Almost Brothers Podcast
Whats up whats up whats up.. welcome to your new favorite podcast. Join your hosts Michael, Richard, and Tyler as we discuss God, church, life, and the journey through this crazy world. Get away from the stresses of life with this podcast. We will be hitting on various topics from sports, to life with Christ.
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Almost Brothers Podcast
Group Chat Chaos: Surviving the Notification Apocalypse
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Communication breakdowns happen in even our closest relationships, but what if a few simple adjustments could transform how we connect with others? In this engaging and sometimes hilarious exploration of effective communication, the Almost Brothers team tackles the communication pitfalls that plague our daily interactions.
The conversation begins with a deep dive into marital communication during conflicts. "Knowing your audience and how to say what you need to say in a way they can receive it" emerges as a golden rule that could save countless arguments from spiraling out of control. The hosts share personal stories about times when their communication styles either helped resolve conflicts or unintentionally made them worse, offering listeners practical wisdom drawn from real-life experience.
Financial discussions prove to be particularly treacherous communication territory. The team explores how separating facts from emotions can transform potentially explosive money talks into productive conversations. "It's not me saying no, it's our bank account saying no" becomes a mantra for approaching these sensitive discussions with clarity rather than defensiveness.
Perhaps most relatable is the segment on group chat etiquette, which the hosts describe as "an epidemic ruining our country." From late-night messages that wake everyone up to the infamous two people who decide to have a full conversation while everyone else suffers through the notifications, the Almost Brothers identify communication habits that unintentionally create frustration in our digital interactions. They offer practical guidelines for when to respond, when to take a conversation private, and how to respect others' time and attention.
The episode wraps with updates on personal challenges, showing how vulnerability and accountability in communication can strengthen friendships and support personal growth. Whether you're struggling with marital disagreements, drowning in group chat notifications, or simply looking to become a more effective communicator, this episode delivers insights that will transform how you connect with others.
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Episode Introduction & Catching Up
Speaker 1it's like twice you've used that word this week it's from uh, here comes the boom yes, classic movie, that's pretty funny I don't care if I'm lethargic
Speaker 1what's that mean? Means that you're just drained that's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I know I've heard it before, but I'm like yeah it's, you know, when you like general state you know, when someone says something and you just kind of nod like you know what they're talking about, but you really don't. Yeah, that was, that was where I was at with that, so I was like, oh yeah well, I'm glad I could educate you.
Effective Communication in Marriage
Speaker 1Hey, appreciate it man, you know, we're all about growing here, we're all about being lethargic I'm trying to ungrow yes, that's. Oh, we'll check in on that this episode as well, seeing how we're doing with our challenges to each other. Tyler, how are you doing? Good talk? Just the deep breath that's all we get is just uh, yeah, okay, cool, all right, awesome man, a few words. It's gonna be on top of it today.
Speaker 1It's gonna go right along with what we're talking about. So, yeah, yeah, it will. What's up, what's up, what's up, what's up, what's up, what's up, what's up, what's up. Everybody, welcome back to a brand new episode of the almost brothers podcast. On today's episode, we're talking about effective communication emphasis on effective, exactly in parentheses.
Speaker 1We could, we could all in parentheses group chat etiquette. We will talk about that because, my goodness, gracious, gracious, what really goes on? Air quotes Air quotes Wait what it could be the opposite, what you can't just throw air quotes anywhere.
Speaker 2What are you doing? It's in the Geneva Convention.
Speaker 1So Rich. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2I'm good. I went to the chiropractor for the first time ever in my entire 47 years of existence.
Speaker 3It was a good time, wasn't it?
Speaker 2It 47 years of existence it was a good time, wasn't it? It was weird to have a grown man just like popping everything and handling you supposed to be popped. Do you feel better, though? I think, or I gotta, I gotta, come back multiple times I said I'm all out of whack.
Speaker 1So and aren't we all?
Speaker 3it you do. You do start to feel better over time. When I hurt my back last time it took me I had to go five or six times. It's like a slow progression over those first few weeks.
Speaker 2He did. I had to give Mike Simmons his props. The chiropractor did tell me that men should not carry their wallets in their back pockets. I'm telling you. So that is medically sound advice now from a doctor of chiropractic medicine.
Speaker 3Well, that's because I've got real bad sciatic nerve pain and when I stopped doing that, like all that, like as many times as I felt that pain, it was like cut in half yeah.
Speaker 2You would think that little half inch of material in your back pocket wouldn't matter, but I guess it just makes you out of whack just enough to wear it over time.
Speaker 1It, yeah, really affects you oh yeah, well tata, how you doing I'm, I could go for a nap, right now, I know man, I am
Speaker 3I am actually feeling lethargic, yeah done eight.
Speaker 1now you're ready for a nap? No nappy poo. Yeah, man, I slept decently last night, so I don't need a nap. A nappy poo yeah, man. I slept decently last night, so I don't need a nap right now, man, I'm feeling pretty good. I didn't sleep good at all the night before was terrible, really.
Speaker 2Yeah, I was up late talking to Tristan, my son. What's up? Tristan, shout out. Shout out to Tristan Big ups, big ups.
Speaker 1He doesn't listen but shout out anyway dirty t what's he call himself?
Money Talks and Relationship Challenges
Speaker 2he's uh daddy. T is what he calls himself. I would never call him that not ever, but then in five o'clock this morning our dog bella woke me up at the at the back door.
Speaker 1So fun, fun. It's good times, yes, so let's talk about effective communication. I know I was thinking about this the other day with just in a marriage how important this is, especially when you're frustrated, like being able to communicate your frustrations in an effective way, because effective communication is so hard to do, you know, because you come kind of with an attitude.
Speaker 2Well, that's where you got to start, is you? You can't come in screaming. I guess the first thing is to keep your voices down, and and that's the worst possible way to start a conversation is with a screaming match, because it ain't going anywhere.
Speaker 1It's not going anywhere man, it's hard for me because I've got a loud voice anyway. You do, so it's like when I'm talking, and even at a normal voice, it seems like I'm see exactly.
Speaker 2Exactly that's what I get.
Speaker 1Like why are you so upset? It's like I'm not, I'm just, I'm talking normally.
Speaker 2And then you get excited and you get louder.
Speaker 1Yes, and it gets to where I'm loud without even screaming, right, and it's like I'm not screaming. I promise you I'm not. I can get louder than this easy.
Speaker 3My ears are saying I think the the quality of how you communicate is probably can make or break communication.
Speaker 1Yeah yeah, and and knowing this is number one when. When I talk to people specifically about like, preaching to a group of people you know I'll try to help certain people that you know. Hey, can you help me better communicate when I'm preaching? Number one is like know your audience. Know how to say what you need to say in a way that they can receive it Right.
Speaker 2That almost had like a oh man, A little thing to write that down.
Speaker 1Yeah, write that down, you know, because you could say something good, but the way you say it not be received by the people you're trying to speak to and it just goes over their head or it's like you know, it's too dumbed down to where they're, like that you're almost insulted, you know at the way that you're talking to them.
Speaker 2So, knowing your audience and who you're talking to and how to communicate to them, yeah, jennifer's bad about that. Like the simple word what you know, you can say the word what oh, this is good, yes and mean it in 13 different ways. Yeah, you know, and she's bad about when. When you're talking to her, she'll just be like what? Like dang?
Speaker 1yeah, I just was going to tell you that you're on fire, but might want to put that out, but since you got attitude, you know what crank the heat up it's.
Speaker 2It's exactly what it is is is effective communication. It's it's paying attention to the tone of how you're responding to a simple question and the word yes and no same thing, depending on your tone, can have multiple meanings.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's really good.
Speaker 2Write that down.
Speaker 1Write that down man, that is good. Yeah, because there was one time I had to go to my sister and it was her husband at the time and I had to apologize to him and I'm like I'm sorry, not for what I said, but I'm sorry for the way I said it, the approach I took. I was very, very angry and it had something to do with Jamie. So anytime somebody messed with her I kind of get very defensive but I was like I'm sorry, I shouldn. Now what I said was correct, but you know I just the way I came about it was all wrong. So you know, I had to learn from that situation, like there's better ways to approach this and to talk to people.
Speaker 1You know what do y'all do when your wives kind of come in. I'm a very quick, I match whatever you bring to me. I'm matching your energy like if you're coming at me, hot, I very easily throw that. Okay, I was gonna come with, just I was gonna come as good as I could and, just like man, give you good communicate and it's like nope, okay, now it's time to raise the level a little bit. Yeah, what do y'all do in that in that case?
Speaker 3so, y'all kind of like boy, it's tough well, I because there's been a few times that's happened I'll kind of, you know, kind of like like slow down real quick, hold up Whoa, like it could have been like something. It could have been something. Live thought she had told me but forgot or something she did tell me and I forgot.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 3I would be like listen regardless of, like easy yeah.
Speaker 2Like, just like, just. That's too much, that's I was like that's.
Speaker 3I was like, uh, I don't know, I tried to like pump the brakes a little bit, yeah okay, that's one thing I want to get better at is just like hold up, let's start over.
Speaker 1let's start over, because we're already starting out, but instead I just go.
Speaker 2Well, olivia is the same way as Mike she gets excited and gets loud and but she also.
Speaker 3She's also the same in regards. If I come at her like that, yeah.
Speaker 2Well, I'm, I'm, I'm that, that person that I'm going to tell on myself, but when I'm, when I realize I'm wrong. But I'm going to tell on myself, but when I realize I'm wrong, but I'm not ready to admit it, I'll notch up that boy. I'll start getting real loud then, and then I have to end up apologizing anyway.
Speaker 1Oh my gosh. Yeah, I've seen the meme videos where it's like they realize they're wrong in the middle of the conversation and they're just nodding and it's like yeah, I'm wrong how do I get out of this?
Speaker 2yeah, how do you backpedal and graciously say like, oh crap.
Speaker 1Or if they, yeah if they make a good point, it's like yeah yeah, yeah, you're right. You know what, and why is it so hard for us to do that? I don't know, just as human, like all all it's. It's hard to say, yeah, you know what I was wrong.
Speaker 3Yeah, well, there's, there's a. A few nights ago, me and Liv had an argument and she was making some valid points and I was. I couldn't say nothing but no, Okay.
Speaker 2Okay, the gears were turning, I was like but you know, she had the receipts on Right. You're swinging and missing and she's just jabbing at you like?
Speaker 3oh man, listen, yeah, listen. We don't need you making valid points out here.
Speaker 1And, man, they tend to not let you forget. They'll make sure you remember that. Oh, yeah, yeah for sure.
Speaker 2Well, the good news is, I'm not wrong very often Same.
Speaker 1That seemed biased. Yeah, and we've gotten a lot better because we've learned each other's how to communicate to each other a little bit better, right. So I know, you know, as the years go by, it makes it a little bit easier and a little bit smoother of a conversation, especially when, when it's a hard conversation, that that's when it's really hard not to get emotional. You know, when married couples talk about money, right, that usually becomes an emotional scream fest, right, and we've gotten to the point where we try to stick with. We're going to talk this out, because I'm bad at when I get mad. I'll just walk away and shut down for the day, and that's not helpful either. That doesn't accomplish anything.
Speaker 2It makes things worse. Even though you're not communicating. That is still not effective communication. Yeah, yeah, you're not.
Speaker 1You're not accomplishing anything by walking away from a conversation and it's like you're you're communicating that this isn't important enough for me to stay here and figure this out however, on the flip side, on the flip side, if it's a very emotional, very heated argument, there's nothing wrong with saying we need to table this for now. Yeah.
Speaker 3Because communicating in that sense is probably just as ineffective as just trying to get out of the conversation.
Speaker 1Yeah, and making sure you voice that before you just dip out. Yeah, and for me it would be. I would just go in the other room like we wouldn't talk for the rest of the day, like I'm just out well, that's, tyler is absolutely right.
Speaker 2You know it gets to a point to where. Write that down live it gets to a point to where you're not accomplishing anything you know, you're just going back and forth and repeating the same things and it's like let's just let's take a minute down and come back at this in a more rational way. And women are very rational human beings as a whole.
Speaker 3So we are disassociating ourselves with Richard for the rest of the episode.
Speaker 1Oh man, Well, there goes all of our listeners.
Speaker 3This is where, because y'all know I'm very emotionally unavailable and detached- from everything.
Speaker 3He's a sideboard. That's where it comes in handy, because you're talking about money. And that comes in pretty heated when I'm talking to Liv, and it's pretty serious, heated like I like. When I'm talking to live, and it's pretty serious. I'm like live, this is not a I don't want to or I want to. This is a our bank account says we can't or, or we can, or we have to. Uh, it's, it's and you know we've, we have, we've had that agreement. Uh, where, when it comes to the financial decisions, that's kind of my area and she trusts me to handle that cause she's not good with money. Um, and I, I try. I'm like live, this is not like she'll, she'll want to do something. I'm like I'll be like live. This isn't me saying I don't want to or that I don't think we should. This is a our bank account says we can't.
Speaker 3As much as I hate saying no, I have to say no, we, we we just can't, because you know I was thinking about. You know, if we cause, I cause I'm. Anytime we talk about money, I have my budget, our budget, in my head and I'm thinking about fixed income, the uh or not fixed income.
Speaker 2The bad place to store that, yeah well, I'm not saying.
Speaker 3That's where I do all my math because I'm bad at head math well, I'm saying I know, I know all of our fixed expenses, I know our income and I can kind of do that quick math and be like, okay, if whatever she's suggesting we do, I can kind, of, off the top of my head, be like yeah, like until I actually look, I can be like that's probably not going to be able to happen or that's going to have to be a we have to save up over time, right and I know I know we've talked about this before is you know, finding the difference between have to have and want to have?
Speaker 1oh yeah, you know, that's a big thing? Is is oh, we, we have to have this, like, no, we don't. Well, we have to go here, no, we don't we really don't. We want to. Of course we want to, but you know, finding that budget and and communicate it's such it was so hard in a relationship to talk about money oh, it's the, it's tough man, I mean most marriages end because of finances, and most are. I mean, that's just where the arguments come from.
Speaker 3You know well I think and that's the. I think that's the what makes it a little easy in my marriage because, like I said, live lives not great with money and she hasn't had to really handle money. She went from living with her parents to she lived in her own apartment for three months and then we moved in together and I handled all the bills. So her having that level of trust and that inexperience of handling money makes it easier in that sense because she trusts whatever decision or whatever I do with our finances, it's in our best interest, yeah, whether it turns out good or not, it's knowing your weaknesses, mm-hmm, you know, being able to say, hey, I'm not good at this.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1You need to probably take this over.
Speaker 2Right, and Jennifer's bad with money too, but her thing is and she does really good at finding sales when we need stuff. Her problem is it's a sale, so she wants stuff.
Speaker 2It's like we may use this in two years. We'll buy it in two years for the $10 that we're saving today. I mean, it's not something we have to have, and wants and needs is something that we have really talked about recently because we are on a budgeting track right now, trying to get our budget in order and that's something that we've talked a lot about is the difference between those two words want and need because, there is a difference. There has to be.
Group Chat Etiquette and Text Message Fails
Speaker 1Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and it has to be something that you're willing to sit down and talk about, right, just has to I mean, that's just part of it, it comes with it and to be something that you're willing to sit down and talk about Just has to I mean, that's just part of it, it comes with it and to be as unemotionally attached to whatever it is you're talking about.
Speaker 3Yeah, because I'm very passionate about our finances. But it's more than just opinions, it's a fact. Our bank account will not let us do this. Yeah, it's not than just opinions. It's a fact Our bank account will not let us do this.
Speaker 2It's not me saying no, it's our bank account and our money, saying no, we can't right now. When you write it down in black and white and you can show look, this is what's going on, then there's no arguing that this is what it is. We've got $2 in the bank. We can't go out to eat. Yeah, yep, can't go out to eat yeah, yep, well, switching gears, but still talking about effective communication.
Speaker 1Let's hear that transmission.
Speaker 2We need to record that button like anyway.
Speaker 3Second to third right there um whoa, I don't know what you're driving.
Speaker 1No, like a future car, like a spaceship, like what's going on now um, so I want to talk about group chat etiquette. This is a problem, okay, this is an epidemic of people that don't know how to properly go throughout a group chat, and it's ruining our country.
Speaker 3I'm having vietnam flashbacks, sorry like it's, it's probably not that serious yeah, but see, this is what we're talking about, with michael getting loud I'm sorry my bad.
Speaker 1Yeah, I got, I felt like it yeah it's no I.
Speaker 2This is a problem and it needs to be fixed right now on our, on our podcast, we're gonna fix the world, fix the world.
Speaker 1Yeah, we uh, and I did it on purpose one night oh my gosh, it was like 9 30 at 9 30 at night and I was poking the group chat bear.
Speaker 2I texted our uh church group chat which is like nine guys and they're talkers and I just said, I just said yeah, I just sent a random picture with a caption and boy I'm like, I like, I think I was teaching that night and I put my phone on silent, went to bed and I'm driving home and it's ding ding ding ding, ding and I've got my watch on, so I'm just like driving, just like oh my gosh.
Speaker 1So I look down and I see richard started it, so I call him and he's like giggling as soon as I called and I'm like why did you even get this started at 930 at night? That's so funny. Oh yeah, it went on for an hour.
Speaker 2Yeah, and it really is a problem With our jobs. We have a group chat with our employees.
Speaker 3Not me anymore.
Speaker 2Tyler got out of it. Did he get out of it? I don't know how he got out of it.
Speaker 3She didn't make a new one. That's right. You said that. I'll make sure to bring that up to her, you should have brought that up in the meeting. Tyler said he didn't get the group chat message, if it's important enough. Chrissy will text me.
Speaker 2It'll be just well. She sent out a reminder yesterday about our meeting last night. Does that sound like that requires a response?
Speaker 1No, simple read, cool got it 10 people.
Speaker 1It just yes, ma'am, yes, yes, yes, okay, yes, ma'am, yep, no need what drives me crazy is two people, and it happens in every group chat. If you're sitting and listening to this and going, no, it doesn't, you're one of those two people. Okay, it happens in every group chat. You got two people that want to have a full-on conversation with one another and we all have to come along for the ride and I'm gonna get a lot of crap for this, but julie thacker is one of those people.
Speaker 2Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1She wants to talk about everything else that the text message wasn't even about it's like hey, we're meeting at six o'clock tonight, everybody bring your own drinks, okay, okay, I love sprite cool thumbs up what is happening? Why does this have to happen? And then here comes mom. Hey, did y'all see the weather supposed to get bad? It's like what like oh man, I love you mama well, and text messages in general are she's?
Speaker 2gonna be, you always talk about me.
Speaker 1Every time you do something, you always talk about me.
Speaker 3Stop doing stuff. I love you. Stop doing stuff, whatever you're doing, just stop it.
Speaker 1She's an important part of my life. I got to talk about it. And Richard brought it up, so blame him.
Speaker 2I told you I was going to get crap for it. She'll probably. The text messages in general are an ineffective communication. You can't tell tone or context.
Speaker 1You can say something in a text message that you completely meant as innocent and somebody takes it wrong because there's no tone that one video where he's like, hey, you want to hang out.
Speaker 2Oh, that key.
Speaker 1And pills yeah, sounds good, Like yeah sounds good, Do you?
Speaker 3want me? Sure, I don't care. Sure, I don't care. Sure, I don't care.
Speaker 1Yeah, sure, I don't care, you don't care you want to go yeah, oh yeah, I do, yeah sure let's go, yeah, and it just gets out of hand, right, but it it like. And especially when it's something that doesn't need a response, oh yeah, just read it. Okay, cool, if it's just information, not asking a question, leave it be. Or if you've got something that you want to text that person separately, please, for the love of sanity for the rest of us, please. And especially when it's late at night If it's past 7 o'clock at night, maybe don't message unless it's an absolute emergency that was important that I had to put out.
Speaker 1It was about it was not at all and this is, and this is what jamie tells. Well, why don't you just silence the group chat? Because I'll, as soon as I do that, I'll miss something important. So I can't do that, right? So I have to sit here and just a prayer request or something, right? Yeah?
Speaker 3live. Well, I think lives at the point where anytime she's putting the group chat, whether there's been a message sent or not, she will silence it, because, anytime, because we're we got group chat with y'all and the rest of our running people, we got group chat with our community group, uh, from liberty hill, I think that's it any, and that we're both groups are pretty good about. Uh, really, we're just putting information out, yeah, asking the question and and that's really it, and so, um, um, or like the other day, uh, yesterday, when I asked y'all to come over, she's uh, because I told her I was like she's, like what time are they all coming over? I said, live, liv, you're in the group chat, it's right there All the information.
Speaker 3Yeah, so she'll ask me a question.
Speaker 1Like Liv, you're in Look at your phone and it was pretty straightforward, like everybody's like, okay, we'll be there, we'll be there, I'll be there, cool, like that's it. Like awesome, it was pretty straightforward. But it's like just asking questions hey, y'all catch that game last night. Yeah, I caught. It was pretty awesome. Yeah, it was crazy I came. It was like do we all 19 people need to be a?
Speaker 2part of this conversation. That's what happened when, um, last friday, we were gonna get together and have dinner and I just simply asked, if ever you know, if anybody had a problem with the weather.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2It was at my house, I wasn't driving, just wanted to know.
Speaker 1Jennifer.
Speaker 2Everybody, I do.
Speaker 1You're at the house.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's at our house.
Speaker 1There's two messages that were just not part of the conversation.
Speaker 2And it went on for 15 messages and still didn't have an answer. Well, what's the weather look like?
Speaker 1I don't know. I checked it earlier. Let me check again. What do you think? I don't know. We're okay, today's better. What about tomorrow?
Speaker 2today's better for us like nobody answered the question.
Speaker 1Are y'all good with tonight?
Speaker 2yes or no it was. It was fun and that's that's. It's all. It all comes down to effective communication and courtesy having courtesy for other people's time and I'm bad sometimes with with text messages, in general not even just text messages with not respond.
Speaker 1I'm the opposite, so not responding when it probably needs a response. Yep, yep you are. I'm bad at that, because I read the information, I take the information, I'm good to go, I don't need to respond, but I need to know that you got the message.
Speaker 2I know, I know.
Speaker 1And Richard would be like hey, man, appreciate you, love you so much. I'm like man, that's awesome. Read at 3.
Speaker 332 pm. Yeah, I guess he hates me and it's 7 pm well, it's usually.
Speaker 1I'll be doing something and I mean to get back. You know, and I read it, it's on my watch. Usually that's what it is? I'll look oh man, that's awesome. I'll text you back later and then for completely forget. And then the next day he's like hey, did you get my message last? I'm like crap. Yes, thank you, that meant a lot man, thank you so much.
Speaker 2I'm so much that I couldn't take two seconds. I know I'm sorry.
Speaker 1I know, I'm admitting. Okay, dang, I'm admitting it darn darn, did he darn darn?
Setting Boundaries in Communication
Speaker 3uh well, back back to what you're saying. It's a courtesy thing, like pastors for example your phone's blowing up 75% of the day, so you know people like you. You got to have a sense of you know, cursing, understanding, like, like they're like the storms on Friday, our church got hit pretty hard and then, like the one Sunday, we had all that snow and ice, and so each of those days I text our pastor I said hey, I know your phone's being blown up.
Speaker 3Just let me know when you have something from, something you need from me or something just right, yeah, like you don't have to respond, but if you got information, just let me know when you do yeah, and that's good that that opens up that line of communication.
Speaker 1Hey, if you got something for me, if not, you're good don't you know, to where you could read it and go, okay, cool, and then move on. Yeah, yeah, because it is especially on the, on the days like that, that is something too, that even outside of a text message, like even people trying to kind of pull you all all different directions five minutes before service starts, like this is the worst possible time, right, you know, and it I try to stay.
Speaker 2I'm usually one of the last ones to leave because I want to make myself available afterwards, so much easier for me to answer questions, pray for people, meet people afterwards then, right before service and it's it's something that people should understand in church circles, that the pastor's trying to get himself in that, in that right head space and that and that, and that spirit led you know what he's about to do. So it's completely inconsiderate to take away your time from that.
Speaker 1And it's awesome when it's something like a praise report. That helps get me pumped up beforehand. But if it's like a question that can kind of weigh like it's oh hey, next week we're doing this event, what do you think of this, get with me afterwards, please. I'm already kind of wait like it's oh hey, next week we're doing this event, right, you know, what do you think of this? Like, get with me afterwards, please. I'm I'm already kind of running around and and that it's it's partially my fault because I I do a lot of things kind of in the moment, last minute, you know, and and if I kind of cleared out my stuff and got stuff done. But usually every service there's something that needs fixed right before service to be able to have service.
Speaker 2It's always a good thing that you make yourself available. It's a double-edged sword. Yeah, because people know that they can come to you.
Speaker 3Yeah oh, it's 10 pm.
Speaker 2I'll yeah, I bet he's up yeah, they just need to know that there needs to be limits yeah, yeah, because I yeah and then well, I feel like that should I feel like that should almost be a common sense thing.
Speaker 3You would think you would think, and if you don't know, now, now you know it's like you know. Have that you know, just think for a second. Okay, pastor Michael, he's a pastor in a church. What do pastors do?
Speaker 1I'll just wait until I see them. Yeah, and it did. I try to. Sometimes, you know people, I got meetings and stuff like that afterwards. But yeah, it definitely is something to where and I've got to do better during the week at you know, making myself available to get with people, because usually I fill that time with stuff at the church. I'm doing this, I'm going here, going here, I'm meeting here, I'm teaching here and I I say yes a lot, and I know we've talked about this before, like the power of no and the power of deciding, but especially first starting out, you know, kind of coming into.
Speaker 1You know they were seven months without a pastor coming into, something where we had to kind of get things going. There's not a lot you could say no to, because you kind of?
Speaker 1have to fill in gaps here and there, you know. So I'm I'm working on doing better during the week, making myself available for that. If somebody needs prayer, somebody needs to call um, and people are opening up a lot more, which is such a good thing. I'm getting messages and phone calls from people that aren't very open. They've been hurt before, they've been in religious circles where they've been hurt, so they don't really open themselves up. That are now hey, pastor, will you pray for me? I've got this going on and they'll open up their heart and it's like this is so awesome, that's effective communication, yes, and it's like oh, it's so good and I'm able to during the week, minister and do my job. You know this is part of it do my job and doing that, but knowing the right time and place to do that.
Progress on Personal Challenges
Speaker 1And you do have a lot of people that do realize that they're like hey, mike's one of them, our head deacon. He's like hey, I'm not going to call you on a Monday, unless it's an absolute emergency not going to get. I'm not going to call you on a Monday unless it's an absolute emergency not going to do it. So if you got something, you can call me. I will not call you and he just refuses to do it. Right, he'll wait till Tuesday. He'll get with me on Saturday, he'll any day, but that day, you know, he knows that that's kind of the, the relaxed day, and he's so good at that.
Speaker 2And I don't.
Speaker 1I don't think he realized how good at communicating with people he really is right, and he's so good at it. Well, that, uh, that sounds like a good place to transition into how you're doing with your challenges. Oh yes, not good. Next, next, um, now, my my. So my challenge from y'all for this year was to take my mondays off. I get Saturday off. I get Monday off. Saturday is usually ball game day.
Speaker 2You know, basketball.
Speaker 1We had six straight weeks with a Saturday games with tournaments, so not good. I still haven't had a Monday where I just did nothing, where I actually took it off. It's usually filled with other stuff and I get it like the home stuff, but a lot of it I fill with church stuff anyway, extra stuff that like, oh, I need to go do this, I need to straighten this up, I need to do this and I've got to get better at taking that time off, right.
Speaker 1But not good, so next Tyler yeah, I need to straighten this up.
Speaker 2I need to do this, and I've got to get better at taking that time off.
Speaker 3Right, but not good. So next, tyler, yeah, I'm doing good. I've been able to work getting into the studio into my schedule.
Speaker 1Yep, that was the challenge to record.
Speaker 3So I'm working every Tuesday a couple hours with a friend of mine.
Speaker 1Do you have an idea for a title? Maybe?
Speaker 2not yet okay do you have an idea for a time frame?
Speaker 3yeah, it's been three weeks and we're not even finished with the first song wow.
Speaker 1That's so awesome, though, to think about, because I know you said you had a good amount written.
Speaker 3Just getting them recorded, that's well, and it's nice because now it's giving me, because I've only got six songs written.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 3So at least that gives me time to write more. And that's which is another part that I'm struggling with, because I'm so busy. I haven't written a song since January, like completed a song since January and I was on a roll for a couple months.
Speaker 1I like to sit down with you and maybe help you with some songwriting.
Speaker 3It's just tough to like. The songs I've written were finished because I had a couple hours where I sat in the bedroom or sat in the living room with my guitar.
Speaker 1And that was it. I'd love to do it because it's been. It's been a lot. For those y'all that don't know, I put out a christian hip-hop album in high school in which I wrote because mikey, mike and b and the funky bunch, that's right, um, but I haven't song written in a long time I I've never written a song.
Speaker 2I used to write like stories, which is way different.
Speaker 1I would figure than you know like praise type of songs. But it'd be cool to kind of be a part of that process.
Speaker 3Yeah, that was my stomach. I heard that.
Speaker 1I heard that and I was like man, rich, how are you doing? You got on the scale yesterday at the house of this morning today.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm down five pounds come on yeah so it's progress, but slow progress. So I'm, I'm. I know at some point I'm gonna have to add exercise, but that's what I was about to say.
Speaker 1That's with just diet, that's just dieting yeah.
Speaker 2So I've got to figure out something which me and Adriana my daughter we're talking about going in together and buying one of them recumbent bikes.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2The ones you sit down and pedal.
Speaker 1And I know we poke at you a lot.
Speaker 3All the time.
Speaker 1But it's out of love. We want you to be healthy, as do I, if you wouldn't mind sharing. So what are you at now?
Speaker 2weight-wise 3.13.
Speaker 1Now, what's the heaviest you've been? Oh, the heaviest I've been 3.18.
Speaker 2That's where I started.
Speaker 1Okay, and that's the heaviest you've ever been.
Speaker 2It's kind of okay, yeah, 318 is my max. And I told and it's so funny, it's not funny. But I told somebody I guess it was a couple years ago I was joking with somebody and I was like, if I ever hit 300 pounds, just shoot me yeah and now I'm over 300 pounds right, so that's what we were talking about this morning, as you said.
Speaker 1You know it's just seeing that three at the beginning is just like that's got to change.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah and I am, I'm.
Speaker 1I'm trying to just watch what I got not eating sugars, I'm you know, I know that's been like you've been really just no, I'm good yeah, I've been so showing your, showing your self-control around, that you know no shows that you you really can, you can do this yeah, we've got vacation coming up next week, though going to branson, so I'm kind of worried about that well, the good thing is, when you start, when you do stuff like this and you've been at it for a while it starts to become not necessarily second nature, but it starts to become a routine in your mind to where you don't have to put forth the effort, energy to think about it.
Speaker 3You just naturally do.
Speaker 2And that is happening, like at a restaurant. I will look at the menu for the items that I need to eat which.
Speaker 2I had a taco salad a while ago, but I haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch so but you know, I've noticed that I've started doing that when we sit down at a restaurant or something. I will. I will look for the healthier options instead of just going straight to the like. We had dominoes. I ate two pieces of pizza, a couple of parmesan garlic bites and one little piece of stuffed bread yeah, that was it, and that's a big deal.
Speaker 1You know well, considering I would eat a pizza, right, right. Yeah, that's a big deal. And to be able to do that man, even even though right now the, you know, the pounds may not be coming off as much as like that, that's a huge deal and you're doing good, it feels awesome. Yeah, you're doing great man, thank you. For me it's like. Something else I want to add is into my, you know, challenge is more water.
Speaker 3I've realized I go days without drinking just plain water live challenged herself to do that, and she's been drinking water 99 of the time for like the last two, three months yeah it changes everything, man.
Speaker 1You get more energy, you feel better.
Speaker 2You, I mean, you sleep better, it's just everything you wouldn't think that it would you would not think, and that's we've talked about that before when you diet, that you don't think about what you drink yeah but like the lemonades and sodas all that sugar juices and all that stuff.
Speaker 1They're loaded with sugar, jamie had to call me out casey's lemonade man. They're so good so I would get. They were like two for $3.50, and I would get like two every other day. And one day she looked at the back of it and she said do you realize how much sugar is in this? It was like 75 grams of sugar per bottle. I was knocking out two of them. That's a lot of sugar, like 150 grams of sugar, like crazy. Yeah.
Speaker 2So uh, needless to say, no more of those I had to cut those, yeah, I had to get those out of my life and I have been using coffee as a meal replacement in the mornings I don't. I don't eat breakfast, I just drink a coffee, and that's been working really well, even though there is some sugar in coffee. Yeah, it's it's. I mean, it's a meal replacement.
Speaker 1So man I much as much as I love.
TV Show Discussions and Episode Closing
Speaker 2I wish I could do black coffee tyler I know this isn't your can't do nope, can't do black coffee either I just don't like.
Speaker 3I just don't like the taste of coffee.
Speaker 1I love the taste but just black is a little bit too much. I have to have something I've tried.
Speaker 3I've tried. I tried quite a bit in college because I remember there was one time I was like I'm a college student that doesn't drink coffee.
Speaker 2I've got to at least try it.
Speaker 3And I tried it and, yeah, not for you. No, I didn't like the taste.
Speaker 1I feel you, I feel you, I got Layla into coffee.
Speaker 2Oh yeah.
Speaker 1She loves it.
Speaker 2Yeah, leila into coffee.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, she loves it, yeah she never drank it until she started college. And she's kansas city. There's tons of places. She had one on campus. Oh yeah, yeah, like y'all, have a campus coffee shop campus coffee shop.
Speaker 2Say that five times yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 1Anything else on y'all's heart? We already talked about that's what's up. Last episode anything new on? That's what's up?
Speaker 2no, I'm up to nine shows that we're rotating what. Yeah, yeah, so we okay so what stay with me. So you know I talked to you about hey I talked about. I wish there's a way to like centralize what we watch right, yeah, yeah, there is yeah on roku. It's you save everything to your what to watch list. So we went through and we saved everything that we're watching through. The other day, and I counted them, there was nine shows that we're rotating.
Speaker 1Oh, there's no way.
Speaker 2Yeah, so I'm confused as to who's getting voted off American Idol.
Speaker 1Who's getting extracted? Do you ever juggle the same show, different seasons? No, and then forget like, like you know, we watch, um, certain shows, project runway, uh, that. So they have different seasons with different people, right, and we'll be watching like half of one and then we'll oh man, we like season eight and we'll go to season eight, and then I'm forgetting who's who's still on and I'm like, hey, where's josh at? And she's like, babe, that was the other season.
Speaker 2I'm like, oh, so the other day I was watching will trent, which is an amazing show, by the way but I was watching it and I was like this looks, this looks familiar. So I keep watching. I'm on season three yeah so I keep watching all the way through and I was like I'm no, I've seen that episode. It was the season finale for season one. Yep, I have seen that okay I went and watched the new episode that I was trying to watch in the first place that's fine, yeah that's.
Speaker 3That's where we get at with my thing with like we're watching the rookie, my thing is started, the new season, yet it's oh, it's good, yeah, it's good um, I was trying, because I'm trying, I was trying to remember like off the top of my head, like what's happening that's pretty good, um with, and it seems to only which, because hulu, they put like new episodes out like the week after they yeah, yeah, after they're live, or whatever yeah, which I don't know if it was like just this past week and they didn't have an episode, but there's been times like we watched we're all sure down there.
Speaker 3We watched swat, watched a few different shows on there and it wouldn't. It would be like three weeks until they put the new episode on.
Speaker 2Shame on you, Hulu yeah.
Speaker 1Just disappointing.
Speaker 2That's ineffective communication.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's terrible, hugely ineffective. You ever get in a show hole.
Speaker 2Oh yeah.
Speaker 1When the show's over and you're just like now what that's how I felt with Suits.
Speaker 3That is 100% how I wanted to cry. Yeah, I don't cry. I wanted to cry, yeah, I don't cry.
Speaker 2I wanted to cry coming up, yeah, that's why I felt when one tree hill was over yes because not only because of the show, but because of how much fun we had hanging out watching it. It was like well crap like that was.
Speaker 1It was nice knowing you, yeah, but now what do we do?
Speaker 2yeah, yeah, then we started playing mario kart, and I don't want to do that.
Speaker 1We need to do that again. No, we don't. We haven't played that.
Speaker 3Yes that's what I'm saying. I'm mad at it so I don't want to play it. I feel like we kind of replaced it with Jackbox.
Speaker 1Yes, that's true. Oh, it's so fun. My stomach was hurting it was so good.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, it gets painful, so good Well.
Speaker 1I sure love y'all. Love you back, I got to watch Suits.
Speaker 2Yeah, we still got to catch up. Hey, listeners, we just want to thank you for your continued support for the Almost Brothers podcast. Do us a favor and go to your favorite platform and rate us and like us and share with everyone that you know. Thank you so much, love you.
