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 from the Pathway Studios here at Johnston Proper. So here's the deal. I when I was when I got up this morning, we have one of them, Alexis, you know, that have a screen, and and it scrolls news stories. And normally, I just generally ignore the thing. Well, on Alexa, like

okay. Yeah. Echo Echo Show. Yeah. Yeah. Didn't had I'm not aware of those. Yeah. Mean, I it's pretty cool. We don't use the screen much, I guess. I mean, we don't like teleconference people or watch videos on or anything. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. But but, like, whatever. It's it's cool. Remind me to ask you a question about that after you're done. Okay. So, anyway, I see a news story on it and it's like what it's it said, prolong prolong handshakes can trigger anxiety and that was the headline. And then and then it's like, Alexa, tell me the handshake story and then she'll, like, read the story to you or whatever. And I and I didn't I didn't do that because I don't ever do that and I thought to myself, is this what this world's coming to? There now people are upset about the way we shake hands and now it triggers anxiety in people. Now we're gonna try to we're gonna try to figure it out and make people feel better about it. I just Why are they shaking my hands so long? I can't deal with this world power move? So so, anyway, the the the the curiosity got the best of me, and I looked up I googled it later. I'm like, I gotta I gotta understand what we're doing. And the whole article was not about that at all. It was about it was trying to tell people that, like, if you shake hands longer than three seconds, it can negatively affect your relationship with the person you're shaking hands with. So, like like, they bet their experiment was is they they posed, like, these three professors that were non professors,

but they introduced them as professors. And, like, one of them shook hands the regular amount, one guy held it longer than three seconds and then one guy didn't shake hands at all. Uh-huh. There was no negative reaction to the man that didn't shake at all. The regular handshake man got positive reviews and the guy that held it was creepy and they didn't like him. And they because it made people feel uncomfortable. And I thought, these are things I this is why I it's it's so hard to live in this world, fellas, because I it it never occurred to me that there was a meter on how long you should shake hands with him. Don't feel it? I've I've I've intentionally creeped people out before if I think, I don't know if I like this person. I'll just keep shaking their hand. Yeah. And they don't know what to do. They really don't know what to do. Like a politician. Right? A politician is definitely guilty of this. They keep their shaking hands for, eight seconds. Or like what's another thing? When the newscast is over and the people just stare at the at the camera Yeah. And keep smiling Yeah. Yeah. For an unreasonable amount of time. Cut. Cut. Right. Shut it down. Little break. Stop looking at the camera. Act like you got papers to shuffle. Stop looking over here. I mean, that was the worst invention that the iPad ever did for the news news media is because they used to be able to shuffle papers. They act like they had other business to handle while the lights fade out. Straighten this up right here. Yeah. But now the iPad, you're like, close window. Close window. I guess we're looking at the camera more. Yeah. You know, though, like, that that does bring up an interesting observation, which is

people have the wrong expectation expectation about something. Let let's say I shake a guy's hand and he shakes for four seconds and it's weirded me out. Right? That's not a that's not a trigger. It's just a you're just getting a tingly. It's not a psychosis. It's not a That's right. I will flag people though if they shake my hand too long. Oh, yeah. I mean, I'll think, okay. An eye on that one. I think that's the that's the whole point of it is, like, is I we so desperately wanna put things in boxes and say, the things that make us feel not a 100% perfect are solvable. Right? Like, we wanna call it anxiety or like like they'll say, hey, man,

going into large groups gives me anxiety. One of the large groups makes everyone feel uncomfortable because it's chaotic. Right. There's 85 people running around all around you. You can't control none of them. Everyone's like, oh, man. I don't know what to do in here. These people are acting nuts. Yeah. Everybody feels that way. You don't have anxiety. You're just regular. Right? It feels weird to be in a in a baseball stadium out by the snack line with a thousand people trying to pee, a thousand people trying to get a hot dog, and a thousand people running to the jersey stand. It feels like that for everybody. It's not a disease. Right? It's not a clinical thing. It just feels odd to be around that many people doing whatever they want. Right? And so the handshake thing, it got me all triggered up on, like, look, we have to call every uncomfortable situation you've ever been a symptom of a mental ill illness. Yeah. Right? There's people that totally have this. Yeah. You probably don't. Yeah. Right? You're yeah. Maybe you're just awkward. Maybe you hold hands too long. Maybe you have once ADHD is another great one, I can't seem to focus. Well, you you have a phone in front of you. You're playing music. You're trying to have a conversation with another guy while you're watching TV. Exactly. You don't have ADHD. You're trying to do a thousand things at once. That's dumb. Right? There there's a difference between experiencing something and having it. Right. Like and and so so, like, as an example, I went to a I went to a the Bob Bob Seeger came through town,

like, whatever, a year ago or nine months ago. Bob Seeger gives me anxiety. So we we ended up we had got tickets to the Bob Seeger show, but they were terrible tickets, of course. Like, because I wasn't we weren't paying for the top quality. So, like, we were at the very, very top of the Wells Fargo Arena. And I got up there and I sat and I kinda looked over just a little bit and, like, once you're up, like, the third level, like, you're in a weird your body is not meant to sit like that. Right. Kinda precariously tilted over a giant arena. And so it gives you the Willys. And I had the Willys for probably a good half an hour. And then I left to go to the bathroom and stuff. I came back, and I re had the Willys. Now I don't have the Willys. I'm in a situation of which Willys are normally caused. Right. And, like, it's it's different than saying, like, oh, I get really nervous in high places. Like, I I it's not a thing that that controls me. It's just something that happened. And and the thing is is that, like, a lot of that stuff does end up being self fulfilling.

Is that, like, once it's a problem, then, like, you start recognizing it as a problem. And, like, this is coming from a guy, like I know this has come up on the show before. But, like, I get, like, a nervousness and anxious about things, and then I get worried about being nervous, and then it'll happen, like, a week in advance, and it's awful. But to a certain extent, what I can tell you going through that is that it is controllable. Like, it is controllable with real things and saying, actually, I I'm not nervous a week out. That's not proportionally correct to whatever the situation is. It doesn't it doesn't vanish,

but it doesn't consume. But, like, back to the I think the initial point is that, Mike, like, you're right. I think we we just wanna be able to identify. We wanna explain it as if, like, oh, well, this is normal because I have this. As opposed to saying, look, I was in this situation and it made me feel uncomfortable.

It didn't it didn't trigger something deep within me that was like sleeping that then was awoken by it happening. It's just a normal reaction to a creepy guy that shakes for five seconds. It's just that's all it is. Yeah. Exactly. It's the same when you when it's late at night and you're walking downtown and there's just one dude sitting in a car by himself, and you're like, what? That's there's like, your your mind should go, hey, that's weird. Yeah. That's there's no reason for that dude to be sitting there. And you should allow that to work itself out in about ten seconds and go, well, I'm gonna pass him and then I'm gonna let this go. But I'm telling you, so I'm fishy about that dude. Right? Everybody feels that way. You're not an anxious person. You're just a realist. Dudes are creepy at the sitting in their car by themselves at night downtown. It's weird. Right? And that's just regular. And so, like, I don't know what it is exactly about I I I I I feel like this wasn't maybe the case when I was younger. Maybe I wasn't attuned to it. But, like, it just feels like we so desperately wanna explain everything that we feel is negative. And they're just regular parts of life. Right? You being nervous about something or you being sad for three days a week. Right? Like, you're not clinically depressed. You're just bummed out, man. This is a sad thing. Right? Because a sad thing happened. Or maybe five sad things happened, and you just cannot process them all at once, and you're having a hard time shaking it. That's regular. That's just regular. Everybody goes through that stuff. And if they don't, they're liars. Right? It just happens. And sometimes after the week, after or after two weeks and you're still bummed, you start to go, oh, man, I think there's something wrong with me. And maybe you need to change something up and maybe there's some things to do, but, like, you're it's it's not a definition of who you are. Maybe that's the whole thing. It's like, it feels like we're we just so wanna be able to call it something so it's not me. Right? Like, it's depression. It's anxiety. Oh, right. Because because those those things almost feel like they sit outside of you. I can't help it. Can't control it. I am depressed. It's not my fault. Right. But I like, but if there's,

what else do you it helps you avoid guilt twist. Oh, boy. This is gonna sorry. If there's some people who actually who have this as a thing, and this is gonna sound like we're being super harsh. It's not. It's not the intent. But, like so, right, you identify it in yourself. And if I say, look, I I can't help it. My I am depressed. It allows you to stop feeling guilty about not being able not moving on from it. Like, helps you at least take something off the table and say, well, at least I can stop beating myself up about this thing because I can't help feeling this way. That can go one of two ways. Saying, look, I might I I I can exert some control over this can be a very empowering thing.

I read I read an article it was a Facebook story, something, about a guy who, like, who lost his job and he lost his marriage. He was in real rough rough position, and he was like he had some very dark thoughts about his life. And then he just said, look. I I this this has to change. And so he spent the next year getting up at 6AM doing something. He said, I got I I said, doesn't matter. I had nowhere to go. I had no friends to be with, but I got up at 6AM every morning, and I folded laundry. And I I tried to find someone to be with or a community to hang out with or, like, whatever. After, six

months or years worth of time or whatever, he ended up getting a new job that was way better than the one that he'd lost, and, like, his whole life turned around. And the the key was was that, like, he wasn't, he he took control over He said this thing doesn't doesn't own me. I will assert my energy to otherwise not, not not be controlled by my circumstances. And so, like, it can be empowering.

It could it could feel better to say, hey. Look. I don't have any control. I just am this. But, like, if once you go down that path, like, you're defined by that. Like, it's very hard for your mind to shake the fact that you're like, I'm just a depressed person. I'm just an anxious person. As opposed to, I'm anxious in situations where, like, anxiety is kinda called for. Although it does seem it does seem imbalanced,

and maybe there's ways to to work to cope with that. But that that's what I'm saying is that, like, it can go one or two ways. Either you can use it as the means to jump off and figure out a way to take control of what you actually can control in that situation. Or on the other side, it becomes what defines you. And then like, then you're just finding spending the rest of your life trying to find nuances for people to understand you better and they won't. That you won't ever feel like they understand you. You always feel like you're saying, but you just don't quite understand what my situation is. I'm this. I have this problem, and I can't control it, and it's it's just something that is in me. And I'm not saying there aren't elements of that, but, like,

I wonder if I don't don't think of it as letting ourselves off the hook by doing that. But, like, we actually miss out on the opportunity to actually have it be able to improve for a lot of those situational things. Actually, I was just talking to somebody about this this week who was feeling kind of this way and, like, sometimes and it's actually been true a little bit over their life and a little bit over over mine actually as I talked to them about it. But, like,

sometimes in those in those those times when you're especially when you're depressed, right, you just can't seem to shake this funk or whatever, like, tend to find it that's when God's trying to get you to move. He's trying to get you to do something and you're just not having it. Right? Like, you're just not you're not interested in it, you're not having it and God's trying to trying to get you to to move and, like, it's it's it's the holy spirit going, I I need you to do this, you know, and you're like, don't wanna do this. And then you just feel blah because you're not doing the thing that you were designed to do. And, like, that's not a magic cure all fix all for chemical imbalances and and and that kind of thing. But what it is is just it's a perspective thing. Right? Like, it is a perspective to go, you know, just as Ben said, like, we just sometimes we like to grab onto this thing and say, good, good, good. I'll use this as the definition of me. And we're like, man, you picked a crappy one. Couldn't you be the over you know, if you're gonna let something define you, you know, could it be your carefree attitude?

You know, let's let's try that. That seems better. And and and and I get it that, like, folks going through this, like, you wouldn't say that you chose that. Of course You would never do that. Right. And there's there's, just because there's there's bad history often in the church with this, like, there's bad theology around, hey. You don't ever need to see a mental health professional, and you might not have chemical things. We're not saying either of those two We are pro therapy, pro whatever. Pro counseling, pro Medication if necessary. All those things are fine and legit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But but, like, when we

when we reach for those things, it auto it does actually tie you into a definition. Like, it automatically says, I have this, not I experienced this. Or even I experienced this quite a quite a bit. But, like, of all the things that can define you and should define you as a follower of Jesus, having that thing

is it doesn't probably help you out the best. But with when you think of yourself, if that is the what you lead with, hey, How would you describe yourself? Well, I'm I'm a very anxious person. Like, I I even if it's true, even the order of which you think of of yourself,

like, that that that doesn't probably help orient the world correctly. And it and it does run the risk of starting to consume how you see yourself and the world around you. Yeah. But, you know, if you go on the spiritual side of that, you talk to a lot of Calvinists who who they just identify themselves as sinners. Right. And it's kind of a depressing downer,

negative thing, and God identifies you as a holy person. Correct. You know, it's like, that that's that's different. It's different way of looking at life. Right. But but it's it it it the tone of it sets the tone of your spiritual walk. And it yeah. It's it's just like I I just can't ever improve. I'm just a sinner, you know. I sin every day. I think, what's wrong with you then? Stop it. Boy. You know? And with the same scripture they're using to to to point to that sinner stuff, like, it's the same scripture that redeems them out of it. Like like Yeah. That Romans just littered with this stuff. Right? Yeah. Right. You are you are redefined, friend. You know, walk in that. And and you're right. It's it really is. Like, if that's the coat you wanna wear, it's just a heavy coat. Yeah. All seasons heavy coat, uncomfortable. I had I had this big epiphany last last week, and I kinda wanted to talk about it last week, but then I forgot about it and what we all did. But That's classic, Dan. This thing. It

is I've always approached holiness. You know, God says be holy because I am holy. Right? You know? And and I've always looked at that as a a command of God. Be holy. What's wrong with you people? Get holy. You know? Why aren't you holy? Be holy. I'm holy. You be holy too. And and I read just this little statement in a in a book that, like, totally flipped it upside down. I had to process it, like, all week long to think, wait a minute. It's it's really saying it's a declaration of God. You're holy. You are I made you holy. I mean, it's so so be holy. Oh, right. I am set apart. I have chosen to Yes. Set you Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a completely different way of looking at it. And and I I've I've looked at it I mean, it's it's just a whole degree change, but it really means very much different things. Yeah. Because it takes your own steam out of it. Right? Right? It's I I cannot achieve holiness. That's right. Yeah. Right. He declares me holy. That's what makes me holy. Nothing that I've been done and do, just the right like righteousness, you know. I can't do it. So stop it. I You know Be holy and then just live it. Alright. That's funny because that was most refreshing

change to my prayer life in the last year, I would say, is it it's like when you literally show up and go, I can't accomplish any of these things without you. Like, literally none of them. I can't do any of them. They're all your size things. I can do nothing. Right? And it seems like such it's it's so hard to grasp because of our our our self esteem based and our and and our self worth and whatever and, like, it's hard to even say, like, look, God, I'm I'm basically useless without you in this thing. Can you cover all the bases and just help me go wherever it is that you want me to go and help me to do it because I'm not equipped for it, you know? And like but it is I pray that every week. Right. Literally. Literally. It's exactly the thing. I am not equipped to do anything that you have on the docket this week. Yep. So I'm gonna need you to to step in and then I will I will follow you wherever you're going. Right? And like, man, what a what a refreshing way. What a refreshing relationship to have with God. And, frankly, it takes all the weight off you and, like, it it's so hard to do that. Yeah. Well, and it's interesting, I suppose, when you think Paul as Paul discusses this, what's it it's in Ephesians where he says,

live up to, be worthy of the calling of the thing that you've been called to. Like, it's it it still has that same connotation where, like, we we will look at it and say, oh, well, you're you're not worthy. Paul's, like, saying, you suck. Right. But but but it's the same thing where, like, God says God says, you are this. I am making you this. Live, live abundantly. Just do take Jesus' language in this thing that I've created for you to be. Yeah. And so, like, don't don't miss out on the set apart nature that and and set apart definition that I've created by otherwise swimming in the swamp.

But but it's still it's a it's a call to live abundantly, not not a finger shake in your face saying how much you suck at living abundantly. Right. On Sunday, I used the illustration of a of a toothbrush. Well, a brush. A little brush. I have a little brush. Sometimes I use it to clean out the algae in my fish tank cause, you know, it goes in those little tubes. Yep. When I was younger and had like a mini bike, I'd I'd dip it in gas and I'd use it to clean engine parts, whatever. I didn't know. I just sounded good so I did it. You kidding was a mechanic. Was a regular man. The whole idea of holding is set apart. I mean, that's all it means, set apart. So I have another brush I set apart and say, is my toothbrush. I don't use it in the toilet. Right. I don't you know? And and and that's the whole point of it. You're you're a toothbrush. So so be a toothbrush. Right. Yeah. Right. Quit being a toilet brush. Right. I mean, you can't make yourself a toothbrush. I've declared you a toothbrush. So therefore Be that. Be that. Yeah. Be that. And and it was like, oh, so freeing. Yeah. Yeah. Well it shifts how you think about what God has actually created when he when he chooses the nation of Israel to do work. Yeah. He sets them apart for for certain things to do, like, the highest calling to be a kingdom of priests, that's not,

I chose you so that you know how much you suck. They did implicitly suck. They were they sucked just like we suck. But but they were selected to do something purely by God's choice. Right. Obviously, didn't earn it. It's just what they decided to do. But it but they got to do the coolest thing in the world, which is the people who get to be the folks who point other people to Yahweh, which is the same job we get to have. Mhmm. Yeah. Okay. So actually, we're gonna have to skip the whole setup here because this this segues greatly into into what my pope style advice was. Okay. I I was I was think I was praying over something this morning. Poop style. What do think of that? Yeah. That'll that'll work. Okay. Go ahead. That'll work. Yep. So I was I was praying over something this morning and I was reading a couple things and and, like, it occurred to me that that, like, I I I feel like I've joined the crowd.

And and the crowd is large of the Christian community that is so defeated. Right? Defeated when they look out out at the world. Right? They're like, oh, the culture that we're in and the the way things are going and the people. And I'm like, stop that. What? Stop that. Where did we just get done talking about? Right? Like, we we have the holy god who does all these things. Right? Like and like even to bring in the cheese puffers of the of the I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Right? Like, I look out at worldly

sin and packs of people that have gotten together to celebrate such sin, and I go, oh, no. What are we to do? You know, the the culture is pushing us this direction, and there's so much sin in the world, and blah blah blah. And I'm like, stop that. What are you doing? What are you doing? This seems so absurd. After you after you read the bible, any parts of it, really. Right? But but like the way that people act, well known. Right? The way that that we follow God and then don't. And then go as far past it's like a terrible slingshot where God pulls us all the way back here and he goes, okay, I'm gonna let you go as you follow me. And then we run completely opposite direction. And then, like, the Bible is the complete story of God going, come back to me. Come back to me after you did this and write. And and and with all the power and with all the generosity and with all the all the choices and all the options, and we look at the society and we're scared

to go there? Like, we're like, we're gonna be ineffective? That's stupid. That is just flat out stupid and an embarrassment and a and a complete misunderstanding of the way that the gospel worked in your own life. Right? And and so I thought that the my pope style advice is is like, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and what what was the verse that I was really grabbing onto? Do not be afraid of people that can that can kill the body because they can do nothing else. Right? Like what was that? It was in Luke. Right? Where where basically Jesus is like, people that were gonna hurt you or harm you or whatever is like, that's the worst they can do. Right? You have no there's no reason to be afraid of these things at all. And that is what we're afraid of. Like, not not even physical violence half the time. It's like a political problem or them not liking you or you hurting their feelings. Right? Like, these are all things that God's like, look, man. Like, this is the worst they can do is call you a bigot when you're not, a racist when you're not, a guy that hates people when you don't. These are the worst thing that's gonna happen when you go out and try to spread the love that I've given you to other people. And you're afraid of doing it because you won't don't want people to dislike you. Right? They hate me. They don't hate you. They hate me. And you love me. And that's why they hate you. Like, this has all been explained to you. So the Pope's style advice is, will you stop? Just stop it. Stop being afraid of people. Stop looking out with such doom and gloom. And stop being so defeated

that you have to take the the good news to other people. That's it's just that's just dumb. It it's I'm just telling you. You know what's sad is we often feel defeated not necessarily because we're we're grieving for their souls, but because we're not like the popular Yeah. Religion anymore. Correct. Man, now I'm weird. I'm really sad. I'm lonely. Yeah. Rather than, hey,

they're not making they're gonna make it to heaven. Right. Correct. We're we're it's a selfish gloom we have. That's correct. When's the last time you actually grieved over someone that, like, is just you're you're like, man, I just wish they'd straighten this up. Right? I wish they'd fix it. I wish I'd be more comfortable if I didn't hear about your stuff. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you bring this garbage all the time and, you know, I just wish you'd stop doing this, not look, man, I I fear, like, you're not understanding the good news and I just it just makes me sad. It doesn't make me sad. It makes me angry. Because if you're following the good news, all this bad crap that's following you around for the last ten years would stop. But it doesn't because you don't listen. And that's me being irritated with someone that's been the victim of sin from humanity. Humanity was a victim of sin, myself included. This dude or ladies just picked a different brand and it's making me angry, not sad. And you're right, that sucks. That's stupid. Right. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. We're like chucking rocks back at it. We're the we're the bring down the fire. Yeah. Bring up bring the fire down. Want us to bring the fire down. You're saying, be holy. Yeah. If you'd Like me. If you didn't notice that chapter, Jesus didn't take that very well. He thought that was stupid. Actually, you know, when you when you talked about

kinda kinda being downtrodden or not down it was like Defeated. Defeated. You you know, it made me think of Kanye West. So here here's the thing. This is have you guys been reading up on this? No. Kanye Kanye is a proclaimed Jesus man. Okay. Things are turning around, he says. Like, he's holding holding services,

and, he's having guys preaching the word. And, he's, he's talking to his wife about dressing more modestly. Now here's the thing. Here's what's super interesting is there's, like, in the Christian circle, there's a lot of good conversations. There's like, hey. You know, I don't I'm not I don't buy it. I don't I don't know. I don't buy it. And, boy, I hope this works out, but, you know, we do we've been burned before, like, it's to you personally. He just happens to have a spiritual album coming out soon. Right. Like, very suspicious that he's, like, releasing something. So here here's the thing. Here's the framing of this type of thing.

As I was thinking about it, it's the tenor of the reaction I felt like was totally wrong. Here the the the the first thing we should think of is, like, is this believable? Is this is this yes. Of course it is. Of course it is. Jesus does this type of thing. Like, could we are are we so jaded that we couldn't see that someone who was living a life of sin, very, very publicly

might flip it completely around and give it up or and and follow Jesus. Totally believable. Now our question is, is it believable? Yes. Is it true? That's that's the right question to hinge on. It's totally okay for for us to go, boy, boy, we hope this is true. It's totally believable. God does this type of thing. We would not be surprised in the least if it were to happen, but we will wait to make sure it's true. That seems like a fair reaction. But, like, I saw a lot of reaction that's like, oh, I don't I don't think this is gonna happen. He was just so entrenched, and he has so much money, and he's such a beautiful wife. I'm like, what are we even talking about here? Right. Does the Lord not change the world, or doesn't he? Right. Look. React to it correctly. Have you read about a guy named Saul? Right. Right. Saul. I mean, are we not telling this story right? Are we not preaching about what happened to Saul? Right? He murdered people. He was a murderer. And here's the thing. It's like, I'd rather go down swinging

on the thought that like, not not blind and dumb that, like, everyone who goes, yes, I love and follow Jesus. I'm like, well, I will buy every book he has and believe his theology. It's not what we're saying here. But, like, the core of the good news is it changes the world in exactly this way. Yeah. My my first inclination is to say, absolutely, the lord Jesus can do that. And so I I I believe that it could that it that it could happen. I hope that it's true that it did. We should be part of that Hebrew's great cloud of witnesses cheering him on. Correct. Instead of going, oh, man. The opposers already got him. Yeah. Prove it. We can't get him back. Yeah. He's already got his claws in him. He's done. I'll give you another day. Well and look. Maybe the guy came to Jesus, oh, and he's like, he's still doing x y z wrong. I'm like, welcome to the mirror, friend. And I I get it. The church feels like they've been burned on people who say they they turned to Jesus and then it didn't work out. Like Yeah. Stop making them celebrities. That's the thing. We put we put too much weight in that. If we just didn't do that, we wouldn't be in this position. Right? Them be discipled. We got Justin Bieber now. We should be able to break this thing nationwide. Oh, yeah. Gonna get up freezers. It's like Yeah. The death of the cross, that was not enough. But now that we got the Biebs with us, I guess we should be able to get it to every household in America. That's Paul. He waited three years. Exactly. We mean It's us that's putting too much weight in that. Right? Like, that's Christendom acted silly. Yeah.

Yeah. Dang. Anyway So With you, Conway? Yeah. I'm I'm excited. Kanye Conway? Yeah. Conway. I'm a call him that. Let me see if he can speak at my church next week. Alright. Alright. See, now there's too far. This is what's happening. Dan's roped him in. Got sucked in.

Hey. You're listening to live from the path. Hey. Maybe you're one of them, curmudgeony folks who think this Kanye thing is total bull. Let's call the complaint line so we know who you are. Gotta wrap it. (515) 517-0085. That's a call or a text to the Life in the Path complaint line. We'd love to, to hear your thoughts. And, and hey. Hey, man. I suppose if there's anything else, like, one, we we are not we are not defeated people. We are holy people. Those in for good and awesome things, being part of good news that changes the world. If we can't embrace that, I can't imagine we believe that the people who are otherwise dabbling in other things that I think are awesome are gonna get the vibe. Like, we're not we're not passing the right vibe here. It's it's the people who have joy when it where it doesn't seem like it belongs.

That's what that's what starts the people look at and go, hey. Something's up in there. Not hey. We we're pretty jaded, and, we we don't really think this works, but we're also intellectually wise about this. So you should follow Jesus. It is also it it it's also slight misunderstanding of the gospel. Mike Fusch guilty of this. Like, I think there's some there's some folks out there that think, yeah, I'm a Christ follower. I I I love Jesus. Right? I'm just not one of those excited ones. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm more reserved. I like to keep I like to keep the joy within in a reasonable spectrum. Like, there's no reason to just bleed it all over people. And like, I mean, here's the thing. I've met people that have truly been changed from who they were to something brand new by the gospel. And it's palpable when they walk in the room before they talk. Right? Like, I've talked about this a million times where I've gone to like, at work, I've gone to a place where, like, the guy that I meet, I'm like, man, this guy's a Jesus man. I can smell it on him. I could just tell when I got here the way that he talks. And he's not even, like, over the top smiling and throwing flowers out. Right? But, like, just the way he talks to me and looks at me and handles himself, I'm like, he loves Jesus. I can just tell. Right? And you can just pick that out. If I can't say the same thing about you, Mike Foost, then I I feel like you're not doing it right. Right? Like, you're still protecting something. You're protecting like, you're I I just asked my wife this the other day. It's like, can you would you be willing to give up your favorite part of your personality to hand it over to Jesus if he if he wanted to take it from you? Right? Let's say let's say your thing is the quick retort guy, like the guy that comes up with the fastest thing to say, you know, and and you're like, I love that about me. I can really come up with a honker real real fast. Sharp. Right? I'm real fast. I'm real sharp. People think I'm funny. It makes people smile. It's great. It's not crude, you know, it's whatever. I'm just quick. And God says, I need you to give way

to that for just overall patience and kindness. Right? Like, you were if, like, if people were gonna go shopping at the Amish store, I want you to be that. Right? Where where you're the gal behind the counter, you're just you could not beam any more sunshine and you threw in two loaves of bread just because you're happy to see others. Right? Like, you're just this great ray of sunshine. I want you to stop being quick witted and I want you to do that. Like, would you do that? Can you can you look everybody knows what their favorite part of themselves is. Yeah. Right? Would you trade that in for whatever God wanted it to be? Because that should probably be on the table, and that's a real hard that's a real hard bargain. I mean, I'm I'm pretty good looking. Yeah. I'm trying to figure out what my favorite part of it is. What's Dan, what's the favorite part of yourself, man? What is it, Dan? What is the favorite part of yours? Like, the part you secretly enjoy. You're like, you know what? I'm really good in situations like this. Ah, that's tough. May maybe I I I tend

I've learned anyway to just take a step back and relax, let things kinda happen and and not try to fix it and and just let it you know, come in at the right time. I probably wait too long, but I don't overreact to things, I think. Do you find that to be a good like a like a good trait? Like, what if what if what if Jesus appeared to you in a dream and said, Dan, I need you to react faster. I need you to be the first guy out the gate and speak for me. Don't wait. Don't let it play out. I want you upstanding and loud. Yeah. I mean, I've I've been that guy, but half the time I'm wrong. So so

it's less embarrassing to just kinda take a step back and I don't know. That's probably not I don't know. I don't I don't think about it more, to be honest. I what do Well, I mean, I'd obviously, it's not a good idea to sit and think about how great you are. But no. No. I I schedule this into my day tomorrow. But it's it's it's more of a thought process. Right? Like like, I mean, when you say that, like, the stuff is on the table, I'm willing to let the gospel change stuff and, like but what about the things that I already think fall in line that I'm, it's it's it's a nuance. Right? It's not a sin to be quick witted. Yeah. Right? But God says, I don't actually need a quick wit in this in this situation. I need you to be the long suffering patient guy that lets people drone on for hours. And your patience has just got to beat the max and, like, your quick wit is like, I gave it to you, but I I don't want you to use it right now. I have other stuff for you to do. And it it would be interesting if you'd be like because there's there's probably a whole half of my life where, like, where the where all the the great gospel can really shine through that I'm like, these are just my god given things and I will decide how I'm gonna use them. Right? That's the knowledge of good and evil tree. That's exactly what that tree is. Right? Like, you chose to see what was right and what was good and you picked it and you didn't let God choose any of it. You just figured, well, it's here and I like it and I think it's a good idea. So that's what I'm gonna do, you know? And so, I it's just an interesting topic. Yeah. Is the question so, like, maybe I go through and I do one of the, I do the spiritual gifts quiz or whatever and I say the lord has has created me to do this thing. And then, like, it hypothetically,

god goes, yeah. That is what you were most gifted to do, but I need you to set that one out. Like, you're not gonna use this. You're gonna do something else. Right. Look at I mean, you wanna take Saul for an example? Look at a guy that was great about organizing people. Right? Right? Like, this was his whole job, was to get people all fired up and tearing things up. And then he spent the next, whatever, three, four years by himself tooting around, starting churches, eventually running people again. Right? But like I said, I need you to take this aside for right now, and you're gonna be on your own with me, and you're gonna suffer for a while. Right. He's not he's not, he's not warrior in the people. He's not, raising raising a a lament or anything. Like, he's just out. He's quiet. He's quiet. Yeah. I really wanna know what he did during those I mean, because he was, like, a highly educated guy. But, like, what what what really went on those three years? Boy, it'd him and Jesus, like, resurrected

in heaven and he's all smiles and greatness and you ask him about the three years and his face goes stone cold and he goes, no. And then walks away. Between me and Jesus. Yeah. Stay out of it. Yeah.

I'm curious. Yeah. Yeah. Because what what yeah. But what was he doing? Well, so I I think I think, like, one of the thoughts is that he, he did spend time with Jesus. Yeah. Like, lot of time learning so that he go on. Refers to that. Yeah. He applies it. Because, I mean, what else would he be doing? Like, how else would he know a lot of the stuff that he knows given his relationship with the Jerusalem folk? The thing is though, I mean, he was, like, a highly educated

Rhodes Scholar dude. I mean, Jesus spent, like, a walk to Emmaus to inform those two dudes of Old Testament prophecies. I I don't think Saul needed three years. He probably coulda had a fifteen minute conversation to be like, oh, that's what that meant, you know. He's probably working on his heart. That's the thing. His his head knowledge was probably there.

And, like, I get that, like, things probably shifted. Like, we like the story of, like, everything changes immediately for Saul. And and, like, I I don't I don't disbelieve that. Was probably waxing cars. I think he was probably waxing cars. Yeah. Chop sticking flies out of the air. More likely. Wax on. Wax off. So Jesus let him borrow. Come on, Jesus. A sweet donkey. He was testing that wineskins thing, and it took him a while to raise a vineyard.

I just wanna make sure it's real before I say it, Lord. I can't. I don't wanna I don't wanna rely on Pete. I just okay. Never mind. Yeah. Alright.

Hey. You're listening live from the Path. Thanks for hanging out with us so far tonight. Again, you can hook hook up with us on the unbeknownst to him, Bob Eisenhower complaint line, (515) 517-0085. Here's the deal. Bob's a good dude. I found this wild house out in,

in a different county. And, I mean, it looks like someone designed, you guys seen the movie Beetlejuice? Oh, yeah. Yeah. So, like, that that lady the the the the woman that moves in is like a real, like, modern art. And so, like, this house looked like someone designed that,

in, like, 1987 Oh. And then walked away. Oh. And it, like, it it was real funky looking place. And, so anyway, someone bought it and apparently left it, to decrepit. And so, I saw it and I said, hey, this might be the place for me right here. And so,

I asked Bob. I said, Bob, we'd like to take a look at this joint. But, I mean, it was probably an hour away. And I said, I don't wanna drag you out there, so maybe you can convince the other realtor who's already gonna make a commission on this thing to let us in. I just was gonna let you know. And he's like, no. I don't mind. I don't mind going taking a field trip. And I my family has drug poor Bob Eisenhower and and numerous people from the Eisenhower team to look at houses, like, probably 15 times in the last five years, and I've never bought anything. Nope. Because I keep coming on the tail end of something. Someone someone smarter than me and with more money has come in and bought the thing already by the time I find it. But, I mean, every time he's in, he's like, yeah. No. I'm in. I love a field trip. I'm like, well, god bless you, Bob. So, anyway, that's Bob Eisenhower with the Eisenhower team. He's a good dude and does not know he sponsors the complaint line. No. We just have his password. But but he does. But

he does. He pees handsomely. Oh, yeah. I didn't even I should've just said no. I guess he's doing it for free. We're we're not stealing from Bob. Yeah. I mean, I steal his time all the time. This is my recompense. Okay. You know what? I tell you what? I had an article I was gonna go through, but, I think we're not gonna do it. Okay. It's a little bit hefty. It does get to some of the stuff. There's an article in Christianity Today about

the it says it was titled the early church thrived amid secularism and shows how we can too. But, again, we always think that we found like, we've run into a really unique situation. Almost never the case. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We are we are not unique. Our The Christian bookstores are closing. Yeah. It's because we don't read.

And here's the thing. I would be it would be remiss to say, like, for given given the the trend with people actually not reading scripture, I feel like it's alright to shut them down. I read your bible first, and then you'll be allowed to go into the Christian bookstore. With hair pencils. Just like with the devotionals. You can show me that you actually touch your scripture every once in a while. I don't mind reading you in the devotionals because I think you can take it in well. But, like, it's the only problem is that if you're living on that. Right? Like, that's where that problem has become. It's like we started started eating on the seed that fell from the bird feeder instead of actually going to the bird feeder. So And but if you go to the bird feeder, then, yeah, okay, you can use the Christian bookstore. Yeah. I agree. Okay. So, yeah, let's just do some let's just do some Dear Life From The Path and we'll call it a date. Ready? Yep. I'm ready. Dear Life From The Path. I am in a loving relationship with a kind and caring man, Byron.

He has a preteen son, Eli, from a previous relationship. Eli stays with us several days a week, and I watch him while Byron goes to work. Byron and I would like to spend the rest of our lives together, but I'm uncertain if I can truly be a stepmother to his son. Eli often yells and hits his dad. He calls his dad stupid, among other things. Mhmm. He asks for every expensive items during every visit, often refuses to bathe, and won't eat anything other than fast food or pizza. If Byron has to say no to Eli because he doesn't have the money for something, Eli throws a temper tantrum worse than a two year old. I know the kid is capable of better behavior because he doesn't behave this way with his mother or grandmother. Byron doesn't discipline his son at all, which allows his rude and disrespectful behavior to continue. I worry about the boy's future. How will he hold a job if he acts his way toward a boss? I like Eli very much. When he's in a good mood, he's the kindest child I can think of. But when his mood turns, it's like the dark side takes over. I love Byron. I would like to marry him, but I don't know if I can handle watching Eli be so disrespectful to his father. Sometimes it makes me feel like ending things. Please advise me on what to do.

Well Yeah. Many many many layers. So they're they're they're living together right now, I'm assuming. Yes. Sure it sounds Did

I did I smell cohabitation? I feel like I smelled it. Let's get out the Dan scroll. One. Check.

You know what, Dan? If that's the kind of thing you're known for, I think that's alright. Yeah. I mean, the guy the guy the the child is living up to the boundaries that that that his father has set for him. He he's being thrown around from relation

to relationship, but but he he's a mess. The kid's a mess. Dad needs to step up and be a dad, which is totally irrelevant to to the you know, her her issue.

I mean, she sees who he is. I can't tell her if she should stay with him or not, but he doesn't know how to be a dad. That's for sure. What what is her actual question? Should she stay with him? Please

advise me on what to do. Oh, man. Didn't take it off the broad road. That, you know, to not stay with him, but I don't think she'll I mean, don't have any children with him. So if you're gonna have children, don't do it with him. Yep. This this in ten years, this issue's gone anyway with the son.

So if you're with if you love the guy and you're gonna stay with him, well, then go ahead and get married. Just but Okay. Let me ask a broad question. Can a good man be a bad dad? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think for the for for the what he believes are the right reasons.

Right? So, like, good people with good intentions make accommodations in situations that ultimately cause destruction. Like, think think of how many relationships or even situations you've been in where, like, you did the wrong thing for the right reasons. Yeah.

That's this. He's whatever whatever the life situation is for this kid, it stinks for him. And even, like, think preteen that spends, like, a few days at his dad's house in the middle of the week or whatever, like, oh, that's jumbled. Bouncing around. Yeah. That's jumbled. And, like, I I know that that it seems unpreferable to have, like, like, whatever with our dad. When Mike and I were growing up, we saw him once every two weeks on the weekends. But, like, my home life was consistent. We went to school, we came back. Like,

even good relationship joint custody requires some sort of consistency for a kid. Like, you just you can't have them living in two worlds like that. Yep. And so so think about it. The kid's in a rough spot. Plus, is a rough age where you're already trying to kind of assert feel what it's like to live in kind of new boots. And so, he still needs a dad and he still it it it stinks to be when you feel like you're part time and you don't you don't spend every day with him,

putting your foot down seems like, is that how I really wanna spend my time? Yeah. Yeah. Because you're still raising the kid. And so I I think he can be a good dude and I think he can be trying to do trying to to fix or or provide the best set of set of circumstances in the midst of bad ones And it's just he's just got the wrong idea. All all the adults need to get in one room as painful or awkward as that might be, but they need to come up with a plan for how they're raising this child. Yeah. I mean, it's not the child's fault they're all left each other and whatever.

No. They they've gotta be consistent, though, because that's that is not fair to a kid. They have different sets of rules everywhere you go. There were no rules, and you just can't. They're creating a monster. They have created a monster. He's it's fixable. Yeah. Yeah. But they've gotta get together and communicate and agree and get their petty whatever,

you know, don't don't use him as the victim in their argument fight. So so to to get back to the question then, I would say,

it it it does it is relevant to you. And what's going through my mind is some of our past advice where this is gonna seem like it's counter to it. I'm trying to work out my head whether it is. But it is relevant to you the types of relationships that your spouse has with other people, especially with a kid, I think. Whereas,

like, I like, I remember we've had a recent question where it's like, the mom and the sister or whatever, and we're like, look. And the husband we told the husband, it's okay to just stay out of it. Like, you can't change it. You've tried to influence it. It's nobody wants to hear from you. Just do your best. It's it's too far gone. But, like, when you're talking about someone's

interaction with their kid, like, if they can't if they if they're not handling that well, one, it's not implicitly

indicative, but, like, it's possible that, like, when push comes to shove in a situation that they don't control, they won't handle your relationship stuff well either. That seems like it could happen. But also, you're gonna be witness to this for actually, I don't think it goes away in ten years. Like, depending on who this kid is, I mean, this could be this could be something that Terry's with you. And if if the kid's a drama fest, like, you are marrying into that thing. And the question is

Right. Sometimes that drama fest don't leave the house at 18 Yeah. Or keeps coming back. Yeah. So so I I and it's not, it's gonna that's gonna feel selfish or shallow to say, look, I love you, but I but I'm not going to commit to this environment for the next seventy years. But, like, you're doing your both of you a favor. If that's true, then just say that. And and and and it's it's it's okay. It's okay. You're not you're not, I mean, you stop living together, but you're not married yet. Like, you've not you've not made this commitment.

It's time to to treat it for what it is, which is either either either we're not committed or we are. So I agree with Dan, either get married or, you know, treat your relationship well. But, I think it's okay to step back and say that. I think it's okay to give, to tell what was it, Byron?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, here's the thing. Is that, like, if that's if that's the real possibility that you guys are gonna be married, he he should be able to hear that from you. Mhmm. He should be able to hear you say that because, like, again, it's not just his son. It's your stepson. It's your household. Your it's it's your situation. It's your husband. And so, like,

yeah, I think those are reasonable conversations to have. I think Dan's right. I think everyone's gotta grow up here. I think the dad the Byron yes. You were party to creating whatever the situation was even if you weren't the offended guy who caused the divorce. But, like, you you've got to you've gotta kinda take care of this. You have to take some responsibility here and then, whoever the nice woman is is that, I think you just have to be honest and don't feel like you have to stay in a relationship.

Just because you love somebody, doesn't mean you have to decide you're gonna stay with it forever. Yeah. I mean, it's it's a it's a pretty classic, misunderstanding of marriage when you look at broad swaths and say, this is what makes a marriage successful. Like, it's it's it really is the sheep in, sheep out that makes a marriage successful. It's the little things that all add up to something, you know. And like, these are there's a lot of little things that have to do with with Eli, you know. And like, you know, one of the responsibilities that God gives you when you have children is to say, look, you're responsible for them. And, you know, you raised them the way I raised you and it's your job to impart how how to interact in the world.

And and like, so that responsibility is on him just as much as it's on you if you choose to accept it. So realize that like, you can't advocate it and you also can't root against the kid. The problem is if you're if you're counting on Eli to leave the house for your marriage to improve, you're you're de facto you're against Eli. Right? Like, you're like, just get Eli out of here. Get him away from us. Me and Byron would be fine if Eli wasn't here. That's what you're saying. Right? And like True. You can't start a marriage out like that. That's horrible. Right. Right? You're basically He's there half the year. You're rooting against an eight year old boy. Yeah. You know, you can't do this. And so, like, if that means that, like, maybe Byron doesn't understand how serious you are or how serious it is to you, but it is a very big deal. And, like, if you're if you don't love Byron enough

to tell him that, like, this could possibly be a deal breaker here, that we can't get this, we gotta get this under control and figure out how we're going to parent Eli as a team, then you don't love him enough to stay. I think that's fair. Okay. Secular says, I hope you realize that Eli behaves the way he does because his father allows it. Byron may do this because he feels guilty about the divorce and is afraid his son will hate him if he asserts himself. Your gentleman friend really needs to take some parenting classes because his failure to act isn't good for Eli. Please suggest it. I mean, I don't know that I'd go you you need to take a parenting class. No. That might not come off well. You might wanna borrow

a very high horse before you go over there and say that because that's gonna come off very poorly. But like, I think you grab him, I think you hold his hand, I think you look him in the eye and go, man, we gotta figure this out. If this is gonna be our life, love, we got we have got to do something about this and I'm willing to do it if you are but we gotta love Eli better than he's being loved and allowing him to be this way is not gonna work for our family. Unless I mean, he could be a straight difficult kid, but it doesn't sound that way. It sounds like he's a product of his environment. It doesn't sound like chemical imbalance problems. Well, yeah. If her description was that he doesn't do this to anybody else, it's just happening to it's just happening to the dad Right. Then, yeah, I would say that he's doing it because the dad's allowing it.

Dear, lie from the path. I'm surprised by how many people choose not to use headphones while talking on a phone, listening to music, or watching videos in public places. Mhmm. Boy, I'm gonna tell you right now, the most guilty I see of this are old people. Like 70 year old men

will do this. It is extremely annoying. Instead, they use the speaker option or their Bluetooth speaker for all to hear. I travel frequently. It's bad enough to suffer through one side of the conversation, but hearing both is worse. And these folks talk at top volume and make no attempt to step out of earshot. Lately, I've also noticed people watching videos in restaurants. At my apartment's pool, several neighbors do the same thing. Sometimes the music includes offensive language, which I find inappropriate at a family pool. I'm tempted to start competing with them with random videos and music. But I know that's wrong. Is there a reasonable way to handle these folks?

I usually ignore it. Yeah. Yeah. What can you do? I mean, it's society. It's a It it real it's it really tell you what, we run into this when we were I was garage saling with my wife quite a bit this summer. And like people would be on the speaker phone having a conversation walking through the garage sale and just talking as if no one else is here. I'm like, man, maybe I and I couldn't decide whether I was just more of a private person. I don't like anybody to know anything about me. Yeah. I'm on the phone. I don't even want people around me to know who it is. I walk in another room even at home. Right? Correct. I mean, I just I mean, even people I've known for years who trust implicitly, I'm not like, hey, my wife's on the phone. I'm gonna head it this way. I just leave because none of your business who's on the phone? It just isn't, you know? And so, like, I I don't understand whether it's just a personality thing where you're like, hey, you know, where you're willing to talk about the things you're buying at a garage sale in front of 30 people, it's just weird. I've sat next to a guy at the DOT and he was I was a 70 year old man watching chainsaw videos in in the waiting room at full volume. And I'm like, this isn't this awkward for you? Like, just seems awkward. Like, dig on everything I'm digging on, everybody. Like, it's just so weird.

It's it's selfish. It seems selfish. Right? I mean, because headphones are available. Yeah. Right? And they come free with most phones. So I just I don't understand. What's so the guy's ultimate question is is is what? What do I do in these situations? So, I mean, here's the thing. Is that, like, it's not it's not outrageous to be like, hey, man. Can you turn that down a bit?

Now here's you you're not gonna be able to control everybody. Yeah. And you're not gonna be able to say, like, hey, can you put that on your like, here's I I guess maybe to the to the previous point, I legitimately think that people are so self centered, they don't they hadn't even considered that it's impacting someone around them. I think they had not even thought about it. I mean, that fact alone should leave you that's what leaves people aghast.

Yeah. Right? They're like, I cannot believe I'm gonna have to go ask this man to take it off full volume for the chainsaw videos. Yes. I can't believe I have to do this. It's you have to cut I mean, where where do you draw the line, though? Do you go up to someone with a bright orange car and say, you know, I have to look at this. Yeah. That's true. This is the ugliest car. You're inside. You don't see it. I mean, Stop stop by an orange car. Yeah. I I mean, where where do you where do you stop? You you know? I I suppose where the proverbial fist hits. Right? So, like, if someone's having a converse something so loud that you cannot have so, like, take the phone out of it. If I was in a restaurant or something and the guy next to me was talking so loud that I couldn't have a conversation with my family,

would it be would it be okay to say, hey, man. Can you tone it down just a little bit? I'm having trouble hearing my wife talk. Now, I mean, I probably personally wouldn't do that. I'm just not that type of guy. But do am I offended if someone were to do that? Probably not. That actually seems kinda reasonable. Like, his his mouth fists had done invaded my territory, and I asked him to tone it down just a bit. And I think reasonable people will not will not mind it. I think they just I think they just hadn't considered. You know actually who fits in this category for me? So let's say you got you're driving down the road and, you got three lanes. The the left lane is for a left turnee,

Straight, middle lane is for the straight. Right lane is for the right turn. Or you could also go straight. K? The guy that's that is gonna go straight, and he knows he's gonna go straight, and he still sits in the right lane, when you could turn right on red, holding up the nine people that were actually could actually turn right on red, and he's hanging tight in that right lane. Yeah. Like, that's complete blindness. That's I I he's the guy with his serial way up and not even thinking about anybody behind him. Yeah. Get in the middle lane. You know you ain't gonna turn and think that someone else might turn and stay out of that lane.

Or the guys with the aftermarket, super bright headlights. They're like, yeah. These are awesome. I can see everything. Yeah. You blind me. Every time I go over a hill, you blind me. It's horrible. Oh, man. I just shined my headlights. I did the I bought a kit and I shined them. That's different. Oh. That's not what we're saying. No. Mine are not super bright. Like, I bought a cheap kit. So so here's the thing. It's like our our our tendency

is to say, man, what is this world coming to? People are just they've grown to be outrageous. They've always been outrageous. They've just been outrageous in different ways. Right? The model t did not offer the ability to blind people. Hey. Yeah. Actually, that's a good point. Because I just thought of another example. At 06:30 in the morning, a neighbor that is six houses down from me and we're he's lives at the bottom of the cul de sac. He leaves and he goes to work driving a freaking motorcycle. And so, like, it's how he gets around. It's his vehicle. Right? But, like, at 06:30, I wake up because I hear

I mean, he's really giving it the old, Rocky Horror Picture Show out there going down the line. Mhmm. And then I think to him, like, I find it super inconsiderate, like, waking every it's like mowing the lawn, except for it's worse. It's like two two lawn mowers going at the same time at 06:30. But, I mean, it's also his vehicle. And so, like, I I thought I thought at one point, hey. It may be kinda sweet to have a a motorcycle, but then cannot get over the fact that I might wake someone up driving out of my neighborhood at 06:30 in the morning. Well, they make quiet ones. Oh, you think I could buy, like, a moped? Not for him. Oh, I I I had a pretty nice pretty good sized bike. Purd like a kitten? I mean, it's yeah. Yeah.

So it's possible to go down. He put on the aftermarket stuff to make it louder. Or Harley that I mean He's just a Jack and Apes. Yeah. Yeah. A vaunt. Because They're not naturally loud. Oh, man. So but but what what it boils down to is is we believe that people are they're not vindictive. They're not sitting at their house twisting their mustache. They just don't care. They're they don't have a wherewithal outside of their own situation to go, this is gonna cause people the trouble. Yeah. Right? Like but the it's it's the kind of people that see the look, during during a a snow ordinance, don't park on the street. Right? Where a certain group of people will see that sign and go, yeah, man. I'd hate to have the plow guy have to make my car the hassle on the road and and and and the other half of the population goes, he's the plow guy, screw him. It's his job to go around me. Yeah. You know, I'll park where I want. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. Secular says Yep.

Oh, boy. She's gonna bring in authorities. Uh-huh. If you are in a restaurant, ask the manager to move you to a quieter table. If you are bothered at your apartment swimming pool, take your complaint to the manager of the complex so a sign could be posted asking tenants to keep the volume low on devices or wear headphones. It's worth a try. Yeah. That and a 99¢ spray can will get that signed to fame pretty fast. Do not make the mistake of confronting them yourself. Yes. That would be horrible to have a personal interaction with someone else in this world that God created. Yeah. By all means, get the authority man at the pool to make $9 an hour to go yell at him. I'm sure he's gonna be all fired up for this conversation. PS, consider putting on headphones and listening to something of your own choosing. It will drown out what you don't want to hear. Oh, man.

I just I don't agree with that at Here's the deal. I know I know that it feels like it's it's a that you shouldn't talk to people. But, like, what's the worst that could possibly happen? Hey, screw you, dude. He's already bothering you. But, like, I I like I I think there's been a few times it's not very many because, like, I I tend to be hyper conscious of this. Like, to the extent that I really irritate my family about, like, how fast we are moving through lines or how loud we are or whatever. Like, I'm just super antsy about it.

Oh oh, like, at the we talked about this at the drive through. Like, I know exactly what to order right when I pull up. My wife's gonna look at the thing. I'm like, hurry it up, man. Yeah. I I don't go to them for that reason. They get so mad at me. It's like, you know what? I'm just not I'm not doing it. Yeah. We're going in. No. We're going inside. You can take it to go, but I'm not gonna play that game. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So so so I get it. But, like, I I I I swear there have been times where, like, I didn't realize that someone mentioned it, and then, it never happened again because it became something that I was now thinking of. And so, like, is it really do we really say, oh, this the world disappoints me, and I refuse to even give it a chance at at potential redemption by even bringing it up. And, like, if that isn't the current mode of our of our Christian witnessing, it's like, well, I can't do it. They've already made their decision. Oh, good. You've talked it over with them? No. Not really. But they were listening to rap music and I decided that was evil and so they're far gone. Yeah. I Let's get some let's get some optimism. So I bought like, I have a I drive a a pretty big truck for work. Right? And it's required to have a backup beeper on it. And it occurred to me, since I do a lot of my work early in the morning or late at night, that, like, I gotta throw this thing in beep beep beep, you know, in residential neighborhoods, you know. So I went and found a beeper that looks at ambient noise around and then adjusts the beeper to how loud the ambient noise is. So, like, that way, if it's, like, three in the morning and there's no one else around, it's just, beep beep, real easy going. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And right. And and and, like, this is the this is the level. Right? This is what we're talking about. Like, can you look around and realize realize there's a world around you and there's really no different it would take literally nothing for you to make it so you didn't blare the motorcycle.

Whatever. I mean, be that that guy the guy that Ben's talking about, he lives half a mile from the highway. Right? So, like, you slow roll it. You're 10 miles an hour till you get out of the neighborhood. Yeah. The speed limit is 35, but you go 10 so you don't roast everyone out of bed at 06:30. And then you can let it rip around on the highway because you and the truckers rule the road at that hour. Yeah. Do it. You know? But, like, does it take any more for you to just take it easy? Leave two minutes earlier, go 10 miles an hour, and not tear up the neighborhood? That's just it's just it's weird. You know, it's just self importance. K. One more. Ready? Yep. Dear, life on the path. For a friend's birthday, I spent a $150

oh, I sent a $150 food delivery gift card saying to put it towards meals when I visited for three days the following week. What? Okay. We'll come back to it. Wow. I love this guy already. Happy birthday.

I'll be in town. Paper by me. We can do this. He called, told me I was cheap, and said it was not a gift if it included money that would be spent on myself. Okay. Yep. We are new friends, and I have never exchanged gifts. Please help me understand if I was inappropriate. Yes. You were. I That's just odd.

That was weird. That's weird, buddy. Yep. I mean, for one okay. Don't call it a birthday present if you're I mean Right. I'll be in town in three weeks. I sent some money ahead of time for you to take me out. That sound right? Does that ring does that ring right? Yeah. Birthday, dude. He says it's a new friend, and his first reaction is to exchange a $150

worth of food delivery? Here's the this is the kid from a couple weeks ago that can't get an interview because he's socially terrible. That's this guy right here. Yeah, man. Yeah. Well, I got a new friend. I'm gonna come visit him in three weeks. I'll send him cash ahead of time so he can take me out to dinner. That sounds great. Yeah. His for his birthday. Yeah. The world does not work like this at all. But then who on the other end says, hey, man. You're rude. It's like Well I mean, both both people are weird. True. And and to be honest, like, a $150 seems a little over the top as a birthday gift for fairly new friend. I don't even think that's cheap for three days. I mean, that's like Yeah. That's just they're weird. They're both weird. Yeah. This whole thing They deserve each other. I mean, I I see I mean, $20. And I you have to be a member of my family. Like, if you don't live in my house, $20 is what you get for birthday gifts. If I said you anything at all, depends on how old you are. Right? And so, like, a $150 on a new friend for birthday is ridiculous.

A $150 to go the the three of you out to eat for the three day I didn't even say how long he was gonna be there. Three days? He didn't say. Oh, yeah. Three days. Yeah. Thought it three. Yeah. Visited for three days the following week. You're right. The whole thing is just iffy. Between the pair of them, just iffy. I expect more than $50 a day to feed you. Yeah. Right. Here's my room and board. Buy a dozen eggs. You know, why don't you just say, look. Here's here's $25 gift certificate for your birthday.

You mind if we do Dutch treat when I'm in town? Because, you know, I'm on a diet. No. But but to Dan's point, like, first of all, he's leveled the wrong accusation at this man. A 150 bones. Right? It's obviously not cheap. That's not a fair accusation at all. Yeah. Unless none of that gift goes to him. But but but isn't the isn't the supposition like, do you have any adult friends? Mike, you give $20 at my I don't even tell you happy birthday. No. We share a birthday. I know you have one. That are true. I don't even bother to say happy birthday. No. Let alone expect that you're gonna show up with a 10 spot or a bag of candy or something. Like, I just it's not it's not even except I don't think I've ever either gotten a present or received a present from any of the fellows in this room on a birthday nor have I given you one on yours. It simply isn't something I think about to do for you nor would you expect. And this guy's like, he seems to have a high expectation

that he should have gotten something from this new friend of his that the $150 he's pissed at. It's ridiculous. No. And, actually, that's true. If Dan would have given me a $150 for my birthday, I would feel so awkward. Like, I feel like the heck, Dan. What kind of friends are we? I'm coming over for three days. I'm a come stay at your place. I want I want goat meat. Yeah. You're right. This whole thing is out of bounds. Yeah. I don't I don't understand this at all. Well, hold on. Let's see how secular diced it up.

So the question was, please help me understand if I was inappropriate. Secular says, you made an honest mistake. I think not. There's hold on. The follow-up is better. However, what you did was less inappropriate than your new friend's ungracious response, which was just plain insulting.

On the next gift giving occasion, if you are still friends, send him a book on etiquette just for him. Oh, what is wrong with the secular advice? No. That is spiteful and unnecessary. I gotta be honest. Not only do I think you should not be friends with this fella, you probably shouldn't be friends with anybody

until you can figure out how to interact with people on a regular basis because this the whole thing is just it's just topsy-turvy weird. Yeah. I mean, the whole relationship even, like okay. So they're new friends. I wonder what that means. Right. And they live far enough apart, but they were gonna go visit that person.

Enough that I'm gonna travel Yeah. To visit you. There's a lot they're not telling us. At State, your place for three days?

Is it a romantic thing? Is it like model airplanes. I mean Yeah. Yeah. This this is weird. Hey. If this is you, call the complaint line. We have questions for you. Yeah. Call or text. And we'd like to know your complaint line. (515) 517-0085. If they are new friends and have never exchanged gifts. Yeah. Please help me understand if I was yeah. You're right. This whole thing is off the wall bunkers. You're right. I think it's a dude named You think they're Tinder dates? Yeah. Like they met online? I don't know.

Ugh. This whole thing got weird on me. Put it towards meals when I visit the next three days. I mean, I you know what I would do? I would go out to eat by myself while you're in town. I would literally have food delivered for me, and then I'd buy you boxed macaroni. I mean, I'm going to yeah. Visit visit a new friend. At first, get a hotel. Yeah. And I'll just say, hey. I'll meet you for supper or let's do golf. Yeah. Or whatever else I don't do. Don't I'm a come stay at your house. By the way, here's some money ahead of time for food. Yeah. It's just weird. Here's the thing. This would have felt way you could have done the exact same behavior, and it would have felt differently

if you would have just said, hey. Look. I'll treat you to I'll treat you to Eats when I come into town for your birthday. Exact same outcome. Yeah. Correct. Had you not done it so weirdly? Hey. I'll take you out to dinner for your birthday. Great. I'll take you out to dinner three times for your birthday. Fantastic. This is this is great. Not a 150 bones ahead of time.

And by the way, you can take me out to dinner with it. It's just stupid. Boy, the whole thing just sounds weird, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Maybe that you should stay Internet friends if that. I'm just glad we're holy. Yeah. Yeah. We we're gonna live up to our calling. Here we go. You've listening to live from the past. Thanks for hanging out with us. Hey. Maybe you need some advice.

Hopefully, it's not on a dumb problem, and we will not make fun of you. Hit us up on the complaint line. Call or text (515) 517-0085. That's (515) 517-0085. And you can also type in after you dial that, you can type in live from the path on your keypad, and, that'll get right to us. So that'd great. That's awesome. Yeah.

Alright. That's it. Hey. No show next week. And I know you're not surprised because we don't barely do a show anymore. But you're very welcome to listen to the back catalog. Mike's been taking it in and says it might be two shakes alright. Oh, yeah. I listen. I'd give that podcast a a run through. I've been list I usually I'm maybe I'm the only guy that's still tearing them up, but I listen to the I listen to the podcast probably at least three times a week. And, yeah, the back catalog last couple of years, pretty darn good. Yeah. Things are things are working out alright. So in the meantime, be faithful in means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening too live from the past.