Just Wanna Be Her

Brooklyn and Lizz return to the podcast!  They join Luke and Andrew in presenting their artist of the week.  Andrew discusses the pitfalls of perfectionism with his Artist of the Week nomination.  Then a discussion of Ella Langley’s new album “Dandelion” leads to a conversation about comparison among Christians.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:04

We back, ladies and gentlemen. When you hear music this hard, it means one thing and one thing only. Brooklyn. What's up, y'all? Brooklyn, how you doing, girl? Doing good. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the Eternal Creatures Podcast, the podcast for people who view the world just a little bit different. And brought to you as always by Abiding God Studios. Ain't that right, Liz?

SPEAKER_04 0:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Yeah, yeah. Guys, I am the only person who has just unnecessary energy. I use photosynthesis. Anywho, um, today's episode is dedicated to uh people who are too tired to have a dedication. I'm gonna be real, I couldn't think of crap. I have no idea. I have no idea what to talk about. Uh I was gonna dedicate it to bad drivers. Didn't think about that. I was gonna dedicate it to women who have terrifying bathrooms. Uh, y'all keep your bathrooms really, really nasty. I'm not gonna lie. Um, just as a species. I don't even mean individuals, just as a species. Uh there was mad people I could have dedicated to, but I didn't come up with anything specific for any of them. So I'm just gonna dedicate it to me. Uh how you feel, Luke? Luke? Well, guys, Luke was not like he was ready to pod, but he wasn't like his body wasn't ready to pod. He came in dumb, low energy. So he's just sitting here snickering, like, why the heck? Dedicated to yourself. This episode's dedicated to me. And your boy, who's also me. Me, myself, and this guy. Anywho, um, all right, after that brief moment of pride, how are the rest of y'all doing?

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Go ahead, Luke.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Go ahead, Hammy.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Referring to me as Hammy on the pot is crazy.

SPEAKER_05 1:58

We've been doing it. Yeah, that's true. That just shows that you don't listen.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

It has slipped a couple times. Oh, she doesn't listen to her own pod. That's crazy. Keith is in the mic, like, they have done that yet. They have done this.

SPEAKER_05 2:15

With the story of Hammy?

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Do we tell the story of why we've called her Hammy? No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_05 2:21

The pod of this movie. I can take this one.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

No, you didn't have any energy.

SPEAKER_05 2:26

All right. So um, have you seen the movie Over the Hedge?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 2:32

I wasn't asking you, I was asking the audience. Um, there is a squirrel in that movie played by Steve Carell, and the squirrel's name is Hammy. And Hammy has a lot of energy, so much so that it causes or that it creates a nuclear explosion at one point. Um so Hammy fits Brooklyn really well.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

And he is a red squirrel.

SPEAKER_05 2:56

Yeah, he is a red squirrel. And for the audio listeners, which is all of you, uh, Brooklyn is also a red squirrel. Yeah, she is a red squirrel. She is red.

SPEAKER_02 3:05

She is a red gore.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

She's basically Merida from Brave.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Yeah. Which I'm pretty sure we told them the last time.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

Yeah, you had me do the accent and everything.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Okay, don't let we don't have to do that again. Don't say that like I held you at gunpoint. Like, relax. It's not it doesn't take a whole lot to get you to do an Irish or Scottish accent. Alright, so let's be accurate for the audience. Um, Brooklyn, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 3:30

I'm I'm great. Yeah. Um transitioning jobs, so that's fun. Um preparing to move, big life decisions, moves, but still staying in the berg. Yeah, that's about it. I'm great.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Yeah, everything's changing. Everything. Just all your life shifting.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

Alright. The the two over there who who passed it on to Brooklyn, the guest. You two regulars. Hi y'all doing. Take it away, Liz.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

I'm actually I had a really good weekend. Okay, sick sick. I got to play with dive sticks with my neighbors' kids. Like all the neighbors just went to the pool at my apartment and I just inserted myself into someone's birthday party and started to play pool games with them, which was so fun. And then yesterday, today's Monday still. Yesterday, after church, I went salsa dancing at a coffee shop in Williamsburg. So it was lovely.

unknown 4:27

Sounds like a great weekend.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

And then we had wings last night.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

We did have wings.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Yeah, we did. They were good wings. They were smoky.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Uh, farm to table wings.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Yeah. Did they kill the chicken in front of you?

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Right there.

unknown 4:40

Crazy.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

That's the screeching you heard.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Yeah, poor chicken. Chicken little head, no chance. Anywho. Um. Lucas. I don't know what I feel like I just zoned out in pod. I like being able to see you all. I love this angle. This is so fun. This feels like an interview. It is. Well, it does feel like an interview. It feels like I'm interviewing a garage band. Uh, anywho, Luke, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 5:08

I'm good. NHL playoffs just started. Sharks didn't make it, but that's fine.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

So valid.

SPEAKER_05 5:15

Yeah. Valid. It's exciting.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

All right, artists of the week. Andrew, how are you doing? Oh, yeah, I am here, aren't I?

SPEAKER_05 5:23

This is your pod, bro. You you literally dedicated it to yourself.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

I know and completely forgot that I exist. That's called Humble King. Anywho. How am I doing? Uh crazy. Absolutely insane. Uh, I don't know. Um, something's wrong with my life. I'm not gonna lie. These three know. I can't say too much because I'm afraid of the person that made this week hectic. We are moving along as we speak. And uh, if I don't end up on next pod, it's not because I'm missing or I was busy.

SPEAKER_05 6:01

Yeah, he's not gonna end up on next pod. He's gonna end up on a milk carton.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Yes, and a wanted poster in Wyoming. So my goodness. Jesus. Not and not as the criminal, either the victim, anywho. So moving on. I've got uh so we got a few different topics for today, but I think Liz, this is your first artist of the week. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 6:31

Technically, this is ours, too.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

From the last time we just kept going. Okay, yeah, but that that's not that's not what I mean. I mean, she's never actually like presented an artist of the week. So I want to start with Liz.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Thanks. Um, it feels like I've mine it.

SPEAKER_02 6:47

No, I'm just kidding. Ladies and gentlemen, in case you didn't remember, we are changed the new music segment to Artist of the Week because we yap a lot. Well, that didn't change. And that's what Luke was referencing. We never left Artist of the Week. It all created great conversation, but I like that a way more than just, you know, listing off our playlists. So uh, Liz, now that we've talked over you, who is your artist of the week?

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Uh, they are a band called True Stale. And I discovered them in 2023 at a Cody uh Fry concert who's an electric guitarist. And so they were the opener, and they just dropped an album last year called Growing Pains, and the deluxe version comes out in about two weeks, so middle of May. Hopefully, by the time you hear this, then it's actually a month from the time of recording. Um, so really love this album of Growing Pains. I'm in like a season of transition, and I just love the topic of like holding on to old things, new things, grieving. Um, one of the songs on the deluxe version is called Both Can Be True. So it talks about the paradox on things. Like you can be um excited to face your fears and scared of it too. Is like a line of it. So a few of the songs are just really encouraging in this season. Not necessarily Christian, um, but really uh speaks a lot to the season that I find myself in.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Okay, valid, valid, valid. I appreciate that, Liz. Um Luke Brooklyn, which way y'all want to go? Apparently Brooklyn.

SPEAKER_04 8:31

Luke wants to go, no.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Oh, nope, oh Luke. Oh, fight, fight, fight.

SPEAKER_05 8:36

Mine's a good segue into the rest of it.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

So Andrew, what's your artist of the week?

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Wait, wait, hold on, hold on just one second. How the heck did I pass this along and how and it somehow get back to me?

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Inquiring minds want to know.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Inquiring minds. I'll inquire your mind in just a second why I ought to.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

In the chest move of everything, if Brooklyn threw it to Luke, chess.

SPEAKER_05 9:05

I thought you said chest. I was like, wait a minute.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

What? She threw it to Luke. Luke can't go, so then it's it's you.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

So mine is an artist of the week, but it is not a musician, it is a writer. So, um, and it actually comes with a question. So ha ha, good potting. Anywho, um, so my uh my artist of the week is a writer known as Faith Chang, and she wrote a book called Peace over Perfection. So I'm going through the book right now. It is about, and actually let me read the little subtitle uh without playing the book because I can't afford to do that. So um, peace over perfection, enjoying a good god when you feel you're never good enough. So the reason that I um that I suggest this book, and the reason I'm going through this book, and the thing with books, right? I know we've talked about how, you know, we can easily fall into sort of a a faith based on books and people's opinions about God as opposed to an actual relationship with God. But I think in the process of learning and everything, it's it's helpful to connect. Um, books can be helpful with connecting scripture to life. And also it's just nice to hear people's ideas about living and everything. And so this book deals with perfectionism. Um and perfectionism is just something that uh I deal with. It deals with Christian perfectionism specifically, which sometimes kind of overrides in our hearts and in our minds this sort of grace-over works mentality. And so we sort of, even though we can say specifically that you know the grace of God is is enough for us to be with him and to abide with him, we still can live with this feeling of guilt or uh shame over it can be over sin, but it can also just be about like just not feeling good enough, not feeling like I um not feeling like I'm doing this life thing well. And I would say for me, that is something that stops me from doing a lot of things. And perfectionism, I think sometimes we we can think about it as like it's something that people like in doing life, they they just like it it makes them OCD, but it can also be the sort of situation where you're so concerned about doing it well that you just don't do anything at all. And for me, that's often my situation is I will get paralyzed in decisions and either become lazy or and just kind of sit in this anxious feeling. And so um, I really I really suggest this book. I think it's a it's a good read of sort of someone taking a like psychological um perspective, but also a theological perspective of reminding us of the truth of Christ, but also giving some insight into how perfectionism blocks us being able to do things. And the reason I I um the reason I can I came up with a question is because you actually, uh Liz, you you you suggested a prayer from uh what is it, every moment holy or something like that. Um one of the liturgies there is like for those who haven't done anything great for God, and I think a lot of us can feel that, even though the main thing that God asks of us is to abide with him and to you know to love him and for him to love us, if I'm correct, right? And so, um, but still we can get paralyzed by this idea that like me living my life is not enough, and that I have to make things happen when we have very limited control. And so I wanted to ask y'all, because perfectionism is one of the things for me. I wanted to ask y'all what in your life is stopping you from doing great things for God, or or do you feel like stops you from doing great things for God, even if they're not like amazing, world-changing things, but just regular everyday things, like just regular actions using your gifts for the kingdom in some way or to benefit people or on some project that you think you know might glorify his name. I don't know. I was just interested in what you guys think might be something that stops you from doing that.

SPEAKER_05 13:51

Apathy. Yeah. I get to a point where I'm like, I don't actually care. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Clutch your pearls. No, but I like go into that. I think that's I think that's uh I think that's interesting. I think that's an interesting answer.

SPEAKER_05 14:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

It's I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 14:10

I don't know how to explain it more than that. It's like, yeah, I'd I get to a point where it's like I don't care, you know, about like doing something great or doing something important. It's like what's the point, you know? Um yeah. I'm like in the middle of that right now. So it's like, what are we even doing? So yeah, it's hard, it's hard to stay consistent when I'm not passionate about that thing. Right. You know, and what's tough for me is like I've been passionate about it before. You know, I compare myself to myself 10 years ago so much because I'm that was like right when I got saved. So everything was incredible, like all the colors in the world were bright and beautiful and awesome, and everything was sick. Everything's still sick, yeah. But you know, life has a way of making you jaded if you let it, and I did. So there's a little bit of apathy that you have to work through with that, but yeah, I don't know. That's that's how I would explain it.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

Do you think comparison is maybe the cause of the apathy?

SPEAKER_05 15:29

Yeah. For sure. Like, I think comparison is a cause of it, and then um, what was what was I about to say? Comparison and lack of purpose. You know? Like when I don't feel like I have purpose for something, or I'm just going through the motions, it's like, what what are we doing here? Yeah, you know? And I that's like a part of life, going through the motions. Like sometimes you just have to, you know? Sometimes you you have to do the things you don't want to do, and that's good. Those are that is I think that's a good thing to do the things you don't want to do even when you don't feel like it. Because it builds character and all sorts of stuff, and it's the right thing to do.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Yeah, and I I think I I remember being at a at a men's uh sort of offshoot Bible study, and um I kind of made the same point, right? Because, you know, I'm currently living a life where much of it is based around um not around doing what I uh what I don't want to do and trying to do it well and trying to do it in a way that honors God. And then one of the guys, uh you you know him, one of the guys came uh came in late, nonchalant, sat in the chair, and uh I was at the like end of what I was saying, and he was like, Yeah, man, but you can let yourself die in that position. And so I think Do I know who you're talking about? Yeah, yeah. I've got like I don't think tell me off pod. Yeah, yeah. Uh cool guy. But but essentially, uh Liz is currently throwing up uh Roman numeral gang signs at me. I believe she hit me with a three and a half in word this in Roman gang. Word of my Caesar. Word up my Caesar.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Or that.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

That.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

Yeah. Yeah, Liz is Yeah, what we're not, we don't need to do this on a pod with a video that's never gonna come out. So um, but uh yeah, I I think that mentality of like this is good, this is what we're supposed to do, especially as men, like we really can get into that, and like we can get into that for good reason. Like, we can get into that with like family. Yeah, it's like I have a family, I have to take care of them, it is what it is. You just you know shut down and push through. And he was like, dude, I spent way too much time in my life just kind of living that way and just and literally letting myself die as a result. And so there was and so he was like, dude, I had to I had to change it up. Uh and and so I think there's there's a balance to it, right? Like what you're saying, right? We can don't we can we're not gonna feel happy about everything on this earth, but at the same time, I think it's good to notice the seasons that were in that mi f place so that we can at least so that we can give those to God and at least at least walk with them through him and stay present in them, and so and he can change that perspective e even if it's over time, most likely it will be over time.

SPEAKER_05 18:49

Yeah, and I think I've said this on the podcast before, but um there's this philosophy that I really like, and it's uh stagnant equals death. If you stay stagnant, you're gonna die. And whether that's where the philosophy comes from that would result in your physical death, um, but then you can bring that to so many areas of your life, like your walk with the Lord, or your friendships, or your family, or the workplace, or whatever. Like if you if you stop moving forward, if you stop forward momentum, you will die. Like your your soul will die, you know, your your dreams and your your passion and like all the stuff that like is supposed to drive and motivate you as a human being will die. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

So Liz, you you uh it looked like you had something to say about that a little earlier.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

Um to answer your question, I think for me to be vulnerable, it's like sometimes I don't believe in myself or I don't believe I have what it takes to do the great things. In the Christian faith, I know the answer is like, well, it's not you who's doing it, it's God who's doing it through you. And I'm like, um, cool beans. Thanks, Susan, or Aunt Willie. Like, there's like people in my life that have said that to me, and I know they mean it as encouragement. I'm like, I know God can use people who are unqualified, I know they can that He can use people who have poor belief systems about themselves. Like, I've read the stories in the Bible. I think, which I'm glad I'm not the only one who relates to it, and it's not like a new thought, but it's like I'm kind of like, wow, I really got to the place where I gave up on myself or b lost belief in myself. And I think that can be easily masked as like for me exhaustion or afraid of like not being able to like tackle a challenge, which I have a lot of grit actually when it comes to it. But if you dig down, it's actually that weird core belief of I don't believe that I have what it takes, even though I might be well qualified to do the things that I want to do, just need a little bit more time and patience and grace and trusting in the Lord for the right season and the due season.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

So yeah, yeah, that's very relatable.

SPEAKER_05 21:11

Yeah, and he's not gonna put you on like a glove, you know. It's like it's the Lord that does it, yeah. But like I still have a make like I still have to make a decision to do something. Yeah. I say that generally. Not I mean me too, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:28

Brooklyn, you got an answer?

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Um I think mine is somewhat similar to Liz's. I have like a fear of looking foolish. And I kind of in in certain areas, I'll let that stop.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

I'll let that um Luke is giggling and uh Hammy is distracted.

unknown 21:50

I can't look at him.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

There are some areas where, like, yeah, I'll look foolish. Like, I can't dance, but she throw on some fifties music.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

Well, that's get the shoulders going. Yes, there.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

A little bit of shoulder action.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

That that's the dang truth, ain't it?

SPEAKER_00 22:03

Right. But if it's like serious things that I I know I'm unqualified for, then I have this fear of looking foolish. And so I will at times allow that fear to impede whether or not I will take that step. Um and I think really that's my biggest thing. I think in the Christian circles, we kind of just refer to it as fear of man. And like it's I want to say it sounds so general and so cliche, but it's so true. Like it's literally just the fear of how man sees you and yeah, sometimes I care a little too much about that.

SPEAKER_02 22:40

That's valid. That's valid. Hey man. Peace over perfection by Faith Chang. That is my uh she is my artist of the week. Ha ha, I did it. Now when are y'all gonna go?

SPEAKER_04 22:58

Childish.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

Child. Of the Lord. Ha! Nailed it. They've turned off the pod. Thanks for at least you're still listening, mom. Anywho. Hi, mom.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

Hi, Luke's mom.

SPEAKER_02 23:12

There we go. Had to say what's up to Luke's mom, always. Still still rocking with the cup, by the way. Thanks. Uh all right. One of y'all. Mine's the segue. We've already been over.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

Okay, fine. I'll go.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Um, my artist, I think I'll talk about Bellsburg Sessions. They're this little group, like it's a collective of different artists, some bigger names like Andrew Peterson, Amy Grant.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

Oh, it's my dude. I love Andrew Peterson.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

Ashley Cleveland, and then there's a couple of other like smaller names who aren't as prominent. But they all got together back in 2020-ish. And they recorded a an album. I think it was actually like two albums. But they recorded them in Rich Mullen's home in Bellsburg, Tennessee. That's why you listen to these guys. You guys I found a way to get Rich Mullins on the ride.

SPEAKER_02 24:05

Christian backyardigans out of here, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

Actually, you need to listen to the album. It's really good. Rich Mullins, another one in summer of 2026. So this summer. Um What are they called again? Bellsburg. Bell Biv DeVoe. Bellsburg Sessions.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Bellsburg Sessions. I shouldn't be crapping on them. Shout out to y'all.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

It's really Bellbound Sessions?

SPEAKER_01 24:28

I would wear the heck out of those. Of course, yeah, we'll get Rich Mullins on the back pocket. And she's from the 40s.

SPEAKER_02 24:35

The 70s was hip for her. Anywho.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Hippie.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

Sorry, we're getting into our inside jokes, and y'all don't know those. So continue with the Bellsburg sessions.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Alright. So, anyways, this group of artists, they get together in Rich Mullins' old home in Bellsburg, Tennessee, and they recorded these two albums, and they have like a very homey, acoustic, kind of a house fires type feel. And yeah, it's just really good. It's really enjoyable. And they they tried their best to make their albums replicate Rich the sound of Rich Mullins' final album, The Jesus Record. He didn't ever actually get to actually record it. All that's like he had a bunch of demo tapes. He went to an old abandoned church with an old out-of-tune piano and played out these songs that he wanted to go on this Jesus record. So it's like the gospel story through a variety of different songs that like they don't always sound inherently Christian. Like, and that's what I love about Rich Mullen's music is it doesn't yeah, it has that 80s 90s feel, but it's like it doesn't sound inherently Christian. Um and after he died in the car accident, they found these demos, and a lot of the artists who are on the Bellsburg Sessions album recorded these uh the demos that he did as actual like full productions back in like 98, I wanna say. And so they were kind of trying to base the Bellsburg Sessions feel off of the demos for the Jesus Record. Anyways, that's the story, and I love them. And they're doing another album. So yay.

SPEAKER_02 26:15

That's cool. That's cool. And I do like Andrew Peterson, and um I think Amy Grant I've heard of her too. I mean, I should hope so. I said I heard I've heard of her, she's like a massive artist.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

I love Amy Grant.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Why do you love Amy Grant so much?

SPEAKER_01 26:30

She's probably like the greatest singer-songwriter for the Christian world for like one of them in the women.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

Is she really?

SPEAKER_01 26:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

The more she went into pop music and she did baby baby.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

That's true. The producer just said there's a lot of tension in her voice, which get a good vocal coach if you want to sing.

SPEAKER_00 26:49

Yeah, and you can tell like through the years that that's it's a little more prominent, but she still has like one of her early albums, beautiful voice.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Alright, fair enough. Uh gotta put some respect on Amy Grant's name. My bad girl. Shout you, I suppose. Uh all right. Thank you. I I I like I like the background of all that. That was sick. See, this is why this is why I have friends who know music, because if it was just me and Luke, we'd be like, yeah, they were sick. I enjoy having like deep music conversations.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

So uh you like having them.

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Yeah, so I have y'all so I can sit and listen to the pod. So um, all right. Luke, this better be good because you've been you've been sitting there like mine's the transition. I was like, all right? It's Ella. Alright, fair enough. One of Ella's fellas.

SPEAKER_05 27:43

I'm an Ella Fella. I'm actually the fella.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

I was about to say, why wait, why'd you throw me into that?

SPEAKER_01 27:48

That's debatable.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

What do you huh? What's debatable?

SPEAKER_01 27:53

I don't see a ring.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

That he's the only one? I'm the Ella Fella, like the number one. Oh, that's what's debatable.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

Just because you have her on close friends doesn't mean you're the LFL.

SPEAKER_05 28:02

I've got a picture with her, multiple. Anyways, I do.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

I believe you. No, that trust me, that was not. She posted me on her Instagram. Did she really? Yeah. That's wild. I'll show you.

SPEAKER_05 28:13

I got it saved.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

I I believe that too.

SPEAKER_05 28:16

It was in uh Norfolk at the scope. Anyways. Um, Ella released her album Dandelion, and it is straight gas. I used to not like female country artists because I couldn't relate and I thought they complained a lot. Um, just being honest. Like Keying dudes' cars and whatnot. I'm like, why don't you just get over yourself? Like go to church.

SPEAKER_04 28:40

But just go to church.

SPEAKER_05 28:42

Yeah, go to church. Drink some water, calm down. Oh no, calm down. It's my favorite line. I learned the hard way with that one. Um shout out, Nada. Um yeah, no, her her album Sick, holy mackerel. And um, it definitely wasn't the vibe that I thought it was gonna be, especially from the intro. Um, she posted this video of her, I think it's her grandfather singing it. And she's like, like when she was a kid, she's like dancing to it. It's Froggy went and went a courtin. Um, but she's even got like this old style sound to it, and I'm like, that's sick. My jaw was on the floor when I like played it. I was like, confirmed. This is sick. Um but like everything on it is this is my time right now.

SPEAKER_02 29:36

No producers upstairs like wild. That's why Keith are all like this. Tom and Twitter in the middle of the club. Why do you think I'll send them next to each other? Fight, fight, fight. More views in 2030. Once this video comes out, bum, we out of here.

SPEAKER_05 30:01

We're gonna make a pay-per-view of Hammy just beating the brakes off of me. So I would never hit a woman, anyways. Um, yeah, this whole album is good. I don't think there's a single song that I didn't like. Um I liked like for me, the album's so good because I just got to see all the the lead up to it over the last couple years because she's demoed a bunch of songs and um she's even done a bunch of interviews recently, like talking about the album and how like so much in her life has changed since she started making it. Um, like specifically with her what is that song called? Uh her song Speaking Terms. It's about like getting back on speaking terms with God, you know, where she had kind of like walked away from the Lord. Um that's kind of like the backstory of it. So that that's been super cool. But then I think as well, one of the things that I like so much about it is that it like the sound has gotten away from what country music has like popular country music has been for the past 15 plus years. Um where it's like it's new, like the sound is new. It doesn't feel like I'm like turning the radio on and just listening to radio tunes. It's like all of this stuff is good. Like there's sounds that I've never heard in country music before on this album, not to mention Luke Combs' newest album. He's doing the same thing. It's a bunch of new sounds that I'm like, this is sick, this is so cool, I'm all about it. Um I will say my favorite song off of it all time at the moment is We Know Us. Um that's the fourth track, but then the song that I found the most fun was I Gotta Quit. Super fun, really upbeat.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

So I've heard the album, I forgot how that one went, but fair. No, it's a good album. It's a very good album.

SPEAKER_05 32:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

Yeah. I enjoyed it. I I definitely enjoyed it. And I was uh I remember listening to an interview that she did with Theo Vaughn the like the day, dude.

SPEAKER_05 32:10

I've seen clips of it.

SPEAKER_02 32:11

Like the day before it came out, and I think there, I think it was there, she was essentially saying how she's it she kind of has gotten off the vices in this album as opposed to her last album, which is is the name Hung Over.

SPEAKER_05 32:27

Yeah, it's uh hungover and then the deluxe is still hungover.

SPEAKER_02 32:30

Yeah, so it's it's very interesting to hear how like introspective it is because it's the same it's a lot of the same topics, a lot of heartbreak, a lot of like uh like evaded love or something like that, but yeah, it is without the whole like uh sort of party girl persona. Losing and losing. Yeah, so it it is interesting, and I think hearing hearing it described as that and then listening to the song speaking terms was really interesting. Uh I think uh I don't know, I thought it was just really relatable, this whole concept of like getting tired of the life I'm living and actually dealing with the the in the inner me or the the things in my life that are burdening me. And now no, man, it was is a very cool concept.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

And yeah, it was so cool because she would like I think she said she went home for like two weeks and then just like kind of logged off of everything and just spent time with her in the Lord, really rustling through a lot of things, and it's really cool. She came out of that and was talking with one of her friends, and she's like, Yeah, I feel like I'm you know, like loving life again, and that's how that song like even come out of it. So, like, there's just like a lot of cool stories and nuances about like returning not just returning home, returning to stuff that makes you feel joyful, mainly the Lord and her family and her friends, and then the Lord reinstills that passion and that craft, and um, not like she lost it, but just gives new life and vibrancy to it almost.

SPEAKER_05 33:52

And then the Choose in Texas music video was next level. She had a bunch of like famous cowboys in it.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Oh, that's right. You did say that Dandelion by Ella Langley. Good, good album. Go check it out. Now, that being said, hit that segue. There is one song on there that inspired a question for the ladies. Now, usually Me too. No, I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Only if you twirl your hair.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

No, I'm not doing that. Not on camera. I'll do that. And so usually, y'all, as you know, usually Liz is our only lady, but today we've uh drafted Brooklyn and so that Girl Power. So that I can ask this uh question for uh for for to for uh so this question so that so that this podcast is not so aggressively like just dude oriented, which it is, but it is what it is. Dude, there is a single on the album called Be Her. Luke, you want to hit us with a little sample?

SPEAKER_05 34:55

No.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Dang it. I thought I could trick him into it. So our shout out our friend Jacqueline. She said Luke there was a time where that song was playing in the car and Luke was going crazy. He was having a great time. So I was like, let's see if I can just get it out of him now. Um, but the song is essentially I just I just want to be her, man. Exactly. It's a it's essentially Ella comparing herself to probably some girl that some dude she liked actually likes and talking about like, man, I want everything that she has, not to be sitting over here, you know, being me. Am I off Luke? No, no, no, you nailed it.

SPEAKER_05 35:35

Oh, okay. Hardy's a writer on this song. Hardy's another Christian Christian. I don't know about that. Country artist. And he he writes a lot in Nashville. So he's on most of like the biggest songs. Like he's he's credited on it. But I learned that the other day, and I actually saw both of them live. Um, and they're they're both incredible. That's a little fun fact I just learned like yesterday. Well, that fact was fun.

SPEAKER_02 36:03

So uh you just paused in both of them, like I know, they're both just on their phone, like this is their topic. Um I can talk about how I would.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

I'm looking up the lyrics in the same reference to whatever question you have to do.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

They're actually good potting, and I'm just being a butt.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

Yeah. Okay, thanks.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Sorry, you're doing great. I I think so.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

Dedicated the episode's still dedicated to you. Justin.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

This is your episode, bro. Duh. Hello. Who else would it be dedicated to? But anywho. Lou was like, that's gay. Anywho, um, before I cancel myself, just sitting there chatting. Uh so I wanted to ask if that concept of comparison and is relatable. And the reason I asked this is not actually as much because of the song. I have been waiting for a way to ask this because I have heard from many women, particularly in the church, who feel like they don't either fit or relate to whatever common church girl, Christian girl aesthetic that we that I think so many of our influencers or book writers or all that kind of stuff, um, that that that they have, and almost feels like that image of woman is put on a pedestal, whether it's the whatever people have turned Proverbs 31 into, whatever people have turned Ruth into, that's the that's the two, yo. That's the two. These girls love banging on Proverbs 31 and Ruth to be like all of womanhood. That's just and so uh. But as a result, like it's created, like I've heard this from multiple people, and I think both of you have expressed it in your own way of just feeling like I don't always fit that aesthetic and some element of concern related to it. So I just wanted to see if that's a relatable uh feeling to y'all, and yeah, just kind of hear your opinions on that.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

I have um an additional take on the be her song. In my brain, she's talking about like someone who she wants to be, not necessarily like I there is this girl who is everything there.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Um not saying like she's like all of the first things in this she wants to be this ideal person as like the secondary like phrase in it. But I think I don't know if that's was her intent on this song, but like I hold myself to a standard where it's like I'm this phrase, but I want to be her, which is like more in the word, more faithful, more so that's how I heard this song as, in addition to maybe like that comparing it to another actual person who has it all together. Oh, interesting. Okay. Um in terms of relating to like the Christian woman, I think there, or the standard that we've like maybe associated with it because of social media and then like a standard. Um, I think it's just been really hard to attain certain things that are maybe like praised for and the things that I'm actually gifted in, like I play down because they don't match like um the standard that everyone else has, or like popular characteristics that are like seen in a lot of other people. Like I might not have that trait, but I have other things that I'm very proud of that should be praiseworthy or sought after, like in a Proverbs 31 wife person. So like I think my attention to detail is something that's really like that's not to say like it's unique or it's like not in the mold, but I'm like that's not something when you think of, oh, like a Proverbs 31 Christian girl. Like it's a different, like over the household trait, but it's not as like marketable or trendy sounding, and there are like other things maybe. I might have to like flush out the idea as we chat and like figure it out. Yeah, no, that's fine.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Oh, toss it to me. Uh well, I kind of actually agree with Liz's take on the interpretation of the song, more so being like, this is what I want to be, versus looking at some other woman, be like, why can't I just be like her? Um, I think a lot of women tend to struggle with the whole, oh, I don't know if I I fit the Proverbs 31 mold, or I'm not really much like Ruth or Esther, and um like striving to obtain that uh per those personality qualities. Um for me, I think when I was younger, it was something that I struggled with. Um mostly due to growing up in purity culture and just you know being surrounded with the types of Christians who would wear skirts and head coverings, and you know, that wasn't all of my friends growing up, but there were there were a few, and I wasn't like that. Yeah. And so I remember like wanting to fit in there, and so I went through a phase of just wearing skirts and covering my head at like 12 years old. And I I just kinda I like to say I outgrew that phase. Now I really don't care. Like I I do not care about I know I talked about fear of man earlier. I think it's fear of man associated with performance, like the things that I do. Now I'm more so I I could not care less about what people think of me as a person. Like, so long as I know I am living a godly lifestyle and I am trying my best every day to show Jesus to the world and to live in a way that honors and glorifies him, then I don't care because I know I am striving to honor the Lord. Okay. Um, and I just I don't have time. Like honestly, honestly, this is probably gonna sound a little bit prideful, but going through the lyrics Finally, someone else I'm the only one who brings the pride to the podcast. Well, going through the the like the lyrics of this one, there there are some where like I can look at and be like, I am that. Like the whole says just what she thinks. I do that.

SPEAKER_05 42:41

We know.

SPEAKER_00 42:42

I know you know, but the listeners need to know. I say what I think. There it is. Like I I don't appreciate being around the bush. Um yeah, I just I don't know, it's not necessarily something that I really struggle with.

SPEAKER_02 42:59

So so clarify to me then, because um I think I used the song to ask a different question, but clarify to me the difference between what I asked and what you're getting from the song because I think that's more interesting than I think for me, like I hold myself to a standard and I want to be that standard all the time.

SPEAKER_01 43:20

For me, I want my words to be true, I want to be a hard worker, I want to be dedicated, I want to show up for my friends with compassion and need, and I want justice for when they've been wronged or when I've been wronged. Um I want to fight for what I want, I want to love what I do, I want to not be afraid to call something out when people are being overlooked or misused or mistreated, and I still struggle with but I'm gonna let it slide because I fear rape percussions or I get so selfish with my priorities that I don't check in. With a friend, or I'm not able to, you know, show up as authentically and as vulnerable as I want because I'm scared. And so the person I want to be takes actually a lot more work and a lot more, um, I'm gonna say like guts, because it actually demands a lot. And not like it demands a lot, like it's unattainable, but it's like to show up that authentic, that genuine and real. I feel like those words are so overused, but like those are the qualities that it's kind of like abrasive in our culture because it's not normal to show up fully as yourself and fully everything you want to stand for. Because there's a lot of other factors, maybe um, again, for me, self-doubt or just like time, resources, like circumstances pop up like you can't control, um, and just really living out the core values you believe a hundred percent out.

SPEAKER_02 44:56

So you think the her is just a higher version of herself?

SPEAKER_01 44:59

For me, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:00

Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Brooklyn, is that what you kind of got as well?

SPEAKER_00 45:04

For the most part, but I think a lot of people interpret the song as like being one of comparison. And so my take is just well, like, I don't play the comparison game.

SPEAKER_02 45:15

So fair, fair, fair. What I do. I was about to say, I was like, doesn't I still want to be her cut that from the film? I meant my little screen. I'm gonna do much pain for that. More of a mauve. Go a point for that. I'm a mauve. More of a mauve. Boy, hey. I don't even know what I'm saying at this point. Liz is just in the corner like it's your episode. What did I say? Dedicated to the dedicated to the boy and pack. Anyway, uh, no, I was I was hearing that. I was like, all right, a lot of comparison seems to be coming up in this episode. And so I'm I'm glad you you caught on to that. So I'm interested in hearing what you want to.

SPEAKER_05 46:17

Yeah, no, the whole time I was like, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:20

He's like, yeah, I also want to be her.

SPEAKER_05 46:22

Yeah, I want to be her so bad. It hurts so bad, it hurts her.

SPEAKER_02 46:25

Yeah. And the girls aren't laughing, which means that it's not.

SPEAKER_01 46:33

I do it for you, huh? I do it for you. Because you want hot pot afterwards. I can go to hot pot by myself.

SPEAKER_05 46:41

Anyways, I compare myself to other dudes around me all the time. And for me, I think I'm working on getting to um having healthy comparison because I think I think there's a level of it that is healthy where like I don't want to be news flash. I haven't ever been the smartest person in the room, um, or the strongest person, or the the kindest person, or the wisest person, or any of these things. Because if I am that, then I I don't have anybody to chase. You know, I don't have anybody to emulate. Because that's what well. Anyways, like there's not that standard. Thanks for the Sunday school answer. Yeah, thank you. Thanks, Andy. But there's not that standard being set by by my peers. Yeah. You know, um, I like to say this all the time, but the the guys that helped raise me and become the man that I am, once I once I turned 18 and moved out, like those men, I I say this to everybody, and I know I've said it to you guys, but they're giants to me. Like they're absolute legends to me. Like the things that they've done in this life, the the way that they lead, the the way that they love the Lord, and the way that they love life and go through life, I'm like, I want to be that. I want to be exactly like all five of those dudes. I want to be like them a hundred percent. And the comparison for me is like not being down on myself that I'm not like that yet, you know, because I used to live with all of them. So I know they're not perfect, but there's really great things that they have about themselves and their character and the way they carry themselves, the way, like I said, the way they love the Lord, where it's like, I want to be that. And I think there's a lot of things that I emulate from them, and I just want to keep doing that. So for me, I'm always looking for that person where it's like, what can I pull? You know.

SPEAKER_02 48:51

So you know what I uh I struggle with? So I was let me see, I'll see if I can find the name of the guy, but uh I was reading I was re-listening to the article, uh, the Substack article that the um I know you two at least know about it. I don't know if Brooklyn was in that text group, but um the article from that talks about God doesn't have a plan for your life, and it's not and he wasn't saying it in the sense of like God doesn't have a plan for individuals, it's that we read such an individualistic view into a lot of instructions that actually were for community and were actually meant to not be so single-minded. I'll probably post it on the Instagram if I find it. Um but I was thinking about that today because I was so just bogged down by my life and by what I was how I like where I felt like I was versus where I want to be. And it it just kind of made me think to myself, like, what do I think I'm supposed to do as opposed to like what God really wants in the world? And it really, it really just kind of forced me to ask, can I make my individual dreams? Because we are a very individualistic country, and that's kind of what he was bringing up was like we talk a lot about my dreams, my uh my purpose, my plan, all that kind of stuff. And I was like, can I make it collaborative? Is there any like can I make take my dreams and turn them from a what can I do to you know build my life to where I want where I want it to be or who I think I want to be to uh can my dreams bring others into it? Like can my dreams just by nature, not like ness not even just like can people work with me, can I collaborate with people? Like can I bring us up? And can I essentially that whole concept of being a part of the body, right? Like what who am I in the body of Christians and Christian believers, and how do I work in that as opposed to stand myself out? Um I don't know if you guys ever have that thought of comparing like where do my dreams fit into whatever this Christian path is, or whatever this concept of the church that Christ built is like I don't know if you guys ever question that for yourselves, or I don't know. I just thought that was an interesting insight from that article.

SPEAKER_05 51:49

I don't I like I'll be honest, I don't I don't think that way of like how does this fit in, right? But I do want to say this like that thing you just said of like can I bring people in, or is what I'm doing bringing people in, and I'm paraphrasing, but like to inspire people and to build other people up and to do all those things. Doug, I'll tell you this to the cow cup the cows come home, like you do, yeah, like you're actually a rock star at it. And thanks, Keith. Keith came from the skies, yep. Yeah, no, like again, you you're a legend at it. Like I don't think I've said this on the podcast, but I've said it to you to your face a bunch of times. The stuff that I'm doing in my life, and like the my writing, or even being here, or even getting started on the woodworking thing that I did one time, like none of that would have happened if you if you didn't push, if you didn't encourage, if you didn't like ask the questions, and not even just ask the questions and push, but then like offer yourself and be like, hey, if you want to do this, you tell me and I'll help you do it. Like whatever you need, I will do it.

SPEAKER_01 53:08

You know, second thought.

SPEAKER_02 53:10

I appreciate that. Yeah, and I I think I think that um I think that concept all even calmed me a little bit. Like that concept of like, oh, all your instructions are more for the church than for specifically Andrew. Okay, well, how's the church doing? Like then it like right, like it then made me think of the people in my life. Like, how are they doing? Like, what can I like where like I don't know, where are where is everybody in my life, I guess? And so we're here. Yeah, this is it.

SPEAKER_00 53:46

Love y'all, but then well, do you know though, that's probably like I would say that that's the point of realizing that about scripture because so much of you know, like the verses that people like to put on coffee mugs and in their bathrooms and everything, like those are they're cherry-picked, they're taken completely out of context. So you miss the context of what's being said, and you miss that in a lot of those verses, especially Jeremiah 29, 11. He is talking to a group of people, he's not talking to one individual. I have a plan and a purpose for your life. Your is plural. And realizing that, oh, it's not just about me, is more so like that's what gets you out of yourself. That's what causes you to look up to God, but also to like the people who are around you, so that you're serving your community and thereby showing Christ and showing the Lord and his care to people. Because we, especially in Western culture, we like to individualize our faith. Oh, it's just me and God, and I don't need anybody else. And that's not the purpose. Like you can see that throughout the gospel, throughout Acts and Romans and all of the early churches, like the purpose of our faith is community because we're trying to bring people in. It's not just a me and God thing. So having that realization, like, oh, hey, wait, he's talking to a group of people in these passages. It's actually, I I mean, I would say you're you're farther along than most of the people in the Western Church.

SPEAKER_02 55:19

Well, and even speaking, like just listening to you, I'm speak like I'm thinking that probably helps with some of the comparison stuff, right? Is if I'm looking at life more from a my faith is supposed to bring you in, my faith is supposed to be like my gifts are supposed to serve but also collaborate with to serve others, and um it helps like then people's differences become an advantage, they become an opportunity, as opposed to a reason to bog myself down as to why I'm not you.

SPEAKER_01 55:51

Yeah, and I think we follow a very like 1950s American dream Christianity, and we're seeing the fruit of like not necessarily like that is the only thing besides our own sinfulness and our own desires that we haven't got in check as well, but that played a huge part into like prospering like individual dreams and then maybe getting let down and then thus comparing horizontally versus like that communal like focus. Um yeah, and I I don't think that era of time was bad either, right? There was a time of rebuilding after something very terrible, and like that like there are verses in the Bible that again are cherry-picked, uh talking about the promotion of your dreams or the desires of your heart, or um I I'm having a hard time recalling some of them right now, but in context, like it actually means something. And so I think it's what exactly what Brooklyn's saying is like you need to surround that uh study in that passage with what was going on in scripture, or if it was a psalm, like what was going on in David's life, and there are just things that there's a lot of deeper truth than just the cherry-picking, like top level of like low-hanging fruit that you could grab that's not even correct low-hanging fruit of some scripture passages.

SPEAKER_00 57:14

So and I think too, like that like the individualism thing and our tendency towards it, it almost eradicates 1 Corinthians 12, which is the passage that talks about how we are all members of one body and there's a purpose for each member. Um yeah, that's really all I wanted to say on that. Like just 1 Corinthians 12. It's important and it's overlooked.

SPEAKER_02 57:44

Yeah, valid.

SPEAKER_00 57:45

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 57:48

Luke got closer to the mic is he got closer to the mic and then got lost. Um did you have something to No, I'm in pain. Oh, okay. I'm good, I'm good.

SPEAKER_01 58:03

All right, let me do it.

SPEAKER_02 58:07

Oh, that's right. You were stretching over there. All right, well.

SPEAKER_01 58:12

I'd like to follow up with the thought that um even though I didn't talk about it, and then maybe Brooklyn doesn't relate to it as much, like maybe there is a comparison level that we do play women do for one another, like a shoulder against shoulder, but in a different way. I don't think it's as like we don't relate to it the way that you guys do in your view of comparison, but I'd love to do a deeper dive on that because I think there are some ways that we're really good at like, you know, supporting each other in the wins, and then we become very envious or internally tear others down. And I'm a super like big proponent and like or not proponent like I am for it, but I struggle with that, like where I'm like, man, like there are some people that I'm like I should be celebrating their wins, and I end up very envious of them instead. So it's not to say that's not something that us women don't struggle with either.

SPEAKER_00 59:06

So yeah, I can agree with that. There are times where like I'll look at some of my peers and wow, you really got that, huh? But I think like the Lord has really, really humbled me in that in a lot of ways. Um, and it's not a pleasant process being humbled of like being jealous of somebody and thinking, oh well, I deserved that and you didn't. Um But I I've honestly learned to write down things. Like I'll look at people, most um I mean most of my friends and the women that I look to, like that I want to be like are much, much older. Love you all. Um, but like I'll look at the qualities they have and I'll write them down and then I'll take it to the Lord and be like, hey, you know, Winnie has this quality and I really want to embody that, or Renee does this thing, and I really appreciate that, or my mom does something else, and and I want that. Like, but I don't want to be those people. Like, and that's where I think we need to separate more the people versus Christ, because we are supposed to want to be exactly like Christ, right? And I don't think it's wrong to see things that are admirable in our peers and in those, you know, who are older than us or in authority above us and want to be like them in certain ways, but you have to keep in mind it's in certain ways. If you're trying to be completely like them, then that's idolatry. Like that's placing something above Christ. And so one of the things that I learned to do, which is why I don't struggle so much with the comparison game, is I just would okay, I really admire this person. What is it I admire about them? Write it down and take it to the Lord in prayer and be like, if this is a quality that you want me to have, then I want you to grow this in me. Like this is something I find admirable. If this is truly honoring and pleasing to you, then you know, do whatever it takes to grow this in me. And I think that honestly has been such a help.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:10

There there is this really important balance, and I I know we gotta head out, but I think part of the reason this kind of uh stuck with me because there is a need for the individual assessment, right? And so one of the things that's helped me is being a little bit more curious about myself, both in the good and bad things I do. Because obviously the good things I do show like potential godly motivation, but the bad things I do, they're not just out of nothing. Like there's a motivation behind them, and that motivation might be twisted or might be broken, but it might it's not it's not there for no reason. And so if I assume that God carefully, lovingly crafted me, then it becomes a lot more curious as to like, well then why am I like this? And there's a process of sort of loving the individual that and then loving the individual by letting God love the individual, but his love will lead to giving it back. And so I would say that's something I'm working on, but that's I think what drew me to these questions. But so um y'all, I love this, I love collaborating with you guys. I love uh just doing this pod. So, Brooklyn, thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:46

Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:47

On one of the days you actually could have had off. So I know gold star. All right, for the rest of y'all, all right, get off this pod and go do something with your lives. Uh remember, eternity is for the beautiful, eternity is for the timeless, eternity is for the hammy, and eternity is for those who walk with God. Uh, and everyone's welcome. Till the next time. Peace.