church without Yeah. I mean, here's the thing. It's like, I I would fully expect that you you got a you got a group of people reading Bibles and he does all this and we're like, yeah, you know, we're just we're not gonna have that. Nope. Nope. I'm sorry. It's nope. Right right here, we read the thing that you told us to read, and it says you can't do the thing and be the gee. You'll see. No. We're not gonna do that. Oh,

man. So what here's the thing, It's like, what happens if he gets caught in a lie? Yeah. Like, what are you saying, like, what does it what does it take for this man to not be the pastor here? Yeah. Right. So Like, what would you have to do? Like like and granted, the the the Bible holds sexual sin as a sin against like, it it holds it in a bit of a different category Mhmm. I would say. Well, there's outright rebellion and then there's, like, whoops. And maybe it was a whoops. That's what I'm saying. But they they were developing a relationship, it sounded like. So it's it's a lot of whoopses. Now he just happened to be talking about a charity in his Wang Johnson film. Right. Exactly. I don't I don't know how the conversation goes. Well, how did that happen? Well, let's go with it. Well, what we're gonna do is we're gonna distribute these shoes to the homeless. And by the way, you look great. You look great. Is your eldest daughter's bedroom by chance? We should work our way into there. You're not supposed to pick up your kids from school, are you? Oh, okay. Great. The practical conversation Here's the deal. Happen during adultery. And I I I suppose that the details of the story do bear out. This type of thing,

I mean, it happens to all kinds, but I mean, you could you couldn't have done it more stupidly. No. He's not a serial cheater, obviously, because he's done it so badly to know that, like, obviously, if you don't pick up your child, someone gonna call the husband. Or he's done it so much that he just figures he's just not gonna get caught because he hasn't yet. Right. I mean, to Dan's point, he's he's a pretty He's pretty bold. He's a pretty arrogant guy. Yeah. You know what? My wife's good. Lord's good. I'm good. He's justified it enough. I already got forgiveness from the lord. I don't care what y'all say. I'm still gonna preach. He's justified it enough in his own heart that now he he can say it out loud. How does it do let's say let's say it was a whoops. Okay? Can a can a pastor come back from this? Like, what's the is there an acceptable amount of time?

I think if it was a whoops, I think he can. Yeah. I I I think I think part of admitting, know, whoops situation, part of admitting that is recognizing that you are not as as strong as you believed yourself to be, which means you can't hop right back into that thing. I I think it takes you a little bit of time and and some wise counsel around you for a while to figure out

to to to reach a level where you actually understand where your deprivation was there. And you're coming with a contrite heart but he doesn't appear to be? No. Yeah. You know, with, man, something got me here. Let's get me fixed so I don't doesn't happen again. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I he's just yeah. I I still think about this once in a while, how naive I am. And I think I told you this before, like, back when I was in my early twenties, I I was called over to this gal's house and and and attended the church, and and she had, like, full on lingerie on. You know? And I just thought, well, that's really weird. You know? And I still went in. You know? And we had a conversation, and I just tried to my the whole time, I'm like, okay, just don't really look there. You know? Yeah. But I should have thought, I'm glad I didn't go on and think, she maybe she's really wanting me to do something. You know, I never Right. That never even occurred to me Yeah. You know, until like thirty years later, I'm like, hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. She throwing herself with me? Was that like, hey, what's she gonna do?

You know, now that you mentioned it, this has never happened again. No one has invited the pastor over in a negligence. That's weird. Hey, man. Yeah. I thought that was normal. Praise the Lord for that type of to blindness though. Right? Like I guess. Because the truth is is like, I suppose to the the the minute you recognize something like that, it it brings a risk to say, hey, I am someone to be gone after. Right? Like it like it's almost better to be like, you know what? I had no clue. I I really I just had no idea. I would have been like a Joseph and just ran, you know you know, but I was just like, okay, this is really weird. Maybe she didn't maybe she forgot it was coming. It's like, no, she didn't. Mean, all these innocent things are going through my head, trying to keep my thoughts innocent. Wasn't totally innocent. Right. Being, but yeah, anyway. Oh, man. Was just bad. Yeah. Maybe may yeah. But, no, maybe we'd maybe I'm not on the side anymore. I don't know. That speech had me for Hey, Mike. Here's what he has to say to you. Okay. I'll never be sorry enough for some people. I don't have the I don't have the energy for that right now. Oh, I I just got down running and others physical activity. That's right. I'm was the last time you were down third We got ahead of guns. Yeah. You ever ran for a man with a gun after you Yeah. Know, engaged with his wife? Kill him. I will kill him. But I okay. But I have to be clear that God is pushing us forward. Pushing us forward. He said it twice. What?

I'm sorry. I didn't expect that. He said it twice though. The quote in the quote in the article is, but I have to be clear that God is pushing us forward, period. Did you say it with a wink? Pushing us forward. He noted. He know. Oh, man. Yeah. Anyway That's awful. I just I just didn't see that coming. That's a tough situation.

How how upsetting for a church to sit there and applaud? I mean, they're just they'll,

you know, stooges, whatever. What's am I trying to say? That's true. I mean, him. She Here's the thing. She don't wanna see you don't wanna be see this is what this is tough. You know? Because, like, let's say he goes through the speech. Right? And you can tell 75% of them are on board. Right? Hook, line, and singer. They're like, yeah. Yeah. Grace. Give him the man the grace. You know? And you're the one the guy in the crowd that's like, you know, I don't know about this. Now you look at, like, a guy that doesn't like to hand out grace, and they're like, oh, I see. Johnny Perfect and Yeah. Pew pew five decides that he gonna hand out Gracen to nobody, you know. Robert legalism over here. Yeah. Even though he's the guy that's like, you know, maybe we should have someone else steer this ship for a little while because this man is obviously flagrantly doing whatever he wants. I mean, that that is that is that not your stereotypical interaction with Christians on the Nift though? Like, 75 are, like, hyper grace. We don't react to any form of unrighteousness

as if God cares. And the other 5% are bigoted radicals because they're like, hey. You know what? Maybe maybe you should stop acting that way. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. They they go to the Baptist Church in Tallahassee. That's rough times.

Alright. Mike Mike, so so what what is this what about this refugee business is on your mind? Well, so here's the thing is I I was I've I've been thinking about this all day long. I'm trying to figure out trying to figure out where I where I actually sit on this. Right? Because, like, obviously, judging by the last story, I'm easily taking in my words. You know? People people could put a turd out and polish it up. I'm like, you know, that man has got a solid turd going on. I think that guy has some good qualities.

So and so, like, I listen I I've been listening to to to political radio almost all day on both sides of the you know, to just and and and and all I do is hear every time they get a Jesus guy on there, I'm like, will you shut up? You sound so ridiculous. You know what saying? Like, it's like he says exactly what he wanted to say and then, like, holds up like a Jesus sign. That's what that's every time they interviewed a guy, he's like, blah blah blah blah blah, country safe, blah blah blah, nine eleven, blah blah blah, other countries. Jesus. I'm like, you know, can we find someone that can put two thoughts together and and and and talk about this? And then, you know, everyone else is is screaming human rights violations and and, you know, we're immigrants made our country and blah blah blah, you know. So so all this stuff is coming together. I'm like, hey, what do I do I even really think something here? Like, am I am I completely devoid of coming up with a rational thought? And and and what I came to was is, like, no one no one that they interviewed or no one that they talked to, and it doesn't seem like the conversation that anybody wants to have was, like, this is a very, very gray issue. Like, it's a completely gray, and and both both of the major sides want to paint it as if it's completely black and white, and it is absolutely not completely black and white. And and and maybe just to recap it,

you know, the president put out an executive order and basically said, look, we're we're banning, travel immigration from these seven countries, and and, obviously, they're Middle Eastern countries. And which happened to hold the majority of them are are are Muslim and descent. It's it it was implemented really poorly. Like, even if there's there's reasons behind why they're doing what they're doing, and I'm assuming they have information that I don't.

But the way they implemented it was was it was just iffy. Right? Like, it could've probably been done a little bit better, especially people that already have green cards and whatever and live here. But long story short, we basically said, look. We're we're gonna take these groups of people, and we're not gonna allow them in this country. We're just not gonna let them immigrate right now because it's a it's a threat, you know, to to a certain extent. And it kinda boiled down to we talked about a little bit about this when the Syrian refugee crisis came up. Right? And and and where I have a where have a hard time marrying this up, to kinda bring this to a head is is on an individual basis,

I'm completely okay with all of it, with letting people in this country. Because I I I feel like I'd let them in my house. Just on an individual Christ following basis, they're the sojourner. So I, you know, I I have a hard time going, no. No. No. No. We're not gonna allow this. But then to take that belief and then spread it out to the nation I live in having to do with security that I'm not in charge of, I have no direction over.

I don't enforce or not enforce. I don't have you know, I only have the facts around my you know, the 50 feet around my own house and around my own neighborhood. And so then then my mind goes, you know what? This is this is gray. It's gray for me. I I

I'm I'm still sojourner. I that's actually just just how I feel about it. Right? Like, felt when we were talking about the Syrian refugee crisis is when everybody was up in arms about it. I'm like, look. If the government wants to do its job here, then say, look. Have have everyone from that that wants to adopt one of these families, tell us so, and we'll vet them. And then you say, look. We'll take a family, and then the government's job is to vet them and make sure that they're they're not a security risk when they come in. But, like, it's your job to house them and feed them and help them find their way because that's our job. Our job is to take care of people like that. And so I thought that was a perfect solution for all of our our immigration problems, especially with the refugee crisis was, look. If you wanna say it's the government's job to take care of these refugees, that's not so much true. It's your job. So why don't you tell the government, yeah. I'll sponsor them. They can live at my place. I'll make sure they get a job. I'll try to get them acclimated to society, get them moving in the right direction for citizenship. You vet them to make sure they should even be in this country. As long as they pass your security clearances, I'll I'll take care of them. They're not on the government's tab. Right?

That's not so much the case with with the ban on the Middle Eastern countries that that came through over the weekend. Right? But I was I'm I'm interested to hear kinda where you guys sit on this thing. Because like I said, like, after after a certain amount of time of listening to things, I start to realize that it's it's too gray for me to I don't even know. I I can't even make a a solid call. Human wise, I'm like, you know, we take care of people. That's just what we do. As Christians, that's what we do. We take care of people. And and, like, I heard probably 10 interviews from from from Christians or the Christian point of view today. They're like, this nation was founded on Jesus, and they can't let people in here that don't know Jesus. I'm like, how do you convert people to Jesus if you don't ever meet people that don't know Jesus? That don't make any freaking sense at all. Right? Like, you love America. I get it. And you think America runs awesome, when you believe that the country was founded on on God, which I I mean, that's a hard sell for me, really. But, like, I hear what you're saying. I you know, you believe something is true and you're plowing ahead forward with it. But, like, the truth of the matter is is, like, we take care of the sojourner and the least of these. And it seems to me that people are trying to get away from where they came from and call a new place home. That man probably qualifies for the least of these as far as I can tell.

I I would go on the on the side of it's pretty black and white to me based on there there there are two general qualities of God, his kindness

and his, I will say, wrath, for lack of a better word. It's the job of the church and and Christ followers to represent the kindness part. We're we're we're people of grace, we're people of love. We take over the we take and and meet the needs of of the least of these. You know, we feed the hungry, clothe the poor, naked, the whole thing.

The government's job is the wrath part. They're the ones who laid on the law. They're the ones who protect the citizens. Those are two different jobs. And and and looking at all the arguments people are having on social media, I'm just like the the people are confusing the two and they're trying to project the job of the church onto the government and that's not the government's job. And the government's other people are projecting the government onto the church and it's not their job. Our job is to love if there happens to be a sojourner walking her by and and we can meet their need, we we we let them in. We we feed them. We clothe them. We do what we have to. The government's job is to keep them out. I mean, that was true in Jerusalem who was told to take care of the people. They built walls. I mean, you know, they just did. And and they they there are some countries, they they even killed the cattle. You know, it's just there's the the state has to decide certain things that are that are beyond meat, you said. I I don't know what's going on and and and stuff. There's that's their job is to protect me. There's enough need around here that we're all going to keep pretty busy if we're legitimately meeting needs. It's not like we don't have enough needs to meet. It's not like we're laying around going, gosh, wish there are more people to need. I mean, we have plenty. Anyway,

that's commentary. But I think there is a very specific line and that's where we're we muddy the line and that's what makes the issue muddy. I'll focus on loving people, let the government focus on who comes and who doesn't

and I'm not gonna complain about it. So what so so maybe maybe the and this is an abstract question. Right? But let's say that the American government decides that we're gonna ban from this country all sojourners

and anybody that qualifies for least of these. So then I just roll over and go, well, Lord, looks like we don't have anybody to finish that description here. I'm solid. It's not it's not like we don't have plenty here anyway. Well, that's what I'm saying. It's not like you're gonna run out. The government banned them. They kicked them out. They said, look, there's no least of these here anymore. You're on your own, Christian man. Good luck. I don't know. Jesus said you always have the poor with you, and I think that's just always true. I mean, they can they keep keep kicking them out. There'll be others who make, you know, poor decisions or No one makes the poor like this country. We'll make more.

Boova? I felt three sets of eyes staring at me on that one. It's not because of that weird hat you got on. Hey, man. This is a cool looking hat. Don't judge me. So you're wearing a a halfway beanie. Don't don't judge me.

Whatever. Okay. So here's what I keep running into. I I keep running into, I I feel like I wear two hats. K? And I did just make the statement. I see what you did there. Potentially. Yeah. You picked the wrong one.

You must have a nice one underneath Tip of the cap to you. I I feel like I I wear this this one hat that says that I'm an American citizen, and

I I do worry about, the safety of my country and the safety of the people that live here. But then I wear this other cap that's it's it's much better, and it's a flat cap, and it's it's got, patterns on it and stuff like that. But, like, it's it's the the cap that I call being Christ follower. Right? Like, I'm I'm called to take care of people. I'm called to take care of the sojourner and and the least of these. Right? Like, that's that is an important piece of being part of the body of Christ is is showing that love. And and going even further than that, that is an amazing way, to win people over for the kingdom of Christ is to take care of them. It's the action of of clothing people who need it, of feeding people who need it, of giving shelter when it needed, it's an amazing way to get yourself into a place where you can really start,

showing people the love of Christ from the perspective of I want you to be in our kingdom. And so I I don't have an answer to fix it, obviously, and and I don't know where my my hats should cross because, like, I I I get the concept of not, wanting to invite violence and invite

issues into our country as a physical country perspective and a physical government perspective. I get wanting to keep out people who could harm others. But then I I totally also get the concept that, like, that's not that's not my job to worry about. Like, I really shouldn't. If if I'm gonna invite somebody in my house, there's a good chance they could stab me. But does that mean I don't invite them? I mean, isn't the question, though? Like, we were already doing that with a fine pin and instead like, the the the events over the weekend are a a giant flat marker. You know what I'm saying? Like, we were already doing that on on a on a case by case basis.

And instead, we said, well, you know what? This is this is too much. We're just gonna we're just gonna ban the lottery. And and that's a very good point. And that that's why I I I don't I don't think it's it's the best idea to kick, to to stop everyone from coming in, but, like, I get I get the reason behind it. Like, I do. I Well, you well, I I suppose I if I can articulate, I think you get the fear behind it. Like Yes. Yeah. Right. There's I mean, there's there's reasoning for just about anything, but, like, certainly, is being propagated by fear. The selection Yeah. The selection of countries,

like, although consistent with the previous government list, like, don't actually have a track record of causing of causing violence here. In fact, where where the most violence has come from, those countries are not on the list. And it's not and it's it's falsely being being tagged as a Muslim ban. There's tons of Muslim countries that aren't on the list. Right? Right. So, like, I I think I think the, it it was attempted to be done with reasonable intent but it it is certainly based upon it is reactionary and it is is it plays to a fear that I'm not sure is actually healthy for us to be reacting to in this way. The refugee the vetting process, for all the concerns that that that people have stated about it, it's it's it's like an eighteen month to three year process. Like, it's not like people are just flowing in here. And so, like, I there's some realities that I think are blurred on both sides of this thing and I

And isn't the ban three months? I mean, it's not like it's not a permanent ban. No. And and but that's the question, it's like, well, I don't even know why you why we've been doing that. Like, what is what is this three months in a span from, like except for to keep a promise. Except for to keep a political promise. Purely political game because Obama banned Iran for nine months and there weren't riots and the media wasn't going crazy and Hollywood wasn't crying. So so his his restrictions his restrictions weren't near like this Yeah. And it didn't have anything to do with people that were already that already had visas. And so, like like, it it it wasn't the same thing. As a matter of fact, there's a there's a good breakdown on the Gospel Coalition

about like, there's an FAQ about this and it kind of breaks down, what the first of all, if you read the order, most of what's being said on both sides is not accurate. Like like, it's it's a lot yeah. It's just You just read it. Just read the order before you go all flying off the handle about it. Yeah. But I I would say that, like, the reaction is is fear. Dan's right. Like, the a country has its responsibility to otherwise protect its its citizens. Whether this is doing that,

and whether there was a risk in some of these things at this these particular segments of people and frankly, whether the executive order is legal are reasonable questions people should be talking about. That should be the conversation. Those are reasonable questions. Now here's the thing, is if you let's say you fall on the side of the folks where you like, I feel like we're, we should let we should let people in. Alright. So that's not your call. You're not you're you're you're not running the government now.

I would I would suggest that perhaps the way that you think you're going to change the government isn't gonna happen. K? I don't think that's gonna work. Here here's what I would say to you, right hearted person who may or may not live in the reality of what our democracy is. K? Your your work's not done. You're just spending a lot of time fighting with people that you feel like are unreasonable and won't do the thing that you wanna do. If you can't bring them in here and you're concerned about their well-being and you're concerned about how they're treated in the refugee camps, go.

Go to them. Here's you you you can't here's the thing. We're fighting. This is where I've had disappointment in people where I I if I if I sympathize, it is, I I think I think we we don't understand sojourner. I think we don't understand the the perspective of how we care for people. I don't think that's limited to our borders. However, I recognize that a political system will limit to their borders. That doesn't mean mine is limited. So if you wanna fight for it, if you wanna fight for people to come in here, by all means, I hope that happens. I hope they find good places. I hope they meet Jesus here. I hope they live in the freedom that we enjoy. That's great. If it can't happen,

if you're giving up or you're spending a 100 percent of your time trying to reverse that as opposed to actually, you know, going beyond borders, sending money, feeding, going to organizations and helping that way. Like, do that. I I I the this perspective that says we can only have things the way that we want them, otherwise otherwise, we're going to riot, otherwise, we're going to complain, otherwise, we're gonna waste all our time trying to change a position that I I don't think is going anywhere. And it's perspective, like, whether you think it's ignorant or otherwise, it's perspective a lot of people have. And so if you wanna change the world, you can't get so pissed just because you can't change it the way you wanna change it. You gotta work within the confines of unreasonable things that are going on around you. And, like, I actually had, what what was it I saw? There there were people

oh, it was Starbucks. Right? Starbucks comes out and says, hey, we're gonna try to we're gonna offer jobs to 10,000 refugees. And my first reaction was awesome. Great. Yeah. People and now here's the deal. They're not American jobs. You gotta read you gotta read what people are saying, for heaven's sakes, free start going to ban Starbucks. You have plenty of reason not to like Starbucks. I this is not one of them. If if first of all, if they look out on on the landscape and they say, hey. There's 10,000 people who are fleeing their country. They could use some work. We're gonna specifically attempt to hire some refugees to get them some work in some of these countries that they flee to, then why why? Why would I oppose that? I have no reason at all to oppose that. That's stupid thing to be upset about.

I just now here's the thing. Here's what I wanna know. Those guys have been refugees for years. I don't know where Starbucks was three months ago. No. It's true. Six months popular to help the refugees. You know I'm saying? Like, the relevance to to the executive order is certainly fishy. But, like, I I don't regardless whether you agree with the president's order, I don't understand why you would be upset about an international organization that says, hey, we're gonna try to help these guys out with some work. There's some political posturing, sure, but, like, I don't care. Yeah. They're they're gonna be the outcome. Support it. Exactly. What's the matter with you? And so, like, I saw stuff like that. What what else did I see before I came in here? Oh, yeah. That one, the the holdover, the attorney general from Obama's administration that was refusing to, defend the order. And, she got fired. Trump fired her. Yeah. And someone was like, this this this should not happen. This is outrageous. I'm like, well, the guy works like, she works for the president and isn't doing what the president wants. I feel like that's within no more realm. What anybody would do. Right? Everyone would fire her. That's not outrage like, here's the deal. You I got plenty of things that I disagree with this man about. I think the executive order is an overreach. I it might not stand up in court. But here's the thing, like, it's not unreasonable to fire someone who doesn't do the work you have been doing. Like like, just think for a moment. Fight fight the the battles that are worth fighting. But if you're wasting your breath screaming in the streets because he fired an employee that he has every right to fire, that's stupid. Yeah. Stop fighting the battles that don't exist. I was actually I started to write this I started to write this, like, four or five days ago and it and,

the the my basic thought was the Trump presidency is a grand opportunity for the church. It is a fantastic opportunity for the church and it's it's it's basically the opportunity to take back control. Right? It's the risk you take when you put the good that needs done into the world into the fickle hands of an electorate. If you don't like it, k, if you don't like what's going on around you, if there's an American idealism, it's to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get the work done. Mhmm. K? It's the success that's beyond what station environment or life circumstances or resources could ever predict. K? I know you think the feel like the there's people who I I think heart of Jesus stuff I would agree with and you think the the playing field is not level. Okay. I mean, wouldn't be work if it was. Right? That that means it just means there's work to do. It wouldn't be a struggle if it was. You wouldn't be leading the charge. You'd just be along for the ride. Yeah. If if you look out and you say it's unfair and it's not right, then do the work. But I here's what I don't mean. I don't mean just like picket in the streets and try to yell at the guy who you I know you don't like. I get it. But like, chase the sojourner down if you need to. Like, put it if you wanna put it on the line, if you wanna make the difference, do that. Feed the poor, care for the sick, visit folk imprison prison, share your life, share your love, share Jesus Christ with the world that needs good news. If your doomsday predictions are right, they're going to need it. Right? They're gonna need it. The the the root of the question is whether the greatest opportunity for our influence collectively, k, is trying to change how the government does things or however whatever corporation or institution you don't like is doing things. Or if you micro focus on what you're doing, what your church is doing, what your neighbors are doing besides trying to move the government, which is how we're spending our energy. I'm not saying there's not that our democracy flourishes on people attempting to sway government and and opinion. That's positive. I think the the the best thing that I saw during this election was Mike Pence's reaction to the Hamilton cast

who read something about, look, we're concerned about how this administration is going to treat us, and Pence looks at his boy and says, that's what democracy looks like. Mhmm. That's right on. Both of the both of those are proper reaction to democracy. So, right, I'm not saying don't try to influence the government, but, like, with the amount of energy that we're spending to try to get the government to do something that you are personally capable of doing, like, I don't I don't get that. I don't I don't get that. Like, I I I get it you wanna point out your grievance but, like, spend your effort working to solve the problem outside of the institution that you don't you don't think is working right. Do that. Alright? It's it's

it's by the time you get to get the Titanic to turn around which is this big infrastructure of things, you could have said a 100 dudes on jet skis to save the guy that was drowning. But instead, you're trying to pry money out of somebody's hands or time or visa or whatever it is out of a situation that you you just don't exert that level of control and I like your idealism and I like your heart and, frankly, I'm I'm in agreement on how you're looking at people but like you're trying to change a monolith and I'm saying, like, if you wanna put effort and time and money in, I think you can solve some of these problems. It's just you can't solve them on your own terms. You don't you don't get to dictate how the party in power handles things. And so you can try to influence it, but I I would suggest that if you're spending all your time trying to get them to drop this type of executive order or how they look at immigration policy or whatever,

you let like 15 guys drown trying to convince someone who's not gonna move. And like just send the boats. Send your money. Go spend your time. Take your family. Move over there if want to. I don't care. Like, there's ways to solve these problems without having to completely change the infrastructure. I think you should do both. But, like, what what I don't understand is this is this intent that says, I'm gonna waste my voice and my time and my energy and I know you don't think you're doing that, but you are because, like, you actually have a lot more within your power and you I think you're wasting it. And that's regardless of whether you disagree with you, with the order or not. It's regardless of whether you think the immigration policy is good or not. This was true six years ago when Obama was doing whatever he was doing that some another group of people didn't care for. Right? Influence what you can. It's it's okay to try to move move the macro needle but like where we are not focusing

on the stuff that's within our control or saying like I will figure out a way to influence this for the positive in whatever means are necessary, then I I then you're not committed. And so take take your commitment. It's good. Use it. I'm actually I'm actually surprised, especially I mean, Trump has a way of doing this anyway. Right? But, like, the amount of time that we as a culture spend being indignant over things that are not shocking.

Right? Like, these are all the things this man He's doing everything he promised This is and it's, like, to the here's the thing. I told my wife this tonight. Like, if he wasn't such a crazed maniac, right, and he and and, like, if if I aligned with his with his ideals, I would love this man. Yeah. He takes presidency, and he does exactly what he said he was gonna do. Right? You've never met a man like him. I mean, seriously, he's a he's he's a he's a one man train. He he he really is a complete opposite of what we are normally used to, in Washington. The only problem is he's slightly unhinged, and he doesn't take criticism wrong, and he's very reactionary.

Right? So, like, there are things about him that are infuriating, but they're not surprising. Right? Like, all his actions are not surprising to to the to the least. He said he was gonna do every single one of these things, and then he does them, and people are like, I'm outraged. I'm It's only the people who didn't vote for him that are outraged. But that's the thing. It's like, it's even I'm kinda happy at everything he's done so far. I'm I'm jumping up and down. Dan's Dan's pretty excited. I'm quietly. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. I I'm not in the same boat, but, like, he He's my friend. Because he's because he's unhinged mostly. But but, like, the thing is is, like, if you even if you didn't vote for him, you are well aware of what came out of his mouth during this campaign. Right? Like, there's nobody that had no idea what what what John Trump was about. Yep. And, like, he is doing exactly everything he said he was gonna do, every single bit of it. And he walked into office and did all those things. And I thought, you know, if I didn't think he was unhinged,

he's the best politician we've ever had. You know? He said he was gonna do something, and then he did it. And then he just started bowling over people and saying this is what I said I was gonna do, so this is what I'm gonna do. And and which really, honestly, Obama did the same thing. He just didn't do it with near the fireworks. Well, he just didn't do the things that, like, the the He he did it arrogantly and and and said, hey, elections have consequences and just moved off I don't know. He did. Here's the thing. If if if Trump said he was gonna shut down Guantanamo Bay, I feel like this first day of office, he would have hired a construction company down there and started taking the wall apart, you know, piece by So,

like Obama just isn't as effective as he is. Feel like he still tried to operate within the constraints of his own office a little bit. Well, here's the thing. The presidency expanded the the use of executive orders. Matter of fact, that, like, this what all the lot of the complaints are on on, like, well, look at all these executive orders that that Trump is doing. He shouldn't have had the power to do that. That is that actually I don't like No. And and so that's the thing, it's like there there's parts of this, like irrelevant as to whether I would have agreed with his executive order or not. Whether he has the right or should have the right, any president, to do things like that is something we should be concerned about. Sure. I I and and it's it's it's, again, it's it's we just it's it's a nation of dishonesty. Like, we're just not being honest about things. Like, for the things that we were concerned about, if if we're okay with it when it otherwise fits our narrative,

then we're we're we're being foolish and dishonest. We're being shortsighted, and that's that's a serious risk for the country. And I think that is not even for our good, even if it got the thing that we wanted done fast and easy. How you get it, how you accomplish some of these things, these are gonna have consequences. Here's the thing, some of the gains that that, the conservative side has seen from a Trump presidency,

if they could have been instituted by executive power and DJ Trump pisses enough people off, they'll just be taken back out by executive power again. And you didn't move the culture, you're just passing around the pissing plate. True. You know what saying? So, like, you gotta be very careful about what you call the win. A win is a culture moves and said we value life. Right. The defunding of of, the the Planned Parenthood by executive order isn't a culture shift. That's a validation of of people that voted for Donald Trump. And so you got gotta be careful where you're calling balls and strikes and victories here. Yep. And and there is a serious risk that although things that otherwise

I might I might support may happen over the next four years, how you got them there will actually push the culture in rejection in the wrong direction. And and we I'm not saying temporary good isn't positive. I'm just saying I think you need to be prepared for that. That's a reasonable thing. In fact, a likely thing, unless

there's, like, a significant change in, like, the direction of what people are thinking, which I'm gonna doubt. Right. So, I mean, we just need be cautious about that. Alright, Mike. What do you got? They're a lie from the path. I love my parents and would do anything for them. They have never been good about managing money. Mhmm. They are both retired now or on a fixed income, and they have been asking me or one of my four adult siblings for money to help with their bills each month. I don't mind giving, but recently, my siblings and I have become annoyed because while they continue to ask for money, at the same time, they're also taking short trips, which include hotels and rental cars and inviting friends out to dinner. Hey. Don't meddle. What are the odds? They also have a storage locker full of junk to ease up several $100 a month. We have offered to help them clean out the locker and possibly make money from some of the items in there, but they never commit. Should my siblings and I continue to help, or should we put our collective feet down?

Okay. So I I I don't have a direct example here, but like I have been going through questions on how to be generous to people at different stages of life. Right? Like there are

some folks that I have run into that god put them on my path to help them. Right? But, like, my help also facilitated that, like, you also need to learn how to how to live, and we're gonna do that too. And then I've met some other people where I'm like, look, you know, you've kinda you've kinda lived your days. And so generous is just generous, and that's the end of it. It's not gonna come like, my my help and provision is not gonna come with a bunch of life advice, and you gotta change this to do this or whatever. It's just like, well, okay. Good enough for me. You know? And so, like, I agree. This is a this is a tough struggle. Right? Your mom and dads, they've been working their whole life or whatever. They retire. Obviously, they acting like a bunch of fools here. But, like, mean, how much are we talking? A couple 100 a month? I mean,

you know, what's the deal? I give them a couple 100 a month. Just call it what it is. Tell my wife, tell me how to stop. How expensive would it have to be, Mike? 300 a month. That's too much. I I I think they are are throwing money down a flushing toilet

until they get them to stop the toilet. Dent says cut your parents off? Say, that's it, ma. I mean, you know, just stay on the line. Father, I'm like, what? Yeah. I mean, you know, get rid of that rental thing, budget storage thing, whatever it's called. I mean Yeah. I mean, you're taking all these You gotta get your budget in the line. You gotta live within your means.

Yeah. But what's the $200 to you? Let's say it's within your means to give them the two Hyundai. Do you keep it just on principle? I mean, I would wanna help them. I would I would wanna help them by by shoring up, first of all. I mean, let's say they're, like, 70 years old. You know what I'm saying? You've gotta try to teach them a lesson. You know what I'm saying? You go school them on how life works. They're 70. Well, they obviously need it. Well, you give them the $200. That's what they need. They won't take short trips. They'll they'll need it again. That's what I'm keep needing it. I that but that's what I'm saying. Like, you're gonna teach them how to live now? Well, you just give them the $200. Is it foolish for someone to live outside their means, Mike? I don't know. You you don't know if it's foolish whether or you should live outside of the I mean I get you. I have an answer for that question. I mean, it's within their means if I'm giving them $200. Okay. So so let's say that that they stopped these trips and could live on their own. Is it is it is it more generosity of the kids to

just keep forking over the money, or is it more generosity for them to, maybe not teach them a lesson, but No. It is teach them a lesson. School them. Yeah. If it's 70 year old who's making a stupid decision, yeah, I'm gonna stop What if I give them this $200 a month and they go out on these short trips? And that's what's allowing them to do it. Ignore the storage locker for now. I would have that conversation with I I'd be fine with that. Yep. Admittedly. Well, that's what it is then. Here's what I'll say. I'm more on your side. I think it's great to have generosity for your It doesn't feel that way. I I'm just I'm asking the question of is it is it foolish for these parents to be living outside of their means? No. They get to taking a short trip. No, Mike. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Now here's the it's it's They're being foolish with their money. Yes. It's great for the kids to continue to be generous, but, I think it's perfectly understandable for the kids to go, hey. Mom and dad, you took care of me for years.

I love the fact that I get to take care of you. I'm happy that I'm blessed in this place that I can be generous with you. But let's talk your bold skills. Let's with it. Let's talk about practicality. Let's talk about the only reason that that you're able to go on these trips is because I keep giving you money. And they say, yes, hon. That's the deal. We appreciate your generosity. Yeah. Just like I changed your diapers. Yeah. Continue with the age. I would still have the conversation of, hey. We let's talk let's talk about what it looks like to save up for those rather than going on once every month. I'm gonna die, son. Yeah. I don't have time to save up. Here's the deal. Here's the deal. Don't spend your time going on trips. Maybe you should love on Jesus where you are. I do. As well as in the hotels. You're gonna tell me As well as in the hotels and my rental plan for my life? You're gonna tell me that the the money you spend on hotels and rental cars couldn't be spent better places. Yeah. I save people in Boca. Oh, man. Oh, whatever. Here's the thing, Buva. That's a that's a that's a very difficult slope to go down. It is. I can look at almost everything in my own life and be like, I mean, I could give I could sell that and give it to somebody else. Hey, man. Isn't that Like that hat? For that? Like that hat you got on there. Yeah. Isn't it That's not justifiable. Isn't that kind of in the Bible? Still bought that hat? I did. You're right. I was foolish in doing so. You should sell it But isn't on our trips. Why? Isn't there something to be said that that is kind of what we're supposed to do though? I mean, that's the thing. You're gonna school them? I I don't know. That's maybe why I have a hard time. Will be honest when I say I'm not the right person to school them, but that doesn't mean I can't bring up the Bible. You in that but you in that path. Right? It's your job to school them because you're forking out too hundie.

I mean, I I would it's good to have the conversation. Say, mom and dad, we want you to enjoy life. You you you've worked hard. You've you've you've done some great things. We wanna help you. We wanna support you, but we also wanna be good stewards ourselves. We have to be good stewards. I have to be good stewards of the money God gave me. And just throwing money at you month after month isn't a good stewardship on my end. If you're doing it because you need food, we're gonna make sure you have food. We're gonna make sure your your heating bill is paid. You know? But let let's talk about managing your money. You probably have the money already. Let let's just spend it more wisely

and enjoy it. Yeah. Enjoy your retirement. I don't even know how you raised me, you being this stupid. Wow. That was a big jump, Mike. That's what you're saying, isn't it? No. It is not. You have been so foolish with your money. I don't even know how I that. Rather than walking up to him and be like, hey, you should lies in that. That's what you're saying. You take the truth and cut it in Being loving is lying? Let's see what the secular has to say. You make me sick, buf. It's your mom's and your dad's. You got, like, a couple $100.

You know? Here it says secular says, put your collective feet down. You and your siblings are good children. That's a stretch. They just wrote you a letter. How well do you know these kids? Maybe you stole from them your whole life. But it's time for an intervention. Before giving your parents more money, you should all sit down with them and help them create a budget because they're probably stupid. They'll take that well. Taking into account their fixed income, which they had no idea about, that money grew on trees,

and what your children can afford as supplement. Then tell your parents they must live within that budget, period. Their expenses must be trimmed, and the storage unit would be an excellent place to start. Yeah. I hear you saying. I mean, I hear you saying. I I get what you're saying. It's a logical way to approach the thing. But, like, you can look at your your moms and be like, hey, moms. No more money for you. We're done now. Okay. Real life situation.

Just today, I'm corresponding with my mother-in-law. Mhmm. I'm gonna sit down and help her with the budget. I can help her put a budget together. She it she's been very responsible with her money. She has, you know, no debt, yada yada yada. Alright? She's, you know, getting to that retirement age, she's like, just wanna she just wanted the different set of eyes. Yeah. You you know, it's not that I'm smarter than her, but I happen to have a nice little Excel spreadsheet that'll, you know, add anything up, and and and we'll just look at it, we'll make a plan, and and I'll help her with a savings plan. And,

it's it's just as an outsider saying, hey. And she's like thrilled, thrilled. They gave her a big list of homework to start filling out, you know, on costs and expenses and stuff, and we'll start putting this together. And so they might welcome it. They might. They might resist it. Yeah. They might resist The dude probably will, the the dad. I think it's I think it's pretty reasonable to make the case that like I I I think to end stewardship of my own home here. I'm supposed to here, I'm trying not to end up like them having to scrape by and make my kids support me. It means I can't be dumping all my money, excess flying out the door on you. I just wanna go on short trips, man. Yeah. Yeah. We can do that a few times a year, but I went and paying for that all the time. We'll get you an RV. Yeah. You and dad don't have to pay for a hotel. You drive wherever you want. Eight and you couldn't poop for like three days and I sat with you in the hospital, I forgot about that already. See what you're saying. Couple $100. No big deal. Alright. Maybe Remember I give you my kidney? If you had sprung for some bran flakes, I wouldn't be in this position.

Maybe we'd we'd raise like a hooligan. It's called fiber, Ma. Thanks for hanging out with us. You've been listening to Live From The Path. It's good to be back. We'll see you next week. I have no plans for that either. Well, hopefully, the president will do something Michael will get riled up about and talk about that. In the meantime, if you have any comments on the show, shoot us an email info at live from the path dot org. Also, subscribe to the YouTube channel. Hey, man. Here's the deal. We were gone for, like, three weeks, and I happened to check the YouTube, like, 18,018

watches over three weeks. I thought, I just assumed nothing was going on. People still watching stuff. Most of them are just upset about the caps for sale. And some guy was upset about our rendering about the discussion about the ESV. Oh.

I can't remember what it was, but he wasn't very happy with us about it. In either case, go watch YouTube stuff. It's out there at lifefromthepath.org. Alright. We will see you next week. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.