Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from the path. And you're listening to live from the Path gonna be from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston Proper. Welcome to the program. They call me the Rizzler. They don't call you the Rizzler. No. No. I've never called you. Do. No. If if they did, it was for a very short amount of time, and it was because you gave them money to do it. Okay.

Here's what we got going on the pro hey. We got a lot going on the program today. First of all, Mike Mike's question for the room is, are there like, what places in the in the scriptures have you taken in and were difficult to understand, and then you figured out? You're like, I got it. You you studied. You looked it up. You asked around. You're like, I got it. And then the very next time you came back to the same part of scripture, you're like, oh, crap. What the heck is this? This is throwing me off again. It doesn't make any sense at all. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I I know it's not what I think it is, but I I I don't have any idea how to take it in. So, like, that's, Mike's Mike's inquiry into the scripture. Here's the thing is most of these things are found in the Old Testament. So if you're not a frequenter of, of of the scriptures in the back in the first half. You're not gonna have some very there's a couple in the New Testament that I would usually flag, but I think most of these examples are are definitely in the Old Testament. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Second question. So, everybody in the room so so Dan's back. Mike's back. We've got Aiden in the room with us on Light From the Path. And all three of those fellows have recently been across The US border and serving people for Jesus.

The question I want everybody to answer is, one, give me a top memory. It doesn't have to be measurable by any standard, but you think about your time in Mexico or Zimbabwe, and you're like, Boy, memory is going stick with me. But then second to that, I want you to tell me, can you think of something where you feel like based upon your experiences

in Zimbabwe or Mexico, what are you going to take with you from that experience that you feel like either may, may change every day or some, something like every day, how you think about something, the way that you're gonna approach something, something that you're gonna do. So like, what are you taking with you beyond just the moment, from those times? And so, every, all the three guys in the room are, are subject to that query, and we'll see what you got. And you guys can be thinking about that too. Like, you've been on some sort of, it didn't even have to be, you know, overseas or something like that. Like you just, you were intentionally taking time to go serve someone for Jesus, and like, in, in what way, has that changed something for you that's beyond just the, the moment of having been part of it? I, that's a tough, that's a tough dichotomy with something like serving people for Jesus. Like, I just imagine a guy throwing a cup of coffee at somebody and been like, for Jesus. You know what saying? Like No. I I don't understand. Do I get to decide I think that the question is is, like, is it in the eye of the beholder, or did the person that's doing the serving get to say, this is for Jesus? Do you know what I'm saying? Like, it's when you find a church that'll haul up in the middle of a five k with a water water at, like, turn three, and they're like, bless you. Or, like, this is from the church the Methodist Church on the 5th Street or whatever. And they're just handing out water bottles. Bottles. And then, like, on the scale of, like, zero to 10,

how much for Jesus is this really? And you're or you're just being a nice person. No. Actually, so I in that if that were the example, let's say that that's your example, because you're lame, And I would be curious actually, like, what is your takeaway besides the fact that you're like, oh, Hey, I did something good, good or kind to other humans, which is fine. Does that, is there anything about that, that, that you feel like God might've been using to change something about how you think about things or how you approach things? Like, I'd be curious on the answer for someone who had done something like that. I know what I think the answer is, but I will not speak to it. Okay. All right. Also, I I'm just there was there was someone I'm not gonna tell you who it is so that you can gossip about it.

But we we had had this group, a musical group on the show a number of years ago. Actually, none of them run into this through my mind. This scenario could be multiple of them. It was Chris Tomlin. Yeah. Okay. He was in here. So Christopher P. Tomlin was in on the program. Hey. I was trying to I thought about reaching out to a band, this week, and I was trying to think, like, we look illegitimate. Right? If someone's if I send you some sort of Facebook message Stop it, man. Stop it. Like, like, who the heck are these guys? And if you look at our online presence or how we describe ourselves, it doesn't help. And so I thought, hey. How can I make us look more legitimate? I should say, at least this guy, who you may know, agreed to be interviewed by us. That's your plan? Yeah. Our social media looks like it's run out of The Philippines. Yeah. Yeah. This guy was Filipino, so now it's gonna be harder to approach. Thank you for doing that. Anyway, so there was a guy from one of the bands that was in the show, and he posted the following. Okay? And he says, Religious Trauma Group Therapy, Paint Night Prompt. How did you feel in religion versus how do you feel now, how do you hope to feel after leaving? I've never felt closer to hell than when I've been trying to unlearn the suffocating darkness of fear, guilt, shame, anxiety, manipulation, and control that religion instilled in me. Every day, I'm working to take my power back, find myself, and continue to work through all the darkness and internalize lies that come up. The battle's never over, but the progress is worth the pain. Okay. I wanna come back to this because

the thing that that guy expressed is not uncommon for folks that are going through a deconstruction or ex evangelical, like are leaving. And I guess I'm curious, I wanna kind of talk through your thoughts on what about the God that we know, the Jesus that we follow,

is causing some of people to react this way? Are there just people who are bad at following Jesus and that's what this guy's interacting with? Are there things that are true about following Jesus that people just don't like, so it feels like manipulation and removal of your identity.

To me, I'm guessing that there's a mixture in here where, I don't know. You could say well, wait. We're gonna get to it. I I kinda wanna talk through it because it's not uncommon. I've seen these kind of, accusations a lot, and I want to do them, respect by at least recognizing where's this the kind of thing coming from? Can you understand it? And then what is being misunderstood to walk away with these types of conclusions? All right. And then we'll give some advice on dear life from the path. By the way, if you need maybe you need some advice and you are just one desperate homie, you have no friends and decent outlets in life, and you wanna get ahold of Life From The Path, you can use the Life From The Path complaint line, (515) 517-0085.

Call or text. We'd love to hear from you if you need advice or if you have general commentary on the show. I presume it's a complaint. That's why we named the line that. I suppose you can use it for other things if you're lonely. It hasn't happened yet. No. We got a we got a couple nice, people like your bison episode, Mike. Bison. Bison's in heaven. The kids make fun of me all week for that because oh. Because my virgin in heaven has some kind of wear bison to come by my house every day. Yeah. And and and, like, we're we're at odds. You know what I'm saying? Like, we're not friends. We're not against each other, but we're he's just he's not happy with me, I'm not happy with him. Yeah. That's because it's not biblically accurate. If the lion lays down with the lamb, then Mike gets along with the bison. No. There it's unmentioned. That part of scripture is actually to be taken literally. The lion and the lamb will lay down. The bison will stand all the time, and they will be upset about it. I see. It's Bison are trouble. Exclusive. Okay. Let's let's do,

let let's do these, quarrelsome parts of the scriptures that you know and that you don't know. Mike, why why are you even thinking about this? Alright. Did you run into one? Well, yeah. Yeah. Of course, I did. I was reading back through. I I decided, it hit me, I don't know, about a month ago. I'm like, I I'm not taking in enough bible. And so and then I felt like I was behind. I'm like, I should have been reading way more bible up to this point. I'm like, I gotta catch up. I've read through the Bible a couple times, couple, three times probably, but I just felt like I've been stuck in the Psalms, a bunch of wispiness, and then a lot of New Testament. I'm like, I just need to take the whole story in again. So I got on this, the they're like, you should do a a year bible reading plan. I'm like, no, man. It takes too long. I'm already behind. I gotta I gotta really take the scriptures in. Find me a six month plan. And the Bible app, it did, did not disappoint. And so I'm on a six month bible reading plan, and, of course, that has me rereading through Genesis. And, I it comes across, like, a couple stories here and there that I just one, I I I know that I've read them, but I don't remember them. And then when I re do read them, I'm like, what the heck does this even mean? I don't even understand. And, like, the biggest one I should have pulled it up. The the the one that I that I just read through yesterday, I think it was, is is I just moved on to Exodus,

and, you know, Moses had gone up to the burning bush, and he's like, I want you to go back. And then Moses says, I I don't wanna go. You gotta find someone to get to do it for me, blah blah blah. And he gets his brother to come up, and he's like, now get get moving. You need to get moving to this Egypt. And it says, Moses takes off Egypt. And then the very next paragraph is like, now the Lord tried to kill Moses. I'm like, what happened between here and now that that all of a sudden, like, the Lord is now super mad at Moses? And to get the wrath off of him, his wife Zipporah circumcises his son and then takes the Levins and touches Moses on the foot. And now all is back to being right again. And I thought, man, I know I've read this before, and for the life of me, I just have no idea what this even means. Right? Or what I mean, and I thought I know I asked somebody last time, and I wished it would come to my mind, and I just sat there and thought about it for about twenty minutes and thought, you know what? I don't care. I don't know. I this it was not a huge part of the Bible, but I thought, I know I've looked into this, but I have zero idea what it was supposed to mean at this point. And I thought this has to be I wonder if anybody else has some. Like, has these big old glaring parts of the scriptures where they're like, every time I read it, I'm like, I don't know what happened here. And we were moving along, moving along, moving along, and all of a sudden, wham o. Circumcision, touch his foot. We're we're now everything's good again.

I I would say so I'm gonna take the cheat to start. I I like, this is getting better, but but revelation, holistically, I think I have to get reoriented every time. Like, I will, I, I, I, I, like, I've taught, I'm sure Dan's taught, where you taught on Revelation, and you go through it, and you're like, ah, okay, I got a handle on this. Same thing happens at the back half of, like, Matthew 24 or something. You feel good about it, And then if you you you go nine months away, a year away, and you're reading like, well, hot dang. I thought I convinced myself this was not the right interpretation. And then you get then I have to, like, reorient and and not, like, slip back into I don't wanna say the plainest reading, but, like, the thing where most people read it just a little too shallowly or too quickly.

I I that that will happen to me on some of the apocalyptic literature stuff for sure. Especially when in between, you know, you teach on it, you have it down, and then you, you know, read all the Left Behind books and watch the movies. And then nine months later, you go back and read it again. You're like, okay. Now you're all messed up. Oh, no. The gummy twisted. There's actual truth in there somewhere, it's not well, they just yeah. It just messes everything. I think I'd like I I actually have a hard time re it comes to things like Isaiah, Ezekiel, it's not an individual story that'll get me tied up, but I have to go through a lot of work to reorient myself and what are we even talking about here?

You know, Because some of the problems, and this is what has has left people the ability to do weird things with prophecy or or things that feel like future promises is like, in what way is this relevant to the people who are hearing it? And then perhaps in what way is it also relevant to a broader part of god's story? And, and like, I'll look at these, I'm like, I don't did that happen? Because I'm not sure that was fulfilled, and that doesn't look then I'm like, then it looks like I'm just staring at a book full of this stuff is real lofty language that they feel like promises that never came true. And so Yahweh needs to be held to account as to why these things aren't happening. But, like, if I go back and I reorient what I'm thinking about and, like, their propensity towards, rhetorical language, that's, like, often using, let's see, extremes, always as a never as when they don't really mean that.

And you kind of realign to some of that stuff, then I get kind of back where I should be. But those ones, I think it takes some effort for me to get reoriented. Is it is it really like a like a a Hebrew or Jewish way of writing that, like, the author or the narrator never seems to give you, like, how to feel? Like, doesn't tell you how something

how you should feel about something. No. No. Actually, I I think there's what's interesting is, this is I mean, this is true. It's less true, think, the New Testament. I think, like, if you read Paul, Paul seems to anticipate things that you might be thinking. I'm gonna say, in fact, Romans is just a a run of I say a thing. I know you're gonna take it in wrong, so I'm gonna correct it. Yeah. No means. Yeah. Yeah. And so so Paul does that. But you're right. Like the, take the Pentateuch for sure. The Tanakh or whatever. Then like, even the, as you go through the rest, it presumes everyone's gonna have a common reaction to it because there's a shared morality among the people. This kind of odd duplicitous,

we might have a 100 different feelings about this thing is, It's not like brand new, but it is new. It is unfamiliar, because they weren't questioning some of the underlying things that the people believed. Right? It didn't have to be expressly stated. Now, from a New Testament perspective, one of the great examples of that is Philemon. So like you go through the book of Philemon, it's just a chapter. Right? So, and in Philemon, you're talk Paul's talking, what we want Paul to do is we want him to say free Onesimus,

cancel all slavery. Onesimus should be totally free. That's what we want to happen. Paul doesn't really do that. He goes, I want you to take Onesimus back as a brother. Now, here's what we should know. What Paul is saying is, I want you to give him more than his freedom. You can't enslave your brother. And so I want you to greet him as a brother. And it's implicit that you cannot keep a slave who is your brother like this. But what we want, because we're we're going for the things like, yeah, but just say, I just need someone in the Bible where can point to and say, Yahweh said no slavery so that we don't have these awkward conversations about things that the scripture talks about. It's because you couldn't possibly read the words of Jesus and say, Here's what it's like to follow Jesus, and think it's at all reasonable to retain Onesimus as a slave. But we struggle with Right? Because, like, we will read that in our modern Western context and go, well, he can still keep his brother as a slave. That's wrong. You know what I'm saying? And, like, that is not what Philemon is saying at all. No. But that's what I if you read it flat and read it without a cultural understanding or or understanding God's character or heart as a whole, like, those two things can't sit. Yeah. It's it's because we have a level of moral duplicity or, what the the phrase is cognitive dissidence. Right? Like, you believe one

thing and you believe another thing and they actually can't match. And so you have to, something has to shift. We do this a lot with, actually it goes back to a conversation we had just before the show started, you'll, you have people like who are separating from their parents, having an estrangement. Sometimes on the child's side, you'll hear the child go, Man, when I was being raised, these things were happening and these things were happening, and the parents are dumbfounded. They're like, That is not how it was at all. The kid is telling the story

as if all these things were different, but the reality was sometimes they have a belief about how a situation should have gone or how they should have been treated, and it doesn't match up with the reality of how they were raised. Right? Like they actually, maybe the parents' world was pretty good. And there were just a few rough run ins and normal parent teenage stuff. But to reconcile what they want to believe or how they feel, you actually have to recolor the past. And now it becomes, ah, no. That person was abusive towards me, or, like, they never gave me the time of day. And, like, the parent could come back and go, what do you mean, though? Like, we invited your friends over all the time, and, like, we're the ones who did blah blah blah. And like, it's gone from your memory because that's how cognitive dissonance works. You have to try, you start changing something on one side or the other. And so, I, I think that is the struggle is there's a lot more duplicity in what is morally good.

Trying to hold onto a whole narrative of like taking God's character holistically and not require. We're like, why didn't Paul just say, and Paul would look, oh, why would I have to say that? Like, it does not make any, how could I if I invited a man I just met on the street and invited him to come have dinner with my family, and so it's like someone going, Well, but why didn't you say that we shouldn't hate him? What do mean? Right. There's zero reason to bring this up. Yes. And so, like, I think the the Old Testament's it's even harder, because you're also not carrying around kind of like the, the the the oral tradition and the p of the community that keeps you in check that you don't start thinking wild, like ridiculous things about God and his character. And so a lot of the places where we struggle,

we're like, especially in the old Testament, we're like, boy, that seems to go against how, what we feel comfortable with in God's character. It's just sitting out of context, and we're like, well, why does the Old Testament have to be ambiguous? It wasn't to them. They did not feel it as ambiguous as we are hearing it. And we and we do for sure. Right? Like, I was just reading, about Joseph. Right? And, like, the famine that he was managing, And he basically fleeced everybody in Egypt of their property, their food, their money, and their herds until after the famine, the pharaoh owned every stitch, including their indenture to they were indentured servants Yeah. To the to the, you know, Egypt. And I I was reading them like, yeah. That's a that's they're like because he's a wise man. I'm like, because he seems like a like a a thief. You know what I'm saying? Like, he like, he played this out. Like and he he didn't have to. He could've given them food out of the generosity of God gave him a heads up that the famine was coming, and instead he used it as a wise business maneuver to basically enslave an entire people. I'm like, I feel like Joseph did them wrong here, but the Bible doesn't speak to it. Am I taking it in incorrectly? Actually, that's one of the hardest things is the lack of biblical commentary on, like, when someone is bad, we just want them to go, and the Lord said he was a bad man, or he should not have done that. It doesn't often do it. Like, and, but, but what we do is, and what people who are, who are, you know, generally in disagreement with the Bible, they'll go, look, the Bible condones this. It doesn't condone it just because it was there. It just said it happened. It said it occurred.

It's a, actually a really good example, is polygamy. The Bible does not come out and say you can't marry multiple people. There are folks in the biblical record who are marrying multiple people. Almost all in Genesis, really. Right. Right. Now, here's the thing. There's two. There's a couple of things of contextually that we should be taking into consideration. The first one is, I mean, yes, there was sexual things going on there, but like marriage, was, was often about caring. This is why you get harems. Right? You get very rich kings. They've got like a 100 wives. And some of these laters are like, boy, I hope I end up in that harem because they're cared for. Like, they don't have to worry about anything. And it was like, the separation between the very rich and the people who had nothing was super broad. It was way imbalanced. Right? And so this was not, it's a moral problem for sure. But, like, if you're being very practical about the matter, peep this doesn't make people that mad.

And so there's a contextual issue about, at being married is something meant something to care for someone. You're taking responsibility for them. But secondly, follow every polygamous situation in scriptures, and you tell me whether any of those worked out. Yeah. They were all disasters. Everyone produced lines of disaster. That's right. They all blew up. Now, if you look at it, like, does the Bible come out and say no polygamy? No. It doesn't. But, like, you could watch everywhere that it happened, that it doesn't match the pattern of which is otherwise spoken of and established. And so Especially in the first three chapters of Genesis. Right? Where it says, like, a man leaves a woman a parents to be with his wife. Yeah. Not wives. You know what I'm saying? Like, he didn't say, by the way, I mean not seven wives. Right? He just said, this is the this is the ideal. This is what you're shooting for. This is what I designed you to be. Yeah. And then I didn't mention all the things you could do to pervert that and make that not right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And like, I mean, take it to you take the seven wives of Lamech and you follow all the other multitude of wives. Like, even for you're like, hey, this is a good this is a good guy. Israel marries multiple ladies. It doesn't go over there. It goes terrible. And so

so that's the thing is we want it. It makes our lives much simpler if it just goes, no polygamy. There. I said it. Scripture isn't generally doing that in a lot of different ways. Which is funny because, like, one of the biggest, conflicts in the Bible or the critiques of the Bible is, like, it's not very clear and or or that it's it's an overarching rule book. Right? Like, all it does is tell me what I can't do, and really, like, a lot of especially the Old Testament produces an aim of character. Right? This is what you're shooting for. I'm not gonna take the time to list off all the things that you shouldn't do. That would be a much bigger book. Right? It's easier just to say, here's the one thing you should do, or here's the the attitude that we're going for. Yeah. Not here's all the ways you could fail at it or you could make it not right. And so, like, it's an odd critique to come against the Bible that says it's just a book of rules that tells me what I can't do, and it's like, it really is not. It's mostly a book of very highly suggestive things from the creator of the universe that goes, here's what's best. This is what you probably should shoot for. Yeah. And it's it's even, we even approach it wrong in the sense, even if you wanted it to be a rule book, like, ancient ancient Eastern rules, like, laws didn't work the way our laws work. Like, ancient Eastern rules presumed even a like, you take the code of Hammurabi or other things that, like, it might have been that had a some relationship with how you might think of, say, the Have you read the code of HamRabi? Parts of it. Is it HamRabi? It's HamRabi.

I'll say HamRabi. Dan, have you read this Ham Sandwich? To my knowledge, I have not. Aiden, where are at on Ham Sandwich reading? Never read it. Know of the guy. Yeah. Okay. You've heard of it. Yeah. Right? Okay. Yeah. Not the same, Ben. You can't talk casually like everybody's read ham sandwich and then knows exactly what you're talking about. Anyway So so other, like, ancient near eastern or Eastern laws Ham on rye. Yeah. Ham on rye. So, like, modern law says, and we've run into this in America, right? Like, if you if it's not in the law explicitly, we might not be able to convict you. And so we're like, hey, if you stab a guy with a knife, he's you know, you you can convict him. But the guy's like, well, what if I take the butt end of the knife? The law doesn't say anything about butt end of the knife. Not guilty because, like, it's not explicitly stated. The the the law codes in the kind of when the old testament is is starting to be codified and under Hammurabi's code and stuff, like, they they would laugh at that. Just like Moses would. It was like, remember when he's he's getting his what's his dad's name? Remember Moses' dad? No.

Anyway, he's like gets his dad to help him put those tribunals together. Right? Like That's his that's his father-in-law. Yeah. That's what I mean. Jethro? Yeah. Jethro. I think came with a j, but I can't remember. Yeah. Yeah. So Big Jed and and Moses got these judges, and they they needed judges because the laws weren't explicit. They're giving you pictures of how things should work, levels of value. I'm going to botch the example, but hey, if your donkey stomps on your neighbor's goat, you own for the goat. That doesn't mean your neighbor's donkey can kill your chickens. And no one would have read it that way. They like and the the reason the reason you see the rules, like the laws kind of refine, Leviticus is like this, because we're like, oh, it's a book of laws. No, it's not. It's a book of people disobeying laws. And then more laws coming to help say, no. Now listen. Like, let me bind you in a little bit more because your your freedom in this area is causing you to do need to have 10 laws? If we say, look. Your if your donkey, you know, steps on a goat and it dies, you owe for the price of the goat. We don't have to have a law that says if the donkey steps on the chicken, you owe for the chicken. If it steps on the fox, you owe for the fox. And, like, the goat was the law. Like, the point was if it steps on an animal That's right. The heart the intent was was well well taken. That's right. And you almost see in in Jesus, you actually see that go back to the same principle because we now we stop saying here are the fifty, sixty things which I have to rebind all your behavior. We're like, Jesus, be like Jesus. Do the things that Jesus did. Think of people the way that Jesus did. Follow Jesus. And so it's like a reestablishment

of what it looks like to like, I will be your God. You will be my people. And then you find almost immediately within some of the epistles and stuff people having to go, Okay, but listen, when I said to follow Jesus, you seem to have perverted it already, and so let me give you some examples of which you're not thinking about it correctly. But the thing still stood, just like the summarization that Jesus gives of love neighbor

love God and then love your neighbor as yourself. He's like, That should do it. You actually should be just fine if you were to do those two things, but, like, you guys are wily, and sometimes I gotta really lay it out straight for you. And so that's why the laws continue to get more specific. But, like, like, Yahweh always, like, just do, like, follow my character expressed to you, and you'll be fine. Now think about it. Like, when we were this is unfair because we were talking about this before the show, but we were talking about, like, the, like, the the separation between the parents and the kids. And some and some of this ties into some, like, anxiety things and depression things that we that we see in, modern society. And, like, some of it, not all of it, so be careful before you hit the complete line, but, like, some of it is flat out because you're spending way too much time thinking about yourself. Of the things that God says are priority, it is to love him and love the people around you. And if you're busy doing those things, you have a way less time to be able to sit and wallow in whatever perceived

thing is happening to you. Most of the time, like, a lot of these a lot of these things show up where, like, you just start spinning around and around in your head is, like, like, a failings on your part versus other people's or what people should have done based on what they did do and what your value is and, like, I don't I and you just keep running it over your head, and you're like, I don't think that lofty. I'm just scared of, like, what the dentist thinks of me. You know what saying? But, like, here's the thing, is if you go to said dentist or, like, I it's this is funny. I was talking to at least three kids this week where they're scared to death to make phone calls. Like, they won't call like, if they had to call to set up a doctor's appointment, if they don't have online scheduling, they will not be going to the doctor. They will not call a live person, to save their soul. I sympathize with though. Well, here's the thing. It's it's not your favorite thing to do. Right? Like, no one actually likes doing it. But push comes to shove, I'm a call them. You know what I'm saying? Or what if I had to order a pizza? If they don't have an online app because it's Rudolfo's pizza, and he's some old man who don't have some kind of online presence, Like, if you really want that pizza, you're gonna have to call him. Right? They won't do it. And some of it's because it's like, well, what if I don't have the right answer to this question? Or what if they think that I'm an idiot? Or what if I stumble on my order? Blah blah blah. Like, once again, if you're not thinking about what other people think of you at all, right, it's not even in your mind space, then you could screw this thing up to high heaven and no one even care, not even you. Wouldn't bother you at all. Either like, Rudolfo could hang up the phone and go, whoever just called me is possibly the dumbest person I've ever met, and you'd be like, I don't care. Long as I get this pepperoni pizza I ordered. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, it's it's interesting to, like it doesn't sound like it would have a whole lot of practical, advice here or or, like like, god was unprepared for the generation we're in or the society we're in or the times we're in. But, like, the truth is he spoke to it. Right? And all the things that we keep digging into and mulling over are the things that are actually causing us harm. Mhmm. Mhmm. Alright. Alright. Aiden, did you have one? Did you have, like, a a particular stumbling block in the old scriptures? I wanna say definitely, like,

easily, like, anything where man, I'm, like, blanking what I had. I had some That's okay. It would definitely have to be something, like, you read it, and you don't immediately understand if it's, like, descriptive or prescriptive. Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm. It's like, am I reading this right, or is this just about a king who was, like, faithful, and then he wasn't, and then he immediately died. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Yeah, actually, I would say, it's funny, I was reading,

was it Ephesians or something? It was within the last couple weeks, and I took it in. Like, took it, it was like within the first couple chapters. Paul tends to do this. He goes to first couple chapters and like, I don't have any idea what I just read, to be honest with you. They were all a bunch of Jesus words. I get it. Nothing clicked in my mind. Similarly, I don't know what I'm supposed to do with this. Is this like, do I need to spend a bunch of time trying to sort this out, or is it like it doesn't supposed to hit me today? Because sometimes, to Aiden's point, sometimes the king hits you. You read something, you're like, well, hot dang. I tell you this. There's been the the kids the kids are memorizing

the part of James where it's like the the two the two Pure minor man? The pure pure religion. Oh, Do you remember what the what the two things were for Yeah. The pure Yeah. Caring for the orphan and widows and not being stained by the world. Yeah. And I thought, crap, man. If those would like, I know they're not the only two, but if I just started there, I'm like, well, am I am I nailing those two? I don't know. Probably not. Probably not. I'm I'm I'm beholden to the gas station. You think the American church doesn't know what to do with the orphans and widows? The orphans and widows part? It's just a culturally not a thing. I mean, we have them. Right? I'm not saying we don't have them. Right? But, like Yeah. It's not a a central part of our culture as it is in a lot of other cultures. That's my big talk when I go visit churches about the orphans in Zimbabwe is I've read that verse for my whole life, you just kinda like, yeah, I don't have orphans. I know people in foster care, but they have homes now, so they have technically people caring for them.

Widows, we have insurance and stuff. I don't know any begging on the streets. I'm sure it's not easy street or anything. And so what do we do with them? It's like, well, anyway, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. Contextually. Right? So Yeah. Do you do they do they have orphan they have orphanages in Mexico, do you know? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of it is they don't, like, not have parents period, but oftentimes it's their parents can't afford to take care of them. Mhmm. And so they have these orphanages set up to where

if you, like, can't afford to take care of your kids, like, that's what a lot of the orphanages in Mexico that you went to Yeah. Were like, where it's they have parents. They see them often, but it's like they physically cannot afford Yeah. To, like, take care of them. Right on. Mhmm. Yeah. Anyway, it's like that one I mean, I probably read that verse a million times and, like, I think I mean, I understood it. Mhmm. But But it was just, I was in my kitchen, I was looking at it and go, you know, I can't, as a human being, I can't process, I can't seem to process all the things at the same time. And so if I just,

if the light was on this one right now, can I pray into that and go, am I missing anything on your calling on my life for orphans and widows? And can you help me understand? Are there places of which I am being corrupted and I don't know it? Places in which I'm being influenced in a way that I'm not paying attention to? Or that maybe I've just allowed for such a long time that I don't even notice it anymore. And I think that's, I think that's true a lot. Like, Dan, I know, I know you've had this situation. You, you preach on something and like somebody pulls something out of it and you're like, that was not the main point at all, sir. And sometimes it's not even not even quite right. Like, the logic, it's a little iffy. You're like, I don't know. Do I need to correct this? But

but for some reason, God used a piece of something to light a fire in a person to go about his business on something and like, whatever, God's gonna use what he's going to use. And so I think the the one of the biggest frustrations that I believe this has come up before is like, God will use a podcast or something for my wife. And I could maybe I've had someone recommend you podcast or a book. They're like, Dude, you gotta read this. They're like, This is a great podcast or a fantastic sermon. And you listen to it and you're like, I mean, I'm glad it tickled you out there, pal. Here's the thing, it wasn't because there was anything wrong with it. It's just like the things that God uses that like fires people up or that they hone in on, it just isn't always the same thing for someone. So now I'm like all gun shy about referring people to podcasts. I'm like, you know, this could be good or it could be bad, and God just does what he wants. But anyway, maybe you read it. Yeah. But okay. You're listening to Life From the Path. Yeah, I'd be curious. What what are there ports particular stories where you're like, boy, I think I understood that but then you run into it again and you're like, doggone it. I maybe I don't or it it peels you back every time. I'd be curious. Hit up the old Life in the Path complaint line. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We'd love to hear from you. Alright. So, we kind of wandered into a little bit of a little bit of Mexico

which means we're we're into the the mission trip part of the program. And so we're gonna start with Mike, and we're gonna make our way around because Dan's got a few minutes to put together an answer. So the question was, maybe just a little context to what were you doing in Mexico because you and Aiden were on the same trip. Right? No. No. We're not. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Same ministry. Same. Yeah. Same ministry. Okay. So so I guess, you know, like, lay some quick groundwork on what what, like, what what are you doing there? A memory that is gonna stick with you. And then is there anything about that trip that you feel like you're taking with you holistically that has some level of impact maybe on your day to day? Yeah. So I was there solely because Aiden had gone last year, and, Aiden and I were in a bible study, for a little bit, before he had gone. And, he went,

he was just gonna stay for, like, the summer. He was supposed to start college, that fall. And they they they're not real big on Internet and phones or whatever, and so I just heard from him every once in a while, and he ended up staying and, ended up staying for, like, six months, I think it was, and and so he didn't end up starting school till the second semester. And, anyway, by the time he came back home,

because he lives in the same town that I live in, I got a chance to meet him for coffee, and, like, he was just he smelled like Jesus. Like, he just would did not was not the same person before he went. And, he said, you should you should really go. And I'm like, well, I mean, I don't wanna go. Well, I don't mean whatever. You know? And so but then, I said I I was praying about it, and I'm like, Lord, if I if if, if he keeps bringing this up, then I'm I'm I will go. Like, I'm I'm I can't just dismiss it out of hand.

And so, Aiden Reid kept bringing it up. He's like, we go you should go. And so I'm like, okay. Good enough for me. And so I went. And so, really, what it is is, it's a there's a place in, Tijuana, and, Aiden will be able to tell you a lot more of the ins and outs of it. But, like, basically, for a person like me, I show up for a week, and we we help build, houses for families, in Tijuana. They apply, like, they have to have the land, and they pour, like, the concrete. That that's what they have to do, and then a team of people will come in and just build them this simple plywood, you know, 12 by 12, you know, kind of little hut. It's got a door and a sloped roof and a window. That's and there's a couple options. They can put the door and the window on the same wall. They could put it on a different wall. Oh, wow. These are the things they can think about. But otherwise, this is the whole thing. Right? So long story short,

the thing that I think that I will take with me about it, one, it it is like, I've I've been to Ethiopia. You know what I'm saying? And and, like, I'm kind of I'm slightly desensitized to the poverty thing. Like, it's not that I don't take it in, but I think I always felt like, especially Western American society, overcranks on the poverty. They grew up in it. You know, some them are like, Hey, we gotta get This kid is never He's not in a proper classroom. We gotta give him money for books and whatever. I'm like, for generations, his people have been learning everything about what they need to know without the classroom, so they're not looking at it as a deficit. So we need to look at it as, like, God given human right deficits, not, like, American culture deficits. Yeah. So so I I don't get as lost on that stuff as I as I to. But what I did get,

what I really liked about it is it does it it pulled me completely out of my life for a little bit and did the focus on love God and love people around me, which was time that I don't like, it's very hard to give in the life that I set up. That's for sure true. Kinda took some creature comforts out, took away like, gave me a lot of time for focusing on scripture and things to pray on, and really did reinvigorate me for

that one of the big things is, like, you're either a doer or a sender, right? Like, missions has to get done. People have to know about the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, like, some of the way that we do it back in The United States is frankly lame and lazy, and it has no intentionality to it, opposed to people who are like, hey. There's an unreached people group, and what they mean by that is is they don't even have a written language. They have a spoken language, and so we're gonna have to figure them out. We're gonna go there. We're gonna live with them. We're gonna come up with an alphabet. We're gonna teach them their own alphabet. Then we're gonna use it to write a New Testament, and then we're gonna tell them about the gospel. And we're not gonna say one word about it until we fluently know this new language, new alphabet, and new New Testament so we can tell it to them not through an interpreter. Because the most important message that we have is not gonna get third party in there. And, like, part of me, like, I let all that go to, like, I hope a guy runs into me at store, and I'm like, Hey, dude. Have you been going to church lately? And this is my plan. This is my gospel attack. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, that was a nice refreshing look on maybe the way that I've been looking of how to

talk to people. I'm watching people with intentionality basically donate their life up to 65 60 years old from 20 to 60 to focusing on one tribe to get them to know for the possibility that they might accept Jesus Christ. That is a lot, and that is very, very cool. So that's one of the things that I was definitely gonna take away from there. Danny, were you gonna say something? Not I wasn't gonna interject anything. Oh, okay. Okay. You kinda like got your like, gonna sit up and I prob yeah. I probably just was Yeah. Reading it

Yeah. I you know, I do remember this had to been seven years ago or eight years ago or something. Mary Wastie was here on the program, and she was with, like a Bible translator. YWAM. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, and like, that's, that was the only, she was kind of raising money to go over and, do that very thing, languages that people are using that aren't written down, aren't codified or whatever. Boy. Yeah, what a deal. I think it is a great reminder that

it always feels so Indulgent? Yeah, maybe. I guess what is disappointing to me that I'm like, Wow, what can I do? I gotta think of a bunch of stuff. And you know that there's plenty to do. You know that there is. Even here, even here, there's plenty to do. And as much as like, it's like some, sometimes it's all, it's all kind of a movement of the spirit thing. Like sometimes God has you going. Sometimes God has you stepping out of what is a normal cadence of life to go do something. Sometimes he needs you right in your normal cadence of life for the things that are around you. And like, it's not easily prescribed,

like the, the listening to the spirit, and then allowing things that he does through people or situations or opportunities helps to shape that. I don't think you can, if this helps anybody, I just want you to think about this. I don't think you can go wrong following the character of God. And so like, hey, how do I know if I'm supposed to be a person who just like is a light in my, what seems like a normal path life. I have an office job and I raise my kids and love I teach soccer, Yeah. Like that's option A. And option B might be, you know, I don't really do some of those things because I'm, I'm working with the local abused ladies shelter over here and blah, blah, blah within my town. And then maybe the third thing is, actually, I don't even live here anymore. I'm going to go someplace else where the culture is completely different. And like, it's sometimes,

you know, like you get the impression that you might be missing out holistically on God doing something in either one of those three. And here's what I tell you. All three of those can be totally righteous. All three of those can be totally obedient. And, and, you know, it's, it's praying through it. It's watching, it's paying attention and believing that like, if God, if God has something for you, he's not like a maniacal behind a door going, He'll never figure out I wanted him to move to Texas. God's not doing that. But let's say you can't be wrong following his character. So maybe

Nairobi is your ultimate destination, and God's got a plan for something to happen with you in Nairobi, and maybe you're missing the clues. But if during your non Nairobi time, you're like, You know, maybe I should go volunteer at that shelter for harmed ladies, Like, it's it's not a hand slap. Yeah. Like, God's not gonna be upset that his that you followed the notions of his character in what felt like obedience. Yeah. You're not derailing his plan for you by doing something that is otherwise in his character. Yes. Right? How could you settle for something less like soup? Mike, you idiot. I want you to move to The Philippines. Yeah. Like, it's that's not what's gonna happen. No. And so, like, the only thing the thing that I think you run a risk on is is stagnation and disobedience. Like, you know God is calling you to do something and you're refusing it, you have a problem. If you go, I'm not sure which one of these things God is calling me to specifically, and so I'm going to sit

and I'm not going to do anything and that's and I don't mean like, hey, you were fasting and praying on it for even extended amounts of time. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking like, you could look back at your life over the last five years and you can't see that you are doing it like doing these things that are expressions of god's character into the world. If that's not happening, that's a problem too. And so, like, I just, I, I, if that feels like it's happening a lot more, like we're getting a lot more expectation than like, oh, you know, I'm I wanna listen to the spirit. I wanna be faithful to what God has asked me to do. And that's totally righteous. But in absence of something direct, you have a general revelation, you know what his character is.

You should pursue that in all avenues as he continues to make some things clearer. And like, sometimes it's just not on our timetable. We're like, God, my bones are itching to do awesome things for you today. And maybe God's got Nairobi in his pocket for you eight years from now for something that is his plan and not yours. And so just take her easy and try to be obedient to the things given you, but don't carry a burden of, well, but what if I'm missing out on God's true path for my life? He's not hiding it from you. I promise, listen and walk faithfully and it will happen. I would say, though, that the last thing is it was really nice being around a bunch of people that love Jesus for a week. Like, I mean, was it was we just we're we're not fighting that. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's hard to do in in our everyday lives anymore, and, like, they everybody there loved Jesus. And, like, I could meet a bunch of people that I wouldn't have met, and so that that part was Invigorating. It it was very invigorating. Yeah. Right? Like, I'm it's not like we're best friends and, like, we're meeting for coffee every Tuesday or whatever, but, like, I know that like, it opens up your eyes to see that god is doing way more than you ever think he is. Even if, like, in you're in a you're in a valley at the moment. Right? Like, god is like you're like, I'm asking for god to move, and it just doesn't feel like I even know him. Right? And then you talk to six other people who love Jesus and realize he's just tearing it up in their lives. Like, they saved a kid out of cancer, and we're building houses over here, and we're building a village over here, and, like, God's showing up all over the place. So whatever you thought of him not being existent, your faith being misplaced, or whatever you thought that you had totally screwed up, like, being around other people that are following God in a way, and they have stories that he is alive and in action, just know that, like, you're just in a valley, man. Like, you just he's good and faithful, and his promises are true. Yep. So okay. Aiden. Alright. Aiden Stone. Same question.

What was the question? What do what do you if you if there's anything else about the context that Mike provided that you think would be helpful, go ahead and provide that. And then like a key moment from your time in Mexico, and then, what are you taking with you? What do you feel like you've learned or seeing differently or whatever from that experience that you feel like is could or should impact your kind of day to day? What are your thoughts? For, like, added context for the ministry, it's like, there's kinda two aspects of it. There's the building the house Mhmm. Which is basically

just an excuse to be there. Yeah. Yeah. For, like, basically like, it's meeting a physical need. Yep. Yep. The, alright. So it does two things. It meets a spirit, like spiritual need and a physical need. Mhmm. The physical need is the house. Yep. The spiritual need is more focused, not on the people you're building the house for,

but more on the people building the house. Mhmm. Like the youth group from like Danville, Iowa. Mhmm. Or something. Like,

it's for them to get away from like everything, focus solely on God. And the motto of the ministry is like mobilizing Christ followers for missions, which is like, basically

every day, eight to 9AM roughly, you're just getting like hammered with like biblical truth about just missions and God's heart for like the nations. And the internship itself is

different than that, where it's being like in a group, it's basically just like a church retreat. Being an intern is almost like preparing you to like live faithfully for the rest of your life in Christ. Mhmm. Where it's

them saying like, if you end up, like, in, like, some Fortune 500 company making $500,000 a year,

or living in, like, middle of nowhere Lesotho, like, ministering to shepherds in, like, the mountains. Yep. As long as you are faithfully following Christ in both of those scenarios,

the ministry did its job. Gotcha. Gotcha. And so I definitely wanna say like, something that I took from that time that will probably stick with me the rest of my life would definitely be just like the feeling of intense privilege that you get being there where it's like, wow.

Like America is not the norm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, widespread poverty is the norm. Houses with rotting plywood, shacks,

like, dilapidated buildings. That's the norm. Yeah. And like you kind of mentioned that earlier with like, we don't really have like orphans or widows. Like here, being a widow doesn't like ruin your life. Right. Like, here orphans are cared for by like the government. There's like foster care systems. But there it's

if you're an orphan, you have to get a job. There's no one to rely on there. If you're a widow, it's same thing. Mhmm. It's like you can't like work in the same way that a man can, or you are, like, barred from different places in society. Mhmm. And so being there and knowing, like,

for me, this will end. Yeah. Just like, I will always go back to Iowa. I will have AC. I will have a comfortable life. I'll be able to get a state education. And the person I'm building this house for will probably never see a paycheck larger than, like,

$50,000 a year in Yeah. Their entire Just like seeing that is crazy. Like, being so young, you're like, oh, this must be this is it. This is everything. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Which is what like, which makes sense. Like, the we you almost have to force

a perspective, and you don't know that your situation is so unique. It's one of those things that like, I've come, and I believe we've talked about this a number of times coming off with some of the short term trips, is that like, when your context is so unique, sometimes you have to force the perspective. Even you could read about it and it wouldn't change necessarily. It takes kind of experiencing some of these things

to fundamentally alter what feels normal. And it feels normal because then you prescribe it onto the rest of the world. Oh, well, this is how the world works. Well, it's not how the world works to your point. Yeah. And so, that, that makes a tons, ton of sense that like, just, it's something that has, that permanently alters

how you interpret life around you, knowing that like, it's not just your little snow globe, that some of these, the ways in which we think about it have either more nuanced or extensive perspectives, even, you know, a twenty hour drive south

or even it was probably true with even in communities within The United States, but like, yeah, that makes, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Yeah. So, so like, would you like, for, I guess for that reason, it makes sense to say, Hey man, like most people should, like, you, the perspective gained, is, is worth this type of trip. Even if, even for nothing else, that you, you start taking in the world a little bit more, a it'd be accurately, Like, it's just not accurate the way that we understand the world in our limited bubbles. So a group is only there for usually about a week or so, but an intern, I think you were there for like six months, something like that. Yeah. June 2023 to December 2023. Okay. Oh yeah. Long time. Yeah. So, so like, what is the, do you think that perspective is

available for a group to gain within a week, or is there something about, like, just, like, living there for six months? I'd say it hits them within that week. Like, we'll take them to this community that's right outside the dump. Like, so there's this huge hill. On the top of this hill is this landfill for the entire city. On the bottom of this hill is this community that's popped up of people who are basically like entirely destitute. They'll go up this hill and they'll just salvage stuff out of They'll this

use it to build a house. They'll recycle, try to make money off of it. And almost the first thing, every single time we, like, get back, we do a little debrief, like, did you guys see? How'd you feel? First thing, the most poverty they ever seen. And we're always like, this is it. Like, this is like, this is what real poverty looks like. You see poverty in The US is like, someone will be homeless, but they have options. Yeah. There are homeless shelters. These people have nothing. Yeah. They have a church at the top or like, at the highest point of this community. That's it. Yeah.

And so it's it definitely hits them, but I wouldn't say it sinks in as much as, like, someone who lives there. Yeah. Because you're seeing it every day. You start to recognize the people coming in and out of these houses. Yep. Dan, did it was, because we saw that in, Ethiopia too. Like there were communities, as a matter of fact, it was, it was super dangerous. Like there had been a recent collapse at the dump, for communities of people who had been like going there. Is that, did you see some, the stuff like that in Zimbabwe too, Dan? Oh yeah, yeah. The more rural you get, the more poverty. We saw kids eating dirt and

just doing whatever they can to put something in them. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, Dan, maybe I think you're up. So now Dan is a frequent Zimbabweer given his role with the ministry. And so maybe it's a question of uniqueness. I suppose there's something that feels unique about every trip. Yeah, yeah, it's different every time. We partnered with Hippo Valley Christian Mission.

It keeps growing. It's a well oiled machine now. There's 29 different schools. It's a three pronged approach, mind, body, soul. So with the the mind, we we built 29 now schools. With any school, there's a church. Of course, those churches plant new churches, and it starts

spreading. Then And we have clinic health clinics for the for the for the body. So body, mind, soul. In the schools, they're hearing the gospel periodically here and there. With even within the schools, there's an extra layer of it's called living proof where there's a club kinda like the schools here have different clubs that you know? And they get more gospel, more songs, more scripture memorization, and things like that. So seeds are being planted all the time, and then we'll pop in and we'll just join in what they're doing rather than try to, you know, invent our own thing. We'll do a vacation bible school at a school and have 1,200 kids running around doing crafts and singing and getting bible lessons, and

we'll have a pop up tent, do a revival, and adults come around, they start hearing things, so we'll have weekend revivals, one in the midweek. And there's a pretty continual flow of people who are accepting Christ because there's, like I say, there's so much seed being planted, we just get to kind of come in and help with the harvest, basically. And it's so cool, it's cool to see that. Like there was one probably that stuck out this time, what was at the end,

the church we planted five years ago, we went back and give them a little boost. There's a guy, it's kinda like a fifty years ago here, like you can do the invitation hymns. I haven't done an invitation hymn in decades here in America, but you still do them there. And so we do the invitation and

these people come forward, and one guy specifically just stood out like he was almost shaking. You could tell he was super seriously contemplating, struggle going on, and it just like, I don't know, it was just cool to see the light bulb turn on

and processing. What does it mean to die? I'm gonna die to myself here. I'm giving myself to Jesus, I'm surrendering to him, and and, you know, it wasn't like just a, hey. This is some life insurance. It it was like, no. You're you're you're you're a disciple of Jesus Christ, a follower of him. And it was just cool to see that. And then we had in order to get it was time for us to leave, we had to leave immediately afterwards. Usually, it will help with baptisms and different things that are happening. We had to go, so they sent us pictures later of and videos of, and he was part of that group. Was just kinda cool to see that. I'm the director of development of the orphanage.

That's additional back in the twenty years ago, the AIDS epidemic was so serious, the average life expectancy had gone down to the forties for adults. And

there were children all over the place just roaming the streets, so they popped up an orphanage. And so we've had this orphanage, and now it's been there long enough that there's kids who grew up from infancy into adulthood.

And some, like this one guy, Tanish, who I worked with, he's probably 25 now because he's gone to the university. He's a teacher now. He's a teacher at one of the schools. And he's just a great success story because he's he he was literally roaming the streets twenty years ago, whatever, and they brought him in. No one ever found his parents ever in all those years, and he accepted Christ, and now he's

great things. He's married his family of his own, and so anyway, he and I planned the first ever homecoming where we invited all these people who've grown up at the orphanage to come back, and partly to give hope for the kids that are there because there's times it gets kinda dark. You're like, I have no parents, no cares. Maybe I had a parent.

One kid was with his dad. He's a drug dealer. Dad got arrested, and that was all so the kid's at the orphanage now, and so he's kind of a he's he's old enough that he kinda knows the ways of the street, and so he's kind of a troubled soul.

One of our team became a sponsor of his because he has a similar background, and they've connected, they'll have monthly conversations and video calls and all that stuff. So there's some connections they've made, is really cool. I'm kind of flopping around. Anyway, this homecoming was such a neat thing because all these people came back.

It's a shame there to be of an orphan. Not only is it a disadvantage, but it's like, oh, you don't even have a family. They kinda hide that. They don't go around telling people that they grew up in an orphanage, but we're trying to create some pride and some dignity in it, and it was so cool that so many came back. And we celebrated and danced and sang and worshiped, and we gave them these cool Bibles that didn't all the preachers got all jealous, and they wanted them too, because they're pretty nice Bibles, the ones that were for the adults. And it was just a cool thing. It was a really neat thing, and they got this big buzz going, and we're trying to create

the newest school is in the orphanage. It just opened in January. So the kids are learning better than they were before. They were going down the road to a school and now we're educating them too and our goal is to not just release them, but to

have lawyers and doctors and you know, plumbers and teachers and and and like really train them in something and and to give them an advantage rather than a disadvantage. So I don't know. It's just kinda cool to see some of this stuff in the works right now and and to see it starting to work and Yep. And to see that hope that the kids got watching the adults, you know? Yep. Because we do have some adults there. They're they're preachers, and like I said, there's plumbers and teachers and and one of them is a politician. And so they have a future, which is cool. It's cool to be part of that. But the thing I

brought back, and do this every year, but it was just so more obvious this time for some reason of just, in my life, there's been a handful of times I can say that I was really in tune to the Holy Spirit more than normal. Like we were kind talking earlier, just sense the spirit. One was implanted this church, and then probably at least the first five years, it was just like the radar was always on. You just were intentionally

seeking, you didn't have time to get complacent, or apathetic, or lazy, or anything. You just had to be on because you don't know if you're gonna survive another week. And so you just you had to. And when we go on the mission field, it's often that way too because you're just there for two weeks. And

so we don't wanna waste time. We don't wanna play games. Wanna play games with the kids, but you know what I'm saying. They're intentional games with the kids. We just don't wanna lay around and and and miss something that God had for So the radar is just always on, and and so many cool stories come from that conversation you have with someone who you might have just walked by if it hadn't been like, I need to talk to that person, and things like that. So several of us intentionally said, man, we've got to continue that when we come back, Because we do all kinds of things. There's all kinds of ministries and outreach. We go into homeless camps, we do all these things, but sometimes even that gets routine.

Because, it's our every other week homeless thing. That was Bill. But when some say, Bill, do you really I mean honestly, how are doing with Jesus? We don't go there often enough. We'll pray with them and stuff, but it's like we need to be more urgent about that

in the routine things we're doing here and not let them become routine. And so let's see. I guess we'll see how long you fight that battle because that's where we go. We kinda go that way. Whatever it is we do, even in just the Sunday morning gatherings, can start mailing it in after, well, okay, do a few songs and get a little sermon,

and then we go to Il Mariachi and have some Chacos. Rather than like, okay, this is a moment, this is a moment, we have a time, we have a God moment, we've got people coming, seeking God, here we are, let's just do something with this. That's bigger than a show. Be careful when I say we do something with this, I mean, let's let God do something with this. Yes, right. Even just all around, what a great reminder to think about the moments that we have are of consequence.

You're right, it's easy to become complacent. I was thinking that This is a slightly different context, but I'm gonna come home, I'm gonna get home tonight about midnight, 12:30 or something like that, and my wife is gonna be there. She's probably gonna be up. She stays up late. And do I just walk by? I'm like, oh yeah, we're tired, and go sleep? I mean, do I look this woman in the eye? I, am I glad to see my kid in the morning? Do I wake up and like, I'm gonna go, I have a, what is it, roughly nine to five job, that's office work? And like, do I approach it going, Hey man, these are moments of consequence.

The next person I'm gonna talk to, like this person matters, the moment matters. And like just looking at that with some energy, with some hope and some optimism and the belief that like you matter, the things you're talking about matters, how you do these things matters. It gets blown up, obviously, as you start thinking of some of the context that you're talking about. But it's just so easy that for the pattern of your life to play you like the fiddle, Yeah. As opposed to you

busking with your fiddle. Well, you know, you read through Acts or, you know, wherever, and and and it's like, well, Paul says, oh, we were gonna go here, but the the holy spirit closed the door, or he opened the door there, but we don't he's got okay. Yeah. Yeah. But but what does that mean? Yeah. You know, what conversations took place that had him know that, oh, this is a closed door. Yeah. You know, he was he was dialed in, or he would have said, like, oh, guys, tell me not to go there. We don't know. It'd be kinda cool if he would have given us the footnotes to that. Know? Right. How did you know that was a closed door? Was it just because they ran out of tickets on the ship, or was it, you know, something bigger? You know? Right. Right. What did, remember what God said to, Moses when he told him that, he's gonna go get his people out of Egypt? And, like, he didn't give him a sign beforehand. He goes, I'll give you a sign afterwards. This is how you know it was me. Yeah. It's because you will worship me on this mountain. Like, that's after it's all done. Yeah. Right. Right? He's not giving you the invitation to, like, energize you to do it. He's like, when it's when you're done being obedient, then you'll know I was in this thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a, it's a, that's a great thing to pray for. Like if I, if I think about kind of cumulative what you, what you guys were all talking about, like praying for, just, just wide open eyes. Actually, I'd like Aiden, to a certain extent, I think what you're talking about matches with some of, or at least goes with some of what Dan's talking about is that like, we lose perspective so easily.

Like we just get used to the smell of our own joint and the look of our own surroundings. And it's weird to think that that's an energy sapper, but it lulls you into what is a common feeling and belief that like, my life these are patterns. They're just things that will occur and there's no inertia or shift to them. But things change when you change them. Things become different. Relationships become deeper. People meet Jesus when you introduce them to Jesus. Like these are all things that like,

it's it's kind of a common advice thing around here. Like if you're going to change your life, you have to change your life. And so like the same thing is true. If you're going to be a person of impact to the world around you. And like, we know, like the very formulation of humans was that belief that, that humans were going to be of impact. They were going to be God's idol. They were going to stand for him in the world around, which means, and they had active duties, care for the animals here, like do it, like hoe the ground. These are things that, that they had to do. And so like, we're built for, for movement. We're built for action. We're built for impact to the world around us. And like, not, not some, like, you don't have to be Tony Robbins. That's not what I'm saying, but I'm just like, you're, you're, you're not a cog. You're not trapped in a wheel here.

Like you are active, you are inertia for God into the world. And being reminded of that should get you springing up a little bit easier out of bed as opposed to avoiding it. Like maybe taking the most of some of those moments that feel like they're just average. Well, they're average because you're acting average in them. Like, are there, are there ways to greet them with the hope and optimism that the gospel brings? Is Tony Robbins even still alive? Yeah. Oh, yeah. What are these? Who's Tony Robbins? Right. Yeah. This classic Ben either reference some obscure, you know, thing you've never read and be like, oh, you haven't read that. Well Okay. Okay.

The things are From a 1985. Tony Robbins. What okay. What what's a good what if he's like a he was like a self help guru. Yeah. Like doctor Phil. He's been in some movies. Nobody nobody does the doctor Phil. I know who Hammurabi is. I have no idea who that Tom guy is. This is what I'm saying. Hammurabi. He has big teeth. Tony Robbins has big teeth or Hammurabi? He's a big tall guy. Tony Robbins. Anyway, I don't even know if he's successful. Who's who's a motivational

speaker of the of the day? Well, Simon Sinek is a is too much of a business guy. Who's the Gary who's Gary V? No? Ted Talk. I think I know who you're talking about. He's got a foul language, but he's like, he's a he's a he he became famous for, like, like buying crap from, garage sales and selling on eBay and stuff. That guy's motivating. Mister Beast.

I'm not he's not motivating, but he's pretty cool. Are are we done with motivational speakers? Is there not, like, a guy, like, from the like, I can't name one that's popular right now. Hayden, never had big teams come around. Who speaks for your generation? I don't think people in my generation really care. We don't care. You'll they're out. We don't do this anymore. Yeah. I think some mister Ed dude showed up on TV and said, you should change your life. You're like, get your own life, mister Ed. Yeah. Okay. I feel like everything's really been said. People will be like people are like, alright. I guess I'll buy atomic habits again. Yeah. Right. Shakespeare's come back into vogue. It's all been everything's under the sun. It's all been done. That's right. Okay. Anyway, you're listening to live from the path. I don't know. Maybe you've had, I hope that's an encouragement to you. It it's encouraged me. Like, it reminds me it's just, you know, the lord just shines the shines the sun on different things that gotta be melted or hardened in my life. And, like, I think this is a good reminder that, even in things that feel like they're run of the mill, they're only run of the mill because you're running them as the mill. Yeah. And, actually, if if you have any interest in, like, either, going to Zimbabwe or going to Tijuana, well, you should have the life the Life From The Path Complete Life. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hit us up. Just I'll have your phone number, so either call or text, and I can get them into

the right hands and and get you some more information. I'm sure Dan loves company. Do. Dan loves it. He loves the people. I was just saying I'd highly recommend his Tijuana because they're like, hey. You wanna come to Tijuana? I'm like, sure. I thought when I got flew into San Diego, they'd be like, we'll come pick you up in the missionary van or whatever. And they're like, just rent a car and drive in here. Like, what? I'll be driving in no Tijuana, crossing no border like a wild man, driving like and and they're like, yeah. This is no problem. It turns out I went with a a church group that was super cool and let me hang around with them or whatever. But, like, the original plan was I was gonna rent a car and drive into Tijuana. I'm like, are you sure? That doesn't seem like a great idea. That sounds way worse than actually is. It's fine. Right? Like, you hear all these stories about Tijuana, and, like, I don't know what you had in your it's imagine every nineteen eighties movie you have in your brain, you think this is what's happening in Tijuana. It's like, this is not what's happening. At least not in the place where you were. No. What? No. I went and we were all over the city. Like, you go just about everywhere, but, like, not, not everyone in California is Compton. You know what I'm saying? So, like, it's just kinda one of those things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You're listening to life from the path. I tell you what, we're gonna we're gonna we have to skip we're gonna have to skip the man who's walking away from Jesus. We'll have to pick him up next week.

He sounds like a real downer anyway. I know he seems like a real downer, but I hear to say you wanna I'll address it right now. God says, love me. Love the people around you. When you do that, you don't have near as time to focus on all the things that he's saying right now. You don't think okay. I don't I'm gonna come back to I'm not saying church people and religious folks like, most these people can't hurt you if you're if you're in your Bible. If you're following Jesus personally and this is your thing, this is what you're doing, and you're not allowing other people to tear it down and to force you into feeling guilt that God did not put on you like you accepted the guilt. Guilt is a is a free range commodity. You have to accept it for it to be there, And so let oh, that's right. Yeah. No one can put guilt on you. You have to you have to reach it. I can't just guilt somebody as they walk me up past them on the street and go, that's it. This dude in the hat's gonna have guilt all day. That's not how it works. Yeah. So either you earn it or you stole it. These are the two things. If you earned it, then you need to pacify through it. You need to pray and repent and walk out of it. If you stole it, then you're a fool. And so, like, once again, I think you're sitting in a blender of your own sadness and thinking about you and you and you and you and you're stuck there. Yeah. I will say that I find there has been a matter of consistency of this being

problems with people who have Christianity as a vocation. Don't mean like pastors, which I think is a little bit different, but we've seen it with all kinds of musicians that have come through here, people who are even in technical ministries, but they work for the church full time, it's like a larger church or whatever. Yeah. Like,

here's the thing. I wouldn't, there's no way I'd want, I worked for the same company for over twenty years, but like, I would not want them to be my religion. Because you look at these people and you're like, I, this place is off the rails. You get to see how the sausage is made and you totally don't trust it. And there's no way that I could, that you could adhere to that. And the same concept of there is an almighty God and this is what he's in. He's in this thing. Yeah. And so like, I do think there's, there's something to be cautious about of when your, work relationship is intertwined with your expression of what it is to follow Jesus. And I'm not saying you can't do it. I'm not saying it's not possible. I'm just saying that like, if if let's say, you get a bad boss at the church and they fire you,

and you're upset with them, like, is it possible that starts to somehow taint your relationship with Jesus? Because Right? Just like you start irritated with the CEO after your boss fires you. You're like, he runs a bad ship. And so I just I know, especially with, don't take this wrong, artistic types, but with the artistic types. Especially when you think God has promised you you're gonna be the next superstar. That's right. And you've spent four years in small rooms attracting small crowds, and you're like, then you get mad at God. Yes. That's right. Your your worldly expectations of what it looks like to follow Jesus that are somehow also, like, spray painted a little bit because you're in a Christian infrastructure believing that thing. And so Love God.

Love other people. Do know what I'm saying? Like, if you could spend ten years in a van eating terrible food, end up with back problems, and still playing in front of three people, and at the end of the day, if you're loving God and loving other people, none of this bothers you at all. Yeah. Yeah. It's just actually it's what you do with it too. Like, some of those things should keep you humble. Here's the deal. If God has you playing acoustic worship tunes to eight people for the next thirty years, well then that's what he has you I don't get disenfranchised with the Lord because a million people don't listen to Life From The Path. I find it a very humbling experience that we continue to do the program. I've actually been worried that people would listen to it, honestly. Like, because then they they dig up ten years worth of shows, and I said something that I definitely should not have said. You know what saying? And then I'm like, man, I've ruined my whole ministry. It never fails when someone goes, yeah. I told someone that I was on the radio program, and at first, my first thought is, hope they don't listen to the last one. And that's true for every show that comes out. But like, but here's the thing, it's, this is a safe room full of guys who aren't like, hey, this is my ticket to something. Right. I'm on the way up. We're

loving Jesus in here. We don't have time to go up. That's right. We're doing it fallibly, but we're doing it honestly. And, I you know, whatever. It's a safe way to engage with something that otherwise could be destructive to you, and I don't know. Yeah. I here's what I to tie this up, I wanna make sure that I like, don't hear me callously. I know it's very difficult to not spend time thinking about yourself in all sorts of time. Like, this pride is the problem with the humans. Everybody's got it. Everyone's been there. I I don't wanna act like anybody's nailing this, but I'm just telling you the solution is easy. Like, the the the road that you need to take to help, it it's it's there's only one road. It's narrow, and it's very specific. It's you need to spend time thinking about him and thinking about other people, and then you ain't got time for your own stupid problems. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just true. Yeah. You know what's you know what's interesting? And this is the last I'll say about it, but, like, like, part of the guy's critique was, you know, I never felt closer to hell than when I was kind of under the thumb of this religion. Now he's, he's obviously talking about people who have, like influenced him or whatever. But like, to your point, the man has the choice. You get to choose, like, I've had all kinds of people who like, Ben, I'm very disappointed to you, and I don't care. I could care less, frankly, because your opinion doesn't mean anything to me. Or I've found the critique invalid.

I've had people who I care about who've been like, Hey, you really dropped the ball on this one. And in my mind, I'm like, No, no, I didn't. I nailed it. Feel good about it, frankly. I mean, there's a, you could be arrogant about it. Like you have to be able to learn and shape. But like the reality was, to your point, if someone offered him a false version of God or an unhealthy relationship with some of the concepts of Christianity and he accepted them, one, you didn't have to do that, and two, you're not going to find any resolution digging further into yourself. You're the guy who let the thing happen. You're the guy who allowed the influence of either some perversion or frankly, you're just rejecting something that God said was good, and you permitted that. Going deeper in that hole, friend,

it's not going to come out how you want. And so then what's going to happen is, and this is like, we're, I think we're seeing this, is you either have to completely, gaslight your own life in your own mind to make it seem like it hasn't been like, otherwise you can't live with yourself with this type of behavior, or it's despair because you find out that you can't be trusted. You can't sort it out on your own. To a certain extent, they were right, or you dug, you looked so intently in your own eyes and you found nothing. Yeah. And then you become desperate, you make terrible decisions, and you either continue to allow false people to mislead you, or you, again, make bad choices

personally upon your own life. And so- it doesn't add up anyway, dude. Yeah. You know what saying? Like, at the end of the day, if I go to Shoney's and they serve me terrible food and then a guy vomits next to my table and no one cleans it up, and I keep showing up at Shoney's every week, I can't be like, I can't believe it all turned foul. Right? Like, this is unknown to me. So what happened was is, like, it was good. You were there. Right? Like, you did meet the peace of God. You did see the joy of God in some capacity. Now maybe some people got in the way, or maybe God didn't do what you wanted him to do. These are all possible things. I think everybody's walked in that. But what you can't do is go back and act like it was the Shoney's. You can't go back and act like it was nothing but vomit and overpriced cheeseburgers the whole time because it definitely was not that. I'm a tell you this. If I can't say Tony Robbins, you can't say Shoney's. Why? Is it What's a Shoney's? Is it even open anymore? I was trying to think of somewhere in the country. I think there is still one. I was gonna Google it. Two Shoney's available.

Alright. It was it was Applebee's before Applebee's. You would go you would go to the Shoney's. Great potatoes. What the heck? Yeah. For Mike and Shoney's. Y'all are making Gen X rays. We're not ready. We gotta We need some fresh blood in here, boys. You go to Henry's and get yourself a hamburger. Have been garlic and bingay in this whole room. We gotta we gotta do better. Okay. We gotta do this. Let we got one advice. Okay. Let's do it. K. Dear life from the path, my son married a girl from Taiwan. This is gonna be good. She's sweet but very uncultured.

I have tried for more than ten years to get along with her, but it has been very hard. We have nothing in common except my son. She doesn't cook very often or clean or do laundry. Her English is terrible. She dresses poorly, has no interest in her home, and celebrates no holidays. We are never invited to dinner. We always entertain them. They have no children. Our relationship with our son is strong, but I have grown to dislike her. She does very little for him. Her interest in saving money at the expense of any enjoyment is sad. I don't know what to do. Help, please. Well, you know what? It's a good thing you're not married to her. Sounds like she's minding your own business. Wow. Wait.

Okay. I think we gotta be cautious about phrases like she's uncultured. I know. That's why Yeah. That was like definitely just a culture difference. Yeah. She's of her own culture. That's right. She's Culture just not Americans. Jeez. She doesn't even know English, Ben. She's from Taiwan.

Here's where you could start. The man obviously has no to write what he wrote and not recognize that he has a problem, just like that that obviously he's very shortsighted and narrow with how he's approaching this. You think it's a a man that wrote it? Isn't it a dude? It didn't say. Oh. Oh, I thought it was the mom. You think it's I thought it was a mom too. I I got mom vibes for me. Okay. Give mom vibes. Okay. Yeah. Because she feels threatened by another woman.

I nothing to be a threat to them. She doesn't cook. Yeah. What kind of dad goes okay. Does this phrase come from a mom or a dad? She dresses poorly, has no interest in her home, and celebrates no holidays. That's a mom phrase. The dad's like, score. Yeah. The dad's like, dude, I'll just stay home. Okay. Okay. You're telling me I don't want to go to Christmas? Finally. Yeah. Well, okay. Here's the deal is is that You got a couple options here. You can be disappointed all you want. It doesn't seem like it's changing much. If

you believe that your view of how things are to be done, like the cooking and the cleaning and the holidays and having people over, is a compelling thing, then you should just treat it as compelling, and she'll catch on and decide that she's compelled by it. You know what I'm saying? You can't be disappointed that people don't agree with you. What are you, hypnotist? Be compelled. Think of it. If you keep throwing these shindigs and you celebrate all these things, and if it's great, this lady will eventually go, Hey, this is pretty great. I want to be involved in Yeah, like when you invite someone to go mushroom hunting for the first time, If you've done a good job and they find a bunch, they're like, That was rather fun. I should go mushroom hunting later, and we'll do it again. But, obviously, if you're not doing anything compelling about it and you never find mushrooms, no one's gonna be excited. Yeah. Like, we've skipped this step. I I would say even at times, I've I think I've skipped it even as a parent. Like, I just want the kids to like something, but, like, I'm not really I'm not to put the effort in to go, Hey, man. I enjoy this. Let me show you that it is enjoyable. Same thing with maybe your husband or your wife. You're like, Oh, I'm disappointed. She doesn't ever like to do the things I like to do. I don't know. Did you make it sound fun? When she wasn't super jazzed about it, did you pout? It doesn't seem very enjoyable anymore. So dad goes, That's the route I usually go.

Well, here's the deal. They have spent twenty years training their son who to marry, and he did it. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And he prob she probably is a lot more like the mom than she wants to admit. It's uncomfortable. Because that's it that's kinda how it works. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. So either way, think the Taiwan woman is most like the mother? Somewhere in the somewhere in the character somewhere there, he's seeing his mom. Or it's or the opposite. It's a revolt against the mom. Or it could be. Yeah. You disgust me so much. I'm going the opposite. Don't know. Dan, you're talking about out of both sides of your hooves right now. But I'm still sticking with my first every wave that comes by your house.

It's either this thing or the opposite of this thing. Though, she is not providing at these holidays anything that our fine new bride would enjoy for food. Yeah. Yeah. Right. I mean, is there any rice? Is there any whatever I've been to Taiwan. She's ten years in. Yeah. And she didn't care. She's trying to make her American. Yeah. That does sound right. Because she's uncultured. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think you gotta rethink this. I like, you, are you only accepting of this person for what they otherwise, they acclimate to you? Or like, are you allowing yourself to be enriched by their perspective and point of view and how they go about something? Now, here's the thing. You could be disappointed that like, oh, that your perspective is how to care for a husband. And this wife is not doing any of those things. You're like, Oh, I want it better for my son, or something like that.

I understand that thought, but not everybody has the same values you have, including obviously your son, unless he's complaining on the side about his wife, which hopefully not. He wouldn't dare. But you kind of have to be okay with that. I think it's a hard thing. We're running into this in my household, think, actually. I think it's a hard thing as your kids grow up to find that they just value something or frankly don't value the same thing that you do, and you got to know when it's just your opinion. You

don't get to parent them about that anymore. If they're okay with it, what are you doing? You don't get to spend your time being whizzed off about it and disappointed for them. They don't care. I'll tell you, as a parent, that is one of the hardest transitions for me was to go when they went to adulthood and just say what matters. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What really matters and what do you celebrate? Like, oh, look at you, look at you, you're doing something different. Good for you. Right, right. So far there's not been anything big that was heartbreaking.

It's been like, yeah, we're all the same. But they tweak things different, but it's a hard because before you have so much influence and so much conversation and so much talk, and then you're like, I guess that's what I'm saying. The struggle is I just tried to back off. Maybe I back off too far in the beginning, now I'm like,

just like this talk, whatever. I don't know. I'm not expressing myself well, but No, no, I totally get it, and I think that it's okay to recognize that for a mom and dad, it's gotta be difficult that like, the thing that they valued, and it could be even, like, there's all kinds of things. Some of y'all, y'all as parents are like super granular. You're in on everything. And like, you really think through a bunch of stuff, your kid doesn't follow your line of thinking. Like, it feels like you failed, because they're not thinking the way that you wanted them to think. And then you take some sort of antagonism against you, and it's unhealthy, and you gotta let it go. Yeah. The big major character issues are there, and it's like, well, that's that's the important stuff. Yeah. Whether they're like red or blue, I I don't really care. Yeah. Or green or red, you know, whatever. Yeah. It didn't matter. I think I think one of my kids said, mom, as soon as I move out of the house, I'm gonna eat this. Yeah. Like a mad like a mad fiend. Chocolate chip cookies. Yeah. We're gonna go and I'm go to town. And, like, my perspective is, like, well, I mean, here's the thing. If we're right, you're gonna feel real sick about a day later, and then you'll make your own decision to stop doing it. Yeah. But I don't really need to follow that trail. I go ahead, test her out, see how you do. Make sure you're on your own insurance. Yeah. That's right. That's right. Colitis ain't my problem, man. I can put it on your bill. Colitis. Is that a thing? No. That does do with colons? No. That's a nineteen nineties reference. Colitis has been has been taken care of. What do they call it? IBS? Eradicated then. Yeah. No. It's now it's IBS. You got the IBS.

Alright. Here we go. Segular says, okay. So she's not your ideal daughter-in-law. Your son married this woman for a reason. The question is, does she make him happy? If the answer is yes, devote your energy to focusing on that rather than your negative feelings about her. And when you entertain them, rather than do it grudgingly, remember you are doing it for him and smile. Yeah. I mean, that was still even a little bit lenient. Yeah. You're kind of a jerk. Exactly. You know what I'm saying? Like, people are like, you're different than me. Basically, you wanted a mirror, and you got a window. Right? Like, you were hoping to see a reflection of you, and who your son married, and I think I'm I'm on the Dan train, but on the opposite. I think it's not the woman you envisioned. You had a Susie Homemaker in your mind who was, Anglo Saxon and Protestant and all these things, and he married a a gal from Taiwan that does not carry our same customs and does not, like, burning ahead on a clear English accent. And you're just you're nitpicking these things that, like, given the fact that she's from Taiwan, should answer nine out of 10 of your questions on why she doesn't celebrate our holidays, why her English is not very great, why she doesn't keep a house the way you would expect a house to be kept, because none of that stuff happens in Taiwan the way it happens here. What about Thanksgiving and July 4? What's wrong with this girl? That's right.

She doesn't understand what country produces some of the things that come around her here. You know what saying? So, like, I think you're just being, like, on purpose obtuse and stubborn about this particular marriage, and I think you should either change your ways or stay out of it. That seems right. Alright. You're listening live Thanks for hanging out with us this week. We really do appreciate it. Make sure you hit up that complaint line. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We'd love to hear from you. Also, if you're following Life for From the The Path on the Instagram, apparently, the posts are annoying. I will see what I can do about that. He's not gonna do anything. I'm a see what I can do. I can turn it off. You could just go use the Facebook. The Facebook post the post the link instead. Listen, It's working correctly. Cool kids are on the Insta. That's true. It's the devil's playground. You say no. No. That's true. Yeah. It's true. See? Okay. I use Facebook for Facebook Marketplace. That's it. Yeah. Oh, shoot. I can see that. All the paper on the InstaBen, you just gotta get it so it's putting out the right content. I I I don't think it can be done. It requires manual effort. Anyway,

thanks for hanging out with us. Aidan Stone, thanks for coming in, buddy. We really appreciate it. You're welcome at any time. Dan, you're also welcome at any time. Mike, I will have to think about it. It's fair. Based upon some of the stuff you said. Yep. Anyway, we'll try to put a show together for next week. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to live from the path. Don't you think? Oh, and an ad came on from Atunes. This is what I get for not paying for the Spotify. Hold on a second. You don't have Spotify Premium? No way. Oh, that's YouTube Premium. No. I don't talk on it anyway. I'm pay I'm giving away free ads for this stuff. What do you want? Hold on. In the middle of the tune, that's a rook. Alright. I'm not saying it again. Go about your business. Thanks, Willis eleven.