Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from the Path. Studios here in Johnston Proper. I know. It's time to be alive, Ben. What do mean? What do you mean? What mean? What's feeling great? I mean, just all around. Oh. I was just trying to hype up the crowd. That was cheesy. I was that was real cheesy. I mean, I wasn't excited as that. I can't you that much. Come on now. Alright. Well, okay. Here's here we gotta go on the show tonight. Big news, Chris Acords is is in studio and he's just released a I mean, it's fresh cut. It's Fred off fresh off the the cow. Hang on a minute. Yeah.

Acres, I have a question for you. Yes. Is it too cheesy when you put out your greatest hits album to call it Acres of Hits? Oh, man. You just stole the strategy. It's done deal. Yeah. Guys, I'm gonna consult you when I go to I got way more cheesy ideas than that. Come back anytime. Yeah. Let's let's just scratching the surface. That's that's $50 for the first one. Yeah. Oh. Okay. So I can't afford you, man. Alright. So I'm excited because, I I I've been I've been I've been spinning these tracks. And, it's it's interesting because, like, when when Chris is in here, we get we always get the acoustical flavorings, and we're gonna get some of that tonight, and and I like that about him.

But, I mean, there's some there's some hoppers. There's some hoppers on this on this album. Tambourine, maybe. And and I tell you I tell you what I heard where did I hear, one of the tunes, Mike, I think it's on Nowhere Home. If you listen to it listen. There's a point in the song where you'll it sounds like, Ben Folds harmony. Like, he's Ben Folds always does harmony with himself Yeah. And it's it's kinda high register. And, like,

I heard some of that action going on the Nowhere Home song. It was a personal challenge to just see how high I could get by the end of the album. You know? And you said, this has to be done. I'm not leaving until this is finished. I can't close the song until it's there. Yeah. So we're we're gonna hear from, we're gonna hear from Chris. He's gonna perform a couple tunes. We're gonna play a couple for you so you can hear some tracks from the album. And also, Buva couple interesting interactions with Buva here. First of all, someone tried to entice Buva into a a Christian flash mob. Yep. And we'll we'll see what his response was to that. You guys can at home cast lots and see what what how you think Buva responded. And also, there was a camera crew following Buva around this week. And, if you don't find those happenstances, I I don't know who you are. So, we'll figure out what the the terms of that.

Mike, also, identifying who you are in the book of Job with your children? Children? Yeah. I I took a bold course and decided I was gonna go through the book of Job with the, the six and nine year old ladies. And and, yeah, we got we got to a point where we had to we had to stop and decide, who who was representing us in the story. And, it's probably exactly who you think. Yeah. That sounds right. It's a great time to be alive, Ben. It's a great time to be alive. Alright. Good. Good. Good. Good. So that's what's going on, Sue, this week. Hey. I'll just remind you before we get going, if you have not had the chance, you knew I was gonna follow up with you, make sure you go check out Many Hands For Haiti. Tim Brand was in here last week talking about, the things that you can do, to kinda be part of what they're up to. You can shop at some of the, some of the thrift shops.

You can they have a catalog and, Samaritan's Purse does this too. I thought both of her cool ideas, but, like, the catalog itself, you can say, you know, for $20, you can buy six chickens for somebody. You know, you as opposed to just sending $20, you're putting it towards, buying a lamb or, like, buying some leather for some somebody makes shoes out of or whatever it is. You know exactly what it's going for and what those dollars do. You can give, I think, like, $10 and build a hospital. You know, spread it out. I always thought they'd get more action there if they'd send you the picture of the chickens. Like, send this one? Yeah. So, what know, I mean, general it's a general fair when you go to a Christian concert or where there's at least three artists on the bill. One of them is gonna say, hey. Listen. We're we're sponsoring children today. And then they have the pictures already ready to go. You know? But then they're like, hey, buy six cows and you're like, well, what do they look like? I was just I'd be interested to know What are their names? Yeah. Are they well fed? Are they gonna do a good job? I wanna buy a chick I'm much more interested in the background of the children I'm sponsoring than the chickens I'm buying to be here. I'm just saying if you did it like trading cards, people would people would get excited about it. Hey, I'm gonna pay pay $5 from my buddy Chester here. I'm not Super excited to send him to Haiti. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying people would participate more if you're like, I got the six chicken card. Like, I only have $3. Could I have the emaciated cow? That sounds wrong, Mike. I'm gonna say it. If you if you got a Sounds wrong. You got a card with 20 chickens on it that was a hologram. So

you put it in a sleeve and show everybody. This is a first edition six chicken. Super chicken bonus. That's a mistake. That's a mistake. I got more ideas. No. Hey hey, hey, don't let them all go for free. Acres is on the ticket for 50 bones already. I hear what you're saying. Tone it out. I'm with you. Alright. So let's do this. Let's let's hear a tune. Maybe maybe play one for us, Chris Acres, and then we'll talk about the album. And then, and then we'll play one off the album so they can get a taste of it. Wonderful. Alright. So which which which one are you gonna play for us? Let's open with one of my favorites to play with the acoustic

called Waiting All My Life. Alright. This is Waiting All My Life. This is from Chris Aker's new album, Nowhere Home. You're listening live from the path. Because I've been waiting on my life for this feeling love, and I've been running on my life from your healing love. And I'm not worthy, but I can't help falling for this love. You're

okay. This is beautiful and true. This is nothing less than you within my heart.

Thirty years have come to this, to the altar to a kiss, to say, how many hours? Because I've been waiting on my life for this feeling love. And I've been running on my life from your healing

love. And I'm not worthy, but I can't help falling for this love. You Because I've been waiting all my life for this feeling love. And I've been running all my life from your healing love. And I'm not worthy,

but I can't help falling for this I'm not worthy, but I can't help falling for this love you give. Or this love

you give. Here we are. I love the dance moves in this studio. Hey, man. Man. Can't but make it happen.

You know? It's where the magic begins. Oh, absolutely. It starts in my waist and moves and moves the way up. That's the magic. It starts in my waist? I'm gonna look I think I should in there. Yeah. Yeah. We should just be That's the magic. Move and look me in the eyes when I speak with you. So that that song sounds like it was ripped right out of a movie. I mean, it's soundtrack material. Well, I was hoping you wouldn't catch that, but Oh. Hey, man. Hey. Supposed to keep that on the Have you seen the Clint Eastwood classic Bridges of Medicine, Kevin? You know, actually, I have yeah. Me neither. Congratulations, Tigger. This

is the song where he's swimming. You know, I I I never find myself listening, like, in in my my personal life listening to and this is not meant to be any by way bad, but, like, boppy music. You know, like, that kind of stuff where you just kinda you you move to it. And I I mean that normally, I would say, hey, man. That's kinda boppy. I don't know if I like that. But that was boppy, and I liked it. Yeah. Like, I was sitting here, yeah. I'm sitting on this. See, I I think it's I think it's as you grow I don't know. It's as you grow older or or something, like, you want something different out of your music. Right? Like, when I was a little younger, I just wanted an an excuse to be angry. You know what I'm saying? And then, like, I chose music that fit that that that that style, you know. And I don't know whether I mean, a lot has to do with coming to know Jesus and looking for some joy and stuff, you know. And then and then all of a sudden, I'm like, you know what? Yeah. I I I can be happy and I like this song. Are you saying that Acres just pulled me out of my teenage angst? You're gone. I did that with one song. Apparently so. Yeah. I just went from I just went from wearing goth makeup all the time to now I like boppy music. I saw this transformation that happened right away. It all fell off. I appreciate it. So I was wondering when he was saying that, is it like, you know, is your musical taste getting better as you get older? Or is it like your taste buds that die as they get older and you I didn't say anything either way there. Actually, I as I as I do get older, I tend to appreciate

songwriters more than I used to. Songs that that that tell a story or craft a moment or elicit a a feeling or even, like, you know, songs songs that that make you smell a smell that's not there. You know what I'm saying? Like, it pulls the the it tells such a story that you pull the entire environment. And, like, there's there's people like you that can encapsulate songs like that and, like, I it blows me away. Like, I can tell I can I can draw a very two d picture if I was to sit down and write a tune? And then, like I said, people like you seem to be able to do like a a full encompassing three d view of the world when you write one. And that's the it just blows me away that you can do that. That's extremely kind of you. Thank you. Thanks, man. It's a great time to be alive, Acres. It's a great time to be alive. So here's the deal, as you can catch that tune on Chris' new album, Nowhere Home. It was out November 15,

where all great music is is sold. I've been spending it on Spotify. You can get on SoundCloud. You can pick it from his website and go to chrisacresmusic.com. Now tell me, this is your first you've done some EPs, but this is your first full length album. Right? Absolutely. Yep. Yep. I wanted to, take a bold bold step and and and, get that all recorded in one spot there. So yeah. Dear, so compared to, to to previous recorded efforts, like, how is this one different or, maybe the same? I think what was different is that I finally said, you know, I think I've reached the end of my abilities,

mixing wise, recording wise, I should bring some other people into this. If I'm going to do a full album, I want to give it every chance it it can have to be good. So I I ended up pulling in a few other guys. I pulled in a guy that I met along the way named Brett Baird. He's record he's mixed for a couple of guys that I really respect, like, like Kings Kaleidoscope and Citizens and Saints. And it just came to that moment, and I said, you know what? I'm not those guys, but why not? Why not at least ask if he's interested? I surprised he went for it. So so we got to have a fun little You know, that does say something that they let you in the door. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah. It it it does have something to say because there's a lot of places where they're we run into this a lot when we're trying to get guests for the show. You know, where they you they open the door, they look at you, and they go, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I don't know. Yeah. No. In fact, I need to check with my email filter because I don't I'm not sure how this happened. How did you get in here? So that yeah. That is that is pretty cool. Is it so the album process, is it did it take don't know. I I'm always interested on how this goes. It's like, do they do they produce it and then they let you hear it and then you go, there's stuff something I wanna change here or no. No. No. That's that's top shelf. We're we're we're done here. Does it is there a lot of volleying going on? Well, that was what was so fun about this whole process was that it was a huge learning process for me. I got to figure out what exactly it was that he did.

I invited him in as a mixing engineer Mhmm. And said, hey. If you want, because you have so much more experience than I do, I would love to get your ears on these songs. And if there are little productional changes you wanna make, shoot them my way, and we'll we'll bounce that back and forth. So for each song, I would say there was a process of probably, you know, three to five bounces back and forth where I would send him the raw tracks. He would mix it down plus maybe a little productional change he wanted to make like, hey, let's not put this kick drum here. Let's put it over here. Right. Let's hold this piano off until verse two to build the dynamics. And, so that was kinda how he stepped in and and just aided me in telling a better story with these songs. Sure. So it was an invaluable

relationship I got to have there. Did he come back with anything that I mean, it was crazy. Like, I'm gonna hit a goose with a mallet, and we're gonna do it in in verse two. Or was everything like I mean, like, they throw a harmonica in somewhere, like, could really use a harmonica here. On on Eden, which is the third track on the album, he he really helped enhance the big instrumental explosion that happens, you know, like eight bars in or something like that, just by adding simple things like tambourine. Mhmm. He is really good, and he has a really, really talented folk duo with his wife, and they're called Handsome and Gretel. And, so he was bringing a really, really good he's handsome, her name literally is Gretel. They they Oh, really enjoys that. Isn't that? I love that way too much. Yeah. I'm sorry. I heard that. I'm like, yeah, buddy. No. I mean, if you can get them on here, that'd be

they are fantastic. But, so he's got a really good feel for organic music, and I think that's what he helped breathe even into some of these more kind of electronic, style or, orchestrations I was pulling out. He still breathed a lot of human, element and elements into it. So it was a really cool thing. It it is cool to have, like, producers like that where, I know what I'm capable of producing. Right? And letting someone else take it and make it into something or or add to it, and and you're like, I would have never thought of that. You know I'm saying? It's when you find people that you can work with like that where you go, that is so out of left field and out of my ability to even come up with. I'm very thankful for you. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And that's it's amazing that you can find people to do that. That's very cool. It was incredible. Yeah. I was super thankful.

So so tell me a little bit about the song, The Beauty. The Beauty is my favorite track on the album. It is the culmination. If there is a a light story that's woven through, it is the journey of a person leaving his home, asking the question, what is home? What what does that even mean? And then he kind of he or she or whoever,

ends up kind of realizing the answer to that question in the final song. And and for me, that answer was home is not it's it's it's that old adage, home is where the heart is. Right. Kind of I I still had to realize that for myself. So it is the home is wherever my friends are, wherever the people that I love are, wherever my mission and my calling is, that's home. It's not a place. And so to have this track end it was really powerful. I got to bring my wife in. She has an incredible voice. And

having her on this really, really drove that point home, I thought. Cool. Well, let's give you just a little bit a little taste of the beauty. This is from Nowhere Home by Chris Acres. And just enjoy just little bit of this tune, and we'll be right back with you. You can listen to the beauty, from, Chris Acres on his, most recent album, Nowhere Home.

That is, I I like the, I don't know, the kind of the vibe going on behind behind the the the words and everything, like, kinda, I don't know, puts you in a space. That's that's what I'm saying. It feels like it out of a movie. And, like, here's the reason that that's a compliment. Right? Like, it's have you ever put your headphones on when you're walking out of the target or something to listen to a tune? And you're like it's like sounds like your life has a soundtrack, you know? Yeah. And your life just it seems instantly cooler that you put a tune on, you know? And like, the the that kind of song is like it feels like it it can encapsulate a moment. You know what I'm saying? Like, it can define a period. It can make a it can make a moment be something that is that is more memorable maybe than it even should have been. You know? And like, once again, sounds like the threat of a soundtrack. Yeah. Do you let me ask you this, Chris Eggers. Do you picture anything in your mind, like, when you're singing singing that song?

Absolutely. There is basically the imagery of what that song was coming out of. That song came out of a moment where early on in my marriage, my wife had gone away for a trip or something like that, and I was just kind of stuck there by myself in the house. And it was in that moment that I really was reminded of how important

and how thankful I was for her. And so I think it really became the picture. That's the picture I have in my mind all the time. It's just in any season having her in front of me, having having her there as as my anchor and and what I wanna just kinda keep in front of me in all things. So that's part of it. Yeah. I think also just the imagery that I've had throughout this album,

started in the first song, Nowhere Home, uses this imagery basically of a of a Polynesian long distance navigator. Which you've had experience in. Which I have no experience in at all. But but the thought of of a man casting off in a ship by himself,

in a rocking ocean or something like that, and searching for that landing space. And so when we get to the beauty, I think I'm thinking of her, of my wife, and I'm thinking of reaching that destination.

So, yeah, those are some of the picture images I have. For heaven's sakes, Acres, people's wives go out of town, and they think about eating, pizza in their underpants and petting the dog. I'm not saying that didn't happen. I I I can do both. Yeah. Hey, man. I I didn't I kinda liked it. Now I'm gonna have to think about that

that Polynesian vibe. That wasn't I didn't know that. Well, see, hearing some of the background of the story, like, it gives even a little bit more vibrancy. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I think there's nothing instrumentally that evokes Polynesia or anything like that, but, it's certainly something that inspired me. Me. Yeah. That was a that was a hair on left field, that Polynesian thing. Yeah. Like, I'm gonna take it in consideration because you wrote the song and all, but, like, I I I didn't see it coming. Yeah. I didn't see it coming. It's right on left field. It's maybe the most obscure reference in the in the album. It's just the medium time to be live, man. Is it? Hey. You think hey. Hey. Where's your mocking skills, Mike? What they're coming out with that new Disney movie. Which one? I don't know. Isn't there a good Yeah. What is it called? Moana. Yeah. Isn't there isn't that Polynesian?

Yes. Yes. I actually wrote the song for that. That's We're gonna we're gonna pitch that as a soundtrack. Okay. So so there was this guy in Des Moines. Right? And he's he was coming up with this he was running a film, and he put ads on Craigslist. He's like, I need actors for this film. And Ben and I get all goofed up about it. We're like, we're gonna be in a film. It's gonna be great. Yeah. So we go down and audition for the main part. That's a definite no. Yeah. But they hire us on well, when I say hire, they mean we can come to this shot later. They're not gonna pay us any money. Yeah. Right. We're we get to rob this I I got to rob this gas station. It was my job. And, so they shoot the scene, whatever, you know, and we and we're convinced that really our duty here is to write the soundtrack. We're gonna write the soundtrack for this tune. You know? Oh, yeah. And so we we burned the midnight oil, like, three days in a row coming up with these tunes, you know, like, this will sell them. You know, he said he's not really interested, but I'm like, you just wait till this will blow them away, you know. It turns out the tunes that we write don't encapsulate life at all. They're just two guys playing drumsticks on top of a stool to make it feel raw. And then like an overdistorted guitar. Hey, I might have the clip of that somewhere. Do you? Yeah. I'll see if I can find it. Yeah. You gotta dig it up. Gotta do that, man. Yeah. It wasn't totally awful, but, I mean, it's not soundtrack quality. It doesn't bring you to a moment like Acres does. It kinda makes you think, I don't know. I forgot my Clark bar.

That's what that's what it does. It could be a Polynesian guy that forgets his Clark bar. Yeah. Right on. Hey. If you've forgotten your Clark bar, you wanna know. That's right. This is an important this is a public service here. I already leave it on the ship. What's a Clark bar? What? What's a Clark bar? It's candy. It's like a candy bar. What is it, though? It's got nougat, I'm guessing. Ben?

I you know, I I don't know. I haven't had a Clark bar in in a long time. It's probably people forget it. I think that's one of those things that I've I don't think I've ever heard of a Clark bar. No one forgets the cherry mash. You know I'm saying? Everybody knows where that is. No? Is it like a Klondike bar? You don't know what a cherry mash is either? Never even heard of a cherry mash. Acres, where are you at on this? Cherry mash? I was just going along with you. I actually don't know what a Clark bar is either. Like, I've heard the phrase. Am I the only guy in here who was raised poorly? Come on. I ate all candy bars. Alright. Cherry mash and Clark parts are the I'm the only guy in the room. What? That's fair. What no. The cherry is that the Bing? Is that the Bing Chase? Yeah. The Bing cherry mash. Where it's the it's the cherry, filling. It it it's it's like a a paste even, like a pink paste Mhmm. Followed on top of chocolate and peanuts. That sounds awful. No. It's great. That's why they call it a mash.

It wasn't born together. Some man put it together. It was it was well regarded enough. Love and care. Well, apparently, when I can have sweets again, I gotta try a Clark bar and a cherry mash? No. I'd skip the Clark bar. Cherry mash, though. Cherry mash. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah. Alright. Hey. Wait. I think I might have found his tune. Okay. Hold on a sec. Let's hear it. Let's see. Can you guys hear that? Yeah. Feel like I lost my Clark part. The drumstick's on a stool.

Hold on. Feels raw. You look like a punisher type guy. That's that was what the was about. Hold on. It's coming. Fred Castle's on his way. I can feel it. Dude, you feel like someone Wait. Wait. Take the check out this. Oh. That's pants. Yes, it is.

Oh, man. It's like Shaft. Yeah. See? I I don't know if it's like Shaft. Yes, it is. I can see Shaq walking down the street to this. It takes a terrible Broadway turn here. You gotta you gotta wait till this piano picture comes in. Hold on. Man, I have been like ten years ago. I forgot about this song. This is ten years old. Yeah.

Okay. Here it goes. What? Yeah. Sounds evident. Now now, shaft. There you go. The piano was supposed to be, hey, man. Now we're running away from the clock. Oh, Yeah. It totally took show tuning. That was the moment he remembered the Clark bar. Yeah. Exactly. That's what he's like, okay. Gotta run back home. Get my Clark bar.

Okay. It's back. Yeah. That's yeah. Coming around. That weird Broadway turn show tuning deal was awful. But now we're back to now we're back to a a like a drug lord in Detroit. That's hip. 03:00 in the morning in Can you imagine the snow sweet Cadillac with a bunch of steam coming off the ground. Couldn't even get over the record this movie. Zach scene. I love it. Hey, man. I wanna listen to this as I walk out of a Target. See, I'm telling you. You're like, I bought a Cherry Mac. That's my moment. What's up, world? People look, what that guy just did? Bought a new mattress pad. What's up? Mattress pad. La fayette. I just left the Tarjay and got myself a sweet new set of dishes. Hey. We should have played that before Acres. It would have sound better. Oh, Acres put the quality tunes up and then we offer that one out. Yeah. I I don't know. Yeah. You gotta build a show and not bring it down. I'm gonna edit that to go in the other direction.

I'm gonna act like we kicked off a show with it. It's like, hey, man. Check out our sweet tunes. So yeah. So you so you can pick up the album. Go to chrisacresmusic.com. He's got a cool stuff now. I you you got some blog action out there, but you're an infrequent blogger, Acres. It's very true. So what what has to be on your mind for you to kick out a blog post? Yeah. How long have you been making promises and not fulfilling them? My whole life, man. Yeah. I usually forget that I have that blog and then I go to my website and remember that I've linked it to that and, look at my sad sad showing. Think it's what? Is it two or three entries now? Yeah. Was Over how much time?

Probably over two years. Oh, buddy. And I still have the one that says, I'm new to blogging. Hey, there's something to be said for suspense with your blog readers. I I always close with stay tuned, you know, just just to see if anybody's just sitting there waiting still guy twenty years later, I'm still tuning in, Chris. Yeah. I'm ready. I think that moment in Interstellar when the guy's just been waiting, you know, and for he's like, where have you been? Well, you knew, man. Yeah. You knew about relativity. Come on. Yeah.

I I made the mistake once of, like I was doing a blog for the church or something, and and I'm like I thought that the way that I will make sure I blog consistently is if I promise to blog consistently out in the public, you know, I'll say, hey. You know, sorry. I haven't been blogging as often as I want. We're gonna do leadership development, and I'm gonna blog more often. And I blogged that time,

and then one time three days later, and then I haven't touched it since. And that's been six years ago. And I'm still waiting, man. Yeah. I'm sitting over here with Acres is like, I just wanna lead people, Ben. Tell me. I might have favorited that blog spot waiting for more blogs. I I couldn't I couldn't produce it. I just don't have the I don't have the might for it. Yeah. I've been through this with Ben before. He picks a lot of writing avenues, and and I'll get geared up about them. And now he's got me saddled into the Facebook where he he posts things like, for your light reading, and it's some diatribe on polycarbonate leaders. It has nothing to do it's not light reading at all. It has got to be the hardest thing ever. I mean, I I I feel like he posts them just to make me feel stupid.

I'm reading it. I'm like, he sounds like a holy man, but why does he talk like this? I don't understand anything he's saying. Yeah. He posts something. This is elementary to me, but maybe you'll you'll dig on it. Not say that. Maybe you could glean something from this, o stewards of the dirt. It was what was it? It was like a letter from Ignatius to the Philippians, like sixty years after, the original Philippian letter. It was like, well, what was changed about the Light reading. Right. But I am a 100% certain he's right. I have seen that for your light reading thing. And then I'm like, hey, Light reading is just a regular Facebook post where I go, alright. I get the deal. I look at yours. I'm like, hey, man. I gotta go to class. Like, I don't have time for this deal. It's like forty five minutes here. I got another homework assignment from pastor Ben. It was sarcasm, a little bit

a little bit sarcasm. Acres, how do you feel your your your Facebook world is? Do you do you do you I don't see a tip on there too often, but, like, you might have me hidden. So Are you talking about my band page or my personal page? Well, maybe I'm not. Either one. Like, how is the digital world treating you these days? Oh, man. You know, I mean, that's a good question to ask anybody, I think, right now. Yeah. Yeah.

I think it's treating me pretty well. It it's interesting to see how the news feed shapes up, and and I think, just even I I spend more time probably observing than I do posting. Yeah. And and I find that that's usually more helpful to people. But, hopefully, it lends a little bit of weight to when I do post post if if it's worth posting. You know? Yeah. That's true. Acres come out of left field, and you're like, this must have really been building up and meaning something, the fact that you're willing to throw something out there. I mean, his last post was six months ago. Yeah. Yeah. He barely blogs. I mean, I'm not sure he's living.

For your light reading. Oh, you know, my, my father-in-law, Wayne, does people the service of putting the, the reading length, the the time. He says, like, estimated three minutes, and I think that's just really kind, you know. Does that mean Unless you're the guy that's, like, seven minutes in, like, am I that slow or something? Wow. I feel horrible about myself now. This pro presenter is judging me.

I'm in the first paragraph because they threw some, like, diatribe in there and I'm like, don't know what that means. I spend most of my time googling your words. Yeah. Who's Ignatius? That's not And everybody signed up for the lady supper. Is that Jack Black's band? Ignatius d? Well, that's that's tricky. I don't know. Here's the deal. That Facebook been a tough world lately. You know what I'm saying? Like I mean, it's it's it's been it's been sourced in in conflict that we just kind of talked about this in in Philip in Philippians is reasonableness was not to be found. Right? Yeah. The things of of where he says, let your reasonableness shine.

And and even even good Jesus fallen folks are like, not today. Yeah. Hey, I'm I'm flip flying crazy. You wanna hear about us? Yeah. Here's another thing I thought of on a whim. Wing. Come on, man. You know what's you know, that's the thing about social media. Right? Like, things you things you, like, wouldn't say to another person because, like, they wouldn't sit there and listen to you. Like, things that I might know, like, I'm not gonna bring that up to my wife because I'm gonna look silly. I everyone else will hear it though. Like, let's just, you know, let's just do for some reason, that's become our filter as to whether we have legit conversations. We like throw it out on Facebook Mhmm. And see how people react to it and then introduce it into everyday common life. That's true. No. I mean, don't you figure that, like, I didn't tell you in the times. You know, like, the Lord gave us he he gave us space and opportunity

to not immediately screw ourselves by opening our mouth too fast. Do know what I'm saying? Like and then we decide we're gonna vent the telephone and then the Internet. They were like, there's too many blockades between me saying exactly what I wanna say right now. Whizbang, it's out there. You know? And, like, I I cannot say that it's been to our, it's been to our detriment. Like, it's not been it's not been a positive thing. And I'm actually not even against social media. I think it's great. Sure. But, like, to some extent, it's it's somehow taken the license to be reasonable and just thrown it right out the can. Like, it's not even necessary.

Here's who I am. Eat it. And and that's the way people live, you know. And it's it's it's all a bit much. Well, it's it's also it's an inflated sense of self. Right? Like Yeah. If something else happens in the world and you feel like, hey, people's gots to hear what I wanna say about it, that's an inflated sense of self. Is is, I mean, you you may be interesting, and perhaps God has given you a skill or the other. But it's the same it's the same Lord Jesus who has you, you know, being slow to speak. Die digesting things in, being reasonable, you know, making sure that you're you're showing, grace and and providing hope in the things the words that you're speaking. And so, like, you know, your instant reaction to something or another or trying to take in someone else's instant reaction, which causes you to stop being able to digest the world on your own. Like, I've seen that from people who they get used to hearing from people on, social media, and they're like, I don't know what to think about this until this person tells me. I'm like, come on, man. Like, we're we're we're ruining decent skills we have to look at the world and say, you know what? I I actually don't care about this and, I'm okay with that as opposed to that guy's really fired up about it, so am I. Right. It's like a tag team of of of a bunch of, like, half cocked jokers who don't have anything better to do but kinda pass it around. And I think I think about it like all the benefits you'd think of, say, fifteen years ago, twenty years ago when they were like, this Internet, and everyone's gonna get all connected together, and you'll able to get news like this. And I'm like, great. All the things that I thought would happen would be like all the stuff that goes on in other countries that I am ignorant of.

And I now I will know. And then I can't be the foolish American that I've always been, and I will be forced to say, I've got we I we gotta do something. We could if we're gonna be a global society, then we're gonna care for a global society, and we're gonna help poor. I don't care if they're here there. And here's what we're gonna do. And instead, we've basically just taken a spotlight on our own grandiose behavior and said, hey, Gilmore Girls. Coming out into the Thanksgiving. Here's five trailers. I better go check it out right now. And then and there I am, oh, what's gonna happen? You know? Like a fool. Right. Right. It it causes me social media causes me to engage in behavior I never would if it wasn't present. Like, I don't ever look out my living room window and look across at my neighbor's house and go, I wonder what they're thinking right now. What's going through Bill's head? Right. But but, like, what do I do when I whip out the old phone and get on the Facebook? I'm like, what's Bill thinking?

And, like, for some reason, he's he's a level of importance in my life. Like, I care what he's doing or thinking right now, potentially what he's eating, what he's taking a picture of, or he went on vacation last week, things that I might ask him. I might care about if I run into him at the mailbox. But, like, I I'm just not I'm just like, I got nothing better to do. Bill has something to say to me. Actually and and overall, it's exhausting is what it is. It's just absolutely exhausting to to to attempt to pour into that many folks. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, even even let's say you're doing it with the best intentions. Right? Like, you're you're not on there to cause a bunch of trouble. You got quite a few friends, and you're just like, just wanna keep in touch with these people. Yeah. And, like, that turns out to be a lot of people. And now you've turned out to be an inch deep friend for, like, 300 guys. Yeah. You know? And, like, I'm not saying that you can't be loving and you can't serve because you you can do both those things at an inch deep. But, like, that can't be your whole existence is inch deep relationships with a thousand people. Because then you never get deeper. Because you never get deeper. And then and and really, all it is is is because, I mean, obviously, on social media, you get to choose how you're portrayed, And at which which actually should it should blow your mind on how some people are portrayed on Facebook. You know I'm saying? You have a complete You had every chance here, man. Exactly. And even after you posted that, you had the option to delete that. Yeah. I mean, you had every And you didn't. Every step could have stopped you from being a donkey. And you're like, donkey time. And there and there you went. Yep. But but, like, all that aside, you know, like, sometimes it is nice to see what people that you you've lost touch with or don't get hang around with much are doing. You're good for them or whatever. But the truth of the matter is, like, spend way more time swimming in an inch inch deep pool than you ever used to. Now you're an inch deep swimming on your belly with your bum hanging out the water and your feet up in the air and never actually finding a pool of of rich refreshing water. And, like, there's there's something to be said about that and something at least to be aware of, to be leery of. And it's not putting the big boohoo on social media because that is really not the case. I really think anything can be used for God's glory, and it's fine. Yeah. Right? But, like, on the whole, I I fall into this quite a bit. I'll end up being an inch deep pool for a couple weeks, and I'm like, I I don't know any of these people. I I'm struggling with stuff I've told no one. You know I'm saying? And and so, like, that's a that's a disaster. That is not a way to live. Yeah.

And people that you didn't slowly, the way that they filter who it is that you are swimming in, basically, you know, it's it changes so quickly and so subtly Yeah. That pretty soon, you you pause, and you're like, wait. My entire news feed or whatever it is that I'm that I'm looking at is full of people that I barely interact with. Right. I think I went to high school with this guy. I don't know. He spends with other people. He's having a powerful impact on my life now because I'm seeing it every day all the time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I guess he's having a hard time getting to work cause his car's broken down. I mean, that's tough life, but I I mean, I don't know. Don't know who this man is. That happened to me last week. I was friends I'm friends with a guy on Facebook, and I thought I was friends with him because, like, we went to school with him.

But it turns out he planted a he planted a church somewhere, and I've I finally I clicked on his name because he he comes up, like, twice a day. And I clicked on his name and, like, I don't recognize that guy at all. And then I looked him up, and he did not graduate from my high school. He's, like, ten years older than I am. And I like, I I have no idea why I'm connected with this man at all. And then I told the story to my wife, and she says, you should have friend him. I thought, oh, no. I don't I mean, we're kinda buddies. Yeah. Well, he seems alright. I see him twice a day. I take him in. You know? He seems like a good fella. And it like, yeah. It was it was it was a weird thing, and then there's there's also, like, a couple people, like, every time they're they pop up, I gotta check them out. I'm like, oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then I thought, you know, maybe I just don't have to. Maybe that's not a thing and maybe I don't have to be friends with him. And then what? There's one dude, I mean, he posts the foulest things that I've ever seen in all my life. It's not me. Right? No. I don't think so. I don't think so. You've really shaped up. Mean, he's so tiny. His name is Chris Baker. Name protector. He's he has stolen a picture from your website and superimposed

a turban on it. I'm not saying the man's not clever. I'm just saying it's vulgar. But anyway, like, it's one of those things where you're like, oh, I'll use social media to spread light to the world. But then I think to myself, like, this guy is, like, pumping out darkness. I mean Yeah. He's got it full on, things that I don't need to be thinking about thinking about him thinking about. And I think I should just unfriend this man. I thought, no. No. I'm gonna be light. And I I can't I still can't fail. I I hide him probably every six months out of every year, and I bring him back. And then he says something really offensive,

and I think to myself, oh, man. I I can't I gotta give you another break, friend. And I hide him again. It's a rough word trying to manage that kind of thing. Yeah. It is. See, it's exhausting. That's what I'm saying. I can't give that guy an inch though. He's foul. I find I actually, the the my my immediate thought is, we do Facebook fast, but then I thought how counterintuitive. Right? Like, just before you were on your fast, you left it to the world. You're going why aren't you just going to fast? You know I'm saying? You don't need their approval that you ain't gonna be on there. Just don't tell anyone. Just just be like, I'm out. I'm I'm just gonna be gone for a little while and and and reset myself. Actually, we just instituted this at my house. We did a technology ban for the week of Thanksgiving so we could work on, you know, the stuff we're actually thankful for, the stuff that's important. And and it's once again, I'm not saying technology is evil, but, like, sometimes you just need a hard reset. And and and what's that guy from Hands For Haiti or whatever was talking about this stuff? Yeah. He was talking a little bit about this last week when he was talking about some short term mission stuff as he said, people really get fired up. I was like, I loved it. I'm gonna move to Haiti. I love it here. You know? And and he goes, until you start asking him questions. I was like, what did you do? You know? And he said, well, you know, we got up in the morning and and we did our devotionals and we hung out together as a community. And then okay. So what'd do after that? Then we went out and helped people all day. We served a bunch of people in the community, and, we ate we ate a big lunch together and whatnot. And then we came back for dinner, did some worship tunes, hung out some more with my community, went to bed. He's like, do you do any of those things at home? Well, no. I don't do any of those things at home. Okay. So here's the deal. It's like, don't know if you exactly love Haiti.

You love what God has created community to be. And so you can you can move to Haiti. There's no doubt that's a possibility. Right? But look at the things you're really loving. You're loving being in community with people and and worshiping and reading God's word and and and helping folks, you know, and and that's what you're in love with. And, like, sometimes I think, like, God's path to joy, is so simple, and we and we make it complicated with weird things. And and, really, he's he's set it up. He's like, just trust in me. Follow me where I go. Do the things that I say. These aren't these aren't rules and laws that I'm gonna hit you overboard with. They're more like, this is how you get to joy, and it breaks my heart when you choose not to do that. You know? And so it's just a dad looking down going, come on, man. I've told you how it's done, and this is the way I want you to live because I love you, not because I want to hurt you. I I love you. And and so we took a we did a technology freeze at the house and said, look. You know, let's just let's get back to what we can do. We're gonna play a credit card monopoly or something, which I hate. And, it takes so long to debit the card. You know what saying? I can do flip the cash out with you. Hey, man. It's like that Clue junior. Yeah. I hate Clue junior. That's not fuss. It's the worst game ever. So, anyway, when you do a technology ban, I'd I'd find the old school monopoly and go that route. It's the guy with the juice and the thing, and I hate it. Sorry. Wait a minute. Did they tone down the weapons so they weren't as offensive? Yeah. He's he's eating someone's leaving cookie crumbs.

Oh, yeah. No. Well, I hate that game. Has someone still been killed, or are they just asleep somewhere? No. Some dude eating cookies just got murdered? Some dude's feelings were hurt in the study. Oh, no. Oh, no. That's awful. It was colonel Mustard with the offensive Facebook post in the lab. Hide it, man. Yeah. It was Bob Conservative. Old old high school friend with the harsh words and the the booby meme

in the library. That's the guy. That's the guy I have to hide. He can't keep himself under control. You know, I mean, we gotta shy away from crime now. We can't even tell people what crime is. That's terrible.

So, Moova, tell me about this flash mob you you were not involved in. Oh, it's awesome. Now the flash mob has not happened yet, which I'm excited about. Okay. I'm a try and stop it still. But, so I got Snapchat from a friend from school, and it's it's one of the it's not even a picture. It's just one of the chats. Right? And so she says, hey, man. Do you wanna be involved in a flash mob for Jesus? And I immediately and she right after she goes, are you a good singer?

Excellent. Is this the same question? And so I responded with no and no. No. I do not wanna be involved in a flash of for Jesus. And no, I'm not a good singer. And she goes, wait a minute. Why don't you wanna be involved in a flash mob for Jesus? She was not worried about the fact that I was not a good singer. Right. She was more worried about the fact that I was not interested in the flash mob. She goes, you love talking to people about Jesus. I said, yes, I do. She goes, you do it all the time. I said, yes, I sure try to. And she goes, isn't it such an awesome opportunity to go out and in a big way plant seeds for Jesus? And I said, how exactly do you think you're planting seeds? I said, if you can give me an honest explanation as to that, we'll start talking. And she goes, well, we'll be singing in front of people. We'll be you know, we'll be singing,

about god, and we'll be talking about him and stuff like that. I said, okay. What if someone has a question in the middle of your song? And she goes, I said, what if someone says, hey. Hold up. What can you only imagine? Exactly. What what about this thousand chords thing? What's going on right now? Why is there so many chords? Why are there lot of Are there a lot of middle that they need this many chords?

There's hurt feelings I said, what happens if somebody has a question? She goes, I I don't know what to say. I'm like, yeah, exactly. My point. So no one can interact with you with your song. And she goes, okay. And I said, so I get what you're saying. You are saying the name of Jesus, which you and I both agree has power. I believe in the concept of worship, and I think it's a really cool deal. But you're not doing it for a gospel perspective. You're doing it so people hear the name of Jesus and go, oh, that was cute. Like, you get another Facebook video where someone does a a cool song, but that's it. You're not actually furthering the kingdom. I said, now, if you want me to be the guy that's sitting on the sidelines, and so when someone says, hey, I have a question about what that gal just sang, they can come over to me, and then we'll have a conversation about Jesus. I am in. But when it comes down to it, I'm not gonna be the guy that just goes and sings in front of the deal. And so she got all kinds of upset at me. She gets upset saying, I don't know why you're not wanting to spread the gospel of Jesus. I I don't know why you're not wanting to spread the gospel of Jesus. And I said, hey, here gal, here's the deal. You are not spreading the gospel of Jesus. I said, love your heart in this. I think it's amazing that you're excited to do this, and you're not afraid of doing this in front of people, and you want to be bold in this perspective. But I'm I'm pushing you to be bold in a more impactful perspective. I said rather than just singing to these people, how about you and I go in there and we start walking up to random tables, we sit down, and we honestly and earnestly try to get to know these people and build relationships with them so that we're in very awesome spots to be able to talk to them about who their father is. So I'm not talking about just, randomly sitting down and going, hey, everybody. You enjoying that pizza? You know who invented pizza? Jesus. And then having that conversation. Or doing the creepy, hey, man. I see you just drank from the water fountain. You know who's the water of life? Jesus. Like, that's weird, and we're not gonna go Ned Flanders on the deal. I want to build relationships with these people. It's not about being a verbal bible track. And she goes, what do you mean by verbal bible track? Said, do know what a bible track is? She goes, yeah. It's the piece of paper that's got the verses on it. I said, how many people have ever come up to you and said, man, I found Jesus on a piece of paper today?

And I'm super excited about it. And she goes, well, no one's ever said that. I said, has anyone ever in your entire time calling yourself a Christ follower come up to you and said, hey, man. I heard this sweet worship tune. I don't know who Jesus is, but that tune really made me start going towards him, and I wanna know more about him. And she goes, well, no. That's never happened. I said, yeah. Because worship is not really meant for for non believers. It's it's worshiping God and and giving him worth. It's not meant to be, hey, let non believers hear you singing my name, and then they'll find me. It could be that. And I'm not saying God doesn't have that, but that's not normally how it goes.

And so an hour and a half of this conversation, she's still upset at me about why I'm saying that I don't want to go and further the kingdom of Christ. And so we've compromised to the point where she goes, well, I just don't think you understand where I'm coming from. And I said, I do not understand where you're coming from. You are correct. I said But like I said, if you do a flash mob, you make sure I'm there. I'm happy to sit along the sidelines. Anytime somebody wants to talk about Jesus, they can come walk over to me, y'all keep singing, and I'm gonna keep talking to people about Jesus so we can actually have an interaction. And that way, they have questions, can answer them, or I can actually try and start building a relationship with them rather than just calling on his name and saying, hey. There's a really cool dude that you don't know about, and he's an here's a cool song about him. I would rather be the one that's just like, hey. There's a really cool dude that loves you entirely and created your existence, and here's why he loves you, and here's why you should love him. I think it's dead on, Buva. There's two things that stood out to me in this story. One, that their discipleship program is not to spread seeds as much as hit people with the bag of seeds. Wham.

And two, have you listened to worship music and thought about it from an an outsider's perspective? It's creepy. There's a large amount of blood and lambs Uh-huh. That are unexplainable. It's cultish and creepy. Unexplainable. Blood, lambs, usually some kind of storm rolling in. And, like, none of that is inviting unless you understand the author of the storm. Why are Christians always in storms? I just I don't understand why life is so hard. It seems to me you're offering me nothing but blood, lambs, and and bad weather. I don't even like sheep, and I'm not interested. But, yeah. That's that's dead nuts. And like you said, like, I I think you nailed it. Like, I I love the heart on that thing. Like, I know why you wanna do it. Let's just let's just direct it. You know what saying? Let's just let's direct it at people and and and not the, I picked up a 40 pound bag. What do you think of this?

Yeah. Like, there's a there's a thing about spreading seeds where, like, it still has to be a fertile ground. Or or even let's go with a ground at all. Right. Right? Like, if you knock on a guy's door and chug a bunch of seeds into his living room, like, ain't gonna happen. It ain't gonna happen.

Spreading the word. And so and, like and and I suppose, like, here's the thing. Here here's what here's a hard here's a hard hard hitter for me is sometimes we get so comfortable with the thought that says, I'm just I'm just sowing seeds that, like,

you actually might just be chucking them in a guy's living room with where, like, the the you didn't cultivate a ground. You didn't farm anywhere. You didn't, like the way the bible uses that is not intended to say you just you chuck it into the into the manure pile. The the the the thought is to say is you may not be there the whole it's a time issue. You may not be there the whole time. Other people might be there to water it. Other people might be there to help, like, watch it grow and then produce and then multiply. You may not be there for the full length of time, but that doesn't necessarily mean that, like, your job is just to kinda walk up and down the streets as the town crier,

yelling yelling Troubadour? Yeah. Like, if that worked, then there would be there would be at least 12 homeless guys downtown discipling people for Jesus Right. Who just kinda walk up and down and and shout things in the air. And so it's it's the it's the right heart, except for, hey, let me introduce you to a relational god

by producing an event Right. Or a very flat response in introducing you to him. Mhmm. Here's what's interesting, is because, the revivals in the eight, eighteenth century or nineteenth century, early nineteen hundreds, effective effective word. Right? Like, that that wasn't a relational thing. That was people taught like a guy walking around reviving. Okay? God's word is powerful.

Do I think people can meet Jesus through a song? Yes. Do I think it's normative? Probably not. But but but, like, could someone hear a song and and could it lead somewhere? God has done crazy things with circumstances I can't imagine. Okay? But but it that isn't that isn't how Jesus disciple. Right? So, like, if I if I strip everything else away and say, as a follower of Jesus, I actually follow Jesus. What Jesus does are the types of things that I do. His was much more relational. His his was interacting with people. His was, telling stories, introducing people to Jesus, and it was very much more of a of a it wasn't

so much of an event oriented thing, that had no possible way to connect with them. Right? It was like, yay, high fives, turn off video camera, we walk away. Right. Did you meet God there? Like, I that that that's where the hesitancy, I guess, would be. Not that God can't do anything he wants with any of that.

And it's possible that he can. It's just am I actually looking at people and saying I love you because Jesus loves me and I look at a world and I say I love you? I'm doing this flash mob because I love you. Like, probably not. Like, there was some something else baked into that that says this would be cool. And so as opposed to, like, I love you. I'm uncomfortable just sitting down at your table and striking up a conversation, but I'm a do it anyway because I'm so excited for you to meet my Jesus. Right. Like, that that that would be the distinction. And here's the thing is it's different for different people. That, like, you might have here's my I'm gonna just take these numbers for what it's worth. Right? But if a 100 people trying to do a flash mob, my guess is you got three people in there who actually love people who are like, heck, yeah. This is actually gonna do anything. And they believe it, and I freaking think that it might for those three people. I your other 97 are probably like, we get to be part of a flash mob coup. Take You know Is this gonna end up on Facebook?

Yeah. Here's the the most passionate guy will lead people to Jesus to the most crazy means you've ever met because that that, like, that guy actually means them. Mhmm. It's just not prescriptive for everybody else. And so I would actually rule out the flash mob because I don't like to have you I don't have people trading on things that they otherwise don't aren't doing any different. Right. That that would but it's it's crazy interesting to see all the ways. Like, for every time I'd say, hey. Tracks don't work, somebody did it. Right? Right. Some dude some dude got a pamphlet somewhere and was like, I love Jesus now, and you're like, oh. And that's exactly what I told her. I said, I'm not saying it won't work entirely. Like, I'm not I'm not saying there's not a single person or story in the world where somebody did a flash mob and they started singing an amazing praise song, and somebody heard the name of Jesus and went, hey, man. That name, I know that name. Yeah. I need to talk to those people about that guy. Because I remember that from I went to Sunday school one time with my buddy, and I felt weird about it, but now I'm in a hard place. Right? Like, that can happen. Sure. Exactly, though. It's not normative. Yeah. And, like like, it it depends on your environment. It depends on the people. Rice Lee was talking about that when he was in here. It it it makes a difference in places like Salt Lake because they actually don't have information. Right. Whereas the first time they've heard it. In the Midwest, I'm not running into people that have no concept of Jesus Christ. Right. And so I I would be very hesitant to that handing them data or information,

true things about Jesus is actually what does it. It's a much more relational culture here. And so I think I think the, the the random passerby event might be a, oh, hey. That's cool. But you're probably not gonna accomplish, what you think you're gonna accomplish, or you've you've started a process way more inefficiently than you would need to that, like, a handshake and a coffee invite or a dinner or a casual conversation repeated for the next six weeks, you probably actually make a lot more progress for what you want. So if that's what you really care about, the question is your method actually doing what you expect. Mhmm. Yeah. Alright, Buva. That's crazy. Now wait. The the other other Buva centric item, there was a film crew following you earlier this week? No. Last week. Last week. Yep. Last week. Why? So,

there was a thing that happened at DMACC, where an email got sent out to all students asking about, us explaining our situations of, dealing with, depression, coping with, anxiety,

all kinds of, of mental health possible problems, and, and more specifically, suicide awareness and things that. Right? And so, I've been very, immersed in that environment in the last,

ten years. And and so I decided to respond to that and say, you know, this is what I've done. This is how I've come through, and this is my life and what I've gone through. And so I get an email back from, from the counseling, staff, asking me to come in for an interview and, to kinda just tell my story and tell where I'm coming from and what else happened in my life. So I I went to this interview, talked to two gals. They asked me questions. I answered them, and they they liked my answers. They liked my experiences and what I'd been through,

and, you know, how my faith has helped me through this and, you know, the pathing passing of both my parents and dealing with, like, friends that have have either committed suicide or attempted and all that good stuff. Right? And so they invited me to, to do, a kind of like a small film documentary kind of thing with them, to where they were going to have a film crew that did an interview with me. Thirty minutes worth of interviewing kinda asking me a bunch of questions about depression and asking me a bunch of questions about coping with depression, coping with,

issues in life and how to persevere through that, how I'd respond to someone who, is a survivor of a suicide, how I would respond to a student who was, contemplating suicide, all this kind of stuff, like a a large, a list of questions. And so did this, like, half an hour interview with them. I was one of three or four students that were picked throughout all of DMACC to do this. And then they kind of followed me around campus for a little bit and took some, I I think they called it b roll. I don't know if that's the So candid photo of Boova on the Pride. Right. Exactly. It'd be walking around campus or me sitting in the in the student center doing homework or something like that. It's just, and and it's all part of this federal program, that's about, I think, specifically suicide prevention awareness,

more specifically within college campuses and stuff like that. Yeah. And so it was kinda funny because so a couple weeks ago, I actually, went through the anniversary of my mom's suicide. It was six years ago on November 7. And so,

I've been having a lot of difficulty with that. Like, it's been it's been hurting a lot, and I've had a lot of struggle, coming up to that. And so every year has been different, but this year has just been hitting me really hard. And it's kinda put me in a in a depressive state where I just I was not, I was not dealing with it very well. And I was praying to God just asking him, you know, there's a lot of of emotions that I thought I was done with. I was I was angry at my mom, and I was I was resenting my mom for for for what had happened. And I just I was not excited to be in that place, and I hate when I get that way because it it I take it out on a lot of my relationships, and I take it out on on the memory of my mother, and I don't like doing that. And it's it's a painful thing for me. And so I'm sitting there just asking God, God, show up and show off with something. Show up with something that's gonna make it so this is no longer such, an awful time. Like, obviously, it's never gonna get great, but at the same point in time, I don't wanna hate my mom.

Like, I don't wanna be angry at her for this stuff anymore. I want that to be gone. I want joy through through you and peace through you for this stuff. And so and then God kinda just shows up with this opportunity for me to to not only tell the story of of my mom and and all of the the the suicide attempts and all the different stuff and and her her eventual suicide and and stuff like that. But, like, getting to tell that story is a is a therapeutic thing for me. But more importantly, god made it so that it it was not only about me, which is is a big deal in my life, because I am a prideful beast, and I have, so much issues with with keeping stuff about me. And God just showed up with this whole thing that's like, hey. You know, you're gonna think this is a cool thing for you where you get to talk about your story, but it is going to be possibly bigger than you could think. And it was an opportunity for me to not only share the story of my mom, but to share the story of Jesus in my life, to

even if they cut that stuff out, I shared it to a film crew. Right? Yeah. Like, I talked to I talked to counselors about how, how as a as a 19 year old kid, like, I had to I had to deal with with this stuff, and and I fell. And and the only thing that was able to to pick me back up was was, was Jesus Christ as my savior. And, like, having that relationship was the only thing that makes me be able to stand here today and and honestly be alive right now. And if if that's it, that's that's an amazing thing for me because I love I love telling people about my dad my my father, and and and it's a wonderful feeling. It's so it was just a cool thing where where I thought it was gonna be a fun deal where I got a chance to tell my story, and then God just shows up and says, you know, it's it's it's more than you. Let me be glorified through this. Right? Like, let me be, be the one who gets who gets glory, who gets honor through this. And, you know, I I had I had to stop myself before going to the interview, and I really did thing that, that I I was glad that I did because I really started praying. I'm like, god, makes make certain that my mind and heart don't try and take this over from my glory because I'm I I'm full of myself. I really am. And and God make it so that it's something that's about you, not me. And it totally was. It was such an awesome opportunity to get a chance to sit there and talk to the film crew and talk to, to the interviewers and talk to the counselors and just kinda, share my story. And I hope that I said Jesus' name enough that there's no way they're gonna be able cut them out. And and that, like, some students can possibly,

glean from this or the opportunity to to hear, that there's no fancy five step program that's not rooted in God's love. Like, there's there's nothing that made my life so far a success story when it comes to dealing with depression and all this different stuff that wasn't completely, immersed in the fact that Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior, I get my peace and my worth and my love from him versus anything that I can say, well, hey. You gotta meditate every day, or, hey. You gotta make certain you find some people you love. Right? Like, it's not just about your purpose. It's about his purpose, and that's that's such an important thing that that I hope that, like I said, if if no student ever hears, at least the counselors hear, at least the film crew gotta hear. Amen. And so it was just it was an amazing opportunity that that it was a whole day of just absolute peace for me, and I was not expecting at all.

I literally thought it was just gonna be another thing where I'm just like, okay. I'm a give this to God and let it be. But it was just such an awesome day to to be able to tell stories about my parents and remember all that stuff. But then, again, just be able to tell God's story, and give my testimony of how I'm alive today. It was such a cool cool opportunity. I'm really excited. That is going to be a part of, like like I said, a little miniseries, about depression and dealing with, with the,

the stress of of being a college student. But then, there's a possibility that it's gonna go bigger than just DMACC because it's a part of a federal program that DMACC got a federal grant for. So there's a possibility that it will leave our campus and go to multiple campuses. And I'm not even gonna try and figure out how big it's gonna go because I'm gonna let God do that. Yeah. Because even if I thought of something really huge, there's a chance that that's just a Buva sized thing, and God's got something even bigger. And who knows? My big may be different than God's big. God's big could be the one person that helps, and my big could be a hundred thousand. So I'm a let God define what that looks like. So yeah. That's awesome, Buva. I this is my favorite part about the lord. Bubba says,

lord, I just I just want peace. That's all I want. And he goes, how about a film crew? What if I send that picture over? I mean, until you have to tell the whole story. How about that? Yeah. I guess. It's like, alright, guys. I guess that sounds right. Work. I mean, it never it never ever looks like what you think it's gonna look like. Right. Oh, absolutely. It never ever looks like. This is and it that's that's what kinda rounded out our our that that Job thing I was talking about with the ladies earlier today,

is, I was reading through Job with the with the gals, you know, and it it it was it's kind of a tough book for a six and a nine year old girl, but we were gonna plow through it anyway. And and, anyway, we got up to the point where God shows up and starts putting the heavy down, and and I asked him who they who we are in the story. And the youngest one guessed Jesus because that's she always guesses Jesus, and I said, no. That's wrong. Then she guesses That's always the right answer. Yeah. I said, not in this house, Curly. Get get over your bed. How dare you? Same Sunday school. We're gonna do Hebrews next. You don't straighten up. Talk about my kazadek. Hey. I got a I got a Ignatius to the Philippians if she wants to read through it.

I heard that's a light read. Oh my god. And so the, the nine year old is is she's well versed in me. She's like, we're the Elihu. We're the people who aren't doing right. And I said, yeah. That's right. That's right. And I said, why why are these guys why are we having such trouble with these fellas? And and and it it came to it where of all their babbling for, like, 30 chapters, they're presuming to they're presuming to to to know what God knows. They're presuming to speak on God's behalf. They're presuming to say this is how God will do something, and this has to be what happened. And and, like, all of that was built in a in a in a self righteousness and and and your ability to sit in a seat and point a finger, and, like, it it just it it hit me when Boo Boo was talking. I'm like,

we are the you know what I'm saying? Like, if you'd have said if if Boo boo would have came and asked me, you know, I'm feeling rough about this thing. I just want some peace. I'm like, pray for peace. You know? And in the back of my head, I'm like, the Lord will provide a wave of peace that will just rest upon you like a dove. You will not understand it. And the Lord goes, film crew. Yeah. Let me send some guys over. I'm gonna need you to walk around and tell people things. You know? And I'm like, I'm blown away because I I have I have repeatedly told the children just tonight that we are Lihue only to find out that I am indeed still Lihue. Even in my best days, I am still a Lihu, but the Lord has least given me the ability to know that I am. But To know the difference. Think think about what happened there though, like, something where completely reasonably, you're in a circumstance like that. Right? And you're saying, God, I just I want something that will help me. I want to not feel this way, or I want to stop worrying about it or being anxious about it or, you know, what or process it correctly, whatever the answer is. Right? And god's response to

a right request from one of his children for peace, and he says, I will use it to glorify my to glorify me and to serve others. Right? Like, the very thing that otherwise that actually it's interesting thing that that that that is ultimately where the peace came from. Right? Because, like, that's how I think a piece coming. Right? I sit somewhere and it waves over me. Yeah. Right? And then I look out the window and I see a dove and I smile. I meditated for a while then looked at a tree. Like a cheesy dove over the Yeah. And sometimes it happens. Yeah. Yeah. But but yeah. Acres doesn't wanna discount this. He likes the way the peace. I just experienced it sometimes. Right on. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. So it's like, it's not that you can't have it that way, but it's interesting to see that sometimes, like, the answer to how do I provide you peace is, like, through your through your pain, I turn that into a way that otherwise serves God and shows love and service to others.

And and and there and there's peace found in that. Right? To see that that that, like, there is a, instead of coming just coming to terms with it, there becomes something that otherwise produces a good into the world from something that otherwise was not a good Yeah. Or that's hard to see as a good. Which is basically the only way that God promises things. He says everything that I do is for is is for my glory and your joy. Right. I don't do one thing at a time. I only do two. That's true. He works on he works on those levels. Like, reasonably, no one could say, hey, man. A a guy got murdered and put on a cross. How could that be a good? Well, we figured it out. Here's the deal. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So so if there's a if there's a lesson that probably more even more broad, it would be is that, if I I let me continue to to trust God to solve

or to be part of the circumstances and to keep his promises. But for heaven's sakes, keep your eyes open for how he's gonna do it. Right. Like, delight in the fact that God will God will provide the exciting parts to see how he will do it. In what way will he otherwise provide for the thing that he promised? And it's almost always, it's it's a God sized answer, not a not a man sized answer. I always feel cheesy when I advocate for this, though, but that's that's such an awesome reason to do the like, we've talked about it here, purge journaling. Yeah. Like, to do the whole, you know, this is exactly what I asked God for. And I I've done that before where, like, I wrote expectations,

which, I I probably wouldn't do anymore, but, like, I wrote, like, hey, God. You know Then you look up, suggest, are you taking suggestions? Yeah. Exactly. Like, here's what I need, God. Here's three ways you could possibly do it. Here's here's what I came up with. And then and then see if you like, six years later, look back and see if you had a check mark next to any of your suggestions, which is probably a no. It would be so awesome if the Lord put, like, like, frowny faces next to him while you were sleeping. Like, good try, son. You woke up. No. That's that's a unanimous no from God on the three suggestions from Poohba. No. But, like, writing down something you're asking God for, whether it be, like, peace in a situation like this, or whether you're, asking God for for boldness in your in your faith of of going and speaking to people about him or whatever, shaking up your life because you feel comfortable and you don't want to anymore, which Yeah. I you better be ready for that prayer, by the way. Yeah. Like, if you're gonna if you're gonna ask God to eliminate your comfortability, and then you go, hey, God, why am I no longer comfortable? You gotta realize, like like like, that is not a deal where you go, okay, God. Wrote it down, man. Yeah. You're not gonna say, hey, God, give me give take away my comfortability. He goes, alright, your mattress is no longer ultra firm. It's gonna be this. It's like, that's not that's not how I lie this tree for days. Where's my weight of peace? You're used to the ultra firm, now you got the plush mattress. Oh, buddy. Oh, God eliminated my comfortability. No. He's gonna he's gonna make you lose your job or something or he's gonna take you to a different country or he's gonna show you that there's so much stuff. I mean, just be be ready for the consequences of that prayer. But and, seriously, writing down that kind of stuff, and and I'm I'm advocating it for is a hypocrite because I don't do it. Yeah. You know, writing down the the prayer itself and then looking back and saying, this is exactly how God showed up with that. And if anything, how awesome of a story of your life is that where you get to go, you know, forty years from now in your walk, you look back at when you first started walking with Christ or ten years into it when you had your first child, what your prayer life looked like, and then you get to go, I remember that prayer, and I remember how God completely shook my life because of that. Yeah. And it's such a cool thing to be able to reflect on and tell people about. So I haven't been part of that conversation, but what I what I love about

the the advocating for journaling and everything and telling your story and being ready is that the more you do it, the better you know your story. Right. Yeah. And and, yeah, I I think about that. I've gone back to old journals and read things and been like, wow. I forgot I was that guy. Right. Right. I forgot I wrestled with that. And Yep. Wow. Look at what God has done. Yeah. Testament number two. Right? I forgot I wrestled with that. Right. Right? Like, stuff that that that that was that was it created to stronghold you, and you're like, I did used to deal with that. And, like, you get to say that used to be me. Right. You know, at at youth group this week, we actually talked about, testimonies. And I I it was a word that, obviously, we know, but I wanted to see if if, like, 10 year olds knew it or or 13 year olds knew it. So I asked him, I said, know, hey, what's testimony look like? And they go, it's it's a testimony. And I'm like, okay. So don't use the don't use the definition in the definite or the word in the definition. They go,

and so I we kinda started this thing because I they're so scared to talk, and I love it. It cracks me But I I refuse to let them be scared to talk, so I made them work together, like, to come up. I said, just throw a word out, and then you bounce off that word, and you bounce off that word. And we came up with this this definition that I kinda like, which was, God's story through us, which is our testimony. And it was funny because, myself and and our other youth leaders, we talked about our testimony. You're absolutely right, you know, being able to go back and and look at that and then be able to tell that story fluently, not necessarily to to sharpen the craft so that you, you're, you're good with your tongue being able to say it, but from the perspective of, like, every detail that you can give out is another thing that people can bring from, and look at, well, that's another character of God or that's Yeah. Another part of piece of the character of God, how he worked through that. That's such a cool thing. So Well, yeah. I mean, you is your, as time passes, the context of that story continues to expand. Right. Even if the terms of the story itself didn't. Right? The context used to be, I'm, I met Jesus. I struggled with this. Five years later, your context is now you don't struggle with that thing anymore. Right. Or you you've been asking God for something, he answered and either answered the way you expected or not expected or whatever. So, like, the the the story continues to roll. Right? So your environment continues to change around those things, and you get to see it's like as think of this is cool. Time passes

as a reveal that which God has done. Right. Right. Where we otherwise say, we look at God, interjecting our lives in moments in time and saying, what did God do? As opposed to what is God doing? Doing. Yeah. And it's such a cool thing to to think that, like, that when I wake up tomorrow morning, like, there's an opportunity that God continues to reveal what he's been up to. Like Right. He's been on this process telling a a broad narrative of his redemption to humanity for thousands of years. Mhmm. Like and our expectation is, like, we get to be a part of that. We get to meet people and otherwise share kingdom stuff and help people meet Jesus. And, like, that story continues to blossom in the work of his, of of those that love and follow him.

And and, like, his his kingdom work is done through his people, and so, like, we're even part of that story. But, like, even specific things that you're asking for when you're saying, god, I I just need help or I just want peace or like, whatever these broad list of things is is, like, if we say if we give those things to God and then just keep your eyes open and watch as he continues to reveals those things as time passes, like, it's such a cool thing to find yourself constantly in the middle of. Like, he's not he didn't answer. He's answering. Right. Just like the kingdom is not here. It's it's it's it's it continues to be here. Like, it continues to to evolve and grow. It's not a point in time. It's not a fixed point. Yeah. And so, like, it's such a cool thing that that we want the safety of of the firmness of those types of things as opposed to the the the mercy and the glory of continuing to be part of God's revelation. Like, that's cool. Mhmm. Alright. You're listening live from the path. Thanks for hanging out so far. Let's, let's do this. Let's let's hook up with another, in studio song from, from Chris Acres. So we we've been listening to tunes from his, from his album, Nowhere Home. It's out November, or it it came out November 15. So it's it's a wee baby, here in the month of November for release.

That was awful. Still in diapers. That was awful. Thank you. I'm embarrassed. Even me. God is still revealing himself with me. The progression of your accents. Hey. So can I ask real quick before we before we roll this tune? It's so weird, Bobby. Man, what what are you trying? He's trying to say going for Scottish. Yeah. Oh, baby. Baby. Now you gotta say no. No. You gotta say Bobby like the guy from

There's no Bobby. Yeah. Hold on. It's baby. No. No. No. No. It's I just saw it. Brave. What's the Disney movie? Yeah. Brave. Princess Matata? The yeah. But the the the dad says, is is a naked Oh, Duncan. A naked baby. Naked baby. See? Yeah. Sounded Indian. Yeah. It's probably like Pakistani. I don't think it's a Polynesian. We went all over the world. I'm sorry. Hey. Could you just play the tunes? Alright? You

could just sit quietly quietly in in the the corner. Corner. My my question was, though, is, like, can people get hard copies of the CD? Like, you get physical copies. That's something that's still in the works. It's just a more complicated process than, and and, you know, I tried to read up on this and timing and how you could plant all these seeds so that they could blossom and grow and, you know, come out at the exact same time, and, that's one that I just wasn't on. Just don't throw them on some dude's living room floor. Yeah. I thought, you know, maybe once I have these albums, I'll just open doors and toss them. Literally kick the door in Yeah. Toss in an album and go, Jesus. Well, that or I'll just say the name of the album and act it. I hope that they, you know Slip it through the mail slot. Don't wear home. You've taken it in. Do you think of it? Actually, I don't even know. I, like I I own it digitally. You know what I'm saying? Like, I would get it digitally. But, I mean, some people still like to buy CDs. I actually I'm a CD man. Right? Just took my wife's car over. Like, she got a van, and I took her car over car over, and, I don't have any way to play digital tunes on her radio. So I I was looking for a CD on the way here. I was driving erratically, searching through a CD collection. But yeah. And I'm actually in the same boat. My my, vehicle only plays CDs. I can't plug in a iPod. So I'm in the same boat. I'm waiting for that cassette player. That gratifying moment where you get to hold the thing in your hand. That's right. Yeah. Hey, man. If you could make it on a cassette, let me know because I hey. I don't have the same eight track. I had a cassette player in my previous car, and I could plug the thing the cassette thing in, the adapter, and plug it into the phone and listen to I listen to sermons podcasts and music all the time. No kidding, man. You is it illegal to wear headphones? I wear a headphone.

Yeah. That's illegal. No. It is not. Don't it's part of distracted driving. What was that noise? Yeah. That was that was a confusion. That sweet music we had earlier? I was gonna I was gonna rebut, but I decided that I didn't have any case. So Hey. Throw it out on Facebook, Mike, and let us know how goes. Just don't just don't answer while you're driving. It's a great day to be alive.

Alright. So let's let's check another one in studio. We we listened to Waiting All My Life. Tell me a little bit about Come A Long Way. Come A Long Way. I'm really glad this is landing at this spot actually because this song really was birthed out of a kind of moment that we've been talking about where when you look back at your life and and you reflect on the journey you're on. And and you realize, oh, it's not a moment in time, but it's a it's an ongoing journey. This song was all about realizing, man, I don't feel completely resolved in life. I I don't feel like I've hit every answer, and I don't feel like everything is good to go from here on out. But, man, when I look back, it's incredible how far I've come with the Lord. And, so that's what this song's about. Awesome. Well, let's let's dig on that. You're listening to Life From The Path. This is Chris Akers with, Come A Long Way. Outside

an endless wonder, reckless and thoughts asunder, the starry ghosts my only friends. Seasick of stormy seasons

upon the wave of reason of every start that found an end. But we've come along away. Come along

away. We've come along away. Yeah. See the air will

fade in the whole world of your gaze. Come along,

come along, oh, come along. Inside an ancient wonder, the sacred buried under

collected dust and broken words. Homesick of my vacation from Fernamental Station

between the angels and the birds. Oh, we've come alone. Way you've come alone. Way you, we've come alone.

Way, yeah. I see the old faith in the whole

of your gaze. Come along. Come along. Come along. Come along.

Thanks, guys. Thank you so much. Hey, man. I love that song. That song offered everything. It you're right. It's very apropos. It was very, very relevant to what we were talking about. I like that. No. That was neat how that lined up there. It had it it had a bluesy swoon in there. It had it had a a lady voice. I was gonna say, Mike and I both went,

we Malsetto happens. We lock eyes and go, well, that's nothing we'll ever be able to do. Alright. See, this is why we collaborate collaborate with with people. People. Yeah. Yeah. Me Me and Boo are like, I like this song, and then all of sudden, whoo. I'm like, I didn't know that was gonna show up. It was awesome. Out of the list of expectations, that was not that was not a, b, or z. Dude, I I loved it. That's yeah. I like that one a lot. Oh, thanks so much, guys. I I'm a total sucker for vocals when it comes to listening to songs to the point of, like, I'll have physiological responses where I'll get goosebumps. Totally got goosebumps during that song. That was that was awesome. Well done. Go. I can't be I know. Right? I'm just like, I'll sing it. I can do it in my car by myself. Through We're always better in the car by ourselves, Growing in life, I've realized that there is a a large set of skills that I don't have

versus the smallest of skills that I do. Right. And this just this just furthered the chasm between me and being a good singer. No. That's true. I don't I don't mop a mean floor and I'm not Chris Aker. Right. Seriously. I'll be the guy that, like, I'm doing worship on a Sunday morning. I'm like, hey, man. This sounds good. I hope Jesus likes this. Not from like, hey, everybody listen to me, but like, I hope Jesus loves this music. But I'm not about what I'm doing. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Then I go here and I'm just like, oh, oh, I'm a start being more quiet on Sundays. Oh, goodness. Very cool. Hey. So make sure you pick up that album. Go to, chrisakersmusic.com. Pick up Nowhere Home, and don't worry. We we'll send you out with one more from the album. It's a it's an upbeat. It's called No More Crying. So, let me have you tell us a little bit about that so that they're prepared for it when it shows up. Sure. No More Crying was a bit of a song to myself and also to somebody I knew who was going through a really rough time.

And I wrote this song essentially for them. And, basically, it was my moment realization that, man, I am so sick of all the tears and the hate and hurt and man, I long for something better. And

and we have the promise. We have the promise in his word that someday all of that is coming to an end and, there will be no more tears. And, so that was absolutely what the song was about and where the album really had to get to in order to go past the halfway point, I think. So it's kind of the hinge point of the album. Cool. Cool. So, yeah, we'll we'll send you out with that one because it's a it's a Sweet. It's a b one. I think you'll dig on it. Mike, you got people need some advice? We got time for maybe one. Oh, just one. Maybe maybe one or two. What do you got? Oh, man. Hold on. I picked it. It better be good. I I picked an epic. I I gotta get past it now. Something about infection or whatever, and it's really gotten out of hand. It's there's, like, 15 paragraphs. Wow. I I realized that I I I took, I took the duties of that, I think, the last couple weeks, and I can't do it. I I can't help but interject my myself into them. Like, I comment as they go. I I'm I'm not a good dude. No. You can't do that, man. Oh, yeah. Sorry. Here we go. There are from the path. Okay. I have been in a relationship with a wonderful man for more than a year. That's great. He Ben. Sorry. He has sole custody of his 10 year old son Uh-huh. Parenthesis, Jordan. Because of our financial circumstances at the time, we moved in with each other right away. An excellent way to start off a relationship. Wait. After they were married? No. I'm guessing no. No. I was gonna say that seems like an unnecessary detail. Can you? One shot. You know what I'm saying?

Hello? Tough I'm sorry. Tough day to be alive. Yeah. Because of our financial situation at the time, we moved in with each other right away. Jordan's mom is not in the picture, and, unfortunately, I inherited her parenting responsibilities because of it. Jordan is a sweet boy, but I have no emotional attachment to him. To be honest, I'm disappointed every time he walks in the door after school, and I'm forced to stop what I am doing in order to care for him. What the heck? Wow. Life from the path. I thought I would become more attached to Jordan as time went on, but instead, I'm feeling resentful. I'm embarrassed to have made a commitment to this man and his son, and I've ended up in this situation. I don't wanna break up with the love of my life, but I don't wanna sacrifice the next eight years of my life raising a child who isn't mine. Do you have any advice for me? No. I can't say anything productive to you. Okay. Now listen. I'm gonna say something here, and and it's it's gonna it's gonna sound rough, but there's gonna be some truth in it. I just want you to hear it from me. Okay? Yeah.

For the first three months, both of my kids were alive. I struggled for the emotional attachment with them. Uh-huh. Right? Yeah. Like and and and and and especially the second one, mostly because, like, we had once once you start to love a child, when so when you hear I have another one coming or another child is gonna be in the picture, you think, I don't have any more love to give. I love this one very intently,

and I've used all the love that I have. I'm a simple person. I'm a simple man. I've I don't have much to offer, but I've offered it all up to this child. Right? And so when my second daughter was born, I felt that way for about three months, and I felt awful about it. I mean, just awful. Like, I why can't I do this? And then just like the Lord always does, he multiplies where I thought division was gonna have to be the answer. Where I thought love had to be divided, God just says, I'll bring more. Yeah. No worries. I got this covered. And he fixed it, and you couldn't you couldn't separate me from these children. Right? But what the reason I bring that up is is is one, if you feel that way, about new situations, new children,

stuff that's that's fairly fresh to you, don't let it sit so heavy that it ruins you. It's there's a bit of a lie in there and there's the bit of of of you're scared and there's a bit of, having to give up what you've had for something new. And you're doing it one toe at a time and that is why you feel that way. And so just to throw that off the bat, you're not a bad person, you don't dislike the children, keep that in mind. That is not the situation that's going on here. I was really hoping that would be the deal and my advice would be solid and well placed. But I've I've included that because,

I really felt like a schmuck about that, and I don't I don't want other people to feel that way. And it's it's a bit embarrassing. People say, didn't like your kid when they were born? Yeah. Here's the deal. It's it's not as simple as that, but there there is some truth there. And a lot of that will wrap up with, especially ladies, with some some bits of postpartum depression and stuff like that. You just something new just happened to you. Right. And it's sometimes it doesn't come right off the bat. It's it's a bit weird. You know? So this gal's situation is a hair, difference.

You haven't started off at the greatest of foundations. We're just gonna put it that way, for a broad truth. Once again, there's paths to joy that I think that have been created, And you've attempted to take an alternate path. And while I I don't think, that is a your ruination, it's certainly not producing joy at the rate or the guarantee, of of of which I'm used to.

And so as far as I'm concerned, you probably can't you probably need to find your way out of this thing. Yeah. You're not willing you're not willing to give. Right? You're you're it it sounds simple, and mean spirited, but the truth of the matter is you're you're willing to to to take from this man and and a a big part of his life is his son.

And, it's not like you're saying, I wish I loved the child. I wish I could do better. I don't understand why I'm not bonding. You're just like, I'm not interested in losing my life to these clowns. And and you're blaming the child as a as if it was his fault or he had some say in it. And so, like, you're just not you're not in the right place to handle the role that you've you've put your hand up for. And so it's gonna cause some problems and it's it's a bit of a pride thing, But my advice is to back it's time for you to back out. It's just time for you to go. You could try counseling or whatever and and, like, but, like, it's counseling is generally trying to get you to where you want to be and having a hard time getting there. You don't want to be there. And so, you know, you probably need to bow out of this thing. Yeah. Yeah. I I would agree. I would say, at least by her description, her heart's just not in it. Right? Like like, she's not working through something and needing encouragement and support in in working through it. Like, she is she's out. Yeah. She's out. She said, I I don't want to,

I I don't wanna I don't wanna do this. I don't wanna abandon the love of my life, but, like, the truth is is, like, you are, that's slightly dishonest because, like, if you really loved him, the man has custody of his child. And so, like, to act like that those two things don't go together is a that's a false thing. It may be something you wanna believe, but it's just not a reality.

And yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I I I would say for your, for the benefit of, of this man and his son and yourself, honesty is the best policy here. I think you need to cut that loose. Yeah. I'm I'm actually constantly amazed at people's ability to try to shine shine a a poor decision as if there was a good reason for it. Where where the kingdom of God is the complete opposite. Like, you make what appears to be a poor decision for a very good reason every time. It's the it's the it's it's the means

that that matter. And and here she's trying to sell the ends, like we moved in together right when we met because of financial reasons. Well, you've described that you've you've made a shortcut to the to the ends without handling the means correctly. Right. Same thing with your relationship with, the son. The fact that it appears as if you're staying home and basically being there when the child gets gets off from school, you've taken the role of a caretaker that you never wanted. You never wanted that. And so you've you've made concessions and have chosen the ends and skipped the means altogether.

And, that that produces disaster where where where people that follow Jesus are generally known for their means following regardless of how the ends turn out, and that that's how people know them. Right? They tend to make, you know, God honoring decisions even when it appears to be to their own peril.

And and that's obviously not what's happening here. So, let's see what, Secular's advice is. Secular says, the question was, do you have any advice for me? Secular responds, yes. As a matter of fact, I do. If Jordan's father is really, quotes, the love of your life, you had better accept that he and his son are a package deal and treat the child with love. If you can't manage that, then do them both a favor and bow out of the picture now. Postscript. And because none of this is Jordan's fault, while you're packing, assure him that your leaving has nothing to do with him, only with you. It's the truth, and that way, he won't blame himself for something that's not his fault. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. That's a sticky situation. But yeah, I I I don't I don't I don't know. I can't speak from a heart of understanding where she's coming from. It doesn't take me but, like, two minutes to love a kid Yeah. Except for my own. I detest them for three months least. You know, I actually

if I'm being honest, like, I I was actually preying on this last night. I noticed that I'm not reacting in the same way to one of my kids and haven't been for, like, the last two or three weeks. It's not because I don't love them or anything, but, like, I I just I just don't have the patience for them. Yeah. And I thought to myself, like, I don't why is it why am I reacting this way to this child? And I thought, well, because the child is annoying. That's the truth. She's doing things that are wrong. The child is being difficult, and and and I she doesn't give anything away. They're all girls. And so I I

I thought to myself, what is what is my right reaction to that? And my right reaction to dad is always to press in. Right? It's always to, a a make sure my expectations are, are fair, are reflective of her and her person like, who she is. So they're like like those all three of those kids are different. And so it's just, they're not gonna act the same way. And what like, this this particular one is just, is just jazzy. I mean, like, they're jazzed up.

Always got a lot of energy and excitement and, like, completely inappropriate times. You're like, calm calm down. We're trying to do something here. Like, quit making a bunch of noise. Quit jumping around. Quit doing all this business. And I thought to myself, like, like, how do I how do I celebrate that kid? Like, how do you channel this energy for good? Because it the thing that bothers me is you're using it for for not good, in ways that that but, like, the last thing I would wanna do is is crush that energy when everyone else is everyone else is Lanesville in my house. Like, we're all real flatlined about things. Like, no one gets real jazzed about things. And this kid's an excitable one, and I thought, that's awesome. I wish I was more excitable. And so, it it was kinda it was kind of interesting to think back and kinda pray through it because I because I what I was praying was is that, like, I've like, this this feels like it's a me problem. It's not the kid's issue. It's mine. So, like, how do I rethink that? And and and, generally, the answer has been when that's happened before was press in

and, and as as opposed to focusing on, like, trying to mold that particular kid to do exactly what you want. Like, sit sit sit back a little bit and, like, look at what look at who she is. Look at what she's doing. Look at what her personality is, and celebrate what's not you, and then figure out how to actually parent that, as opposed the other way around. And it it was it was kinda cool. I actually had a good interaction, with that said child today because I've been more intentional about kind of interacting with that kid in a real in a way that otherwise respects

who she is without otherwise letting her, you know, terrorize the house. It's been alright. Yeah. Here's sometimes we we overlook this slightly, and, I'm gonna grandstand this thing down to a real minute or two. But, like, parenting is a it's a tough gig. And I got more I got more liars and pretenders doing the work, than we need. You know what I'm saying? We need a little bit more little bit more honesty, a little bit more stuff you're struggling with. Because here's the deal. Like, if if you can't share that with me truthfully, I'm almost certain that you're not sharing that with God truthfully. You know what I'm saying? Like, let's let's get to the point. And, like, that's an that's an honest and hard thing to say. That thing that I said is an honest and hard thing to say. Like, no one wants to say that joke about their kids. But the truth of the matter is, like, you're gonna struggle with this sometimes and you're gonna you're gonna look at them every once in a while and go, I've I've done this. This kid is awful and I've done this. It's my job to raise this child right and follow Jesus, and they're a terror,

and they're disrespectful, and I don't understand them. And and and it's it's honest. You gotta look at it. Sometimes you gotta laugh. Sometimes you indeed need to cry, and sometimes you need to get on your knees and say the look. I'm I'm steering this boat wrong, and I need your help. Please don't let me stand in the way of what you have planned for this child. But my shortcomings, I feel like are bubbling to the top today, and I'm noticing them. And now they're sitting on me as if I've brought them and dressed them in these, you know? Yeah. And so, like, let's just be honest about that stuff. You know I'm saying? We're all shooting for the same goal. I want my kids to know Jesus. I don't care if they even like me. To some extent, do. But truth of matter is, like, I'm the I'm the I'm the the fifth prize in the row of prizes. The Lord is the prize. The Lord is is is the thing. And, like, if I'm if I'm stumbling on that and if I'm not presenting a a good gospel to my kids, I am failing. I don't care how many cakes bye bye or how many Clockbars that they know the existence of. I'm failing, and I don't wanna fail there. And so let's be honest about that and find find another dad that's willing to help you with that. Yeah. Yeah. Right on. Right on. Alright. I tell you what. Let's, Mike, I think we're gonna have to cut it off right there. This is a it's a tepid day to be alive again. What happened? No. No. No. No. This is gonna shade it. This is gonna straighten it right out. Wait. Wait. Do me a favor. Announce what's gonna happen next.

We're we're gonna send you out with, no more crying by Chris Akers. Great day to be alive. Okay. Good. That straightened that out. Hey. Big thanks to Chris for coming in the studio and hanging out with us. Always a pleasure to have him. Make sure you go dig on that album. Go to chrisakersmusic.com. You can listen to purchase the purchase the music. You can spin it on Spotify. And then maybe maybe down the road, physical physical CD action. We'll see what happens. Go dig on that. Hook up with them on social media and stuff. Let him know you love the album and and, like, wherever you pick it up, if there's a way to, like, leave reviews or otherwise interact with what Chris is doing, please do that. Do it. It gives him a chance to be able to

to see how people are reacting to his, to his music. And that's always a cool thing as an artist to be able to see that. And it's what's cool I actually, I hate to talk over soon. But like, I I had a really cool experience, at church this week. We had we had everybody kinda had to talk about some takeaways they had from the book of Philippians. And, like, it was really cool to see so many people get so many different things, sometimes even within the same section of scripture. And so, like, things you never you didn't know whether were intended or not, but otherwise, that God used for good.

And so, art art is kind of that same thing. Sometimes it's really surprised to see what people hear and how they interact with what you're doing. So make sure you do that with Chris. Shoot him an email. We'll find him on social media, or, like, leave reviews and stuff wherever you get those tunes. So big thanks to Chris. Go pick up that album, chrissagersmusic.com. We will see you, next week. Hey. December's gonna be cool. We have a author coming in. I'll share more about that, that book next week. And, so we'll do that. Lots of cool stuff on Life The Path. Between

now and next week, check out the website for clips from the show. And in the meantime, please be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.