Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the path. And you're listening to Live From The Path. We're coming to you from The Pathway Studios here in Johnston Proper. It is

good to be with you. You know, I said, Ben, what? Sometimes I look around the room, and I I and I look at, like, some of the posters we had on the wall and some people have been on the show or whatever. And I think to myself, I wonder what those guys are up to. And then it occurred to me just after I thought that. It's like, I bet they never think, I wonder what life in the past is. Yeah. That sounds about right. Yeah. That's too bad. Live live what? What? What was that? Who and why? Actually, yeah. I was looking for a guest. I I was searching the Internet for folks to invite over to the show, and, like, something similar was running through my mind about, like, some of the folks that we've had on and what their impressions of the show might be. Like, there's there's been a few who were, like, real happy about it, and then some people kinda just faded away.

And I feel like that seems appropriate. Yeah. We should send out, like, an email or something and say, hey. By the way, do you like us? We're a big deal. Do you want to be our friend? Alright. Here we go. Here's what we got on the show tonight. So, hey. Hey, man. Benny Hinn says

Benny Hinn. Mike, you know I'm talking about? Wanna say Benny Hinn? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I do. Okay. So so Prosperity Man, the guy with the white the white coat, you know, knocks people out and he heals them. He does the out. Yeah. So that's right. So he says that he may have gone too far with the Prosperity Gospel stuff.

Woah. Like, someone was interviewing him after the death of Billy Graham, and he says he might have gone too far. I mean, because of

Billy Graham's legacy or whatever, or was there something that triggered that? No. I don't know. He was it was just an interview. So we'll talk about it because I actually, I read a little bit of the interview, and I thought, well, you know, I mean, it seems spoken. Right? Yeah. So anyway I tell you what that Billy Graham passing away. I it brought up some decent conversations, you know, at the at the old workplace or whatever. It was it was kinda nice. I I so I think some people miss the miss the reason why Billy Graham was a good dude. You know what I'm saying? Like Yeah. Yeah. And and what made him who he was. They're like, he was just a solid guy. I'm like, you know, he he followed Jesus his whole life. Yes. He was very, very solid.

But I it it had a it had a I had some good conversations about it, but I was I was actually kinda a little bit disappointed. You know? They actually just thought he was a a good dude on his own steam. You know? And and Billy Graham never said anything like that. He never said I'm a good dude on my own steam. You know? And so I I don't know. That it kinda it kinda got missed a little bit. But, yeah, that was that was that was a good talking point at the least. So, yeah, we'll I'm gonna read you that Benny Hinn article. Also, so we we were talking a little bit for the show about spiritual disciplines. And, like, I'm kind of interested in a couple things.

Like, I'd like to hear from you in what it and not not just us, but, like, if if you listen to the show and you've got some feedback for us, I'd be interested in kind of your interaction with the spiritual disciplines, like how you think about them, what practices you have in place. And it'll make more sense as we talk through it. But I think the one of the big questions is is a lot of times we we say, hey. Look, we wanna live like Jesus lived. And and, generally, we we look at that as an it's an outward thing. Right? Like, I wanna love my enemies. I wanna be faithful to what God calls me to.

And, like, it's it's a very kind of external thing. But, like, there are things about Jesus' life, and the question is is, like, when we say we wanna live like him, we we often don't mirror a lot of the practices that seem to undergird a lot of what he does. Right? Like, we look at the the best example I could think of is that as a matter of fact, Dallas Willard uses this example. He says, we we look at some of the spiritual things or the the outpouring of our faith

like like a baseball game. Like, you see someone like Jesus. He's the he's the all star. Right? You say, I wanna I wanna act like him. And so you go buy the gloves that he wears, and you, you know, and you show up, and you wanna play like him during the game. And the truth was is, like, the all star, the that plays the all star game is that way because the the things that he does that undergird it. Right? The the the performance or the game itself is just kind of an outflowing of everything else that he practices or the kind of the underlying things that allow them to act that way. And I feel like it's it's a pretty it's a pretty universal thing where there are Christians who are like I mean, they feel like they're trying hard.

They're putting a lot of effort into. They they want to be faithful, and they feel like they're just not like, things just aren't clicking as as they expect, and I don't think they have unreasonable expectations. They have biblical expectations of, like, what should be going on around them. And I think there's a disconnect or excuse me. Let me just say it the opposite way. I think there's a connection

to our our attempt to go ahead and and just play the the all star game all the time without actually kind of doing the underlying things that allow us to to meet the event when it shows up. And I think the the spiritual disciplines

have got a bad rap, actually are that are part of the a large part of the opportunity to do that. So we wanna talk about that. Dan has has has recently talked through the spiritual disciplines and stuff. And so I kinda wanna get we'll get his perspective and

see whether he implemented any in his life or extended anything or whatever the learnings were from that. And then we'll talk I've got some other thoughts that I just wanna I just wanna walk through those a bit because I think it's a it's a major opportunity, and I think we might be we might be missing might be missing out. Let me get some advice on dear life from the path of I don't know. I looked at it. Something about a single teacher pessimistic

about having relationships with people. I don't know. I mean, that sounds rough. Yeah. I didn't really sell it very well. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Alright. Anyway, that's that's about the extent of which I've looked up the stuff. Oh, hey. Hey. Do you guys did you watch the Olympic coverage? No. I I've watched nothing.

You you haven't do you wanna turn on TV, Dan? I mean, I'll see it and go, curling, and then I move on. Yeah. I gotta be honest with you. The Winter Olympics are terrible. I just yeah. I just don't care. I did watch the down downhill half pipe or whatever. Now that could that could be entertaining. Yeah. I I think I caught I was happened to be out of town for work, I caught the the downhill ladies. Like, just like the snowboarding? Yeah. The snowboarding. Okay. I watched, like, five I don't know what they call it. Five minutes of one that's, like, skiing downhill that's, like, really bumpy. And the whole time Yeah, man. Hey. That looks the moguls. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's called the moguls. And that, like, that looks like a knee destroyer. Exactly. This I was gonna say, if I was a a knee surgeon, I'd be at the bottom of the hill giving out cards. That's right. I'll see you in five years. Jeez. How can that be worth? Maybe sooner. I know. It it can't how do you how do you do that? Do you like you're really bad at the other skiing and they say, we'll put you on these? Yeah. I mean It's too obvious you don't know what you're doing on the smooth hill. Why don't you go in that bumpy one where it looks like everybody about to topple? That's that's how I threw the discus. I wasn't tracking. I was like, yeah. The hurdles aren't working for you. And I Yeah. Running in general isn't. Pick up that big plate. You better chuck. Throw that. Okay.

Yeah. It feels like it was a sport created for some kind of rich kid who lived up on the hill, like a real bumpy hill. And, like, he just said, hey. This should be a sport because I do it. You know, I I maybe I'm a bit of a purist, I guess. But, like, I feel like some of these events where you could only be good at them if the event was it it was catered to the creation. Right? Where, like, you see guys doing archery and stuff. I'm like, archery always existed. You're just awesome at it. Yeah. Yeah. Know? But, like, people that run the half pipe on the on the snowboard, I'm like, where do you it's not like there's naturally occurring half pipes. It's like you had to work and practice at a man made half pipe. It's just like with the rings on the gymnastics and the horse. You know, like, I mean, is there a log back at your place when you were, like, seven that you were jumping over and doing sweet sweet moves on? Uh-huh. It's like the the the the tumbling, I get. I mean, you can do that in a regular grassy field. But, like, some of these events were, like, if the apparatus was not specifically built for you, this event would not exist at all. Yeah. Yeah.

I feel like that's wrong. I guess what I'm saying. So did they have the Winter Olympics back in the old Greece? I mean, they used to do these in the nude. Yeah. So I'm thinking, no? No. Yeah. I'd imagine not. Maybe kinda cold. Yeah. So it's a commercialized deal. NBC built it 1975. We could make cash. Let's go winter. Yeah. Well well, there's a couple other seasons open.

Fellas, you wanna fire up the fall Olympics? Hey, man. I bet we could get better viewership on the fall Olympics than the winter. We do? Get. Horseshoe. No. Okay. Okay. Fitting Mike's Mike's requirement that it's naturally occurring. Yeah. Mike, what's a naturally occurring fall fall activity of that can be olympicized? Boxing. That boxing is already part of the summer That feels like more like a fall sport, doesn't it? I'm thinking if you can do curling in the winter, you can do raking in the fall. Yeah. People that rake. And pumpkin bowling or something. What about motorcycle racing? The tomato tomato wars. Lawn darts? How many do lawn darts? Is is bocce ball an Olympic sport?

It should be. Is badminton an Olympic sport? No. No. Is wait. Can you be or is tennis? Yeah. I think you can win the gold in tennis. Can't you? I don't know. I don't know if tennis I feel like the Williams' did it. Okay. So we're go so we'll we'll hold on. We're in with bocce ball Badminton. Lawn darts Pumpkin pie launch. Pumpkin pie launches. Hey. What is bowling an Olympic sport?

I don't think so. Yeah. I mean, that's a shimmy. I mean That rig hold on. That that that requires a that's unnaturally standing pylon somewhere. No. People could set up things and knock them down. That's regular. That's true. That's his old as time. Yeah. That's that's his old time Socrates was doing that. They got pictures of him. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Hey. This is a good idea. We haven't done a major event for a while. Let's put together some fall Olympics. Life from the Path Fall Olympics. Yeah. I'll ask these people on the wall if they wanna come out. What would it take? We gotta have people from every country.

So there was an article about about guys and I I hadn't even thought of this, about people doing missionary work at the Olympics. And so I thought, hey. Well, that's just pretty cool. Except for I read the oh, shoot. Is the article still here? It's it seemed okay,

but then, like, they said something shifty. And then I get then I go, like, I got irritated by the article. So the the the target the name of the article on the Christian post was you didn't see the most important teams in the Olympics. And so what what the Olympic missionaries accomplish will bear fruit forever.

And so the the athletes we watched on television were not the only teams that went to the games. Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists sent missionary teams to PyeongChang as well. 26 local congregation also staged outreach ministries. I dig that. I like them local the local fells out there. Yeah. I don't know why the Lutherans aren't participating. What's their deal? Yeah. It's kinda weird that they named the denomination. Yeah. It is. Can't we just say the people of Jesus went over there? So my my my daughters told me they that the somebody there, they give out, like, a 100 and some condoms per day to the athletes. Oh, yeah. I'm like, I realize they're world class athletes, but I'm trying to imagine over a 100 per day. I mean, that's certainly optimistic.

I mean I mean, yeah. Don't they gotta compete once in a while too? I mean, isn't I I mean, we're we're in competition to physical prowess. Well, I mean, isn't it frowned on to be using all your energy for other stuff? I don't know, but I'm glad we have missionaries now. I think that's what I'm saying. This is actually a good idea. To be honest, I mean, you're the the it is a hill. You're falling down a hill on skis. I mean, I credit it takes some physical effort, I'm guessing, but gravity's doing a lot of the work here. On the bobs there, don't you just kinda jump in? Yeah. It's an it's a tube on ice. Hey. I swear I mean, those those guys did not have those guys had a 12 pack of butt heavy, not a six pack. Those those bobsledders were the guys on the luge. Yeah. They they they did the rear end, the butt man. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, those are big fellas. I mean, their job is to push the thing super fast and then jump in and then and then put the weight in there so that it moves fast. And yeah. I mean, these guys aren't the epitome of You know, I guess I never quite understood, like, the the the people crashing on the bobsled. I mean, it's it's a half it's a half of a pipe, and you're in a tube on the eye. I mean, don't you have to be asking to get it out of there? It's like going down a slide Yeah. At the playground. You know what I'm saying? Like, you don't fall off that slide unless you don't. Well, no. If you're going so fast and you don't take the turn right, you flip over. I saw the Germans do it. Well, that's an engineering problem, ain't it? No. It's a driver problem. He tries to so they try to bank it in such a way that they keep a rocking. And if you try to you take take too much of the advantage, you flip over and you ride the rest on your head. They get going pretty fast too, don't they? Like, 90 miles an hour. That sounds wonderful. That's the thing that I'm talking about. Right? That's not natural, though, to my point. I if mean, you have to I mean, I understand archery

Right. As being a thing that you'd like, you could practice and you have to get better at over time. But, like, well, if you have to explain to me the finer points of getting a tube banked right on a on a non natural course, it was built for the tube to be in it. Why they just build it so you can't fall out? Well, I think that takes some of the the excitement out of the sport. So it's completely phoney. Oh, no. I mean, here's the thing, though. Like, think of how much time you have to put into something like this. And, like, I I mean, I have a hard time getting my wife to buy into, I don't know, the radio show, for example. And so but, like, hey. I'm gonna dedicate my time and be like a and be the buttman on on a bob's side. That's an understanding woman. Yeah. Yeah. Really. Oh, and you pretty much gotta pay for everything. Yeah. Right. Like, no. I mean Yeah. I mean, they're paying for flights over. Their own travel and all that stuff. Yeah. You know the the most of the Olympians that travel that do the downhill ski jump or whatever Mhmm. Train in Illinois.

Really? At a at a at a ski jump they bought from the state of Minnesota who decided they didn't need anymore. And I thought, you know what? We should be pumping out more people out of Minnesota. Illinois is not a wintertime downhill skiing state. It just doesn't seem that way today, you know. This is what I'm saying. We're bunch of phonies. You know who should be awesome with this? The Eskimos. People from Alaska. Where there's snow all the time and naturally occurs. There's probably some kind of half inch, you know, hill in in Alaska you could use for this. But if you find a guy at a Texas that rocks at this, he's lived a privileged life. You've been flying him to a half pipe his whole life. What makes that African

crew that did a bobsled several years ago? Didn't even be out of it. Jamaican. They're maybe bobsled. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The cool runnings. Like, they didn't they didn't have a you know? Yeah. See, they ran it on the dirt like real men because they didn't have a bobsled track because they live in Jamaica. I'm going sledding, babe. You're what? Pulled the fort. So the distracting part of the article was the guy wrote he said, I was a pastor in Atlanta during the nineteen ninety six Summer Olympics. Our church learned that when the Olympic games came to a city, the world comes with them. How did your church learn such a thing? Our members Genius.

So this was the part that threw me off. Our members were able to share Christ with more than 20,000 people through water stations, clown attractions, and literature distribution. And I then I thought, like, they I just got distracted on the scriptures because I thought, like, what are you counting as we shared Christ? Like, you like you passed With some water. Jesus. Water bowl? Yeah. Clown attractions? I mean

okay. Here's a this is this is gonna tie in easily with our spiritual discipline discussion. Right? When we're talking about live like Jesus lived or produce output like Jesus produced, Jesus never had a clown station. I have a one down. Costume downstairs. I really wanna go put it on now. I mean, like, there's a context to serving your community in interesting ways. I I dig on it. Right? I understand. I just like it's it's like those things when remember we talked about every time Denzel Washington says something, like, every Christian newspaper picks it up and says, Christian Denzel says the following. And, like, if you handed out 20,000 bottles of water in service to people, that's great. But, like, if you're counting, we're able to share Christ with 20,000 people because you handed out a bunch of water and met him with a clown. I mean, go I was just I feel like we're not talking about things, honestly. Well, here's the thing. If you don't wanna say it as harshly as it probably needs to be said because you the majority of people will will produce output like this. Right? But the truth of the matter is is like you're like, hey. We're loving on people. They look out water anyway. They're handing out free condoms. I think someone's gonna give up a bottle of water. That's right. People are being generous with condoms. I mean, it's this is it's it's not the same. We like to compare it to, the plague. When other people leave, the Christians go in, except for water is readily available at the Olympics for free for everybody. Here. Grab some of the snow. It'll melt. Yeah. You can drink it. And if everyone else is giving out water, check out this clown. Right. That's the thing. We're not what we call planting seeds is planting balloons. Yes. And balloons don't grow. Yeah. I mean, plant I that's the thing. Sometimes because I understand. It's I mean, I get what you're trying to do. Yeah. Yeah. And I can't say that I would have not exactly thought the same thing

if for a majority of my life. Right? That, like, at least I'm doing something. I'm I'm loving on people. Right? Well, I mean, you that's a pretty loose definition. Right? You wanna love on a guy that doesn't have water at all or access to it, I'm with you. Give that man some water. These are fantastic ideas. Right? But, like, just you and your smiling face in a booth with water in it and a clown and whatever the other thing was. I mean, the intentions are all good, but, like, you you might be wasting your resources just on a on a on a scale. You know? You think there was, like, guess maybe thinking about the shared Christ. Do you think every time they handed one off to somebody, there's a guy with a board that says shared Christ and the other one was with just water? Yeah. Like, every time you talk to a guy, you're like, you know what? Shared Christ. Oh, just water. Mark them down. So there was a clicker. Yes.

You're gonna have to put two buttons on there, Bill, in case we gotta go backwards. Yeah. He returned the water. There's, an elder rotation that does the clicker. Yeah. Right. I mean, if a guy if a guy took that water and then baptized himself with it, okay. You know what? You you you rocked it. You or or he threw it on the ground and walked upon it. These are all things that are amazing. Right? But, like, just merely because he was parsed and you gave him liquid.

I mean, you're not in war torn Syria. You know I'm saying? You at the Olympic games, there couldn't be more modernization in free water hanging around Pyongyang at the time. That's like a a lot of churches these day. I don't and I say a lot. There are churches that are are counting web web clicks as attendance now. I'm thinking, why? Yeah. That's a great question. Why? I mean, yeah. Does that number really matter to anybody? Yeah. They're try it's been impressive. Look at us. Look at the stats that we're doing. We're growing. Blah blah blah blah blah. I'm going. Okay. So 300 people watched your video. They were I mean,

but they count them. You know what? I I think that would make it harder on the congregants when tithing sermon comes around. Like, look. There's a thousand people here, and you guys are given like there's a 100. This has got to end. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's the it's the wrong

right? It's the wrong it's an indicator of something, certainly. But, like, as account for that, this this is stupid count. Yeah. Yeah. It's a wrong I don't get it. Yeah. It's a well, so it's it's the it's the susceptibility. The analytics are kind of a problem. Like, the more information you have, the more you feel like the information matters. Mhmm. Right? And so,

like, in my my day job, I deal in in in data. I'm a like, I deal a lot of analytics and stuff, and, like, there's a danger to it that it gives you false impressions of things. Certainly, wanna count the right things, but, like, the the hardest work, if you're gonna count something and and really try to understand the difference in a a process or the health of a of a business or a church or whatever, like, you spend a you should spend a year defining what matters and then count it. Not start grabbing everything you can count and then try to sort it out and figure out what you think it tells you. Yeah. Figure out what define what matters and then go from there. And, like, we're grasping for I mean, I get it. Right? You wanna use information to inform a complete picture. But, like, if you haven't defined clearly what it is that matters and count that,

those tailwinds will kinda push around. Yeah. So, anyway, I just thought it's it it was weird. The the article as a whole, I just I hadn't even thought of missionary work during Olympics. And think it's great. That was a great idea. I it sounds like we're dogging on the fellas, and they did more than I did. And and I think their heart was obviously in the in the right place. I it's all it's just funny when you bring a clown in water. That's all.

I mean, you just I suppose it's the it's the number. Right? Like, it was just it was the 20,000 that threw me off because then I thought, like, that's way too a, it's too round of number. So you weren't really counting. And then, you know, to Good man. Spiritual discipline style. I mean, if 20,000 people stood up, you know, over overnight and prayed, like, for twelve hours before the Olympics fired up, I'm kinda blown away by that. Yeah. That's I feel like that would be amazingly awesome. Okay. Combo thought. Combo thought here. What if our fall Olympics are spiritual disciplines? Yeah. We're gonna have a people praying it out. Right. How do we judge whether someone's sleeping? Right. Are you

yeah. Yeah. So you have to we gotta see who can pray the longest, but not dip into fair cynical territory or take too many dramatic pauses because then we think you're just shining it on. Actually, here's the I'm gonna rescind that simply because it runs counter to my what I was thinking of actually creating habits. Yeah. Alright. I see what you're saying. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Obviously, based on Ben's last idea, we're not the right people to judge people hanging out water and and clouds. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's a good point. They they could be totally holy.

So I I feel like we were talking it wasn't who who was buying the plane? Remember, like, a few a month or so ago Preflo. No. Kenneth Copeland. Copeland. Copeland. That's right. That's right. I thought I thought old white guy prosperity man. Yeah. Yeah. But it wasn't Benny. It was was Kenny. It was his brother. It was Kenny Copeland. Okay. So it says, television this is also the Christian Post. Televangelist Benny Hinn admits going too far with prosperity gospel in wake of Billy Graham's death. It says,

Benny Hinn, who has often been criticized for his endorsement of the prosperity gospel, said in a stunning confession Wednesday that sometimes he has taken the erroneous gospel too far. We get it he calls it erroneous? No. That's the description of the Okay. Of the yeah. Yeah. Okay. But but listen to his description. We get attacked for preaching prosperity.

Well, it's in the Bible, but I think some have gone to the extreme with it, sadly. And it's not God's word what is taught, I and think I'm as guilty as others. Sometimes you go a little farther than you really need to and then God brings you back to normality and reality. He admitted that he has grown older and come to understand the bible more. He now realizes that some of the things he learned from preachers when he was growing up aren't biblical And the popular interpretation of the prosperity gospel, the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth, and that can they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the sowing of seeds through the faithful payment of tithes and offerings is one of those things. Now now he could have saved himself a few decades if he had just picked up the book and read it. Yeah. I know. Right? He had it in his hand. Exactly. I'm just saying. He's gonna crack it open. It

says the more you know the Bible, the more you become biblically based and more balanced in your opinions and your thoughts because we are influenced. Seriously, I can agree with this man. But to Dan's point, I mean, this was well within his grasp. I was younger, I was influenced by the preachers who taught whatever they taught. But as I've lived longer, I'm thinking, wait a minute. You know, this doesn't fit totally with the Bible and it doesn't fit with the reality. So what is prosperity? No lack. I've said this before. So he's so he's redefining No lack. Prosperity

is no lack. And then he he then elaborated on how he believes no lack should be interpreted. He says, did Elijah the prophet have a car? No. Did not even have a bicycle. He had no lack. Did Jesus drive a car or live in a mansion? No. He had no lack. How about the apostles? None lacked among them. He then said, today, the idea is abundance and palatial homes and cars and bank accounts. The focus is wrong. It's so wrong. Wow. That's what I owe. Okay. Apocalypse.

Good for you. Different game. Looking in? He says he said, even though he's been accused of living lavishly and flying private jets in the past, that is not how he currently lives. I mean, forgive me. This is quote, people have accused me of things that aren't even real. One guy wrote a comment, oh, he's worth 40,000,000. Oh, how I wish. I would give it all to the kingdom before God Almighty, he said. Well, he flies private jets, he continued mimicking criticism. No. I don't. I have not flown private in dear God years. I have no idea what that means. I fly commercial just like anyone else. He says, we all sadly made the mistake of thinking that this is what God wants and God says, no. That's not what I want. It's time to live biblically. You know it all comes down to one thing. Do we love Jesus? Yes or no? If we love Jesus, then it's all about Jesus. If we don't love Jesus, then it's about other things, he said. I mean, you could put it on a stamp, and I'd be like, okay. Wow. I you know what? That's probably took a lot of stones for him to admit all that stuff. He made his entire career off it. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I would for you. Yeah. He said rounds it out, says we all wanna finish right, he said, of the pastors. I think the this is a group of guys that were under investigation for I think grass was it Grassley that was kind of the head of that? Somebody was like, what involved somewhere. Senator Grassley? Yeah. Oh.

He says, we all start right. Sometimes we, you know, stumble here and stumble there. But when you come right down to it, we all wanna finish right. I'm 65 years old. I surely don't wanna blow it at this point in my life, and I thank you for praying for me. I really mean that. So I don't know. I thought I thought that was super interesting, not just because it was kind of a, like, a leaked gossipy thing about Benny Hinn, but his descriptions were I mean, they they they sound good. Solid. Yeah. I hope that I hope that's a reality for him, and I hope it persists in his ministry. And I hope that that is

there's something very powerful for a man doing that at at, I would agree, at risk to himself. And frankly, even trying to wade through the reaction of people who bought into that junk for years. Yeah.

But that is an opportunity for them as well to hopefully hopefully the influence he has will be used for positive if this persists in his in his speech. I hope it does. Man, if he would have just been like and by the way, don't take clowns places. You know? You guys gotta you gotta bring that back. You can't and not even like the youth minister dressed in clown. That's too much. At least you could hire a legit clown. Okay.

So let's let's spiritual disciplines. So, again, the premise the the the the question is,

what are we what are we missing out on here to the extent that we are missing out on or so that we are missing kind of habits, spiritual habits that I think have gotten a bad rap. And I think a lot of it comes from like, the Catholic church at some point started looking at things like this as penance. Like, you're gonna go this many days of fasting or you're gonna pray for this long or whatever. And so as opposed to being

an opportunity that is pretty consistent throughout the Bible, Old Testament, New Testament, pre, post, and as Jesus, doing things like praying, fasting, solitude, feasts, like, these types of things.

Not the Jewish feast, just like celebration with people. But, like, I I think we've especially within the last hundred and fifty years or so, like, we've just gotten away with away from it as if they are negative things. And so, Dan, maybe let's let's start with you. This is something that you would actually kind of focus some some teaching on recently. What did you take away from that?

The spiritual disciplines, I think I think we just it's an ends and a means thing. I'm I'm I'm sorry. My mind's going in four different directions. I'm trying to

focus my own thoughts. We we want we want the ends, and and we we want the the the spiritual maturity. We we want the connection with Christ. We we want the lifestyle,

the spiritual depth, the the but how you get there is these spiritual disciplines, the prayer and fasting and listening and and meditation and and reading of scripture and and all these things that that we we we try to make it into a habit or we try to make it into a check off or we try to make it into to some type of scheduled event. And that's usually how we'll teach it. And that's why I'm talking from both sides is one is what we do and one is how you teach it to people.

And and you got to teach it somehow. We know one step at a time, one little bite at a time. Right? And but but it's it's such a you gotta do it. You know? It's it's we're so impatient. And I think that's where we get frustrated, and and we get lost, and we quit, and and we

stop. I don't if I'm answering your question, but but I think our culture is we're so microwave.

You know? Just just do it now. I don't do it. I don't wanna I don't want a crock pot spiritual life. I want a microwave one. Right. And and it just doesn't happen. It's just not possible. Yeah. Where does that come from? Like, that that does seem to be kind of an expectation that we have that, like, hey. I give my life to Jesus, and all of a sudden I'm supposed to be transformed today. Yeah. Right. Like, I'm yeah. It's like it's actually a process. You know? You know, that that caterpillar goes in a cocoon for quite some time Uh-huh. And there's change taking place before it comes out. And even then, has to kinda get its string before it starts flying. You know? And we just wanna, like, okay. I said this prayer. I shook a hand. I was baptized, whatever. And and now I should what's wrong? You know? Why am I still doing the things I did last week? Well, you haven't changed yet. So you what's so I think I think the expectation comes from p if the the general thought is a a god gives me a new heart. Right. Right? Like, I'm I'm reborn. Patreons.

And so and so there's an expectation that that then passes into, the entirety of my life. Like, I'm just suddenly different even though no one you've ever met ever has actually had that experience. Yeah. Yeah. Well, even reborn. Let's say you're reborn as a baby now. You're an infant Christian. So

how many infants run marathons? Right. You know? Or or or think of, you know, cognitive processes to to, you know, build a car or something. Know? I mean, they they've got to learn to think and walk and talk and eat and right. You know, everything. It's it's a process, a growing process, and it takes time of cooking, of of of your prayer life and and your

spiritual life, your your scripture reading life, your your your alone time, and and and your we don't spend nearly enough quiet time together, I think. That's true. Yeah. That that's my usually, what I take out of teaching on disciplines, that's always what hits me the most is is I don't spend enough quiet time just turning everything off Yeah. And and listening to god. Yeah. You know?

I try to. I tried I'd see it that but I'm on I'm still on the gimmick side of that where, okay, I'm gonna turn my radio off for ten minutes. Right. More than I'm looking at the birds. You know you know, I I just I I haven't I've always had a goal to take at least one or two days a month to just go off somewhere and and do nothing. I never done it. I've never Yep. I can't do it. I've tried, and I'll you know, I'm listening to music. I'm you know? So I haven't got it. You know? Right. Maybe I'm not the expert here to talk about that. Well and I think most people haven't got it. I think I think we've all kind of, well intentioned folks who who want to be faithful to things.

Like, we've dipped toes in, and it feels it feels unnatural, to be honest, because it's a break from what we're doing, especially culturally. We are not we're not solitude people, generally speaking. It's very difficult to get somewhere without a distraction. And, like, the the the action that it takes to actually go somewhere or or find a situation of which you are not distracted like that and the amount, well, first of all, the like, the environment itself, like, it's it's ridiculous, the ins that you have to go to do it. And so it puts you in a very uncomfortable position. Like, why are you getting up at 04:00 in the morning? Like, if that's your option. Right. Right. Why are you going out to the the park for four hours today? Like, these are, you have to admit kind of what it seems ludicrous,

and then runs to your mind like this seems kind of ludicrous. And then even and then because we're so used to, distraction or noise or just stimulus in general, you're not just gonna be able to walk out somewhere and have one experience of which now your mind knows what to do. Because the last time you were at that park,

you were looking around at birds. And the last time you got up at four in the morning, you were going to catch a flight or something got bombed and you were checking the news out. Right? Like We're we're multitasking all the time. That's right. And to turn that off is so hard Yes. To do. It really is. Yeah. And, you know, and I think it's it's boils on the laziness too. I I think I think of physically, food. I will go through periods of time where I will knock certain things out of my diet, and I will add the right things, and and and I'll have a little exercise. And I and I'll I'll I'll be, you know, six days in, I'm thinking, I feel terrific. Mhmm. Why don't I do this all the time? I know exactly what it takes to feel terrific. Yeah. And then within two months, I'm eating donuts and, oh, there's an extra cookie. You know? And I'm thinking, man, I feel groggy. Same thing spiritually. Yep. I I know how to I know how I can make all the all the pistons fire, and and and I I can feel spiritually just totally in tune with god. I'm just totally like he's there. Right? And

and then I'll after a while, I think, oh, yeah. And maybe it's just the confidence thing. I've got this now. Yeah. I don't need it. Right. I don't need oranges. I don't need prayer. I'll be fine without the without the restraints. Yeah. I'm in the zone now. That's right. And and and then then we drift off again. I think the discipline is to keep going. Yeah. And that's why they're called disciplines. That's right. That's they're they're they're habitual

things, and they are they they're your to to steal a phrase from Paul, like, it it's your it's your spiritual exercise. Right? It's the thought process that, like, you you have you you don't just show up and know how to do all these things. Like, you're getting the reborn the the thing about it reborn

is is the right way to think about it. You're learning how to live with, with a new family, with a gracious father in a world that is still fallen. And, like, there is, and you're learning how to be like Jesus. If you were already like Jesus, you would be like Jesus already. Like like, none of this stuff would be necessary. Yeah. And so, like, to to feel like, like, some of our our our keenness or spiritual keenness is atrophied. Like, it just we because we don't use it, and we and then we kinda chip shot prayer here and there. And you'll notice that some people are better than others. There's some people that, like, they just

they just seem to to get it. Like, their prayer life is super healthy, and it doesn't take any effort from them because it's just they've just kinda done that over the years. They've exercised, and they've exercised. And, like, it just comes natural to them, and it feels real awkward for you. And I think there's a sense of you know, we look at some of the things that the New Testament talks about and the things that we're supposed to be overcoming and the type of faith and the type of action that we're taking. And, like, we've had to diminish them to be kind of idealized versions of things and not real things because there's a because we're normalizing it for our environment where we actually don't exercise at all spiritually or when we try just like if you were to try to to run a marathon, if you just started out running one today, you would get winded. You would feel awkward.

It would feel a normal. Yeah. That's right. And you would get you would get tired of it. And it doesn't mean that you didn't want to exercise. It doesn't mean, that you don't know it's not that that it's beneficial. Just like from a spiritual perspective, like, we're running ourselves ragged here, with the expectation that you're just gonna show up and run a marathon without putting in the basic kind of habit building, spiritual discipline type of work of spending time with Jesus, spending time studying your scripture,

and to know the heart of the father, spending time in solitude so that you are not drowned out by the world that you've come to help be part of sharing good news in. And, like, you don't ever spend time in the in the not that world. And so, like, it's one of those things where you can call it something else. I kinda like rhythms. Like, it makes me feel like, if if I think of not disciplines, although that's generally the right characterization of what has to be done for me to do them, but, like, a normal rhythm of life that says,

like Jesus, you take time to get away. Like Jesus, you you know your you know your scripture. Like Jesus, you pray. And and I think the indication is that that, Jesus prayed pretty consistently. Like, there's not really an inclination that he stopped praying three times a day. As a matter of fact, the in in Acts what's just read in Acts 10. The reason Peter's up on a roof where he has the vision of the meat on a sheet is he's up there to pray in the middle of the day. Right. And so, like, we got away from a lot of that stuff because we're like, this isn't workspace righteousness. I don't have to do these things for for Jesus to say that I'm cool. And I agree, but you're missing out on those things.

These these relationship aspects of things, I I think I think there's something very powerful about praying intentionally three times a day, not long lambasting prayers. That's why we have a Lord's prayer type of thing. The thing thirty seconds. And it it's just kind of the thought, though, that, like, I think these things have gotten a bad rap as if they are handcuffs when they're when they're parachutes. They're they're hot air balloons, or they give you the the chance to, like, actually engage and do the things that we have in expectations from scripture that we're able to do. And I think the gap then is is that we look at all we we try to do those under our own effort because we've not done any of the underlying spiritual exercise that allows

us to boldly witness when the time comes as a natural extension of everything we've been kind of praying about and steeped in and and all those things. And I say this as, like, this is a known gap in my life. Like, I, similarly, I I I stink at solitude. I I do a lot of, scripture reading for study Mhmm. But not a lot of scripture reading for, just kind of letting it soak for a while. Mhmm. And and and and some people, this makes real uncomfortable because it feels like it's, it's very kinda loosey,

vapor ish type of behavior. Right? Like, I meditate for a while, or I read the scripture, and I soak on it. Like, some people, like, that's a hard concept. But, like, just think of it as exercise. You're you're you're going through the motions so that when the time comes, you have rightly prepared yourself, to be able to react to situations and react to people and have

actual peace and and joy and the things that we would expect because we're we're engaging in the provision of those things often and habitually. And we're not just we're not throwing, Hail Marys all the time. Lord, it gird me with the with the spirit. I plan to witness today.

Constantly that that is just an outflow of of what we're doing. And I think I think the the spiritual disciplines are are are kind of that that connection piece. They're they're not magic, but they are the connection piece. Mhmm. And that's why the church has always done Well, I actually, I was I was just I think I put that out a little bit this week when I was I was listening to some guy talking. He said, of all the things that, like, if you look throughout the history of the way that God interacts with people, doesn't put a whole lot of weight on efficiency. Right? And so that we we struggle with this, especially in our society. Right? Like, when someone says, hey. I'm gonna go for a run.

And compare it to say someone having a prayer, we're like, are you gonna run to the store and get something? No. I'm just going out to have a run. Well, why? Would you do that? You could just as easily take a car to the store and get the thing. And, like, it doesn't make any sense that you just go out and run for no reason. Right? And so, like, when you're talking about doing something, like, in preparation so that it becomes ingrained and and and and you build up fortitude for for a very long time, like, man, we just a real hard time with a lot of that. You know? And and and even the way that that, like, even the output of the way that Jesus deals with most people, like, like, even walking through Samaria, even the fact that he ran into the Samaritan woman. Right? That was the most inefficient route to get there. Right? Like, that's just not the way that they should have gone. Well, actually, the opposite is the inefficient route. Oh, no. No. No. I'm sorry. That is the most efficient route to get there. It's fastest to go through Samaria. That's right. But everyone else went around That's right. Because they didn't wanna deal with the Samaritans. Yes. Well, crap. That the example's terrible. That's terrible. I mean, but he stopped there. Right? Like, he's he's not bustling through.

They stopped. They had remember the fellas were out getting much? There's no salvaging it. It was just wrong. Okay. Just wrong. Yep. So I I'm gonna I've been on Rag Rai, the the bike ride across the state of Iowa twice. Mhmm. They they say you should ride a thousand miles prior to the event, and you'll enjoy it. The first year, I did a thousand miles prior to the event, had a blast. It was just it was just fun. Really enjoyed it. Yep. The next year and and it was, like, you know, five miles here, 10 miles there. I don't think any ride, it was more than fifty, sixty miles Mhmm. Getting that thousand. It was just you do it. Just became part of my lifestyle every day. I'm gonna run my bike a little bit. The next year, I did it. I was too busy. I don't know. The weather was different. It didn't happen. I got probably half the miles in, and and I had to quit early. It was it was horrible. It was a terrible, terrible week, and I and I came home early. And I think that's the whole thing that there was the discipline

of of you can, you know, move that over to the spiritual world. The more you do your spiritual disciplines, more and and, you know, you just just pray. Just pray. Yeah. You know? And just just spend some time alone. Just spend some time reading, and and you should just do it. The hard part is just making that into and I hate to use the word habit or discipline, but just just just lifestyle. Yeah. The then when you do that, your whole spiritual walk is so much more enjoyable, There's so much more joy. And and the things that bother you when you're not in that zone don't bother you, you know, and and and

people don't irritate you. You love them more than you hate them. I mean, it's just all these things just kinda go away that messes up your life, messes up the the the joy of your life. And and we just we just I think it still goes back to to we get lazy. We get lazy or overconfident. I think that two those two combinations will will will zap us. Yeah. Yeah. And and it's weird because, like, if if you we see Jesus doing these things, I feel like he's the guy who could have been confident. Yeah. Who who didn't need to pray. That's right. I know the father.

I'm one with him. I mean you know? It's it's like the Samaritan woman. He could've spoke to her. Just meditate. Meditate on that scripture for me

and see how it would fit in an example. And then you write me an email, and I will bring it up at the correct time. Actually, you know what's funny? It's like it's it's it's a weird goal. But one of my lifelong goals and

is to is to say, like, the great Shema, like, three times a day Oh, yeah. And mean it all three times. You know I'm saying? Like, if you had me do it right now, I would just be saying it because I want to or or, you know, because I'm I'm trying to fit it in. Is cool. You know? But, like, I feel like I wanna I wanna I wanna wake up in the morning and go, the lord thy god is one. The lord you know, the hero is real. I like I I I like want to think that and mean it Uh-huh. And have it mean something to me three times a day. And I know that, like because I tried it. Right? I did I thought I'm fired up. You know? And, like, I said it a couple times, and I'm like, this doesn't mean anything to me. I'm just saying it because I I feel like I should and not because it means anything to me. And, like, I always thought, I can't wait till the day where this meet where I mean it. You know, where I stop, I I say it, I think about it, and I'm like, yeah. Yeah. I believe that whole thing. Let's rock on the rest of the day. And, like, there's there's a sense of it feels false,

if you if it's like a fake it till you make it. But, like, that's just a wrong categorization of the thing. It's exercise. Mhmm. It's you're gonna feel like, it's gonna take a while to to claim you're a runner. Right? You you gonna preparing for a marathon. The first few one, like, you faking it. You're not a runner. You're a person that decided to get off the couch today. And so, like, your definition is wrong.

You are a runner. This is just this is what exercise looks like. And so, like, the I think that engagement starts to change. And it doesn't mean there's not different flavors of that kind of thing, but, like, I just it's a false expectation to feel like you're gonna show up and run the all star game. Like, it's just gonna take a while before you feel natural. And and then, like, I I think Dan's Dan, that's a great point about, you you start to enjoy it. Right? It's going to in the in the first few rounds of it, like, it's not gonna feel enjoy it's gonna feel like work because it is work. When was the last time you were exercising and go felt like nothing? It's because you're doing something that you have you don't do normally. It's going to feel different. It's going to take effort, and there are gonna be times in which it's easier to go back to the thing that you weren't doing. But, like, that's you exercise because you know that what's on the other side is good. It's a beneficial thing. It's a good change in your life. It has long term benefits. And frankly, I I think from a Christian perspective,

it's one of those things that provides us a solid foundation, an undergirding, to to some of the things that I feel like there's some some diff dissonance in, some difference in in what we see in the New Testament and what our expectations are of our own lives. We're not prepared to like, I think people I I I think people want to be able to tell other people about Jesus. They don't know what to say. They don't know how to bring things up. It doesn't flow straight from the heart, so we kinda psychologize people and figure out how to deal with them, put them in some buckets, categorize them, see what how we can how do I play this fellow to get him to know Jesus, where I I think if some of these things are kinda firing on all cylinders as a habit, as a discipline,

I I think a lot of that stuff goes away. I just think you're not having to lean on it so hard. You don't have to put such a taxing thought process into it. It just it's available to you because we spent time interacting with it. And, you're putting too much burden on yourself, to do the event thing, than to otherwise just kind of submit to God in some of these ways. And then you'll I think you'll feel that burden lift off from me, or I'm hoping. Like, that's my hope because I'm again, I'm I'm kinda looking for the same thing, and I feel like that is a pretty consistent gap in my life. So, I don't know. So it's just something I don't I don't wanna let go of. I think maybe we'll we'll talk about,

it's something that I'm gonna be focusing on. And if I got something a little bit more specific, maybe I'll share that in case anybody wants to, you know, jump on board and and try to do that with me. But, like, I I would say don't wait for it to be, like, a big kickoff or something. Like, it's just something it's time to start exercising.

You're gonna get fat and lazy, and you're gonna feel it. And it's gonna be hard. The work's hard, but the exercise is good. And I think hooks us up with some of the things that we that we might be missing. I agree. Okay. You've listening live from the path. Thanks for hanging out with us so far tonight. Mike, we got a few

people need some advice? Yeah. We can do a couple. Okay. Yep. Dear life from the path, I'm 29. I had a son six years ago and left my ex because he didn't want to be a father. He chose to party instead. I had to file a name change for my son, and custody was hard to fight for because the father refused to show up. Since then, I've worked two and sometimes three jobs just to stay ahead. My child hardly sees me. I work so much that my son has stopped calling me mommy and instead calls me by my name. I feel hopeless and that I'm working for nothing. Have I made a mistake working so much?

Boy, there's just not enough detail there, I think, to answer that well. I mean, I think, generally speaking, you're feeling a real thing. Yeah. I feel like I'm I sometimes I mean, we we'd really like to shy away from, say, the honor and shame culture, but, like, there should be a lot more shame on that man. You know? Like, we just kinda pass that stuff off and, like, yeah. You do what you do. It'll be fine. But, like, I mean, in certain cultures, this would this is extremely shameful.

You know? We we should reinstitute that. Sometimes public shaming. I mean, I I mean, sometimes that happens. I I wonder if maybe she can think outside the box a little bit and figure out she she needs to spend more time with her child.

So what does that does that mean go back to her parents' house for a while or find another single mom that they can share expenses or do you know, thinks think creatively because she's right. She she is she is affecting. She's she's harming the relationship in the effort to save it. Right. And so her heart's right. I think her her motivation's right, but but, she needs she does think we need to make some type of change.

Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Sometimes it is like, we don't treat that relationship as if it is a basic need, like your time, your ability to be around folks.

And sometimes like, I mean, this is where the the details kinda matter. Yeah. Right? Like, if you're but, like, if there's any opportunity to I would I would live in a 400 square foot apartment if it would allow you to to just not work two jobs. Mhmm. Like, you can you can manage those things, but you can manage those things, like, together in a close relationship with your son. And, like, it really stinks that you're in the situation you are in. But

it is a bigger sacrifice that time than almost anything that that that they might be deprived of because of what you're able to provide. And so, yeah, I'm I'm kind of with Dan. I think that's it's the right thing to react to, and it's gonna feel extreme. But I would take extreme measures if that you can to to get some of that time back. K.

Secular says, if you are working those long hours in order to pay your bills, you're doing what a parent is supposed to do, providing for your child. Because your ex isn't doing his share, get on the Internet and research child support for single mothers. Resources are available to help you. As to your son no longer calling you mommy, I would have to ask where he got the idea he would call you anything else. Have you asked him? Rather than accept it, make clear that he has only one mommy, you're it, and you will not tolerate being called anything else. Yeah. I

mean, you might be taking a little bit of a high high horse stance here. I mean, the kid didn't just come up doing this on his own. Right? I I think you fellas are right. Like, you know, providing for your kid financially is one aspect of being a parent, and it doesn't carry as much weight as being the parent of your child in almost every other capacity.

So yeah. And and it should. And I think the, I I don't know. I don't know that I take such a firm hand on, like, the kid's just trying to express the displeasure. Right? Like, it it is a I mean, I think I would certainly talk to your child, but I think to recognize that, like, it's just a reflection of the of the situation,

and frankly, is is what has has driven you to to consider it, and to think about a change into the to that end, I think it has functioned rightly. Yeah. I mean, if it's just a marked disobedient, you know, like the kids just trying to get your goat with it. Let's go back to work, Sharon. Yeah. I think, you know, I mean, then I think you gotta you maybe have to deal with that in a little different light than it's slowly slipping away, and they just started calling you, you know, Alice. You know? Okay. Well, yeah. I mean, obviously, you might wanna look I mean, I do that all the time with my kids. Right? Like, I will make a snap judgment on on some kind of disciplinary action, and then, like, it will just stew on me for a day or two. I'm man, did I make the right I feel like I may have overreacted here.

And then and then I'll I'll show back up, and we'll talk back through it. And and and I'll make an apology if I need to make an apology, and and, you know, and I'll try to change my behavior to to to match more what I think of a a dad who doesn't think like me should have done. You know? And so, like, the same is true here. It's like where the kid the kid has to be able to display his displeasure somehow. And so, I mean, apart from him spray painting it on the walls, you know, I mean, take it in as a whole thing. Look at your kid as a whole view, and and one act doesn't tarnish him enough for you to get on a high horse and say, will not tolerate you blah blah blah blah blah. You know? That that might be a bit far. Okay.

One more. Ready? One more. Yep. Let's see. They're alive from the path. I have been seeing someone for six or seven months, but we have been together for only three. He's quite the patchy package, except he can't handle confrontation and doesn't communicate well. What? Your definition of package is weird. Wait. Wait. So so they've been dating for six months, and now they're, like, living together for three? It just says we've been seeing someone for six or seven months, but we have been together for only three. So maybe they were friends for four months, and now they're dating for the next three. It doesn't talk about living situation yet. Okay. Okay.

His way of handling uncomfortable conversations is to avoid them, while I, on the other hand, tend to be very communicative. Is there a way for both of us to be happy when dealing with difficult conversations? Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable with him? I should add that he hasn't been in a relationship in forever. I'm happy with him, but communication is important to me. I mean, communication is kinda important to everybody.

Yeah. I mean, what do you mean by you're very communicative? I mean, I here's the thing. Like, is is is is are are you having a hard time communicating? You don't like his communication style because it ain't yours. Right? Like, is the guy really he just you know, he's he's okay at communication. He just don't talk as much as you or or wanna battle things out to the wee hours. That doesn't make him wrong necessarily. Right. You know, it just means you guys don't have the same communication style. And so yeah. I mean, you're obviously gonna have to work past that in some form or the other. Yeah. It's on it's unclear whether she is

shady at this conversation. Like, he's he's maybe he's an actual terrible communicator. That's not unreasonable. I mean, it's that's a fairly standard man problem. But, like, what was the so what was the final what was the final question, though? Oh, it was three or four. It was let's see. Is there a way for both of us to be happy when dealing with difficult conversations? Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable with him? And no. That's it. Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable with him?

I mean, as you gotta recognize who you're dealing with. Right? Like, if your expectation is that you're gonna change him so that he acts the way that you act, that's a fool. I that's a dumb expectation. Yeah. You'll just shut him down each time. Yeah. I mean, some people gotta process things for, like, a day. Yeah. And, like, where you think, like, you don't you yell you know, you're in some kind of deep conversation, and they're not saying nothing. You're like, fine. You ain't just gonna talk to me. Like, they're either wise and know that if they talk right now, it's a poor idea. And they you know, the things that were gonna come out of the mouth are not helpful. Or they literally take some twenty four hours to process it. You know what saying? Like, they're like, I have no idea how I feel right now. And so anything, I'm just gonna be making it up based on my emotional tank right now, and it's just not a good idea. Yeah. And so they'll process it for twenty four hours. And it's infuriating for people who are pretty quick in the on the on the tongue. They're like, how dare you try to ignore me or not talk to me? Like, doesn't mean they're bad at communicating. That just mean they don't communicate the way you do. I think I think the older I get that, the longer I process things. And I I think that is because I've I've just learned that, well, oftentimes, I will change my mind within twenty four hours. So why say the first thing? Yeah. My first impression's often wrong. You know, Dan Yeah. There's no reason to load the cannon with the first thing you could grab. It could have been a chicken, not not a cannonball. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like there's been a consistent problem in my life, and it makes me really mistrust my ability to deal with things in the now. Yeah.

Because, you know, more information comes to light or have to just process it and go, maybe they really meant something else. Usually, it's because I'll take people wrong or Yeah. Misunderstand their motives, and then I get defensive. Or Didn't look at the whole menu, and you're like, pasta sandwich. Oh, I should have said chicken sandwich. Dang it. It happens all the time. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I I suppose, like I mean, that's just an it's just a result of being in a relationship with someone. Yeah. Like, no I mean, I think you have to figure out

is this a is this communication thing, like, an actual barrier, or is it just a difference? Like, if like, there are some people who just I mean, they just don't talk,

and they avoid confrontation or, like, they refuse to talk over things. And, like, you you literally cannot get anything done, in which case you you it's not gonna move forward. Right? That's not a reasonable thing. But, like, if it's just a difference in how how you communicate, you know, just as long as you can just figure out to tolerate it. Well, I mean, the the question, is there a way for both of us to be happy when dealing with difficult conversations? No.

That's why the conversation is difficult. No one's gonna be happy and excited about this thing. It's a rough deal. We're out of money. I'm very happy about this. Yeah. I'd like to talk about our budget again. Yeah. Everybody hates that. Alright. Secular says, has it occurred to you that this man may not have been in a relationship in forever

because he can't deal with uncomfortable conversations? For many women, that would be a deal breaker. I mean, mo here's the thing. Most people have difficulty with uncomfortable conversations. That's why they're uncomfortable. Yeah. I mean, they just they don't know how to deal with them well or, like, it it drains on them and, like, they don't wanna screw it up, make it worse. It's already uncomfortable. You have the conversation poorly. Like, it's an it's a completely natural thing. Not, hey. No one this man can't have a date, or he can't stay in a relationship because he doesn't like uncomfortable conversations. It's pretty normal. Yeah. So maybe she can help

him develop this by not overreacting when he does say something that she doesn't appreciate. What do you mean the sky is blue? Or that was a bad example. Use the Samaritan woman, Dan. Yeah. What do you mean the Samaritan? Should have put the other way. That's what I meant. I would have said that tomorrow if you gave me time. You know what mean? You know? Yeah. See? It's a great point, Dan. If I had just shut my mouth and thought about it for five minutes Exactly. Dang it. And if we didn't jump on you, you wouldn't be so afraid to bring it up again. So just don't jump on him. Finishing out says, why not all men are comfortable with long heartfelt conversations? The only way to arrive at a compromise is to talk with each other. Give him more time because your relationship is still new. But if he isn't capable of opening up, recognize it as an important red flag if you are contemplating a long relationship with him.

Do it. Wait. We agree then? I mean That's a good if if you'd literally only been dating this man, you know, you've you've known him for six months and you've been dating him for three, I mean, give him a little chance here. You wanna how many heartfelt conversations do you have? People are on their best behavior the first year of dating, and you're already plugging them up on pawn terrible conversations, poor guy. Okay. I agree. Hey. You've listening life and back. Thanks for hanging out with us so much. We do appreciate it. Welcome. Hey, Noah

from YouTube. Thanks for joining the podcast. We appreciate that. Hey. We will see you so we're off next week because we're off every week. We work we work a very lazy schedule. Yeah. But we will be back on somewhere early March and with some musical guests, and we're gonna catch them and see where how we're doing on spiritual disciplines. If you got a story or had an interaction of of, know, putting this thing into practice, I'd love to hear a story. So shoot us an email, [email protected], and we will see you in a couple weeks. In the meantime, be faithful means God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.