Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the Pathway Studios.

And you're listening to live from the Path coming from the Pathway Studios here in Johnson. Commerce. Yeah. It was necessary to be done.

I don't know. It's the two of us, so I felt like I really had to come in strong. No. Yeah. I think that was the right thing to do. Alright. I hope over the last few weeks that you've been enjoying the back catalog of Life From The Path. Just know, here's if you're a fan of the show, I'm continuing to backfill. Every, I don't know, every two weeks, three weeks, or whatever, I might be released two or three episodes. And so if you if you haven't listened to live from the path lately, you just have not listened to live from the path. Go ahead and refresh the podcast and scroll all the way down to the bottom or the top depending on how you have it sorted and look for the old hits. In fact, I was listening to one on the way to here today about Operation Christmas Child where we are where did the impression that they're ripping. The deal actually, was an interesting conversation. I kinda forgot about this, but, like so when you do Operation Christmas Child, you send the boxes over there. Yep. But then, like, the churches that the boxes are going to to distribute them have to pay.

Oh, really? It's not free. It doesn't get all the way to them. They have to pay for it. Like postage? In country shipping. Oh, okay. So for some churches, it could be, like, $5 a box, $7 a box. Oh, that sucks. Right. And you think, you know, you're you're because you pay for shipping here. Right. You're like, it gets right to the door of the lovely Namibian child who needs it. But, no, it gets held up in at the airport till someone comes and picks it up. Hey, man. That happens in a lot of countries to where, like, they'll get extorted at the at the airport too. Like, if the government's pretty rough in the area, like, they'll they'll be shaken down for that kind of stuff too. Right. So, like, oh, boy. I don't like it. I don't like that at all. She's, like, slap a five on the outside of the box. That's what I'm saying. Is that, like, if someone said, look. You give an extra $2, it'll get to its place in country. I I'd give it. Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. So, anyway, it was it was an interesting conversation. I don't remember I don't remember what it was called. Alright. Here's the deal, though. Oh, Operation Christmas Trouble. That's what the episode's called. Yeah. It was real clippy. Alright.

I've been on the show since I was 18 years old. 18. Let's have it. Yeah. If you find yourself in this back catalog and, and I have said something stupid, one, nothing has changed. And two,

I can only apologize. I can't change what's happened. I was a fool and still am in many ways. I'm maturing thankfully, but like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I've said. If you find yourself listening something that's particularly offensive, I apologize for my younger self. I did not have good ideas, and I also did not have a filter to stop myself from talking, and the good lord made it to where I was on a recorded podcast since I was, barely an adult.

And so oh, boy. I I apologize that all that stuff is is out in the interwebs, and I cannot take it back. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's understandable. Alright, man. Here's what we got going on the show today.

Buba, you've got a couple ask the pastors. Yes. Yeah. I got a couple things that have that have happened in my reading over the last couple of weeks. These ones these ones are more possibly funny than, than than me trying to, like, really figure things out. But, like, I just every once in a while, I I find myself in a place where I I caution myself to not read my bible too quickly. Yeah. Because, like, it's it's sometimes easy, especially if you find yourself in a place where, like, you you feel like, it's difficult to get passionate about the things that the lord is saying because you're either confused or it's it's it's that kind of day kind of situation or whatever. Yep. I I have to stop myself and go, okay. Did I just read something too quickly because that hit me weird? That's wild. And do I need to take a step back and look at that? And then sometimes I read something and I go, I know that I've read this book before. How did I not notice that the first time? Like, how did I not pay attention to that the first time? And that's been the kinda it's been the the a couple things that happened this week. So Okay. Alright. So we'll hit some ask the pastor.

I don't know. Looked at a couple articles. Maybe we'll get to them. Maybe we don't. We should do a quiz. We should do actually, maybe we will do a quiz. Haven't We done a quiz in a long time. We'll see how it'll basically be you having the right answer and then me going, no. I think that's over here. And then you just put in what you do, and then it'll be the right answer. Oh, man. Okay. Should do a really hard quiz together. Okay. Alright. I'm gonna find Yes. I'm gonna find a quiz. Yeah. We're gonna do a really hard quiz together to see if Ben and I can can answer better than at least to, you know, the 9% of Christians that probably got got this thing right. Yeah. Okay. We'll do that. I and I had oh oh, newest quizzes. How old are these? I was gonna say, are those they're still putting quizzes out? I mean, this have you have I ever shown you this? I think I've seen the website. Quiz. Is it like a WordPress website? It's pretty rough. Yeah. Okay. The last the last updated quiz was 2008.

Oh, jeez. And the quiz was titled Abishag. Abishag. From women in the bible. The whole there's a whole quiz on Abishag? Abishag? Wow. Who is that? Isn't that

I know Abishag. No. Abby it's a it's a lady. Abby Shek. What book? Okay. Hold on. We'll just look her up real quick just to just to We'll do some pretest

pre pretest at least get context in where she's at. I thought that was the name of with the with David. His his second lady? Let's see. Beautiful young woman of Shunam chosen to be a helper and servant to king David in his old age. Oh. Among her duties was to lie next to David and pass along her body heat. Yeah. The lady blanket. Yeah. That's right. Is that where we get shag carpet from? Shag blanket? Definitely. I have no idea.

Okay. Maybe we better not take that one. Oh, no. That's gonna be rough. Okay. But we'll skip that. Okay. I got and let just real quick. I I'm gonna share a I don't know. Just a I don't know. Just just a god story. So we were on vacation, my family and I, for the last, I don't know, couple weeks, which is super interesting. I I don't recall ever being on vacation for that long. Right. Like, that's been that's been a long time to be away.

And it it was, generally speaking, pretty good. As as it tends to happen, my wife and I kinda fought for a few days because you could drive in a car for a long time. Yep. Figure out a time to have all the conversations you haven't had time to had in your in your house with four kids. Oh, boy. And then you find out that you just disagree on things. I know. So we and some of that some of that was my fault, frankly. And so Okay. Anyway, we we get to it all it gets it gets settled down. But, like, the whole time, my wife has been kinda praying, hey. We're gonna be out and about. And, like, there's just something about going on vacation. We drove. Like, we took our car. We drove everywhere. We stayed in mostly in hotels that I had points for from having traveled for work. Boy, we got hosed on a couple of them, though. Like, it's it's Columbus Day. It was over Columbus Day. Uh-huh. And

everybody's in the Northeast to look at the leaves. The leaf club. Right? Right. And so we hadn't we had not didn't know where we're gonna be on, like, the Friday night and the Saturday night before Columbus Day. Right. And so because we didn't know, I couldn't prebook the hotels. And so now we're searching around and, like, there is nothing available. And we ended up I think I ended up paying, I mean, $300

or something for a hotel that should've cost a 110. Oh, no. But, like, it and it was either one of those or, like, just a real roach motel. Oh, no. I I in fact, I I had I I was looking so much. I was looking for our family is too big to to do most Right. Like, Airbnbs Yep. Or things that would be cheap or anything. Yeah. And, like, I got in my mind, I'm just gonna rent an RV for a night. Like, I'm not gonna travel in it. No. I'll just rent it. Yeah. Go park in the Walmart and, like, sit there and then bring it back. Yeah. And so it didn't work out because, like didn't work? Most of those were rented out. The price was right. Like, you could've done it for, like, $70.

I would've thought nobody else would've thought of that, actually. I I think people legitimately had rented the RV. Oh, okay. Not I'm the only guy living for ride. To Walmart, drop it back off. Right. Okay. So, anyway, I my wife had been praying kinda the whole time. Like, it it just felt it feels I'm trying to look for the right word. Not elitist, but, like I mean, who gets to be not everybody gets to be gone away from their job and life. Like, we homeschool, so, like, it wasn't a school problem, but, like, you know you know, not everybody gets to be gone for two weeks or roughly, you know? And like like I said, it wasn't particularly luxurious.

We were in Fairfields, the middle you know, and driving our car around. Everyone's stuffed in there. Just looking trees and hiking and things, but whatever, it does feel self centered. Yeah, I get that. And so anyway, my wife had been praying the whole time and said, look, just help us to keep our eyes open in case, is there anything that we can be about?

You know, just outside of everyday stuff, hey, we're we're we're nice to people. We pray for people, blah blah blah. Right. But help us not to miss anything that god has going on around us simply because we're out here doing something that we're like we plan focused on our ourselves. That's fair. So we get to the last day that we're there and I wake up the the night before I pulled it at a hotel and all of a sudden, there's, like, weird chunk under the car when I hit the brake. I'm like, the brake the brake system is not super complicated. Right. And I and and I frankly had just changed the the lower control arm on both sides of the front of the vehicle. So I'd have I'd have this whole wheel assembly apart, brakes and calipers included. And I thought, okay. Well, this kinda makes sense. I've I'm just poor at what I do, possibly. And so but it turned out that there was something wrong with the car. The brake system. There was a bolt that had, like, worked its way out. Mhmm.

But, luckily, this thing had happened before on this same car, like, three years ago. Whatever this bolt is, it's I'm either bad at it or it's stubborn or both. Yeah. And so luckily, think to myself, well, I I need to get to the auto parts store. I gotta go get another Bolt. And I I asked I I thought, well, do an Uber. I tried to limp this thing. Like, I'm gonna drive it over there. That was that failed. Uh-huh. Yeah. It's making a lot of weird noises and prob probably would've broken worse. But, like so I get ahold of an Uber. Dude comes up. His name is James. K. James comes to pick me up, and I just I'm not chatty.

Like, I'm just I'm not a chatty people man. Like, I'd I'd I'd get in the car and just sit there in silence, and it would have been totally fine. Yeah. But I thought, like, oh, I I should talk to him. So that's what I do. And I talk to him. He's a lovely he's like an older older gentleman, and he'd only been doing Uber for like a month, worked at a plastics factory and was just trying to pick up some extra money. So talking to him, we get to the place and he goes, look, if you let me I'll hang around so you can get back. Oh, nice. I said, oh, that's cool, man. Which was the double cool, frankly, because I went in there and I ended up having to buy tools that I have. Oh gosh. Yeah. In Ohio and not Iowa. Uh-huh. I gotta rebuy

freaking tools from the auto parts store, which are expensive. Right. So, anyway, I get back in and he starts taking me back and, like, it's just it's it's in the back of my mind. I'm like, you're supposed to pray with James. You should pray with James. Yeah. I'm like, I don't know. What am I gonna Do I have to? Like, right now? Like, lord. Guide his wheel. So anyway, I just like and we're talking and he lost a daughter a couple years ago and was getting ready to travel with his he's got grandchildren and they were gonna drive go to Tennessee.

And like, I thought, okay, think I'm supposed to pray with James. And but but in my mind, I'm worrying about it because, again, not not a small conversational man. So I'm like, what what am I gonna say? Was like, James, I really feel like I'm supposed to pray with you. Do you mind if I do that? I thought, okay. Yeah. This maybe that's what I'll say. Yeah. So he pulls up to the drive drops me off at the hotel. And just as like we're 20 feet away from the door, he starts talking and then he goes, okay. We're here. I just need to tell you. God bless you, brother. And I hope I hope your your travels are successful. And I thought, wow. Like, God help me out here because I felt I knew I was supposed to pray with this man. And I'm tied up in my mind about how I'm gonna start a conversation that I'm not very good at starting. And he has the man just lead with, I just gonna tell you, God bless you, brother. And then so I said, James,

I'm glad so glad you said that because I just I I've I got a very clear feeling that I'm supposed to pray with you. Do you mind if we do that? And he said, that would be great. He pulls up like another 10 feet past the door, turns around, we hold hands, just a couple of fellas in the car, praying. I prayed prayed for our upcoming travels and travel for him and time with his grandkids and his blessing on his Ubering or whatever. Wow. And we got out of the car. Pretty now here's the thing. It's pretty run of the mill Yeah. Situation. But I I will tell you this. Part of the reason that I think it was on my mind is I was listening for it. My wife had been praying for this. We had talked about it just like Absolutely. When the car wasn't the the thing happened with the car. It's kind of a goofball thing to happen. But but by the way, we went back in after I figured out the car was broken. I said, hey. You guys can just go back inside. You don't need to sit out here in the car. It's probably gonna be an hour by the time I get a part and get it fixed or whatever. So my wife and kids go back inside and she had left her wedding ring in the bathroom.

Oh my gosh. And so we would've drove if the car was working fine We would've left. Yep. We would've just drove away. Oh my gosh. Like, ordering was there. And, like, she had she goes, before I'd gone and and called the Uber or whatever, she goes, I just I wonder if we're just here for a reason. Like, so we're supposed to meet somebody or talk to somebody. So the important part for me was one well, there were two. The first one was you tend to see God move when you're looking. Yeah, absolutely. God is moving. And the question is, am I looking? There was a part of me when my wife's talking a bit. This doesn't bother her at all. But for me, I'm like, I'm run into somebody. What am I gonna say? Right. I can do all day. I can handle people asking me bible questions to ask me, but like, how do I understand this passage of bible? Like, I'm good at this. This is uncomfortable. Right. Like or even conversations where I'm giving, like, counseling or helping people through kind of rough parts of life.

It feels like my role is called for as a pastor. And so I'm even comfortable there. No problem. But like, like random situations throughout the day of which I'm the instigator of conversations. This is not my normal. It's out of my wheelhouse. And so this is the whole thing that's making me nervous. My wife's all ready for like looking for people, like maybe we should talk to the lady at the front desk. Maybe she needs to do this. And so, but anyway, I was looking for it and

God gave like a very clear place. It felt like a very clear place in which I was supposed to do something. And that was the second thing is where I was nervous about it and where I'm like, oh man, what am I looking for something that's not there? Am I reaching or whatever? My father who loves me sends me a bridge. He has the man that I was gonna offer to pray for, make it very easy by revealing to me that he's a Jesus man and he was gonna bless me. I'm gonna bless him. He gonna bless me first.

So what does it do is it prepares me for next time. Right? So that, like, I'm just I know this seems weird. Right? I'm a I'm a I'm a pastor. I with with a bunch of other dudes, we host a Christian radio show. It's the weird the things that tie me up. Yep. Right. It's weird the people like, the situations I've been in, the rooms I've been in, the levels of people in society that I've talked to. This is the kind of thing that gets me. And my father loves me. And he says, let me let me just make this one easier on you. James is gonna say, God bless you. And let's get one under the belt. That's awesome. So anyway, just sharing in case it's helpful for yourself is that like, hey man, these things aren't happening to me. Are people finding these opportunities to talk and meet with people and whatever, do the work of Jesus in everyday life. One, I just you got if you're looking for it, you'll find it. Yeah. Like, it's it's there. God's moving. And second of all, like, where you've got your own human barriers that are keeping you from doing some things, like, God loves you too. And this is something that we've talked about on the show many times is that like, I do believe

that God will bless your intent. Like the thing that you want to do in spite of your human frailties and fallibilities. If your heart is in the right spot, you're wanting to do something for Jesus. He will find a way to, like, to meet you in that and to help you get to to see the things. Because, like, frankly, we're not gonna all in fact, all the things that God is accomplishing is through those same means. Fallible human intent meets the will of the lord, his love for you and love for the things that you're trying to do. He's gonna meet you and go do those things. And so just just be open to it, and don't be worried about your own what you perceive to be your own shortcomings. Yeah. That's awesome, man. I love that.

Gosh. I I I feel like I I I have those kind of thoughts all the time, and I get in my own way because I'm, like, I'm trying to do the things that I I'm focused on. Like, I'll find myself in a place where, like, I'm going to church and I see somebody and I get that, like, gut at my heart feeling where I'm like, I need to go pray with them or talk to them about something or make sure they're okay. And then I'm like, I'm on my way to something else, so I'm not gonna stop. I gotta go do that thing. And I'm like Yep. Dang it. That's the exact opposite of what I should do. Yeah. Like, I'm literally going to try and be holy to myself somewhere else. And I I possibly have the, you know, spidey senses tingling where it's like, hey. That's a person. Go check on them and make sure they're they're taken care of. Yep. And I'm like, nope. On way to church, or I'm on way to the show. I'm on way to youth group. Can't be interrupted. I gotta get there, man. Right. That's crazy. Yeah. I I I that's that's totally cool to, like, be conscientious of those kind of things and then just go, alright. God, you gotta handle this and make it happen because I'm frail and weird. Yep. And I'm gonna get, you know, be in my thoughts about it. Yep. And and and we've we've talked before about, like, I it occurred to me maybe yesterday. I thought, like, this is the this is one of the things I wanna make sure I don't I'll forget this. I'll forget this in three months. I'll I won't I've forgotten James

and I've forgotten that the lord was with me. Yep. And that he he allowed my open eyes to do something for him of which I'm blessed. And so, like, this is an altar item for me. I was gonna say, Ebenezer. We do rocks and sticks. Mhmm. Rocks are the really big ones. Sticks are the lovely everyday reminders that god is Yeah. Is is here. And so I gotta the cats have been they really messed up our altar. So I gotta they've been scratching at us. It seems real weird. The cats have been catching up on an altar. They've been they've been bothered with it. There's a the cats have been at our altar. I get up in the morning. I'll come downstairs.

Freaking cat's, like, stretching on it. Scratch. It's like, get off that altar. There's shards of altar on the ground. So stupid cats are in there. Gosh. That's it up. Cats have been at our altar. I kinda I have to repair it. You know, it's interesting. I had I I had a similar experience this this last week. I was I was teaching on on Sunday for church, and I had I was at a coffee shop,

and I I didn't bring in a laptop or anything. I literally just had my bible, and I had two, like, monster commentaries on on Matthew. These books are huge. Mhmm. Like, a thousand pages each. And so, I mean, I look real scholarly. Yeah. Like, I look studious. I am I have I've got these three enormous books open. I'm reading them out, and, there's this young guy that's in front of me in in a booth. And this is actually last week. Excuse me. Not this, this the two days ago or yesterday.

This young guy in front of me, and he's got headphones in. And, like, I glanced, like, I I can just see past his shoulder at one point in time, and he's got, like, his his iPad up, and he's studying, like, immunology or something Yeah. And and is is going through, like, the statistics of an immunology, study.

And, I mean, college level kind of stuff, whatever. And I've been sitting here for maybe, you know, two hours. He's probably been sitting there for an hour and a half. Yep. And then out of nowhere, see this dude, like, take his headphone out, and he turns around and looks at me. And he goes, hey, man. What are you studying? And, like, I just well up, and I'm, like, super pumped, and I'm like, actually, I'm teaching church this Sunday, and I'm I'm I'm reading in Matthew. And I'm thinking, what a cool opportunity this is gonna be. The god's like, hey, man. Like, I'm I'm sending someone to you. You're doing this work for church on Sunday, but, like, you're in the world right now. Take advantage of it. Right. And I go, I'm actually I'm studying for for church this Sunday. I'm teaching on Matthew. And he goes, oh, and he puts his headphone back in, and he turns back around.

And, like, just flat out pays me no more attention because he's like, oh, because he's thinking I'm gonna be able to talk to him about, like, I'm studying, you know, engineering or I'm studying, like, microbiology, and here's what I know about lysosomes now. I tell him I'm studying my bible, and he just like, pow. Turns back around, throws his headphone in. That is awesome. I could not stop laughing in my head. I'm like, what a great, like, moment for me to think, man, I'm re I'm being really holy right now. Like, I'm ready to teach this weekend at at church, and I'm super pumped to be out in the world and people see me, and they're, like, jumping in on this. And, nope, this guy wants nothing to do with the fact that I'm teaching at church. He's like, no. I could care less about that. Like, that's great. It's it's a real crapshoot of some of this stuff. So

I I believe at the same I was at the Smoker Row downtown. Yeah. So and, like, I ran into a guy. His name was Alex. I remember that. And he came by. I'd been studying there for two two, three hours or something, and he's he acts real interested. He says, man, what are you looking at? Right. Yeah. I'm studying whatever the bible book was at the time. He goes, wow. Like, really love to talk more with you about this. I'm like, wow, this doesn't happen. Yeah, right. They're coming out of a movie. And so I get the guy's phone number and we text a little bit and he works there. And so I I just I figured out we meet up, like, I don't know, two weeks later because he wants to talk more about the bible. Right. Yeah.

He shows up and he's prepared something. Oh, no. He he didn't wanna talk to me where, like, he had bible questions or whatever. He wanted to teach me about the book of Daniel. And I so I'll be honest with you, man. I didn't see this part coming. I thought you were gonna have questions for me, and he's like, hey. Let's talk about Nebuchadnezzar's

visions. Yeah. Yeah. And, like, and he Our dreams. It was it was the most awkward, I don't know, hour and twenty minutes I spent, like An hour and twenty minutes. He's sitting here just wailing off and, like like like, he's got bulleted list. And he's talking he's talking to me like he didn't meet me studying actively the scriptures. He's talking to me like I've never heard any this stuff You're his missional field.

I'm like, no. I mean, whatever. Maybe I'm maybe I'm his James in the Uber where, like, god's like, let me give you a freebie. Oh gosh. Like, I it's it's such an odd thing because he's saying this stuff, and there's rudimentary, like, bible things and I'm like, yeah. That's right. Right on. That's great. Amen. Whatever. What other Christian thing do I say here? I've heard I I and I'll Preacher, brother. A couple different and, but he wasn't even saying something So I thought, like I remember being into the conversation and I thought, you know, you know all these things, but, like, maybe this is to get out some arrogance that you have. Like, who cares whether you know it already? Uh-huh. Like, the lord may be moving, so just be open to whatever the man's saying and opt for the life of me. I could not I I did not attach to anything where I'm like, boy, yeah, that really got me. It's like, yeah. Yeah. He was Babylon totally agreed. Like, were facts. Bigzo. And and then he he ended up like and it was some sort of, you know, Daniel revelation connection. I said, look, man. I

is gonna seem like apocalyptic writing on you? I like I I I literally just taught this stuff, like, six months ago, and what you're saying is not right. But I don't wanna I don't wanna argue with you about it because, like, it took some stones to bring a man in here and teach him Daniel. I said, like, is this where you start with everybody, Daniel? Right. Exactly. Like, what a weird way to start this. It's like, hey. You don't know anything about the lord. Let me tell you about a time that he saved somebody from king Nebuchadnezzar. Yeah. And then interpreted some weird dreams, and then Nebuchadnezzar ends up being a beast of the field and gets the dew of the morning on him and stuff like that. Now I I if I That's great. I remember correctly, like, would know, he was a beast, and that could be us. I'm like, I don't What? I listen. It's very specifically a, hey. I you you will see yourself as a tree,

and you are a really great kingdom in the kingdoms of men, but I will make you lowly. Yeah. And, like, as a punishment for what you've done, you will you will run for seven times or seven periods of time Yeah. As a beast of the field. Yeah. I don't I don't know if that was a call for everybody on that one Right. Or just a Nebuchadnezzar situation. So I so here's the thing. I'd be interested. Complaint line. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. Like, what are your stories Yes. On either direction? I'd love to hear from, hey. You took a shot and prayed with somebody or, like, you knew you were supposed to talk to somebody and you actually did it. Yeah. Or you chickened out. Failed. Like, it's I've done it. I've done it. Uh-huh. Or I'm interested. Has anybody tried to proselytize to you? You were already a follower of Jesus. Is that a bible? Let me tell you about Matthew. I mean, like, it just

or, like, maybe you didn't have your scriptures with you, and they came up and they tried to sell you on Jesus. And even though you told them that you are a follower of Jesus, they persisted like they didn't understand what you said. Oh, that's beautiful. I love that so much. Oh my gosh. Hey. Actually, that reminds me of a question in Daniel. This may be a third ask the pastor. Okay. Okay. So so Daniel's exiled and is, like, in the in the palace of king Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon.

Yep. Right? Yep. He gets the new name Belteshazzar. Right? Mhmm. And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. That is their Babylonian names. Yep. Why then do we have the rest of the narrative? Most of the time, Daniel is then reverted back to be referred to as Daniel, but we continue to refer to Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego as their Babylonian exiled names throughout the entire book.

Like, why does Daniel get to go back to his Israelite name throughout the narrative, but the other three don't? Because their names, like, were, like, Azazel and Azazel, something like that, and then the I can't remember the other two. But yeah. Yeah. That's a good question. I mean, it could be author's choice. Like, the the book

like, I I I wonder if because Daniel's the key the key character. Right. Yes. And you So tying narratively, you would tie him back to his roots. Yeah. You would well, if you're if if the book is designed to point you back it's to say Daniel's the same thing in the book of revelation. Right? Like, it's designed to help a people Yep. Who feel like god may have abandoned them Still there. Right. To be reminded that he did not. Yep. God was not a geographic god in a location that was pre exile. He's still with you even if you have been exiled literally by his allowance Yes. To the land that you're in. Or effort. I sent my man. I sent Yeah. Literally. Yes. I did it. I said right. I send Nebuchadnezzar against you Yes. Because you suck. Yeah. And so, you know, if you're telling the story as a Jew and you're trying to remember it as the people of Israel, like, you're gonna remember the Israelite name. Yeah.

And so I I think the the the the three bros are limited to a single chapter, like what we would call a chapter in the story. Right? Yeah. You get their their introduction alongside Daniel as one of the kids that get taken into belt or into Nebuchadnezzar's, like, kingdom or his his court court, I should say. Yeah. Then you get them being thrown into the furnace but then saved. That's all you get of those three. It's less of a point of confusion. They they have a limited role. Okay. I that's probably yeah. Because within the context of Nebuchadnezzar, they may be using Daniel's Babylonian given name. Right.

But everywhere else, he's Daniel. And so you risk a confusion whereas you don't necessarily probably with the other Okay. Fair enough. I just I never realized that. Like, as like I said, sometimes I read my bible too fast. And this last time I was going through Daniel, I was looking at it. I'm like, wait a minute. Okay. So Daniel Daniel was Belteshazzar, Shazar, whatever. And then Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego were their, like, Babylonian names. Mhmm. And then they never revert revert back in the story to their Right. Their, you know, Hebrew names. So okay. Fair enough. Alright. Well, we're doing ask the pastors. Wait. You had a couple more. Yeah. I did. So, I I've I've moved my way on into, some of the the major or the minor prophets now, but, I I was reading through Ezekiel K. A week and a half ago maybe.

And, I was taking a five chapters at a time, and Ezekiel has some some thick chapters, like like 70 verses at a time. Like, there's a lot happening. Yep. And as you get later on into Ezekiel, there's 48 chapters total. In chapter 39, you have had up to this point, there have been some, some, like, visualizations and dreams

that Ezekiel has been privy to, like the lord took him to the throne room where he saw the four beasts in the very first couple of chapters and the beasts that were attached to well, the beasts and the cherubim were attached to the wheels, and that was all imagery that was being talked about. But then you've got, chapters where it literally just is the lord gave, you know, Ezekiel a word for his people or a word against a kingdom or a group of people. Yep. So you've got in Ezekiel 39, you've got him against, I believe it's Gog. Yeah. Prophesy against Gog. Yeah. Prophesy against Gog at the beginning of 39,

Goes through this this prophesy against the, like, the chief priest or whatever he was, the chief prince, I think. I love it I love it too. Like, tell Gog, I'm against you. Right. Exactly. Yeah. It's, like, flat out. Clear. Go to Gog. Tell him, mm-mm. I'm against you now. Yep. But then there's this interesting narrative flip that happens in verse 17 where it turns from Gog to, like, the lord tells Ezekiel to talk to a different group of things. And so in verse 17 and I'm I'm trying not to laugh at it because, obviously, it's not a funny situation, but it's just it was interesting to me as I, like, slowed down. So in Ezekiel 39 starting in verse 17, you've got, as for you, son of man, thus says the lord, speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field. Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast, and it goes on to be kinda heavy.

But, like, it's it was interesting to me because he's literally saying to Ezekiel, is a prophet meant to be from the mouth of the lord that I'm giving you these words, go and speak to x. We've had many prophets up to this point that have done this all the way back to, like I mean, even in, like, the first five books of the bible, you have prophets that are speaking and priests that are talking and stuff like that. Yep. You've got this book of Ezekiel where his whole life is being told and called. Like, they're he's in exile in the beginning when he's first called. And so, like, god says, talk to Gog. Tell him I'm against him. And then the flip is, but also tell the birds in the area and the beasts in the area that I am laying out a feast for you. Mhmm. One,

that's odd to me just like because the in in the realm of existence, I don't believe that this is impossible. I don't think that God would not be be able to speak to his creation. Obviously, we've got many situations in which creation cries out for the Lord. They know of him. They know of their creator. That's not new things for us. Yep. But it just threw me like, it's such an interesting thing to hear. Go and tell my creatures, the birds of the air and the beasts of the field that I'm laying out for them a feast, and it is vicious and violent. Like, he's like, I will crush this enemy, and then I will lay this army dead before my creatures as a feast. Right. I bring sustenance to my creatures

through the destruction of my enemies. But, like, what? Like, that's crazy to me that that's a conversation. Is there any other precedence for this kind of thing, like interaction with animals where it's like the lord is giving a command to animals? Is this is this a a fairly well, I should say there's plenty of situations in which the lords command animals, but, like, this seems like a very isolated

narrative thing where god is speaking through a prophet to something other than humans and creation and angels. Like, it threw me off a little bit because, from what I understand, this is meant to be a real thing. Like, this is not, a vision I don't believe. I may be wrong on that, but I it from context, it doesn't seem like it is. No. I don't think it is. So I think there's a couple things that are in play there. I you we do see

I think I think back to the book of Jonah Uh-huh. Where there is a call to repentance to Nineveh, and their reaction is to to put sackcloth

and ashes and they put sackcloth on the animal. Right. Yes. And so just the first thing that jumped to mind. And so I I do think that there is a a shallowness to maybe sometimes how we think about the world. We Yeah. From a very human perspective. Right. Like Very uncentered. Right. Now if we if we believe thoughtfully that creation groans Uh-huh. Has some sort of prescience to Yep. Groan for something,

an awareness of what god created something to be, like, perhaps not an articulation of it, but the you know, god's creation is aware that it is not running how it is supposed to run. Right. Yes. Then it it does actually, we we talked about this on the show once. There was a conversation about god may be doing business with a rabbit. Do you remember that? Doing business with a Okay. What what Kind of, like, pops a bell and very far back in my brain. Gosh. I wish I could remember the conversation, but, like, it was around this very type of thing that, like, we think about god interacting with humans, but, like,

god is doing business with his whole creation. Absolutely. Yes. And so and he and we do have him sending different parts of his creation like Yep. Causing wind to blow, causing trees to move and give fruit and whatever. And so I I think it's not out of place from the grand narrative for god to otherwise

interact with his creation outside of humans. Got it. Now where it is unique or at least seems unique to me is the it's like that the human prophet is actually supposed to articulate himself to these objects Right. To these birds. Right. Like, Noah didn't go and command the animals to come to the ark. They just showed up. Right. Ezekiel is literally being told by the lord, go speak Speak to the beast. Behalf of me to the birds and the beasts and let them know. Like, I'm just imagining him going out into the woods and going, ah, hopefully, you can understand me, but just a heads up, the lord is coming, and and he's made a feast for you. Right. Come on out. Right. Hello. Hello. Golden corral over in the Valley Of The Bones. Let's go head out. Hello, raven. Do you have any friends? And are you a known gossip? Because I don't know how to get ahold of all of you, but I was supposed to tell the birds. Is there some bird grapevine in which you can go and talk to the other birds and let them know that the lord's making them dinner. Like, what a weird deal. No. Here's what's interesting.

Is that, like, one, obviously, is for as a reader, this is this is for our benefit. 100%. Yes. There's something about god is engaging creation and preparing it. It tells it's a deeper story not just to say, hey. I'll bring judgment upon these people. Right. But it will be so extensive that I'm gonna have to call in reinforcements to deal with it. As a matter of fact Yeah. There

the picture we get of the the vultures. Yeah. There's a belief that, like, god will send an excess amount of vultures to go eat up bodies. Uh-huh. Right.

I I I think that's a bad reading of both Matthew 24 I was gonna say I thought that was Matthew stuff. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And Revelation. So so apocalyptic stuff. I think it's a it's it's not a right reading of it. Okay. But, like, it's not unprecedented Right. That god would interact with creation based upon something he's either doing or going to do. Yeah. Right. So Okay. I I so I I think it is unique. The question, I suppose, is there any reason to think that it's not literal?

It could just be written for our benefit. I think that's possible. I think it's just as possible. In fact, I probably think it's more likely that sometimes god sends the prophet to do things where you're like, is this even doing anything? Right. Yes. But out of out of obedience, prophets do weird things. True. They do synax. They do all kinds of stuff where, like, I've been sitting on my side for months. Ezekiel did some weird stuff in the beginning too. Like, there was a situation where he was supposed to, like, essentially pantomime

and escape through the wall Yeah. Over a day for the people. Like, they he was meant to be like, you should be seen sneaking a pack of of stuff through the wall Yep. By the people. Do it in broad day so that they see that. Yeah. And, like, this is meant to be a message to, like, you will be like, this is how the lord will deal with you and stuff like that. There's another situation, Ezekiel, where, like, god tells him to I I can't remember the specifics here. It might be, like, bake bread on dung. On human poop. On human dung. Yes. And then Ezekiel is like, but does it have to be human dung? And then the lord's like, fine. It can be a horse. Yeah. Like like, wait. What? I don't have to go around. Right. Exactly. I'm like, oh, cool. As long as it's not human dung anymore, now it's horse dung. Yeah. Bake your bread in its presence or literally, like, on it and then eat of the bread. And he's like, oh, maybe not human dung. And I'm like, what is happening right now? Right. And so so is based upon those two examples, you think to yourself, is that outland like, good lord the lord said, look. I just want you to I want you to do the thing. Yeah. Right. I want you to speak it. Now It will mean something. Here's the thing. I would my encouragement here, and this is this is for me too,

is that, like, there's all kinds of things where you're like, as a human, you say, hey. Does this matter? Yeah. Do you know that it doesn't? Like It's a fair question. I mean, I don't I don't want you to speak to the birds because you're trying to have a active conversation with the birds. But, like, if you're gonna you could you could you pray for the birds? Sure. Yeah. Go pray out loud to them and around them. Hey. I pray for you guys. Right. I pray that god god will provide and whatever. You'll be comforted. I mean, it's it's just interesting to think about there's a well, here's the other consideration.

How else is is this let let me rephrase. Let me, like, reframe it. I think this is not about like, if he does this, he tells the birds and the birds go, okay. I got it. High five. Right. High beak. Let's go Yes. Right. Let's go do this. It is god telling him to go do something simply so that his eyes are open to that it's being completed. Right. Right. It's a revelation of which then you get to see, oh, god's moving. Yeah. Because, like, you go, I don't think this does anything. The birds don't even speak Hebrew. And then he goes out there and he gives his prayer off. And then if you saw freaking eight birds go fly over that direction, you'd be like, wow. I know. Whatever. They're not going to eat drink blood right now. Right. But, like, there are some things of which your obedience results in your ability to see god work. Yeah. Not that it caused god to work. Right. It's just your eyes were open to the fact that, like, not only god's got this whole thing under control and he's he's working it from all angles, Let me show you. Yeah. And I think it's that. So you know what? I but my inclination is to believe that, Ezekiel actually did go do this. Okay. Okay. That makes sense, and I appreciate that. And that's it's been interesting. Like, I've I've read, like, the major prophets back to back to back now, and it's the first time I've ever, like feel like a lot of studies I've done have been either, like, chronologically read your bible or jump around to here to here to here and Yep. You know, grab this random topical thing about forgiveness that's in 15 different books. Yeah. Rarely ever do I find myself going from start to finish, book to book to book,

spending time like long weeks, weeks, months in profits, and it's like, okay. What do I and the interesting question that I've been asking myself is, like, if this is a book that is much less about who am I and much more about who is my god and who am I in light of that revelation and understanding. Yep. And all of this is meant to be, I know more about my god based off of his interactions with his people. It's definitely been a different way to read than I've ever done before.

Because I'm like, if 90% of this is this is god's identity as it is told through these stories of his interactions with his creation. Yep. And then maybe 5% is who am I in in regards to this god that says that I'm made and created by him and in his in his image. And then the last five might be, what am I supposed to do with both of those sets of information? Right. And how do I run with that? And it has been a totally different realm of understanding and reading that I have never felt before, and it's been so awesome. Like, such a cool book, or what a weird way to say that. Such a cool book to read. Have you read your bible recently? But, like It's pretty neat. Yeah. It's pretty neat. There's 66 individual books, but, like, it's been interesting because, like, what hit me was is how how historically

bad I've been at reading my bible. Like, I'm just not good at it from a disciplinary perspective and from a relational perspective of, like, rightsizing what I'm trying to do, and it hit me like a freight train maybe six months ago. Yeah. That was literally like if I so my dad passed away. We all knew that, like, now four fourteen years ago. If I had a book of Sean that was all about who he was, I would read it every single day. Yeah. I would be stuck in that book because I would wanna know more about his life, and I would wanna memorize as many stories as I could and figure out who I am based off of what I knew about my dad. You couldn't pry that book out of my hands. Yeah. I've never once thought my bible is literally the the the story of our creator God

and his love for us through that and how he exists and interacts and how he does things and what am I to know of myself from that. It's been such a cool time. Yeah. Awesome. So Okay. Okay. I got one last one. I think this one will be quicker. This week, I'm in Hosea. K. And I'm I'm trying not to laugh, but I I laughed very hard when I first read this. This is a very serious book. There's bad things that Israel has been doing for a very long time, being adulterous towards God, not fulfilling their covenants,

just awful stuff. This is generation after generation. Now we have Hosea in chapter three. He says, and the lord said to me, go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress even as the lord loves the children of Israel,

though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins. So so we get this story in chapter three where Hosea is being commanded to go love a very unlovable in that society

person and take her in as his wife. And, like, there's some heavy themes here of, like, god speaking of adultery, but then and and that's taken very seriously culturally, and there are laws that are very strict about adulterous relationships and things that have to happen in light of that. And god literally at one point in time says in this book, like, I won't even hold these adulterous women, up to the standard that you would expect because the fact is they're married to men who are just as adulterous

or just as as adulterous. Excuse me. And then you get this verse that's like, they love other gods, and they also love raisin cakes. And I know that I shouldn't find that so funny, and I'm sure that there's something cultural about that, but I will tell you that I laughed very hard because I kept saying to myself, you love other gods and those raisin cakes. Those raisin cakes are a problem. The two things,

adultery towards other gods and those freaking raisin cakes. What is happening here? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, they're connected. Oh, I was not expecting that. Yeah. So so he's not saying two things. He's saying one thing. You love other gods and raisin cakes. Me you should think of the raisin cakes as an

item present at a sacrifice. Okay. That makes sense. So, like I was not thinking of that. I think we can get it. If you look at that so this is using the old blue letter bible. And if I look up that Hebrew word, the other place that it is used is in second Samuel and first Chronicles, is essentially the same reference.

It says, this is this is when David is dedicating the temple. It says, then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins Yes. To each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women, and all the people went to their homes. Right. Now, I mean, yes, he's giving out food to people, but, like, it's in it's in a contextual worship setting. Got it. Okay. And so I I think I think the critique here is is that you are celebrating, worshiping, sacrificing, raisin cakes Yep. As part of your worship of other gods. Got it. Okay. So I think I think that's what it is. I figured it was gonna be a quick answer like that, but I I just I I was embarrassed as at first, but then I was like, this is real reading where I'm like, I need to understand this more, and I'm gonna ask about this of, like, what's going on with the you adulterous people loving other gods, and, man, you gotta quit with these raisin cakes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, is this a calling out for gluttony?

Like, is this a problem where they're like, these raisins might be culturally bad because only freaking the raised raisins or or grew raisins or I suppose grapes dried grapes. That was a dumb thing to say raised raisins, but whatever. Okay. But I appreciate that. It was just the it it was was the most recent one as I was reading through this because I'm like, this is Jose is heavy. Like, it's one of the heavier

prophets that I've read where it's like, obviously, you get a lot of stuff in in in the major prophets that's, like, moving through multiple kings and multiple kingdoms and all these things where Israel is adulterous and is running away from god. Even though he's proven over and over again that he's still going to be steadfast and forgiving and loving and, like, will constantly and has constantly won battles for them and trampled enemies underfoot. But then you get Hosea where it's flat out like, y'all are messed up. Yep. And you are so far from me. You are in credit so far from me that, like, name your children that I'm not your god anymore. And it's like, woah. That is heavy stuff, man. So, yeah, it it was certainly it was a it was a gut punch where I'm like, this is heavy, and then out of nowhere, I get, like, and usually with those raisin cakes, you gotta stop it. And I'm like, okay. Cool. I gotta ask. Well, I like,

it almost feels like it's targeted at, like, one dude in particular. So hey. Look at all you guys worshiping these other gods, and you, Stan Yes. Right. Exactly. Your cakes of raisin. Philip, we know about your raisin cakes. You gotta stop. You're sneaking them during temple. Stop it. I made it myself. I made it. But they're really good. It's not even dates. It's fruit raisins. Oh my gosh. Okay. Fair enough. I appreciate that. Alright. That's that's what I had for ask the pastor today. I just I had a couple things within the the minor profits I've been in. Well, minor major profits that I've been in, and I'm sure I will have more, in the next coming weeks. Awesome. So cool. Awesome. I appreciate that. You're listening to Life From The Path. Hey. If you guys have any, questions for, ask the pastor, give us a phone call or a text message. (515) 517-0085. If you're lucky, we could read your suggestion on the air.

Or What was that? That's that's that's my Nathaniel voice. Or would just I'll do my best to answer it over the old chat, you know, whatever. Awesome. Whatever works out best. Okay. I can't remember. Did you have did you have one other thing tonight? I mean, I've got dear life in the past. Okay. Okay. Let's let's do them. Let's give some advice. Okay. Alright. Dear, life in the path,

is there any way to end the holiday newsletter? Every Christmas, I get one from a particular family member, which invariably includes a list of their glowing accomplishments, expensive trips, etcetera, accompanied by lots of photos. Nobody else in our family sends these kinds of letters, and I don't know how they feel about receiving it. Last December, I couldn't even read it because it made me so depressed. My siblings and I are all in our sixties and seventies and spread out across The US. We have diverse lifestyles,

incomes, etcetera. Most of us can't afford the kind of vacations this sibling writes about. Many of us also have personal painful things going on in our lives, which we don't really wanna discuss. Is it better to just not read the newsletter? I don't believe this sibling means to be insensitive, and I don't think I could ever bring the subject up for discussion. I just know I'm already dreading December's letter. Please let everyone out there know no more holiday newsletters. What?

So is there the question is, is there a way to put an end to this? May can you tell everybody in all situations and circumstances

that we should stop with the newsletter? No more holiday newsletters ever. Because you are months in advance anxious about getting a newsletter from someone in your family. It sounds like because you're like, shut up with your your passiveness. You're jelly. You're jelly for whatever their situation is.

And, like, the reality is you're 60, 70, or 70 years old. Like, you're like, everybody has yes. Everybody equally has things going on. Right. Everyone's parents are dying. Everyone's friends are starting to die. People are getting hurt. People are losing jobs. People are retiring. Kids are causing trouble. People are getting pregnant. Like, whatever. Pick one. Yeah. Statistically, you probably have enough of a family tree at this point in time that there are some rotten apples. Everybody's got some rough stuff. And so, like, let's let's start with the simplest thing. Just don't read it. If you don't wanna look at it Yeah. Choose it comes in, just go, oh, I know what this is and throw it away. I did that today. I I was gone for two weeks. I took up my vacation mail. I looked at the outside of most of my mail and go, I don't care to read this, and I threw it away directly. This is within your power. Go ahead and do it. But what if your brother Charles goes, hey. Did you read my newsletter this year? No. I threw it out, Charles. I don't like reading newsletters.

Leave me alone. Don't answer. Okay. Fair enough. I mean, I I think that's fair. I I I think there's no reason to have a conversation. If you're going to be like this, which I whatever. I'll give you the benefit of doubt that there's probably rough stuff going on in your life, but that does not mean that you have to, like, openly put a freaking kibosh on all newsletters and then go, I hate this person, and they're so insensitive with their letters. Even if they are being, you know, braggadocious, they're sending a newsletter, and part of their brain might be, I want to love my family and send them and update them on their grandkids or their, you know, grand

nephews and nieces and stuff like that. So Well, yeah. I mean, like, there's probably a general principle here where you you don't go like, if if your posturing in life is to go, I'm not very happy for whatever reason, thus, I can't take in other people being happy. That's the unhealthy part. Yeah. It's not the newsletter's problem. Right. You should like, I I have what? I I have friends and acquaintances,

people who have considerable more resources or time or whatever than I do, and some get to do some really cool stuff. Yeah. I'm excited to hear about your cool stuff. Hey. Check out this cool thing you did. Sweet, man. That's awesome. That's great for you. Like, I'm not mad Yeah. Because I'm not jelly. And so, like, I the I would deal don't deal with the newsletter problem. I think you need to figure out like, if there if if a newsletter is enough to bump you out, one,

you need to work on your relationship with your siblings. And two, I there's probably something stuff you need to work out personally so that you can take out to handle these newsletters coming in. But, like, I the the newsletter really isn't the problem. It's it's It's you. Yep. And I I don't mean that to be cruel or anything, but you gotta recognize that you should be able to be happy for them in their success. And so if you have barriers to that, just don't take the rest of the world with you.

Figure out the right paths to kinda work through your stuff so that you can be happy for people who you are supposed to know and love and, that they're doing fun things. Yeah. No. I think that's totally fair. You are worth more than the lies you're telling yourself that put you in a place that you're so, like, built on sand that, like, anybody else's happiness is just rough to see. Yeah. So Yeah. You know, one other thing I would say, and this is probably a broad caution, but this this has come up in my, with in some other conversations over the last few weeks, is that you you do have to be super cautious about how how much you prescribe the things that are going on with you onto other people. Yeah. Right? So, like, I think it's perfectly alright to go, look. I I'm a curmudgeon, and I admit that about myself, and I don't I don't want any newsletters. Take me off your list. I mean, that's okay. It's a far different thing to go, hey. Tell everybody

no newsletters anymore. Like, what are they? Down the whole thing. You're not the leader of a rebellion. Like, you just don't like something personally. And if you are the leader of rebellion and this is the way that you've chose to ignite your rebellion Yeah. I I have news for you. It is not going to catch fire. Get the word out to the interwebs. We're stopping with the newsletters. I just, like, I I like, there is a there's a humility in going, hey. I really care about this.

Maybe other people will, but probably not. Yeah. And so, you know, like, it's okay to take a personal stand. It's very American to say, hey. I I will do my own personal thing, but, like, my right stops at the ability to, you know, to swing my arm, stops the ability to hit somebody in the face. Just don't look at the dang newsletter and leave everybody else alone. Alright. Secular says, many folks send holiday newsletters because they are an easy way to stay in touch with friends and relatives they don't see or communicate with often. Unlike Facebook. The letters are often polished up, even embellished,

because everyone wants to present their best image. Also, I'd like Facebook. Because these communications are often welcomed, I'm hesitant to advise readers not to send them. However, because you find them depressing, either shred them unopened or delete them if they have arrived electronically. Shred them. These are aggressive. That feels very aggressive. It's like Like, don't don't

only throw it away. You need to shred it up to the point where it is unrecognizable as a publication any longer. Lest you get drunk later and try to piece it back together. Eliminate this so that you need some lexicon that allows you to be able to understand it in the future when you've had too much brandy in your eggnog.

Oh gosh. Okay. Yeah. That's aggressive. Just say, hey. Discard it. Don't look at it, or save it for when you're feeling more jolly. I read them five years at a time like I do my taxes. Dear, alive for the path. A month ago, when I invited a coworker to a concert happening next month, he was so excited to go. But we had a big disagreement at work, and since then, we haven't found a way to get along. At this point, it might be more awkward than fun to go to a concert together, but I feel stuck. If I take back my invitation, he can hold that against me. If I don't take it back, it could be an incredibly awkward night. Am I missing an option? What should I do?

Yes. You're definitely missing an option. Buba, would you suggest a third way of which this might go further? These are the only two things I could think of is you either eliminate it entirely

or you go and it's just awful. Yeah. That's it. Those are only options, Ben. That's true. I had just and I just have spitballing here. Just something in the back of my mind. Oh, okay. You could attempt to reconcile this relationship and go in in a jovial fashion. I should have thought of that. I should have thought of that. Why didn't I think of that third option? It really felt like on the polar opposites, we're the only it. Here's the thing. Either north or south. True north, true south. This doesn't it seem like this is actually a very easy way to have this coverage. Like, sometimes sometimes you end up in arguments with people, and, like, it's super awkward to bring it back up. You just don't even know how to get past the thing. Yeah. It's easier just to kinda let it sit for a while Right. And hope something relatively normal happens of which you can both then mutually agree you just moved on. Okay? And so but that's not gonna happen here because you're up against something. So here's the deal. You have a very easy way to pull this person aside and go, hey. I'm wondering, are you still interested in going to this this concert?

I know we've been having some some problems here, and I just I I thought I'd ask. Right. Start the convent, then they go, yeah. I'd still like to go. I said, okay, man. I don't want it to be awkward. How can we work through our stuff? Is there anything I can say or do? I'm super curious about what a big disagreement at work means. Like, what like, is it you disagree on the politics of Nepal? Like, is that the big thing for you? Like, no. That's that's definitely not a problem. Yeah. But or is it, like, something along the lines of, like, maybe the person is lazy at work and you can't stand them any long? I don't know. I don't think I care too much, but, like, I just I'm curious. I really wanna know what happened. I really think that an unfree Nepal

is actually to their greatest benefit. What are your thoughts? Right. Like, yeah, is it super politically controversial in that situation of, no. No. No. Tibet should absolutely be underneath Chinese rule. Like, there are no doubt about it. You're ridiculous. Don't free Tibet. Absolutely.

Yeah. Okay. I suppose yeah. The, alleviation of the situation could just be being an adult. Why don't you try to reconcile the start? And I and I frankly think that this is a good option to do so. You get to bring it up. I would ask them. There's no reason for you to have to set it all up and preplan it. Like Right. Just go ask them, and then take the temperature of the room, man. Maybe they hadn't even thought that far ahead. Right. And here's the here's the here's the thing. I know reasonable people don't wanna go into awkward situations and spend it all. Agreed. And so you like, either either will bow out on their own

or they'll go, man, I really wanna go. I should reconcile. It's it's okay. This is it feels like a crude example, but it's it's like sex, frankly. Like, in in a normal marriage relationship, you reconcile because one of you wants to get it on. Like, you get into some kind of some kind of tricky situation, and sometime or other, it's gonna take it out, take a day, take a three or four days. But, like, somebody's gonna wanna have some sex, and you're gonna be forced to deal with your situation. And and it's right. It's right. It's just something that brings makes you do things that you're otherwise too stubborn to do.

That is that is interesting comparison. I'm just saying it's it's it's the one thing that happens in that relationship of which it's best to reconcile before the things happen. And so you gotta deal with the you gotta deal with the things that are outstanding. This is so incredibly telling of some situations, and I'm terrified that this is going out on the Internet now. So that's that's super fun as that is your comparison, Ben.

You tell complain. You tell me that ain't going on. Five one five five one seven zero zero eight five. If you're only on the audio podcast, I'm putting this thumb up, and I'm leaving it up. Now here's the thing. If you tell me, Ben, I think that's only happening in your marriage. You keep screwing things up, you eventually wanna get back with your wife and you think, well, I better better fix this. If that's just me, fine. I'm willing to hear that that's just me. I don't think so, though. I think this is happening. I think this is happening with married people everywhere. They're like, look. I'm kinda stuck with this person. This is the only place where I can get this type of attention. I better I better fix it. I better put the dishes away and resolve whatever problem I got outstanding. Oh, boy. That that's a thing. Okay. Alright. Secular says, if you disinvite your coworker, it will create more bad feelings at work. If you follow through, the concert may provide an opportunity for the two of you to resolve your differences. That's what I'm like, sex. I I

think it's worth a try. Is that what you always say? Booba's slogan, sex, I think it's worth a try. My in laws watch that joke. Christmas is gonna be a little weird this year. Whatever. They they do the same thing. I'm just saying. Come on.

Give me some shot here to leave this dear live from the past segment with any dignity. If your choice is left, I want you to text us in the complaint. Oh gosh. I'm super excited to hear about this in the family chat. Alright. We are time for one more? Yeah. Yeah. Let's do it. I'm I'm I'm on fire. Oh gosh. Dear, live from the path. My dad always wants to know what I'm doing and expects me to help him all the time. I invite him to events I'm having. I help him often because I'm his translator. Oh, jeez. Since his English isn't very good. We moved here almost thirty years ago. Okay. My dad does not do the same for me. I'm never invited anywhere, and he never wants to tell me things. It's like pulling teeth to get an I love you out of him. How do I approach him about this without upsetting him? He's a very sensitive person. He is he, though? What along the lines of what you just said before this do you have to say to this child

to their father who does not show them love? Well, I I would be cautious. I mean, he sounds like a dude to me. What does that mean? Like, he sounds like a fella,

like a dad who loves Looking like a man. Who loves his child and who, like, asked, you know, hey. What what are you up to, and how can I support you, and blah blah blah? But, like, who doesn't call his kid and go, hey. I'm I'm going out to coffee with a bunch of other old fellas. Do you wanna come along? Or, like, here's the random crap that happened to me during the day. I I just that seems kinda like a man thing to do is what she's describing. Interesting. Okay.

I definitely didn't take it that way. It it seemed like this seems like a schmuck of a dad. Like, this person seems like they're asking for stuff from their kid all the time, but they're never reciprocating. Like, the kid literally feels unloved and unappreciated. Yeah. But she said she said he doesn't tell me what his what is it? What his day was like or, like, what's going on with him? My dad does not do the same for me. I'm never invited anywhere, and he never wants to tell me things. Yeah. But yeah. But okay. Again, this

it could be it could be wrong. It could be rough behavior by the dad. Yeah. Or it could just be dude behavior. Okay. Like, I think it is it is not uncommon for fellas to, like like

heck. I I think I see this even. It doesn't even have to be, like, older fellas. They're just stuff happens during the day, and there's just people they just don't go sharing with it. As a matter of fact, this happens I hear a lot of of things that will occur within our church community, and the ladies will be chatting about it. Like, they'll text each other, and they'll get it, like and I'll know that something interesting happened to one of the dudes, but I'll only know that it happened because it came up in the ladies chat, and then my wife shared it with me. This this That's a very valid point. They didn't call and be like, hey. Guess what? In fact, these people never call me. Right? These are my closest friends in the church community, and they don't call me up and tell me something happened. And so, like, I think it is kind of a dude thing to just accept something happened. They tell the person that's in in the room with them at the time. Yeah. And then they may not bring it up again to somebody else. And so I wouldn't take that particular thing personally, and they, like, doesn't doesn't invite me out somewhere. I you know, one of the considerations is is does he even

does he know that you would be interested in going with him? It's fair. It's fair question. He might be like, you know, I got a daughter. She's twenty years younger than me. I I look at her. I just presume she's got her own life and her own friends. Why would she wanna come out with an old fellow like me? Interesting. And so maybe I would start let's let's with no other information, I would start with the presumption that he doesn't recognize that these things are valuable and important to you. Right. In fact, because I mean, I presume his mom's her the mom's not alive. He doesn't say that, but It kinda feels like it. Yeah. Possibly. I mean, whatever. She she was probably married to this man, probably had the same problem. He's just not super forthcoming and doesn't, you know, doesn't know that in fact, there's all kinds of things I do in a given week that, like, it wouldn't occur to me that my wife would enjoy. And so I probably I wouldn't bring it up. And so why don't you start with

presume that he's not doing this intentionally and make it clear to him that you would enjoy spending time with him and you are interested in his life and just it it may be like pulling, dentures a little bit to get him to share. Yeah. I think that's fair. I think that that to to take it broader, fellas, I'm talking to you, realize that, like, if you have if you have ladies in your life,

it's sometimes is important to try, and I I emphasize try here, and put yourselves into their brains of of how they take things in. Like, because you may just be a sturdy oak stand kind of fella where, like, you never say I love you to them, but their their cars always have an oil change, or, like, they always have they air in the tire, or you put food on the table and stuff like that. And that is your way of showing love by taking care of them practically or something like that. I'm obviously

I'm I'm not trying to drive a stereotype. I'm just saying there are plenty of fellas like that out in the world. Sometimes it can mean the world to other people in your family if you take a step back and go, okay. How do I make certain that they know that they're loved versus the way that I would show it or want it shown to me? Yeah. How do they want to feel it and have it felt to them? And so just take a step back. You can I mean, if we're talking on the the grand scale of brownie points and stuff, you can freaking win a day if you just notice that that your lady put forth some effort and, like, really tried to look pretty for work today or something? Like, it's crazy when you just go, wow. You look fantastic.

And not like, you look much better than you did before crap like that, but just, babe, I love you so much. You look amazing today. I hope you have a great rest of your day. Yeah. They could freaking paint their whole world in in amazing colors to just make a statement like that. Just saying. Yeah. You know? And it's probably a good it's probably a good thing to think about is is you can find out what is important to people by how they they treat you. Exactly. So, like, if if you find and in fact, I was thinking about this earlier today. There are I probably got a handful of people that check-in on me every, I don't know, week, every couple weeks. Hey, Ben. How's it going? Hey. Just checking in on your family. Blah blah blah. Right. I am awful at this. Yeah. I am just awful. I barely get I I have a hard time getting even getting back to these. Like, like, they're happening often enough that, like, it's difficult. I'm just busy. And so I don't I don't get back to some of these things. And I feel so bad because, like, they these are people who I care about. They care about me. They've taken time out of their day to just check-in on me. And

the reason they're doing that is when they think about what would make me feel loved and cared about is if someone did this to me, I'm going do it to other people. And so these are probably the same five people where, you know, if I were to be thoughtful about them and reach out before they reach out to me Make their whole month. Right. Right. It means something to them, which is it's ironic because it means very little to me. Yes. That they're doing it, but it does tell me that they are thoughtful people and they probably value that type of thing. And so that's how they they show love, how they understand love. Yep. And so dudes are harder. Older dudes,

like, they don't show love very easily. So it's very difficult to tell how it is that they see love except for to to your point, like, they do things by acts of service. Right. Like, hey, man. I bought enough tools that my children will not surprise me. Whatever they got going on, I have it. It's to be borrowed. It's there to be used. I took care of my family. Right. Now, you won't trying to take care of you. Actually, I said, it doesn't always work because if you then try to reverse and take care of your dad like, I'm a grown man. I can handle myself. Exactly. So, like, I I just be beacons I I just recognize Right. How people are behaving, but, like, it tells you something, and and so it's a good place to start. I think that's right. Totally fair. Okay. Alright. Secular says, it seems your father is not only sensitive but also secretive and entitled.

What? Most relationships are reciprocal. His relationship with you is not. This could be because of the culture in which he grew up. Because this bothers you, you need to tell your father how you feel about it. Nothing will be resolved unless you do. That's harsh. Like, I don't know if we've having having a difficulty communicating love is different than just not having it at all. What was what was her did maybe

I misunderstood this. What was the description we got about what she did for him? My dad always wants to know what I'm doing and expects me to help him all the time. I invite him to events I'm having. I help him often because I'm his translator since his English isn't very good. We moved here almost thirty years ago. That's when it flips to he does not do the same to me. Yeah. I don't She invites him to things that she's doing. Yes. Also, we don't know she. Oh, could be a dude. Could be a dude. Interesting.

Okay. Yeah. I think that is I that's presumptuous to me. Yeah. I I don't know. Like, if the man needs help, if he's an older I I guess I'm presuming he's an older gentleman. I mean Maybe not. We moved here almost thirty years ago. We, meaning that the child was probably at least already born. And Yes. So he could be 50. Yeah. Easily. Yeah. And so, yeah, I I I think it's presumption. And I'm guessing I'm giving the benefit of the doubt. It could be that this that he's, you know, Texas or, like Yeah. Could be Whatever. All kinds of things. But, like Doesn't seem to point that way, but think that sniffs right. And and I think

I I think secular may have misread. Yep. I agree. Misunderstood the situation. Okay. Hey. You've been listening to the live from the past. Thank you for hanging out with us. We really do appreciate it. We love your feedback on the show. (515) 517-0085. Call or text, you're gonna share your proselytization stories, whether you've attempted or someone's attempted on you. We also I want some validation. I mean, is it right to think that sexual relations are a reason that marriage is I can't believe this is a fact. One has ever said that that wasn't Bill Clinton. So bad. (515) 517-0085.

Please support me in my disgust for how Ben is handling this situation. I've been right. I've been wrong before. I just don't think I'm wrong here. Okay. We're gonna we're gonna cut this thing off. We'll see you. The rest of the fellas might be back, doggone it the next time we get, get around to another show. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.