The IRS Dragon Wants Your Latte Receipt

We bounce from ridiculous tax season choices to baby questions to ageing moments that hit a little too close to home, and wrap things up with a message of hope.

Hey, since you made it this far, would you be willing to like and rate this podcast? There’s a few stars you can click. Five stars would be awesome! 

Thanks for listening!

-Josh & Hannah

The Collide Kids Podcast is a FUN and UNIQUE show for kids and families where we learn how life and faith COLLIDE!

Transcript

Cold Open And Week Preview

SPEAKER_07 0:00

Here's what to expect on this week's episode of the River Morning Show Weekly Podcast.

SPEAKER_05 0:04

My son and I were in New York City. The second largest, most iconic building in New York City. Uh-huh. I missed it. You you just right past it.

SPEAKER_06 0:15

The Empire State Building.

SPEAKER_05 0:16

The Empire State Building.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Somehow in New York City, I missed the Empire State Building.

SPEAKER_05 0:29

Thanks for pressing play on this podcast. You can find plenty more when you click on demand at river radio.com. And Hannah, it was a busy week.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Yeah, it was.

SPEAKER_05 0:38

I mean, we had overzealous autozone customers trying to help. We had Googling baby questions.

SPEAKER_07 0:45

Oh, you never know what you're gonna need to chat GPT.

SPEAKER_05 0:49

We even somehow missed the Empire State Building. It's huge! That's only you. We me what the thanks. Thanks. All right, uh, I'll end up under the bus. Keep listening, and you might join me there.

Tax Season Would You Rather

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Would you rather?

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Would you rather your tax software only speak in riddles? Or do your taxes while a narrator dramatically reads your bank statements like a movie trailer?

SPEAKER_05 1:15

Well, this one makes sense, but you are weird. Anyway, um, maybe a little.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Okay, so same again. Yeah. Would you rather your tax software only speak in riddles, or do your taxes while a narrator dramatically, might I add, reads your bank statements like it's a movie trailer. I got it. You got it? I think I got it.

SPEAKER_05 1:41

Okay, I I want the movie trailer guy.

SPEAKER_07 1:43

Do you?

SPEAKER_05 1:43

Yeah, I do.

SPEAKER_07 1:44

See, I think it sounds cool in theory, but then it's just like ridiculing me.

SPEAKER_05 1:49

Well, I mean, sure, you've got like the inner world where you spent$9 on a latte you didn't even like.

SPEAKER_07 1:55

Yeah, it's gonna make me feel bad. I don't need that. It's stressful.

SPEAKER_05 2:00

But a riddle, like you don't even understand what it's talking about.

SPEAKER_07 2:03

I know, but I'm just thinking I do really like games. You know, every day I go through and play my Wordle and my connections and all those, you know, online riddle games.

SPEAKER_05 2:12

So you're trying to make it more, quote, fun. I think it's a good one.

SPEAKER_07 2:14

So it could be entertaining, like to claim thy refund, first whisper the names of three mysterious forms. You know, like it could be kind of fun. Like, okay, W-2, 1099. I think I kept that receipt somewhere. Like, you know, it's like a game.

SPEAKER_05 2:28

Forms. I thought you were talking like uh solid, liquid, and gas. So that's why I'm gonna do it. No, it's no.

SPEAKER_07 2:34

What are you doing?

SPEAKER_05 2:35

It's also it's also a riddle. That's my point.

SPEAKER_07 2:38

Taxes.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

I still am excited about something like one streaming service wasn't enough. So you paid for all of them, and you paid for Netflix twice.

SPEAKER_07 2:47

Again, it's making fun of you. I don't like it.

SPEAKER_05 2:50

But at least I know what it's saying.

SPEAKER_07 2:52

But it but I already know that my bank account needs some work. I don't need a dramatic reading of it. I like if it's like a a riddle. It's if if thy return is incorrect, the IRS dragon shall awaken and ask thee to explain every mysterious Amazon purchase.

SPEAKER_05 3:10

No, see, I don't This isn't asking me with a dragon to fix the problems. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 3:17

But I just thought that the the IRS dragon was funny.

SPEAKER_05 3:20

You are needed. That is pretty good. You are needed to play tiebreaker on this call or text. Would you rather have your taxes played out before you with riddle form or announced by a movie trailer announcer? 800-609-1049. Would you rather? The producer Mike came up with a zinger for tax season. Would you rather have your taxes read to you as you're doing them in riddle form? Yeah, you have to figure it out. Or would you like to have your tax preparations narrated by a movie trailer voice? Hannah, you are a puzzler.

SPEAKER_07 4:03

I love like all my online riddle games. So I was all about like, okay, maybe if I can figure out this section by making it a game, it would be fun and something I look forward to rather than wanting to claw my eyes out.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

And I have always wanted to have a movie trailer voice. Somebody telling me all about my Netflix subscriptions and that sounds terrible.

SPEAKER_04 4:26

Your goods or bad choices. You're gonna find out either way.

SPEAKER_05 4:29

I may as well have someone like tell me directly. So uh playing tiebreaker here, you can call or text 800-609-1049. We did get three people in on text. They all said movie trailer voice. Come on! They all said movie trailer voice. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_07 4:44

Yes!

SPEAKER_05 4:44

No, it's like everything's better this way.

SPEAKER_07 4:47

What if it's not read like an adventure? What if it's read like a scary movie?

SPEAKER_05 4:51

Okay, well, I mean it's taxes. It is.

SPEAKER_07 4:53

Don't look under the bed. It's your coffee order!

SPEAKER_05 4:58

Alright, so we'll go to the phones. Um, thank you for calling Lynette. All right, and you are, oh, Hannah, you're gonna love this. Uh-huh. Your riddles, Lynette. Oh, you've chosen riddles, why?

SPEAKER_11 5:10

Um, one, because we like riddles at our house, uh, especially my son. And um I just think it would be more fun. I don't want to be insulted by my friends.

SPEAKER_07 5:23

Same vibes.

SPEAKER_05 5:24

I don't know that it's insulting when it's talking about how she called, he answered, and somehow bought the most expensive dozen eggs in the rack.

SPEAKER_11 5:34

I would just be afraid they would come up with some of the weirdest things, and like I would just feel stupid for spending the money on those things.

SPEAKER_07 5:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 5:43

You know.

SPEAKER_07 5:43

Yeah, I don't, I already know that I'm making bad decisions. I don't need it set in a dramatic fashion.

SPEAKER_05 5:48

But with a riddle, you have to figure it out, and then you get the shame.

SPEAKER_07 5:52

But then maybe maybe you start your taxes earlier. Maybe it's motivating for it to be like a part of your daily morning routine. Oh, I gotta figure out the next riddle to get to the next spot.

SPEAKER_05 6:02

She's she's trying to make it like Wordle when it's.

SPEAKER_07 6:04

I love Wordle. She's trying to make it like Wordle. I love Wordle also.

A Movie Match Game Goes Wrong

SPEAKER_00 6:12

News that'll make you go.

SPEAKER_07 6:14

Wait, wait, wait. What? Josh, what in this wild world did you find today?

SPEAKER_05 6:18

Well, the only thing worse than deciding where to eat is deciding what to wash.

SPEAKER_07 6:21

Oh, it's so hard.

SPEAKER_05 6:23

Entermovievia.com. Oh. Okay. It's an entertainment match game, so to speak. And Hannah, we're gonna play it.

SPEAKER_06 6:30

Oh, I love games.

SPEAKER_05 6:32

Alright, let me swing over here and get to my computer screen. All right, so how much time do you have? Do you want it to be a fast film? You have an epic night of uh film stuff planned, or are you gonna binge a TV show?

SPEAKER_07 6:44

Let's go with like a is there like a 90-minute to two-hour movie? Fast. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 6:49

Next. All right, what's the mood? You want like mindless, you want adrenaline, feel good, tension?

SPEAKER_07 6:54

Um, feel good.

SPEAKER_05 6:56

All right, feel good. Next, next step. Uh, fine-tune your choice. You want romance, comedy, music, family, or adventure?

SPEAKER_07 7:02

Adventure.

SPEAKER_05 7:03

All right, adventure, next step. We're almost there. You want any and all years of movies, or do you want recent?

SPEAKER_07 7:10

Ooh, let's do any and all.

SPEAKER_05 7:13

All right, and a minimum rating of five or higher. Uh think like Rotten Tomatoes or something. You want it to be like rated well? Yes. Okay, so let's let's go up to eight. Here is the match for you, Hannah. You have to watch Justice League.

SPEAKER_07 7:30

No, no, this website is trash. I'm not watching it.

SPEAKER_05 7:37

You know, you there's uh there's times you amaze even yourself, and you hang your head in shame and defeat.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

How old are you? I'm not telling you.

SPEAKER_05 7:47

You know you're getting old when.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Uh oh.

SPEAKER_05 7:49

Call or text and fill in the blank. 800-609-1049 for me. Oh no.

unknown 7:55

Josh, what happened?

SPEAKER_05 7:57

My son and I were in New York City.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:59

Alright, we went to the Empire State Building. It was awesome. After that, we we left, we walked a bit down Fifth Avenue. I realized at the security point at the big tall tower, I had left my pocket knife. Oh. And they would give it back to me, but I forgot to go check. And you would think that forgetting is how I knew I was getting old. No!

SPEAKER_07 8:16

There's more.

SPEAKER_05 8:17

It's not that simple. Okay. Drew kept shopping my son, and I went back. The second largest, most iconic building in New York City. Uh-huh. I missed it. You you just walked right past it.

SPEAKER_06 8:33

The Empire State Building.

SPEAKER_05 8:34

The Empire State Building. Now, in my defense, when you are next to the Empire State Building, you don't know that's it because you can't see the top. It's just walls of building.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

However, somehow in New York City, I missed the Empire State Building.

SPEAKER_05 8:52

I'm just like just bebobbing along. I'm like, well, I haven't seen this intersection before. Turn around, I'm five minutes past it. I just picture your brain saying, oh, what a lovely day.

SPEAKER_07 9:00

What do I need to add to my grocery list?

SPEAKER_05 9:02

It was not. It was not. There was more yelling, and there was more, I'm not mad, I'm disappointed in myself. So that's how I knew I was getting old. Call or text with yours. 800-609-1049. Amy?

SPEAKER_10 9:17

I'm an elementary school teacher, and I realized I was getting old when I would get down on the floor with the kids. And when I'd start to get up, they'd be like, Are you okay? Do you need help?

SPEAKER_07 9:31

Their sweet little hearts somehow make us feel worse.

SPEAKER_10 9:34

Right? They keep us humble for sure.

SPEAKER_05 9:38

I love also just zero filter. Like they didn't take any time to think about that. How will this make her feel? Right. No, we've been taught to help. So we're going to help this old lady here. Here's here's a cane. You can use this chair to stand steady yourself. It'll be okay. Exactly. That's amazing. Amy, thank you, and I'm sorry, and I'm happy.

SPEAKER_07 10:01

No problem. You guys have a good day. Have a great day, Amy. Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_05 10:05

Listen, Father Time is undefeated, so you gotta give him his, you know.

SPEAKER_07 10:09

How old are you?

SPEAKER_05 10:11

I'm not telling. You know you were getting old when? Call or text with the details. We will laugh at you. And with you. 800-609-1049. Producer Mike. Folks have texted. What do we got?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Darlene said, I remember when I was young. Going through the car wash always fascinated me. We watched out the windows with joy. I still like that, actually. It's fun. But then I went through one last weekend and I felt nothing.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

That's how I knew I was old. Oh Darlene.

SPEAKER_07 10:42

Oh, that makes me sad.

SPEAKER_05 10:43

I like the flashing lights still and always makes me wonder like, are the suds that color or is it just a light?

SPEAKER_07 10:48

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

That's fun. Melissa said, I knew I was getting old when I noticed the 90s is now a party theme.

SPEAKER_05 10:56

I didn't need that. Yeah, that's sad. I didn't need that right now in my life. Well, you were born in the 90s.

SPEAKER_07 11:01

Yeah. And it's sad that it's now a parties theme.

SPEAKER_05 11:04

I I remember all of the 90s though. And it's even more sad that it's a theme.

SPEAKER_07 11:09

Not a competition job.

SPEAKER_05 11:10

Yeah, right. I think we're not. But I win. We both lose. We both lose, though. I win. Yes, you win, you nude millennia baby.

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Yeah. Donnie said a while back I was watching TV and I heard my neighborhood kids playing outside. The first thing that crossed my mind was, those kids had better not be playing on my yard. I wish I was joking.

First New Baby Questions Parents Ask

SPEAKER_07 11:36

The first day you brought your new baby home was so sweet and full of so many questions.

SPEAKER_04 11:45

Terror. Sheer terror.

SPEAKER_07 11:47

Well, because they just kind of send you home and go, all right, you got this.

SPEAKER_05 11:51

Right, here, here's a baloney loaf.

unknown 11:53

Thumbs up.

SPEAKER_05 11:54

It's like all you get. Go keep them alive.

SPEAKER_07 11:58

And as my husband and I are expecting in August, I know we will have millions of questions.

SPEAKER_05 12:05

Yes, you will.

SPEAKER_07 12:06

The second we get home, and I'm just trying to get ahead of them. So I'm curious, what is that first question you Googled? You chat GPT'd or you phoned a friend for when your little baby was born and you brought them home for the very first time. You can call or text 800-609-1049. Mandy said she had to Google how long babies go without pooping.

SPEAKER_05 12:32

Well, yeah, that's a quit. I have never prayed so much about the number two.

SPEAKER_07 12:36

She said she just didn't know and turned out it could be a few days once they get home from the hospital.

SPEAKER_05 12:42

Here's the thing, though. This is free free solicit right here. So I am I am known as the human laxative. If your child's so concerning. If your child needs to go potty. Yeah, go go the deuce.

SPEAKER_07 12:56

Let me hold them. Let me hold them any. Hopefully that just means that they're relaxed around you, Josh. I think that's what it means. Not scared to the point of poo in the brain. No, no, it's usually with infants. They are like getting scared of a lot. Yeah, that's true. Anyway, continue with your story. Trish said she actually phoned the ER because she thought something was wrong. Turned out her six-day-old baby had the hiccups. Oh, I know. But how would you know if they look or sound different than a grown-up?

SPEAKER_05 13:29

The baby appreciates it because hiccups are miserable.

SPEAKER_07 13:32

I know, they are. But there's just so many everyday questions. They might sound silly on up front, but the new parents just don't know how to process or even how to experience for the first time.

SPEAKER_05 13:45

What you don't know. And so you gotta ask somebody.

SPEAKER_07 13:48

So what is that first question you Googled or phoned a friend when your little baby came home? Call or text 800-609-1049. The first day you bring home your new little baby is so sweet and terrifying. There has to be so many questions. You've never been a parent. You don't know this baby, they don't know you, and you're just supposed to figure it out. They do know you know you talk to them and they calm down. They know you. They know your voice, but then you don't, you know, you're just figuring it all out together, you know?

SPEAKER_05 14:24

Yeah, okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 14:25

You're just figuring it all out. My husband and I are expecting an August, and I'm jotting down all the questions we know we already have, and also the ones you came up with to help us get ahead.

SPEAKER_03 14:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 14:38

So call or text the funniest first question you Googled or phoned a friend when you brought your little one home. 800-609-1049. Kayla, what question did you have?

SPEAKER_08 15:23

When my baby was brought home first, um, I had no idea if I should wake him up every, you know, every two hours. I'm like, am I supposed to wake him up? He's sleeping. And my mom's labor and delivery nurse, and she's like, no, let that baby sleep.

SPEAKER_07 15:38

For their sanity and for yours. Yes, she's like, do not set your alarm every two hours. You know what? That is good to know because I've actually, you know, seen that they're supposed to eat every two hours. And I bet that would have been something I questioned.

SPEAKER_09 15:54

Yes, unless there's a medical reason that they do need to eat every two hours or something, or they have jaundice, but in our case, it was okay to let him sleep.

SPEAKER_07 16:01

Yeah, they'll let you sleep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 16:04

Yes. Oh yeah, and he did. About three hours was it.

SPEAKER_07 16:07

Yeah. Josh, you you're a dad of four.

SPEAKER_05 16:13

Yeah, we've done this four times.

SPEAKER_07 16:14

You've you've been through this. I'm sure there were a billion questions. Which one did you have to Google or phone a friend?

SPEAKER_05 16:21

Actually, I just had to yell to the living room for this one because my mother-in-law was home at the time. Okay. Uh, and this happened fairly early on when the umbilical cord came off.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

Oh.

The AutoZone Helper In The Parking Lot

SPEAKER_05 16:32

I was literally, I just went, ah. What happened? What did I do? And I knew in my mind at some point it was gonna come off, but I had never seen that. I'm like, does it supposed to look like that? There's a residue. And there's gonna need a tissue now. Like, what is going on? And both my wife and my mother-in-law were like, that's okay, that's supposed to happen.

SPEAKER_07 16:53

Well, I'm glad you told me there's a residue. Oh, yeah. Because I don't know if I would have been ready for that.

SPEAKER_05 16:59

It's like it, it's like if you were to take a scab off. It's kind of wet under there. It's gotta dry out.

SPEAKER_07 17:03

Oh, motherhood sounds so clean. Stop overthinking it.

SPEAKER_05 17:11

Okay, these thoughts of an overthinker brought to you by that guy at AutoZone.

SPEAKER_07 17:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 17:16

Alright, so I took my son to get new windshield wipers.

SPEAKER_07 17:19

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_05 17:20

We go through the process of matching the car with the length of the wiper. I explained that whole thing to him because he's like, why are they different lengths? Yeah. Why are there so many choices? All this different stuff. We get outside to installation. And if you've ever replaced the windshield wipers on a car, it's not it's simple, but it's not easy.

SPEAKER_07 17:41

I never do it. I have the guy from inside the shop do it. Right, right.

SPEAKER_05 17:45

So I know how to do it. Again, it's simple, but it's not easy because you really gotta like, it takes a lot of pressure. Here, it's like trying to change the clothes of a toddler who's squirming. Because you're strong enough to do it, but you don't want to break their leg.

SPEAKER_07 18:01

No, of course not.

SPEAKER_05 18:03

And you're strong enough to get these windshield wipers on and off, but you don't want to break the arm that moves them. Right. So you're just like really having to anyway.

SPEAKER_07 18:10

It's an art and a science.

SPEAKER_05 18:11

Yeah, we're working on it. A dude comes out of the store, not a worker, a customer, walks up to our car and asks, You guys doing alright? You gonna get it?

SPEAKER_07 18:23

How Josh, how did that make you feel?

SPEAKER_05 18:26

Do we look completely inept?

SPEAKER_07 18:30

No. I mean, unless you were, you know, scratching your head with one.

SPEAKER_05 18:34

And I'm the dad! I'm the dad. Do I look clueless? There's something about my face that makes people go, he doesn't know what's going on. This guy right here needs some help.

SPEAKER_07 18:45

Is it the look of bewilderment? Maybe.

SPEAKER_05 18:48

I had already done the first one to show my son this is how you do it. And then I gave him the next one and said, okay, now you do it. And I was standing there watching him struggle because you just gotta go through the struggle. Of course. To figure out how to do this.

The Viral Where’s Jessica Distraction

SPEAKER_07 19:03

I know what I'm doing, but I'm standing there like a doofus in customer guys. How did you respond to customer guidance?

SPEAKER_05 19:11

You know, I was like, oh man, we got it. It's all right. He's like, I know, it's you know, this is pretty tough. I'm like, I'm gonna hurt it. Alright, so um, from the comfort of your own home, I've decided that phrase is not just for like medical infomercials. Okay. It's also to avoid the overzealous autozone guy coming out of the parking lot, kind of thing. We're fine!

SPEAKER_09 19:37

Jessica! Jessica! Are you there?

unknown 19:40

What?

SPEAKER_07 19:41

Jessica! Jessica, are you here? What is going on? Have you not seen this? No. This is trending all over social media. It's parents trying to calm down their screaming toddlers, their sad kiddos, by asking, Where's Jessica? Do you know where Jessica went?

SPEAKER_05 20:00

This is like the new uh cheese slice. Have you seen those videos? You throw cheese on their face.

SPEAKER_07 20:06

It's yeah, it's similar to that. It's a distraction for your kiddo.

SPEAKER_05 20:11

And there is no Jessica.

SPEAKER_07 20:13

There's no Jessica, and that's what I think is so funny.

SPEAKER_05 20:16

Interesting.

Empty Nest Feelings And Regret

SPEAKER_07 20:17

So just recently I came back from family vacation with all my nieces and nephews, and Madison, the youngest or the youngest girl, she's she's two and a half, and she's freaking out because they're fighting over who gets to sit on their mom's lap. Which best fight ever, right? That's so sweet. They want to sit on mom's lap. But so I'm like, this is my chance. This is my moment. She is here for this. And I just get up and like, Jessica! Jessica, where are you? Where did you go? And Madison looks up at me, her eyes are like still full of those tears, but they're like giant saucers. And she goes, Jessica? I was like, have you seen her? And she goes, No. I was like, well, let's go find her. So I take her little hand and we go in every room in the condo we're staying in. Like, Jessica, where are you? Now, what I get the distraction. What happens when you don't find Jessica? That's what was so great about it. She gets super into it. I mean, I thought we were done, and she's looking under every bed in every closet, her cute little voice going, Jessica. Now you've done it. Everywhere. And she keeps going, Where did you go? Where did you go, Jessica? And I had to look at her after we had searched this entire place up and down. I'm like, I did not mean to get a workout.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_07 21:34

I go, look, I guess Jessica went home. Jessica said bye-bye. Jessica went home. But the rest of the week, sweet little Madison was very concerned about where in the world is Jessica.

SPEAKER_05 21:46

That's when you gotta make an AI, Jessica. She sent me a message.

SPEAKER_07 21:49

I know. But I gotta tell you, it worked.

SPEAKER_05 21:54

And if you think you can do it, I'm convinced you cannot. And so this is gonna be a fun little standoff.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 22:02

Uh my wife and I are hurtling towards an empty nest. We have three high school graduations in the next three years. Our daughter has already moved out. And then it's gonna be just uh my wife, our dog, and me. And we are not okay. We're okay with each other and we're okay with a dog, but we're not okay that they will all be gone.

SPEAKER_07 22:21

It's a giant life change.

Following Jesus Versus Following An Idea

SPEAKER_05 22:23

Yeah, we are trying to savor every moment because we're gonna want these days back and blah blah blah, and all these things, but that leads me right to it. In my limit, Limited experience, I believe we, you, anyone, is we're just setting ourselves up for failure because no matter what we do, we can't savor enough moments to avoid the regrets. Oh, yeah. We will have those memories that we're like, if I just would have done that better, or if I just would have spent more time doing this or that, we will want the days back. So, my my charge to me as I look at myself in the reflection of the window here, and uh to you as you listen is to stop trying to think. Savoring the moments will save you from pain later. It's just not gonna happen. It's not an excuse to now just not pay attention and to not try to be present, but it's like it's still gonna hurt. Um, that said, I had one of those rare lightning in a bottle kind of moments last week. Abby, our daughter, was home one night, which doesn't happen very much. She's so busy. We were all home. We had dinner together around the table, all six of us, with the dog trying to eat our dinner also. Of course. He gets a little intrigued. I hate a little bit. He knows. I soaked it all in. I savored the moment. I just sat back and I smiled and I thanked God that my children were all home and it was all of us together, and then it was over. And my daughter got up and left, and she went to her apartment. The boys went to the four corners of the house and did their thing. My wife went to the couch with the dog, and I went to bed, and I sat up there by myself because I go to bed early, and I was like, that was awesome. That was only 30 minutes. I could have taken 30 days of that. My heart was full, but it was broken, and that's the way it is. Parenting and life in general, whether you're a parent or not, is full of amazing experiences and amazing pain, and they are in the same moment. And thankfully, we can find God in those moments too. Cheering and crying with us. Here's a thought. Don't follow the idea of Jesus. Follow actual Jesus. Okay, so it's a concept you maybe haven't thought about, but I was thinking about it thanks to church yesterday.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

What did we learn?

Listen Live And Final Requests

SPEAKER_05 25:00

Before you're like, duh, of course. I would never do that. I'm not gonna follow a concept, I'm gonna follow Jesus. I struggled with this. I've been a Christian for the vast majority of my life. And I can get into the whole, I'm just doing this. This is what I'm just doing. This is the life I live, this is the stuff I do, these are the places I go, this is what life looks like. Rolling along with it, but still disconnected from God, even though I'm doing godly things. You know what I mean? Like, what's the remedy? How do we avoid this weird kind of space? Well, the only way to actually follow real Jesus is to be in the Bible. I know, for me, I at times will neglect reading my Bible. I get busy, I make excuses, and then it's been a few days or longer since I have cracked that thing open or opened my Bible app or whatever. But this is the primary way God speaks to me. He wrote us an entire manual for life. It's a love letter of 66 books, no word wasted. You can read the same verse over and over again, and God speaks to you over and over again. It's so good. Now, I was at the start of this year really good about my daily devotional in the morning and my prayer time at night, and I've gotten off of that. Thankfully, though, you and I we can get back on track simply by cracking open the Bible again. God doesn't make us jump through a bunch of hoops to go, all right, are you good enough and do you mean it? He just wants to spend time with you, with me. And I just want to center on that. The only way to follow actual Jesus is to read his words to us.

SPEAKER_04 26:50

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some reading to do. Hey, you're invited to listen to the recording of this podcast live. How? Where? It's simple. You can share every weekday morning with Josh and Hannah on 1049 The River in Columbus, Ohio, or online at riveradio.com.

SPEAKER_05 27:08

It was a journey, but we've made it together. Thanks for listening to this episode of the River Morning Show weekly podcast.

SPEAKER_07 27:15

And hey, since you made it this far, would you be willing to like and rate this podcast? There's a few stars you can click. Five stars would be wonderful. A few at least, five at most.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

We'd love the big one.

SPEAKER_07 27:27

And even more than that, if you want to subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode, please do. We love hanging out with you.