Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from The Path. I don't know that it's hot. Anyway, yeah, you're listening live from the Path. You're catching us at

www.livefromthepath.org, also on the truth network ninety nine point three. It's good to have you with you. Here's what we got going on the show tonight. First, there was an article going around about the seven lies Christians tell.

And I don't know what what what stuck out with you on this article, Dave Herrick? You're gonna have to use microphone, buddy. It's a radio program. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it it seemed interesting. I like the the way that he's just calling us out. The writer of the article, he's just calling out the Christian community and saying, hey. As as we're engaging the world, we've got a message that we're trying to bring out, but we're often posturing ourselves in in ways that are just incorrect,

and it just doesn't pass a sniff test. I mean, we're just we're we're saying things that are just not true, so he's calling us out on it, and so we're gonna discuss that. Okay. I think that that that seems comfortable here. Buva, would you you got some good questions from a now these are legit questions from a a non believer that you know? I I do indeed. Yeah. So this is something that that's happened recently, but it's also happened, you know, throughout the last couple years.

I I've started to say God and Jesus enough in my workplace that people know that I'm I'm a Christ follower and and know that that they can come to me with those kind of questions. So it happens more frequently where people will come up and go, hey, man. I know this is completely random, and I know that this is something we've never talked about before, but I've got a question about your God. And I'm like, that is awesome. Then I'm happy to to talk about it. Let's talk. So I had a recent one that's come up quite a few times, and I want to see I wanna see what the group has to say about them, because I think they're they're questions we've probably already been asked many times before all of us. K. But I think giving a a straightforward answer as a group might be a good decision. Okay. Alright. Sounds good. Mike, did you take a preview on the dear life from the past? Yeah. Husband is spending more time with the cats than he is with his wife.

No. No. Yep. Grand prize game. That man needs help from Internet radio. That's what we're here for. Okay. Alright. Alright. That's good. Also, we're very fortunate. We have some very special guests in the studio.

Yeah. I'm gonna let you do your introduction. So I I wanna know, first of all, how you guys met, and then I wanna hear about your about your music. Alright. Okay. So tell me how you guys met. Oh, wow. Well, we met At the Olive Garden. Yeah. You remember that. No kidding? Olive Garden. Yes. We met at the Olive Garden nineteen ninety six. Okay. Alright. Wait. Wait. Just like randomly, like you both We just well, I was

a was a server, I was a waiter at Olive Garden. Okay. But I I never seen paid her no attention. She never paid me no attention either. Uh-huh. You know, I saw her like two days before Valentine's Day. And I looked at her and I got a one rose. I said, would you be my Valentine?

And I I couldn't get rid of her. He noticed me right away. I didn't notice him. That

is true. She didn't know. Was there before her so she didn't notice me. And when the rose came it it did. That sealed the deal though. Just one rose, you know. Okay. You know, saying three words. Actually it was more than the rose. The what? Yes. Every other guy that I had been with, it it sounded like it was a lot but it really wasn't. Yeah. But I I wasn't perfect just like none of us are. Yeah. No. And I I did, you know, there was a couple of them before my husband. Yeah. Mhmm. And they all looked different but they had the same spirit. Yeah. They were monsters.

And my husband, he was so beautiful from the inside. The way he approached me. The outside was not uphill. It was fifty fifty. But

now he's the most he's the handsomest man that I have ever laid my eyes on. Oh, thank you. I fell in love with his spirit first. Thank you. Well, we followed each other all our lives though. We was born in Mississippi. Okay. Same year, 1967. Woah. I told them your age. They can't count. I ain't worried about it. No. Hey, that's the truth, man. You can just tell by visual you can't count that well. That's '29, right? I'm pretty sure that's '29. She moved to Mississippi. We she left Mississippi. I left at five years old. She left and moved to Uh-huh. Chicago

when she was two. So I followed her to Chicago when I was five, I went. And you had no idea she was No idea, nothing She was she lived on Mason. I lived three I moved to Chicago when I was five on Mason. Really? But three blocks down the street. Yep. We never met each other. And then we found each other, she moved to Milwaukee in in '92 and I moved to Milwaukee in '81. That's right. And she I moved there first and she came and then we met each other in '96.

Wow. At the Olive Garden here? At the Olive Garden in Milwaukee. In Milwaukee. Yeah. That stuff don't happen at the Olive Garden here. Here we are with eight kids later, we lost one. God called one of our children home. Uh-huh. Amen. We have seven livings, all grown, except for one. Mhmm. That's beautiful. That is a beautiful story. He's 17. Okay. We have two grandchildren. Okay.

Holy cats. That's awesome. That is awesome. Alright. We we we we was destined to be together and Amen. Then we started winning the studio and started singing together and Yeah. So tell me about that. Writing. So so when you guys when you guys met, did you did you know after through conversations that you guys had a shared interest in music or did that come as a surprise? Well, we didn't know. I always have been into music. I used to sing for the world Yep. Loud as I could. Yeah. Same.

I used to always get chastised Yeah. Yeah. By my mother because I was singing worldly music because I love to sing. Uh-huh. I didn't know why I was being told not to. And but the songs were inappropriate. Yeah. But they felt right at the time. Yeah. I

got tired of getting spanking, I stopped singing. So but my mom didn't take us to church, to the building. But she always had a bible open and and she was such a a mild spirited, loving she was just beautiful. Uh-huh.

She was she was so calm spirited and and I I really didn't understand her. I thought she just was there to make my life miserable. Uh-huh. Because she wouldn't allow me to even leave from the front of the house. I had to be in on the street lights and what have you. And I just just didn't understand, you know, what she was really doing. But I look at my life now and I look it over and I look at what's going on today, and I'm glad she did. Amen. You know? And so when I met my husband, he was singing in '92,

and he sung my favorite song, Luther Vandross. Oh my goodness. I I I just and he sounded just like him.

And it amazed me. I fell in I already loved him, but not in the way that I had fell in love with my husband. I just loved his music. And when he sung that, I said, I knew there was a star. I knew he was a star. Amen.

Yeah. But then when I heard her sing Uh-huh. And we started singing together, I said, listen, we gotta start, we gotta create some stuff. So we went in the studio with nothing, just

went in the studio, put some music together, the music sound good, and just got to writing and she over there writing, I'm over here writing and in about an hour and a half we'd come together and came up with seven songs. Actually, love, before we even made it in that studio, when my husband had he used to play the piano in the house And then Right. I would be walking around. At this time, I became born again. Mhmm. You know, I used to run out to church, run. I used chase her around the block before we can get into church. Because I did not wanna sit in there. Pray.

You know, I said, well, I'm going in. I'm gonna go. I have to go into church. I thought he was trying to kill me. Because he he he actually had me in there with with my in laws and they they they hated my gut. Like, are you serious in this little bitty room? Yeah. With these other people that I don't know, they might get to opposite. Be Be the opposite of your in laws. Yes. I I the opposite of I I have through it. Christ has taught me. Oh, lord. She came a long way. I mean, it's good to have a a a virtuous woman. Yeah. Yeah. That, you know, I ain't got to worry about nothing because I just tell Jesus on her, then when I tell Jesus on her, here she come, baby. I'm I apologize.

That was in the past. He don't have you don't have to call Jesus on me like that. No. Have no. Not lately. That is kind of an awkward situation, though. Did you tell Jesus? Yeah. Did you tell him? Come on. You had to tell him because look how I'm feeling, baby. You had to tell him. I told you I was gonna take the garbage out. Why you gotta be this way? But you know, I am very careful about calling Jesus on on on people that I really I try to love everybody. Uh-huh. But I'm not too quick to tell on them because when he chastise you, it's so it's so painful. Oh, this is yeah. It's painful. So I'll be I'll be like, I'm a tell on you. I give him plenty of warnings

before I do it. Sure do. You know, and then we came up with a concept. We was like, well, seven it was like seven seven ways to get to heaven. And so that's what that's how we came up with the first one is you gotta know who you're looking for. Uh-huh. It's Jesus, right? So it's Jesus as you're looking for, that's track one. Okay. And then once you find who you're looking for, you gotta know how to call on them. So we knew how to call on them, we called on them. That's track two. And after that, you know, he started to show us how to build a home around them. Build our home and teach our children. Yep. And that's track three. On four, he became the head of our life, because all we want is Jesus, and we wanna know more about him and just wanna be closer, and that's track four. And track five is, don't live the life.

So we don't wanna live that raggedy life no more. Know, going out, kicking it, partying, just everything just didn't have nothing to do with Jesus. And then track six is, I'm so glad we chose the Lord.

Amen. For what he had done for us, and through this journey, Yeah. You And then the last one is glorify. Oh, hallelujah. And just glorify his name, because, woah, what we went through, he said look towards the hills, what's come forth your help? Yeah,

I looked towards the hills and he helped me, and whenever I asked him for help, he helped, the strength, you know, I just thank him. I love it. I love it. That's a beautiful story. Yeah. So that's that's how that's what we that's our concept. So so if someone wanted to take a listen to some of these tunes, you're on SoundCloud, right? Yes, sir. So where exactly would they go? They'd go to soundcloud.com/theisraelites. Here you see our face?

Will be there. Just click the face. It's worth it just for that. Yeah. You know, click it. And for you guys listening on the podcast, I'll throw a link up on the website and on our Facebook and Twitter and stuff. So you can you can get a direct link to go check out that stuff. And also probably by the time you hit this on the radio, I'll have some outro music and and you can check out some of their some of their tunes. I'm excited. And boy, I really appreciate you guys sharing that with us. That's It's it's fun. I can't wait to see it's it's cool to see to hear the story behind the music. Right? So now, like, you can you can take some of that stuff in knowing where it came from. That's awesome. That's awesome. Well, they're gonna hang out. They're gonna be hanging out with us for the whole show. Just gonna kinda participate in what we're talking about. So you guys feel free to jump in. Yeah. And

alright. Alright. Awesome. Let's welcome to the to the Israel Israelites. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Alright. So so Dave Herrick came across this article. It said seven lies Christians tell.

And so I'll give you I'll give you a few of these, and we'll kinda talk through them and and see if we we agree that these are these are the lies, things that Christians are kinda representing that that aren't actually true. The first one is we lie when we claim we are more confident than we really are. The culture of pretending within Christianity seems almost at an epidemic level. Many of us feel the need to hide our doubts and questions. We feel compelled to act like our faith life is totally satisfying when in fact it often feels limited, dry, cold, or numb. I think we also believe that our witness will be less powerful if we reveal a less than perfect religious experience. The funny thing is that the opposite is often true. Non Christians are often drawn to stories of an authentic and even struggling faith.

What do think, fellas? That sound like something that we're misrepresenting? Yeah, man. I I mean, I'd say that I've done that. You know, the truth of the matter is is, like, I find

the people that I really wanna snuggle up next to when they're talking about what their faith looks like, like they're they're the they're the people that can be honest with me, you know, and tell me where they've been and what they've done and and and then I can see myself in the in the story they're telling. You know what I'm saying? Like, I've had a good multitude of people trying to tell me about how they raise their kids or, you know, how to do this in a Christian way and here's what your wife or your marriage should look like and I'm like, man, that don't sound nothing like my house. What is why? You know, why is it why am I so like, I've known the Lord for for years, man. You know, like and and I know what he's about. I know what he represents and I know what Jesus has done in my life. But the things that you're talking about or that that guy's talking about have no no reference to me. You know what I'm saying? So now so what happens is every time that like, you know, you you make a mistake or, you know, your kid mouths off to you, you're like, have I not taught them the Lord? Have I totally fallen off track? Do I not know Jesus at all? And and that's a total misrepresentation of what God's heart is for me. And I don't know, like, I don't know. I I feel like, you know, that's probably true. The more that you can represent exactly what your relationship with Christ looks like, the more people will will believe that it's true. Right? The more you embellish and act like it's something it's not, the more people will will try to get to know Jesus and and act like all this stuff was supposed to happen. And when it doesn't, they're like, I'm not doing it right. I'm out of here. Or this god's not powerful either way. Yeah.

So and I think that's that's some of it. It's like when we when we claim we are more confident than we really are, sometimes we are trying to protect something about God's character that doesn't need protected. Right? Like, if there's something that that is going on in my life that reveals that my life is less than perfect, that is not a surprise to Jesus, and frankly, it's not a surprise to anybody else. And so to the extent that I wanna make it look like that, I'm acting as if God can't handle the fact that I'm not perfect, and that's foolish. It misrepresents the character of God himself. And so it's if we don't deal with that level of reality, we don't understand, the root of what what makes us, understand who God is and how we need him if we're if we spend our lives posturing as if we don't. And so, it right. It's also hard to relate to. Right? Because then if if you have a bunch of people that are going around acting as if they are perfect, that they are God, if people's impression of God comes directly from how I behave,

then, like, I don't know if that's a God worth serving. Right? And so I need to point them to a real God, a saving Jesus, a loving Christ that died for me, and that is a God worth knowing. And so sometimes our posturing is protecting something that I I just I'm not sure that God needs protecting and that we have to protect on his behalf. And and I think it also doesn't deal with the reality. Like, biblically speaking, if you go through and read these stories, like, there are very, few examples of cloud nine lives, of people who aren't suffering for Christ, of people who aren't, you know, running into circumstances in which they are, almost none of their life points back to them. It it it all points back to Christ and generally requires them sacrificing not only for Jesus but for others, and generally at their own gain. And so the question is is like, what are we posturing to look towards? It's not a it's not a story that God is telling. Why are we telling a different story?

So yeah. Yeah. I would I would agree that I think it's something that we have to be careful of, that that we are not trying to our job is to represent truth. That's it. And that truth is what it is. Sometimes you're dying at the hands of a group of crazy people that wanna kill you in the Middle East. Sometimes you're you're living much lower than everyone else around you at the sacrifice of Jesus. Sometimes it means that he's he's blessed you beyond measure. And either way, that truth should be reflected because it's of God. But we're just simply not called to have to posture, to have to tell a story that God's not telling. And I think that misrepresents ultimately what God has for us if we're doing that. Agree.

Now he had another one that said, we lie when we claim that unexplainable things are in fact explainable. God is transcendent and beyond even the shadowy wisps of imagination in our finite minds. The trinity, for instance, is not as simple as a metaphor of water, ice water, steam, or an egg, shell white yolk. Sometimes I think we'd be right off if we just said, these ideas are so far beyond me that if God did reveal them to me, I'm pretty sure my brain would explode. Yeah. What do you think? I I I I totally get frustrated when I cannot explain the trinity Uh-huh. Because I don't really get it. I don't You're supposed to get it. You've been doing this a long time.

Yeah. Because I've used those illustrations. I'm like, yeah, but it's not really that. It's this, but Not really. I mean, yeah. It's like, I don't get it. I don't I don't get it. I can tell you what the Bible says and I can tell you that I know it is true. I'm having trouble putting into words that my finite mind can handle. Exactly. That's why he's God and I'm not. That's exactly right. I would find that more comforting Yeah. That I don't get it. I can't explain because if I got everything that God put out there, I would think he's not that impressive because I know me and I'm not that impressive. I can pretty much define you. But like God God does certain things and he's like, yeah. You know, I'm I'm three parts of one being. I say, right on. Right on, Jesus. Because you said so.

When otherwise, I don't know. When I first started out in my faith and and I honestly diving into to having a relationship with with Jesus, I thought that the way that I was gonna evangelize and the way that I was gonna speak to people about him was by knowing all the science.

So, you know, have having the the explanation for what the Big Bang is, and having the explanation for for why giraffes exist, and all that good stuff. Right? I thought that I was really gonna be working for Jesus if I could somehow come up with some scientific answer for all this stuff, and it has done nothing for me but get me in so many arguments that I was not able to win. So many times, I'm just like, well, God, he

so you can't have that with evolution. It is so the the way that it works is it wouldn't be alive. And then that's my whole argument.

And people are just like, wow. Yeah. It was really horribly thought out. And if your god is behind you and speaks through you and that's what he's got, I don't think I want that god. And I'm like, you know what? That's a valid point. I I'm just gonna shut up and Giraffe exists because it's there. There you go. You you enjoy yourself there. You've seen one at the zoo. I'm happy it's around. Like, I I don't have an answer for all these scientific questions. There's a there's a couple at my work that will constantly come up to me with just like they've guarded themselves and they have steeled themselves for battle. And they come up to me, hey, Troy. So we got another question and I'm just like, awesome. I wasn't able to answer the last one. So let's go ahead and give this shot. And they're like, so how old is Earth? And I'm just like Goodness. I what?

Well, how do you believe that Earth is like, I don't know, a couple thousand years old? I wasn't maybe millions. Are they asking, do they say the Earth or do they say how old is Earth like it's a being? Earth. I was like like a being. Just how old is Earth? Old is Mother Earth? Mother Gaia. Mother How old is Mother Gaia and father Kronos?

And I I I've given up. Like, guys will come up to me and I'm like, guys, no. We're not having this conversation. They're like, well, so if Adam and Eve were the first two, then does that I'm like, no. We're not even following this this line of logic. I know where you're going with this. God made it so it's not weird. Okay? That's what it is. God made it so it's not weird. It's okay. He's sovereign. He he knows what he's doing and I trust in him. That's all I got. You know, since I if I eliminate all the arguments and everything when it comes to that because, you know I kinda I figured what works for me is is to just show Jesus face. Uh-huh.

Through my actions. Uh-huh. I ain't gotta argue with nobody or they're gonna be like, wow Dude, everybody at work is mad but you. Why

are you not mad? Well, Jesus ain't mad so that's why. You know, so I figured we just show his face all the time then we we we can eliminate all that talking

and and and and and and, you know, make people would like come to you in conversation in a way they they already know you're following Christ and then whatever come out of your mouth And that's the truth. Like, no one has met my uncle Rick and then said, I don't believe in uncle Rick. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, you've met the man. You've seen him. You understand how he impacts the world around him and you say, I I don't ask weird questions like does uncle Rick exist. Yeah. And so the thing is is like if you meet Jesus, when you when you see the impact that Jesus has on the world around him Yeah. You don't mean something like, hey, is there a Jesus? Right. Like it just Right. And so that I I get that and I love that. Right? You if you if you meet Jesus, you do then don't start asking questions as to whether he exists. You've you've met him. You've come to terms with a God and then you'd be like, you know, I know that stuff's gotta be true. I I just I I'm not sure how. Amen. But it's gotta be true. Okay. Alright. Number three, we lie when we don't acknowledge our doubts within the drama of faith. This is similar to number one above, but just on a more detailed level. When another person challenges us with a difficult theological philosophical issue, sometimes it's best to just admit that those questions are very challenging and even emotionally taxing on the soul. I think people like to know that our faith is so important to us that it does impact our soul state in both encouraging and difficult ways. Difficult questions for me include, what is the destiny of people with no access to the true and loving message of Christ's gospel? Where did evil come from? Why did God put this whole human story into motion when it has caused so much pain? I would

I would I would agree. I would say that there's a lot of those big philosophical things that I feel pretty confident that I mean, the the truth is is that, like, even even some of these science things and philosophical things, I actually think the Bible does answer. I think there are adequate answers to things. They just don't move the needle for someone who doesn't wanna know Jesus. Right? If they just wanna haggle over where the earth came from or how old Adam and Eve are and stuff, whether whether there's a good explanation or not, if they don't wanna know Jesus, it's not gonna matter. Just simply not gonna matter. Like, you're debating about things that I frankly I don't really care about because I I care about whether you know Christ. So but but the but the truth is is even beyond that, like, a lot of times the root of of every major philosophical issue will come back to me is like, not not what why does evil exist? Not not how do these things happen? But like, why why did God do any of this? Like, why why even create people? And

and I I I I can I can answer the question of of why why why do people go to hell easier than I can answer the question, why did he do any of it? And so the thing is, don't know. I don't know. That's a God's prerogative. That's that is a creator of the universe who does what he wants to do, And I have a finite mind. I I I remember going through was in a philosophy class when I was in college. And one of the questions was basically, you know, how how do you best explain God? And and and people were turning these giant answers, like three, four, five, fifteen paragraphs long. And I said,

the truth is is that, like, if if God is who he postulates himself to be or postulates himself to be, then whatever words that I have available to me are probably not able to explain him adequately in in sentence. A plus answer. That's how you that's how you screw with the philosophy, man. And so, like like, that's the truth. It's like, they're just questions I can't answer. And like,

I I think my daughter asked me that once. I have an eight year old. And I'm like, you know, sweetheart, that that is a God question. Daddy can't answer that I don't know because I I can't think of it. I could guess all day long and not get us any further than us sitting in this bed asking that question. So I'll tell you what questions I can't answer. I'll you where I feel like God has revealed himself, and then, like, there's just some stuff that I don't know. And and and I and if we're not comfortable with that, again, that's trying to protect God in something he doesn't need protected from. Like, we have to have a human capable answer for something that only God himself can answer. And if if we feel like we have to protect God from that, I think we've we've made God too small as if he has to have we have to be able to provide an answer to that or God isn't God and that's that's foolish. Right. Because just like he said, he's coming back. Yeah. But he didn't tell us when. Hey, man.

So We just don't know. It's alright to don't know. It's alright to don't know. Number four. We lie when we pretend like the bible doesn't say some really nasty things when in fact it does. Revelation.

For instance, God commands genocide. He just does. Least from a clear and honest reading of the Bible. There's also verses that says, happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. If we want the Bible to be our document, we need to own the whole thing. The same thing can be said for the atrocities in the story of the church past and present.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's something that I know reading the context helps so that you can get a little bit more of the background for it. But there there's just some pretty awful things because it's a story of God involved in the lives of human beings. And, well, quite frank frankly, we bring the ugly.

And sometimes God gets involved and says, hey, look, we're gonna have to do some really crazy things. Like, I mean, even just the idea of the flood and him wiping out huge segments of the population there. It's like, alright. We're gonna hit a giant divine reset button on all the world. And all these people who are not apparently related to Noah, you're all dead. And sends out Israelites to go and and conquer the promised land, wiping out whoever happens to be there. It's like, these are not exactly exciting stories that that I'm like, hey. These are these are great. I I really

love it. But, I mean, God operates on his level. Right. Right. And that's the thing. If we're being honest at all, that's that's history. Mhmm. That is that is part of God's grand story, and we have to be able to to try to understand that within the context of who God is. To act like those things didn't happen, that they weren't biblically recorded is is is is just frankly dishonest. And if I can claim the truth of what the what the Bible says about Jesus in in my New Testament, I have to embrace who who God said he was and the things that he did in the old and try

my best to understand them or understand how I can contemplate those things. But dismissing them is simply foolish. And, like, again, it's a protection of God that is is just misplaced. It's just misplaced. And you can explain some of it. It's like, oh, and and kill the cattle too, you know. That, you know, some sometimes he was like, yeah, wipe out every man, woman, child, oh, and all their animals. And the cow. I'm like, well, did the cow do? You know, it's like kinda get the But people it's but it's there. So so you go, mean, always what it's what what he said. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Yeah. And and and the truth is is like, I I don't know that I've

I I think I can I can honestly say, God is God and I'm not? He is sovereign and I'm not. There are things that that I don't understand. And frankly, if I were if you put me in the position to say, Ben, would you do it that way? My answer is probably not. But again, I'm not God. I shouldn't be surprised when God does things in ways that I don't. Mhmm. But but to to make it sound like I've never struggle is not the right word, but like, are there parts of that where I'm like, god, I don't understand. I I I don't understand and and I will honest I can honestly say that. I don't get it. This is coming kind of from the premise that that we often lie and and pretend like it doesn't say it, but I don't I don't know. I mean, we don't ever maybe there's people out there who just pretend like it's not there, I guess. Yeah. I mean, I think I've never struggled with like, oh, no. That isn't that's not in there. It's like, woah. Yeah. It's right there. Well, and you know, here's the deal. It's like, I'm not necessarily necessarily, I struggle with the contents of the Bible, but I sometimes I struggle on what where God's at in my life. Yeah. But I'll ask him and I'll ask him and I'll ask him and I'll say, look. I I I I don't know what to do. Why are you not talking to me about this? You know? And he won't.

And he won't. And he won't. Then eventually, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. You know? And like, I think a lot of people leave that part out. Like, a lot of people act like like you know, and and a lot of it has to do with with you having God's heart on the world. Right? And you you will fall in line with his ways when you, you know, keep an eye on his word and ask him where you need to be, but sometimes he's just not gonna answer you on something that you've asked him. And and, like, I think that's okay. Like, that happens to me sometimes. I will ask and I will ask and I'll say, I feel like you're not talking to me about this, so I'm gonna assume that I'm gonna make a decision and you will help me if I've screwed it up completely. And I found that to be true most of the time too. You think he's kinda like a you know, you did with your daughter, she asked a completely ridiculous question that's like, I'm not even gonna answer that Yeah. Because you you should know. My daughter asked me for a dragon egg this year for her birthday. Yeah. It's like I'm sorry. No. She said, dragon egg? That's what God does to us. Yeah. They're like, oh, are you serious? Yeah. I want a dragon egg. A dragon egg. Know gave it to me before and and I didn't do the right thing, but I'm ready. Yeah. I bought this lottery ticket now. I'm ready. I'm ready now. You said I went to Palewalaamie Bingo, Lord, and I

prayed and you didn't let me win. Why? You know, I'm like, so that was a silly question. So that's why. Well, and you know, I was reading there was an article

that was quoting some stuff from Francis Chanity, and one of the one of the things he said was is like, one of the the biggest risks that that modern Christianity runs is people sitting on their butt waiting for the holy spirit to carry them around. When god I mean, god has spoken. God has spoken. Like, I have a I have a bible. I have I have a holy spirit in my life, and we'd like sit and say, why won't you just dash me around? He's like, you're not doing anything that I said looks like you following me, and you're waiting for me to speak more. He doesn't need to speak again.

Just and and and the other thing he said was frankly, I this this hit me too, was he said, anything in that bible, you assume it's for you. A lot of times we'll like, oh, care for the widows and orphan. I'll pray on that and see if God's got me for that. Yeah. He does. He does. Why don't you just assume widows and orphans that's you? In fact, everything is you, and then you just wait for God to throw the hand up and say, no. That's alright. I got someone else on it. Otherwise, you just assume that's you. Mhmm. Because what our default is don't do anything and just say, well, maybe God will send me to widows and orphans. Like, I I don't know. It seems pretty clear, widows and orphans go. He started you out with a couple legs and a car. So Yeah. Why don't you take that as a yeah? Yeah. Yeah. Alright. I'm gonna hold on to the rest of those for next week because I think those are those are continue to be interesting to dive through. Buva, did did any of those touch on the questions from from atheists that you ran into this week? A small amount. Yes. And and it was more from from one of our answers rather than the the the questions themselves or the the truth excuse me, lies themselves.

Point blank, here here's the questions I've been asked. Okay. Why does God keep doing bad things to good people? Good people. And then why did why does good things continue to happen to bad people? I mean,

I keep getting asked this whole, you know, if God loves us so much and God cares for us so much, why is there pain? Why is there suffering? Why is there death? Why is there there this constant shadow of of the atrocities that happen on this on this earth? You know, we have there's there's thousands upon thousands, millions of people that die. If for just you'd think stupid things if we have this all powerful God that can fix things like hunger.

Why are there kids that die every day because of it? If we have this all powerful God who can fix things like disease and make it so that it's no longer there, why do we lose our loved ones? You know, why is it such a big issue for every single person? And where's God's answer to that? Know If I made a word just speaks for itself,

you know, and and people wouldn't have to ask questions, silly ones at that if they just get in the word for themselves and just get a a good bible based church and and sit there and and just eat. I mean you need your spiritual food just as well as you you have physical food. And and and the word, you know, it really it

ain't gonna never change. And and not only that it is never gonna change, it it it helps you in every aspect of your life, whatever you're going through,

you know, it'll come right back. It talks to you. The word will talk to you. It sucks with you. It really will. It's the best nourishment that I could ever just I encourage everybody, you know, and to

just eat some word. It's good for your spiritual growth, your life. You're going to have another life after this life. It will keep you even in this life. And it will help you, it really will. And all those bad people that seem like they getting all the blessings and you praising God every week That's in the word too. I mean All your questions, all your answers is in the word. And then not only that, God will speak through other people that's more knowledgeable in the word than you are. Right. And just like God blesses, you know, the devil blesses too. So he blesses people too. So don't think that God is blessing

the dope bill over here that's just next door, no? God don't bless no mess. He don't bless no mess, yeah? So Hey man, that's I'm putting out a shirt. I knew I was gonna get a shirt idea out this deal. God, don't bless no mess. So I was like, yeah, heck yeah. I wear that.

I'm gonna use that to get my kids clean the roof. So I I I think though, I I I think I think what you're saying is true. I think the barrier to that is that people say, how can I trust a word from a god that they that from that base nature don't understand? Right? Like, if they're saying, I I just I I don't understand how how this could even be. If I come from the perspective that says, I I can I can eat? I can be nourished off this. I can I can grow stronger and understand because I stood off from the beginning that I believe it? But, like, if I approach that and said, I don't even know what this is.

And but but from a base nature, you tell me that someone who has control over this is not running it in a way that I would, which is which I think is the the root of the question. Right? The root and and that's the same thing as my, I would have done the Old Testament stuff differently question, which is if I were God, this is how I would have done things, and then I don't understand why all these things aren't going the way I would have. Now, on the base nature, I have to admit that if I were God, that's a bad situation for everybody.

And if I can't admit that, frankly, I don't recognize myself correctly. Because the truth is is like whatever nature of good that I think I am, I'm certainly not entitled to be a god of anybody and to make those the ultimate right or wrong decisions Amen. Or, you know, love people. I don't love people purely even though I I as much as I try, even my own family, the people that are closest to me, there's still selfishness in the way that I love. And it doesn't mean that I'm not trying. Right? And so like there I can I can read the bible and I can see a god that loves in a way that I can't? Amen. And I can see a a god that that knows and can and can through his love, like reveals right and wrong in a way that I don't understand because I don't love well. And so the truth is is that those type of answers are extremely difficult because they're always tied to something very personal, which is I see pain. How can God see pain and not react the way I do? And I think the the first false answer is that God doesn't.

The first the first wrong answer is that God looks at pain and says, I'm okay with that. Or that he's not doing something. He's just not doing what we would. Right? Amen. His his his restoration through Christ, like, wanna we wanna ride away. God says, not yet. God says I could I can I can bring justice to this world and call and call balls and strikes and call firm right and wrong and split the tide and call it a day? But he says not yet because I want everyone to come to me. And and it's not love if you're not choosing. Right? If if God just says, you stay, you go, that's not love. That's arbitrary. And so and there's a lot of big philosophical questions in answering the why does God allow pain. The truth is I can get more comfortable because I know God. And so right? If I I've met my uncle Rick. Right? I feel like my uncle Rick doesn't kick puppies because I met him. And so if I know God, like, I can have that kind of same reaction. Without that though, there's a lot of kind of big concepts that are tied up in those things where,

a lot of the root is is like, do I do I can I understand that I'm not God? And can I understand that that someone who is could possibly make decisions that are different than the ones that I can make? And I can I can get on board with that even if I didn't admit, even if I couldn't come to the terms that I say, I know that this God that you're talking about is the God? I can certainly admit, and most people should be able to to say, if there is a God, I shouldn't be surprised that he's not me. And that things go differently than I do. And frankly, that opens an opportunity to say, okay, how could this be different? And could I understand something different than than it being the decisions that I would make? Because ultimately, that's what I'm I'm saying is that if there's pain, I would do something about it and God isn't. God must be wrong or there isn't one. But really what I'm saying is that if God doesn't act like me, he's not God. And that's a when putting that in those terms, like, that's pretty hard to accept. Right? Because I should believe that if there was a God, he he probably handles things differently than I do. I can I think that's probably broadly true even if you didn't believe in a straight in the God that you and I would believe in? And so that's generally a a place to start. But the truth is is like, again, even all those philosophical questions, like, doesn't

people rarely meet Jesus through those things. Right? Because just being able to explain away, well, here's how God could be doing this, like, that's rarely a comfort to someone who looks at a at a relative that's dying or people that are starving somewhere and says, okay. Maybe it could be God, but he doesn't love anybody. Look at that. How could that be? And it's wrong. Right? But like, I I mean, I get it. I get where that where that feeling comes from. And peace of the peace of God can help you understand that and see it differently. But if you're not if you're not open to that, you're you're simply not gonna see it. Quite often, God's values are just backwards from ours. Like, we love money. And and anytime God comes out and talks about money, he he's talking about how awful this is. The this money thing, it'll possess you. It'll it'll cripple your soul. And we ask God for more of it. And and so we're wanting all this financial security, and God's like, no. Find your security in me. So there's a heart condition that has to be addressed.

And if it's not, then we're just looking at all the external things, and God's looking at the heart. So oftentimes what he's working at in the situation is that it's the heart of the person that's involved. As people who who spent time with God, their hearts change. They start to see the value in those sorts of things. They they start to see how pain actually draws them closer to God. Amen. That's something that it it's it's just strange. Amen. But the thing is if you're if you're a Christian leader, if you have not been broken, I don't trust you, quite frankly. Unless you have been broken in in some way or form,

I really just don't trust you as a leader, just because I I don't find you qualified yet. You could be someday, but you haven't yet gone through that crucible of of understanding some of these things that God has yet to teach you about brokenness and about being able to relate to people through pain. And because otherwise, the the temptation to just, you know, sit in a lofty place of judgment is just too too great for you as a Christian leader. So it's it's through that brokenness, that that pain that we're able to relate to God in a in a much more intimate way. And he

uses some of these things that we look at as very evil, but he's able to turn them around and say, hey. I can do something awesome with this. I can do something really great. And we're just saying, no. No. You take it away entirely. And God's like, no. I I've got something something really great that's gonna happen. Just hold on. Just hang on with me for You know, through my pain through my pain, you know God allowed at first it didn't feel it just didn't feel good. Okay? And and as my body I've been through so much in my body through swollen brains and you know being given the wrong medications

and and and that's alright, know, because I am glad that you know I I realized I am filthy. You know, no matter how I try, yes. No matter how I try

to to do what God want me to do, you know, I can honestly say I have to every day when I lay down at night and say my prayer, I have to ask God, you know, for mercy. Not just on my soul, but the ones that's in my life, you know, because it's something through the day I'm sure that I did not do right in his eyes. And I don't know what it is sometimes, but to go to show you how he works is amazing because through my suffering it caused me to appreciate him more. I appreciate him more and and because

the pain was it was so much for me to bear, It allowed me to humble myself and and to die of myself. I'm I'm like, am I done dying yet? I mean, every time I look up, I'm going through something. Yeah. And I'm like, but I've been faithful to you Lord ever since I said yes. Why am I going I I'm so afraid to question him. I'm talking to you out there. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not talking to God right now because I would not dare. I'm not a foolish woman to question him.

But I I I want I I said, why am I going through all this? And I and I feel like I've been faithful to him. Ever since I've I've I've found him, I've been I've been doing everything that I thought that he would want me to do according to his word. And then I find out that, hey, you still you still a mess. You know, I even had my son. He just didn't like one of the rules. I said, well, look. You got a problem with what I'm saying to you. You take it up with the heavenly father. You know, that's between you and him. I'm just being obedient.

Mhmm. You know, persecution comes. You know, you become to be judged. To be a Christian. Yes. Supposed to be a Christian. Yeah. He sure did tell me that. One day he was so hot under the collar at me, and and he said, look at you. Supposed to be a Christian. I said, that's right. Supposed to be a Christian. And what do we say? Supposed

to be a Christian. Yes. Christ in me. A Christian. Not a punk you see. A Christian. I will stand on his word and only God can judge me. He

made me that how we made we came out with song. I it. We we Man, my dad got out the belt. Supposed to be a Christian.

He was gone. They don't like when you stand on his word. You you get Oh, that's awesome. You they call you all out your name, not even just your children, people. Yeah. In general, it's not our place to determine what

one's relationship is with Christ. And when you strive We just have to amen. We just have to keep our eyes on Jesus and through his light, you know you know, our life let our light shine and, you know, there is no perfect man. But I got to be honest. Yes. We strive. That's why we stay in his word, and we I'm very careful about what we watch on television, what we listen to. Yes. I used to listen to worldly music and watch worldly programs, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Yes. Back then. Sing R and B. I used to sing with the gospel. I mean, not gospel, but the Esquires,

old school group. Oh, yeah. You know, but now I sing for God. I did that with all my might. Now I'm singing for God with all my might. Just needed to get off the roller coaster because it was exhausting and and and it was it's just I just feel free. You know, even though I have suffered being in Christ,

you know, and I said, well, what? You know, the word any questions you have and you really don't understand, it's in the word. Yes, it is. It's in the word. The word is good and it's been good to me. It's been real good to me. I've been I've been clean twenty years on heroin. Thank you Jesus. I know how I know how good it is. Yeah.

I tend to agree with you guys entirely. I think that when it comes to to the pain that we've gone through and the the kind of things that that God works through, you know, personally in in my life, I I've I've gone through, you know, some stuff within the last couple years that is that has shaken my faith and taken me from from a very superficial believer to thinking, that, you know, I I had a faith in in Christ and I had a faith in in who he was and I thought that, you know, I went to church and I went to youth group and I did all the the right check boxes and I pray sometimes and and every once in a while, I'll pay attention to the pastor at church. And I thought that was my faith, and and God kinda flipped that on me. Mhmm. And he did that through pain. I I had to go through through

an awful time in my life for me to to cling to him. Amen. And I think that that one of the biggest things that I've talked to some people about is is, yeah, there's a lot of stuff that happens in his life. There's a lot of stuff that that frankly stinks. I mean, there's just some stuff that just we can't handle, and I think that's the point. Yeah. We realize we can't handle it. Mhmm. We have this this misguided independence that's that's happened as a people, and as as as human beings, we think that we are strong enough to handle what we we get. We are strong enough to handle you know, God doesn't give you anything more than you can handle. Yeah. He does. Yeah. He does. He sure does because you're not the one who's supposed to handle it. Amen. Amen. And and the pain that I see and and the the problems that I see in this world that, you know, you've got famine, you've got hunger, you've got sickness,

you've got people dying left and right, you've got people that you loved with all your heart that you thought were were Christ followers that were taken when there's someone on the streets that's doing drugs and peddling drugs that is perfectly fine and is making more money than anyone you've ever met. Mhmm. And you sit there and you think to yourself, God, why are you allowing this? Why is this okay in your kingdom when you say you love us? It's to remind us that we need him. We are not strong on our own. We are not Nothing. Independent. We cannot do it on our own. Amen. And it kills me that we have this thought that that we are strong enough that we can do it on our own. Well, I mean, the truth is you set yourself up different than the guy peddling the drugs on the street and that's the inequity. That's just not true. Right. Right? I think, like, god, why why don't you bless me? Look at that man. I am that man. Right. I am that man. I I may like, the stuff that I choose to do, I probably do in private and is probably generally accepted by society. Mhmm. But me me and that guy are the same distance from Jesus. No difference. And so the thing is is, like, we feel like there's an injustice injustice because we feel like we are doing better than that guy, we don't understand why God is acting that way. And God looks at that man and says, I love that man. Amen. And

and and and time, and he's got time to come and accept me as I as I pursue him. Amen. And, like and that we've gotten there. We sometimes we get on this this pious chair that says, okay. Now now that now that I've I've found Jesus and I know who he is, now I can kinda look down at other people and be like, oh, I don't understand why God lets that continue to happen when I should be saying, I don't understand why God allows this to continue to happen. Amen. Amen. And and so, like, it's it's just a it's an inequity that we embrace foolishly. And and sometimes when we say that that God uses pain, it's not like he's he's got you under the thumb and saying, want you to suffer. What he's it's just the reality of which pain tends to be his mouthpiece because it's the only time we will listen. Like, we tend to have to hit some sort of bottom, and he's calling the whole time. And then you get in the straights, and finally, when you've given up on every foolish thing that you've attempted to do to save your own existence, that is that it is then when you're willing to listen to God, but it is wrong to think that he wasn't calling before. It's just that is just us when we finally say, that's the only time I'm listening.

And so it's it's sometimes people get the impression that says, well, God makes you so you have to suffer so that you can finally follow him. The truth is he's asking you to give up pretty like everything. Mhmm. But you don't listen until you're in that position. That tends to be what the problem is. Amen. Quite often, we we come to God expecting some kind of a a divine karmic sort of thing. Like, I do good and I want God to bless me. Mhmm. And and if you follow the logic of that, it basically reduces God down to a tool for for blessing the good people. And and so everyone's gonna come to God saying, hey, God. Give me more. Give me better blessings and and things like that. Yeah. So we're everyone is then gonna be just treating God as their own personal tool towards wealth, towards whatever their dream is. And and it reduces God from being God and just turns him into our a tool for our back pocket. Right. And it's it's here here's the deal. I'm not willing to say I serve and give up my life for a vending machine. And that's basically what we're what we've turned him into if that's our expectation on how God behaves. I do good, you do good back to me, and we have a fair deal. You don't strike a fair deal with the creator of the universe. Like, conceptually Sure. If there is a God and he is who he says he is, he can't work that way. It simply doesn't make sense that him and I just kinda trade good deals. Amen. It's just like saying, what have you done for me lately? I mean, well, he woke me up this morning. I knew that's for good. I mean, I got up, opened my eyes. He mean, what have he done for you lately? Oh, yeah. You know, what have you done for him lately? I mean, he do a lot. I slept real good.

I don't remember what I was dreaming about but I woke up and he woke up. Thank you Jesus. On time. And realistically, he he blesses us far more than we recognize. Yeah. Recognize. I mean That's right. Just open just opening our eyes to what he gives us. Even Yeah. The very breath that we're breathing right now this moment in our lives. That is a gift from him. And we don't recognize that. We just go from breath to breath to breath. Like God. Amen. Yep. Amen. When your body shut down on you and when you start, you know, it's it's it's amazing how we take for granted our limbs on our body and our organs. You know, I I'll show you how much I took for granted my organs. I didn't even know what was hurting me on my side of my stomach. I told the doctor, I said, look, I've been in pain for almost

two years and I'm just tired of suffering. I'm just sick all the time. And he said, well, you seem to be hurting at? And I pointed to the right side of my stomach. I said, this thing over here. And I know I think about it now when he died, they took x rays and what have you, and and they told me that it was my liver.

And I just felt like such a fool. I said, you know, maybe this is what God talking about when he said in his word, you know, my children perish for lack of knowledge. I mean, some things we just we should know. I mean, I didn't even know that was it's in my body, but I don't know it's my liver. You know? I was just Why are you against me? Never. Don't put that there. Yo. I'm trying to tell I tell my wife, you know, it's on your side. Let's pray for your side. The Lord bless my side.

Don't call it what it is. Don't say, Lord, my liver hurt. I mean, just your side hurt, and just ask God to come in and take the pain away, but she'll call it what it is. I think my I think my gallbladder

How you know? I was like, walk me out of my sleep, baby. I think this is my gallbladder. She off Google and Google it. I said, what? You can't blame myself. And my gallbladder is right there by my liver. I'm like, okay, love. God be getting me acquainted with my body. She wake me up again. I feel like God's saying, I fixed the gallbladder. It's

working. Right. It it was my liver. And and God showing me ways how to make sure that I take care of it. And glory to God, I've been feeling good for like five days Yeah. Out of two years. Yeah. Thank you, Jesus. Oh, good. But I appreciate that liver today. I know what I know it's in the right side that is my liver over there.

I know what I For no reasons at all. I'm sorry we haven't talked all these years. What do you wanna eat today? Hey, man, I do. Yes, I do. I gotta be careful on that. And you know, that's the thing is like, you know, easily someone who doesn't follow Jesus would like, you know, I'm gonna hear what you're saying, blessed with breath, he'll deliver all this business. But, like, I mean, I woke up this morning. I don't love Jesus. And the truth is is that it's the same blessing. You just you just point to something else. Like, you think you're owed that breath and that that that's just a natural thing that happens. Right? Where where we would look at it and the Bible says, you know, the rain falls on the just and unjust alike. God sends rain. Everybody gets rain

whether you follow him or not. Amen. It's just a general thing that he does. And it's it's easy to say, well, you know, I don't follow him. It's still rain. He must not be God. It it's just not. It's just like it's the opposite. We just don't see it that way. Right? And we we mistake those things as things that we're owed even posturing that way. God owes me breath. God owes me life. God owes me rain. And it's just I don't know. You create rain. And then when you decide that it's impossible, then let's embrace the fact that it's Jesus.

Alright. Alright. Alright. Mike, what do you what do you got over there? You wanna do a dear life from the path? Yeah. Yeah. Hit me up. We got time for one. Here we go. Dear life from the path. My fiance, Bubba, and I have a small disagreement that I would love your take on. He constantly complains that he's too tired or annoyed or busy to show me romantic or friendly affection and attention. That's a bummer. But he goes out of his way to snuggle and play with our two dogs and cat.

I get jealous when he kisses our dogs over and over again or he stays up later to play with the cat. Oh. He thinks I am overreacting. Am I being petty or am I justified in thinking that if he has the time and energy to give affection and love to our animals, he should do the same for the woman he's about to make his wife. Insulted. Oh, shoot. She put us in a pickle with that last part. Yeah.

So no, he should continue to play with the animals until you're married. Exactly. Thank you. Thank you. And then from that woman. And then get that man to some therapy. Yep.

He has pointed his infections in the wrong direction, and I don't understand him as a person. Hey. Listen. I have not I cannot think of one time where I've stayed up late to affectionize an animal. In fact, after I get in bed and one of the animals goes to the door and I hear, I think, what in the heck? I am a bed animal. And of course, I love my wife, and so when I get a healthy elbow, I go, alright, I'll let her out. And then I say mean things to the cat, stuff that I would never say to another human. But anyway, yeah, I I don't understand where this man's coming from at all. Not I mean, not one Iota. In fact, I kicked the dogs outside as soon as I get home because I wanna talk to my wife, and I don't want people slobbering on me or trying to get me to do stuff like throw throw balls or, like, make feed them or get them water. I'm, like, outside. I gotta spend some time with the ladies.

So I don't know this man at all. Would you let me ask you this, Mike. If if this woman comes to you, is this a deal breaker for marriage? You say this we straighten this out or we don't move forward? Hey. Look. The grace of God covers a lot of things, but that man's weird. Are eye opener. Now listen. I don't know why the Lord made him weird. Maybe it's there's some reason that the Lord has created this man to be weird, Yeah. But he is indeed weird. Yes. Who who watches Letterman and goes, I'll be in a minute. Me and the cat are gonna ruffle. That's weird behavior.

Hey. I'm a clean out the litter box. I'll be in bed later. That's ridiculous. The only tame bobcat. Yeah. Yeah. Tell you, this man can't be trusted with secrets or whiskey or cats. Oh, yeah. Those three things. Yeah. Yeah. That's yeah. I know. She's not being petty. My wife does not like animals. Yeah. We have goldfish. I love horses. I never rolled a horse before. You have horses and goldfish?

That's a heck of a combination you got at your place. Just a horse. Well, yeah. Eight kids, three horses, 15 goldfish. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? A goldfish and a half. Boy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. I you're not being petty. No. It's time to leave. Look. I I I don't like to get straight to look. It's time to break up with this man. But I mean, seriously, that's weird, babe. You have a lady that wants to talk to you and affectionize you, and you wanna play with the dog. And the cat. Some are with you. Yeah. Seek help.

Anybody else wanna I mean, am I wrong? Anybody else anybody else wanna say he's pretty solid? Before the relationship devolves into some kind of furry thing. Yes. It's out. It's time to go. Yeah. That's it. We have here's the deal. We hold we hold marriage to a high standard here and we hold the way that you treat ladies to a very high standard because that's what Jesus holds it to. If you're not willing to honor your wife and whatever that means, you sir are gonna live by yourself with the cats. That's right. Those are your options. Okay. That's not his wife yet. No. Yeah. At least a missive anyway. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You were supposed to buy your wife a horse. What happened to that?

Yeah, Greg. Because they had a sale on the pony. I thought it was a sale on the pony. I went for Mr. Ed. I came back with a goldfish. How much do you love them? No. I know. Our grandson said, that's not Nemo. Well, that's

all they had. Here's what Secular says. Secular says, you're not overacting or being petty. Perhaps when Bubba is cuddling the animals, you should remind him that humans need to feel loved in the same way they do. Oh, yeah. That's gonna work. Yeah. There's no need need to explain there. He's an idiot. Here we go. It says, please reconsider your engagement because if you marry Bubba, you may end up starving for affection for as long as the marriage lasts. Is this a real story?

What do mean? A guy named Bubba who's over affectionate with animals, this sounds like a setup. It sounds like a joke. Bubba? Yeah. It's in parentheses like she didn't wanna give his real name. Okay. That sounds right. Okay. Alright. I'm a go. It's probably Clarence. Yeah. Yeah. Tyrone. That behavior sounds like a Tyrone.

In fact, I know two Tyros that act just like that. I'm gonna call Tyrone. You've been listening to live from the path. Hey. If you're on the the truth network ninety nine point three FM,

we've gotta let you go. I appreciate you hanging out with us. If you wanna check out with us during week, you go to lifefromthepath.org. If you have complaints about the show, and I understand. I get it. I've I've been here, and I I understand where you're coming from. Send us an email at [email protected]. I mean, honest

honest, we'll pray on it and at least laugh at it one way or the other. Whichever way that Jesus has with whatever your complaint is, we'll react in that way. For you guys on the radio, big thanks to, make sure you check out SoundCloud, backslash, Israelites. Yeah. And, I'll post that link. You guys can check that out. Check. That's right. Click on the photo.

That's gonna work. Alright. So if you're on the podcast, hang out. We got a few minutes more show for you. Thanks for listening to Live From The Path. Peace. Hey, Greg's doing the theme song.

You guys are in. That's how I heard the theme song. You're hired. Alright, Michael. You got another one? Yeah. You wanna do another one? Yeah. Yeah. Hit me up. Okay. Dear life from the path. Three years ago, our son, who was in his fifties, cut off all communication with us and our side of the family. Mhmm. He is self employed, a hard worker, and has three siblings. He wanted us to cosign on a loan for a house in another state. Mhmm. The payments would have run us out of money in three years, which would have meant putting our our own home up for sale. Our reason for refusing was we didn't want to risk becoming a burden on our children. My husband and I had to help our own parents, we have been frugal and never lived above our means. I send postcards to my son to let him know our love is constant. Should I stop and just leave him alone as he has asked? Forgotten mom. I don't there's a lot of extraneous details in this story. What do Is the basic nature of the story, the son moved away, cut off communication,

and doesn't want them to keep trying to communicate with him? No. No. He asked them for a loan to to buy a house. Okay. They said, look. We can't do that. You have three other we have three other kids here, and we'll run out of money in three years if we do this for you. We'll be a burden on everybody. We're yeah. We can't do it. And he says, well, that's it. You're dead to me? You're dead to me, he says. No. I'll keep sending the postcard. Yeah. Yeah. Son's being dumb, but Yeah. He needs to come around. Yeah. Yeah. You don't you don't have to agree to his dumbness. I mean, if he doesn't like the postcard, he can chuck it. But, yeah, I bet he keeps it and then and looks at it even maliciously, but he'll it'll be one of those things where you'll kinda kinda like looking back at your mom. Right? Like, you say you didn't like it at the time, but you look back and say, I I understand. And you look at it in a different light. I think those postcards are the same. With dad. You're like, oh, just hope your bus hit him. Yeah. You know, you Did you know this about him? He's trying to get his dad hit by a bus? I don't know when I was growing up. Know? That didn't come up with conversation at the altar. I like his whooping stuff.

He could do whooping me and he go, you understand? Yeah. He'll leave out and look, you get it wrong. Well, it never happened. And stop calling me Tyrone. I think I would have said that at one point in time too, but I'm pretty sure the bus would be more hurt than my dad would have been in my situation. No. That's that's true. Your dad versus bus. Your dad might down. Like, there ain't no hurt in Sean Ingeldigger, so I'm gonna worry. You know, like, really what the story what the the question kind of reveals is is a basic flaw in, like and this is in my character, but it tends to be in most people's, like,

you like to get mad because someone else is mad at you, you or like to get your feelings hurt because someone else's feelings hurt because of you. And like really the thing is is like their behavior does not dictate my behavior. Amen. My behavior says, look, I love you. I will always love you. You can be mad as you want. Amen. I still love you. Amen. And I'm gonna keep sending out postcards because that's what I wanted to do. Amen. I wanted you to know that I loved you. And whether you accept that, take that in, cuddle up on it at night and think it's great, or you throw it in the trash can, what I wanted to do was tell you that I loved you. And so really, there shouldn't be a whole lot that's stopping you from doing that. I think that's that's pretty solid. You just keep sending it out. I think they should send him some cats. You'll learn affection. And then paste paste his old man's face on. Yes. Here's your dad.

Hey, son. Let me ask Okay. Secular says, your son should not have expected you to do anything at this age of your lives that could jeopardize your remaining years. But if it brings you comfort, I see nothing worth

nothing wrong with sending him the occasional postcard. Yeah. Yeah. I would applaud it if you mean it. Like, if you're telling lies or whatever just to guilt him, you know, don't do that. Oh, no. And do you think the postcard is kind of like is that a hedge in your bets to say, don't really wanna invest in the letter because he might chuck it? Postcard says, I love you, but I I think you might throw it out. I love you enough to send you a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. That's what it's saying. That is kinda awkward, actually. Hey. I picked this up at the Piggly Wiggly. Piggly Piggly Wiggly. Well, they're in their seventies. Hey, son. I love you a lot. Here's here's the heads of Easter Island.

I mean, you know, their their son's in their fifties and they're in their seventies probably. So they know, it's true. I I I forgot that This is a generational thing. You send postcards. This guy's a real weasel. Just like how they did from World War two. Hey. Hey, mom. Yeah. It's the exact same thing. One guy's over at war. Hey. Hey, mom. I'm just saying they just kept going. Was that a postcard that you've actually read? Just someone says, hey, second line, hey, mom, and then that's the whole thing? Hey. Hey, mom. Hey. I was at the pharmacy getting my medication and I thought of you, son. I recently made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I wanted to tell you about it. Listen. This this postcard versus litter thing is a non starter, man. Okay. I'm just checking. Nobody cares. Okay. I can't. Alright. We got one more question. Okay. I'm ready. Here we go. Dear life from the past. Man, it's an animal kind of night. I am a cat person. I am not particularly fond of dogs, especially when they jump on you, try to lick you, or sit in your lap. This is regardless of the breed or size. My question is, when visiting someone who has a dog that behaves like this, what should I do? It makes me really uncomfortable and sometimes I don't even want to visit someone's home if I know I'm gonna be slobbered on or have my clothes soiled or damaged by their dogs. Uncomfortable cat person. I also hate babies and all other people. Yeah. I accidentally step on the paw.

Witness. Rick says good offense is what you need. No need to posture here. Violence the dog. Draw first blood. Pray for a bus. He would not come near you the rest of the day.

Here's the truth, man. Like, my dogs do this. And it sucks. I don't like it. I wish my dogs didn't do this. Right? Like, 99.5% of the time, y'all ain't at my house. And my dogs are just fine. They roam the property, they they play with my family, it's not a deal. And so like when I know you're coming over, I do my best try to get my dogs away. Sometimes they escape because they really wanna know you. And like I I I feel like you just gotta have a little bit of grace here. I understand that you don't like having your stuff slobbered on. Call them ahead of time. Say, look. I'll be there in five minutes. Can you put that big sloppy hound away so I can walk in the door? And they'll say, yeah. I can do that. You know? People aren't jerks. They don't wanna see you mauled or or slobbered on. I don't want my dog doing that, but, like, that dog come within two feet of us. What's gonna happen? You know? And, like, I don't like that feeling either. So you give me a two minute heads up that you're on the way, I'll put the dog away. I don't want that stuff happening to you either. I think that's just as easy as having a a regular person to person conversation. Hey, man. I'm coming over. Either put a raincoat on or get the dog out.

I'll put the dog away. No problem. I think you're overreacting. I'm just saying, like, that that that your interaction with the world will bring you into in with people who have all kinds of problems like that. Right? Like, have a kid that's gonna scream and yell and throw up somewhere and some some annoying neighbor who talks to you about stuff that you don't care about. Like, the nature of living in the world is that you're gonna run into things that inconvenience you and you just have to decide whether it's worth it or not. If you want to keep the friendship, go over there and deal with it. Yeah. I love so and so. I'd do anything for them except they got dogs. Except I don't like dogs on my lap. Keep the dog

or some of the furniture. Just leave leave one couch for your guests. Because you know, you're walking over and you got a dog and you sit on the couch, you think everything's cool until you leave. And then you got hair from the top of your back down to your ankle. That is a bummer. That is a real bummer. Yeah. They were like, dude, where you been? Nowhere. Nowhere. A back. You've somewhere. No. I know where you've been.

Why? You know what? Well, I won't have to go through that if you don't cover your neighbor's house That's true. Why don't you keep your antisocial behavior at your own place? Greg. They didn't have a dog, it would've never gave me away. I was gonna do potluck at my place, but I guess all they come.

Alright. Fine. Okay. Here, Segular says, a way to ensure it won't happen would be to talk to the dog owner in advance. I agree. Explain that it makes you very uncomfortable when animals do this and ask that the dog be kept in another room while you're there. Okay. Now it sounds like you put your hand on your hip and you're you're kinda giving the giving the swaddle. I don't think you should probably approach it like that. Yeah. Just tell me the honest truth, man. But if you are looking for a guarantee, ask the person you want to visit with to come to your home or to meet you in a pet free place. Yeah. Yeah. That'll work. That'll work. Think that'll work. Hey. Meet me at McDonald's. Amen. Yeah. Yeah. Your treat. Yeah. Hey, man. There's lots of pets at McDonald's.

The Lord had a bunch of cows slaughtered in Canaan just so we can eat this McDonald's. Let's go do it. Alright. You're hey. You're listening to live from the past. Why did they keep? It was at the Lord's mess.

You've listening to live from the path. Hey. Thanks for hanging out with us. You crazy podcasters, you. I appreciate you guys and hanging out with us on the show. Make sure you submit us some feedback info at life from the path dot org. Hey. Real quick, and I had this kinda lined up, but we've had some technical problems here at the studio, so I don't have my full list. But I wanna try to keep you guys up to date with some what's going on with some friends of the show. Jess Anderson has been putting out some some YouTube videos of some covers she's been doing, and they're they're excellent. They are really good. Like, if you if you've heard Jessa on the show, she does an awesome job. Her and her husband are always great to have in the studio. So make sure you go check that out. Go to her YouTube channel. Or if you like her on Facebook, you can pick up those those cover songs, and they're they're great to listen to. Also, another band that we had in Silverside, their EP is out this week. Did you see that, Mike? Have you had a chance to listen to it? I haven't. I I've heard these guys are always exciting. I I I swear every time they come in here, we don't leave the studio till two or three in the in the morning talking to these guys, about their road life. They're just they're just awesome folks to deal with. And, you can go go to our website and you can see some of the some of the songs that they've done. And if you've only heard them on live from the path, you're not getting a great feel for them because, they don't really do acoustic music, but they have done it for us every time they've come in. They're a pretty heavy band. So and and I like both. I like listening to them both ways. So go, go hit our website and look for the Silver Side songs that are out there, and then check out the EP, buy it form. Support that music. Those guys are touring,

and they're they're they're putting the they're putting the work of Jesus into things that they're doing. And they fought hard for that album and and definitely go out and support them. So that's a couple things that are going on this week for some guys that have been on the show. What's that? Did you see Bob Eisenhower, realtor? Dude, I did see that. Yes. Top top realtor in the in the the Des Moines poll, Bob Eisenhower with the Eisenhower team. Absolutely. Hey. So big shout out, Bob. Bob has been a faithful sponsor live from the path. Obviously, he's well regarded. Absolutely. Voted number one in in the area. So I'd like to think that we had played a hand in that, but I know it's not truth. We didn't. No. I voted once. In fact, the detractors cited us as the reason. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I did I I vote for Bob. He's awesome except for he's associated with Life of the Pattern. I understand. I understand. But, anyway, go to eisenhowerteam.com. Hook up with Bob if you're looking to buy or sell a home. If now or is or is not the time to do so, Bob can tell you. Also, Westfield Veterinary Hospital. Go to westfieldvethospital.com for all your all your pet care needs. You can set sign up online, get your appointment all set up, get your dog or cat in there. I don't know if we can help any problems if you're staying up too late playing with it. But, like, I mean, medical issues, general hygiene problems, or you just need to get them in for a checkup. Go to westfieldvethospital.com

and they can straighten you out. That's where I take my pets. They always do an awesome job. They they they love them. They love me. And since they love me, I love them back. You've been listening to Live From Path. Big thanks to big thanks to the Israelis. Thanks for coming in, guys. Really appreciate it. It's our pleasure. We love it. Appreciate it. And go to go to their SoundCloud. Soundcloud.com.dotcom/4/israelites. Israelites. Click on the picture. This man has got it down. He's got it down to a science. And it doesn't explain Jesus, but it does explain how to get to their place to send their food to.

Alright. Alright. You've been listening to live live from the path. Have a great week. Be faithful in the means and God will handle the ends. Have a good week.