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

impressive. Thank you. Thank you. I do I do my very best. Alright. Here's what we got got going on the show today. Who's the who's the mayor of Johnston? Dan? Darren Field. Gosh. His name's Gosh. Is Darren Field? Hope

she's not a friend of yours, dad. She actually is. She is. You're being a terrible friend. This is like all of a sudden since the pandemic demick, I don't know if I've seen her. Yeah. It's Durenfield. I gotta be honest. I thought this was gonna go better. Nobody has asked me that question, like, ever, I don't think. Okay. It was gonna be the start of, hey. We should have him come by and and Johnston proper this organization and whatever, but it's completely ruined now. So What do you mean? What do mean? Like, put do a ceremony in here? Say, yeah. This is indeed Johnston proper and give us a sign.

I probably could she she did a she did a when we had our must have been our fifteen year anniversary, she did a little video that we showed at church. She was like, hey. We're glad you're here. Blah blah blah. Yeah. Okay. Hey, don't We'll get that later. No. Yeah. That's interesting because chances are we are the only

we're the only radio program broadcasting from Johnston. That's right. Think so. We're number one of the Johnston market. I think you're right. We're the highest rated radio program in Johnston. That well, that broadcast from Johnston. I'd say in the history of Johnston. Watch out. Ever. Submit that. Oh. Okay. We're getting better on by the minute, fellas. Okay. So here's here's what we got going on. I've been meaning to do this. This has been weeks and weeks, maybe months, since we've done a secular Solomon. K. And so big goal tonight is we're gonna get a secular secular versus Solomon done. And so if y'all if you're someone who hasn't taken in this part of the program before, this the question here is is, how do we know where our wisdom's coming from? A lot of you guys are like, well, the bible says, and then you quote Ben Franklin. Yes. Okay? And so here's the deal. Maybe what Ben Franklin said was wise. That's fine. But from we should understand that if we're if we're basing our life off some fancy quip

that you that you know where your wisdom is coming from. And so I'm gonna give you bits of wisdom or proverbs, and you need to tell me whether they are secular or or from the bible, from Solomon, generally. And if it's secular, we need to know where this is coming from. What countries are propagating this thing? So I need country of origin for this particular bit of wisdom. I'm ready. Oh, so you'll be I'll be a 100%. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Are, Mike Mike, explain the point system. I will hand out the points as I see fit. Your attitude plays a lot into it, your hairstyle, and then sometimes if you wink too much, I really don't like that. That's a negative. So all these things could play. Okay. So just keep that in mind. I will I will take care of the of the scoring.

Fully arbitrary. Okay. Yeah. Okay. That's not what I said. How dare you? How dare you, sir? You just started out in the hole. Yeah. That's a negative 10. That's an attitude thing we were talking about. All right. All right. Well, I you know, I I was looking for a few

I'll be honest. We we spent the last two weeks on topics that we don't generally broach, and frankly, I don't wanna spend a week three on it. But I will also be honest is it's difficult to find news going on where someone don't wanna talk about it. And I'm not sure whether they wanna talk about it or people feel like they have to talk about it. But, anyway, it's clogging my ability to find decent stuff to talk about that isn't that bundle of fun. Yeah. I've been watching a lot of Andy Griffith. Yes. Okay. It avoids the news, and, so I can talk about what's going on in Mayberry. You kinda look like Andy Griffith. Yeah. Well, I mean, they, they got a statue recently. Let me ask you this question, Dan. Would you if someone says you look like Andy Griffith like it's just happened, do you find that to be a compliment or not a compliment? Depends on who says it. If it's a 75 year old woman, I'll say thank you. It's it's me, Dan. I'm saying it. I think you mean that as an insult. Where's the what was the name of the guy that played Andy Griffith? Andy Griffith? Andy Griffith. Man. What was his name? Yeah. Was right into that one. His name was Andy Griffith on the show as well? Yeah. Yeah. That's the whole thing. Right? Now there's Matt Lock. That's then there's a different Yeah. You know.

To Jay's point, like, I kinda just assumed he was a bad actor and they had to call all his characters Andy Griffith because he wouldn't recognize it. Remember? Who's who's Matlock? Who's been Matlock? He never responded. They're talking to you, Andy. That guy's so stubborn. I didn't think about that. Though. Alright. So anyway, there I mean, I don't I don't know. I don't I don't know. There's a there was a story about the the 50 countries where it's most dangerous to follow Jesus in 2021. Who do you think is number one? 50 countries? Yeah. 50?

50. I bet Iraq's number one. You think China? Hold on. Hold on. Okay. Well, let me just hit this. We'll hit this up high and then we'll check it out. Okay. Every day thirteen Christians worldwide are killed worldwide are killed because of their faith. I'd be interested to see what the what the other faiths are. Just because of Who's killing them? For where you get my news. No. Not necessarily who's killing them, but like how many Hindus? Are there people are there people antagonizing Hindus? Right. Is that happening? In Pakistan, there's a huge war between Hindus and and Muslims. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Pakistan and India both have a huge just culture war going on between, you know So it's dangerous in Pakistan if you're Pakistan if you're a Hindu. Okay. Yeah. Okay. It can be. You know, it's like a neighborhood type of thing, you know, where similar to here, there is a mass media that's ginning up this huge culture war and eliminating the means to have, like, intercultural debates and discussions that are healthy. Well, there you go. Let's see.

Let's see. So the numbers of God's people who are suffering should mean the church is dying, that Christians are keeping quiet, losing their faith, and turning away for another, but that's not what's happening. Instead, in living color, we see the words of God recorded in the prophet Isaiah, I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. So here we go. So you're you're saying in countries where Christians are are dying, the church is growing, and in in the countries where the nobody's dying for their faith, they're all sitting around watching television? That's correct. Yep. Just wanted to clarify. That is exactly. And that has been historically true forever. Yeah.

And actually, that gets to something we were talking about just before the show started is that like the rise in Christianity, you know, if you go to Iran, it's it's booming. It's booming in Iran. It's moving. And not because Christians can move freely, but because it means something. It's tangible. This is the same conversation we had around,

as often as we talk about millennial millennials. Millennials are generally, I I think, not as lackadaisical about the church and and its rhythms. They just need to know it means something. And in countries like in countries where there's persecution happening and and hope has to be tangible,

then then then it means something. Where it's on par with as just another means of entertainment or like another fun idea to bat around, I mean, it doesn't feel real. It just feels, we get in our our post enlightenment cigar talk about it. I'm like, oh, well, I wonder if this could be true. Well, maybe it is. You know, like, it's That's right. I'll still eat today. Yeah. Right. Right. It doesn't mean anything tangibly.

And frankly, those are the places oftentimes I hear within The United States and and a lot of Western culture, we're like, boy, we just don't, we don't see the holy spirit move. And there's a heck of a lot of stories coming out of The Middle East, coming out of places in South America, India, where they're seeing the types of things that you saw coming coming

when the holy spirit was first provided because it's it's always kept happening, but, like, they need it, and they're open to it. And we're like, well, entertain me, spirit. Show show me something. Yeah. Right. Give me I'm not sure I like that song. I'm gonna try a different church. Yeah. Yeah. It's like a different job. Holy spirit, do it. I'll wait. Said this year, the top worst persecutors are relatively unchanged after North Korea. I don't they don't how do they even know? They can't keep counts in North Korea. Is Afghanistan followed by Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Interesting, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India. Nigeria entered the top 10 for the first time after maxing out Open Doors metric for violence. The nation with Africa's largest Christian population ranks number nine overall, but is second behind only Pakistan in terms of violence and ranks number one in the number of Christians killed for reasons related to their faith.

It's funny. What was we were talking about this, I don't know, five or six years ago about about we're always talking about sending missionaries out from The United States to other countries, and those guys are talking about sending missionaries here. Yeah. We'll take them out and ruin them. Yeah. They're like, look, you guys got a tough gig. You're you're because because you generally run by your own bootstraps. And so you feel like, all the things that that in some of these countries that that the whole that they're literally sustaining off the work of Jesus Christ, like they're being fed by God's community. They're being they're being persecuted because of it. We could give or take it, in most of Western society because we feel like, well, you know, I could get my own food. I can get my own money. I can get my own comfort.

I don't really know if I need this Jesus for much. Right? Because that's the metric of which we're of which we're measuring, what a god is for. A god is for my comfort, my security, and my advancement. And as long as I can handle all those things on my own, then I don't know that I need a god. And so, the perspective is much different outside of western culture, and so they're sending missionaries here to try to open eyes and go, look, man. This is not what it looks like in the rest of the world, you guys. Oh, man. And you know what's so terrible? It's like that happens, and then the missionaries come over here and they try to tell a story and we're just as entertained as we were when the sermon came out last week. We're like, oh, what a story. Yeah. What a drama. Like, ah. Like, we are just we're so I I this this this discomfort is not is not healthy. I think it it separates separates you you from from reality. Reality. And I don't mean that you can't personally

not have to fear for eating every day. What I mean is is that, like, if either you like, if you're not close enough to situations of which those things are up for question and that doesn't move your your your knees in prayer, and your wallet and your time commitment, then you you start to get blind a little bit into the world that Jesus stepped into and the world that God personally walked with, with with Abraham in and with, and and with Adam in. And so, like, it just it just feels it's not good. Like, if there's a lulling for all the lulling that goes on and the and the bad actors that we think exist in our society, like, we've permitted it.

And now these are just flavors of ice cream. Like, DIRECTV is as evil as social media to me because it's it's it'll it it's gonna tie up all week. Right? It'll show you the shows it wants to show you, the commercials that it wants to show. You know what I'm saying? Like, you act like you got a bunch of choices here. You can change channel. They're just gonna offer you the same stuff they wanted to see on this channel. Right? What do you do? You go to you change the channel. What are they advertising for? The channel you just left. I'm just saying they got I better go back. I I I this is we are we are as leveraged as we allow ourselves to be. And so I like

and and, like and then we're talking about from this this persecuted perspective, these are folks who don't have the luxury of of even spending time on it. And and the gospel grows. And here's the thing, you could easily look at it and say, well, the gospel grows because they need hope and they'll take whatever they can get. But that only that only goes for so long. Some of these countries have been on the list for years. I mean, decades, they've been on they've been on the list. And Christianity continues to grow there not because they don't they will grab anything that seems like hope. They they'll grab onto it because it's a valid hope and they've seen it even in those situations. And it's like and we misunderstand that a little bit. It's like, if you get to the root word of the of the word faith that's used in, like, when they when it was Pistis. Yes. Yes. It's not a faith without proof. Right? It's not a faith without seeing.

It's it's it's called a belief because you because you saw it, because you understood, because you saw it in action. And, like, our our English word faith doesn't describe that. You're like, I have faith in the Easter bunny, you know, but that it does all this magic stuff or whatever. And it's faith, not belief, because I can't see it. And like, that is not, the biblical definition of what faith is. And, like, Abraham saw that. Noah saw that. Right? Like, all the prophets saw that. They saw it in action. They didn't just believe this thing because it was whispered to him with with roses and sprinkles. Right? They saw God moving it in action because they were open to letting God move and act. And and we generally, struggle with that here. And some and a lot of that moving and action wasn't personally gratifying. Yeah. Correct. It was just Drew. It was just there. I had a breakfast with a friend this week last week, I guess it was, and he's getting ready, he's preparing to move somewhere in Southern Africa, or excuse me, Northern Africa, to like a camp,

a refugee camp to do bible translation. Yeah. And there's no electricity. There's no I mean, there's nothing. There's there's zero. They're gonna live in a, you know, hut with their family and and be translating scripture and learning the culture and and everything. And and he he's so so excited. And part of me is kinda jealous, you know. I think it'd be kinda nice to let go of everything. You know? Yeah. I I don't know. I'm just kinda impressed with with what what he's doing, where he's going, what he's about. The the he's he's his faith is real, you know? He's played the church game, he's been a pastor, he's done all that stuff, now he's just leaving everything. You know, actually, that makes me think of, and Dan, maybe you've seen this too, of a number of pastor friends where like, I mean, I think there's a good chunk of them who would say, for example, if I could get off Facebook, I would Yeah. But my church stuff is tied there. That's exactly what I have said recently. Yeah. Oh, okay. So you said and Oh, yeah. John John Wagner was in here last week. He kinda said something similar.

I think I said that about the show and I think I've seen a number of other pastor friends that I had have said that. And then I like, the next question was like, well, does the church stuff have to be tied there? Like like, we kinda we kinda just stopped there and said, yeah, but that's where it is. And I think there's there's a reason stuff happened and and I'm not this actually isn't even Facebook conversation, just social media stuff in general. Mhmm. I think to myself like, maybe it's worth a serious thought as to like, if if everybody if every if well, not everybody. If a lot of spiritual leaders go, I don't really wanna be a part of this but I feel like I have to because people that I'm leading are on it, and then you think to yourself, I don't know, man. Maybe.

Maybe? Maybe we start. Are you guys familiar at all with Marshall McLuhan? No. Hit me. Talk to me about it. Was an academic from the, you know, sixties and seventies. He was really popular back at that time but he's all been erased in our current culture but he spoke a lot about media and, like, what how it integrated with culture And he said that the he have you ever heard the phrase that the media is the message, the medium is the message? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So as soon as you tie yourself into whether it's DirecTV or Facebook or something like that and you say that we are gonna use this to get our message out, you're encouraging those people to use that medium for other things as well. If you're a Pat Robertson on on, you know, Direct TV channel, then Right. People are just gonna be flipping through and see, you know, World Wrestling Federation. Right. Only Pat would think you would get Direct TV just to take him in. Get that Pat Robertson package. Yeah. We've all been that, you know, 10 year old, oh, the seven hundred club, why are we Right. I don't want a Golden Eagle. Yeah. But if you change the channel, 90% of that stuff in that channel is gonna be on the on that's that's coming in, like you're saying, is gonna be garbage. That's going to be a low culture. It's gonna bring people down, distract them from the important things in their life and stuff like that. So, yeah, we are in a crisis. Everybody who's trying to have a positive message about anything, how do we build communities with all this technology that is supposed to be helping us build a community and and grow and spread our ideas, but instead we find that we're in this muck, this mucky muck of Right. How these companies are operated, who owns them, how they're controlled,

how the technology works, how you upgrade your computers, your internet connection and it's like and then we're pulling your hair out and spending, you know, a huge percentage, a large percentage of our time with these type of technological issues or issues of cultural hegemony like who who controls this and how does it really operate behind the scenes. So, yeah. Yeah. What we are trying to do is develop new and alternative or independent or really free ways of using networking technology to spread positive messages without, I guess, the corporate stuff, you know, could say that way. Yeah. And there are things like a like a NOAA Pathfinder, you know, I'm playing music with the band. We I signed up for this, you know, website, you know, where we have our own website for, you know, scheduling stuff basically. And, you know, that's for instance a a good idea.

And I think there are a lot of tools out there but everybody is facing it whether you're trying to have a promote your video game or promote your band is facing the same issue that it's very similar to what happened in the late eighteen hundreds with the the railroads, you know, where you couldn't sell your crops without the railroad company. The railroad company would see who's profitable and they would interfere and, you know, with the the market and monopolize, use their monopolistic

power to decide what happens in society. And, yeah, we're facing that right now. And so we need to be looking for new and all new ways to spread our messages. Yeah. And I I suppose the the question, and maybe this is one of the great well, actually, I it's not maybe it's not the great question of our time. It's the great question of of of many times which is, as, I don't wanna say as as the society progresses because I think that's, that renders a false thing that that's not really what I'm getting at. Didn't even happen. Right.

But but like, is it incumbent upon the church to hitch your hitch to the fastest wagon that that makes the biggest promises? And that can keep some of them. Yeah. You do whatever. Go with the flow, run with the herd, you know, if you Yeah. Have been told with my music and stuff like that that you have to use Facebook. And I'm like, that sounds like I'm running off the cliff with the herd. That sounds like a herd mentality. You know, anytime you're told you have to do what everybody else is doing, you should have these red flags, red alarms going off in the back of your head. Like, there's yeah. That's But the band example is a good one because you you if the people are there if they and and I think this is the question the church is asking itself, which is the people are there. Like, you might be able to say, I didn't run the herd, but that means you you playing in the back room to yourself and your cat. Yeah. You know what saying? And then, What do you think that, you know, you know, they felt in the old testament? Like, what you know, how, you know, how do you think that did you not think Jesus ever felt like that? You know? Like I mean, thousands were following Jesus, but I think that's the point is that, like, his his matches drew them. He didn't he didn't go shaking the town down for it. They

they followed him, although he wasn't I mean, he didn't mind going to places where it was where it was populated either. Like, he hit the major cities. There's also the whole time of his life where we don't have any record whatsoever of him. Of which it does not give me value to speculate. Twenty of years. Twenty years where no one was paying attention to him whatsoever. I mean, they might have. Like, it just doesn't say. Or we or It could have been super popular. Or someone burned those books. You know, we we don't know. But or but, you know, it's also the that's also, you know, Jeremiah in the Old Testament, you know, like, you know, this is a pretty standard thing that when I talk about wisdom, when I talk about people who believe in God and trying to share God's message, yeah, have run into this why, you know, I can't get into the public forum. It's it's really kind of a run of the mill problem in the history of spirituality on planet Earth. So I think so I think about, yeah. I I agree. I'd like I guess,

that I I think that's helpful because I I had had can over contextualize it in our current environment. But I think I think about relevant examples. Think Paul talking, in that kind of that Garden Of The Gods area, right, in the in the place of the unknown god. Like, he didn't use the it's not like he took over the Greek mediums, but he he can interact with the culture without trying to borrow the culture's, megaphone. And and and it's still a one on it's it's a one on, you know, 500 conversation. Just depends how many people are standing around. I just don't know. I I think it will continue to be a relevant question where wise people say, I want

I think the message is good and I want people to hear it. But the question is is are I think to to Jay's point is, is there something about our medium that somehow subverts the message? Mhmm. And I think it's a it's a a hard question and I think it's a prayerful question. And and one we probably shouldn't, like, not brush off because I think my immediate reaction is, well, yeah. Yeah. I agree. You know? Well, everyone else is on Facebook so I can't really split it. But, like, it's probably not it's probably worth a little bit longer thought than that. And it's really also the pro a lot of I mean, we're as if you're a computer programmer or not a computer programmer, if you're not a computer programmer, we're along for the ride. If you're a computer programmer, then you have the ability with your skills to create new solutions with your with your skills. The rest of us are kind of sitting here,

like, picking and choosing what other people have created with their with their gifts of intelligence and and, you know, going to school and learning that stuff. So we're we're at if you're if you're just a preacher or if you're, you know, just a teacher, then, you know, we're gosh. We're there's we're in a passive situation where a lot of the stronger solutions to that, we rely on people who are really bright and I mean, I think you're only passive if if you choose to play in that sandbox. Right? And, like, once again, we talked about this last week a little bit when we were talking about allowing people to reframe conversations. No one can stop you from meeting a guy for coffee. No one can stop you from from from talking to people. No one can stop you from calling a guy. They can only stop the way that you interact with technology if you insist on using technology that way. You know? And and acting like, one, it's a it's a it's a barrier for God. Right? Like, hey, man. I realized that you put us in a church in the middle middle of Johnston.

How are we to reach these people, Lord, if the Internet's not available? Well, you know, I I gave you the arms and the legs and the mouth. That should probably help. Let me think of all the other ideas I already came up with for you to help deal with this problem. Right? And, like, the the the I I think some of the thing that that drives me most I'm way on one end of the spectrum here. I'm like, just bail on it. Call do phone trees. Remember phone trees where you had, like, 75 people's number, and you're like, what happened? When you pray on this thing, call Edna. Edna, you call Sarah. Sarah, call Bob. You know what I'm saying? And, like Yeah. We're just fine. We're like, well, it doesn't make any sense. I can just blast everybody at once. Well, once again, if you insist on playing in the medium that is available and then trying to cowtail it to your needs, you certainly cannot be upset when you know that medium is run by another another person, right, with an agenda that is not yours. Or the devil. That's right. And so your ability to, like, sit in a corner and weep over the way that it's gone, you're you're you're a fool. You were you walked into this thing blind, thinking and and here's the thing. It's like, I get it. You're gonna ditch on the on the on the social media giant, and you're gonna find some other guys. They're run by people as well. Guess what? Right? And they're also run by people that are that are trying to make money off of you. There will be a new pharaoh at some point. You're the product. Right. You're just choosing the pharaoh. Right? And so you're like, that pharaoh's too mean. We'll go to this other pharaoh. They're gonna be fine. Yeah. They're gonna be fine until they figure out they're the pharaoh. Right? And and so, like, you're always the product. In any in any form of social media, you're the product. And so it it will never change. That's what social media is. And so if you With the stipulation, though. Go ahead. You know, with the with if you're on their platform that they own, that they have for their agenda. If you do own the computers, if you do own the computer program, if you do have an independent setup, then, you know, to some extent, you will have more freedom with it if you have your own message.

But if you go on the platform that's why they call it we're platform Yeah. But you like, those platforms barely gain any popularity. Right? Because that's that's the reason the ones are big that big. You know? Like, they would not necessarily we somebody just hasn't found the the golden formula yet. You should own a gypsy wagon selling promises and rainbows. Dang. I I said, I don't see it as a I don't see it as gonna happen. Yeah. I mean, it's it's christiansingles.com. I mean, yeah. Okay. That seems like a bunch of fun. Well, are

we supposed to have faith, you know, and and, like, the In humanity? No. Well Absolutely not. In the power of what we believe in and the power of our message. And we also it's sitting we also shouldn't buy in to the popularity charts run by our opposition. But once again, that has zero to do with with doing it on social media. I guess my I guess to to that to that thought, though, Jay, is that I I think it's still the medium. Like, I think the medium still matters regardless of whether I get to say whatever I want in the medium. I I I think I'm more concerned that the medium itself, the way in which people take in the message and how it relates to the thing I'm talking about, like, that's where the rub is. I'm less concerned about the overlords in any particular social media platform. I think you just gotta know what you're dealing with. So we're talking about then hoping I don't know. Like, we're we get into this territory where we're talking about the age of spiritual machines. How do we have computers,

technology that we can integrate with the way of that what we believe and what we believe is true? And that's a really deep question though. And do we have I guess my question is, like, how much do you have to? Like, do I have to plot for that or not? I say no. Mic's out. Completely. Let's say, like, if I'm a hammer versus a computer processor, you know, and then where whether or not we like it, this stuff is being forced on a lot of people where we have to compute or where now we're in a lockdown where people say like, okay, I woke up and was on the small screen, then I moved to the big medium screen, then I went to the big screen, then I went back to the medium. And their entire lives are on these screens and computing devices and we're gonna say then that it's not important that the way this technology functions is integrating or inconsistent with our beliefs. Yes. And

Well, I I think that that's the crux of the big question is how how much do you how much do you have to align it? The opportunity that exists versus what it also introduces. I don't think there's anything that says a message of faith has to follow like, it can be in and of of itself subversive to whatever technology exists at the time. I don't know that it also says that there can't be value in it. I I I agree. I I I think it's it remains the big question. But, like, my favorite thing in the whole bible is by your by their fruits, you shall know them. And I think that applies to computers as well as it does to people. You know, by if this really, you have to keep an eye on the things in your life, whether it's a hammer or an apple or a person or a computer, is this thing bringing me closer to my spirituality? Is it making me a wiser person, a better person?

And I think I've had to I have to be very careful with how I use computers to Yep. Keep me on the right keep me on the right track. I think that's right. Whether it's DIRECTV or computers, but especially computers and the Internet because every single option, every single channel is out there. And the and the computers, the the phones, they are integrating more and more with our bodies, with haptics, the way we feel and connect with them. And they are coming around with the glasses and with implant technology. It's just around the corner. And these questions are only gonna get more serious and, in fact, scary in my opinion. I don't yeah. Wait. Yeah. I don't disagree. I I think that it's a continuing nagging question. I don't know that we can I don't think you can bail on the conversation? I'm not opposed to either the Luddite approach

or figure out how to Am get all I the Luddite approach? Yeah. My you're the Luddite approach. I'm gonna give that card. Yeah. I think it's fine. Yeah. You're guy you're the guy showing up at the place and taking a wrench to stuff and going, you know what? I've had it. Here's the deal. I say I it's not like I'm foreign to technology. Right? Like, got a smartphone in my pocket. I use a computer every day for work, and I totally get it. It does not get to control in any way, shape, or form how I talk to people about Jesus, when, or why. Right? Because most of the time, when people are ready to start talking about that stuff, real life has happened to them. Right? Their marriage is looking ugly. They're they're having trouble with their kids. They're feeling depressed. Right? They they don't understand what's all going on. AI computer don't help me at all. At all in those conversations. In fact, it's more of a hindrance than anything because they already Googled it once and listened to 10 other crazy keyboard philosophers that decided that they knew the answer and already steered them halfway down a path of destruction. It's a disaster. Right? And so, like, it is but I once again, I keep my blue letter bibles on my phone. Right? Like, I do use technology in a in a redeeming way. It's not like it can't be used for that. Mhmm. But, like, it's just like it's just like an alcoholic going in a bar. There's certain things you gotta know what you can do and what you can't. Right? And, like, if if you know the unlimited potential of the Internet,

most people will say, look, this thing gets on lockdown. Right? Like, I keep I I keep my computer in the middle of a living room on purpose. Right? Like, I keep my cell phone unlocked and I erase nothing. I don't erase my my call history. I don't erase my Internet history because I don't want no trouble. Right? And, like, those are all open book willing things that I'm saying, look, technology gets to I get to use it for good things and I get to be called out if I try to use it for bad things. And and and you leave yourself open for that kind of stuff. And so I I guess what you're saying, I'm not a complete Luddite, but if you gave me That's pretty far from a Luddite. Yeah. If you gave me the option to just use the wrench, I would take it. Right? I I mean, I still run youth group with no techno. I don't need it. Right? Like, I don't need it. I need me and a bible and a prayer and I think we're good to go. And the phone tree, you know, you wanna be able to, you know, reach out to people. And the phone tree. Right? That's all I need. Well, we we need to be aware though are

that big powerful forces that are pushing an entirely different agenda from what you're describing in my in my segment. Well, I'm saying to be afraid of them, I'm saying to be aware and we have to have a message that that that helps our people that are trying to that we want to help and are part of our community. Yeah. And Paul was. Like, those are the I think those are the powers and principalities. Like, I I think Paul recognizes that, like Yes. The principalities are definitely a big, you know, factor in what's happening right now. I mean, I, like, I think I I mean, the question is, like, I I agree. Yeah. There's no reason to fear it. There is an awareness that it that we are There is a little bit a temptation. Fear. I don't think there's a reason to fear. Paul wasn't afraid of it. I I I I don't have any reason to take his words and go, oh, yes. I agree that they're out there and then and then take on fear that he also doesn't prescribe. I'm not sure that provides any value to me. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the overcoming of fear is how I see it. So, like, it's but, yeah, it's a little bit semantic. Secular. Jay. Yeah. The the principalities are the same ones that have always been around. Oh, good. It's just different tools. You know, it's different different pharaohs, different technologies, how quickly I mean, I'm not even sure there wasn't a mob mob bail Zuckerberg. Could have very well been. Who knows? I mean, you have Yeah. All the calls have to be routed through us, and we'll patch them through. What does that sound like? I mean, that's actually the name. You got porn on on the Internet or back in Jesus' day, you just went to a temple where it was all happening right you know, it was just like where they'd come up to you, hey. How about right now? Right. You you know? So it's it's the same the same stuff. It's just

Different medium. Yeah. We are satisfied with less now. We can hide behind a screen and and and go to war or get in an argument or, you know, battle someone or Much easier. I think it's how quickly we can go to war, how easy I can create one, or how easy I can destroy myself. I used to have to walk to the temple and be seen with the prostitute, or at least have my car parked at the dirty store downtown. Now you you just get away with it. Yeah. Your technology is going to reflect that those things you're seeking and what your personality is and what your state is of your general being in life. Yeah. And we are gonna if we're gonna teach people and help people, we have to be aware of that and

and also, and and I get that it's not in the bible, but somehow give people good advice on how to use technology, and that's some of the stuff I've written about in my book, so, you know, I've tried to, you know, kind of get on the top of a tree and shout at the top of my lungs, Hey, beware, be careful about this stuff. Yeah. Because it's deceptive. Mhmm. And things that are deceptive have a certain tendency to be associated with certain other forces out there that

we need to that's what the entire purpose of wisdom is to be able to see through deception and tell people, give people good advice and tell them not to be the lemmings running off the cliff. And and just just in case anybody's interested, there there is an interesting book around kind of this a similar a similar vein. Rod Dreiro wrote the Benedict Option, which is

I I think it it asks it's not directly a technology question, but the question is basically asking to to how much do you have to ride the wave of the society around you and how much do you otherwise pull yourself out of it for the for ultimately the value of what it is that you're trying to create, not for isolation purposes, but to actually to create or find value in the thing. I I mean, I'm not saying whether you have to agree with it or not, but an interesting it's an interesting book. It's called the Benedict It's by Roger. Actually, I was reminded because I'm looking at it. It's, like, sitting here by the desk. The Benedict Option. Yep. Yep. It's a good it's a it's a good read. Which who's Benedict? No. It's the the Benedictine monks. Ah, okay. Is the is the cult of it. Oh, yeah. It's like, are your goals? Are your goals to be the most popular person on the planet or are your goals to,

you know, follow the teachings of Jesus? And the teachings of Jesus have very little to do with being the most popular person on the planet. Could you carry a wrench? Don't think Jesus carried a wrench. I mean, you don't know. He fashioned one together. They called it a whip or whatever. You don't know. You think it translates wrench. I hear you. Alright. I tell you what. Speaking of sorting out, what are we gonna hold tight to and what's of the world? Let's do some secular versus Solomon.

And now for America's fastest growing game show. Secular or Solomon? Don't worry.

You think that would carry more weight than it does. Alright. You have wandered into America's fastest growing Internet game show, totally unproven by any viable statistics, Secular versus Solomon. Okay. So just to re go over the rules of the game. I better move. Yeah. Yeah. You can't. Get out of here. Okay.

Mhmm. You're cheap. I'll look down. Okay. I'll look down here. Okay. Alright. Ready? What's happening, Ben? I can't see you. Alright. Yeah. Okay. Here we go. Here's the rules of the game. I'm gonna give you proverb, a bit of wisdom, and you're gonna tell me whether it is a secular bit of wisdom or biblical from Solomon is the answer for bible answers. And if it's a secular bit of wisdom, I want you to tell me the country of origin. Everybody good? K. I'm ready. Alright. Here we go. I am absolutely prepared. Alright. Dan, here we go. We're gonna start with you. Secular or Solomon,

he who is being carried does not realize how far the town is. He who is being carried does not realize how far the town is. Secular or Solomon? I'm gonna say I'm gonna say that that is secular. And where does that sound like it could be from? He was being carried. It's it's it's it's gotta be Italian. Dan says it goes all in Italy. The Italian rickshaw. They're loaded down with pasta.

Yeah. Yeah. They got the gluten and heavy people. Okay. Dan's in. Jay? I'd say it's secular. It sounds like India. Secular India. Mike? I'm gonna go secular in China. Secular China. Mike heard rickshaw. He says, I know where this would be. Yeah. You steered the conversation. No. I'm digging in. Alright. We'll see if I dropped a sweet, sweet hint or I led you down a rough path. He who is being carried does not realize how far the town is. It is indeed secular Nigeria. Damn. Oh. Oh, was so close. Nigeria. Is that yeah. You were And yep. Yep. Not bad. Not bad. Here we go. Celsius. Secular or Solomon. This one's for Jay. Stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

Stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Secular or Solomon? I must say it's Solomon. He's in for Solomon, Mike. Oh, that does sound like something Solomon would say. But no. No. Ben, no. Mike thinks it's a ruse. Secular Japan. Secular Japan. The the water thieves

are the Japanese. Dan. Yeah. It has it has some Solomon feel to it, but I'm also going secular. And and I'm I'm gonna go with Rhodesia. What's that? Dan. Zimbabwe.

I'm sorry. Is that a is that a principality? Well, Dan's over there flexing it up because he knows the name of a town. I know one of them. I got one. Proverbs. Okay. I'm gonna go with yeah. Because they they're they're the water's sweet. They're they're they steal water, and they eat bread in secret? I mean, yeah, because somebody else will get it from them. Yeah. Yeah. Hide in the corner and Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

I mean, for the roust, it is indeed Proverbs nine seventeen. That's Solomon. I wanna know the context of that one. Context of Proverbs. Proverbs. Hold on. Proverbs. I mean, it feels like it's promoting theft. Okay. Here we go. The way so it's it's a section of way of folly. I'm gonna read 13 through 18. The woman folly is loud. She is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house. She takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by who are going straight on their way. Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. And to him who lacks sense, she says, stolen water is sweet and bread eating in secret is Yeah. Okay. Folly. Harlot, got a woman. She's quoting Folly. Okay. That makes more sense. Really? That was tricky. Bread eating in in secret is sweet. She's like, if you're, you know, getting it on, she's like Come on come on and have a drink. It's the it's the ladies at the temple like Dan was talking about. Yeah. Boy, Mike, you were taken in. Yeah.

Yeah. You look like the scofflaw. I'm not falling. Okay. Secular or Solomon, Mike. When the mouse laughs at the car, there is a hole nearby. When the mouse laughs at the car, there is a hole nearby. Secular or Solomon. Boy, that sounds real Solomon esque, Ben, but I'm gonna go with secular and Russia.

Yeah. That's true. There is no Hebrew word for mouse. Dan. I I don't have no idea how many of that is. I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna go secular, and it it screams India. Okay. Dan says mice in the road. That's that's India. Jay, when the mouse laughs at the car, there is a hole nearby.

Mouse laughs at the car, there is a hole nearby. Yeah. It's secular. And let's let's say Iran. Iran,

just like the mouse. Or Persia. The answer, when the mouse laughs at the car, there was a hole nearby, a secular Kenya. Yeah. Kenya. Secular Kenya. That's right next to that country, I said. Yeah. Nope. Nope. Nope. Here we go. What did I say? Russia? Yeah. Russia. K. Yeah. Wasn't right at all. Yeah. No country of origin is very difficult. We're like, we're we're like, that's you know, it's not I'm not sure we're gonna get any correct guesses on the country. In a while. China if you you hit that China button enough, it'll come up. Alright. Here we go. Dan Hudson, secular Solomon,

do not protect yourself by offense, but rather by your friends. Do not protect yourself by offense, but rather by your friends. Secular or Solomon? That is secular, the democratic party. And then it's jumped the shark. That

that'd be Mexico. Much better. For lack of fence? Is that is that the deal? Yes. Yes. That's where it comes from. Absolutely. Yep. Who's carrying the wrench now? Jay, do not protect yourself by a fence, but rather by your friends. That sounds like Solomon.

Okay. Jay's in for Solomon. Mike. No. No. Secular Croatia. Oh, man. Secular Croatia.

Do not protect yourself by offense, but rather by your friends. The answer is the Kingdom Of The Czechs and Slovenes, Czechoslovakia. Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah. Pretty pretty close. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty dark. Pretty close. Good advice. Yeah. You mind be able to get over the border without getting caught? Alright. Here we go. Secular and secular or Solomon J. Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin. Oh, man. It's gotta be Solomon. K. J says obvious. He says it's the all the signs are there. Yeah. Weather beacon says Solomon. Bye. Babbling fool.

That's the Bible. Come on. When that Solomon train comes by, he hoots, and I'm on board. That's Solomon. Solomon, Dan. Yeah. I'm in I'm in for Solomon. Okay. Okay. Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin that is indeed Solomon, Proverbs 10. Yeah. Nailed it. Proverbs 10. Plus 15 points, Mike. And you always gotta watch out for babbling fools. But I mean, you know, yeah, keep the winks to a minimum. Hey. We run a we run a radio show. Wink all the time. Qualify for babbling fools. No. That's true. We are the that's probably the subtitle of the program. Live from the path. A pool of babbling fools. Alright. Secular

or Solomon Mike, whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. Yeah. No. That's Solomon again. Like like double down. Dan. Boy, that sure sounds like Solomon. Yeah. But other places love beasts, Dan. They do. They do. I'm going to I gotta make a decision here. I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna go Solomon. Nope. Nope. I mean, the lazy man's way out. I hear you, Dan. Fewer words. Dan says, I'm not pressed for a country. Solomon, it is. Jay. Yeah. I have to agree with the beast language. I don't know. It's just like it really sounds like the bible and something. You know? It's a you know? I have to Solomon. Yeah. Okay. Solomon, you call people a beast? You must be a king of biblical proportions.

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel as indeed Solomon. Yeah. Proverbs twelve ten. Mhmm. Alright. Oh, hey. How are you? Boy. I mean, it's time for some original quotes there, Saul. Well, it's difficult to make it sound like the Old Testament. It has a very special cadence to it. Yeah. Yeah. That is true. Fools and beasts. Volley. Yep. Hey. Hey. There was a guy advertising on the radio on the way here, and his name was Rush. Is the word is the name Rush short for something? Rushty. Rush No. It can be either. Rushford. Well yeah. Although that's those aren't legit options. Yeah. They are. Thinking of stuff. You're just saying whatever comes to your mind. Rushanti.

There's no absolute answer to that question. You know? Russian. Rush. No. It's not Washington. Canada. Alright. Here we go. Secular or Solomon, Dan Hudson. Mules make a great fuss about their ancestors having been horses. Mules make a great fuss about their ancestors having been horses. Secular or Solomon. Well,

we're gonna go we're gonna go salt I mean, secular on that. And that's that's gotta be that's got to be Walk tenderly, Dan. Yeah. Yeah. I'll just say India and leave it at that. Okay. They don't let us they don't broadcast us in India. We're safe. It's the worldwide web. Yeah. No. Nope. Not they they shut it down. We've been blocked. Secular Solomon mules make a great fuss about their ancestors having been horses. Jay?

Secular, I'm gonna say south of the border, it sounds Mex like Mexico or Peru or something. You think you you think of a guy grabbing a mule around. It's a Mexican. That's the Hills Brothers bean buyer. Not to cast dispersion in Mexico, but there's a Yeah. They've really led us astray with that Hills Brothers fan. It speaks to a will of a man to carry a donkey. You know, actually, they never show the other brother. Who's that? The Hills Brothers bean buyer. He's in the office. That's not Hills Brothers. Yeah. It is. Yeah. It's a guy with a poncho and What? Buenos Dias. No. That's not Hills Brothers, is it? Yeah. Look him up. Hold on. Give me Google. Buenos

Dias coffee man. No. Say Hills Brothers Hills Brothers bean buyer. Wasn't the there's also a whole bure borough, a different craft coffee company. There's a borough on the cover of the coffee. Yeah. I can't remember the name. Yeah. Juan Juan Valdez. Yeah. Juan yeah. Okay. Okay. Here we go. Alright. Juan. Yeah. Juan. Hold on. Juan Valdez. I have to say that there's mules everywhere. Is Juan Valdez a real person? He's a fictional character who has appeared in advertisements for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Columbia. Oh, I feel like I know him. Juan Valdez? Yeah. How could he be fictional? What is the name of Juan Valdez's donkey? Hold on. You should've seen oh, with his faithful pet Conchita. A tangent.

Call him Donkey One. Eight fabulous donkeys of pop pop culture from the most popular name of Juan Valdez's donkey. It was his mother's maiden name. Yeah. They don't tell you that, do they? Google. Right. That's like a Anyway, the Hills What are they up? Rabbit hole. The Hills the Hills Brothers advertisement only shows one of the brothers. I think he can't enable it. And the brother And took and took the the

took the coffee empire for himself. See. It's conspiratorial thinking. I had to The principalities. Right. Yeah. Watch out. Okay. Alright. Did answer? No. Wait. Jay, did you give a country yeah. You said Mexico, Mike. Mhmm. I don't even remember what the quote was, but we're gonna go Somalia. Secular. That's terrible guess. Males, mules make a great fuss about their ancestors having been horses. It's

Germany. That's what I said. German. Secular Germany. That's your people. I think What happened, Jay? Jay Herfinmeiser? You know? That would that was in The day. You know? In in Jay's defense, having been to Germany as a man who frequented there and had lived there for a bit, I have never walked around the streets of The United States and heard people quoting Proverbs either No. That's true. So that I could pick it out. Like, if there was a guy kinda stumbling around the street quoting Proverbs, you wouldn't think anything of it like, oh, he's a national treasure. That's true. Unless they said, Proverb, hey. I'm walking here. You know, I have heard that one time before, but you can't you just know it it's, you know, of those things echoing around. Hear mule and I think for some reason or Von Valdez.

But, yeah, there it's I can see the German aspect of that. The Columbians have cornered the market. Yeah. They own all mules. Careful. They're shifty. Okay to enable you to take your take your dog off. They're stubborn. Mules are stubborn. Here we go. Secular or Solomon j. Give instruction to a wise man and he will still be wiser. Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning. That's Solomon. Alright. He says the cadence says, Solomon, Mike.

Oh, I feel the cloak of deception. Solomon. Semicolons generally mean Solomon. If you hear a guy take a pause but not a long pause, it's probably Solomon. Yeah. Swear you're reading it. You're giving it away by the way you read it. Okay. Hold on. 600. Read it differently. Put the accent somewhere else on the words. Okay. Okay. Hold on. Hold on. Let me let me think of it. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will still be wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. No. You've you've you've It's a combination of William Shatner and Arlo Guthrie. That's what I was going for.

Well, that sounds secular. I nailed it. Yeah. He's a mule. By nailer, you mean mystic completely. Yes. Okay, Dan. What do you got? I'm I'm going I'm going Solomon. Okay. Solomon. Everyone across the board, Solomon, again, give instruction to a wise man and he will still be wiser, semicolon. Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning. That is Proverbs nine nine. Solomon. Nine nine. Yeah. Nailed it. Alright. Let's see here. Alright. Mike, you're up secular versus Solomon. Solomon. What? Go. I did not say it yet. I thought that semicolon in between you announcing the answer was given. Go ahead. No. No. No. No. No. No. Hold No. On. Mind games. The end of haste is repentance. The end of haste

is repentance. No. That's that's Secular or Solomon. That's secular. That's secular definitely. Botswana. Repentance, Mike? No. Botswana. Okay. Mike's in for secular, Botswana. That's what they do. Yeah. Dan Hudson. Yeah. I'm going I'm going a Canadian proverb there. Mhmm.

Mhmm. End of Haste's repentance. Jay Yeah. You gonna buck the system or what you gonna do? Are you on your are you checking looking up on your phone? No. Okay. No. I can see you looking down. It looks illegal. He's counting his fingers. Do you have a tattoo on your arm? Contemplation. I know many people don't are you you know, used to that nowadays, but He has Proverbs 11. Now you're gonna insult the room? Starting Well, to roll over there. Yeah. I'll come down off my high horse. Yeah. I know you love it, I turn over thinking about your answer. It's yes. It's sec secular, but I am really thinking about where where that could be where that could be from.

The repentance is, you know, one of those biblical words. The end of Jesus, repentance. Let's go ahead and say, what's Spain? Secular Spain. The okay. What does this mean? The end of Jesus, repentance.

It would that means that when you do a bunch of stuff, like rushing, you make mistakes, and then you regret whatever happened. And then you must flee from it. Mhmm. And you're like, yeah. Well, you know I was watching Lord of the Rings and, like, don't be hasty. So the the trees, you know, say that in the two towers. Yeah. Right. A lot. Ever over and over and over again. And don't be so hasty. If it's worth saying, it's worth saying slow. This is the best part of the show for me. Go ahead, Jay. Tree

impersonations from Lord of Rings? I'm a happy country right now. You. I'm yeah. Yeah. We could do minutes more of this. It's the same it's the same idea. So, yeah, I could say for the Middle Earth, you know, or Okay. The end of the is repentance Middle Earth and or Spain. It is indeed secular Turkey. Yep. Turkey. Turkey. Yeah. Mhmm. Isn't that Istanbul? No. You're thinking of Constantinople. Well, let's not get into that. Everybody knows that. Then we'll be here. That's real

real. Let's see. Did he get final Mozart there? Wait. Did I get them all? Hold on. Yeah. Here we go. Last last one. Secular versus Solomon. Dan. Dan. I'm ready. Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. Everybody on Facebook. Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

Secular or Solomon? That's that's too good to be to be secular, so I'm gonna call it Solomon. He says he's got a restraint. Sounds like sounds biblical. Alright. Jay. Yeah. I think it's Solomon. Although the Buddhist had a lot of stuff like that as well where there was, like, the the noble silence where people would ask, like, really deep questions to the Buddha, and he would just not say anything at all and perplex everybody. But, yeah. I do that too. That's been my experience with every Buddha statue I've ever talked to. So what happens if who's, you know, who's the father of God? You sit there. Don't say anything at all. Yeah. It's like type of thing you do. But yeah. So that it's that sounds like Solomon to me though. He's in for Solomon. Mike, I'm giving you the Solomon answer.

I don't like to cut to your jib. Solomon. Solomon, whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent is indeed Solomon, Proverbs eleven twelve.

Mhmm. Alright. Well, hey. We apparently know some stuff then. Yeah. That was a pretty good game. There we go. Unfortunately, Dan came in dead last with a negative two. Oh, yeah. Boy, Dan. That's rough. Yeah. Jay barely got on the board with 30 points, and turns out I was I won four fifty seven. Boy. Who could have bet that would happen? Yeah. I mean, it got wild in the fourth quarter. That's what I'm saying. Didn't see them scores coming. You know what? Be honest, the only reason Jay's on that board is because of the lord of the rings impression. That really brought us up out of the basement. Man offered no such impression. Obviously, that was not helpful. Dan, would wait. Can we can Dan offer redemption impression? That for the whole show. Had a chance of redemption, do an impression. Oh my god. Well, well, Nancy.

Nancy. You went with Ronald Reagan? That's all I've got. Hey. You knew what it was. Yeah. Boy, I I should have put money on that. That that that was what was gonna happen. Hey. Actually, I petitioned for points on Dan's behalf. He's right. You did you pulled it out. He only got he can name that impression in two notes. Oh, that's true. Okay. 12 extra points to Dan. You still lost, though. That's right, Dan. That's a way to get out of the negatives, though. Yeah. Okay. Hey. You've been listening to live from the path. Hey. We really appreciate you hanging out with us this week. Let's say there's parts of the show that have offended you, bored you. Maybe you think you can do a better tree or Ronald Reagan impression. We'd love to hear from you on the Bob Eisenhower complaint line. That's (515) 517-0085.

You can call or text. Now the only thing I'll say, though, is if you do a Lord of the Rings or Ronald Reagan impression and you try to text it in, you are disqualified because you're an idiot. That isn't how impressions work. You have to call in. Okay? So call or text whichever. Bye bye, Osinlauer. Complaint line, (515) 517-0085, and we would love to hear from you or hear your I wanna hear your best impression. Yeah. I'm excited. Everybody has like a go to impression. Right? One thing like impressed for an impression, that that's what they'll do. I don't even know. These guys Yeah. They keep talking about You also do Ronald Reagan. Oh, man. Oh, man. Hey. That goes deep. You're killing me. I don't even know. Actually, I tell you what. If you do an impression, here's what I'd like. I'd like you to do it and then not tell me who it is. Yeah. And then we'll listen to them and we'll see if we can pick them out. And that either will speak lowly of you or lowly of us. I don't care which one. Yeah. Either are good. And if you really wanna throw a wrench into gears, submit it over text messaging.

And you can't say things like, I am Walter Matthau. Okay. My quote speaking of advice, let's let's give some advice. The world needs it. Dear, I'm from the path.

As a way to manage my stress and anxiety when COVID hit, I started to exercise. Yep. Neither my husband, quotes Chris, nor I had ever been into fitness at all. As the months have gone on, I've realized the power of being healthy, and I try to exercise every day. The problem you say? Chris is angry. He calls it, quotes, me time and has made it very difficult for me to go. I tried swimming in the morning before work, but he said he couldn't manage at home to get our two year old ready for school. I tried to go to the gym in the early evening, but he said he needs me to help get the children ready for bed. I tried running later at night, but it didn't feel safe, and I also had trouble falling asleep. Life path running? Oh, sorry. Yeah. Life from the path, I don't know what to do. Last night, he told me I am selfish and I should move out. Oh, I took a Can you help me? Exquated quickly. Yeah. I don't know if I can help your husband from being a jerk. This guy seems like a real flop water. Yeah. I mean, obviously, he's got no I This sound like a dude just punts on the parenting. Yeah. He says my wife's parents. That's exactly right. Yeah. There's no redeeming quality of his parenting. Obviously, he's

he feels like he doesn't have to do any of these things. And he's right. It is you time, and you should take it. Everybody should have a little chance for reset, whether it's you, even if you're let's say you're a video game man. Use a half hour at night, 09:30 to ten after kids go to bed, reset yourself. That's cool. Let's say that you're into doing some running. I think that's cool. Right? That's something something to help you refresh your mind and and and recharge your batteries. Everybody does that differently. And, you're doing it just fine, your husband's a a jerk. Well, I mean, she's not, asking, I mean, for a judgment on her husband. She's asking for how she can what what she can do to to to to make it work. And, you know, I'm not a marriage expert or something like this, but I but I I would my advice would be more for the guy, you know, what can you know, like, how could she give this guy advice when she's not when he the guy needs guy advice, you know, like, you're afraid to be left alone. Who do you want to hold your hand? You know? But if she gives him that advice, he's gonna feel like he was kicked in the nuts. Correct. Yeah.

What can how can she, you know, deliver this message? Or I mean, I would I like to think that whenever there's a conflict, you should have an even handed approach. We're talking about Solomon. Right? You know? Like so so if, like, she needs to offer so, okay, if she gets her time, then he gets his time. What does he want to do? What is you know? He wants to not watch the kids and yell at his wife. Or yeah. Or or then we we we there could there there might be a real problem there where they I think they got a real problem. Where they with this they he he doesn't want doesn't enjoy being with the kids or he doesn't he feels like he's too burdened or and usually in stuff like this, there's some underlying other problem. Right? Like, this is this is really you know, there's something else there that he's upset about, and this is just how what he's choosing. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Let's talk about it. What do you think, Dan? Because it's not every night, is it? I mean or did she say? Yeah. It's every day. Yeah. Or every single night. Well, maybe that's the first if if she's asking what she should do, well, maybe just go every other day

to start down. Get a compromise. I mean, even most, you know, fitness gurus don't say you have to do it every day. I mean, I don't know. He was like But he's being selfish. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, her description her description sounds like this dude goes, can't handle my own is it a kid? One kid? Yeah. That's I hope not. It says he needs help getting the children to bed. So I think the two year old's the problem in the morning. The kids on the whole are trouble. Yeah. I mean, whatever. Like, I got four kids. I I like it's it's they're they're difficult to wrangle at times, but my wife seems to do it. Like Or do it after the kids are in bed? Yeah. Well, she said she tried running at night and it felt unsafe. Yeah. Yeah. I could see that. I've run, like, really late at night before, and even then, I like, there's been a couple places where it just felt a little eerie. Yeah. But but here's I guess I guess it's that it's that machete at the end. The

where he says, look. Maybe you should move out. Yeah. Yeah. What the heck? I'm a leave the notes here. Now what? You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah. I'll go, but all these kids are staying. You sure? Yeah. That's like what this doesn't sound to me at all like a divorce issue. It sounds like a time scheduling, time management issue. Yeah. And, like, well, if it is, like, go three times a week to swimming, that should be enough to swim. And then this guy has to have stuff that he's doing in his life. Otherwise, he's gonna feel left behind. He's gonna feel left out. He's gonna feel like she's having all the fun. And so what is it gonna be? What is he gonna go play Warhammer 40 k at the, you know, game shop with somebody? Go go hit the batting cages. Like, something. This guy needs to find something to do where he feels like he's on equal footing

or his ego is getting unnecessarily squashed, it seems. But it also seems does seem like something is he's putting on airs, you know. You know, like I mean, here's the thing. It's like, I mean, I know a lot of married fellas.

And when when you hear your wife say, here's what I want in clear, concise language, and it comes out just like that. Here's what I want to do, and this will make me happy. You go, yes. Absolutely. I'm in. Thank you for being straightforward and honest with me and saying it in a gorilla type way that I can take in and not screw up in any fashion. Yes. You wanna run at 05:30? I'll follow you with a flashlight.

I would love to be part of this. Absolutely. Yeah. We we actually we we have the I've had this conversation multiple times over the last few weeks. Like, my wife has been out been out meeting with other with other ladies or friends or whatever and way more than normal. She doesn't get out all that often last two or three weeks. And like, there's one kid in particular. She's like, hey, man. When's mom gonna be home? I go, I don't know. He goes, will you call and ask her? No. She's doing like, she doesn't leave the house. She said this is an important thing for either her or for somebody else she was going to help. I will not call my wife and say, hey. When you gonna be home? Right. Like, we will run our own affairs over here, and your mom will get us get free time for as much as she wants to take. And I I I don't want her getting any impression that she has to hurry home. And, like, it's been it's been weirdly out of balance. Like, she's probably been out of the house five, six times over the last two weeks and even night six. I'm like, no. Nope. Because here's the deal. Mama's responsible. Mama always takes care of this stuff. And when mom says she just needs to go out and do something, like, we will figure it out. Yeah. We will we will handle our own situation. And, like, I think there's there's a couple things likely going on with his character.

The I think the fellow's kinda being lazy. His me time is probably when she puts the kids to bed. Uh-huh. I don't think she bailed on a joint activity. I think he probably is minecrafted over there while his wife's putting these kids to bed, and he doesn't like it being take taken away from him. I think he's got his routine in the morning, and he doesn't like that being jogged up. And I'm like, here's the deal. I hear you. I got nice routines in the morning, and kids are an inconvenience to that. But your wife probably does it all the time. So, I mean, grow let's grow a set here, fella. And second of all, it doesn't sound like he volunteered to say, oh, hey. Let's like, you wanna work out? Let's work out together. Mhmm. Like, he didn't try to jump onto something that his wife was was looking to do. It sounds like he just said, like, I don't want you doing it either. You're being selfish. Or it's like kinda crab in the bucket type of thing. She starts to grow as a person and he's trying to pull her back down because he can't grow and Yeah. And how can she then suggest some activity for him to do to grow and you kinda can't push people that way. You know, they have to they have to grab the rung and pull their self up the ladder.

So I don't know. Maybe maybe I should she let him make him listen to what we just said the last five minutes somehow? He needs a good friend to come over and yell at him. Yep. He needs a guy he needs a guy talk with guys. Because he yeah. He's not gonna take that wealth coming from his wife. And I I mean, here's the thing. It's like, you try to be because obviously, you know, you're only being told one half of the story. Yeah. Yeah. Like,

there's either a giant part of this story missing. Yep. Or, I I mean, he's I don't have any tolerance for people not taking responsibility for their kids. I got zero tolerance for that. And so, like, this particular brand of, it's my wife's job to handle these things, like, it just grates me the wrong way. It's also like, too shall pass. Right? This is the worst, most difficult time Yeah. The two year old thing. You know? It's like this is eventually, they're gonna all be grown up and you're gonna kinda look back and want them to be like that. Because honestly, think that they're both being a little unreasonable. If she wants it every day,

that's a lot. Did it say it just said she started. Did it really say every day? And if you're in your thirties or forties and you start exercising every day, you're gonna blow out your joints and exercise every day. Okay. Yeah. I mean, here's the thing. Is to take exercise out of it. Say that she goes, she writes in a journal by herself up at the coffee shop every day. Same it's the same thing. Right? Like, whether we believe that exercise is healthy for you every day, that's not the point. What she's trying to do is get some time to herself and and and recharge. And people do that by exercise journaling or reading or whatever. Right. But you do it. You you gotta work around the family dynamics. I mean,

both of them are are trying to get out of the child responsibility, but, I mean, every day is every day. I mean, they they they need to take to have some give and take, I think. I mean, I suppose all I can do is is pull from, like, actual examples. And and so my wife went on a on a deal last year where she she was gonna run every day, and she did. She ran every single day of last year. And sometimes it was at five in the morning. Sometimes it was 08:00 at night, just kinda dependent on what the what the schedule looked like. Right? But, like, to the point where, you know, I could accommodate that in any way,

why the heck wouldn't I do that? Why would I not accommodate that in any possible way if that's what she wants to do? There's absolutely no harm to me at all. And your your wife, like, having a healthy body should be really, you know, attractive in a lot of ways, you know? Yeah. If you're I think so. It's good for everyone. Yeah. Yeah. Win on that side of things, so not to be open. That's superficial, but Yeah. I think I think he's just I it's it's this is possible too. It's like, some people, like, when you see someone around you improving yourself, it makes you feel bad about you. Yep. And then you go, well, I don't like that. Instead of rising to the occasion and going, maybe I should do anything different than I'm doing. You know? You're stuck with the kids at home, and I can't do anything. Which is all the you could take all that prime opportunity to come up with some new voices when you read the kid a bedtime story. Say, I'm really gonna lay it down tonight. This rabbit is getting to retool. You have a kid and you get to spend time with them. I mean, that should be alone, you know, like Correct. A really positive thing. Yeah. And so, like, kind of a he's to flip the script Yeah. Of this whole thing. I think to Dan's I think to Dan's point though, that's where I would start. I would start with saying say, hey,

what what will work? Like, if this is not working, I need you like, even promote him. Promote him to the problem solver. Yeah. Alright, Steven. I need help then to help me. I feel like I I wanna exercise. I think it's good for me. I think it's good for us for me to to to exercise. Exercise. How can we work this out? And then make and then help him be a problem solver. Most guys wanna solve problems. Maybe he feels like he's he's rescued the day by coming up with a good solution even though it's gonna cost him something. That's right. Yeah. I I would I would try it that way to start and see how it goes. K. Secular says, establishing a routine of regular exercise wasn't selfish. It was the right thing to do. People have been experiencing symptoms of of depression and extreme stress since the pandemic began. It is more important now than ever that you continue to take care of your physical and emotional health, and it's a shame your husband didn't do the same. Rather than prevent you from doing what you should have been doing, your husband should have praised you. Could he be jealous or threatened by what you have accomplished? Ego. That he would say something so extreme as you should move out was childish.

Who would look after the kids then, question mark? Take that. A mature approach would be for the two of you to agree upon a schedule in which either dresses the kids in the morning or tucks them in at night. It not only would be a lot less expensive than a divorce, but your husband might even grow to enjoy it. Yeah. Mhmm. Yep. Imagine that. Yeah. I well, yeah. He's the the the it's that last part that just makes him seem super childish. Mhmm. It's a nuclear option, you know. I'm I'm the kid throwing his you know, breaking the toys because he can't play with them or something like that. Like Multiple multiple children with this temper tantrum. Alright. What what else we got, Mike? Hold on. I'm looking. I saw one that I but I'm skipping it. Oh. I don't like the looks of it. Hometown, family baggage. Here we go. Dear who? Dear life from the path? My brother, who lives a thousand miles away, is thinking of moving back to our hometown to be around family and start over. Excellent. I love him. He's not a bad person, but he's a terrible father. He is now a widower, and he suffers from depression.

Problem is some of his children and adult grandchildren plan to move with him. The quote's children and their children are felons, ex cons, drug addicts, alcoholics, and thieves. Wow. My brother is none What of these a circus. I'm willing to welcome him, but my husband and I want nothing to do with his kids or grandkids. Wow. I don't trust them to be in my house. Yikes. There's no real way we will welcome them into our family or do whatever it is they expect of us to start a new life. I don't think it is our responsibility. My children, their cousins, want nothing to do with them either. How do I handle this? Stop

being a capricious turd. Yeah. Why don't you try that out? Well, you have like, some kind of boundaries. Right? Like, what if I can help you, but these other people that, you know, I can't I can't I can't help them. Well, it's also your house. Right? It is my house. If it is your house, you really are the master of your domain. You get to say who's allowed here and who's not or and what the ground rules are. And it's authoritarian

but this whole, like, I can you could I will only let you help me unless you also help these five other people. It's it's really weird. Yeah. I don't like, what what is the the guys that are the guy that's moving back, and he said his grown grandchildren. Right? So this guy this guy, like, kinda takes on a vibe of being, say, Yeah. Maybe his or a grown maybe even older. Maybe. 70, 50, 25,

something like that for a span of family. Like, I can't he just wants to be closer to family. Is he asking for anything? I I I don't know. I I I the problem is is, like, it's not they're not asking for help. They're saying I'm willing to welcome him, but my husband and I want nothing to do with his kids or grandchildren. Mean, they've been a thousand miles away. They need someone to stay there? They're not being they're just coming to the town? Yeah. Yeah. It just sounds like they're moving closer to home. Yeah. It's like none of your business is moving away. Who pre unwelcomes a person? Right? Like, I mean Pre unwelcomes. Here's the thing. It's like that dictionary. I know let me look at the list again.

I know felons. I know ex cons. I know drug addicts. I know alcoholics, and I know thieves. I know every one one of those people. Uh-huh. Right? Those are actions that they did. There are people behind the crimes or thing that they did. Right? And there's nothing completely unwelcoming about them. I can say, look, you you can't be in my house by yourself. Sorry, man. You have a pattern of causing a ruckus when you're on your own or getting taken in by certain things like the attempt to thieve my things or whatever.

And so, I don't I'm not unwelcoming to you. You're invited for dinner. Right? You can't live here. I'm not gonna pay for you to live here. I'm not gonna feed you every day. Right? But, like, I still know you and like you. I think Jay's right. I think I think the right notion is one of boundaries. I don't think you have to start with the axe. Right. Or the the giant wall, you know, something like that. And by their fruits, you shall know them. Right? They're gonna they're gonna reveal who they are one way or the other. But, you don't have to leave all your valuables out on the, you know, front porch, so to speak, or leave your doors unlocked or something like that. If you know somebody has a bad history or

has had some fruits on their tree that are, you know, receiving a That's not judgmental. That's prudent. Yeah. Yeah. Wisdom. It's Solomon. But I but I think in that in that same regard, if I I don't know that you have to to pre call a season of fruits as being this this thing that shows up every season. You know I'm saying? Like like, that that that stance doesn't allow for forgiveness. It doesn't allow for change. Redemption. That you don't do that. Right. The the extent that you don't allow for for redemption, one, like, Jesus talks is pretty harsh on this. Where he's harshest is is arrogance and lack of humility. The guy who who the the pharisee who shows up to the temple and goes, at least I'm not this guy, this tax collector. And Jesus goes, tax collector. You know? He's the guy that that left the hill

in right relationship with God. And so, like, I think you can be cautious. I think that's fine. But, like, if these guys were a thousand miles away, like, it possible that you're not close enough to this situation to not at least give it a shot and see how it goes and see if the fruits are still what you thought they were? That does sound a little bit like a prejudging, you know, like you were saying. So, yeah, give give people give people a chance and use your best discernment and your best and your best knowledge to judge the judge the situation. Yeah. I think I think boundaries are okay. This unwelcoming attitude, I don't know what your deal is. That's hold on. Let's let's see what secular says. Secular says Wait. Wait. Hold on. Dan Dan, did you have anything? I I agree with all of you. Yeah. I think yeah.

I have nothing to add, really. Was just Okay. They're they're just being a little harsh. So sometimes you're you're going by old memories or things you've heard, rumors, and and we don't yeah. You need to see how they really are right now. Yeah. Maybe they've changed. I mean, we don't know. Well, that's actually that's a really good point because a lot of times, the our hertz are are tertiary. They we it is our understanding that they hurt someone that we cared about Mhmm. And so that we have an opinion of them and don't have a personal experience with it. And, like, it's not that you can't care about that, but, like, even the people you are closest to,

if they were the ones who were hurt, you're getting a you're getting a bit of a shade on what what the event was. People don't tend to cop to their own problems. And so I I just it's I think it's the better part of valor here to to just, take it in face value and, and set the appropriate boundaries. Walk in slowly. Don't allow too much if you don't have to right off the gate, and then, and see how it goes. And then if it requires you to set firmer boundaries, continue to do that. If it allows you to lax them, then do that too. Yeah. Good fences make good neighbors. There you go. Yep. When I use my friends. Yeah. Use my friends.

When I, when my, I was dating my wife and she met my dad for the first time. I gave her all these warnings of how he was going to be. He's gonna be super loud. He's gonna be obnoxious. He'll be the we were gonna meet in the restaurant. He'll be louder than everybody in the restaurant and all this stuff. He she had to, like, keep asking him to repeat his words. He was so soft spoken. I was projecting, like, twenty years of history

into that moment of who he used to be twenty years prior, and he wasn't that guy anymore. So she never knew him the way I explained to him Right. Her to him him to her because I was going from that memory. I think that's it could be what this family is going through too. Like Yeah. Well and and actually, I mean, what it all boils down to is fear. You're just afraid that you're gonna be thieved. I don't They're gonna drink on your property and tear it up and cause a problem and, like, I

I think there's a nice balance where you can not let fear run your whole life. Right? Like, fear can lie to you just like any other feeling can, and you can you can deprive yourself of a lot of great things merely because you felt sanctified in the fact that you feared it or understood it and decided this was gonna be the deal. And there's a lot of church folk too who see, who in my experience, I not I can't say for sure it's about these people, but who hear that someone has had a bad history and or someone uses, like, some kind of drug, maybe even in moderation, and they just see them and blow that all out of proportion and want to see this person as, the devil himself. It becomes their character as opposed to a moment or a part of them. Yeah. And then some some some religious people I've met really kind of get off on that type of judgementalness, and I'm better than them. And, really, they should see it as the possibility of maybe, why why not have why not split the script? You know? Maybe you have a chance of having some more family members and friends in your neighborhood who, if things get difficult and tough in the next couple of months or years, they'll they'll be around. Know? So see them as a chance to recruit them and into your team of good friends and Mhmm. Try and think positive about it. And if if you give people a chance and if you treat people well, you you sometimes, you know, they'll actually, you know, become better people. That's correct. How many of these guys without even knowing them are like, I love being an alcoholic. I'm glad it's taken a hold of me and caused me to do things I don't want to do. And they see you they show up and you're sitting there putting extra locks on your door and stuff like that. Correct. Like, it's it's taking the worst thing someone's ever done, painting their entire life with it and going that's who they intended to be. I mean, how many how many recovering addicts do I know that you guys know that are like, look, man. I don't know how this thing gets a hold of me, but it does. And you're you're with them in the struggle. You know? And it's not who they wanna be. It's not who they intend to be, and they just end up losing. You know? And so, like, to paint the brush as if they came out of the womb twisting their mustache with vodka in their hand, right, it's not accurate. You know? Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Secular says, before your brother makes the move to your community, ask him what his plans are regarding making a new start. While you're at it, inquire about his children and grandchildren

when they intend to to what they intend to do after they arrive. Listen carefully to what your brother has to say, then tell him that because of their criminal history, you and your husband cannot comfortably entertain them in your home. Say it kindly but firmly, and do not allow yourself to be drawn into a debate about it. From your description of them, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Let me make sure it's thinking moving back to our hometown to be around family and start over. Yeah. It says nowhere that anybody's moving in with them. They're coming to be around family? Yeah. Boy. This is I'd I'd reinvest to make sure this family actually wants you around. I don't know what you think you're gonna gain. Maybe move to Plano, Texas or whatever. Maybe they're nicer there. I've heard Southern Illinois is nice. Yeah. Southern Illinois. Yeah. That's what I yeah.

Wastes, man. Bakes. Just like the bays. Alright. Alright. You've been listening to live from the past. Thanks for hanging out with us this week. We really do appreciate it. I hope I hope I was just thinking about some of the stuff we were talking about last week, maybe the week before that this has been a week of humility for you.

And and and one of which we have the opportunity to maybe simplify, the the stuff that we get involved with, the manner of which we get involved with it. And maybe a time good to flip some stuff on its head and say, look. Is is is the tail wagon the dog here? Am I am I am I owning the things that I'm being involved with, the conversations I'm in? What I how I spend my time, or is that stuff owning me? And, because those things, all all these different things only have control over you, to the extent that you allow it. And so, I I hope maybe that's been a reflection for you this week, for stuff we've been talking about over the last couple weeks, and and it probably needs to continue to be.

I think a pretty consistent theme in Jesus' ministry is says I can do I can do anything with humble humble people. I don't have I don't have the patience for arrogance. And so, it's a good place to start this week. If you haven't hit there, on your knees about that, I think that's a good one. I've been I've been on it myself. And so, we just we pray that for you and for us here in the room. If you got anything you wanna talk to us about, hit us up at the complaint line. (515) 517-0085. You can send us an email, [email protected]. I won't read it. I don't check that stuff. And so let's just do the complaint line,

and so we we'd love to hear from you. We plan to be here next week. Yeah. I think I think everybody's in town, so that is the goal. And so we'll look forward to talking to you next week. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.