Growing Together
Step into a virtual garden of spiritual growth and community connection with the "Growing Together" podcast. This podcast is a nurturing space for individuals seeking to deepen their faith, cultivate relationships, and explore the boundless beauty of a shared spiritual journey.
Each episode of "Growing Together" is a breath of fresh air, where Pastor Michael, Syd, Nic, Pastor Holly, and Pastor Roger try to navigate the twists and turns of life while staying rooted in faith. Their warm and inviting presence makes you feel like you're sitting in a cozy living room, engaged in a heartfelt conversation with old friends.
Diving into topics ranging from personal growth and self-care to building resilient relationships and fostering a sense of community, the podcast aims to equip listeners with the tools to nurture their faith in all aspects of life. Through scripture readings, open discussions, and interviews with experts in various fields, "Growing Together" provides a holistic approach to spiritual development.
Whether you're a lifelong believer, a seeker on the spiritual path, or simply someone curious about how faith can shape lives, "Growing Together" offers a welcoming haven for everyone. Tune in during your morning routine, while taking a leisurely stroll, or even during a quiet moment of reflection – the podcast fits seamlessly into your daily life.
Join the "Growing Together" community and embark on a journey of discovery, growth, and genuine connection. In a world that can sometimes feel disconnected, this podcast reminds us that nurturing our faith and cultivating meaningful relationships can lead to a life that's deeply fulfilling and spiritually abundant. Subscribe now to start your journey of growing together in faith and fellowship.
Growing Together
What Does God Know?
What if your life's course was already known before you took your first breath? This question launches our deep dive into the mysterious relationship between divine foreknowledge and human free will.
"He's omnipresent—everywhere at all times—so He knows long before we do what's going to happen," one host reflects. But rather than viewing God as some cosmic fortune teller, we explore the more nuanced reality of a Creator who functions like "the ultimate football coach, constantly calling audibles, two plays ahead of us at all times."
The conversation takes a poignant turn as we discuss how suffering fits into this divine framework. Through heartbreaking stories of families facing terminal illness and unexpected loss, we confront the challenging truth that while we live in a fallen world where tragedy occurs, God continues working all things together for good for those who love Him. As one host's wife beautifully expressed when facing others' skepticism about faith during tragedy: "That's why I choose to believe God exists, because in all things He is good."
We wrestle with challenging perspectives, including the sobering reality that "if God can't use you, He'll use somebody else." His plans will unfold with or without our cooperation. Yet this isn't cause for despair but rather an invitation to align ourselves with divine purposes. As Proverbs 16:9 reminds us, "We can make our own plans, but the Lord determines our steps."
Whether you're questioning God's control in your life or seeking to understand how free will operates within divine sovereignty, this episode offers thoughtful perspectives that will challenge and encourage your faith journey. Listen now and discover how embracing God's perfect vision for your future might be the key to finding peace in the present.
And just if you think about it, with the tape measure, like I don't necessarily need, the length is important. Well, yeah, but we can just put blocks in underneath of it too, to hold it in place. We should do the whole thing, but I just want to fix it before Lenten service so that it doesn't look run down and janky dumpy.
Speaker 3:When is ours?
Speaker 1:Two weeks from now. I don't remember the exact date.
Speaker 3:You know who's preaching Corey Rowland, we won't have podcasts.
Speaker 1:We will not have podcasts that night. Yeah, because by the time we're done everybody will be pouring in. So we're going to try to keep us out of the way. So we had a two for one. I missed you guys last week. Kind of I missed you guys last week, I'm not going to lie. Did you listen to it? No, I haven't. Now here's the reason I haven't. He's afraid to no. So there was some confusion between Sid and I on the upload. She said I know I heard all about it. Oh, yes, yes, you did hear all about it, because your wife was the one that brought it to my attention. Now here I saw it get posted and I was like I thought we already posted that one. I was like, well, maybe it was the one in the quote unquote bank.
Speaker 3:And I just didn't realize.
Speaker 1:So I didn't think anything of it until your wife texted me.
Speaker 4:It just throws her Thursday completely off.
Speaker 1:She told me that she's like I, so look forward to listening to it, and there was nothing. So no, it wasn't she's like. I'm confused because the one posted today We've already heard.
Speaker 4:I was like ooh, okay, I think it was more or less like she wanted me to ask, and I'm like it'll be all right and she's like I'll just figure it out.
Speaker 1:She's like you say it will, but I don't think it will.
Speaker 3:Well, and I didn't realize you could post it more than once.
Speaker 1:Well, Facebook will let you post it as many times as you want. Yeah the, I think the. Um, what is going on with this thing? The buzzsprout doesn't actually republish it, it just doesn't tell you that that episode's already published. So if it's not red, so the red ones are the unpublished episodes Got it. Everything else has been published. Got it so yeah.
Speaker 2:Which buttons for per music.
Speaker 1:Well, I did. We. Was that a struggle last week? Yeah, we had a margument. We had a margument at the end during prayer.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, maybe don't, listen, don't listen.
Speaker 4:Her music was like the news.
Speaker 3:And of course it was yeah, it was Beth's turn to pray of all people.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that throws her off. Now she's in the tailspin. She did good, though. That's funny. Well, what's our two? For one, I didn't even I got the text, but you know how I am, I looked at it when I got here, roger, who yeah? So do these have to go in order? Is there a they?
Speaker 2:kind of like go together. Is there a they kind of like go?
Speaker 1:together. They do go together, Okay. So the first question is how much control do you think God has over things that happen and why? And do you think that God can see into the future or controls the future? Why? Yeah, really kind of the same question. Okay, great, let's go. Yep.
Speaker 5:Yes, yes. And why? Because the Bible says so, Because the Bible says so.
Speaker 1:So the big one for me is he's omnipresent. That means he's everywhere at all times. So he knows long before we do what's going to happen. The Bible tells us he knew us before we were formed in our mother's womb. So there's no doubt that he definitely—you say seasoned to the future. I don't think about it like a fortune teller.
Speaker 5:No right.
Speaker 4:He's like the ultimate football coach. Yes, he's constantly calling audibles.
Speaker 1:And he's two plays ahead of us at all times, at all times.
Speaker 4:He's writing up plays, he's changing plays, he's at the line of scrimmage. He knows what we're going to do.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Switches it up. So you know, yeah, we have free will. You know we all have free will to do as we please. But uh, at the end of the day it all, it's all under his control it's all coming to the same conclusion the way he wants it to go.
Speaker 3:So we might need to call jarvey um, because he had an interesting outlook on it, like remember beth was saying towards the end of the night um I forget what like the predestination thing well that, like god, like do we like. Do we know if God knows whether you're going to be saved or not? Oh, yeah. Since you do have free will technically.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I think sometimes he kind of guides you in that direction. Yes, absolutely Unbeknownst to you.
Speaker 5:Right Speaking of Simon Peter.
Speaker 1:Oh geez, here we go. Jenny, this is for you, yes, this is for you.
Speaker 5:Yes, this is for you. Luke 22, 31 is where Jesus predicts Peter's denial and it says Simon, simon, satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat, 32,. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you repent and turn away and return to me, you will strengthen your brothers and sisters.
Speaker 1:There we go.
Speaker 3:Amen, praise Jesus. Remember that kid on Sunday.
Speaker 5:Yes, he had free will to deny him.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:He knew that he would so the free will thing, I think, is where people get really wrapped up in this whole like I don't know. I told this on a Sunday morning, but I'll share it again. There was a family in our community I don't know them so I don't want to speak specifically to their situation but they lost a little boy to neuroblastoma. He was very little I don't know his age, he was five or something like that but it was just child, child. They mourned that loss. They ended up pregnant with a little girl. The little girl also has neuroblastoma.
Speaker 3:Oh, I know what you're talking about, yeah.
Speaker 1:And so the family is going through this exact same experience all over again. And my wife had posted if you can support them, please do yada, yada, yada. And like if you can support them, please do yada, yada, yada. And somebody got on the post and said see, this is why I can't believe that God exists, because these things are allowed to happen. And my wife so graciously said no see, that's why I choose to believe that God does exist, because in all things he is good.
Speaker 1:We live in a fallen world, we live in a world that is full of sin and because of that, the wage of sin is death and we experience it in ways that we couldn't imagine. But when you see things like that happen and now I don't want to share Beth's story specifically, but I talked to her this morning and she was sharing with me that you know, jarvi had a son that passed away and Jarvi believes that Eric passed away so that he would be saved, so that Jarvi would come to know Jesus. That is a bizarre thing to have to understand as a parent, that my child, they have died so that I would be saved. But the thing is, is the question always becomes did they know Jesus right, right, because how do we know?
Speaker 1:Yes, Like if we didn't have that conversation with somebody, if we didn't get to have a direct Q&A and say you know, do you know Jesus as your Lord and savior? So weeks went past after um Eric had passed away and his boss saw Jarvis somewhere and was telling him that two days prior to his death he had told his boss that he knew that Jesus was his Lord and savior and that Jesus was real, and like yeah, aha moment.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, like that was that like okay, now I can breathe, because I know that he is good?
Speaker 3:and I know that now I am good. Yeah, so it's like if he did that for me. Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Why? Why should he suffer hell and death if I get to be saved because of it? So yeah, yeah, there's, it's.
Speaker 5:Romans eight 28.
Speaker 1:I brought. I brought it's Romans 8, 28.
Speaker 5:I brought scriptures Go great, go Romans 8, 28. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. 29. For God knew his people in advance and he chose them to become like his son. So his son would be the firstborn among many sisters and brothers and having chosen them, he called them to come to him.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:We need that little boy.
Speaker 3:We need to just record him. He needs to be a sound clip. We're going to work on that for sure. Was that his first time here?
Speaker 1:I don't know, but I think maybe his first time staying in the sanctuary.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's true, yeah. Yeah, he was on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was. I am working right now. I apologize, I'm multitasking again, as I have become so used to doing. There's a couple of churches who want to help promote our egg hunt, oh nice. And so I'm trying to get the flyer and the Sunday morning slide to them.
Speaker 3:Do you know if they'll be promoting it at the Lenten service? I doubt it.
Speaker 1:We will promote it at ours when we do it, because I'll do some announcements and things like that beforehand. So yeah, I'll definitely do that. Go to the Google. Got to go to dr Google.
Speaker 1:I'm not looking up any illnesses, though just Learned my lesson on that. Hey, you know what I did today. This is completely off topic, but while I'm working on this and my brain is functioning very slowly, uh I did a couple of things. Yeah, yeah, you did a couple of things. I tore up a lot of stuff, didn't put it all back together. Yeah, I fixed the sign out front, so our lights work again I saw jesus they're on permanently right now, but we have the photo cell.
Speaker 1:Eye that I'm gonna go out and put on. The photo cell was bad, that's all it was. Oh, it's a very simple task, but it's a long walk from the shed where the break is at back out there three times.
Speaker 3:Why didn't you take the lawnmower For?
Speaker 1:sure I thought about that, but then I would have had to move my little lawnmower in order to do it. It just wasn't worth all the trouble.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Well, take it.
Speaker 1:No, it has flat tire oh.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it wasn't worth all the trouble.
Speaker 1:Anyhow, I string it.
Speaker 3:I also uh played basketball today with my kids at new point before I came here and he's like rubbing his eye.
Speaker 1:Nope, nope. But I'll tell you what I felt like my throat was on fire, like I was like yeah, the leg pain will come tomorrow.
Speaker 4:Yes, that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker 1:I'll feel that later yeah, I'll feel that later for sure oh goodness gracious.
Speaker 4:Okay, keep going guys well, I think it might be a harsh reality, might be a risky thing to say, but I think you know god, ultimately, if it comes down to, if he can't use you, he'll use somebody else truth yeah, truth, you know he'll.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, there's a lot of people that, and people really don't like hearing that. No, they don't like hearing it, but but it's the truth. I mean, I think everybody is worth something in this kingdom, but a lot of people just refuse to be part of it. But God's always got a plan B. His plan will come to fruition, no matter whether you want to be a part of it or not. So, yeah, he will find somebody else. If you don't want to take that blessing and take it upon yourself, he'll, you know. So God is in control all the time, no matter how much free will we have. Yep.
Speaker 1:He's in control. Yeah Well, this has been riveting, riveting, riveting.
Speaker 3:Proverbs 16, 9, we can make our own plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Yeah, and that did you say determines our own plans. No, we can make our own plans but he determines our steps, yes, so that, yes, yeah, we can make them. We don't know if they're going to. If we're going to see them, though.
Speaker 1:Well, I think that's part of. Our natural problem is that we always think that we're gonna, we know best, yeah, and that we're I'm gonna set the plan. But just like you said, nick, even if I set the plan, if I don't follow through with what he expects of me, he's gonna use somebody else to do it. His plan b is always better than my plan a, regardless of the situation, and we fail to realize that because we're so selfish and we want things our way and on our time.
Speaker 1:You know, I was sharing about the vision of the future of the church and the space and where we end up being. And I was talking to somebody and I was told that there are people praying against that because they don't want to move from one space to the next. And I said they're in the wrong place. They need to pack their bags and move Because, frankly, flat out, don't care who you are, don't care how you feel about it, whether you like that space or not for the sanctuary, if you are actively praying against your church and the leadership.
Speaker 1:You are in a really bad place and I don't care what you think about your spiritual health. You are in a bad place Because somebody who doesn't agree with the vision for a building or a body they move. They move on Right. They don't sit there and pray against it. That's counterintuitive. It's the exact opposite.
Speaker 5:And we're starting to grow. We need that space Right. Look at last Sunday.
Speaker 1:There were so many people here last Sunday, we almost didn't have enough seats and people were going. Well, I don't want to move. Well, I don't want to move. What do you expect? It's not about you. And are you going to stand in the back? Are you going to go and stand in the back, no, while somebody. No, you're going to sit in your seat and you, I'm moving.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:It just so. It's that. But we in the flesh are very naturally capable of doing that that we will find our own way of saying this is how we want to do it, and because I want it this way, it has to go that way. And then God's going to grab you by your ear and drag you to the woodshed and you're going to learn really quickly that it's not about your way.
Speaker 3:It's like we're going to find a way to get in our own way.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yeah, I'm going to argue my way into getting what I want, which is not going to happen.
Speaker 5:In that same chapter of Proverbs, 16.33, says we may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
Speaker 1:Yes, and it's funny because just specifically in the okay that's not helpful Specifically in the gym move, that has been a very prayerful consideration for a very long time. I mean it's been through two councils at this point that we have sat through and discussed what this transition would look like. But I'll tell you what the wheels are moving now. If you look, I mean rooms have started to shift place and like it's going to happen, and it's going to happen fast, the train's going fast.
Speaker 1:I was just gonna say get on yeah, yeah, and so I want to just jump back to my trauma from um your frog, no god no, oh, that was trauma yeah, I will share that story, though, because I should uh, no, uh, mark driscoll oh mars hill.
Speaker 1:he made a statement one time that it shook me internally Seriously. I went to therapy after it because I couldn't handle it. He said basically that look at Mars Hill, the church, his church at that time. It's a debunked church now, but his church at that time as a bus. There are seats on the bus for everybody, as long as everybody's in the right seat. If you choose not to sit in the right seat, god willing, there will be a pile of dead bodies behind the bus when it stops.
Speaker 1:Now I think that was a graphic way to put it, but his point that he was trying to make was valid. His problem was he didn't know how to say things without being controversial. What he means is I'm not going to stop the vision that God has for this house or this building or this body, just because there are one or two people who refuse to sit in the right seat on the bus. Now that means that if you're a spectator, hey, that's okay. If you only come to be talked to and to be, you don't intend to involve yourself or volunteer or be part of the ministry, then you need to make sure that you're in that right seat so that you're not taking up a seat that somebody else should be in. It's not about you. It's about the gift that somebody else has that they should be able to utilize, and so I don't want to see dead bodies anywhere, but I do want people to understand that you know it is my responsibility.
Speaker 2:To grow the kingdom.
Speaker 1:Right and it's my responsibility to be in fellowship with God in such a way that he continues to cast that vision for this body. So but I always look for confirmation and so some of the confirmation I've received from that is Pastor Holly told me one time when I first started, like casting the vision, she's like I can see it now and she's immediately repeating, like I haven't told her some of the things that I can see and she's like, yeah, so this happens here and this is going on there and you can see that. All right, we're on the same page. That feels good because there's confirmation in that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause you're probably thinking you're crazy, and then'm over the top with about 90% of the things that I want to do, but the thing is is it can always be done. We've never put ourselves in a position where something that we've desired could not be done. Now, maybe it can't be done today, but that's God saying hey, slow down. You've got to take care of these five things before you can get to that thing. Yes, that's hard to hear.
Speaker 3:Because again I like things my way, that's hard to hear.
Speaker 1:Because, again, I like things my way. I mean, it's true.
Speaker 3:My way or the highway.
Speaker 4:Yeah exactly Right, roger, yeah, I think Elvis sang my way, didn't he? Yes, he did yeah.
Speaker 1:Can I tell you too so this is just a fun little tidbit for you on my upcoming Elvis concert or upcoming Elvis competition. Looking forward to this, by the way, I've learned and, nick, maybe you know this, maybe you don't, so I have a song list in my brain that these are the songs I have to get in order to win this thing, and one of mine is American Trilogy. I have to have that one. Here's the problem. Did you know that that's considered a medley? Yes, I did not. To me, it's one song, man.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's a medley. It is a medley, it is.
Speaker 1:So you can't use American Trilogy in competition.
Speaker 4:What.
Speaker 5:No, medley Can't do medleys no medleys.
Speaker 1:Oh, so now I've got to rethink my whole game plan Move on.
Speaker 4:It's under one title.
Speaker 1:Well, that was my point.
Speaker 4:It's not like See in my mind when they say medley, I mean it's not a traditional medley, it's a song that's made up out of different songs in American history or culture.
Speaker 1:When they said medley, my brain went to like, okay, I can't do a whole lot of shake and long toss out. Elvis always did those two together. I can't do that. Okay, fine, teddy bear, don't be cruel, can't do that.
Speaker 2:All right fine.
Speaker 1:But I was a little shocked, I agree with you. I was a little shocked to find out that I can't do American Trilogy, so now I have no idea what I'm going to do. It's game over at this point. But again, though, don't you have to have a hat. If there are 20 contestants with 20 numbers in it, you draw a number. If I draw number one, I pick first. I select my song first. If I get number 20, I select last. I can't duplicate a single song.
Speaker 4:So what I'm saying is you have to be prepared.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have to have a. That's what I'm saying. So I have a list. But American Trilogy was like I was thinking, if I get that one early enough, I will do that one because it's going to secure my spot like I'm not yeah like I know that that's a, but if nobody picks it in the first round and I can like use it into the second round, then that would be the winner.
Speaker 1:Like that would for sure solidify the win. Now I can't use it at all, so now I've got to think it all through again, like I don't know back to the drawing board decisions I know it's stressful.
Speaker 1:Yeah decision to make stressful may 9th is that when it is no, it's at the end of may oh uh, it's the week before railroad days, believe it or not, I'm gonna listen I have a show, this is not a joke. I have a show in Zanesville on Wednesday. I think I'll have Thursday to flip and then I leave for Illinois on Friday and I'm gone Friday, saturday, part of Sunday. I'll be back Sunday afternoon and then on Monday we start setting up for a railroad days.
Speaker 4:Oh man, well, at least you'll get that show and they're kind of be warmed up. Yes.
Speaker 1:So that's. I told Alyssa that like there is some, and I took a show this Friday, this coming Friday, for next to nothing, because I was like, all right, I need to get yeah, stay by the way, and I have an opportunity to buy a dragon jumpsuit but my wife won't let me.
Speaker 5:Dave Ramsey, I know.
Speaker 1:Right, what a bum. She said to me. She's like I've really thought about it and she's like and I've considered all the ways that we could make it happen. She said but I don't want to go into debt for it. And she's like it doesn't. It doesn't make sense to go into debt for it, you don't need it, which is a fair statement.
Speaker 3:But I don't like that it's questionable exactly her definition of need and mine are very different, so this might be personal, but do you not have your elvis money now?
Speaker 1:I do, but I don't have enough.
Speaker 3:Oh okay, so okay I wasn't sure if you pushed it into your savings. No, okay.
Speaker 1:So I have my own money, but I only have in cash right now about $500. Now I have sold a lot of stuff, so in digital money I have a nice little chunk, but it's still not enough to buy it and I have to be able to pay to go to the competition. So I'm trying to save because I have to pay for the room and then I have to pay for my food and transportation and all of the other stuff.
Speaker 1:So yeah trying to Dude. It's a steal, though it really is. She's just not. She's not biting man, Not at all. It's a guy out of the UK. I bought my powder blue belt from him and it's an AJM, so it's a higher end than the stuff that I normally buy. It is beautiful. I want it so bad. I'm not willing to go into divorce court over it.
Speaker 2:That's a good thing.
Speaker 5:Right Mature man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, someone has to keep you grounded, I know.
Speaker 1:You go flying around. It's so funny, sid. I'm'm gonna share a book with you once alissa's done with it.
Speaker 3:Uh, it's called adhd is awesome adhd is awesome, yes she was texting me dude yeah, she's, she sends me pictures.
Speaker 1:She's like well, hello, michael brindley. Because it's like when you tell somebody with adhd, no, really, what I hear is find another way to ask it's no, it's not a no I have.
Speaker 5:My daughter, caitlin needs to read that book.
Speaker 3:When you are all done, okay, I have one I was telling her like it wouldn't really help easton right now but it would help you.
Speaker 1:But it's called dirty laundry oh yeah, I don't want to read that. That sounds terrible. No, no, no it's good.
Speaker 3:It's a stinky book yeah, no, I hate reading, but it basically know like you can read it in different, you don't have to read it chapter to chapter yes, you can back around and it's from someone who has ADHD and actually I think like two chapters her husband writes, so it's nice like to see his point of view on it.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:You know yeah you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, so flip that. What's? What's the other question? I know it's pretty similar. Uh, so that one was how much control do you think god has over things that happen and why? And then the other was do you think god can see into the future or controls the future? Why?
Speaker 4:well, what I was going to say that may tie into that is don't ever think you've lost your chance to be part of God's plan. Yeah, never, don't ever say well, I've waited too long, it's too late now. Yeah, you know. So if you've missed a boat on, you know whatever God had planned for you and he's used somebody else. Guess what? There's always. There's always tomorrow, yeah, there's always another chance, so there's always tomorrow, yeah, there's always another chance.
Speaker 3:So there's plenty of work to be done.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's a good point, as he sees into the future, he can be like okay, I couldn't use him on this, but there's going to be another opportunity for him. God doesn't give up on anybody. He's always willing to use somebody, no matter what they've done, where they've came from, any situation. He's always willing to. You know he's. You know he's if you read the Bible enough, you know he's used a lot of people that you would question. Oh yeah, wow.
Speaker 3:Really Mm-hmm.
Speaker 4:You know, but sometimes he uses those people more than the obvious.
Speaker 2:And if you and if you mess up, he'll let you try it over Yep Right, yep, right, yep.
Speaker 4:So it's always another chance, so the future is always bright. So you got to wear shades, you got to wear shades.
Speaker 1:Holly did that to me last Sunday, was it you and I last Sunday? Yeah, we were working, we were making coffees and she came in and she's like I've got my sunglasses. And she goes. You know why? Because my like I've got my sunglasses and she goes. You know why she's because my future's so bright something else, man something else so cooper has some sunglasses.
Speaker 3:And well, we were walking down one day and, like last summer, and our one neighbor was saying that she had bought some sunglasses for her nephew or something I'm like. Oh, I didn't even know they had, you know, sunglasses for babies, so now he'll put them on, but he'll go like he has to like, prepare himself for, like the dark.
Speaker 3:It is so funny. He's like all right, buddy, he was doing it earlier, and then he'll like, take them off. And then he'll walk back over to Chase to put it back on, he's like, and then he'll take it back off to another lab. Oh too cute, you need to record that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I do. It's funny. Well, limitations three says who can command things to happen without the lord's permission? Does not the most high send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins?
Speaker 4:Complaining will not do you any good.
Speaker 1:No, definitely not Woe is me. Yeah.
Speaker 4:It might get you a dragon jumpsuit.
Speaker 1:No, it won't Not with my wife.
Speaker 5:Well, and James 4 says it is arrogant of us to think that we are in control.
Speaker 1:Well, that's probably a fair statement.
Speaker 4:That is probably. It's an odd statement to say you know, is God in control of the future? Well, he is the future. That's yes. Well, that was my point. Yes.
Speaker 1:It feels like when you ask that question you're like if he can see into the future, you're talking about like genie style, like aura reading, but no, he, that's the best way to put it he, in fact, is the future, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:And if you don't know him, you have no future with him.
Speaker 1:Like, you have no future at all, quite frankly, because your future is hell, death and the grave like there is no.
Speaker 3:No future beyond that, yep and if there is one, it's a not one I want to talk about not one I want to be a part of, that's for sure yeah anybody ever used Adobe InDesign? Me either. Is it like Canva?
Speaker 4:I don't know what that is either wow, what are they talking about?
Speaker 1:right it's technology it's like to make it's graphic design software in design is very similar. It's an adobe product but it's really for like print layouts so you would use it to if you're going to lay out a magazine or okay, something like that. So I'm working on.
Speaker 4:is it ai? No, because I would assume, like AI is going to totally wipe out. I don't think so.
Speaker 1:I don't think so. There are some really great controls. So if we want to get into this because I am In the government. Well, so I don't know where it's going to come from, but ChatGPT has really limited what they will allow their AI to do for you. Now they allow their AI to do for you now. They won't let you write a sermon with it anymore, which used to be you guys remember like I just fired it up and it would do it.
Speaker 1:It will start it and then it will say, let's clarify, you would not do it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We did it as a proof to show that this thing would do it Would write a poem, would do all things you would not do, no no, no, Because, and honestly, if you've ever heard me preach, you know I ain't preaching from Chad.
Speaker 1:GPT, you're lucky to be preaching from your iPad I know from my notes most of the time, but it, um, it used to allow you to do pretty much any graphic design you wanted to do. You could pop in there and say, hey, create me a 19, 19, uh, a full high definition photo of a penguin eating a sub sandwich, and it won't do it anymore. It will give you a starting point or it will tell you like this is I can't make the exact dimensions and that's just recent that that's happened, so they have started to limit all of the things that it will do. So I thought that was interesting.
Speaker 3:That is interesting yeah.
Speaker 2:That's a good thing, yes.
Speaker 1:Well, because it stops you from using your brain.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, yeah, that's a good thing? Yes, I think so too well, because it stops you from using your brain.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, listen, I ask it questions all the time, like I went in and I said, hey, how do I update my email address for this? And it gives you very specific directions on how to do it.
Speaker 1:So I find it helpful for that much better than google will ever be as far as that part is concerned but, there are some things that it shouldn't be able to do right, yeah it also will no longer do things for people's likenesses, and what I mean by that is like I can't um, I you used to be able to tell it like create a picture of elvis eating a peanut butter sandwich while riding horseback on a unicorn, and it would get pretty darn close to a picture of elvis. And now it says I can't do that, but I can do something in the likeness of including long sideburns or a jumpsuit style or like. It'll get very, it'll give you reference points to use, but it won't let you do just anything anymore, good yeah yeah and I think it'll, if, if it has those limits, it won't take away as many jobs like right.
Speaker 3:You know all the creative you know, designers or writers.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, yeah, absolutely I have no idea what I'm doing right now. None whatsoever. I thought that I could handle this. It turns out I can't, and I should just pay somebody to fix it. Here let me do it yeah.
Speaker 3:I'll fix it right up. Just set it on fire at that point, throw it in the gravel and run over it.
Speaker 2:Like today. I was on the computer looking something up, so I went back into the shop. I come back out, my mouse won't work. I said, oh man, so I'm pushing buttons. Oh gosh, computer burst into flame. So that so I. Oh well, we didn't have any batteries. I knew he had some in my toolbox, so I went. I got a battery put in. It still didn't work, so I put the old battery back in it and it started working. I said what is the deal here?
Speaker 1:technology, give me a piece of paper yeah, I was gonna say it works great, you always have to appreciate that irony, like he fixes that tire with the shoes.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly, do that but see, that's always been my argument. There are some people good at things that I will never be good at, and that's why I surround myself with people who are good at all of those things. I am not a graphic design guy, not good at it like I suck at it. Let's just be honest. I used to think I was good and then I'd look at it and go that is trash, like it doesn't get trashier than that.
Speaker 5:Well, your son's pretty good at it. Yes, he is, he's like really really good at it yes.
Speaker 1:So I'm thankful for him, even though he won't help me most of the time. That's not my problem, Dad.
Speaker 3:Not my circus, not my monkeys. So he screwed up though.
Speaker 1:Uh-oh, he joined the Railroad Festival board. Yeah Listen, he was on the board for about .4 seconds and I turned around and handed him two stacks of paperwork. I'm like hey. I need you to retype these?
Speaker 2:Oh, you told him you had them retyped.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he did it too. He finished them. He sent them to me today.
Speaker 3:How old do you have to be to join?
Speaker 1:We don't actually have an age limit, but because he will be 18 this year, we just went ahead and he's volunteered three festivals in a row. He's worked harder than most adults that have been on the board in the past.
Speaker 3:Nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's plenty to do.
Speaker 1:Yes, and honestly. We need people who are hard workers that will just like drag heavy wires and do all of the things.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, especially when they they got them three prongs on the end and then four inches of wiring trying to drag it from here out to the parking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, never fun never fun, but anyhow it's fun. After you get it all done, drag it from here out to the parking lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, never fun, never fun, but anyhow, but it's fun after you get it all done.
Speaker 1:Is it though?
Speaker 2:Because then you have to tear it all down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, just as a fun. So the frog story.
Speaker 1:So, the people who were in council meeting last night heard it. But I, every time I come back from vacation, something has happened to me Like they have pulled some sort of prank. All right, last time I went on vacation I came back and they had decorated my entire office for Christmas. And when I say entire office, they wrapped every ink pen, every post-it note, everything in my desk chair was wrapped. My window was wrapped. My fish tank was wrapped. They didn't wrap the fish, but I'm surprised. It was pretty intense. I'm talking everything in my office was wrapped.
Speaker 1:This time I went back and I opened my office door. No prank. I was really surprised by that. But there was a package on my desk that came while I was on vacation. I had been waiting on it. So I sat down at my desk, throw off my backpack and I go to open that box. I tear open the box and there's some bubble wrap on the top. I pulled the bubble wrap off and almost passed out Like was shaking uncontrollably.
Speaker 1:They had put a rubber frog in the bottom of that box, put the thing that I had ordered on top of it, but it was a little spice jar so it was tiny. So I saw the frog first and it was moving and I was losing my cool, like I didn't scream like a girl, I didn't do any of the normal things that I would do, but dude, I'm talking like shaking uncontrollably, couldn't catch my breath, like acting like a fool, and I was so thankful there was nobody else in the office whenever it happened so I finally get my composure together. I like I had to sit down. I was like okay, you're fine, it's not real, everything's good, you're cool, just deep breath, we're going to get through this right.
Speaker 1:So finally get myself together. I go out to one of the other offices and I said to the two people that were in there I said, hey, I need one of your help. Like I got a package, somebody put a fake frog in the one guy goes, say no more, he takes it out of the box, he comes back and he goes. Whoever put it in there, just let them know it's a total loss because it's going home with me. It's never going to make its way back here. Appreciate that I still struggled to go back to my office because I know that he took it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But I kept thinking did he put it somewhere else?
Speaker 3:Right? Yes, is it. Am I going to open the drawer and there's going to be that. Yes, Am I going to open the?
Speaker 1:drawer and there's going to be that. So listen, I asked him today. I said so, was that frog like real rubbery or something? I said because I swore it moved in the box. He goes oh yeah, he's like. That thing was disgusting. He said it was like silicone, almost.
Speaker 3:And so like when I opened the box, and shook it.
Speaker 1:It like jiggled in the box. He's like it had this big, long, nasty tongue, which which I didn't even see, that it was gray, it just all was awful.
Speaker 3:They probably were like most realistic, yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So here was the best part, though the best part was that normally, when I get pranked, I'm like all right, who did it? And like there's retaliation.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I didn't say a word to anybody and nobody else has mentioned it to me. They're like so I'm guessing they went into my office at some point to see if it was in the box, because they saw I left the box that open on my desk and they probably went in and looked and realized it was gone and went oh crap. So yeah, I don't know exactly who did it yet, but I also and I was not mad at all Like I get, it's a prank, it was meant to be funny, it was not meant to be harmful in any way. But I talk, I tell them like that's not funny to me, right?
Speaker 1:yeah frogs toads not funny to me. I swear to you, if they ever put a real one in my office, oh my gosh, you'd have to move. I had it happen to me one time at at my last hotel. The housekeeping girls knew that I was deathly afraid of them, but they didn't realize to the extent to which I was afraid of them, and so I was in my office. None of the windows in this hotel open, okay, they're all just solid panes of glass. And they come in and they've got this bag. Hershey used to make these mint candies that were in these little wrappers. And they're like hey look, we got you your favorite candy. Do you want one? And I said no. And whatever's in that bag, get out of here.
Speaker 4:Because there's six of them standing there with this bag of candy.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly, I ain't no fool. Mama didn't raise no fool. So they open the bag and there's a tree frog in the bottom. Now they aren't quite as bad to me, but they're still horrifying because they jump right.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah. And so they're like oh, I into your forehead.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my gosh, you would have to call an ambulance.
Speaker 3:I would go into cardiac arrest Guaranteed.
Speaker 1:Guaranteed. So they get this frog. It's in the bag. They open the bag, I can see the frog. And the next thing I know I'm trying to get out the window like legitimately, like I'm pressed against the window, shoving into it with my shoulder.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking if I bust this window, I'm gonna have to pay for it, but I don't care I didn't care.
Speaker 1:The frog jumps out of the bag. No, jumps out of the foil bag. He's on the floor. I'm at this point losing my crap like completely uncontrollable at this point I dude. I was like if somebody doesn't get that thing out of here I can't look down because it's on the floor. I'm like, oh, it was awful.
Speaker 4:I just see the Bugs Bunny commercials where they run through the wall, that's exactly what I thought was going to happen.
Speaker 1:man, I could not handle it.
Speaker 3:And then the girls are all laughing and I'm sitting over there shaking uncontrollably Like Lucy, what you're really saying is your staff does not have to work any harder when you're not there because they've got time.
Speaker 1:I did learn while I was on vacation. This time that place runs itself like we are a really well oiled machine. My team is great. They could go buy another hundred cabins in Holmes County tomorrow and we'd be like, yeah, whatever, we gotta hire a couple of people to clean, but whatever, because it fits inside the system. Our system is so well oiled, that's good so but yeah, yeah, buddy, but you're the conductor.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, so it is my circus, they are my monkeys, so, and you have control of them? Yep, yeah, it is we. It's again.
Speaker 3:It's a really great team, we're really well, oil oiled, unless they're holding a frog. Yes, not have control?
Speaker 1:Yes, and I didn't. I like I really honestly thought that I was like I didn't know how I was going to process it after the fact, Like it took me a long time to finally come down from it. Hmm, it was rough. It was rough.
Speaker 3:Did you guys hear who bought this land?
Speaker 1:Did somebody buy it?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:People who own barbells, mm-hmm yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They were out there looking at it one day.
Speaker 3:I'm pretty sure they did. My friend had a training session with the one trainer and the trainer had told her that yeah, I'm not surprised.
Speaker 1:I'm just curious where they're going to build Me too. I'm hoping they go back towards the road.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm picturing, because they had walked all the way out to the post at the far corner, so I hope they go out far enough to. The bad part, though, is that now that won't be a cornfield. Oh, we can't put grass clippings over. Yeah, exactly, I'm blowing it into their parking lot boy that stink yeah yeah, I hope they keep it far enough away that it's not a problem, we readjust mowing yeah yep.
Speaker 2:So what are you going to build? A gym, I, I would assume.
Speaker 3:Well, they lease now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the thing is, is everything over there like Reyes Tanning? They left because the maintenance on the building is so bad. The plaza is just in such disrepair.
Speaker 3:Well, and how many sections do they have now? Like four, I don't even know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think. Yeah, it's a lot, it's a lot, it's a lot yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, that'll be close for some people to go to the gym on Sunday morning and then just come here, right, yeah, hey, maybe I'll go work out. You had a treadmill in your house.
Speaker 1:You used it for a coat rack. I'll tell you what, though you did it once. I'm going to say this, but take it with a grain of salt. I think if I would have had that in the new house, I would have used it more. I realized that in the basement of the old house there was so little space to run on it that I would almost hit the ceiling and in the new house it's not like that.
Speaker 1:The ceiling is so high in the basement that I think I probably would have used it. I'm not going to buy another one to find out. I don't see any reason to do that. It seems like a giant waste of time.
Speaker 5:Now just walk down to the track.
Speaker 1:Well and honestly, if I want to work out, I'll just go to the gym, and, let's be honest, I'm not going to do it. So I got to lose the belly. Though, guys, if God can see into the future, I wonder if he could just let me know whether or not I'm going to lose any of this weight, make a lap on the track and then do the steps on the stadium. Oh no.
Speaker 5:Leashers do a lap on the steps or track. Oh, no.
Speaker 4:Mm-hmm. Oh, that's like work.
Speaker 1:You got to Rocky that stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Speaking of Rocky, what's in the McKinley Museum? Yeah, yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 4:No, thank you. Yeah, no, yeah, up to the mausoleum, yeah, up to the tomb, like yeah.
Speaker 3:I went with Kinsey and Tripp and Tanya one day. Oh yeah, why do my legs hurt so bad? And I felt like an idiot. Because there Kinsey is. Yeah, you know, she's with her foot on foot and she's just do-do-do-do-do-do. I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm so out of shape.
Speaker 1:What simulator swinging the golf club. I was like I got up the next one. Why do I hurt so bad, like my sides hurt, my arms hurt, my legs are what's going on? And I went oh crap, you swung the golf club four times. Four times. It might've been a few more than that, but it wasn't like yeah, man, we do a golf outing every year and it's 18 holes and it's the end of that day.
Speaker 4:I feel terrible.
Speaker 1:I'll drive the golf cart for you, but that's about all I have, that's about it, get your cold water.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, well, I have a Margie Minute, yay.
Speaker 1:We'll get the sound right this time.
Speaker 4:There we go, All right. So we've got yet another one Another cat.
Speaker 3:Is this the cat? Do you have another?
Speaker 1:cat this is the cat that you were going to get rid of, though Like she oh no, it's a new one. So when new On top of the new one? Oh my God, is that 12?
Speaker 5:As of this weekend On top of the new one.
Speaker 4:So we went over to Charlie's to help him put his new washer in there's. So, of course, while we're fixing up the washer, she's outside.
Speaker 1:Did she bring home the pregnant cat?
Speaker 4:Yes, she's sitting there In the grass holding her, give her some comfort. And she looks at me and she's like All you gotta do is say no. And I'm like how can I tell you no?
Speaker 2:And you have to go home with her. This is when you're the most beautiful, not?
Speaker 4:when you're holding a baby and I'm like, how can I tell you? No, and you have to go home with her. This is when you're the most beautiful, not when you're holding a baby. This is why.
Speaker 2:I love you.
Speaker 4:It's like how can I tell you, no, you know, I'm not going to tell you no, oh, he's a schmoozer.
Speaker 5:I think she's given Beth tips on how to get those babies from her pregnant mama cat oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:So now she's got a pregnant cat.
Speaker 4:So now the pregnant cat is downstairs in our bathroom. She made her up a little bed and everything.
Speaker 3:And so now we're just waiting for her to deliver.
Speaker 1:Waiting for the arrival and when she has her kittens, which can be between two and eight.
Speaker 4:Another 24.
Speaker 1:So are you keeping all of those?
Speaker 4:She'll do her best to get rid of them, but I guarantee you.
Speaker 1:At least one, at least one, at least one. So it's a two-for-one special.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you'll end up keeping the mom and at least a baby, because we love to joke that you know she'll post, kittens are available and somebody will message and say, hey, you know, yeah, I'll take one, and if she's like, I don't know that.
Speaker 5:I don't trust that, and so ghost them.
Speaker 3:I don't know that they're going to be a good cat we're like are you kidding.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's how we always end up with a cat, but the thing is too, and I get it because, oh yeah, we'll take one and then it ends up as an outside cat and ends up making more fixed in order to give them away.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, it's a whole screening process. Yeah, there's a 48 page application.
Speaker 3:It's like Ashley asking about if people are background check, background check to keep the kids.
Speaker 4:Which is good, and this cat is just adorable.
Speaker 3:Sucker. What kind of cat Is it? Like a tabby cat.
Speaker 4:It's like this really, uh, silverish gray but has white in its face.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's beautiful she's long hair, it could be no no, she's short hair short hair um so, yeah, next cook nick.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the reason margie's got it, because nick fell in love with it too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure no he fell in love with her with. Margie.
Speaker 4:Like I said, that's when she did it best. The cat looked good with it. How can I tell you no?
Speaker 1:And if you told her no, she would have cried the whole way home.
Speaker 4:It's going to happen.
Speaker 2:And not talk to you.
Speaker 1:At 3 o'clock in the morning, Nick would have been driving back over there to find that cat. At 3 o'clock in the morning, Nick would have been driving back over there to find that cat. She would have cried all night until Nick went back and got that cat. You got to go find her. What's going to happen? What if she has her babies and something tries to eat them.
Speaker 1:You know what, though and it's funny because we joke about it we laugh about it, but you don't meet many people like that, that would be so compassionate towards animals, so we have to have them. Those people have to exist in the world.
Speaker 5:My mom and my daughter both have baby birds that they have fed syringe fed.
Speaker 1:Oh, no yeah. God bless you guys. No yeah.
Speaker 5:Caitlin left me in charge of two baby birds for a day and a half.
Speaker 2:They didn't make, it Didn't make it, they died.
Speaker 1:Yeah, didn't make it.
Speaker 5:That's unfortunate, I'm like I think I choked them to death trying to surrender them.
Speaker 2:She had one of them turkey basins Drink you little bird.
Speaker 3:I don't know what happened, Caleb.
Speaker 4:I did tell her I don't want to do litter anymore. Well, what are you going to do? I was like I can't do it anymore. I was like I I can't do it anymore.
Speaker 3:I was like I'll do laundry. Oh, you mean for?
Speaker 4:your chore.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I'm like I just somebody else you're gonna take her.
Speaker 4:It's like, okay, you're gonna have to take this over.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll do laundry, I'll do dishes, whatever, but I'm done doing like well, you're gonna do it once in a while.
Speaker 4:I said fine, I'll do it once in a while. But yeah, I did not know recently learned this I guess this is your Gettysburg. Yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:I learned that pregnant women should not be around cats. There's something about the smell or whatever from the litter box.
Speaker 5:The dust and stuff from the litter. People who are on dialysis should not be around cat litter.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that Interesting. Now I guess they have new dust-free litter too. There's some new.
Speaker 5:Yeah, when they have those new fancy yeah $1,200.
Speaker 3:What's the? Is it pretty litter? Have you heard of pretty litter?
Speaker 2:There's no pretty litter.
Speaker 3:No, if there's Listen, if it has something going on with it. Oh, like it crystallizes or something like a different color, like, so like if it has a uti or whatever you would know, yes, uh.
Speaker 1:The other thing I would say, nick, and this is something that is probably worthwhile for you and your wife have you seen the new litter subscription?
Speaker 1:no so there's a cat litter subscription. It's called like litter box and boxes capital letters. It's a cardboard box. You open it up. It's pre-litter. It's got the litter already inside of it. You take the lid off of it, you put it on the floor. The cats use it. You put the lid on it, you put a shipping label on it and you send it back to them. Yep, you don't, you never scoop, you just lid what, send it back that litter? Oh, who knows, who knows? I don't know, I don't really care. To me weird, but it does exist and people do use it. What are they doing with?
Speaker 5:it. They probably reuse the litter I'm just thinking of these boxes.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine being a mail carrier?
Speaker 3:In 90-degree weather.
Speaker 5:I have a case of cats and the ammonia smell Before you ever got to the house. As soon as you got to the porch you could smell that it you could before you ever got to the house.
Speaker 1:soon as you got to the porch, you could smell that it's called Kitty Poo Club. Disposable litter box delivery Kitty Poo Club. This message is brought to you by.
Speaker 3:Kitty Poo Club.
Speaker 1:Kitty Poo, it is true, and there it is, my friends. It exists, don't scoop it.
Speaker 3:Throw it away my dad would last us a day.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, that wouldn't be. That's like the size of a paper box.
Speaker 5:Yeah that would not do. Well, maybe they come in extra large, huge, super large.
Speaker 4:Super large, Crazy cat lady oh yeah, and so now we're discussing, she wants to put a fence up in the backyard to keep all the cats.
Speaker 5:Well, she'd have to put a dome over that, right, yeah, to keep them in the yard.
Speaker 1:So she's worried about they do make them in different sizes.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, it'll be an interesting spring.
Speaker 1:Yes, it will yes it will.
Speaker 2:Better than even me.
Speaker 1:That is for sure. Alright, we gotta button up because we've got community Lenten service tonight. So Whose turn is it? It's Nick's turn.
Speaker 5:Is that right? Yeah, because Beth has. Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, nick, it's all. You, my friend, hit the right button I got this.
Speaker 4:Lord, we thank you for allowing us all to come here tonight and have another great discussion about your will. We know with all our hearts that you have complete control over our lives, over our future, everything that is good in this world. We know that you have a plan, despite sometimes it may not seem that way. Everybody, we all, experience our fair share of you know disappointments, but we know that there's always something better up ahead and we just thank you for that. We just thank you for just always just guiding us through every step of our lives and making sure that we end up exactly where we're supposed to be within your will. Yes, I pray everybody gets home safely this evening and hopefully we'll meet again next week. Amen.
Speaker 5:Amen.
