WEBVTT 00:00:03.665 --> 00:00:07.793 Welcome to the Meet Hope podcast, where we have conversations about faith and hope. 00:00:07.793 --> 00:00:14.503 Hope is one church made of people living out their faith through two expressions in person and online. 00:00:14.503 --> 00:00:21.545 We believe a hybrid faith experience can lead to a growing influence in our community and our world for the sake of others. 00:00:21.545 --> 00:00:23.763 Welcome to Hope. 00:00:27.185 --> 00:00:31.228 Hey, hello everyone, welcome to another episode of the Meet Hope podcast. 00:00:31.228 --> 00:00:35.505 My name is Rick and I'm happy to be the host today, so I want to welcome all of you. 00:00:35.505 --> 00:00:36.423 Thanks for listening. 00:00:36.423 --> 00:00:54.012 We are beginning a new series of podcasts that I guess we're calling them my Stories, and so if you've been attending here at Hope, you know that we were just finishing the Big Story series and then from the Big Story series, we're going into the my Story series. 00:00:54.012 --> 00:01:06.147 We're going to look at how our stories fit within this bigger story of God, so we're going to ask different people to share their stories of faith, and so I'm here today with Bill and Kelly Willenda. 00:01:06.147 --> 00:01:10.427 Hello guys, hello, thanks for joining us, thanks for being here. 00:01:10.427 --> 00:01:13.344 Glad that you and we've done a podcast together before. 00:01:13.344 --> 00:01:16.230 We have yeah, yeah, so thanks for doing it again. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:18.965 So, real quick, I'm going to ask you a question. 00:01:18.965 --> 00:01:20.865 So how long have you guys been attending Hope? 00:01:20.865 --> 00:01:25.667 Just a real quick survey 18 years, give or take, 18 years, really, okay. 00:01:25.667 --> 00:01:30.453 So you guys came right after I did, right after you were new, wow, okay, that's great. 00:01:30.453 --> 00:01:32.924 And so how long have you guys been married? 00:01:33.947 --> 00:01:34.590 33 years. 00:01:34.590 --> 00:01:38.524 You notice I'm not sticking these answers out right, good job. 00:01:38.543 --> 00:01:40.126 Yeah, I've been doing this for 33 years. 00:01:40.266 --> 00:01:42.067 Bill, I'll ask you this how many kids do you guys have? 00:01:42.128 --> 00:01:43.489 We have three Thank you for asking. 00:01:43.489 --> 00:01:44.631 All right, good work, good work. 00:01:44.631 --> 00:01:46.393 I like the layups. 00:01:48.954 --> 00:01:49.516 That's great. 00:01:49.516 --> 00:01:58.546 So tell me not just how long you've been attending Hope, but why did you begin attending Hope, and maybe you guys both can answer that. 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:00.662 Well, I started coming. 00:02:00.662 --> 00:02:12.768 We were unchurched for a while, so we had left the church that we were at and just kind of lost faith, quite frankly, in the faith, and Kelly started coming here consistently. 00:02:12.768 --> 00:02:26.044 And then after a few weeks she said you know, I'd like you to start attending with me and I realized I needed something, so we started attending together. 00:02:26.063 --> 00:02:28.969 Wow, Okay, and that was 18 years ago. 00:02:29.090 --> 00:02:31.174 It was 18 years ago Exactly. 00:02:32.222 --> 00:02:33.687 So I've told this story a million times. 00:02:33.687 --> 00:02:38.888 But very dear friends of ours were going to a local Catholic church and we were raised Catholic. 00:02:38.888 --> 00:02:45.431 She had come to the family service on Christmas Eve and she said you have to go. 00:02:45.431 --> 00:02:47.966 So I waited a whole year. 00:02:47.966 --> 00:02:59.951 So that's like and I'm sharing that with those listening because sometimes it takes a while and changes hard and I was thinking I have to wait for that, which is very naive and uninformed. 00:02:59.951 --> 00:03:04.508 So I did, a year later, go to that we all did with the kids, loved it. 00:03:04.508 --> 00:03:11.207 And then I said to Bill well, everybody's happy, it's Christmas, so let's see what they're like when it's not Christmas. 00:03:11.207 --> 00:03:18.848 And then I was coming and Bill was traveling five, six days a week then, and so Sunday morning was his time with the kids. 00:03:18.848 --> 00:03:24.686 So that's why I really was saying to him, after coming a while, I need you to come, because then they'll come as well. 00:03:24.686 --> 00:03:27.205 And I know I was kind of breaking up their fun time. 00:03:27.205 --> 00:03:30.424 But that's that's how we did it and the rest is kind of history. 00:03:30.484 --> 00:03:36.131 Wow, that's great, yeah, and so what was your first experience like when you, when you first started attending? 00:03:36.131 --> 00:03:39.049 I mean, you know things like what were you thinking, what you're feeling? 00:03:39.049 --> 00:03:49.453 Cause we have, we have people who are, who are new to faith, who are new to hope, and I think that sometimes there's these common feelings, the common common experiences that we might be having. 00:03:49.453 --> 00:03:52.969 So, so what were you thinking, feeling that kind of thing? 00:03:54.140 --> 00:03:54.681 Well for me. 00:03:54.681 --> 00:03:59.592 I was really surprised by all the energy at the at in in the service. 00:03:59.592 --> 00:04:01.603 Um, I'd been we. 00:04:01.603 --> 00:04:09.740 We came from a church that was very serious, very um, stoic, very, quite frankly, depressing. 00:04:09.740 --> 00:04:15.485 Um, you know, and I thought, wow, this is, this is different, this is amazingly different. 00:04:15.485 --> 00:04:18.408 And people are bringing coffee to church. 00:04:18.781 --> 00:04:19.944 What's going on with that? 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:25.610 Um, and, and, you know, honestly, I thought, wow, this is really cool. 00:04:25.610 --> 00:04:33.165 And then I, you know, there were people raising their hands and and, and I was thinking, oh, okay, here we go. 00:04:33.165 --> 00:04:36.642 You know, this place is full of Bible thumpers or whatever. 00:04:36.642 --> 00:04:52.230 And and, um, you know, then, after a while, I felt like the message, though, was directed right at me, and I thought, wow, these poor other people, this isn't for them, this is for me. 00:04:52.230 --> 00:04:57.877 And it was exactly what I needed on that first day. 00:04:57.877 --> 00:05:04.470 And again, you know, we're gonna keep saying, but the rest is history, but that's what I was feeling. 00:05:04.470 --> 00:05:09.357 I thought, wow, you know, this isn't, this is for everybody. 00:05:10.665 --> 00:05:24.733 Well, and the thing I noticed was not only is it bright, literally bright, when you walk in right Some older religious buildings might not be that way, but I do remember the coffee and I do remember there being cookies and juice. 00:05:24.733 --> 00:05:37.550 So for you know, those that are newer to hope there was a whole kind of kitchen area and it told you by its actions that you're welcome to stay, let's talk. 00:05:37.550 --> 00:05:41.692 It's not just come in, check off the box that you tend to church and leave. 00:05:41.692 --> 00:05:44.889 They were having donuts and cookies and the kids were happy. 00:05:44.889 --> 00:05:46.870 That is a completely different feel. 00:05:46.870 --> 00:05:52.913 That's welcome to my home and you can sit and talk a while and you don't feel that in other places. 00:05:52.985 --> 00:05:54.149 At least I haven't experienced that. 00:05:55.285 --> 00:06:21.052 You know, when people talk about their faith or at least I've heard people talk about their faith in that they either say there was like a light switch, like they just made a decision that I'm going to turn my life around, I'm gonna start following Jesus you know those kinds of terms and it's like a light switch that goes off, and then for others they've I've heard them describe it as like more like in your dining room you might have like a dimmer switch where the it's a slow glow. 00:06:21.052 --> 00:06:24.173 How would you describe your faith journey? 00:06:24.173 --> 00:06:24.505 Is it? 00:06:24.505 --> 00:06:31.814 Do you lean more towards oh, it was like a switch where I just made a decision or was it more like this slow glow towards faith? 00:06:34.125 --> 00:06:43.055 I think, because I was raised with some faith, raised a certain way, I always knew God and had faith. 00:06:43.055 --> 00:06:48.670 But, as Bill described, you go through seasons for some of us and we did where we didn't have a faith. 00:06:48.670 --> 00:06:58.170 What has been slow for me but in a wonderful way is in all of my time here is actually realizing. 00:06:58.170 --> 00:07:07.372 First, the thing for me that was maybe the aha light bulb was oh, I can actually have a relationship with Jesus and my God. 00:07:07.372 --> 00:07:22.995 I was raised, there are these rules and you will follow them and there's this authority figure and so sometimes as a parent you can be that way and not your authority authoritative figure, but you want to be their family and their friends and you've got to balance that. 00:07:23.105 --> 00:07:27.310 But for me, before I was here, I never thought of it as relational. 00:07:27.310 --> 00:07:35.932 And then what has been slower for me is figuring out what that relationship should be for me and what that looks like and how can I make it grow. 00:07:35.932 --> 00:07:42.735 Because for me it's hard, because it feels at first it's on paper and it's a book and I'm reading it. 00:07:42.735 --> 00:07:46.495 How do I bring that to life for me? 00:07:46.495 --> 00:07:48.011 So that's been my slow journey. 00:07:48.011 --> 00:07:52.749 The light bulb is oh, I'm supposed to and can have a relationship, then the rest has been slow. 00:07:53.064 --> 00:07:54.149 Yeah, great, that's great. 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:54.891 How about you, bill? 00:07:56.966 --> 00:08:05.346 For me it was as far as a faith journey that was slow for sure. 00:08:05.470 --> 00:08:06.815 I mean I always had faith. 00:08:08.855 --> 00:08:20.346 We've been together a lot longer than 31 years and sorry, 33 years, but you know we would never be. 00:08:20.346 --> 00:08:26.500 There was always that middle man between us and God and so we didn't have that again. 00:08:26.500 --> 00:08:27.975 As Kelly said, that relationship. 00:08:27.975 --> 00:08:33.457 But as far as getting involved here, for me that came slow. 00:08:33.457 --> 00:08:38.835 I started well, I think we're gonna get to that, so that might be an edited out. 00:08:42.575 --> 00:08:53.481 But what first got me involved in Hope Church not just attend to Hope Church was the Spring Craft Fair. 00:08:53.481 --> 00:08:59.657 And I was asked I was voluntold by Kelly, hey, you need to do this. 00:08:59.710 --> 00:09:04.118 Voluntold, that's a good word, okay, I think you invented that word actually. 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:15.198 But so she said, hey, you know, they need strong people to come in and help unload cars and set up people for their craft fair. 00:09:15.198 --> 00:09:19.835 And so I started getting involved that way and it really just kind of. 00:09:19.835 --> 00:09:26.716 At first I did it and I thought, gosh, this is so inefficient, this isn't right, and this can be done so much faster. 00:09:26.716 --> 00:09:33.884 And over time I realized it's not about yes, it could be done faster. 00:09:33.884 --> 00:09:37.812 It's look at the relationships you're building with all these people. 00:09:37.812 --> 00:09:39.739 Why are you rushing through this? 00:09:40.710 --> 00:10:05.096 And for me that was an aha moment that I realized it's about service, but it's also about relationship and we're bringing people to Jesus, and so your faith's journey involved for you was using your hands and feet Correct, right, and so that led to progress in your faith 100% Right, wow, that's great. 00:10:05.096 --> 00:10:08.738 So what? 00:10:08.738 --> 00:10:12.386 Up to this point, we know that faith is a journey. 00:10:12.386 --> 00:10:20.697 It's we call it the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ for the sake of others, that it's ended a lifelong process. 00:10:20.697 --> 00:10:27.234 But up to this point, what has been your, the times when you've had these greatest moments of spiritual growth? 00:10:27.234 --> 00:10:31.716 You know some people would say it was worship, small group and Bill you just mentioned serving. 00:10:31.716 --> 00:10:41.958 Sometimes it's because a person said something, but what would you say were your greatest moments of spiritual growth or a great moment? 00:10:44.495 --> 00:10:45.328 Go ahead, make a friend. 00:10:45.328 --> 00:10:56.677 For me it was definitely joining a small group, getting to meet people in a smaller setting, and it seemed less intimidating for me. 00:10:56.677 --> 00:11:11.591 Also, the Bible study was called Bible study for men who don't do Bible study, and so I thought, well, that's right, in my wheelhouse that got me, and through that process I was. 00:11:11.591 --> 00:11:18.995 I felt like, hey, I'm not the freak that doesn't know anything about the Bible, or I'm not the odd man out. 00:11:18.995 --> 00:11:21.596 All these people are just like me, we're all flawed. 00:11:21.596 --> 00:11:31.769 Hardly anybody knew where a certain book was, and so that kind of led me to do more service here. 00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:41.096 But for me that that being in that small group and now leading small groups really just just changed my whole faith journey. 00:11:41.259 --> 00:11:55.330 Yeah, so the way you just strive this thing, the prep, so the process for you, or some of the process, was you started attending worship, you started volunteering, then you joined a small group and then you started leading a small group, correct? 00:11:55.910 --> 00:11:56.673 So it's volunteer. 00:11:58.460 --> 00:12:01.729 See, that's a good job, kelly, yeah, yeah. 00:12:01.788 --> 00:12:02.490 Well, that was short. 00:12:02.490 --> 00:12:04.746 I'm sure that was the Holy spirit there. 00:12:04.787 --> 00:12:05.128 How about you? 00:12:05.128 --> 00:12:06.485 I'm sorry, how great is moments. 00:12:07.181 --> 00:12:09.388 So for me, I look at it in phases as well. 00:12:09.388 --> 00:12:14.392 So again, when we started coming, our children were young and I'm working full time and Bill was gone. 00:12:14.392 --> 00:12:19.504 So I I wanted to do things and just didn't really have the the bandwidth to do that. 00:12:19.504 --> 00:12:34.624 But I'm a lifelong learner, love to learn, and one of the things that I tell other people about what I love about this church is, even now, when you said we're doing the series, and if that had been my experience at somewhere else, it was lost on me and so it's. 00:12:34.624 --> 00:12:37.451 This is what our interpretation is. 00:12:37.451 --> 00:12:39.285 Or the person who's speaking, and you learn. 00:12:39.285 --> 00:12:42.210 So every series I would try to reflect. 00:12:42.210 --> 00:12:43.354 You know what? 00:12:43.354 --> 00:12:44.498 What am I supposed to take away? 00:12:44.518 --> 00:12:49.091 from that, you know, bill joked about, you know, is the sermon just directed at him or the message just to him? 00:12:49.091 --> 00:12:54.493 So for a long time it was having to reorient my thinking. 00:12:54.493 --> 00:13:03.698 So listening to the pastors give that message and making this helping me recognize this relationship, was very important to give me that good foundation. 00:13:03.698 --> 00:13:06.048 So that happened for, honestly, years. 00:13:06.048 --> 00:13:14.583 And then I, too, just started to volunteer at one point, when asked to do the hospitality, um, and that's right in my wheelhouse, and I did that. 00:13:14.725 --> 00:13:23.453 But that's when you got to have conversations with people in between the service or when you weren't going in and worshiping, and then again you feel like you're with friends and family. 00:13:23.453 --> 00:13:24.519 And then the small group. 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:30.504 So each small group, um, I try to always be in one and you're going to learn something to. 00:13:30.504 --> 00:13:37.049 To come back to you, but probably one that really helped me was hardwired and learning your spiritual gifts. 00:13:37.049 --> 00:13:44.032 Again, not something I was raised with, oh, I have gifts and I'm supposed to use them to serve the kingdom of God. 00:13:44.032 --> 00:13:48.756 So that's lit much later in my journey, um, and that has been very helpful, yeah. 00:13:49.501 --> 00:13:59.113 So, again, just to summarize, that process then was so you started attending worship and then started volunteering in the lobby and then joined a small group. 00:13:59.113 --> 00:14:00.061 Yeah, you know. 00:14:00.061 --> 00:14:02.308 So we're in this less grow, challenge and work. 00:14:02.308 --> 00:14:03.875 We call that worship plus two. 00:14:03.875 --> 00:14:06.769 Right, we think that's the, the, the, the um. 00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:15.279 Uh, the foundation for our spiritual growth is worshiping together, volunteering together and um, being small groups together. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.331 Right, that you know. 00:14:16.331 --> 00:14:16.958 Worship plus two. 00:14:16.958 --> 00:14:21.395 Yeah, so to you guys, thanks You're, you're like we can put you on the poster. 00:14:21.416 --> 00:14:22.279 Yeah, I could hang it. 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:23.546 I don't know about the on it. 00:14:24.802 --> 00:14:28.039 So, so, uh, and that was that was probably years ago, right, correct. 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:39.581 But if you could remember what are some of the fears or anxieties you might have had when you were beginning this A bill, you mentioned one already of not knowing, not knowing where to find things in the Bible. 00:14:39.581 --> 00:14:42.730 But but are there, are there others, or is or would that be it? 00:14:43.321 --> 00:14:45.589 That was the biggest and I didn't want to look like a fool. 00:14:46.140 --> 00:14:46.722 Um you know. 00:14:46.863 --> 00:14:57.849 I didn't want to be in a room with a bunch of people who were so far beyond me in their faith journey that I would clearly be the guy who didn't know and and the bad Christian. 00:14:57.849 --> 00:15:02.919 Uh, and you know, I thought, hey, I don't really know that much about the scripture. 00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:10.708 I don't, you know, if I had a, a paper or a regular Bible and they'd say, turn to Ephesians. 00:15:10.708 --> 00:15:13.597 And I'd be going back to the back, to the back, like I don't know. 00:15:13.597 --> 00:15:14.932 You know there's. 00:15:14.932 --> 00:15:15.600 Is there a glossary? 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:17.111 Like how do I find it? 00:15:17.131 --> 00:15:17.716 Table of contents. 00:15:19.183 --> 00:15:20.567 Um, but you know. 00:15:20.567 --> 00:15:33.835 So I started with the iPad version of the you version of the Bible and for then it was just type in the name that they're talking about and it pops right up, and, and then I saw that it had all these different versions and it was. 00:15:33.835 --> 00:15:46.288 You could read the message, which for me was tremendous, because it's like, well, I call it the hippie version of the Bible because, it says it in like yeah, man, this is how it is, you know, and? 00:15:46.489 --> 00:15:49.340 and some of the others are tougher to, uh to understand. 00:15:49.340 --> 00:15:58.466 So for me, that was the greatest fear of looking, looking ridiculous in front of people who are all turned to the back of the Bible and I'm still digging through Genesis and. 00:15:58.466 --> 00:15:58.908 Exodus. 00:16:01.121 --> 00:16:02.888 Um, so echo the whole. 00:16:02.888 --> 00:16:10.179 I don't want to go somewhere where I might have to share scripture or be asked to quote it, which does not happen. 00:16:10.179 --> 00:16:16.370 You don't have to quote it to get through the doors here, um, but I think it's confident, as I. 00:16:16.370 --> 00:16:19.679 I always um felt or appeared to others. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.812 There was this notion of there's somebody better. 00:16:23.812 --> 00:16:27.220 Maybe it's not me, or or maybe I'm just not worthy enough. 00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:29.836 Um, again, it it's. 00:16:29.836 --> 00:16:43.745 You know, getting beyond our brains and then saying, you know, to think that there is a God who cares that much about you was very hard for me to truly believe in. 00:16:43.745 --> 00:16:48.785 My heart that was, and so if you don't feel worthy, you just try away from something. 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:50.566 You'll turn away, you won't invest. 00:16:50.566 --> 00:16:56.344 And then once I realized I say more now than I ever, ever would have imagined that I'm a child of God. 00:16:56.344 --> 00:16:58.446 I wouldn't have said that even 15 years ago. 00:16:58.446 --> 00:17:02.743 So that was probably my biggest fear that I wasn't worthy. 00:17:02.743 --> 00:17:03.942 Wow, that's great. 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:19.866 So what would you say to someone who is considering taking the next step in their faith journey and maybe that step is coming to the church for the first time and they're listening, or maybe it's joining a small group or volunteering or whatever that next step might be. 00:17:19.866 --> 00:17:24.809 But what would you say to them about taking that step? 00:17:25.411 --> 00:17:27.806 Do it, don't be afraid. 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:28.942 Don't overthink it. 00:17:30.161 --> 00:17:34.712 And you will not find a more welcoming place than hope. 00:17:34.712 --> 00:17:36.047 Okay. 00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:39.424 Well, if you don't take it out of fear, you're the one who's gonna lose. 00:17:39.424 --> 00:17:45.189 I mean, maybe those around you won't get the benefits of your growth, but you'll never grow. 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:53.724 And it's just one step and, reflecting on this question before we came, you're gonna take a step forward, some people, and then some are going to. 00:17:53.724 --> 00:17:59.445 It wasn't what they thought, planned, expected and then maybe it'll take two steps back. 00:17:59.445 --> 00:18:05.665 So go to a different avenue venue method that we have here and try that. 00:18:05.665 --> 00:18:12.190 But this notion and this fear of failure, it's just our human frailty. 00:18:12.190 --> 00:18:16.023 So just take it, cost you nothing but you gain everything. 00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:30.045 Yeah, I know that I've been leaning small groups for decades and my favorite small groups are not when my material that I've prepared is presented perfectly, it's when somebody else. 00:18:30.045 --> 00:18:39.622 Sometimes I feel like this is getting derailed, but somebody shares something that is obviously. 00:18:39.622 --> 00:18:41.628 It's something God wanted us to hear. 00:18:41.628 --> 00:18:47.703 I'm like man, that was a really good moment, right, yeah, and like that was thank you, god, thanks for doing that. 00:18:47.703 --> 00:18:54.487 And if someone doesn't come to a group or volunteer or doesn't take that next step, we miss out on that. 00:18:54.487 --> 00:19:01.385 Yes, I can always make a presentation, but that doesn't mean that that's what God wanted that person being there is. 00:19:01.385 --> 00:19:05.128 So we bring value to the other people in the room. 00:19:05.580 --> 00:19:06.605 Right, that's what it's from. 00:19:06.605 --> 00:19:07.843 I get everything. 00:19:07.843 --> 00:19:09.387 I get more than I give. 00:19:09.669 --> 00:19:22.443 Yeah, right, yeah, yeah yeah, so how would you describe, if you were to describe your old life before this relationship with Jesus, and your current growth? 00:19:22.443 --> 00:19:25.730 How would you describe those two? 00:19:28.047 --> 00:19:34.138 For me, definitely very influenced by culture and wanting to satisfy my parents. 00:19:34.138 --> 00:19:51.065 So you know, not to get A's because I learned something, but to say I got all A's Extremely competitive middle child not getting the attention that you know the baby got or the older child and you don't necessarily know that's why you're doing those things at the time right. 00:19:51.827 --> 00:19:56.144 Play every sport you can have to win that match, have to get that degree. 00:19:56.144 --> 00:19:59.872 But some was definitely that was my passion. 00:19:59.872 --> 00:20:07.144 But it was, oh, doing that to impress or get kudos from those that you felt important in your life. 00:20:07.766 --> 00:20:15.541 What is completely foot-primary now is making major decisions and thinking about how my day or week should go or went is. 00:20:15.541 --> 00:20:17.144 Was I doing what God had planned for me? 00:20:17.144 --> 00:20:21.294 Am I doing things to out of love? 00:20:21.294 --> 00:20:31.125 Am I doing all the things because they might have felt like the right reasons when you were getting straight A's, but you were really doing it because you just wanted that, that you know, recognition from somebody. 00:20:31.125 --> 00:20:35.635 And so now, instead of that's what culture wants, now it's what. 00:20:35.635 --> 00:20:36.798 What is the right thing to do? 00:20:36.798 --> 00:20:38.021 What would Jesus do? 00:20:38.021 --> 00:20:40.882 How can I love others, which is not the focus I had before. 00:20:43.108 --> 00:20:44.151 Have a bill you got, you can. 00:20:44.151 --> 00:20:44.932 Can you top that? 00:20:45.733 --> 00:20:48.819 I can go under that and say I Speak in competitive beat that. 00:20:51.125 --> 00:20:55.612 Well, I, I didn't get straight A's and so I wasn't trying to impress anybody. 00:20:55.612 --> 00:21:03.340 You know, seriously, I was lost and, and you know, I felt like I just wasn't. 00:21:03.340 --> 00:21:06.125 I was very rarely truly happy. 00:21:06.125 --> 00:21:09.750 I was stressed out, I wasn't acting in the way. 00:21:09.750 --> 00:21:15.420 I wasn't the father, the husband, the friend that I wanted to be. 00:21:15.420 --> 00:21:20.064 You know, I thought to myself there must be more to life. 00:21:20.064 --> 00:21:27.596 Wow, like, yeah, you know, as far as business goes, I'm successful and, you know, making a lot of money or whatever. 00:21:27.596 --> 00:21:28.438 But it was not. 00:21:28.438 --> 00:21:29.880 It was so empty. 00:21:30.526 --> 00:21:30.906 And it was. 00:21:30.906 --> 00:21:38.144 You know, I felt like my life was going into a direction that was just not the life I wanted. 00:21:38.144 --> 00:21:40.627 And now I've. 00:21:40.627 --> 00:21:48.237 I've just grown so much, not only in my faith, but as a man, husband and father and a mentor and a friend. 00:21:48.237 --> 00:21:51.941 I couldn't, and that's all because of my faith. 00:21:52.164 --> 00:21:55.170 You know, as Kelly said, it's am I? 00:21:55.170 --> 00:22:04.105 Am I doing this because of my ego, or is this what God wants me to be doing, or am I supposed to be doing that? 00:22:04.105 --> 00:22:13.144 You know, let me take a step back, say a prayer, ask for guidance, ask for discernment, and and then make that decision. 00:22:13.144 --> 00:22:21.144 And, and you know, I couldn't imagine my life going forward without God playing a huge role. 00:22:22.714 --> 00:22:23.863 Hey, listen, that was a pretty good answer. 00:22:23.863 --> 00:22:24.105 Yeah, yeah. 00:22:26.678 --> 00:22:27.602 See, don't have to be competitive. 00:22:27.663 --> 00:22:28.105 It was all true. 00:22:28.105 --> 00:22:44.055 So, listen, we're going to wrap up, but I want to say thanks for doing this, and so when we did the staff interviews, we were doing some rapid fire questions at the end, so I'm going to throw these out to you, and the goal is to just give the kind of thing that comes up top of your head so your favorite pizza topping go. 00:22:45.034 --> 00:22:47.942 I like white pizza with sliced tomatoes, sausage and green peppers. 00:22:48.406 --> 00:22:50.500 All right, that must be fun ordering the two of you. 00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:53.133 All right, are you a morning person or an evening person? 00:22:54.310 --> 00:22:55.075 Definitely an evening. 00:22:55.979 --> 00:22:57.144 I'm like kind of both Really. 00:22:57.144 --> 00:22:59.789 Yeah, it depends on how my week goes, but I pop right. 00:22:59.789 --> 00:23:00.771 I'm either awake or not. 00:23:01.113 --> 00:23:03.939 Okay, all right, all right, coffee order. 00:23:05.509 --> 00:23:07.976 For me definitely Starbucks, and I'm in Dolce Latte. 00:23:07.996 --> 00:23:10.542 I have to try that I have really no, At home Nespresso. 00:23:10.784 --> 00:23:14.711 Oh, okay, and I'm working at home now, so it's just whatever I make in the morning. 00:23:14.711 --> 00:23:16.174 Okay, it's just coffee. 00:23:16.234 --> 00:23:17.297 It's just coffee, all right. 00:23:17.297 --> 00:23:22.755 So if you ever get on the show, what's your favorite movie that you're watching? 00:23:22.776 --> 00:23:24.967 Well, right now we're watching lessons in chemistry on Apple TV. 00:23:24.967 --> 00:23:26.249 All right, Excellent. 00:23:26.348 --> 00:23:26.990 Is it Okay? 00:23:27.009 --> 00:23:32.055 Very good All right, I haven't watched that one yet, it's not actually at all about chemistry, so you can watch it. 00:23:32.055 --> 00:23:32.935 Okay, I will. 00:23:32.955 --> 00:23:34.397 Let's watch it in chemistry. 00:23:34.397 --> 00:23:39.612 I actually was with my daughter for three days. 00:23:39.612 --> 00:23:50.473 I joke and say she can tell people she spent three days at Times Square with her mom and all they did was watch TV Because she had her wisdom teeth bold Gilmore Girls all weekend and I missed it when it was around the first time. 00:23:50.473 --> 00:23:51.115 It was very good. 00:23:51.265 --> 00:23:52.147 That's good, all right. 00:23:52.147 --> 00:23:54.976 And how about a book you read recently? 00:23:57.286 --> 00:24:01.321 I'm going to go with I Just Finished One by Priscilla Presley and her life. 00:24:01.321 --> 00:24:07.337 It's very old book, it's been out for decades and how she met and fell in love with and lived with Elvis. 00:24:09.685 --> 00:24:14.505 We're doing a study here on racism and reading Just Mercy by Brian Stevens. 00:24:14.726 --> 00:24:18.060 Oh, okay, all right, good, that's great, and I know I knew the. 00:24:18.181 --> 00:24:21.352 I know the answer to this one, but the local place that you like to eat. 00:24:21.352 --> 00:24:22.375 Fleming's Fridays. 00:24:23.266 --> 00:24:24.830 But I felt obligated to give a backup. 00:24:24.830 --> 00:24:27.548 So when we're not there, we go to Black Olive, which is also a BYO. 00:24:27.627 --> 00:24:29.553 But yes, so you guys go to Fleming's. 00:24:29.553 --> 00:24:31.277 It's a tradition to go on Fridays. 00:24:31.277 --> 00:24:32.611 Yes, correct, okay, all right. 00:24:32.611 --> 00:24:36.808 All right, kelly and I have gift cards to there, so maybe I'll we'll come meet you over there. 00:24:36.869 --> 00:24:38.094 Okay, all right, all right. 00:24:38.174 --> 00:24:40.984 And so you've got less than 30 seconds. 00:24:40.984 --> 00:24:43.574 How would you describe yourself, your life and what you do? 00:24:44.837 --> 00:24:50.660 Oh go, I put a child of God, a wife and mother, witty, and I love to laugh and travel and loyal to the end. 00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:52.904 Call me anytime, any hour of the day. 00:24:52.904 --> 00:24:59.848 I remain open-minded and willing to try new things and I'm hoping to become a better golfer, okay. 00:24:59.888 --> 00:25:03.395 Good Aren't we all Go ahead, Belliers. 00:25:03.936 --> 00:25:09.419 I am a business owner, husband, father and friend who is deeply committed and fiercely loyal. 00:25:09.419 --> 00:25:13.413 I'm a faithful servant who wants to help others reach their full potential. 00:25:13.413 --> 00:25:17.387 I am blessed beyond measure and I know who holds my future. 00:25:17.387 --> 00:25:18.732 I also like the golf. 00:25:18.732 --> 00:25:20.479 Good answer, Good answer. 00:25:21.040 --> 00:25:24.092 Hey, Bill and Kelly, Thanks so much for joining us and listeners. 00:25:24.092 --> 00:25:27.845 Thank you for being a part of this episode of the Meet Hope podcast. 00:25:27.845 --> 00:25:28.826 Have a great day. 00:25:32.936 --> 00:25:37.548 Thanks for being a part of the Hope community as we continue our conversations about faith and hope. 00:25:37.548 --> 00:25:41.845 If you don't already, please join us for worship on Sundays or on demand. 00:25:41.845 --> 00:25:47.907 You can learn more at meethopeorg or find us on socials at Meet Hope Church.