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

What? We got we do we're doing hot takes? Yeah. Yeah. We're we're changing the we're changing the the format of the show to current events. Okay. That's why it's live from the past, not stuff that happened or ethereal things from the path from the path. That's what we normally talk about. I understand. So You should do like nobody else and talk about Trump. Yeah. Yeah. That's Nobody's doing that. People are mystified on what that man has got going on. Nobody there's no news source even covering it. Yeah. That's true. We don't wanna leave people in the dark. We're here to help. I tell you what, he took a lot of heat. He took a lot of heat at that George George Bush funeral. I think I heard rumors of it, but I never actually saw anything. I mean, I I try not to I mean, I think you could I I I think you could construe it however you want, but, like, the guy has a resting Trump face. You know what I'm saying? Like, he just he really I someone described it as a petulant child, and he really does. He's just he's you know? And, of course, he's not he's not refined,

you know, maybe like the like the the rest of the previous presidents or whatever. But, like, he really is. He's he's he's folding his arms. He's, like, rocking back and forth. He just he can't sit for that long. Weren't they mad at him because he wasn't repeating the Apostle's Creed. Yeah. Creed. Yeah. I'm like, gosh. I don't I don't either. If I go to a place, I sit there and go, yeah. Whatever. I don't know. Actually, I gotta be I guess Well, you know, there was was like, know you know how the how the Internet has to put news out anymore. You know? And so they're like, Areva McIntyre does the Lord's Prayer or whatever. You know? And it was a big emotional moment that said. And so I'm like, oh, you know, I wanna see this. And I watched it, and I'm like, you know, I just don't even like this song. None of the words rhyme. You know, it's just it's hard to follow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just wasn't a big fan. I thought it was alright. Well, that's so, like, I that's the only part that I caught.

I was so I was at I was at work, and I I went up to the lunchroom, and they had it on. And, like, I caught the part where, who was it? The Oak Ridge Boys or whatever were piping out something. Ah, yeah. And then, and then Reba McEntire did the lord's prayer. And, like, there's, Andrea Bocelli does a cool version of the lord's prayer. Someone has said that because I made that same comment earlier, and they're like, you should really listen to Andrea Bocelli's one because Yeah. Because Rivas wasn't as as good. It was pretty good. Hey. He's hey. Speaking of which, he's he's gonna be on TBN, I think next week talking about his Christian faith. You know, I've not, watched TBN or been up to date on his programming ever. No. Yeah. Me neither. I don't get it. Don't get think he be on live from the Path first. I called him. He's, you know That's a disappointment. Yeah. Yeah. I gotta, may maybe the number comes in funny. You know, who is funny? I I listened to what was it? Bush's I I can't remember. It's a senator from Arizona.

Oh, McCain. No. Yeah. McCain. He died, Ben. Yeah. He Yeah. I thought you were saying you listened speaking at the funeral. Oh, no. I thought you said you listened to his funeral. No. No. No. Okay. No. I was I I was he was the he he was the comic relief of the day. Oh, yeah. And he was pretty funny, actually. And the thing is that it it I noted it about him is like because humor doesn't really cross this line very often, but like it was it was clean funny. You know, it was just like folksy funny, you know. And I'm like, I really appreciate people that could pull off humor without doing something degenerative in the middle of it. Yeah. And and like he did, you know, he told he told funny stories and and and he made he made anecdotal quips. And I was I was just really impressed. I thought, man, you know, I just I want more of this in my life. Like, stuff that you can literally laugh out loud at and go, you know, there wasn't there wasn't a dirty joke in there or a jab at anybody, you know, like this gossip laden, you know, diatribe. Like, was just straightforward comedy stuff, you know, and it was it was pretty cool. I like that part. So here's what I going on the show. So I do have it's not it's not Pope style advice,

but it's I don't know. Maybe it's an interesting conversation. So the question is is that, like, what what responsibility do we have as as people who who bear the risk who bear the burden

of speaking truth into the world to guard the message or to tailor the message for what we think people are gonna do with it?

That's my question. Oh, I feel like I'm gonna need an example. So okay. So so here's actually the real life example. So I saw you you guys remember the band Will It? So we we they came and played to the church. We interviewed them when we were at the one of the festivals. Right? So, so Jeremy Willett, the he was the lead singer that went down to the border. And he was,

the the deal was basically is that there's, by the way that he talks about it. Look. There's there's obviously human suffering going on here on either side. Right? The country's people are coming from, people that are stuck at the border, people that are trying to deal with the situation that's at the border. Like, there's just a lot going on down there. And so can we bring can we bring kinda light into this thing? And so, and so he went down there and he led worship on on kinda both sides, and he's kinda kinda helping to tell stories. And he's, he's done a lot of really cool work with things like that. He spent,

they they've adopted, I think, multiple kids from Africa, and he went and spent I think lived in one of those villages for, like, you know, a few months and and told stories and and, like, just to help people kinda get to know what was going on and not just, like, fly by night discussion, but, like, I he's he was there among people and that kind of thing. So, anyway so he goes down and he's he's, kinda sharing some of these things. And, it it bends, cert certainly certainly is is sympathetic to kind of the migrant caravan.

It's the primary description. And there was a guy that kinda got on and made a comment and said, hey. You know, I I appreciate what you're doing, but, like, this isn't quite a a full story.

You know, I had to, you know, to I know that there are people who are, like, throwing rocks at the guys that are working the border and stuff and, like, you know, not not everything is is is like children are in need and that kind of thing. And his response basically was, you know, thank you. I appreciate you kind of engaged in what we're talking about. Can I ask you, you know, have you been down there personally? Have you been able to see this or, like, you know, what is your experience at the border? And it turns out the guy's like a like a border guard. And, like and a few of his friends, like, were the guys who had gotten, you know, kind of attacked and whatever. And

and so he said, hey. Thank you. You know, I I appreciate you. You kinda kinda sharing your perspective and, you know, helping kind of inform the conversation and blah blah blah. I mean, it wasn't antagonistic. Think I think the guys know each other, and they and they like each other. And I think the guy the border guy, like, certainly respects what what what the lead singer guy was doing. But but here's what I thought, though, is that, like, the whole point of the of the initial response was, hey, man. Have you actually been down there engaged? And the dude's like, you know what? Yeah. I have. Every day. And I saw this this very thing, that is a reality. And

and this isn't a knock on, on Jeremy per se. It just it just struck me because I think I understand what he's trying to do, is that there wasn't really a direct kind of acknowledgment that, like, yeah. You know what? It's a complicated picture. And, like, yeah, there's there's there's mixed elements of of these things. Like, there's a reality to, human need in the situation, and then there's a reality of of human depravity.

And, frankly, there there there's a level of human depravity that's caused the human need. And so, like but instead of kind of embracing that and social media is a a wrong place to do it. That's why I don't wanna over overload on the conversation itself. But, like, it made me think that that I think a lot of a lot of our conversation gets guarded because we're worried about what what not not the true thing, but, like, what people will imply from saying the true thing.

And so, like, because you don't wanna be aligned necessarily with other people who who would espouse similar things, I feel like we don't. Maybe there's a hesitance to say just the blatant thing. Like, the true thing in that situation was,

you know, like, I I know that that that that Jeremy Ben's sympathetic to to, like, the caravan stuff and then, like, there's an American blindness that is permitted, or or, like, the reaction to that isn't isn't is he doesn't believe is Jesus focused.

And I think fine. Like, if that's your perspective on the thing. But, like, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to acknowledge, hey, man. It isn't the entire reality. Like, there there are things going on down there. Like, when people say, hey, man. So there's some criminals or some ne'er do wells in this thing. Like, can't we just say, yeah, when the answer is yeah? And then can't we just say, hey. Look. If there's human suffering that we we we just you know, like, the Jesus people look at and say borders are no borders. I don't like this. And I feel like they're what can we do to try to resolve this situation in a proper way? Can can can we say that they're not all thugs and thieves? And can we say that some of them are people who are who are trying to flee from bad situations? Like, can't we just say that? But, like, the hesitance in a lot of these discussions seems to be that if we do that, I you run the risk of agreeing on some point or another with someone else that you might completely disagree on everything else with. Yeah. You have to draw a line and choose a side and stay there. It's kinda our our Yeah. MO, you know. It's like yeah. We can't stray from it. And so so that I suppose that's the question is, like, is that is that is that a right consideration

for people of Jesus? Like, do we have to is it not just is it what is true? What is not true? Is it well, how will people perceive the true thing and my potential con of being in cahoots with other people that believe that thing? Is that our is that our responsibility to deal with? Man, it's such a great it it boy, I mean, the answer is not a yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's such a great thing because, like, our entire

American culture has shifted that direction. Right? Like, the news is delivered that way. It's the news isn't delivered on a fact fact fact basis. The news is delivered with a fact fact spin basis. Right? And then the people who spin that way only wanna read news stories that are spun that way. And and and there's not much mixing, you know? And so, like, the the thing is, can you can you explain do you do you feel like there's a duty to explain the entire situation in every situation? I mean, you saying like it just pertains

to, you know, the gospel or like does a guy who sells shoes that pay less have to say, look, you borderline nine and a half, but I think a 10 ought to do you, but you might not do a 10 in this shoe because it's made in Indonesia. And the tax rate in Indonesia for that particular brand of shoe leads people to have eight year olds make it the shoe. You know what I'm saying? Like Yeah. Like, you have to roll out the entire situation in every situation or does the point that you're trying to get across is you can fit in a tin. You should buy the tin. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, I I I don't think I don't think it's practical. It I I just don't think it's practical to lay that stuff out. I think it's it's honest to be part of the conversation when the conversation's there. But, like, you're opening Gambit.

I don't know it has to be the Indonesian eight year old, you know, when the shoe is is what we're talking about. Yeah. So so I mean, that reminds me it makes me think of I I suppose, like, like, bare questions. Right? Like, are you response

basically, I mean, I'm trying to figure out the right way to word this. To what extent are you responsible for the perception of other people? Right? Granted, people are gonna take in how they're gonna take it in. But, like, knowing that someone might say like, write you off because they say, well, you know, if you're gonna go down there and lead worship for, like, a a group of caravan people who I think are, are criminals, then, like, then I've written that off. Is it your responsibility to fight against that? No. No. I don't think so. No. And is it so but on the other side, is it, does it is there any reason like like because what I feel like might be happening in situations like that is to hedge against well, if I if I can if I agree

and say, yes. You know what? There are some kind of ruffians in this deal. And so and people might think, well, then I'm not on the on the side of the kick the caravan people or whatever. Like, is that something we gotta worry about? Or do you just call it for what it is? I mean, we'd have to say that that, like, you know, do you believe that people are that is the way they've been. They've been with an extremely broad brush. Like, no one no one actually wants to participate in the middle of the road conversation. They wanna go, yes, they're all thugs or no, they're they just need a place to be, we should let them in. And they want to pick a side, like, they they tend that way because nobody wants to have the middle of the road complicated conversation. Is it is it a simplistic

view just for simplistic sake? Because nobody wants you don't wanna get in the middle of it. It's it it really is a is a a very, very gray conversation. Yeah. Well, I mean, I think it's true that it's easier to put people in buckets. Like, you can deal with them pretty easy. Right? Because I can say, as long as you believe this and believe this, I can write you off. I don't have to deal with this. I don't have to engage in the dialogue. I can just be like, well, that guy's a compassionate liberal, and, he's obviously crazy. And so I don't have to deal with him. Right? Or, like, that guy's a wingnut who wants to shut down the borders and never let anybody in. He's like he's a heartless snake, and so I don't have to deal with him. Yeah. We've become lazy in even having the conversation because of those buckets. We put people in the bucket. We just label them, keep them there, And then we're inconsistent because of that. Even the current, you know, conversation these days with the baby is cold outside, you know Right. Radio stations are taking it off because it's, you know, it's it's it's Me Too and it's terrible. So then, like, Christians are saying, what are you doing that's so dumb? Play the song. And if you look at the song, it really legitimately is a guy trying to engage in what the Bible calls fornication.

I mean, you know, if you listen to the words, it's like, actually, we're against that. You know? Yeah. Right. Regardless of whether it's good natured or otherwise Yeah. It's actually we actually don't don't support it. But the wrong people now are trying to get it off. So now we're we're trying to say, yeah. We should play this song. I'm like, I'm okay with them not playing it. Mean You know what, Dan? I that is an element that has not really been part of the conversation, and it is an excellent point. Right? Like, we're fighting where whether, you know, like, is it is it is it consensual or is the guy being a real creeper? But either way, the end result They're not married. Yeah. And, they shouldn't be doing this. So, I mean

Yeah. That's yeah. So so I think that's the thing. And maybe that's that's what I was getting at. What I was thinking on the way here was, like, we're an advertising culture. We're we're a culture, which we are, we know we're being advertised to. And we we we've become come to think about ourselves as a brand, how I speak. Yeah. And so, like, we've taken on this position on how we interact with people,

as like, well, how do I angle this in such a way so that people will hear what I wanna say? And that's not wrong. But, like, I I do wonder if it causes us, our our our wit or our k our competence in trying to communicate a suave message distances us from true things, from core true things that are potentially complicated.

What I what here's here's here's what I know is, politically, what I believe is complicated. It's not an easy thing. There is not a bucket that exists. I I've got I've got pretty wide variations of how of inter government interaction and the extent, of people's freedom and the protection of Christianity or people's right to worship. Like, there's a I I fit into a lot of different camps here. And so, like, it's just a complicated thing. I can't fill out a sheet and then have you say, alright. Great. You will know me. And, like, the example I gave is that, like, the reason I struggled with

that particular interaction on Facebook was, is because I I I live on that on that issue very much in in, it's not a middle as in a compromise, but, like, it's a it's a declaration that, this is complicated. There are there are people's needs. There are bad people. Yes. It's I think it's both. And I think we've got it. And I think the the solution is not an easy one. You can't just say no across the board, and you can't say yes across the board. It's hard. It's going to be work, and it's gonna be the right work, though.

And but so I was disappointed in that because I thought, like, that was a even a simple acknowledgment of that shows some level of humanity, and and I think, like, a a a rational thinking. But, like, it it felt like a protection of this image of what's going on so that you didn't wanna even give an inch. So so are you so you're saying that that, like, you do do that, like, without someone acknowledging that it's complicated,

then I'm assuming that I can't trust you to take all the facts in right because I can tell it's complicated from here. And if you're not willing to acknowledge that, then I don't think you're gonna know the full story. That's right. That's right. If you're trying to sell me that it that it it only works one way, and that it there isn't a complication here and that, like unless you can can prove to me that the thing is totally a lie. Right? That there are for in this example, nobody chucking rocks, no thugs at all. Like, if that was totally fabricated, fine. But, like, if that's not the case, then, like, dismissing buckets of people's

concerns about a situation, feels disingenuous to me. It feels like if you're not willing to say, I recognize what you're thinking. Here's how that situation doesn't quite fit into that. Or, like, here's what actually complicates that is because of x, y, and z. That seems like a productive conversation to me. You know, I I I I think the distinction you're making are and the people that would tend to make it are the people that lead other people. The people that are looking to just go stand in the group of people that already agree with them don't don't see any reason to give the background, don't see any reason to to give the the complicated version of it because they just wanna stand by the folks that are that are already here and already thinking that that's the thing. And so but like people who want to lead people want to lead all of them and say, this is how we should take this in as a as a society. This is how we should take the whole issue in and this is what I think our output should be. And it varies, and it's complicated, and there's levels.

And and that's leading all people, not just finding, like, your people or the people closest to how you are. And and and right now, like, I I mean, it's obvious in our political climate, it's obvious in our social strata. Like, it's it's obvious that that we are we're taking the easy our already maligned groups. Right? Like, it's easier it's easier just to say, hey, Purple team, Purple's the best. Purple goes, heck yeah. You know what mean? Yeah. It is. And they're with you already. You don't have to explain to Blue why purple is better because purr there's already enough purples. And and and and and you're good. And and I'm not accusing Jeremy of doing that. I'm just saying that that, like, if for example, if I was if if if he goes down if someone goes down and and and leads worship for disaffected refugees that have that are are living a a rough place, that needs to be done anyway. That's absolutely Like, people go down and lead worship anywhere. I'm for it. These are great things. Right? And and and if and if your if your goal is to just ship it out to other other people that love Jesus and say, listen, we're bringing Jesus in into into places because light wins. Doesn't matter if there's thugs and rock throwers down here or widows and orphans. Either way, we're showing up. Just just know that that that God's got people on it, and and I need you to pray with me, or I need you to come down here. That's a call to do something in a specific area and and I don't have any issue with that. Right? But then but on the on the other hand, if if other people are taking it in as a politicized statement or this is the deal, nobody should actually be worried about the thugs. You should just pray and and hand out food. I I don't know if that's the statement he was making or not, but it can certainly be taken that way by the guys on the other side and go, well, you're not painting a full picture. So that's what I'm saying. It's like, what responsibility do you have to paint To his followers on his Facebook? Zero. Yeah. So I guess that's what I'm saying is, like, I I I'm less concerned about someone saying that it is your outward responsibility to paint a full picture. But, like, if you dodge a full picture,

like, maybe that's what I'm getting at. I I just I maybe I feel like we we have like, Jesus was was an enigmatic in this. Right? Like, the the the holiest man to walk walk the streets and the and and the pharisees were, he's hanging out with sinners and he didn't care to explain himself, except for to say that this the the sick need you know, I it's the sick who need to know. The same guy told parables purposely, you know, and said, you hear it if you hear it and and left it at that. So so so may I guess that's what I'm saying is that, like, I don't expect I don't I don't know that I'm saying, hey, man. You went down to to be part of leading worship to people who some might say are criminals. Explain yourself. I'm not saying that. I that's what I I guess I'm landing on the

where I'm comfortable is to say, look. It's not your deal, but, like, it's also is not your consideration. So, like, it shouldn't be I if you're if you're gonna do that, you need to be that universally. Look. I will do what I want. I will do what the kingdom calls me to do,

and I don't feel the need to explain myself if someone hey hey, man. Are you, hey. It feels inconsistent for you to be down here leading worship for these folks. And I'd be like, no. I don't I don't think so. Yeah. But I think it's not. Once again, like, it's this this platform of being able to say things like this and have them taken in, you know, from 2,000 other people in their living rooms is is new. Right? It's a it's a newer thing. If you were to have this exact same one on one conversation, I feel like the acknowledgment of the complications of what's going on down here would be there. Right? If it was just you and him having a conversation or you and somebody else, then that would be I I I think all those nuances would be explored. But like, when you're putting out a blanket statement for 2,000 other people to read and interpret without you being there to follow-up any of it, then that's different. Right? That can all just be taken in as however it was however somebody wants to take

So there's really no I mean, there's no way around it. I mean, I can count on I don't have enough hands to count how many times I've said something that was inadvertently completely offensive. And I didn't intend it to be that way. My heart was not in the offensive mode at all. And only to find out that someone's been gnawing on it for two years because I ran my mouth at something, you know, that that I was not intended that way at all. And I didn't ever get the chance to defend myself. We didn't even talk about it. And it it turned out to be a thing would be completely behind my back. Right? But that, like, that's the that's the thing with communication. You could solve it if if if if you'd had that that follow-up conversation. But if you just take what you wanna take and go, I mean, you could be just as the same people that are, hooray, Trump said this, and there's 50% of the other people that are like, boo, Trump said that. It's this exact same statement. Mhmm. And and it's just taken half and half, and then everybody's upset. And so, like, I think it's the platform that brings the complication to it. You know? Yeah. That's true. One on one conversations, like, I maybe that's the thing. The platform caused you to be more guarded because of the influence. But because of the influence, you gotta be careful on how you guard things, to the extent that, like, if you're if your end goal is to say, hey. I want I want I think the gap is that people are not sympathizing with, say, maybe the caravan. And so I'm going to protect that by not otherwise acknowledging

some of the sense of the reality that that maybe people who are who we feels like are the prime targets to not sympathizing, like, not not to give it a mansion. And, I I'm not I don't know anything further from the conversation. I don't I'm not proposing that that's what he's doing, but it occurred to me that people can. And, frankly, I feel like people do. That we that we we we treat the platform in such a way as that that we are afraid of being

of not being able to to buck it out because it brings trouble. It brings complication if you're the person that says, yeah. You know what? I I have sympathy for this down here. I I I wanna bring worship and and and God's light here, but recognize that it's it's not that clear of a situation. There's some rough folks down here. And, like, you know, it doesn't you you don't easily fall into a bucket. And and maybe that's the core thing is that, like, I feel like I feel like kingdom people are responsible for a broad perspective. And so, like, to the extent that you're following following falling into a worldly bucket here, I

feel like it's bringing risk. You you should Christians are complicated because or comp not complicated. We are, complex but an enigmatic from the world's perspective because Jesus was. And to the extent that you are not an enigma, if I can describe you easily by your political party,

then we I we may be missing something. Like, we should be hard to pin down, frankly, because we don't fit into worldly buckets very easily. Maybe and maybe that's the core thing is that let's let's not let's not fight for the buckets. Yeah. I I mean, I I I feel like that's that it's just flat out nitpicking, really. You know what I'm saying? Like, I I I just feel like it like, once again, I feel like it's a new it's a new social way that we expect

the the the greatest man on earth, minus Jesus, gets up and makes a speech. And there is still a group of 50 people who are like, he didn't bring up poodles. And I'm just super disappointed that he didn't bring up the plight of the poodles. He has this big platform to be able to say it and it didn't even come up. And they're super mad at him. And he could have said the greatest things and brought everybody together and the poodle guys are still mad because he didn't nail that one thing that he wanted to talk about. And like that's just a a very I don't know. It just seems like it's it's so unfair for anybody that wants to say anything and they're open to to to ridicule on what they did or did not do when, like, their their whole goal was to just hey, man. There's there's people down here that that that need talk to or or this is where god's god's doing work here and here. You know what I'm saying? Like, that that seems just really it seems unfair and a new and just a new way that we take in information that it has to cover all grounds all the time. It's just not even practical. So, I mean, I I don't I don't disagree with that. I think that's not quite what I'm saying.

And it's not so much what people are maybe the the the situation is is hyper specific. But, like, I guess what I'm saying is is, like, do you, in order to not complicate things,

do we sometimes not do we run the risk of avoiding the truth, of calling things clearly for what they are? With clarity brings complication because if if because the truth is generally complex. The reality is generally complex. Well, yeah. So, like, even take a take a straightforward statement like,

hey, man. God loves you. And my worry would be that if you provide someone with a statement that says, God loves you, it means that he likes exactly what you're doing and all the things that you're doing in your life, and that you're making no effort to know him. Just know that God loves you. Well, that's that's way more complicated than that. Right? There's a God to follow and a God to worship and a life that gets changed when that when that stuff becomes a reality to you. But if, like I I mean, we've we've we've seen the danger of doing that, of throwing out this, like, God loves you for exactly who you are. That's not exact I mean, he does love you, but he doesn't want you to stay where you are. He wants you to move. But if you leave it at the simple God loves you, then, yeah, you probably did do them a disservice. But, like, there's there's ways and means to to going about that conversation. And so,

crap. Now I'm sitting now I'm I'm grabbing what you're saying. I don't know. Crap. I've put no thought into it. I'm a simpleton. I think and maybe maybe they what it comes down to is that, like, it just it let's let's let it be true. Right? So let's let not let it be shaded. Not let it to be

like, we're gonna deal the Christians are gonna deal in reality. We're gonna deal in clear statements and we're gonna deal in reality. So if someone says, hey, man. Yeah. There's there's violence at the border. And some and and I say, hey, man. Have you been down there? Have you seen it? Yeah. Actually, I was there. It happens. Like, yeah. This there is violence at the border. It's complicated. There's also need. Right? You know I'm saying? Like, I like, don't I'm not gonna shade what is going on or what the truth is be to try to influence the ends. I'm going to assume that truth itself

and wisdom associated with it is what produces the right ends. Maybe that's what I'm saying. Like, I like, there's the sense of of advertising to try to influence behavior has become a a personal thing, and I and I feel like it's a to the detrimental of our ability to communicate true things. Yeah. I yeah. I mean, mean, it's it's our entire culture right It's it's all of it. Everything is a is a shade. Well, it's like we're we're afraid that if we're completely honest, the people who are on our side, maybe maybe some of them will slide to the other side or something. Yeah. You you know, it's like, well because because it's you're right, it's not black or white. There there's some big gray in there and we're all battling over the gray people. The black and the whites are battling over the gray. And so if you give an inch, you're just afraid, ah, they're gonna go the other direction now. I've lost some. Yeah. You're not true to the cause. Yeah. Yeah. We're gonna go down and do worship because we're God people. That's the only thing that matters. And it's like, well, no. There's some bad people. You don't No. No. No. There's none. That's the that's the point though in it, Dan. It's like, the cause is the right thing. That should be the cause. Right? The cause is to do the right thing or or or or represent God's people or what God's heart is for all the people. And and God's heart on a guy that commits all kinds of crimes is for him to love and follow Jesus in jail.

That's God's heart because he's he does bad things. Yeah. Right? A guy that's been disaffected and has is the sojourner in your land, God's heart is to feed that man. Right? And to and and get him started on a path where he can feed himself. And so, like, the cause should be the right thing, not your side of the right thing, or, like, your portion of the right thing. May maybe that maybe that is true. And I I don't know. I'm maybe I'm But they well, they both have parts of right. Because it's also right to protect our citizens from people who wanna harm them. Yes. And it's right to to help people that are legitimately having some, I mean, honest needs. You know, they're both right. And and and so that's where it takes thought and conversation and and work and and And reasonable thought and reasonable conversation.

Right? And the brain that God has gifted humanity with to subdue and rule over his creation with. Right? You put it in practice and you go, what's what can we do here? Like, what can we actually do with all these things? Instead of just going, look, the guys that wanna stop them at the border obviously hate people. That's not true. Yeah. The guys that wanna let them all in Yeah. Don't love our country and don't care that they're taken over by terrorists. Well, that's not true either. Mhmm. So, I mean, can we can we talk about what the situation is and figure out where where the good is? There's good in there somewhere and you're not gonna get everybody. The poodle guy's still gonna be mad because the immigration debate is not about the poodles and he's still gonna be upset. But you gotta start. I mean, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes you have to protect humanity and their waywardness from themselves.

Right? Like like, literally, we we would like to complain about the state of our of our political process in Washington. We've created this. We did this. We asked God for for kings and God relented it. You know what I'm saying? We created every problem that we currently have. There's not a group of 300 bad politicians in Washington. There's a group of 300 people that we elected to be there and promoted the actions that they take. And it will continue as long as we put up with it. And the same is true with this microcosm

debating that goes on with every single thing. We could agree that on on every bit of practice, but that at the end of the speech, the guy will say, and I love Puerto Rico. And they're like, oh, I see. It's a porta you know what I'm saying? And then he's gone completely. We're not listening to him at all because he's a fringe Puerto Rican man who loves Puerto Rico more than other states, and all of a sudden, we're at odds. Yeah. So he's absolutely ridiculous. And so I I think that's the core of it then, like so it and it's to simplify the very thing is is it seems like it shouldn't have to be said, but we we deal in true things and and not not shaded things, not things that try to drive to certain ends. We deal in the reality of the things. And, like, it's not that you can't focus on certain things, but to the extent that we deny or shade other parts of reality to try to influence people, we're no longer dealing in truth. And, like, that is the thing that should stand out about about how Christians are interacting in some of these types of things, is that we're not easily bucked because we're willing to deal with a reality because we're the ones that can face it with any sense of reasonableness because it is not our forever reality, we're well aware of that.

And so if it's and this is this is to me, as much to anybody, is that, it's it's it's okay that that that you're that things are enigmatic, that they're complex. And it is not not your responsibility necessarily to to make sure that everyone is super clear on the thing that you're doing as long as what you're doing is faithful and is dealing with reality and not trying to shade it one way or the other. Yeah. And and and to be honest, once again, with the with the platform angle, right, you don't actually have to tell every

You know I'm saying? If it is super complicated and you know it's gonna get misconstrued, maybe the right is to not bring it up to 2,000 other people, you know, to just deal with it and what you're dealing with. And that's hard too, right? Like the thing you do when you find this thing and and you're gonna shout it to the world like, everybody should know about this. You find this with, with granted, we've all been on mission mission trips here in the last year and a half. Right? But, like, people will go to another country and get all gassed up and show back and be like, everybody should know. We need all kinds of money for this. And everybody's like, what?

He was like, I guess I mean, if you say so, why don't you get the money? You love it so much. And I like that answer. Right? Like, if that's your deal, then you hit people up one on one and and you drive it and you do that. Right? But, like, throwing the guilt out like a like a a spray bomb. Right? Like, that's it's just it's flat out not effective. I I don't know. It's interesting. For some reason, I keep thinking that this parallels to the to the parable of the seed somehow and I just can't quite just can't quite It's not landing. Yeah. I can't put it together. Not taking root. No. It's not. It's being scorched. Man, that reminds me The rocks. Next week, I wanna talk about I think it's Luke 16 about the

about the shrewd manager. I love that parable. Hey. It's difficult. It is. It is difficult to discern. Like, I remember parts of that and I and and, like, in my mind, I thought, oh, Good. Okay. Here's the application of it. And I was reading it a little bit closer within the last five days. I'm like, what? Mhmm. What, though? It really feels like What is going on here? It feels like the lord goes, that's the way to use the brain I gave you. Jesus, you crook.

Yeah. I mean, if you're on a sinking ship, grab some inflatables. We're we're gonna hit that. And, like, I will note also that the the the the Jesus Luke's Luke's narrative of Jesus has some pretty hard, like, harsh line drops, like, where other guys have cut off the story

in a much lighter tone. And then, like, Luke's Jesus is just I mean, he's probably he's got, like, three chapters in a row where there's some kind of extended parable. And, like, at the end of the parable, someone's like, hey. Bring the people here, and then I shall dispatch with them. Or, like, or, like, they will all be cast aside into the pits. And, what? Woah. It it just takes Luke is a lot more explicit at the ends of some of these. Anyway, remind me the next next week, Luke Yeah. I got it. We're gonna talk about this shrewd manager. Okay. Hey. So so they released

and I the year's not over yet. Don't know. This is gonna start happening. People are trying to get ahead of the game here, and we're gonna know in July what the top x was in 2018. Yeah. So, like, the the YouVersion has released the top bible verses by country in 2018.

And it was kind of an interesting list. Hold on. So but so what are your what are your guesses? Top top bible verses highlighted, noted, or favorited in the YouVersion bible app. For The United States? Yeah. For The United States. Philippians four three. The four three? Thirteen? Four thirteen. Dan? Yeah. I I would agree with that. It's gotta be let's check People are wild with that one. Let's check The United States. I used this week, in fact. Holy cats. United States comes in with Isaiah forty one ten. Is that the knit together in the womb? No. That's Jeremiah 29. Just the eagle? Or the tithe of plans. Hold on. Okay. Should whisper you. Is what I have here? Isaiah 41. I

should have looked these up. That would have been responsible. I'm checking. Hey, just a quick sidebar. I I have taken to reading I needed to read some Isaiah passages in in youth group or whatever.

And it's very helpful to read them in the message. I mean, they these kids I mean, because of the way they take in media anymore these days, they completely gloss over. You try to read anything that has any type of poetry hinge to it. Oh, yeah yeah yeah. Or takes takes like a it's a where things are are two levels in. And and, like, I lament this all day long that that they they can't but they they can't do it. And and the gospel moving forward is more important than their lack of ability to read poetry. Right? And, like, I've had a lot of good luck with with reading it in the message and then explaining, you know, how it got there or whatever. Yeah. I I would say that actually the message does a a much better job with some of the variant art forms within scripture. Yeah.

Like, there's there's I got some translation qualms here and there with the message, but, like, their ability to treat a a poem as a poem and use that art form in the way that it was otherwise written is is I I I would agree. I think the impact is is is tenfold. Yeah. So what what we got here? Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your god. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will poll you with my righteous right hand.

That's for America? Yeah. Alright. Hold on a second. So now what's what's the context of Isaiah 41 here? Listen to me in silence, oh, coast lens. Let the peoples renew their strength. Let them approach. Let them speak. Let us draw together.

Let us together draw near for judgment. Who stirred up one from the East whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him so that he tramples kings underfoot. He makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. He pursues them and passes on safely by paths his feet have not trod. Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the lord, the first, and with the last, I am he. The coastlands have seen and are afraid. The ends of earth tremble. They have drawn near and come. Everyone helps his neighbor and says to his brother, be strong. The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith and he who smooths with the hammer, him who strikes the anvil says of the soldering, it is good. And they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

But you Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its father's corners saying to you, you are my servant. I have chosen you and not cast you off. Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will have held you with my righteous right hand. That seems to be in the right context. Context is good. Yeah. Context is good. I'd like to I'd really like see, this is poetry, it loses me. You know, but, like, Park, are you the one who smooths with the hammer? Yeah.

Your solder is good. I mean, I'm just, like look at that. He who stirred up one from the East whom victory meets at every step. That's beautiful. I mean, everywhere he walks, victory comes to join him. Is it bad things come from the East? Yes.

Stirred up so so what is it? He's who stirred up things from the East? It's it's the judgment. Okay. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Listen to me in silence, o coast lands. Let the peoples renew their strength. Let them approach, and then let them speak. Let us draw together draw let us together draw near for judgment. And then you have trouble coming in from the East. And then, like, this is actually a lament. It's a there's a it's a powerful thing to say, look look look at the victory here, but it's it's actually a lament. It's against until you get to Israel. But you, Israel, my servant Jacob, who I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from his father's quarters. I have chosen you and not cast you off. Fear not, I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. And this is this is after Babylon, right? Like like some of the the Jews had had gotten out of there, but there were still some Jews remaining in Babylon. And then and then after Isaiah was the the interstitial period or whatever, like the four hundred years before Jesus showed up. Is that about right? I don't know that that this is directed towards that specifically though. Like, think it's I think it's a broader thing.

Behold all who are incensed to get you shall be put to shame and confounded. Yeah. I don't know if it's addressing that or not. What's the what's the number one in Zimbabwe? Does it give Zimbabwe?

Let's look. They may not have no. They don't have they don't got hits in Zimbabwe. Okay. What about Cuba? Nope. Come on, Ben. China. Okay. Yeah. Here we go. China.

Good new China, by the way let's see. Proverbs four twenty three. This one's interesting. And I because it sounds like

it sounds like a like a Confucius say a little bit. Hold on. Proverbs four twenty three is, keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flows the springs of life.

It's interesting is that, like, the vast majority of the book of the verses are reminders of god of of people's anxiety and god's sovereignty. Mhmm. Like, that's the core of it, Is that he's he's got there is there is a sense of control in the world.

And your anxiousness can only be relieved by by being confident that that that God has some sense of of authority here. You think that's new? Do you think, like, anxiety I mean, obviously, anxiety isn't new, but you think the prevalence of anxiety

new, like, last three hundred years or something. Was the world always this way? I mean, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. I think it is. Yeah. Because, like, the the verses that we're going back to now now here's the thing, is that, like, the the the the anxiousness

and the worry and the fear that is generally described within the scriptural passions that people are going to is is always coming up in in fear of judgment from god in one way or the other. I don't know that our fear nowadays is in judgment from god. I think a lot of the anxiety comes from interactions with the world, and they're seeking solace in a god that has a little that has some level of control above the world. And so I I don't know that it's oriented in the same place, but the but its presence certainly is. Yeah. We're we're stressed out over work and or, you know, being pressured at work or neighbors or relationships. You know,

their culture might have been pressured over, gosh, if the crops don't survive, I don't know how we're gonna, you know, eat this winter. You know, so this is or is this kingdom gonna come down and sweep down and kill us all and take away my children or whatever? So

they're both very real, but they're very different, I'd say. Yeah. It just feels like and maybe this is pulling a lot from Old Testament stuff, right? But like, it felt like like some of the the the major, you know, fellas in the Bible, like, they were they they you didn't get the sense that they were sitting in a corner going, ugh.

You know what I'm saying? Like I'm sorry, what what was that? You know, like like, they're they're you don't get the sense they're worried about anything. They call a spade a spade and they're like, hey, that they're trying to kill me? Lord, I'm holding you to account. You do something, you know, or you will carry me through this. And and and I'm I'm boldened by your strength. Right? Where we're like, I don't know. God, if you could maybe help me, or are you there? You know I'm saying? Like and and and, like, it just seems like people were were were willing to just take this stuff head on, like, hey, if I don't think Yahweh is holding up his end, I call Yahweh to account. Where are you? What is going on? What are you doing? You know? Or I I realize that all these people are are after me, but it's your strength that keeps me running through this thing. I know I'm in the right. Where

you know, like like most of the most of the Christian dudes, and I'm gonna put myself in the same bucket, I spend most of my day wondering if I am right. Am I really right? Am I really taking this in correctly? Am I seeing this? Right? If I feel like it doesn't matter what decision I make, I can't trust that it's a decent one. I'm always worried that I've I've pulled the wrong trigger, or I've I've come down too heavy or too light or whatever. It's like this constant questioning of everything that that I do. And I don't know I it just doesn't seem to be a characteristic of

humanity in the Old Testament at all. And even and the New Testament is is is framed a little bit different, not not near as humanity centric, but more, you know, letters in the stories of of the life of Jesus. Right? But, like, even the random folks in there, they just don't seem to be as yellow livered about most stuff. They just kind of come right after it. Do you think you think I'm I'm Hey. Is that is that not the same sense that anyone else gets? No. No. So I do agree that, like, it's not

I I think it's not the same. I think, again, people's anxiety comes from something biblically seems to be rooted in something a lot more I don't know. Not as wimpy. Like, it's something that you should rightfully be afraid Right? Like, if you're talking about the judgment of God, you're talking about walking outside of his his his will and his ways. Or people trying to kill you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's where, like, that's where, like, they're casting anxiety. Say, like, I'm worried about this thing. Our level of the thing we worry, I don't know is the same thing. Like, I'm not sure that it similarly shares some of the perspective that that otherwise scripture's communicating. And so, like, I mean, yes, you can repurpose that, but I'm not sure it's equatable. And it's not the same it's not quite the same situation.

That's true. Actually, I you find a lot of folks that will take some of these these things in scripture that are applied to something very heavy inside the bible, and we will apply it to something very light going on in our lives in perspective. Mean and and here's the things, like, again, if it's a god that counts the hairs on your head, like, it's not like he doesn't care about those things. I just I feel like it is a a oh, this is gonna come sound bad. I think it is a victory of Satan for us to get thrown off course to fight the battle on such

miniscule terms. I think I think the the scriptural battle, I think the kingdom battle is of a serious consequence. And

we're we're beating off with a broom and and sweating profusely and, like, lord, carry me through. And it's like, well, yeah. I mean, I get that you're fighting off ants with the broom, like, you know, we we could take that broom somewhere else and really do some damage. What? That's the thing and and maybe that's the the whole point I'm trying to get to, is I feel like like we have anxiety because we have this this dread about about so many little things. Like, what if I'm late for my job interview? Well, what if you are? You know? What if I'm what if the what if I I finally got a day off on a Saturday and the mower doesn't start? Well, what if it don't? And the grass gets a little tall or whatever. And and, like, we just take this stuff super hard. Like, oh, man. You can't imagine the day I've had. The mower didn't start. Well, man, that's just the worst, you know?

Ain't that the kibbles and bits? Know? Got a stain on my shirt. Oh. And and it really is all and and I I I was super victim of it today. There was a couple things that happened to me, and like they were just small things, and I was so mad. I was just getting fired up about the whole thing. I'm like, man, could this day just go any more poorly? And like, what a terrible perspective. Like, we've just lost the perspective focusing, like, on these on these super tiny tiny things, which then turn around and feeds into your news feed on your phone, where the news is about super tiny things. Stuff that no one actually cares about, you know. But then you see the headline, you're like, no doubt. I had no idea Kenny Rogers tried to take an Uber when he was in San Francisco. Ridiculous. You know? And then you're you're off, whoo, sidetracked, you know? And then you got 700 people on your Facebook feed and three of them had bad dinners and you missed five school plays and you don't even know that your friend Steve had four kids instead of three and you're like, oh man, I'm terrible at being a friend of Steve. You know what I'm saying? And it's all this this stuff and it's just it's just constant,

small and tiny and then you see people going, the strength of the Lord will carry me through this. And you sometimes you wonder if God goes, I don't care if your grass is 4.25 inches. Like, I just do not care. I don't know why you do. I don't know why you do. You wanna take steward your place and make the place look nice. I get it. I built you to care about this creation.

Right? But like this one Saturday that Boer did not start, you gonna have a deal about this? I mean, I just can't This feels like he shakes his head and goes, I got creation and glory. And I've I've I've made you in my image and likeness, and this is what you're doing with it. You look ridiculous, you know? Like almost comedic style ridiculous. And I and and we do it to ourselves, and that is probably a victory of Satan. You got off track of this glorious joy that God's given you because the mower did not run, you know? Just seems Prosperity has made us soft.

Yes. Yeah. Mean, I feel like, is there a way can we swap? Is there a swap page or something that I can go to that says, hey, look, I'm worried about something dumb. Some at least like, if I'm gonna bother having some anxiety, at least make it of some consequence. Well, and it's probably a result of not having to worry about things that are big. You know what I'm saying? That's a good point. Are we gonna be taken over by warlords? Probably not. You know? Probably not today. That's so Dan's right. Right? It's it's our our prosperity has made us soft because it has given our our the relative nature of the things we get anxious about,

like, are on a whole different plane than things that people are that what people are anxious about. And I suppose, like, I'm not saying that you don't feel anxious and I'm not saying that the Lord can't help. What I'm saying is, like, I wonder, is there is there is there a way to reorient our lives so that we're not wasting such anxiety on on such minimal things.

Yeah. Because, I mean, what tell me it's not the thought of most average Americans where they're like, if I could just, you know, pull this lottery off one time, things would really be different. Well, sir, you you have won the lottery in comparison to the rest of the world, and you got problems. You know? You're on the way to Salisulu thinking there's gonna be great things there. And and and it turns out you got more problems than you can handle right now. And so the prosperity you have right now are bringing you troubles. And you think that more of this prosperity is gonna fix it. And like, trusted with with little will be trusted with much. We're failing at the little. The little we have is too much for us, we get all fired up and and cranked out about it, you know? And like, there's just no there's no even keel, there's no levelness anywhere.

It's it's just I'm I'm talking about myself. Crap. This is not Pope style advice, this is Mike just having a therapy session with Mike. Alright. And it was and so I looked the only thing that the other one that stood out so things that you would expect, you've got the Jeremiah twenty nine eleven in a in a lot of places. You got a first Peter five seven.

You got a Matt That's your enemy, the devil, isn't it? Isn't that first Peter five seven? Five eight? Oh. Falling around like a roar. These were these were these were blue in the list, so I assume they were hyperlinked and I just click on them. No. Cast all your anxiety on him. Anxiety. More. Because he cares for you more. You think some people just need a boyfriend or girlfriend? Hates the the next one I was thinking of.

The adversary the devil prowls around like Yeah. I just want someone to care for me. I'm gonna date Leanne.

You know, and and we I think we're we're we're a lot of a lot of of the church is trying to get involved with the aftercare of anxiety. You know what I'm saying? Like, how to help people that have anxiety issues and and I think on the most part, everybody's got them and it ranges from minimal to to to life hampering, like you just cannot seem to get through life because of all these things. And at and at some point,

like, I think we we started to accept that it's just a thing now and and I I actually don't think it has to be. Some people it is. It's an imbalance, it's a thing, you know, like And they have it and it's And and it is an actual disease or whatever, you know? And and and there's no taking away from that. But like, some of us are just pouring this thing on for no reason. You know, like saying, cast your cares on me. Well, you shouldn't have taken half those cares on in the first place. Weren't they weren't for anybody to carry. We're we're we're taught from from our youth that we're to think big and and be big and dream big and and we're special and important and and and, you know, we're winners. And the second you lose is something, then we don't know how to handle it. Or the second someone doesn't think you're special, we're like, oh, man, I've got stress and anxiety and and and my husband didn't say nice things to me today or my wife didn't look at me that way I was hoping and my life is a

mess. We kind of build ourselves up for failure. Unless we're the CEO, we're losers. Unless we did win the lottery, then we're just worthless.

And it's like, well, most people don't win the lottery, and most people aren't the CEO, people aren't gonna like you. That's just what it is. And some people don't deserve to be heard. You know? Yeah. Right? Because you've been consistently putting out bad ideas all day. Maybe I have nothing truly of value to add to this. Yeah. Maybe you should just go do the thing your boss said instead of being like, hey. I've reimagined this, and this is the way I think the company's unethical. Well, whatever. Yeah. Go ahead the job we're paying you to do or quit. You know? Yeah. It's a bigger I I have to really put some better thought into this because I I obviously, we're swinging a very big bat here in a very crude But like, it is we just I I I think it's just true of of especially,

you know, prosperous countries like our own, we just take on these stupidest anxieties. Some people I I and I know this is this is a it hits home for a lot of folks, but like, sometimes you're surrounded with folks that just cannot get their act together and you can't live your their life for them. It's not an anxiety to carry around, it's just a truth. You can't do it. Right? And like, I can't At

least three quarters of social media interaction is complaining about somebody else. Right? That like, you can't control, you can't puppet them, you can pray for them and you can put it in God's hands and you can do the best that you can. But like, with it keeping you up at night, I, you know, I You might be overstepping a little, right? Like, you're trying to take on

the way that someone lives their life and they're just gonna do it. And like, we do that a lot with And especially with the amount of interactions on social media, now you're taking on the lives of a thousand people. Like, I just I I just don't think you were meant to carry a lot. Right. You know a lot more. You know a lot more people and you know and it feels like personal situations and so, like, it's it's more that it feels like you have bear the responsibility to carry. Yes. And it's a false It's like, oh, man, Jeremy's having a tough time or whatever. Barely even. Jeremy. You know what I'm saying? You barely know. You met him one time at a conference three years ago. You're not buddies. I mean, you could I I mean, you could certainly pray for him or whatever, you know? But, like, taking on that that that anxiety of things that you just have absolutely no 2¢ to throw in at all, it's it seems super unnecessary.

Yeah. Agreed. The only other interesting prime variation happened in Thailand. Was it Thailand? Hold on. Matthew six thirty three.

And they that is A sermon on the mount business. Yeah. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Yes. Yes. The Taiwanese. You know, may maybe this should be disappointing. Right? But, like, none of the verses you've highlighted so far is is simple, like,

the lord like like like in Deuteronomy, like the great Shema or something. Something that's not about us but just about him. Like, just about God. Like, God is all powerful and mighty. You know what saying? Or something something that is merely a statement of how great God is and not our

what we can gain from it. Like, losing our anxiety or gaining strength or something, you know? But just who God is. And and and yeah. Maybe that should be Korea says, Proverbs 69, in their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. They're on with it. That's I mean, that's not anything that promises to that the Koreans will be emboldened. It just says, look, the lord's got this thing handled. Yeah. Alright.

Hey. Speaking of bible reading, check this out. There was a story and Mike and then we'll do some advice. Chance the rapper is on a sabbatical to study the bible. This is from the New York Post. This is today, released within the last six or seven hours. It says, don't bother Chance the rapper. He can't be reached right now. The Chicago born lyricist 25 announced on Instagram Friday that he's going on sabbatical so he can get closer to God.

He says, I'm on a plane headed out of the country. I'm going away to learn the word of God, which I'm admittedly very unfamiliar with. He captioned a video in which he cradles his new nephew. Chance, whose real name is chancellor Jonathan Bennett, says he's taking it upon himself to study the bible in full and is starting off with the first five or more books. He hopes to pass along his knowledge to the next generation of Bennett men. He also plans to give up smoking during this time away. Since the announcement, Chance has been posting passages from the bible and images of his daughter at what appears to be a secluded sanctuary. While it's unclear how long Chance's sabbatical will last, he's releasing new music. He's also got an upcoming show slated for December 20 in his hometown. A request for additional details from Chance's rep wasn't immediately returned. That's awesome. Yeah. That is awesome. So, like,

I don't know I don't know if you'd recognize tunes from him. He's kind of an interesting dude. He had he had done some things where, like, he showed up and gave, like, a bunch of money to his hometown school districts

to try to help the public schools. I mean, a substantial amount of money. He won he won some Grammys, I think, one or two years ago. He's a he's a popular dude. Yeah. And yeah. Anyway, I just I it was it was cool. Like, it's not just, hey. I'm gonna go seek seek god or whatever. He's like, I'm going to study the word. And I must and I admit that I haven't read it and I feel like I need to read it, so I'm gonna read it and I'm gonna pass it on to other generations of men in my family. I'm like That's awesome. That is awesome. What a line in the sand that says, you know what? My not knowing the word ends today. And here we go. Yeah.

That's pretty awesome. Hey, man. So, like, I mean, whatever whatever kick in the pants you might need to, you know, keep your bible reading in check or fired up, just know even guys like Chance the Rapper are like, you know what? It's gotta change. Now you can't afford the plane and the secluded place, but here's the deal. No one's harassing you like they're harassing them. I bet you can find secluded in your life, average Joe. I know I can. Yeah. I can find myself a place. Coffee shop. There you go. I went to this actually, there's a new there's a new coffee shop in Ankeny called Porchlight that I think is run by some Jesus folks. It's a nice place. It's kinda like in the older part of Ankeny. I'd I'd recommend Jesus folks have really found our niche with the coffee shop. They have. They love it. They have. It's cool it's cool looking in there too. Anyway, cha ching. I'm going

they give me free refills when I'm there or if I told them I'd talk about them on a show. Yeah. Right. Here's the deal. They give everybody free refills? Yeah. But it's it's also true for me. Dear, lie from the path.

I'm an older IT professional, 58, who had a very successful career until a year ago. I was part of a major layoff at the company I worked for many years. I've not been able to find a job in the IT field since. Besides my skills and knowledge in IT, I'm an accomplished handyman with skills in most of the trades. The issue is my wife is insistent that I get another job in IT, mostly for the benefits. Older IT workers have a very hard time finding work in the field. I'd like to start a handyman company since I enjoy this kind of work. If I start a handyman business, my wife, for the first time, would have to go from being a part time worker at her job to full time to provide us with benefits. This will cause a lot of strain on our marriage because she has made it clear she does not want to work full time. I think she's being selfish. I've provided her with a very nice lifestyle for many years and feel it's time she step up and do her part. I'm not sure how to approach this subject without an argument ensuing. Help.

Yeah. I mean, you ain't gonna get it. An argument's gonna ensue. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's a hornet's nest you got there, friend. And frankly, the kids are grown, 58. Yeah. Mhmm. You know? So so it's not a child issue. They ought to have a good surely, could have an adult conversation about it. I mean, let the guy do something different. Yeah. I mean, I don't I don't know. There's not, like, a simple answer here because benefits are at play. Yeah. Yeah. She would have to find either

new work or, like, take on more work or something. It sounds like she's she works part time somewhere, and she'd have to go full time to get the Yeah. Yeah. She won't be able to match what he had, I'm sure. He he must have been pretty high level at that age. Yeah. I mean, he was gonna retire in a few years anyway. Why why not just quits on that? Yeah. I I Except the benefits, I get it. I mean, late fifties, this is the this is the the portion of life that you're hopefully, like, your house is starting to get paid off, know, or whatever, and and your bills shouldn't be as high as they were when it was five people living at your place, you know, now that you're down to two. Now, you've still got obligations and there's still stuff going on, you know, but like for most, when you about the time you hit retirement is about when your your your bills start going away a little bit. And so, you you know, hopefully you'd be able to take a little bit of a kick in salary to be able to do this and and and whatever. 50 kind of old to start a handyman business. Yeah. But

I mean, that's not really what we're talking about here. I really the question he's asking is, can I bring this up without having an argument ensue? And my guess is no because you already know where she stands. You already said no, she doesn't want to work that full time to get the benefits. And and and maybe, you know, maybe the reason that she doesn't want to do it is not because she's lazy and doesn't want to work full time, but but think that you're gonna completely fail at this handyman business, you know. I I don't know. There could be a ton of reasons here but like Yeah. Your your wife and and and you are not on the same page here and so, like, thinking you're gonna bring it up without an argument is that might be foolish. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. It's like,

he's assumed kind of the motivation of his wife. He's represented her in a way that says she's she's just lazy and, you know, prefers to sit on her butt duff and doesn't care that I'm working. But, like, I mean, I don't know that. I don't know that that's actually the truth. And here's the deal. IT is probably a forty hour a week job. Dude, you have no kids. What I mean, do both. Get a full time job, get the benefits, and do the other stuff on the side. I think he's saying that you have a hard time at that age getting getting a full time IT job, which is Right. Is true. I mean, depends on what you're doing for IT, but that is it's true. Do you think that's actually true? Like, could he get an entry level IT gig? Maybe he's not gonna be the supervisor,

you know, but like Yeah. They won't hire you though because you know that they know you won't be satisfied. Yeah. That actually helped a lot. Where your resume looks too impressive and they're like, No, we don't want the kind of hassle that you get. I get that all the time. Oh, you're too impressive for us. Yeah. Sorry, Dan. You've conquered five continents and saved the baby seals. We can't have you here. Here's

a cup of coffee. Yeah. I so so I I think I mean, there's there's there's a few variables in there that, like, it's there's not an easy like, this is definitely a slam dunk here. Someone's life is gonna be impacted. Your your wife's life is gonna change. Your life is gonna change. There might be more options than what you've provided. Like, so what you're saying is true, but there might be also other things that are true. Because I was thinking maybe he should be a consultant in the business world. Yeah. I mean, he's got experience.

He's got some so there there's some options there. So I and so but, like, if you wanna find one that you can both agree on, then your only course of action is to start talking about it and keep talking about it. Did he say did he get late? He got laid off. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I bet his severance his severance is coming kinda coming up here. Yeah. I think

where where he says, I think she's being selfish. I have provided her with a very nice lifestyle for many years and feel it's time for her to step up and do her part. You know, maybe your wife you and your wife have not had a common understanding of what your life is for the last twenty years. Something like, obviously that's gone on too long. I mean and I know it's a subject of confrontation at some houses but, like, my wife and I, I'm She's very clear on what my role and responsibility is and and I'm very clear on what hers is and we This this discussion is not gonna come up later. Right? You know, it's just not. I think we're we're pretty sad there. We're we're good. And so, like, if you you waited twenty years to have this conversation with your wife, then I think you missed the boat by quite a bit. Yeah, that's true. It does kind of feel like he's he's been lamenting the fact that, like, his wife's been working part time for a while and he's been working full time and he feels like he's he's pairing

tailing an unfair load where, I mean, it just depends on the nature of your relationship. But, like, yeah, my my my wife stays home and I expect her to, you know, that's what she wants to do and I I don't feel anything about that. Yeah. I mean, that's just what she's doing. That is what it is. Okay. Let's see. Segular says, expect an argument and be prepared for it. You are not responsible for having been laid off. Seems there's plenty of ageism in your field, it isn't surprising you can't find a comparable job in IT when the preference appears to be for hiring younger, cheaper workers.

Frankly, you are fortunate to have been an alternative to have both an alternative and the initiative to start a handyman business. Good handyman are hard to find, and your wife should make the effort to support you in what could be a successful endeavor once it gets on its feet. That's what partners in life are supposed to do, isn't it? I mean, I don't know anything about his skills. He could be crappy. I mean, he claims to be a a a talented IT man and have skills in all the traits. Yeah. Here's the thing, people that are as good at being a handyman as he says,

you find that out by working for somebody else and realize that you're carrying the company. And then you go, I It would make way more sense for me to do this on my own than to carry this company like like I'm doing, you know? And it just It's a logical progression, right? But like, at 58, I doubt he's applying for a construction job with somebody. And I doubt anybody would hire him because he's not done it professionally his whole life. And so, you know, I I don't know. Like, how do you know you're skilled in all the trades? Because you did it in your own place? Because I mean, like, I do a lot of my own maintenance, and good night, I wouldn't accept a dime from somebody to have me do it at their place. Yeah. Right? It starts to get scary now. You know? Yeah. Now you're on the hook for some stuff. A 71 Lennox, hey. Oh, yeah. I deal with these all the time.

By calling the Lennox, man. Yeah. Alright. Dear oh. Dear life from the path. My boyfriend and I have been together for a couple of years. He has three siblings, all in their twenties, none married. Mhmm. Today, I received a group email from his mom addressed to him, his father, his grandmother, all three siblings, and their boyfriends slash girlfriends, including me, asking for Christmas wish lists. He wants to know what we would like for Christmas and would like us to reply all on the email so everyone else will have ideas for Christmas presents.

I don't know how to respond. I don't want to appear greedy, but I do like the idea that she wants to get us all presents that we would like. Can you give me any suggestions on the best way to respond? Oh, man. That does put put you in a weird spot. Now, here's the deal. My wife's family is this way. Really? And it is weird from, obviously, my upbringing. It was weird. They're like, what would you like for Christmas? I'm like, what? Well, you've seen the commercial with the two new GMCs and the blue one? I'll take the red one. That's fine. Mean, Yeah. Right. You don't want to see like some kind of greedy Gus, you know what saying? Like, I would like a $500 washer, you know? But but like, you know, and so like, it feels like there's etiquette there but like, truth is they asked. Yeah. You know? And I mean, I I think it's a it's a practicality issue. Right? Like, no one's no one's gonna buy you a washer for Christmas.

You know? And so, like, I don't know. Shoot around, you know, $50 per gift. Yeah. $5 per gift. I'd say it it would be appropriate to say, hey, I don't know what your budget is, I'll just give you ideas. High budget, blah blah blah. Medium budget, blah blah blah. Yeah. Low budget, blah blah blah. Cheapskate, anything. Is great. I mean, I appreciate you even asking, you know, and leave it at that. It's it it really like, it it it does. And I I and maybe it's an upbringing thing. Right? But it feels super weird. Yeah. But it's somebody that goes, look, I don't want to waste my money here. Uh-huh. Right? I wanna buy you something that you want and because I wanna give you a gift for Christmas. So what do you want? You know? It seems completely reasonable on its face, but on an etiquette reason, you're like, oh Yeah. What if I have super high taste and they have super low budget? I don't wanna make them feel bad or make them feel like a jerk or whatever. You know, but like, they asked, just answer it. Just answer it truthfully, you know? Yeah. And a side note, I've gotten really weird about Christmas the last couple of years. The whole thing just turns me off. Oh, you don't dig it at all? No. I mean, it's just

weird. It's like, why do we do this? Like, we're just blowing money from the I'm like, yeah. Hey, John's girlfriend, I'd like to buy you something. It's like, why? Why do I want to buy you anything? We're

just throwing we're flushing money. The whole culture this month of December just flushes money down the toilet. And then in January, they grieve with the fact that they have no money or that the bills are coming due. I'm like, well, just stop it. Stop it. Actually I'm getting to be grinchy or something. Well, don't I mean, yes, a little different. Yes. But, like, I I do the same thing around Christmas. I go, how are we able to afford Yeah.

And, like, the other months, I'm like, what happened? We in the negative somehow. But Christmas, we seem to come up with cash. And, like, I mean, we'll put it on credit or nothing, you know, but I'm like, where does money come from? I mean, I'm very generous. I mean, yeah, Dan's right. It's weird. No one wants to think about it because I would like the gifts to continue to roll in. Actually, I that's where I I struggle during Christmas because, like, there's there's that's where a lot of needs come up. And, like, I'm like, well, it's Christmas and I'm just chucking money out the window, like, to good things. Uh-huh. But, like, it's I asked the same question. I thought, like, what what I could have done this in October.

Like, the people were still hungry in October. What the heck? Like, it's like it's it's it's so event driven. Right? Like, it's just this time of year and this thing, and and then we're gonna let it go as opposed to, like, a consistent lifestyle of doing whatever it is that might be good of the season and then, frankly, avoiding whatever might be not good. Yeah. You know, the thing is though, it's like you wonder where all this this good feeling and stuff comes from around the gift giving and the Christmas holiday. And the truth of the matter is people just wanna feel like you thought about them and like a present represents that. I thought about you, I found something that I think you would like because I know you

and we're close enough that I understand what you would like and I got you this because I was thinking about you. And and like, we tend to not do that almost any other time of the year, which is why the the whatever, the western culture Christmas feels this way, is because people are saying, I purposely went out, I was thinking about you the whole time while I picked out this thing, you know? And so like the present actually I mean, the presents are cool, know, people like stuff. The truth of the matter is, it's knowing that someone went and was thinking about you while they were doing something. Right? If I get one complaint from my wife, it's that, you know, sometimes I feel like you don't think about me during the day or something, and it just feels nice to have someone think about me. And like, the truth of the matter is, yeah, that is true. And I'm not very good at showing that. You know? And that's why Christmas feels like that. It doesn't mean I don't think about it, it just means I don't do a very good job of shooting a text out and being like, hey, just thinking about you. Thinking about you. You know? Yeah. And like, because it really does. It feels nice that even though you and I are not in I'm not looking you in the eye, you know, just to have someone hit me up every once in while that says, man, I I don't know. I was reading my Bible this morning and you came to mind. You know, what's going on? You're like, man, mean, that's cool. Are you trying to pry in my business? But that's cool. Right.

You know? And so I think that's where all that comes from. Sometimes we get lost in that the stuff is actually the thing. And like, as as much as the stuff is cool, especially for kids, the thing is like someone saying, hey, I just I was thinking about you and and I got you this. They're like, cool. Yeah. That's very nice. Yeah. But it but it's but it's still weird. I mean I mean, pants comes up and gives me a pair of socks in December. I was thinking about you. I bought you these socks. And I think, oh, cool. You know? Yeah. It's Christmas. If you did that in March, I'd be like, you're weird. Yeah. Well, right. Right. I'd be like, why are you thinking about me with socks? I mean, in the I was thinking about you. I was thinking about your feet. And I said, let's put two and two together. Keep my toes alone. I mean but but Christmas yeah. We just threw every everything we just threw it out. Our our whole brain is just like, great, you know. Here, I got made these popcorn balls for you. Why? Yeah. Why did you I I guess that's not a big thing. Can't tell whether you are a Grinch Dan or whether you're onto something. I mean I'm fifty fifty on it right now. I mean, I totally hear what you're saying. It is. It's bonkers, crazy. Honestly, it's it's it's going to Africa. Because I'm sitting there thinking, no. I sent I sent them $25. I bought them shoes and a new school uniform and a big, really nice meal for their Christmas party. I'm like, I am more excited about that than the Xboxes just came out or, you know Right. The whatever,

in our excess of stuff. Know, I think, gosh, I'd rather give the I'm I'm sending some chickens to Liberia. I mean, it's like, yeah. That's pretty neat. Yeah. But I need some new lipstick. No. You don't. You don't. That's true. It's December. You ain't even leaving the house. That's right.

Stay home. Your chicks are naturally rosy. It's cold outside. I don't know. I'm just I'm with Dan. I'm out of this thing. Starting January. He's spreading Christmas cheer. Let's see what the tax cuts look like and then we'll decide. Alright. Ready? Yep. Secular says,

your boyfriend's mother is a generous and sensible woman. She has soliciting ideas because she doesn't wanna waste her time or money buying something the recipient won't like. Answer her question. Tell her what you would like as long as it isn't something that will break the bank. Your boyfriend could probably give you some hints about her budget. I suggest you talk to him about it. Yeah. That's exactly what I did. I said, woman, what is what is this? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, how much are we talking here? Should I shoot for the moon? Be like, I'm pretty generous. Okay. Oh, yeah. You you Mike, do ever get one of the big ticket items? Oh, yeah. They one year for Christmas, they they bought the drywall for me to drywall my attic. Wow. That's awesome. I thought they got me Scrabble,

but they only put the tiles that spelled drywall in there. That's really cool. I was happy with the Scrabble. I'm like, that's cool. You know? It's it's cool. You know? But but yeah. And it it was just a super cool gift. Super practical. We were just married, and we just had a had our our second kid. Or or actually, we're just about to have our second kid. And it was it it it couldn't have been a better gift. It was very practical and What'd you do with that scrabble game? I didn't keep the drywall creatures. I suppose I should. What? Do you still have the scrabble? You just threw out d r y w a n l l? Yeah. You can't ever make that again.

It's been ruined. Hey. How long has it been since you played Moncala? You remember that game with the with the Like, the domino thing? No. There's like Stones. They're like rocks. Yeah. There's like the four rocks in each of these of these bowls, and you gotta kinda go around the Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Man, I got I got beat soundly in Moncala by my kids through this tonight. I mean, it took literally, like, five moves, and I was done. And I had I completely forgot how that game was doing. Anyway, side talk. Alright. You've us alive for the past. I have anxiety about Mankaloff.

Thanks for hanging out with us tonight. Really appreciate it. Hey. We got a comment on the show, complaints, or maybe you dig on the thing. Just hit us up on the Life Path complaint line. (515) 517-0085.

That's (515) 517-0085. That's the Life From in The Path complaint line. We can do call or voice mail or text, whatever tickles your wick. We'd love to hear from you, and then we will see you next week. In the meantime, be faithful in means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to live from the pack.