Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the path. You're listening to live from the Path coming from the Pathway Studios here in Justin Proper. Appreciate you being here on this on this fine afternoon. I'm a tell you three things very, very quickly. The first one the first two are things we're gonna talk about on the show. The first one is, I think, an indication that I'm aging rapidly. Okay. So the first one is,

Mike, why is your torso next to me? Dude, none of these work. Oh, I don't have a light on mine. Okay. Alright. Hold on. I'll I'll I'll work on some I'll work on some computer stuff here in a second. So for the you just have to hang out on the audio for a moment. So to start to start, I saw I was on Facebook today, and this is kinda like a this is tertiary. I saw a pastor that I know post something from a pastor that he knows.

And I will tell you that my reaction to this thing is both I have probably even a deep sympathy for some of what this man is getting at, and then I am I don't I just don't say that I'm angry very often, but, some of this makes me mad because it's pastorally irresponsible. And so I know that seems like a wide dichotomy of things of which, like, heartfelt, but also anger.

And so I wanna read this thing that the guy wrote, and I'm gonna I'm interested in in which which parts of it what you guys think, which parts of it resonate, which parts of it are you like, what the heck? So what did your pastor friend share it because they liked it or didn't like it? No. Yeah. They liked it. They thought this was great. Yeah. They're like, hey, check this out. This speaks about me. Oh. Like, then now I have anger with two people. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, I want to I'll I'll read that. I'm just I'm curious. And so I just as a bit of a preview, like, if you've ever felt like you're trying to hold on to the Jesus that you interact with in scripture, and you're like, you just, you've got a sense that this is right, but then how it's playing out in front of you, like,

I dunno whether it's abuses in the church, harshness, what your perceived harshness to certain groups of people, or like something that just seems like, hey, I don't understand how these things fit. This guy might be speaking to you, which is frankly the thing that causes me the most caution because I think there are some things that are worthy of consideration, and then there are some conclusions that are very dangerous, particularly for the people that he's like claims to be most concerned about.

And so anyway, I like if that's you, one, I think you often be doing that. I think it's pastorally. It's wise. I think there's wisdom in all this in considering those things. But, anyway, that I think this might hit you. Secondly, Christmas is right around the corner, and so it depends whenever you listen to this program. This may or may not be helpful, but I asked the fellas to think about if if what would you recommend? If people are looking for last last minute gift items for people,

what does Life From The Path recommend? And and I'll tell you upfront. This is not a ploy to try to get me for me to sell you Life From The Path propaganda. You can buy it if you want to, but that actually wasn't the point at all. Just just I want you to think about it and offer up some suggestions on and you can provide categories or something for a son or a daughter, for a person seeking Jesus, or whatever. But, like, I'm curious what jumps to mind on what your Christmas recommendations might be. Mike, did you put any thought into this thing? Yeah. Yeah. I when you asked about this, I thought I am the worst gift giver that I know, and my wife will attest to this. I'm very, very bad at giving gifts. Oh. And so, I mean, I'm gonna I'm gonna swing out a couple ideas, but I don't know that I'd run immediately to the nearest store and do what I say. You know I mean? Dan, are you an excellent gift giver? I I'm gonna say I I have three home runs. Oh, okay. You're ready to go. Man. Okay.

Okay. Alright. Alright. Alright. Alright. And then thirdly, the evidence that I that I'm aging very, very quickly. And this has probably been within the last four or five years that this is happening. But I used to have a real two things stood out to me that I used to really dislike. One, I hated live recordings from bands. So if you found me when I was 23 years old, I'd be like, why do I wanna hear this crappy live cut Yeah. Yeah. That someone's pulled together. I want precision. Yeah. Show me the studio where they got it right. Like, it sounds good. It did like, and the people are jacking with it when they're playing it live. I'm like, that's not what it sounds like. I wanna hear, you know, what I'm used to. I have thought that before. Yeah. It's like having a, like, an artist and be like, no eraser.

You're like, that doesn't seem right. Like, they should be able to craft the product that they want. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. And so I used to hate that live recordings. And secondly, I was very much against souvenir T shirts from locations that you've been in. I'm like, what? This this is dumb. Like, get something else or whatever. And I will tell you this. Over the last five years, I've found my a growing affinity for two things. The first is I really love live cuts. Specifically, I like like acoustic live cuts. These are these are my favorite. Listen to some like a man or a lady on an acoustic guitar or maybe a cajon or something just cutting it out and and singing a tune. I just I find that I really do love that. So I I'm I've I've transitioned somewhere to loving live cuts. And secondly,

I'm buy I've been buying these T shirts and sweat I got this sweatshirt in San Francisco. Now I bought it because it's freaking cold. I was unprepared for the winds on the on the banks of San Francisco Bay. But but, anyway, I like it. Super warm and comfortable. I think it's a little feminine, actually. I don't think my wife likes it. I don't I I think it cuts masculinity. It's a minus two on masculinity. But, anyway It would have been way cooler if you had these affinities back in the day because it used to only be able to get, like, a T shirt from the location that you were in. But now, like, the, like, the shirt printing is so they'll just print up a bunch of America shirts in the middle of Ireland and be like, hey. You know, they're not even close to not made where you're where where they're proposing be. Amazon and get yourself a Yeah. And so, like, it's kinda I I feel like it's lost all of its kitsch. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah. Yeah. I could see that. Unless it's like Tom's, you know, Tom's seafood and nostalgia diner, you know, and, like, only Tom makes this shirt. Then you're like, okay. That's kinda cool. But, like, a generalized San Francisco shirt, I mean, that's nothing to tout. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not sure I'm not sure what it says about me except for that I am casually is it is it for older folks, Dan? Did you feel drawn in by it? Why why did you mention my name? I I'm asking you just as a general It's because of your age, Dan. You know, it's funny. We went on an Alaskan cruise this year, and I may have spent more money on sweatshirts than I did the cruise. And I'm generally not that guy in the past. I'm like, hey. Every once in while, get a shirt or something. Yeah. But it was like a 100 degrees at home. We went in July,

and it was it was cool there, but not hot. So I brought all these sweatshirts on. I'm like, I can't even wear them for six months. And now I'm wearing them like every day, except not today. But I almost every day I have a different Alaska sweatshirt on. I gotta I gotta be real honest with you. Like, I I had this thing in my head when I was a younger man that, like, if I ever go to a foreign country, I'm gonna buy the thing that they make there. Yeah. And I've been real excited about it. Right? And, like like, our economy is so world based anymore that it's basically it it's ruined it. Yeah. Right? Like, I've been to multiple foreign countries, and I think when I get to Ethiopia, they're known they they have leather there. You know? But, like, I ended up buying it's not like I found, like, a a leatherman, and he just sits at his homestead building leather wallets. You know what I'm saying? Like, I bought one from a store. Like, a zebra shirt? Yeah. I mean, at a regular commercial I'm sure it was probably cheaper than if I would have bought it in The United States, but, like, I'm not an Ethiopian thrift. You know what I'm saying? I wasn't there so I could save $3 on a wallet. I was there for way other reasons. You know? And I thought, well, I'm here. I should get a, like I'd still use this wallet. And so I remember it. I look at it, I'm like, hey. I got that in Ethiopia. Remember that time that god had me doing this? And I I I like it. But it's not like it's a a wallet made by, like, a grandpa.

Yeah. You know? As he killed the cow a couple minutes ago. You know? And so, like, the whole thing's a little bit ruined anyway. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Anyway, I I don't know. You wanna hit up the complaint line (515) 517-0085. Like, as if you're of a of an advancing age, let's say, are there some things where you're like when you're younger, you're like, ah, no way, man. And then as you got older, you're like, you know what? I'm in. I'm in with the live cuts. I like these souvenir. I I don't do T shirts. Well, maybe I do. Yeah. Souvenir items from a place that I've been. Mugs even. Mugs teach I'm just probably five years away from spoons. I don't know. I don't know what a trend is. As long as you're not visiting, like, the Hard Rock Cafe. Like, you know what saying? Like, this commercialized joint. It feels cool if you can visit, like, a small business

in a town. Yeah. That's cool. But, like, back to your San Francisco sweatshirt, you're you've sold out. Like, it's a lame purchase, and it's zero it's zero cool. There's zero cool about it. Dang. I started getting playing cards at different places, which is kinda fun, but I but I have I to just they're all in the inner the box somewhere. Like I do that. Kinda like what do you do with you guys? They're next to my life from the path playing card. Actually, okay. I will say, our fail when the family goes on vacation, we generally get playing cards and a crap. Now that I'm saying this out loud, we get everything. We get, like, an ornament and for the tree, animals. Now the playing cards are total like, totally worthless because we'll use them. The kids will inevitably lose or bend or scratch one of them, and then, like, the we gotta throw the deck out because it doesn't do any practical good. And so let's just stop buying cards for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. I don't know. What do you buy? What what do you guys buy on the complete line? Dude, I round about. I've been trying to get rid of Christmas ornaments. I've been getting them out every year. I unload eight boxes boxes of Christmas decorations. To my count, we use two and a half of these boxes. Yeah. And then I load eight more boxes. I'm like, why is this stuff still here? Like, we could we need to get rid of some of this stuff. Well, that be the year. That conversation's not met with smiles. And then I end up, like, lugging. And it's even worse because I store them out in the garage. So I gotta take them down from the garage, haul them all in the house. They pick through them like scavenging homeless people, and then I haul them back out empty for storage, Yeah. Waiting for Christmas to be over in another three weeks, and then I gotta haul them back into the house. I'm like, ugh. Yeah. I hate I hate doing this. But, like, I we're ready to put up the ornaments, and everybody's lost all the gas to do this now. They're like, I don't wanna put the ornaments up no more. And, like, I wanna put up the ones where they made them in second grade. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? But then there's, like, these commercialized ornaments or whatever that someone gave us or, like, it was cute when they were, like, five, and they had, like, a, like, a teddy bear or something. I'm like, I don't know. This looks like a purchased ornament. We should throw it away. Yeah. Like, I don't care about this anymore. You know? I want the ones with their handwriting on it that says, Merry Christmas, mama, or something. You know? And but, like, all the other ones, anything that we bought or someone paid for, I'm like, yeah. This can go away.

Hey. When when you're when we lived in Atlantic, Iowa, little little town, Southwest, Iowa, I would keep the tree in the garage up in the rafters. And so it was time to get the tree down. I got it down for whatever reason. I put it in the back of my pickup, and all of a sudden, this big old rat jumped out of the box. I'm like, I never saw rats there. I didn't know we had rats, you know, but it was in my garage.

And I'm like, what do you do? Do you take put the tree in the house? Is there are there more rats? You know? I don't know. Yeah. So I drove my truck to the car wash because I couldn't figure out I didn't know, like, where did it go? And I took the tree box out, and I started washing the car. Then he started running. He jumped out of the the the truck and ran away. Oh, man. You water logged him. I water logged a rat. Did you wait. Did you hose the tree? Well, I must have I take the box. I I don't that that's so long ago. Don't remember exactly because I it doesn't make sense I would hose the tree because in the cardboard box, you know? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I did. I must have got it out. It says I had that one of those toolboxes in the back of the I think I saw it go behind the toolbox and pick up. Know? And I thought, okay. I gotta get him out of there. Can't drive around with a rat. Oh. Boy. Dude, I Heebie Cheebies. Yeah. I gotta put this thing away in one unit, Dan. You've you've reinvigorated me. I'm gonna find a way to wrap this tree up all already done

in in Saran wrap or something and then just store it. And then all I gotta do next year is bring it down and unwrap it. Yep. That's what we did this year at the church. The the downstairs when we have we've got little spig things you zip up, and it's all in one piece, and we rolled it down the hall. And I rolled it up, we unzipped it, and it was ready to go. Brilliant. Yeah. It was great. We do we do a live tree and always have as far as back as I can remember. So, like, we can't My wife's afraid the whole house is gonna go burning down. Yeah. I think that's that was by the artificial tree lobby. You got that. And by the I mean, like, we we use LED lights. I mean, there's there's not like it's gonna be some hot light. You know? Right. It's like Dude, I was riding in a car with a fellow yesterday, and he goes, I've had about enough of these LED lights. I'm like, what are you talking about? Done with this. The greatest technology advancement in the last thirty years is the LED light. And this kid is is 18 years old, and he's like, I've had about enough of these. I'm about done with them. Where's the fluorescence? I can't even buy them anymore. I'm like, get out of my car. Why is you? Why is he done with them? He just doesn't like the look of them? I don't know. He didn't have he was I here's the thing is he got himself, like, some kind of cabbie hat that, like, his grandpa had worn or whatever Yeah. And, like, like, a porter. You know? And as soon as he put that hat on, he started saying old man stuff, like, all night. He's like a frosty the snowman. It was just it was just the weirdest thing. Like, everything came out of his mouth. Smell smelled like licorice and Werther's originals. Back in my day. So weird. He got in the car, and he's like, hey. Anybody got any souvenir T shirts and play? Yeah. Yeah. Scuffed up my white my white shoes. Play the live cuts, Mike. I can't take these It's about time to eat. It's $4.35.

Blue plate special. Alright. Well, if you're also being manipulated by big Christmas like Dan's household anyway, hook us up on the Life and Path complaint line (515) 517-0085. I'm curious what's changed over the years, like, you've changed your mind on. And maybe on this Chris is anybody doing the full have you Saran wrap your tree? Are you doing the real Christmas tree? I'm just kinda I'm kinda curious. Okay. Let me read this letter, and I'm I'm going to read the whole thing because otherwise, I've I'll have a tendency to, like, just start commenting and you won't get the whole vibe. So I'm gonna read the whole thing. This is from a pastor that I saw on a pastor of a pastor that I saw on Facebook. He says, in the last few months that I spent as a pastor, I was going from home to home to listen to all the angry people tell me everything that was wrong with me before I made my decision. What happened to you? One man asked me. You started out great, and then you went all woke and feminist.

I thought about that question. What happened to me? So many various responses. What to say? I stared evil face to face, and all of my theological training and myriad books had no comfort, just empty platitudes or relevant ancient arguments. I saw behind the curtain and saw the violence and degradation, the cover up and denials. I knew all of the answers, but had no peace and didn't know what rest was. I was also surrounded by angry, fearful, hateful people and never observed any of the fruits of the spirit. I didn't like the person that I was becoming, so I took all of my training, my background, my knowledge of languages, and went looking for answers.

I searched to find Jesus. And what I found was that the Bible doesn't actually teach what I was always told it taught. The Bible isn't actually a book about rules and who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. The Bible is about Christ. The Bible isn't a philosophical treatise about ethics and which rules to apply that will make the nation good enough to earn God's favor. The Bible is about Christ. The Bible isn't about getting doctrine correct down to the last jot and tittle. It is frustratingly silent on the tension between God's astounding sympathy and love for his children who are suffering and God's sovereignty and how these two things fit together. It is almost as if the infinite, almighty, everywhere present power of God and his eternal decrees are something beyond our logic and our comprehension. No. The Bible doesn't point to a system, either Calvinist or Armenian, although I hate both terms because they've both been hijacked by con men who substituted systems for Christ.

The Bible doesn't actually teach that humans, sinners that we all are, have to clean up first before we are worthy of Jesus' love. It simply says to come and receive his embrace, rest in his bosom. But here's what is keeping us from resting in his bosom. We are terrified that the wrong sort of person might be resting there as well. The ruling class in Jesus' day wanted nothing to do with the Christ who embraced publicans, sinners, and women. And the ruling class today want nothing to do with the Christ who embraces LGBTQ, abused widows, immigrants, pregnant teenagers, people who've had abortions, divorcees, outcasts, truth tellers,

even people with tattoos, student debt, lawyers, doctors, clinical workers, electricians, priests, politicians, and ex obnoxious pastors. And the eternal everlasting almighty God doesn't need the likes of me or you to tell him how to fix someone up properly. Maybe we should just let the spirit do what the spirit does. He shall carry his lambs in his bosom. The embrace is his. He united you to himself from before the foundation of the world and now is calling to you to believe that the embrace is yours. It is free. It has no conditions before or after. What he offers is rest, and when you rest, you become the sort of person he wants you to become, a person that looks like he looks. What happened to me? Exegesis. I applied the rules that I was taught on the proper exegesis of scripture and saw that all those rules and distinctives that reformed circles are so proud of are not actually taught in the scripture at all. All the scripture points to Jesus. He said so himself, but we are too caught up in our systems or pride or likes or dislikes and fears and arrogance to simply rest in his arms. Like a weaned child safe with balm, rest now. Wait for the salvation of the Lord. I promise you that you will get a lot wrong. Rest anyway. He still embraces you and holds you closely, and he will come again and set it all right.

Love this man. So let me let me let's try this first. What part of that, if any, do you agree with? Can you sympathize with? Can you agree to? Do you recognize and say, yep, I see what you're saying. Actually, I didn't agree

like with his list of people that the establishment doesn't want there. Like, I don't know anyone who loves Jesus that's like, I hope these people don't show up. I've I'd like I've met the worst parts of what the church has to offer, and I've also met the best. Mhmm. And, like, I'm hard pressed to find anyone that I could think of that that that his giant list of people that the church is against

Yep. That that they're not like, bring them all. Yep. Bring them all in. Yeah. I maybe the thing that I think that he's trying to drive at is that that he believes that the church is putting on an onus on people that something that they need to change something once they've met Jesus. And, like, maybe we're just coming at it from different theological backgrounds or just putting it a different way, but, like, my general approach seems to be, like, once you have actually met Jesus,

you will want to change. There's things that you will that that won't fit in your life anymore. Yep. And they and they become very clear and evident because of of actually meeting Jesus. Yeah. Yep. Okay. So other than that, nothing Mike Mike, you go I don't see anything that I agree with. Well, he talks in a real fancy way. And, like, I don't do real well with, like, this flowery language because I think what he's trying to do is emotionally manipulate. And I got about seven walls up for that. And so, like, I that don't happen to me very easily anymore. That's right. Like, yeah. Yeah. Your perception is correct. That is true. Yeah. That's why when I when I hear or read things like that, I I try to cut through all the the the, the flowers and say, what's he really saying? What's he really getting at?

My thought the whole time was either he maybe he just chose the wrong place to be trained and so that let him down because it wasn't really Jesus, you know, it was systems and religion, and I've seen that, I've seen that in people. Or two, I can think of like my brother and I both went to the same Bible college, we had the same professors for the most part,

the same education, variance, but we have very different views on the church and how do you And do so I think some of that is personality, the perception, it's how you apply things. You know, my brother would say I did not connect in some ways and I'd say he didn't connect in some ways to what was

being taught, but that just means we both came out with different experiences. This guy came out and it's like he is he, how do I say this? I wanna say if he was more intimate with Jesus, these things wouldn't be a part of his conversation. And that's part of his complaint. He thinks, well, the church isn't intimate with Jesus. Yeah. They've become harsh and a set of rules, and some have. So I wouldn't agree with him, I wouldn't line up with him, I

have a very different view of the church and of God, and I mean, doctrine is huge and is key, and we're to fight for it and and to, you know, defend it, but not club people with it. And and so I I he he probably thinks of me as the enemy in this in the in the story, but I would dare him to walk a mile with me and see how that plays out. But the thing is is he's advocating no one walks miles. Everyone should just rest.

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So like because so I think you got you've got plenty of places in which you disagree. Maybe I'll take it. So there's places where I think I can agree, but they're not wholehearted agreements. So like, for example, like, is it true that there are some places within, I don't even wanna say Christianity, I'm gonna say churches representing

as if they are Christianity who have a high fealty to their system of doing things in some ways more than their fealty to King Jesus? Yes. Sure. Yes, I think that does happen. I think it's wrong. Are there places where people who will use the words of Jesus

as primarily in an attempt to do behavior modifications separated completely from the character and love of Jesus that calls them to something different and thus misunderstand God in the process. Yes, yes, I do think there's people

who do that, there's churches who do that. Churches who do that generally have leaders who are just manipulating you in some way for some sort of egotistical power. People do that because they're lazy. They want something different about some behavior that someone is doing and so as opposed to actually walking with you through whatever the ways in which God is transforming you, they try to shortcut it and just go change this or God hates you. It's lazy, it's human laziness and it misrepresents Jesus. Does that happen? Yes, it happens. Is it everybody? No, it's silly. It's a silly thing to say, but like, if I look at some of the things and it might give, I think about that list,

it's kind of a classic problem, which is, and I think this ultimately gets to the crux of Dan, I'm glad you brought up your brother because as I was reading this, I thought like he talks about, I walked these paths, I stared evil in the face and basically that like everything they taught me let me down. And I thought

everything that I know didn't let me down, why not? Like, does this, or to say it another way, why

can I walk through orthodoxy, a faithfulness to what I believe scripture is trying to tell me, and I go, it is sufficient, although not always easy? And he goes, it is insufficient.

Likely sitting the same types of situations, Dan, as a pastor that you're running into. Like how did this happen? How can we deal with the same thing and come to two different conclusions? And I think it gets to, Mike, some of what you're talking about, which is like, well Dan, a little bit between you and your like, the examples with you and your brother is like, well, what are we bringing into this? Like, it's not just the presence of this stuff and this information. Like, what else is going in there? Like, if you were modeled or surrounded by unfaithful leaders pointing people falsely to Jesus for their own gain, you're gonna have a perception of orthodoxy that is different than

if what you've seen is a bunch of humble people going, I know this is right. How can I be sharpened to follow in obedience to Jesus what he's telling me? And they do that faithfully and you see it modify their lives. Like it just, your context does matter. And the conclusions that you come to about the orthodoxy itself, the scripture itself is influenced by the situations around you and how people who have claimed it have reacted. Mhmm. Do wanna do you wanna think the biggest problem is like, and this contributes to so much of this mess. It's letting people who aren't in your family be part of your family conversation. Right? Like like, this goes back like, we've talked about this probably 15 times,

but but your church service is designed for you to talk to people who are following Jesus. Right? Like, this is what we believe about the scripture. This is what god asks of you. These are the things that he says are good. These are the things that he says lead to joy and and and fruits of the spirit, and this is how we surrender for the people around us. Right? But when you talk about it that plainly and you intend your church service to be basically a this is how we live, but you don't actually agree that god is good, then those people are just sitting in the back pew going, this is what you think of me? You think that I'm a sinful broken mess? You think that I need to change my ways and the things that I'm acting is sin? This is what you guys are just sitting around talking about all the time? That's a family conversation that's had in love and how to interact with a world that misunderstands

or has not met the risen savior. Right? But when you let people in the backroom and have that conversation in front of them, you don't do this with anyone else in your life. Right? If you're trying to help somebody in your life who's financially struggling or, like, having a a rough go with raising one of their troubled kids or their marriage is on the rocks or whatever, like, as a as a as a friend of theirs or as, like, a couple that we know, my wife and I will discuss how we can help them best, but that conversation between me and her is way different in front of them. Right? It's not you don't talk about it the same way. And so, like, like, a lot of this problem, a lot of this misconception in who Jesus is and the way that Christians feel, like, about the world around them, like, you're having you're having family conversations in front of a crowd of people. I feel this way too when we start like, when social media gets plastered with, like, half of a sermon or, like, a three minute excerpt of a sermon or, like, people just steal part of of, you know, a paragraph or two that they really liked and felt was good for them. But, like, it was a family conversation. And and if I was to if I was to not know who god is and believe and not believe that god is good and I read what you wrote flat on the page, I would be like, this is what you think of me? Right? You walk around all day, like, with this judgment hat on telling everybody they suck. You know what I'm saying? Like, you gotta stop having these conversations in your family conversations in front of the town. It's a weird way to do things. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. It is. It is a weird way to do things. And so, like, I I just it's it's

And like I said, I think there is a, the things that agreed with are like, are we clear that people can otherwise take the shape of following Jesus and do something else with it and still claim it to be the following Jesus. Yes, that's fine. I think that's true. Is it right to look around, like the people that he's talking about, the LGBTQ

community and unwed mothers and people with whatever. I mean, you don't even have to pick out abortion, like just whatever, people who've chosen something different than what Jesus would have prescribed in their past. Like if you're saying, Hey, I've seen people say you have to clean up your own mess before you can come into the church. That is fundamentally unchristian. You're not talking about Christians anymore. Like, to get that wrong is to miss the entire gospel. Yeah. We have teams of people inside the prison talking to murderers

today. Right. Like, right now. It's the great offense of Christianity. The offer that you could do something so horrendous and say forgiveness exists. And so, like, what you're talking about is not Christianity. And lacking this is where I've got tons of quibbles with this man is that, like, this lacks discernment. As a person who's leading other people, you are doing so very sloppily

and largely with you as the idol. And like that is the part, that's the part that transitions to anger. I understand, I can look in and be so cautious of making sure that in knowing what the ideal state is in our faithfulness to Jesus, do we recognize our own

need for him and then treat every other beggar the same way without predisposed categories of which sins are okay? Our greed is okay, but your gayness is not. Yes. I'm I'm particularly sensitive to that because I think on balance, we have gotten that wrong, or at least the perception of the church as played out in amplified sources has gotten that wrong for sure. However, like his notion

of like, I didn't of what the Bible is or is not, what the scriptures are or not, he's like, I went looking for Jesus. I'm like, I don't understand this. We had a guy come through the show about a He was one of the first, I don't know, five guests that was on the show when we started the show, so it's been fifteen years. Last

year, he'd gone on and he'd gone through a few different churches and became a pastor and just like wrote this asinine screed on Facebook to his church or whatever, I don't remember what it was, but it was basically like, Hey man, we're finding freedom in following Jesus and Jesus alone. We're not hog tied by the rest of this doctrine and the rest of all this stuff. And like, it is the most ridiculous

proposition I've ever seen and very self serving because what it says is the, I accept scripture points me to the reality and promises that I want of Jesus, and then I reject every other bit of scripture. And so like the very thing that you're using as the basis for the very existence of Christ at all, you're you're willing to say, accept it's true when it tells me what I wanna hear, and then I reject every other part of it. Even things that have come out of Jesus's mouth. Like, he's like, it doesn't get

we're not having to like, ancient arguments. What the heck ever, man? Like, because what? Two thousand years ago, these people were stupid? Like, what an arrogant thing to say. And because and because a document that you claim, like, you believe in because it's the foundation of how you even know of the existence of Jesus, except for when that same Jesus goes, look, here's what it looks like to walk faithfully me with me. You go, I kinda I don't wanna get caught up in all that doctrine business. Yeah. So at the end of the day, what you're doing is like and and Mike, you used I think you used the right words here is like, do I recognize

can I recognize that there's emotions tied up with your reaction to the world? Yes. And so are they a sympathy to people and a love for people? I think that's possible, but at the end of the day, you are reorienting how they should understand the world and how they should understand God through you as the idol. Now we're not relying on scripture or the our church fathers or even the church at whole over the last two thousand years as it talks about its relationship with Jesus, they're supposed to understand who Jesus is by your picking and choosing about what you wanna believe and what you don't. What you felt when you got into situations and didn't feel prepared for, the difficulties in calling someone to say whatever you're feeling in your lifestyle does not match what Jesus is calling you to, and I had to say a hard thing, and I know you're hurt by it, and I know that wasn't what you wanna hear from Jesus, but that is the reality of your situation, and because of that, your emotions tied in there and errors that may or may not have occurred within the church, you created an idol and that idol is your own emotion

and you calling that Jesus for them. And that's a heresy, my man. And that pisses me off because, like, you've you've strayed, like, and you were leading people with you. If you wanted to go on some kind of wild tangent and, like, I'm not sure who Jesus is. I'm not sure if I believe this book. I'm gonna go in the desert and think about it from myself. Fine. Like, that's your own choice. Yeah. But stop advertising. Yeah. Yeah. You're not only doing that, but you're leading people to it, and you're affirming

as if your view of the world and you're you're picking about what's in there, that's actually Jesus. And anybody who does not align with that is a hypocritical Pharisee. That's arrogance. Yeah. It's arrogance. And so like, the reason that this thing struck me is because I totally get it. Like am, like I said, I'm sensitive to some of the things that which I think this man is sensitive about. I'm sensitive to abuses. I'm sensitive to human arrogance. I'm sensitive to people feeling like they fall outside of the gospel because of fallible human beings and how they represent it. I

can get on board with that, but the key difference between the fellows in this room and this reaction from this guy that I'm gonna put in quotes as a pastor is I look and say, in humility, I believe that these scriptures and the Jesus that I'm brought to has a way to help me understand its sufficiency,

even when I feel inadequate to the task, whether it be emotionally or publicly or whatever it is, where this man goes, if I find that it feels insufficient in my current situation, then it is wrong, and I will honor my own personal feelings and emotions, and I will lead people to it. And that, sir, makes you the idol. Yeah. Do you know how many people have lost

their entire perspective on the gospel and who god is because of a rough season? Right? Like, they let their minute

color their life. Mhmm. And, like, it happens. We're broken humans. Right? But, like, they they look at they got in one conversation where they they felt like they lost. They had a conversation, and they weren't prepared for it, and they really liked the person. And they thought, I don't know. They think that they're happy. Maybe I'm wrong about this. And then you just kinda went, well, that seems okay. But here's the thing, though, is you made a gamble in that one minute, and you made a gamble over the next year or maybe two years, and the bible plays this out. It's like like and and, like, in in not I'm gonna generalize here, but, like,

world can make you feel happy. That can happen, but joy will not stay. Joy will not be there. Right? And so happy is very temporary. But but the problem is you didn't stick around to watch the happy fade. You didn't stick around because you didn't love them enough. You love them enough to agree with them in the minute. Yeah. Right? But you didn't love them like a lifetime or as Jesus loves them for an eternity and says, this is where joy is found. And I will be here for every minute that they're alive and every minute that they're eternally an eternal being, god says, I will be here Mhmm. To watch this out. And so when your feelings have come and gone and you've drafted these people out into the wind because you didn't wanna you didn't wanna stir a thing up and you and you wanted to agree with them so everybody could be happy for five minutes, like, you're a coward too. You know what I'm saying? Like, you total you don't you don't love them. You didn't sacrifice yourself for them. You didn't sacrifice what they thought of you for them. You weren't even willing to to sacrifice your own reputation in the attempt that they might know true joy. Right? In the moment, you thought this is easier. I do feel for them emotionally.

I'm just gonna agree. And then the ten years later when it fell apart and it did none of the things that they said it was gonna do or you agreed that it was gonna do, and where are you at? You're nowhere to be found. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like like, at the end of the day, I think the arrogance is what nails it. Right? Like, your love can't save anybody. It can feel nice. That's true. But it can't save nothing. And, like, as soon as you put your left cheek on that throne and decided what saves and what doesn't and that the and that the word, like, calls everybody to a rest. This is killing me here. Right? Like, you cannot lead on the teachings of Jesus. Get Paul out. Well, let's ignore Paul completely.

Jesus was itinerant. He was moving all the time. He was constantly talking to all kinds of people, constantly working, constantly doing, and he took a set aside day of rest as he was directed by his daddy, and he did it. And then he got right back up in the wee hours of the morning and prayed and got to work.

And that man is a doer of the word as James would call it, And you wanna take that part of his personality, the one that did the work of the cross even. Right? The one that submitted to and and participated willingly in in his own death that got drug out in a horrible, painful, earthly way. He's not like, just shoot me, and we'll call it good. Right? Just stab me, and we'll call it good. He goes, no. We're gonna do this. Right? And, like, I don't know what Jesus you've read about or what exegesis you've done, but it is none of the printed gospels that are available for for taking in. Yeah.

Rest. I mean, granted, the world needs rest. That is true. People don't rest. Christians, especially, are terrible about this. I just don't know that we're busy doing good things, and that's what we're requiring the rest. We're busy filling our lives with terrible things, and we're looking for a respite Yeah. To get away from it. And instead of surrendering it over to a god that will take it, we're just like, we just need more rest. Yeah. My my my daughter, she's in her mid thirties. She baptized a good friend of hers from high school. And when she was in high school, she'd come to church a few times, and then they, you know, went off different directions, went to college and very much different directions in life.

And recently this gal who had gone quite a ways, I don't even know, don't even need to know, but was not interested in God. Came back and she knew who to go to was the person who loved her enough to be honest with her, you know, and answer questions honestly and not just say, oh, you do what you want, you act however you want, it won't matter.

And it was such a cool thing to see the tears as they were sharing the story and this gal has come home to Jesus, you know, and like she's completely changed her life around and it's just kinda cool to see that when we are engaged in the lives of people, not

judgmental, not, you know, this guy makes it sound like we're slapping them around or something, You know, like she We've always had a pray for five people who don't know Jesus and this was one of my daughter's people she's prayed for for twenty years and it was just so cool to see this happen, you know? And I don't know, it was just cool to see it's a story of grace, a story of Jesus working in this person's life and yeah, we don't care where she's gone, we don't care where she's done, nobody's judging her, nobody said you have to get everything right and perfect before you come back. She came back and said, okay, I'm ready, you know, and it's like, okay, we'll engage and we go. And I think that's what the church does. I realize there's stories

out there, know, but most churches, that's where they're at. Even if they don't know how to, that's their goal. At least churches I've been associated with, there's plenty of, I've not, but. Yeah, I actually, that's one of the things that I'm struggling with. Like he said, let's see, I stared evil face to face and all my theological training and myriad books had no comfort. I saw behind the curtain and saw the violence and degradation, the cover up and denials.

I was also surrounded by angry, fearful, hateful people and never observed any of the fruits of the spirit. Like, I I don't recognize this at all. No. Like, where is this happening at? Maybe he's gone to the wrong church. Maybe he's leading the wrong church. He's supposed to be the pastor. He's led them there. Yeah. Like, I'd and here's here I do think what's happening though, and, like, I think the the LGBTQ stuff tends to be like the flashpoint of this, is that like, there it becomes a thing where like, if you have a disagreement on a particular thing, you start to color everything with it. So like to say, look, if you don't agree with whatever position this man has, let's probably support or something like that, Then you start going like, well, that's violent and it's degrading because you don't talk about it as the same as whatever civil marriage or mixed gender marriage or it is cover up and denials. Like, I just, like I do, it's likely that arena,

but I think it's actually important to reinforce what both of you were talking about, which is that like what feels like, what feels like him's like a heart for people who who he's representing is outside of the gospel, he is leading even further from it. Mhmm. Right? He is this this feels this has the emotive vibe of compassion.

It's not. You just rest in your sin. Gosh, doggone it. Like, I just, I get, like you can, I have been in, everybody in this room has been in many a situation where someone you care about who's trying to walk faithfully with Jesus or whatever,

just screwed up? And it's just so hard to see people I love twist in the wind a little bit. Well, not the winds, that's not even right, but like twist a little bit because you can see the full weight of some decision or thought or continued behavior, whatever have to weigh on them. And like there's a human thing that goes, I wish I could relieve the suffering that you're feeling right now. But there's two things to that. The first is it's like, it's not actually you're suffering to, they're not suffering because you're in the room.

There's something going on in them because they're feeling a separation from a good path that God created for them and their choice not to do it. And probably the human harm that came with it. But like the very being that can actually help you find peace where no other human can help set it right, including you, is Jesus himself. And that comes through the acknowledgement and the repentance, and then being able to bask in the peace that comes with that particular

reorientation of your heart and your actions. I was talking to a guy at work today and like one of my recommendations for him is that like, there's a lot of, you know, hey, am I content with my work? Do I feel productive? Do I feel good about the work I'm doing? And like one of the orientations was like, you need to spend less time talking about ways in which you can improve your work. You're gonna feel better when you're doing your work, when you're producing good work, when you can look at it and go, yes, this feels good to be obedient to that. I didn't use the word obedient, but you know, like to do the thing that I'm made to do, and then it will feel better. And so like the very thing that where you want to relieve someone of some dissonance in their life, if the dissonance is holy,

what feels like love and care is actually saying to Mike's point, like, I don't care enough about you to have to talk through what is going to be a difficult thing for you and to point you to the one being that can actually give you peace. And so like, I just I but just representation of the church, like,

I just maybe every like, there's no way that this where us fellows are at, the people we know, the ministries that we're in, the churches that we're dealing with, like, this is the locus of people all with good intention, and then everywhere 30 miles in any direction and forever beyond, everyone else sucks. I don't believe it. And so this representation of the church is localized to you or at least a caricature that you've pulled together to affirm this emotional reaction that you're having

to some of these situations going on around you. Yeah. The truth is, dude, like, if you're actually read it like, leading these people and this is the way that your church is acting, you're about 25 rebukes shy of coming to this conclusion. Right? Like, the folks that you're staring evil in the face, and it turns out they're claiming the name of Christ, like, nowhere in here, like, I sat down with them and said, hey. Listen. If you're gonna misrepresent Jesus like that, you're not gonna do it here. Yeah. So repent and figure it out or leave. These are your options because you're not gonna stay in this community poisoning the well and acting like this. Yeah. And, like, instead, he's like, this place is overrun. You know what I'm saying? He's like, I'm gonna side with everybody else now. Was like, you idiot. Right. Your house is full of wild dogs, and you're, like, blaming other people who also keep dogs as if that's the problem. Yeah. Correct. And, like and and here's the thing. It's, like, granted, some of the some of the the folks that he listed, right, like, if we're looking for a bellwether to say, hey. Do you know

the freedom that comes with Jesus? Right? There are some sins that just scream opposed to whisper. Right? And they're easier to to to kinda know whether you believe god is good or not. Right? Or you used to not believe god is good or not. Right? So so he's categorizing people by red letter sins. Right? In in in most of the people I know that love Jesus, in their heart, they're just like, I know people who know Jesus, who smell like Jesus, and I know people that don't. And, right, sometimes their sins are way more obvious, but, like, at the end of the day, I'm I care I quick categorize almost everybody I meet on whether they smell like Jesus or they don't. Because if they don't, then my conversation about Jesus will be different. I will be having a conversation about Jesus either way. If they smell like Jesus, I will fire out pretty hot.

Right? If they don't, then I will I will watch how I speak about it because, like, we have our own language and our own nuances, and I'm like, we don't go firing out. Hey. Have you read the latest take on the 10 commandments and how you're probably breaking nine of them? Have a seat. You know what saying? Like, we don't talk about god like that on the people who haven't met him yet because they don't understand that, like, as you pursue righteousness, it actually creates freedom in your life. It just sounds like you wanna put him in a jail. Yeah. And so, like, once again, you have that conversation different with family than with not family. But, like, as far as separating all these sins out and then saying this person is a abortioner or this one is a blah blah blah. Like, stop that. No one even thinks like that way. Right. Right? No. All I all I see is a key indicator that you might not know who Jesus is because of the thing that you're really excited about that looks like freedom but actually tastes like a prison cell. Yeah. Okay. Well, then I'm gonna have my conversation a little different with you. Yeah. Actually, I I I was just looking through this again, and this is one of the things. Again, if you're a person that like, you just got a heart for folks and you're worried about people that feel like they might be on the outside of god's love. Okay. Like, I get it. I think that's can be powerful. It's also a risk to you. But, like, I need you you I'm talking to you specifically at the moment. I want you to what what do the kids say? I want you to lock in. You lock in. Alright. Lock in here. This man is manipulative. Right? This isn't this isn't a dude or a person who's, like, wrestling

with the realities of the world trying to figure out what's real. You're being manipulated. Listen to it. Listen to he says. The ruling class in Jesus' day. I don't know why we're talking about ruling classes of people. This is manipulative behavior already. Wanted nothing to do with the Christ who embraced publicans, sinners, and women. Now it's not even true, actually. Joseph of Arimathea would was in the ruling class. So was the the the guy who you need to be born again. Right.

Yeah. Nicodemus. Yes. Right. Okay. And so we we actually don't even get enough stories to know, like, how many people we're talking about here. And so, again, you're being manipulated. It's not even true, but listen to what he says. And the ruling class today I don't know who I I don't know who these people are. What are you talking about? What nothing to do with a Christ who embraces listen to these one and two. Number one, nothing to do with a Christ who embraces LGBTQ, and second is abused widows. That is the most cartoonish Yeah. Abuse reference I've ever heard. Who's who's abusing widows?

I I'm not saying it doesn't happen. What I'm saying is is that, like, do you see what they did? They took something where you're like, oh, actually, I do wonder the church's reaction to people who have these types of attractions, and I have a sympathy because isn't it just love? I it's complicate it's gray to you in your mind. I understand that. But I'm just you see what he did to you, though? He gave you this one thing, and then he says, oh, yes. By the way, the church is okay with abusing widows. It's ridiculous. It's a manipulation.

And so immigrants, pregnant teenagers, you know who who opened the most, like like, clinics for, like, unwed mothers? Christians. Yeah. You know who runs the most adoption agencies? Christians. You know who runs the most, like, orphanages and things. Now whatever. I'm not sure. They're probably not all run great. They end up being systems and, like it's kind of the nature of people giving up kids. Like, you like, I'm sure it's not all perfect, but I'm just telling you the heart of the people of Jesus are dealing with most of the money when it comes to helping, not only with, like, the process of unwed mothers and dealing with

finding adoptive children, But, like, most of the money raised from parents who are adopting also comes from religious organizations, not just that they ran the orphanage or they ran the adoption agency. You know, when people go, I wanna adopt a kid. Like, churches are doing fundraisers, and this play this is expensive. These are coming out of the pockets of people who love and serve Jesus, who love and serve women and children. And so, like, are there are we doing this perfectly? Is everybody doing this perfectly? I'm sure they're not. But, like, the the reason I tell you this is that, like, you need to recognize where your emotions are being manipulated, and that's what this man is doing. And so like, is this person to be leading other people? Like the conversation that we're having in this room goes, we're probably not getting it always right, but for the most part, like the love of Jesus and scripture itself points me to care about every single one of these things, and for the most part, the church is actively doing this. And so, like, we got places to refine? Yes. Are we places where we're getting it right? Probably. That's a healthy and wise ways to approach this. This man is manipulating you. And so if when we were reading it before, if there's something in there where you thought, yeah, we should be cautious of that. I'm okay with you accepting that part. You probably should be cautious of it, but like you need to recognize where emotions, you and yours may lead you away from good righteousness that God pointed you to and where that same thing will cause you to lead other people away and where a guy like this is manipulating you to use that to also push you away from Jesus is wrong. Yeah. Okay.

Hey. You're listening to life from the path. I'm I'm whatever. Maybe you have some thoughts on that. Again, it struck me. I know you guys are harder customers. Like I said, I I can read something like that, and I'm like, oh, okay. Like, I can find some things to agree with with caveats in there, but, like, at a whole, the I think there's the arrogance, the hypocrisy, the remaking Jesus in what is effectively your own image. Obviously, that's heretical, and it makes me angry. Yeah. Here's the thing is is, like

like, this is my world experience. Like, the thing that god has walked me through in the last ten years is all of this. And so, like, I have to sit on the other end of it and watch it play out. So whoever told him this half bag of crap and and the lies and, like and then they're gone. The wind shows up, and they're nowhere to be found. And then I have to watch a kid struggle for ten years. Right? Like, with this with this paper thin foundation, doing their best to try to hold up the same foundation they're trying to stand on because whoever, like, patted them on the back and said, hey. This will be fine. These are great ideas, but I believe everything you say. And then they're nowhere to be found when their world starts crashing in. Right? And, like like, my my my

patience for it is starting to grow thin on the on the folks that are putting it out. I have way more patience for the folks that I think it's landing on or is a believe the lies, but the perpetrators of the thing, the people who are advertising. Right? Like, I used to spend a lot of my time praying that, like like, their influence would be changed to one that recognizes who god is, and then their influence would be used to influence other people for good. But, like, at some point, we're like, hey. If you're not gonna submit to the thing that god is calling you to and you're gonna keep advertising

to sell all this gross into the world, then maybe you need to stop being an influence. That part can be that can be true too. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? You need to stop talking because the thing that you're trying to tell people, it's making you feel better right now, but you are nowhere near to pick up the consequences in ten years. And so, like, that I got no toleration for that. You know I'm saying? You better have bought yourself. Soon as you're gonna start affirming stuff that's outside of what god says, then you better be in to say, I'm here for the next seventy years to help you because there's no guidance for you anymore. The bible can't speak to it. God's god's words and blessing and promises will not apply to you because you will not accept them. And so now it's just me and you, bro. Now it's me and you just talking it out between our finite wisdom and our attempt to control world that's out of our control, and we'll see how that goes. Yeah. Alright. You're listening live from the path. Maybe

maybe you said, alright. I listened to that whole very heavy conversation. I just want the Christmas list. I'm here for Christmas gift ideas, blah blah blah heresy. Alright. Fair enough. I think you should probably pay attention to the first part, but whatever. Okay. So I gave no particular parameters about this, and so I'm gonna try some things out, fellas, and you can give me kind of your first reactions. Okay? So if someone is listening to live from the path and they say, I've not found a thing to buy for my kid yet for Christmas. From your own experience,

maybe mostly Jesus related, but I'm open to other options. Like, what do you what jumps to mind on some gift suggestions for the kiddos here from Life in the Path? Mike. Yeah. You got an age range for these kids? You could split them up if you want to. You could let's just go, like, I don't know, not teenagers. Yeah. That's not my area.

I would say so I'll give I'll give you one to start. I I think the Jesus Storybook bible is if you if they don't have it, is always is always a good one. It's a good foundational place to start. I think it's interesting. And yeah. Yeah. I would I I would say I could recommend that. Dan Kiddo, Kiddo List. Kiddo Kiddo. Okay. I I I I think it's a knockoff of the Lego brand that is advertising something right now where they do like the the Ark of the Covenant and the the whole,

like, not sanctuary with the The tabernacle? Tabernacle, thank you. Which, you know, but I don't know, it just sounds kinda intriguing to me. I mean, I don't know, maybe that would be totally boring to the kid after the first time, but it seems like a fun way to teach the kids like how the tabernacle was set up and I don't know, something about me thinks it's kind of fun. Yep, yep, I think that's fun, agreed. A couple other ones that I might recommend, there's a if you look up slugs and bugs, there's two things around scripture memorization.

There's a guy named Randall Goodgame who does like creates songs that help you memorize scripture. And like some of these are really good. In fact, I like Micah six eight. That thing, that's hot. That's a hot song right there. And also there's a thing called dwell differently. And like, I think it's every month or whatever, but like it's to help people and families and stuff memorize scripture. And so like, they'll send you, like, temporary tattoos that have, like, the first letter of every word in the verse that you can put on to kinda memorize

it and, like, cards and just, like, things that otherwise help you do that. And it's kinda fun. You can do it as as a family and like, I just I'm so bad at this. My wife has been like doing this with the kids and stuff for quite a while. And like everyone in my family literally is better at memorizing scripture. Like, know that it exists and I know roughly where it is, but like the exact words I gotta look up. And so I actually found that that one is super super good. That's been super helpful. Okay. Teenagers. Mike, fresh cut. Yeah.

What do you do do you have no awareness about the gifts in your family? No. And to other people? Yeah. I'm just as surprised on Christmas morning when these kids open this stuff up. Look what I got you, Mike. Although, Mike, you've talked to me. So and maybe it feels less Christmas y, but, like, maybe there's a theme to I don't know. Didn't you, like, send stuff to kids who started college or stuff like that? Like, have you been part of any of that? Like, what to what to give that are going off to college? Yeah. I guess, I think you could call high school kinda similar. Yeah. I mean, I yeah. We do a lot of that. But once again, when I say we, I you know? I mean, you want me to, like, act like I do, but I buy candy and then and and then, like, cool pins. Okay. Because people won't you know, they're like, hey. We just get them some pins for college, and I'm like, get them good pins. Okay. You know I'm saying? Like, I think I I find here here's what I can tell you about teenagers. Phones, yes.

They like phones, and they like to have a decent phone. Any other technology gadget apart from AirPods or, like, a decent set of Bluetooth headphones, risky. Real risky. Oh, you think, fella, it's all centered on the phone, and they just don't find any value in a lot of that stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Like, almost the like, all the VR, like or the the headsets. Right? Like, any any technology, like, even Apple watches or, like like, fancy watches. Yeah. Like, most kids, I just like, in my experience, they just they don't care about them. Yeah. Like, they're they're kinda cool for a minute, and then they're like, meh, you know, whatever. The phone, the headphones. Like, tunes are always a is always a solid hit. Yeah. And then, like, having having a a decent phone that isn't cracked up and messed up that they've recently dropped. Like, if you're gonna, like, wage into the technology realm, that's where I would probably stay. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Alright.

Dan? Here here's when it won't even cost you anything. It depends on where you I guess, like like our church, we just signed up for the Right Now Media and if you've Oh, yeah. Done with that. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm just I didn't even like got on yet. I haven't like created my account, that's how new it is, but the people I've talked to say it's just really cool. There's stuff for like every age group in there and it's, you know, faith based and and it's a it'll build you up a little bit and it's free. So Yeah. I mean, this space is the thing and and you get to do so it's like a Netflix for for Jesus people. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I I suppose like a subscription to the Angel Network or something like that Something like that, but it would something something that some positive, you know you know, there's a lot of garbage out there. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I actually would say also, and this kinda blends between the the two kids

areas, but, there's the the Wingfeather Saga books are are very good. I think you can be up to, you know, 15 or something and still kind of enjoy those. They also have, like, a show of that that's on the Angel Network, and, like, those are all solid. So like if you've got readers and they haven't read that, I'd like I'd highly recommend that. I thought there was nope. Nope. Gone completely. Yeah. I don't know. Like access to

some, I don't know, programming. Although, actually, I think about this. I'm thinking about, like, Christian gifts. Mike, do you remember when we were little that grandma our grandma got us, like, a Wii three kings Nintendo game. It was awesome. Here's the thing. It was awesome. Yeah. And, like, I would probably look at back at that, and I think you run the risk of going, like, look at these cheese ball Christian games. But, like, I think it was fine. Yeah. You were, like, riding this. I know it didn't teach me about Jesus. So, like, let's get over how much you put into this thing. Yeah. Yeah. But, like, it was a dude on a camel, like, jumping over crap, and it's like a Mario camel. I I don't know. I seem fine. Yeah. It was it was fun. It was awesome.

Okay. Okay. Alright. Now moving, I suppose, beyond, open up the open up the realms. And, like, I I you also could do, like, music. Here's what's interesting is, like, I was thinking about I don't know. Could you get people, like, buy people music? But, like, you just it's harder to buy people albums and stuff like a subscription to Spotify. Oh, okay. Especially for students, it's cheaper than Amazon for sure. And Spotify, actually like, I'm a I'm a Amazon man for a bunch of old man reasons. Right? Like, it comes with Prime, and they deliver stuff and all the things. Yeah. But, like, spot as far as, like, a music platform goes, Spotify seems to be way more intuitive. They cut a discount for students. And, yeah, it's I would definitely offer up a subscription to Spotify for a year. Okay. Would you do you think is there even a way to go, like, I bought this particular album for you digitally? Unless

they're like, Apple Music will still do it. You know I'm saying? Like, you can still buy albums on Apple Music, but, like, in general, I don't think people care. That's kinda bummer because there is something special about going like, here's not just, like, here's $20 to go buy, you know, digital copies of music or something, but to go, I thought of you or thought you might enjoy this thing. And I suppose you can just share it with them or something. And that may be a free gift. Like, just curate a playlist. A thinking of you, a merry Christmas, a I think you might enjoy this, and I did it for you, and just share it with them. Mhmm. I don't know. It it lacks I mean, I can only speak of the of the like, once again, I'm in the teenager realm. Right? But, like, I share playlists with quite a few people, and so we already do this. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, we we would just just hand it over. Like, I'll get a link a Spotify link, and I'll turn around and put it in Amazon, because I don't pay for Spotify, you know, and I only get one check it out a day. Yeah. So, like but, like, it's it's it's lost some of its nuance because, like, people are just doing this all the time. They're sending tunes left and right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. Yeah. Even like okay. No. No. Yeah. That makes sense. I just maybe there's something in my mind about, like,

I was thinking about you as an individual, and I created a Merry Christmas, Dan playlist. Oh, yeah. Maybe. Or or for a twenty twenty six New Year Yeah. I thought these would feed your soul. Maybe it maybe. It just depends on the person maybe. Yeah. I also wouldn't like, if you're looking for some filler gifts, like, you could never go wrong with a good set of of, like, drawing pencils and a pad. Right? People love that. Or, like, even like Journaling material? Yeah. Even or adult coloring books. Like, just people just like like to do like, their their mind is so used to multitasking

all the time that they almost get anxiety when they're not multitasking. Right? So that's why you'll find most of them like, they can tune in and listen to a thing completely, but they're also drawing at the same time. Mhmm. Or they're also writing at the same time. Right? They they just can't just sit and be. Now that's a generational problem that we've created, but that's where they're at. Right? Like, we can't Yeah. You're not gonna get that out of them on Christmas day. So you know what I'm saying? Just give them give them something to do, you know, while they're doing other things that that can all actually be a creative output or, you know, give them a chance to express some of the things that they think and all that kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Dan, what else you got? I just today got someone a

two tickets to the C. S. Lewis Screwtape Letters. I wanna go see that. Yeah. Was so good. Yeah. I thought that's gonna be, you know, a memory, a little it's gonna be an experience. Yep. I think it's gonna be kinda cool. Yeah. And I totally blew the budget on it and Yep. I broke all the rules. Because boy, they went out a lot for that, but it's like, you know what? I'm gonna do it, and I'll get in trouble. I think that's alright. Yeah. I was open with my wife about that. She's like, hey. Were we buying each other gifts? I'm like, no. Yeah. We don't really do stuff. Yeah. But then she said, well, what if we want to? I said, You have a $50 limit, and mine is an I will unlimited. I will not be limited by that because I know that's what I'm gonna do anyway. If I found something that I really wanted for her Yeah. And it was more than that, I would do it. And so I said, honestly, you're you can have a $50 limit. I will spend whatever I want. And they're like, that doesn't make any sense. It sure does. It's exactly how I'm gonna behave. So And you still buy gifts for your wife? We we we often don't. This year, there was something she wanted. She goes, here, if we're gonna get gifts, they said, don't think so. And she goes, well, how about this? And I'm like, okay. Yeah. I'm a tell you what happened to me. The my my wife is she'll say that she's pretty easy to buy for. In my perspective, she's impossible to buy for. Yeah. Yeah. That's because I'm a bad gift giver. So she's probably right. Like, she's like, there's subtle clues throughout the year, and I'm like, boy, I don't know if you've met me at all, but, like like,

being subtle is just not my thing. Either coming out or going in, I can't take it. So I I knew what I was gonna get her this year, and I'm like, whiz bang, this is gonna be great. But, like, one of my daughters has a job, and she bought it. Oh, no. And I'm like I was I I mean, I'm like, I had one. I had a success. I was really excited that, like, it's not a super fancy thing. It's not over the top, maybe awesome, but I knew she wanted it. And I'm like, I am gonna win this year. Yeah. And then my daughter took it. Dang. And so then I said, I don't think we should give gifts to each other this year. Promise me you will not buy me a gift.

Okay. Alright. Yeah. I think experience is a pretty is a is a good one. Yeah. I yeah. Concerts are cool. I I actually I think those I think that CS Lou things would be it'd be pretty cool. And especially if you can think of you know, if you get into the older teenage years or college and stuff like experiences that also come with, like, dedicated time, especially if you're, you know, you're in families where it's you people are busy or you got a million kids or whatever, it's hard to get that time, like finding a thing that you and that person can go do, your your wife or your husband or whatever it is. And so actually, think that's a think that's a great idea.

I was gonna say, okay. This is small. Maybe it's a stocking, but like I need I always am on the hunt for like pins, pins that I can mark up my bible well, pins that don't smear, pins that have like a pretty narrow tip. And so I looked it up so I could tell you the right ones. If you get the Zebra f four zero two, k, the Zebra f four zero two, that is Ben's recommendation on bible pins. Not for like, if you're if you're gonna draw all over it and crap, this is probably not the right one. But, like, if you're just a person who's doing underlines and, like, writing notes to yourself that can be small enough that you need a pen that can handle, like, the smallness of it but still be legible, I'm just saying the Zebra f four zero two brought to you by Zebra is a that's a pen to do it with. I I was gonna add. You mentioned that it it's just an old school bible. Oh, totally. I mean yeah. Yeah. Because, you know, everybody's all digital and stuff, but sometimes, man, just having that just that

bible in your hands just Yeah. Just feels good. I made I made a real this felt like a it didn't feel like a risk at the time, but as I look back on it, there was a boldness in it. I got my wife a bible with her name on it. Oh, yeah. And I don't think she uses this. I think she lost it. She stole my bible. I had a pre So I have like an ESV study Bible that I've had forever. And then this happened at Pathway I'd be teaching it. Like I can't hold open this giant study Bible with my hand. And so I bought, I just called it my preaching Bible. It's basically the same Bible. Just in all the notes and stuff.

My wife stole it. And so I no longer have a preaching, I'm back to teach you with this giant Bible. Anyway, but I had not even proposed to her yet and I got it with my last name on it. Her name so like because I'm like, I didn't wanna I don't wanna rebuy a Bible too, like, year from now. And so it was kind engaged? It was yeah. It was kinda like a subtle, like, I'm thinking of this situation, but I had not actually I don't think I'd actually proposed to her yet. And it feels actually like a very bold assertion down to my point now that I've thought of it.

But I actually think it's probably time for there is still something about getting a bible that's physical that has your name on it. Yeah. It's like, this is mine. It's got my name. And, you know, think about that. That's genius because you can't she's not gonna give a bible back. I won't I won't accept this bible, but now it has your last name on it. Yeah. Man, that's that's a great How you reel them in. Man. Dudes, take notice if you're trying to rope a lady. I'll get married in 2026. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. I don't know. Anything else jumps to the last minute last minute gifts from lie from Life in the Path? Yeah. You can't go wrong with with a set of jammies. You know what saying? Oh, yeah. And and if you're shopping for dudes, like, seriously decent

socks, like, you you didn't get them at Walmart. Yeah. Like, splurge a little. Yeah. And get even if you can just afford the one pair, go to, like, to the Duluth or something and get a pair of the Duluth socks. Quality pair. Quality pair. Yes, sir. And then this fellow will think, whatever I do the rest of my life, I want to end up with only Duluth socks. Right. And then he will slowly find be throwing away old he's like, I don't even like these. And we find stupid reasons to be like, I need more socks. Yeah. And, like, I I think a good pairs of Duluth socks, I mean, they that that's sales. People love that. I was supposed to get my daughter or something. We kinda do a straw name thing and and her she's been big on a health kick lately. Like, you know, all the stuff that all that it's been, you know, no electric or whatever plastics, all the stuff, you know, like only organic and healthy stuff. Yep. So I thought, oh, I'm gonna get these these bamboo jammies. They're supposed to be really healthy. Yep. They're like $200. Oh, man. So I said, no. I'm not gonna be I'm not gonna do that. Yeah. Yeah. But it was a great thought. It sounded good. Sounded so good. Bamboo. So good. And then I thought, does a dad give his daughter bamboo jam? I mean, they weren't, you know, like, you know Is it is it from you or from you and your wife? Both. Yeah. From me. Oh, yeah. So I found some plaid ones. I thought, okay. It looks like like, you know, it's not like, hey. Hey. You know, it's just plaid. Yeah. Plaid bamboo. Feels I I was not denying k. Hey. Okay. But that's all the price I was out anyway. Okay. So here's the other recommendation, and I can say this out loud because my wife does not listen to the program. Is that like, Mike, do you actually, I'll ask both of you. Do you remember one of the coolest, like, coolest gifts you got when you were a kid? So I I can tell you one of mine. My uncle and my aunt and uncle, I collected,

like, cards, like baseball and basketball cards, and they like you know, you buy these packs to see you know, try to get whatever, you know, put put a set together or whatever or look for the special card. And like they got the box, the whole box, and they gifted, I think Mike and I both got one, like a whole box of these cards and it just, it felt so luxurious. Like, and like it wasn't practical. It's not like they had any intrinsic value. Yeah. You'd find one that was but but like everybody got the set because everyone could also buy the boxes. And like but it was just so fun and it felt so cool and it was gonna be something that a year from now I I I may not even care about.

But, like, it was a kid's it was for kids. It was a kid's toy, and I thought it was awesome. Mike, did you think of one? No. You don't you you are worthless in this conversation. I'm not good with gifts at all. I think I was pretty straightforward about that on the crack. I thought maybe you could at least think of a gift you enjoyed. No. I laugh at the weights all the time where we split two weights. I tell that story all the time. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Our parents were kinda skeezy. Alright. Dan. Okay. I had a I had a really cool one of those helicopter things that I mean, it was like attached to it like a wire, but it's around the circle, but it went up and down. I thought that was that was That is cool. Yeah. That was high-tech in the seventies. Yeah. Okay. It was eighties, whatever that was, seventies. So it's mostly reaffirms, I guess, one of the things I was gonna advocate is that, like, if you've got younger ish kids and even non younger ish kids, sometimes they just like impractical crap. Yeah. Yeah. And I they're gonna throw it away in six months, and it's fine. Just plan to throw it away. But, like, I just like, volume

speaks to an eight year old. Oh, absolutely. There's some practical children who are like, if I look at all this stuff, I'm not sure that I got a full values out of this Christmas, but very few. If you get them a box of Mike and Ikes and wrap it Yeah. And you go on the Timu and and you buy three or four pieces of stuff that are on there that you can get for relatively cheap or whatever, and you put it in some of the stocking and you wrap it, it's gonna look like, hey. I got 15 gifts. I'm just there's just something about it, and, like, I know the moms and you are gonna cringe. You're gonna be like, I just don't want all this crap in my house. Don't worry. You can throw it away in six months, but let them dads, go ahead and live up to the moment. You just wrap five or six things that you picked out, and a box of Mike and Ikes is fine. Kids are gonna be excited. Like, sweet Mike and Ikes. And kids like like they like little things that they can store stuff in, right, that don't look, like, cheaper every day. So, like, if you get them, like, a like, some kind of gift box or even even, like, a briefcase for, like, a six year old boy Yeah. It'd be like, hey, man. This is a briefcase. And, like, you will be shocked and amazed what he will put in his briefcase and carry Totally. And carry around. But and, like, you got it at you can get it at at the Salvation Army. Like, it doesn't have to be new. Like, it but but, like, the fact that this kid has a briefcase is gonna be like, I have no business having a briefcase. This is awesome.

I will actually, that reminds me of a story. I was up in Minneapolis three years ago for some sort of business thing, and they catered in lunch, but they were, like, boxed lunches that they got from these places. And, like, I got one, of course, and then I thought, hey, man. They were kinda sturdy boxes. I thought these are kinda cool. So I had to ask the person sitting next to me. Was like, hey, man. Can I have your box? And I had their name written on it and stuff in marker because they ordered a ham sandwich. I don't remember what was. But I'm like, I'm gonna take these home and give these to my children. At the time, they were like, I don't know, four and seven or eight or something like that. And, like, to this day, that four year old who's now, I think, seven,

like, dude still has crap in it. It's a special box. He's got all kinds of stuff in this lunchbox, like, hard cardboard box from this lunch place, and he keeps it. And he's got it's a special box. He's got crap in there. And I'm like, it's just so wild, but people attach to it. And, like, why did he do that? Because, like, we've got box we got Amazon boxes around the house. He didn't keep any one of those because dad from Minneapolis

brought him a box and said, I thought of you. Here's this box for you. And he's like, it's the coolest thing freaking ever. And he puts crap in it. And I'm just like, there's something so thoughtful even though it feels inane and, like, it's gonna wear off eventually. I'm just saying, like, that you thought you thought it was cool, and you're like, I thought this would be cool for you. Do you dig it? Yeah. I dig it. And then they'll I'm just anyway, there's something about the thoughtfulness of it, especially, Mike, you can come in from left field. Your kids are getting older, but, like, they don't even expect you to think about a gift. I think you show up with one. It'll wow the wow the room. Yeah. Every time I think that, like, I've got a gift nailed, like, so like like like a pocket knife or something. I'm like, they're about the age for a pocket knife. I think they're gonna find this useful. Yeah. And they hate it. They're like, what am I supposed to do with this pocket knife? I'm like, man, I just thought I was gonna take a leap out of this thing. You know what I'm saying? I thought it would be cool. You know? Turns out, no. Nobody likes it at all. From school. Not cool. Yeah. Or a multi tool. You know I'm saying? Like Yeah. Because then I look at the multi tool, and I'm like, that screwdriver's junk, though. Like, in a real pickle, you're gonna be like not good. Yeah. It's like it's like one of the things they give you in an IKEA package. You know, you're like, boo, I'm a go get my real tools. Don't wanna deal with this thing. Okay. I'm a tell you one more short story, and then we probably can move on to the dear life and the So I I bought we have a we have a, like, a really old digital piano at my house. I think I got off the Facebook marketplace for a $100 at some point. Anyway, as you play it, there's, a couple notes where once you hit them, they're, like, 10 times louder than all the other notes. Yeah. So the thing is going out. It's too old to fix. It's really not worth doing. And so I've been on the hunt for, like, a replacement digital piano. And, reasonably, people are if you want, like, weighted keys and everything, like, you're looking at 5 or $600 even used, even, like, 10 years old. It's hard to find one. I'm on a government auction website because that's what I do. And I found one in Waukee, and I won the auction for $20. Oh. A Roland. It's in pretty it looks like it's in decent shape. It should be good. Right? Nice. And so then I'm in this position where I'm trying to think, hey. This is a practical thing. I've been looking to try to replace this in my house for years. Do I hold off and give it to the family for Christmas? Right? So anyway, I say, well, look. I I told them I say, I found a Christmas gift. It was under 20. It's $20, and it's for the whole family. And if you can guess what it is, I'll tell you. You know, I'll say so they're all all, like, trying to guess the thing, and no one's coming up with this piano auction because, like, why would I find a piano for $20? Right.

Anyway, somebody guesses, like they're like a tool, like a power tool, like a like a drill or something. I'm like, why would I get that for the whole family? And then I said it was like my teenage daughter, I said, would you be would you this make you happy? Like, if you found out that I bought you a drill? And she's like, yeah. Yeah. I could take that. That would be pretty cool. I'm like, no kidding. Who are these kids? Why would you want it? Like, I have things things already. You don't need your own personal power tools. And then so, anyway, it was it was it was was wider. They did eventually guess this piano, actually, because they thought, like, oh, I wonder if it's piano, and then they talked themselves out of it, but then asked just in case, and it did end up got it smart. Yeah. Anyway, I'm now I know that for some reason and this is, like, this is one of the kids who's, like, likes wants press on nails and stuff. Like, it's not in the category of people where you're like, I'm sure they would like a used power tool, but she's open. And so I said, well, I got a whole new category of things. Oh, actually, I just got rid of a punching bag we picked up on trash day a year ago. Kid didn't end up punching it. Yep. Alright. You're listening to life for the path. Hey. Maybe you have some last okay. Obviously, you've heard our options, and maybe they suck. You listen to these things. You're like, boy, you fellas. Not only did you not help me, but now I worry about your friends and family. Fair enough. Hit us up on the life from the path complaint line and give us some better ideas. (515) 517-0085.

Call or text. What should the live from the path guys buy for Christmas to our loved ones? And the the the bonus points, two x if I can find it on the TEMU. But I already got the TEMU Tendo. Like, were they pre the little small manufactured Nintendo box where they preload all the Japanese games on it and have six versions of Street Fighter. I already have it. So, I mean, if that's what you're saying, I don't you can keep that one to yourself.

Kids the little ones love the t Mutendo. They play dig dub. Yeah. Anyway, you listen to life from the past. Mike, let's give some advice. Dear life from the past. A few years ago, my husband and I were invited to the wedding of a close friend's daughter. We stayed two nights at the destination and gave a $300 cash gift to the newlyweds. The evening of the wedding, when I went to put my gift into the box for cards and gifts, the big wooden box was gone. The bartender said the couple had already taken it to their room, but he would take the envelope and make sure they got it. I gave it to him. After six months, I hadn't received a thank you note, so I asked my friend if the couple had gotten my gift. I told her I was concerned because it was cash, I had given it to the bartender. She asked her daughter who told her to tell me, we got it. Since then, my friendship with this friend seems to have become very distant. Tell me, was I wrong?

For what? To see whether they got the money? No. That seems reasonable. Yeah. It seems reasonable. Did you think like, are you worried that your friend made it look like you were butthurt, which you sounds like you might be about not getting a thank you card, which whatever. If that's a barrier, maybe go, like, can't you just go, hey. Just to clear, I'm glad that they got it. That's all I wanted to know. Yeah. No big deal. I have a feeling the actual conversation was, well, I didn't get a Yeah. Thank you card. How would I know? Yeah. I mean, it got a little offensive there. Yeah. I might I suppose on depends on how you said it. But, like, remember we were talking about indicators earlier? Like, the thank you card is an indicator you received the gift. And, like, under the everybody else sat pretty comfortably that their gift was either under a table or in the box, and yours was a little nuanced.

And so, I mean, you maybe it came off a little bit, hey. You didn't send me a a thank you card, and it came off a little offensive. But you were only asking because you had given it to him in such suspicious circumstances. And so, yeah, I think you should just try to clear that up. I I don't understand. Like, tell me, was I wrong? If you're if you're asking if you were wrong to ask the follow-up question,

I would have probably just let it go honestly and not said anything about it. Yeah. Figuring, like, either the bartender pocketed the $300. You know? And I'm That's a chunk of change, though. That's a that's a pretty impressive wedding gift. Yeah. But, I mean, what if you found out it was true? You're be like, I mean, what am I gonna do now? You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So I I'd probably just let it go. But, like, at the end of the day, if you really wanted to know about it, it does feel a little bit awkward to have to ask. But I suppose if you watched your tone and thought about what you were gonna say ahead of time, you should probably be alright. Yeah. Agreed. Okay. Segular says, you weren't wrong. Considering the odd circumstances, you did exactly the right thing by asking if the cash had been received. Your friend, however, may have interpreted your question as criticism of her daughter because after six months, you hadn't received an acknowledgment of your generous gift. Yeah. Yeah. I suppose that's true.

That one wasn't super exciting. Okay. Yeah. Last one. Ready? Yep. Deadline from the path. Our adult daughter has children we adore. She asked if we can help out by watching them for a few hours occasionally, and we jumped at that. We had done this regularly before the delivery of their newest edition three months ago, and the kids would occasionally spend the night. With the new edition, she wanted us to come to her house to watch them, and that was okay as well. Anything to ease her anxiety about leaving the baby. On our first visit, she asked that we not come early to allow her time to get ready. The second time, we showed up about ten minutes early. I did not realize we were early. I habitually run slightly late. When she opened the door, hand never leaving the door, she said, I thought I asked you not to come early. I handed her the food we had brought for the older children along with some of her things and started to head back out because she announced she would just call their father to get off work early. I kissed her cheek and said, I love you, and told the children I love them. Her hand never left the door. We've talked about it since, but she says she she did nothing wrong. Now she's gaslighting me, saying I seemed, quotes, off and asking if I was going through anything. While I was early, I really don't see how it is such a big deal. She hasn't asked us to watch them since, and when I'm I've invited them over, she says they have plans.

Advice, please. You think we just got, like, a real rat's nest of misunderstandings compounding upon each other here? Okay. I've seen this happen recently a couple times in in my own life with some folks around me where, like, there was a there was an initial misunderstanding. And then after that point, everybody just kinda saw what they wanted to see. Yeah. You know? Like, they kept believing their own narrative that they told themselves. And then all of a sudden, they're down this weird path where they've made some assumptions about this other person, and now you're, like, wildly on the opposite sides of the street. And whatever you thought you knew, you've thrown out because what you believe now has got to be true. Yeah. And, like yeah. All come from a simple misunderstanding,

and then then no one ever, like, tried to suss it out. You know? Like, I think something I I have been I we did this one time with somebody that that we're like, something's going on with that guy. He's acting weird. Yeah. And we talked about it for weeks and months. And they were like, someone's gonna have to go over there and figure it out. So we go over there, and we're like, dude, there's something off about you. He's like, there's nothing wrong with me. Like, well, you're acting this way and this way and this way. It's like, yeah. No. It's just regular. Everything's fine. And then you're, like, mystified. You're like, man, did I just, like, tell myself this whole narrative that there's some some wrong with this dude? You know? And, like, there was actually nothing wrong with him the whole time. Like, this is so awkward. And so I I think if you were just to to to put it that way and be like, look. I think we got off on the, like, this situation caused some kind of weirdness, and then we both just started believing things. So I'm just gonna set the record state. I showed up early. I shouldn't have. I made a mistake, and I will make sure it doesn't happen again. I know it makes you feel away and that you already got enough on your plate. So can we start all over? When is a good time for me to watch these kids? You know? Yeah. And just just try to reoffer what you meant to have to happen in the first place. Yeah. I don't I don't understand. Like, it's okay if you pulled up early. Why did you get out of the car? I mean, ten minutes seems like a small amount. You know? Pretty weird that she wouldn't even let him in. Yeah. That is funky. And, like, why would you then decide like, okay. That's the part that's weird over there, which is like, hey. I called you over here to the you come over and, like, help watch. And then because you were ten minutes early, I called the dad to leave work early to come stay here. Like, that's Yeah. Something's weird about that. She's got the neighbor neighbor Oh. In the house with her. Oh. She's got a back got a backdoor Freddie. I'm gonna I'm gonna put it more that that she's three months postpartum,

and, like, the hormones aren't back to where they belong yet. That could be reasonable. I think I think maybe like, once again, I think you should try to do your best to not tell yourself a narrative and just put a couple facts together and go, you know what? I think we just misunderstood each other in this interaction. So I'm a start over. Yeah. Right? Here's here we go. When is a good time for me to watch them kids? Done. Right? Because that's ultimately what you want. And, like, if you don't get all caught up on what she thinks about you, you're like, my daughter thinks that I'm going through a thing. I'm like, well, from her perspective, you're acting weird. You know? Yeah. And so, like and and I I'm assuming the interaction is not as quite as simple as this woman is putting forth. Like, no one goes, you showed up ten minutes early. Are you going through a life crisis? Yeah. And then quite and then quite my children again. Yeah. So, like, I it it it almost always fleshes out that, like, if you if you thought about it for a minute, you're like, there's either some information missing here or someone made a face or, you know, their, like, their skin was red or something. Like, something was weird that day that would lead someone the conclusion that ten minutes early arrival is there's a major catastrophe going on. Right? There's gotta be more to the story. So I once again, I think with with all the facts that you've given, I think you should just start over.

Yeah. I agree. And I would also I'd I'd really draw back on the dramatic language here. I just because you have a disagreement does not mean you're gaslighting. Just because someone sees a different perspective at you also doesn't mean that they're gaslighting you. Like, okay. You have a difference. Let's resolve it, and then we can move on. Yeah. I don't know. Have you ever been in a situation where, like, you were massively misunderstood? Like, people took a thing away, and, like, you couldn't even try to see their perspective. You're like, no. No. None of that is correct. Like, not in any any way, shape, or form. No. I've I I think I've

I mean, I've certainly ran into situations where I've been very misunderstood, but at the end of the day, I can like, I can almost generally see, okay, I see how you got there. I mean, it's wild. So how some people have, twisted stuff stuff up in their mind, but, never where I've been, like, I just I just don't understand at all how you come to this conclusion. Not that I remember anyway. Done for you, Dan? Yeah. Nothing comes to mind. I'm sure it has, but I I just kinda Yeah. Let it roll. Yeah. I can't think of any either. Yeah. You're right. I'm not very helpful tonight. Here we go. Secular says, it is interesting that your daughter is asking whether you were, quotes, going through something because the opposite may be true. Your daughter may be dealing with emotional problems, a hormone imbalance, or having problems coping now that there's a new baby in the mix. If you need an interpreter to give you some insight about the abrupt change in routine, I suggest asking your son-in-law.

Oh, you're gonna try the workaround. Depends on how well you know the son-in-law. You know what I'm saying? Like, the the the wife husband bond is pretty tight if things are going well. If you try to have some kind of in round conversation about your wife with your son-in-law, you're tell her if he's doing his job. And so I wouldn't put him in that position. Yeah. That's a rough spot, man. I think you gotta go right for the source. Call it what it is. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Alright. Hey. You're listening to live from the path.

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