The Lyric and The Light
A weekly space where faith and music meet. Each episode, we will take one song- from timeless hymns to modern worship- and pair it with the living truth of Scripture.
The Lyric and The Light
Catching Up
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
No big theme. No perfectly organized lesson. Just us catching up.
Life has been full lately, and apparently we had more to talk about than we realized. This week we’re sharing some of what has been happening behind the scenes, laughing about the chaos, reflecting on where we’ve seen God moving, and taking several completely necessary conversational rabbit trails.
We talk about life, faith, ministry, unexpected moments, and what it looks like to keep showing up when things are exciting, exhausting, meaningful, messy—or all four at once.
Basically, consider this your invitation to pull up a chair and join the conversation.
Coffee encouraged. Staying on topic not guaranteed.
Cold Open And Lyric Confusion
SPEAKER_00Jesus copied truth and says, don't agree, you can't kiss our. It's the lyric and the lie.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
Video Setup And Third Take
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to the lyric in the light. I'm Lena. I'm Dion. And for those of you listening, we are excited to be back. For those of you watching, this is our first time recording a video of us doing the Lyric in the Light. And we haven't quite figured out all the technical side of that yet. So just be with us and while we while we try something new. The technical side of hitting record. Yeah. On our phone. And trying to make sure we're looking at each other and being present in the conversation, but also looking at you. So you're not just staring at the sides of our head the whole time. And also being aware that some of you aren't looking at us at all and being mindful of that too. So this is new. So just bear with us today. This is actually the third time we're recording this because everything just kept going really sideways. So, you know, welcome to the Lyric in the Light and the back row of you. Yes. Yeah. So we've talked about a lot of hot button topics lately. Today we're gonna just kind of catch up because we have we both have a lot going on and we want to talk about it and share it with you guys. So Dion, you have something really big going on. Should we open in prayer for you? Oh, yes. Thank you. Okay, reeling us back. Okay.
Opening Prayer And Settling In
SPEAKER_02Father God, thank you for bringing us together again today. Thank you for friendship, laughter, good conversation, and the people you give us to walk through with them. Be right here in the middle of whatever we talk about today. Give us wisdom when we need it, grace when we get it wrong, and maybe just a little restraint when we probably shouldn't say the things that come to mind. Most of all, let somebody listening today feel a little lighter, a little less alone and reminded that you're present even in the ordinary moments. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Okay. I'm also gonna try not to spill coffee all over myself like I did just before we started. She brought me Starbucks and I jumped it into my lap.
SPEAKER_03So so you're pure you're pretty though. You're pretty. You're pretty, you're prettier. I know. I didn't know we were gonna be on video this morning, so I uh apologize about that. Anyway, I think there's just something wrong with the lid, right? It's the lid, it's probably something that to the lid. I probably I do I am spending it everywhere. I did that's fine. So, what do you have going on starting tomorrow that we should tell everybody about so they can be
Neck Surgery Tomorrow And Real Fears
SPEAKER_03praying for you?
SPEAKER_02Yes, I am having neck surgery tomorrow. So, yeah, I have a uh I have cervical stenosis, I've had it for probably 10 years, but May of this spring, I injured my neck headbanging to my husband's band at Light the Way Worship in the Park. And four months later, I am going to have neck surgery. So yeah, so they are taking two of the discs that are crushed in on each other, and they are doing whatever they whatever they do. They're gonna cut into the front left side of my neck, and it's just they said to the left of the trachea. I don't know. I all I heard was something about the spinal cord, and I got and then I blinked everything out. So yeah, but yeah. How are you feeling about it? I I've said to somebody I was talking to this morning that for the first morning, actually, though, in four months, I woke up feeling pretty like at peace this morning and not as in pain as I've been. So weird, you know, but I think it's the peace of God that's coming over me. And so, yes, I'm nervous. I'm more a little put off about the six-week recovery and the neck brace for six weeks, is sounds not very fun. But knowing you, you'll find a way to make that neck brace stylish, though. Well, this is what's funny is somebody said, Why don't you bling it? And I'm like, Okay, I don't want to bling, but whatever. Anyways, yeah, I I guess I could do that, but I don't really plan on leaving the house.
SPEAKER_03And I'm okay with that. She's the introvert of introvert, so like give me another reason to stay.
SPEAKER_02I'm I'm okay with it. I'm okay with it. But I already have a lineup of people that are coming to help out, and you know, so think that's nice. Probably, I think just next week and then maybe the second week if I need some help. But I mean, they they want you up. I it it's outpatient too. So it's two-hour max surgery, and then you go home. So yeah, um, and they I don't know, I'm sure they'll want you resting a couple days, but you know, beyond that, they want you up and not just right. I mean, I don't, I think well, I would surgery.
SPEAKER_03If they say that, I would thoroughly encourage it because it made the a huge difference when I had I had gastric bypass surgery years ago back in 2021. And I mean, within probably a day and a half of getting home, I mean that was an in-hospital stay for a couple days, but within a day or and a half of being home, I was already repurposing furniture and like doing all kinds of things. But I and I dumped my pain medication down the sink. Oh, wow. I was too nervous that because I've had a history with us, I was never, you know, much of a downer person or like a pain medication person, but I was just nervous with my history that I that it like I didn't want it to become a problem. And that's how a lot of people end up getting problems with withdrawal. Are you okay? I'm gonna hold it on.
SPEAKER_02I'm gonna hold it with two hands.
SPEAKER_03Dear life, girl. Especially if it's hot. Two hands. They're gonna hold it. But that's how a lot of people end up developing drug problems is is they have surgeries and they have to take pain medication and they end up becoming dependent on it.
SPEAKER_02Well, I don't plan on becoming a drug addict and getting addicted to pain. Well, I'll sort you out if you do. I also had gastric sleeve surgery in 2023. I did not bounce back as quickly as you did from that. Mine was awful. I had an awful experience. But I will tell you something else that I have found out in my lifetime of surgeries is you know that when they tell you like the one in a million that that'll happen to you, you'll be fine. I'm the one that usually it happens to. So okay.
SPEAKER_03Well, let's hope it's the one in a million that just gets miraculously saved, and they get in there and they're like, Oh, there's nothing to do here. The Lord has already home, and I'm like, just take off the thing and I'll be fine.
SPEAKER_02Gorgeous, it's always yeah. I don't know if that's gonna happen. You know, that'd be nice. I do have faith that the Lord could do that, but yeah, you never know. We'll find out. I mean, you're moving around pretty good today. Maybe he's like, you don't even need this. So that's what's going on um tomorrow. And
Recovery Plans And Possible Recording Break
SPEAKER_02then, so coming up here we are for the first time doing a video, and we may be taking a break. Um, we don't know if we're taking a break. We will have a couple episodes to put out beyond what you're seeing today, hearing today, but then beyond that, we don't know because of the recovery, your schedule. You also have a Disney trip coming up in November. I do. And then, you know, Thanksgiving, the holidays are just gonna sort of come rushing in, and we just don't know what our schedules will look will look like. So, are we taking a break beyond the next couple weeks? We're not sure.
SPEAKER_03We're gonna try to come back together to record before the break break because while I'm in Disney, obviously, we're not gonna be able to do anything, but we might be able to record before that happens, and then next year my work schedule's changing. Yeah, so then it's finding you know a time to get together to record. Well, yeah, we certainly are gonna try. So we are doing what we can, but we wanted to make sure that we we will we will though. You hear this? You hear the threats that I am under, the duress that I am under.
SPEAKER_02She's just my workhorse.
SPEAKER_03It's true. True, though. It is true. She texted me, she's like, do this, or else. Bring me coffee, bring me a tripod, bring me well.
SPEAKER_02One of the big things right now, though, is our videos that we're putting out. She seems to be the beautiful face of the Lyric in the light. And nobody's really viewing my videos. I think I just come across as the curmudgeon.
SPEAKER_03I'm really not. I don't know. You're not. So well, sometimes.
SPEAKER_04Sorry. Perform movie.
SPEAKER_02Perform. Sorry, I'm with her in the mornings. Do a video. I need a video. Okay, sorry. I need thoughts for the macro pew.
SPEAKER_03No, no, we're having fun with it though. Where she's we're where she sends me silly ideas and and it just honestly, I guess is uh whether people watch this or not, we do know that we've made an impact on some people, especially the mental health episode, the LGBTQ episode. Yeah. We've gotten some really positive feedback about people that have benefited from those episodes so that we know that we are making a difference. And even if we we said always said that if we made a difference with one person, one, then that was enough. And thankfully it's been more than one. Yeah. But we're also, this is also awesome for our friendship. We've become incredibly close since we're starting recording, and we have so much fun together that like this is Mondays is my day off. My my one real day off, because my other day off is family church, it's chores, it's all and I'm always like, why do you want to come here?
SPEAKER_02Like, why do you want to do podcasting? Don't you have things to do?
SPEAKER_03And I do things that you can do. I do, but I also you're my best friend, and I enjoy our time together. And I always and I always laugh. We can't sing that song though, not on this podcast. But uh but I I do enjoy our time together and and I and I la I like belly laugh every single time we get together. And I am gonna definitely miss that when you are taking a little bit of much needed time off. But I also have a lot going on coming up that I have to prepare for. So but we know too, if you're able to come here and record, we will.
SPEAKER_02I don't know that I would be on video with a neck phrase on, but I'll try to talk her into it just so we can all laugh at her together. I don't know. I'm not I'm not really sure about so. What are you up to? What have you been up to? What's been going on?
Arise Worship Night Vision And Details
SPEAKER_03Well, we have Arise coming up, which is our worship night in downtown Chesterton on October 23rd at Thomas Centennial Park from 5 to 10 p.m. And this is if you've been to a light the way night of worship, it is the same thing, but we decided to go with a theme this year that was actually inspired by our event in May. We have this woman named Melinda De Luca that always brings flags, and she's really involved in flag worship. And so she gave the kids a bunch of flags that they could run around with. Um, and she was teaching them about the colors and what they mean and all that. And then some older ladies grabbed flags also, and I was just kind of standing back observing, and I was watching these little kids and these older ladies, elderly ladies, dancing together side by side, waving flags and worshiping the Lord. And I was like, God, that's beautiful. That is so beautiful. And thinking about the next generation that's coming up and all these children that are coming up to know the Lord, and I really feel like God is just moving in our youth so much right now. You're seeing it all over the news in college campuses, in house churches, and revivals that are people are doing at home, kids getting baptized by the thousands, and you know, little kids, you know, in our communities and how involved they are in the churches. And I just feel like it's so much more prevalent now, and maybe it's where I live, I don't know, but it's it's beautiful to see. And so I really want to encourage them to kind of come up in their faith and be bold in their faith because they're the next generation of of spreaders of the gospel, and so it's important for for us to raise them up that way, and also you know, the people who've been, you know, kind of leading the charge in that and just saying, Well done, good and faithful servant, and letting them pass the baton on to the next generation. Yeah, so that's what a rise is. If you see the flyer for it, I had somebody, you know, question the fact that it was, you know, rainbow colored and is it, you know, this, that, or the other. Oh, I wasn't even thinking about it. Yeah, and I was like, no, it's just colorful because the flags are colorful, and I didn't really think about it either. But I said, But if you look at it, it's two older people waving kids out the door with their flags as they charge towards the light. Cheese and crackers. I don't think you should use that cup, or you should just use a different lid, or you should, I think you might have a hole in in your mouth.
SPEAKER_02I still think it's something you did to the lid.
SPEAKER_03I booby trapped it just for funsies.
SPEAKER_02I was actually kind of laughing at the thought of older women too, like you said waving or whatever, because older people can be like lesbian too, or that too, that too, but it's an older man and woman.
SPEAKER_03Look, they're standing on the inside of a door waving to these kids as they run towards the light with their flags behind them. And and and I just love that picture of like it's your turn.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_03You know, so and I and the song He Arose by uh Phil Wickham and Tommy Prophet came out, and the the buildup in that song, it's actually based on an old. Yeah, Janelle said that to me, and I said, Yeah, Lena doesn't know old hands. I I don't, I had no idea.
SPEAKER_01I thought it was a new song, but he arose, he arose, hallelujah, Christ arose.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'll have to play it for you, but it's a very different from the grave he arose. Yeah, it's very very different rendition of that song. If you've never heard Tommy Prophet, The Birth of a King is all the Christmas songs, and now he's doing, he did, he just did a new album that's more about the resurrection aspect. And that was one of the songs that he did, but it is the it is the most beautiful song. Was actually just screaming, worshiping it in the car on my way here. And that was also another kind of like a oh, he arose, which is where Arise came from. And I'm telling you, I have seen that word so many times since then. So I'm getting ready for that event. We have a solo artist named Max Anleiker, who is the worship leader at Liberty and Valpo. And then we have Shantae Lewis, who is the gospel choir director at Valparaiso University, and she's the those are the two kicking things off. And then we have Northwest Indiana Worship Collective, and that's Patty's group, and then we have her husband, Chad's group, Solo Fide, closing things out. There'll be speakers and communion, the opportunity to get baptized if you're not too cold to do it. And then we have a little special guest that I haven't even told you about that I'm excited to for everybody to see.
SPEAKER_02Oh, so you're
Kids On Stage And Passing The Baton
SPEAKER_02not gonna reveal it here who the special guest is?
SPEAKER_03That's Aria. She's practicing a song. Oh, really? Yeah, she said she wants to go for it. And she's like, so she's been working her little butt off uh called My Lighthouse. And she is so excited. Yes, yeah. I didn't I didn't know that was a thing either. I thought it was just like some little kid song. But she's been singing, I mean, in the shower last night, you should have heard Oh my gosh, you could hear her all the way down the stairs. But I said, Are you gonna panic if it's like 800 people staring back at you? And she said that she's hoping she can get a couple of her little friends up there with her, but even if they're just dancing around her, she's you know, her confidence is crazy. Arya's my daughter, and she's it's unbelievable, but she sounds so cute. And I'm telling you, if anybody makes a face at her and tries to break her spirit while she's worshiping the Lord, I promise security won't get to you fast enough. My husband and I will just be like, oh, you better go.
SPEAKER_02You know, you know who would be up there with her is my youngest granddaughter, Frankie. She's three, and my daughter just I mean, I've known this, but my daughter just sent me video from the weekend. They went to uh the brickyard uh candy race, and her fiance's boss paid for them to go and camp and do all these things there. And they have a video though of Frankie up on stage at karaoke, three years old, and she's up there hold holding it and like and she's but she's giving it to me. She's into it, yeah, yeah. And even here in our living room recently, we had set something up for her, and she was doing baloo from a jungle book. Love that. What is the song? No, that's the that's the monkey. The monkey blue is bare necessities. Look for the bare necessities. So she's sitting, she's standing in the living room though, and she's tapping her little foot and she's going like this look for the bare necessities. And she's she's just so animated. Yeah. You know, I said she's gonna be my performance little girly. We have a call coming in, but I thought we shut that up. So hopefully it's not a good idea. It's still recording, so we're okay. Mom, I'm recording right now. Sorry, I'll have to call you back. We'll get a video camera eventually one day. I love that for Aria though. So I hope that I mean, I'll be praying that she has confidence enough to do that.
SPEAKER_03She she's just a really confident kid, and my sister was like that too. I remember her getting up at the Oktoberfest and singing Edelweiss in front of thousands of people. And then, of course, at the end, she goes, My dad made me do this. And then she got off the stage, and my dad did not make her do that. She just got up there and then she like panicked at the end and was like, Oh, I don't want to take credit for this. I'm gonna make my dad was just like, you know, I didn't do that. She just like walked up on the stage and she's like, you know, Edelweiss, play it, Bobby, you know, like that was that was who she was. And I feel like Arya's the same kid. And she's been asking me, and I said, honestly, this is the best opportunity because this is about you. This is about your generation and you guys rising up. And I tried to get the kids together to do like a dancing thing, but I didn't really have anybody sign up for that. So, so this is this is that opportunity.
Worship Without Gatekeeping Or Perfection
SPEAKER_03So I'm I the thing about Light the Way events that I think is differentiates us, one of the things that differentiates us from other worship nights that are going on is it's very grassroots, very kind of like homegrown. And I'm not saying that in that it's like somebody out there with a karaoke speaker and call it a day. We have a real sound company, but it's very, very much not a curated, like super well programmed thing. We have in the worship teams practice and they're good and it's beautiful, but I don't turn down any anybody who has a heart to worship and wants to do that. And I know that there was a little bit of hesitation about one of the people performing, and they're like, Have you have you heard them before? And I'm like, Nope. Yeah, and they said, Are you nervous that it's not gonna go well? And I was like, Well, I didn't hear you before before you came to up there, and and I've had you with me almost every single event. And yeah, I was like, You're not worshiping me. So what is so if you get up there and you have the courage and the heart to get up in front of that many people and worship the Lord, and who am I to tell you that you're not good enough?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And it might not be for everyone, but I someone tell me one time, and I think I had shared this with you, that someone had said that they did care about who is up and praising and worshiping God because they told me that you have to be good because we're evangelizing.
SPEAKER_03But isn't good, I mean, what's good is is subjective to your opinion.
SPEAKER_02And isn't it what's beautiful to God's ears and not?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So I don't know that I agree with that person. And I'm not gonna say not to say that that's never, you know, kind of bit me in the butt because there was, and I think I've talked about this before at the at the tent revival, there was a particular people that got up and sang that I was like, Oh goodness, oh heavens, you know, but Lord helped them. But yeah, but but you know, he said, No, no, what I need to do is help you, yeah, because it's your heart posture that's wrong. Yeah, you're wrong. That's my kid up there, and you don't get to say that. Yeah, and I came back and I repented. I was genuinely sorry that I had that attitude about it. And I think that that's that's the posture of Light the Way, though, is that like that's I'm that's never gonna be me. And not every bit of music that comes and is played at Light the Way is going to be your style. It hasn't always been mine. I won't name names, but there's people that have played it Light the Way that I was like, if like if it were up to me, this is not my style. But other people really thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm sure the Lord felt just so blessed that his kids got up there, were singing about how much they love him, you know. And who am I to say what's good and what's not?
SPEAKER_02Right. That resonates with me. I went to I had shared with you before, but just with everyone else. I had gone to a I was asked to speak at a women's conference last year. Was it last year or the year before?
SPEAKER_03Last year, okay because I didn't know you the year before.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I think we did though. You did know me. We've known each other two years now. This uh been just two years? This spring will be I I feel like this spring will be three years, but maybe I've been doing light the way for three years.
SPEAKER_03I didn't know you the first year. Well, I did June 23rd was my first or June of 23 was my first Light the Way.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So, and I forget what I forget what banquet we met at. And if I can remember that, then I wouldn't know.
SPEAKER_03It was the it was the spring before last year because I I knew you, you were the assistant lay director at fall when I did the um October light the way last year at the farm.
SPEAKER_02I was the assistant lay director last year, though.
SPEAKER_03Right. So, and you were the assistant lay director, but you and I were already friends because you felt bad that you couldn't be there and I came and volunteered so I could see you. Right. So I had to have met you, like officially met you the spring, that's the spring one. So whatever the spring spring banquet was.
SPEAKER_02I think she's wrong, but we'll we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out afterwards. So, anyways, I had spoken at a women's conference. And we'll agree to disagree. Okay. And um anyway, so so I had go, I had been asked this to talk at a women's conference, and they said that they were gonna have praise and worship and all this kind of stuff. And I got there and I did my talk, and then they had the the praise and worship come up, and it was one girl, and she had a little jam box, a little boom box karaoke system, the one with the little lights on it. And but I'm I'm I mean, it was like just this little box, and then she had the little tiny microphone with it too, and she's standing up in front of the church, and she turned her phone on to something off of YouTube that was a live recording of like another church, like a gospel church or something, and she's gonna sing this song with the gospel girl on there, and she explained this all to us, and I was like, Oh, like wow, you know. So I, you know, I didn't know anyone there. I had gone by myself, no one went with me. Unfortunately, I had hoped that one of my kids could go with one of my daughters, and they didn't, but so I'm singing there by myself, and I did know the woman who had invited me to go, and this girl starts singing, and she was I mean, bless her heart, right? God bless her, seriously. She obviously has a heart for the Lort, but she couldn't carry a tune to save her life. I mean, it was, and I'm I'm not talking like just where you're like, oof, you know, I mean, it was it was horrible, it was really horrible. And so I'm sitting there, me being me, because I'm rude, I'm trying not to laugh. And I'm looking at my friend that I had known that had invited me, and I'm I'm hoping that she finds it as funny as I do, because now I want to like jab somebody, you know, like elbow with them, like oh my god. Anyways, she didn't. She was watching it like she thought it was beautiful, just beautiful, you know? And so I'm sitting there trying not to laugh, and all of a sudden, God, like he did, he like struck me with, How dare you? You don't know that you know what I mean? You have no right to act this way. She is my child, she's a beautiful child of God. And I kid you not, the next song started, and I felt like all I felt like all I could hear was like, I felt like all I heard was angels all of a sudden, and this light beam came in from behind her, like kind of lighting her up in the sanctuary. And I don't know, I don't it sounds absolutely ridiculous, but all of a sudden I was like, it doesn't matter. Yeah, she is praising and worshiping God, and she was into it, and she was she was praising and worshiping her Lord and Savior, and I had no business thinking it was funny, yeah, you know. So just in what you're saying about it doesn't matter if you've heard someone sing before or not, what we're talking about evangelizing and all that, there is a probably a good point to that, but not so much so that you should try to deter anybody from doing it right if you want to put on a worship event and uh get the people together on you gosh. Ew. Is it a bug? It is don't put it towards me. Then you're gonna go. Well, can you get me? I'm not flicking it on the ground.
SPEAKER_03Well, no, because then it's gonna be in your house. Would you like to get me a paper towel or something and I can throw it, throw them away? Get up to get it. You got critters. Ew. No, I don't. It's a freaking earwig. It's not a critter. That's a crit. What is it? What else? What else could it be? I don't get it. It's an earwig. No, but I'm saying, what is it? If it's not a critter, what is it? Well, you say critter, like I got bugs in my house. No, well, I mean, technically it is a bug and it's in your house, but it's not from her. I probably brought it with me. He probably probably he probably came from my house. Probably came from Chesterton from your house. Chesterton earwig. Bugs is my Trojan sweater on. You live out in the country, too. Where's your where's your trash can? Oh, over here. Well, don't put him in there.
SPEAKER_02He's probably gonna crawl out. He's dead. I squished him.
SPEAKER_03Sorry, buddy.
SPEAKER_02Sorry, buddy. Sorry, God.
SPEAKER_03Sorry. Sorry, not sorry. Anyway, sorry. I forgot what I was saying now, you jerk. Anyway, oh, if you want to do that, you want to put on a worship event, you want to have that standard, absolutely do you, whatever you feel like you're called to do.
Church Culture And Who Gets Included
SPEAKER_03But that's not me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That's and I've learned my lesson about that.
SPEAKER_02So what do you think about the churches, like the bigger churches that you can't you can't sing with us? No, but like you can't sing with us if you don't sound good.
SPEAKER_03Wanna go there?
SPEAKER_02Wanna go there for a minute?
SPEAKER_03Well, I think we've gone there. I mean we've talked about this before at my I think in the in season one we talked about this because we talked about the fact that Well, it bothers both of us. It bothers both of us, but that like does it bother both like does it bother me because I was rejected? But in the second, the second church, I mean the church I'm at now, I haven't actually made it to my audition because of my crazy schedule or whatever. They did invite me to come and sing in the choir, but even then, like my schedule just this month is absolutely insane. So you do have to audition, you do have to audition. But I I don't like I don't feel put out about it. Like, I mean, I'm fine with I yeah, and and I she does. And I'm remembering we're there's people that can't say it. She's she she did, and it still bothers her, but I like I don't feel bothered about it. I it's fine, but I don't I I in the church that I came from, there's a very particular sound and a particular look. That I don't love what I do like that me that Brian even pointed out, Brian's my husband, if you've never listened to this podcast before, that he's like, Oh, I like that their choir nobody's wearing uniforms, like everybody's just wearing what they're wearing, right? And they didn't care about the aesthetic of it. And he also likes that there are people who are not young in shape or look a certain way that are on our worship team at church that when that was not the case at the church that I came from. Okay. There was, I I don't remember maybe musicians, possibly, but I don't even really remember there being like elderly musicians on our worship team. Like they're all, I mean, I would say in their 40s, maybe. But yeah, there's older guys playing drums, no heavy set people at my old church. Oh, I'm like, there is a this there is there is at this one, and like we're all different body shapes, but like the with them, it's like the the gim the women that I have noticed that sing on the worship team at the church that I came from are young, pretty girls. I don't think I've ever seen anybody that wasn't that, yeah. Yeah, and it just seems very clicky.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's a little bizarre.
SPEAKER_03So to me, like I'm not really with that. No, I don't really I don't really think that that's a thing, that should be a thing. But it's not my church, right? And just like the way it's not other people's things. So they can give me all the advice they want to about how who should be allowed to play and how they should be allowed to do whatever. And I hear what you're saying, but if that's what you personally believe, by all means go and do what I'm doing your way. Yeah, but this is how God's called me to do it, and and I I feel like we have not had a time where what we were doing wasn't blessed by the Lord, so He doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
The Back Row Mission And God’s Welcome
SPEAKER_02It's kind of how I feel about this podcast. Like I have we've had some minor critics, not minor critics, we have a lot of critics, but I'm saying we've we've had people say things like they don't like the our new intro song because it almost sounds like we're saying that because it almost sounds like the Lord could kiss our butt. And that's a that's not at all what it means. What it what it's referring to is that if you have an issue with it, you can kiss my. So that's how I look at that. And and some people think that we're not being this is not your butt. This ain't, but that is so that way. But this is a little bit of us and what you'll get. And it and if this is your first time watching us too or listening to us, um, we have a very a very light filter. I because I don't I don't prescribe to be the way people think I should be. I that's not how I am. So in fairness, I think most people are like this. We have our own set of critics on the things and the way I do Lyric in the Light, and the way I do the Pious Prodigal is another small ministry I do. Same thing though. But the whole pious prodigal brand for me though runs on the pious prodigal, the perfect prodigal, meaning what? Meaning I am the perfect prodigal, the perfect black sheep, the perfect outcast, the perfect back row pew sitter. Do you know what I mean? That I do not profess or try to be. It's just not, it's not who I am and and and or who I care to be. So, in that respect, with your ministry, I understand that that ye it's your ministry. So how you're going to do your ministry is how you're gonna do your ministry, and how I do my ministry is how I do my ministry. Yeah, and how you serve God is how you serve God, and how I serve God is how I serve God. Right.
SPEAKER_03And you know there has to be room for all of us because if all of us were the perfect hmm, who would be who the black sheep could relate to? Yeah, you know, so I like that there's there's room for all of it, and that doesn't mean the people who are the perfect hmm are bad. Oh no, you know, but there are people who are a little bit more conservative and gentle in spirit that are probably looking for something a little bit more in that direction, and we aren't for them, but they are not the people that we are necessarily going after. We're going after the ones who are just kind of trying to figure this all out and who have questions and who have opinions about certain things or who are fence riding a little bit or who don't know or you know are early in their walk.
SPEAKER_02I just want people to know that you don't have to clean yourself up before you come to Christ, so he doesn't care. And so if if you are doing things that you think God that you shouldn't be doing and God won't accept you because of that, that is completely untrue. I didn't clean myself up before I came to Christ, I was committing suicide that day. So, and you know, and even since then I've gone through my own ups and downs and around the corners. Yeah, yeah. So I'm just always after the one who thinks that God can't love them. Yes, he can, and and yes, he does, you know, and that he does. And just let just come, just come and let me introduce you to him. And if he's someone that you're afraid of or that someone's made you afraid of, you do not have he's the one person you do not have to be afraid of, right? Uh with wherever you're at in your life. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So absolutely not.
Men’s Conference Lineup And Women’s Support
SPEAKER_03Well, not to get off of this, but I just I have one more thing, I guess I want to share because it'll be happening before we go on break, is the men's conference. Oh, yeah, yeah. So we have our firm foundations men's conference, which is happening November 14th at the H life in Hobart. And your husband is actually participating in that. He is going to be he is who knew? No, but we have we have, I mean, just incredible. So your husband. He is. He's he's the back of the house guy, so he's he's not an out front in front of people guy.
SPEAKER_02But you need those people too.
SPEAKER_03We need those people too, and you can serve the Lord from a behind the scenes way, and that's sort of his his angle, even like the way people are like, I see your husband just running from one side of this park to the other. And you will, but you won't catch him hugging people and you know, yeah, shaking babies and kissing hands. You won't catch, you won't catch that happening. He's not either he's not worshiping, you know, in the crowds necessarily. He'll come and stand by me, but he's more the hands and feet of Jesus guy. Everything becomes a song when you're hanging out with this lady. No, but that's so we're gonna be we have four speakers. Ben Godby, who's gonna be talking about men's mental health and male loneliness. And we're talking about to Mitch Tab, Pastor Mitch Tabla from Belpo Baptist, is taking on leadership in the home, in your church, in your communities. We have Don Hand, who's gonna be talking about fatherhood and being more than just a provider and a protector, but being a father and and what that relationship could look like. And then Alan Beauchau from Yahweh Army is going to be kind of partly doing a talk and partly leading the guys through a project that is all about unity in the body of Christ and using the unique gifts that God has given each of us to propel the body of Christ forward. There's gonna be Southern Comfort Food, Sola Fide. I thought you said there's gonna be Southern Comfort, Southern Comf, Southern Comfort. We're we're having drinks. No, we're doing Southern Comfort Food because I'll be there. No fall, fall food, and and then we're gonna uh Dave Lakowitz, David Lakowitz is gonna be our MC and holy energy.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, that guy.
SPEAKER_03He is I mean it just fire for the Lord. Fire for the Lord, and he's he is he just it's infectious. It is his energy is infectious, and he's just he's so fun, and I think he's gonna be great to work the guys through. And then Jared, Jared is Hayden from the Good Grace Project. He's gonna be me because as a woman I am not going to the men's conference, so he's going to be me. But I would like to give the ladies an opportunity, so I'm gonna put this out there, and if you're interested, please reach out to me. For one, we would like to write encouraging prayers and notes for all of the men that are attending. Oh, I like them. And we're gonna leave them on their at their seats because we can't be there, but we want them to know that they are supported and loved by their sisters in Christ. So we are gonna write prayers and notes, and then also the night before the conference, I am inviting the women, the whi, the wives, the friends, the sisters in Christ, or just women in general, to come and pray over every single seat in the room and help prep the room. So decorate and get the room ready so that the guys can just come in and do what they need to do the next day. But we're going to tell the guys one of the first things we're gonna say is I know you don't see any ladies here, but just so you know that they were absolutely here and they wanted you to feel supported and loved. So they prep this room, they got it ready for you, they prayed over your seats, and there's notes from them around the table so that they feel our presence and our love in the room with them, even if they don't physically see us there. Awesome, I love that. Yeah. So if you haven't got your ticket yet, it is free. I got a grant, and that made it possible for us to make this event free. So please get your guys signed up. Seats are going quickly, surprisingly. So I don't think surprisingly, you keep saying that. Well, it took the guys a while. Women, the women were like six hours, they were gone. Right. But the but the guys are a little bit slower on the on the move for that. A lot of them is schedule-wise, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I think they also look at it's only September, you know, do you guys how they and you're like, it is gonna be.
SPEAKER_03I mean, when I'm saying it's more than half full now, right? I so there isn't that many more seats left. So if that's something that you know a man in your life would like to go to, or you as a man would like to go to, get your buddies together, get your guys from church, get your neighbors or whatever, it's a bunch of just black other black sheep and great Christian men coming together to you know have a time of worship and food and and community and listen to some really great speakers and do things with their hands and stuff.
SPEAKER_02What I'm excited about the most though is that like from what I've gathered and looking at what you plan to do and what other men's conferences in the area have looked like is this is gonna be something very different. And there's so there's so many little reasons for that that I wouldn't even want you to completely give away, which you did give some of it away, but I I it's gonna be so different.
SPEAKER_03It is different. I mean, because it's just not people being talked at for hours by you know, and and this is no shade to any other conferences because I think they all have help helped people and benefited people in some way, but it's not curated like a lot of conferences are where it's all about the aesthetic, it's not a show and it's not somebody just talking at them for hours and hours on end who who has everything figured out. I mean, these guys, while they are in a position to give the talks that they're giving, I also told them if you realize in your time with Jesus as you prepare for this talk that there's an area of the what you're talking about that you are personally struggling with, don't shy away from that. Share that that's happening with you so that they can see they were doing a great job during that meeting. I mean, one of one of the guys when we were talked about men's material.
SPEAKER_02Well, we've picked some really great speakers.
SPEAKER_03So God is amazing that way. He really is because I didn't know some of the things.
SPEAKER_02Well, that was another thing I was gonna say is that some of the other conferences in the area, I know it just or are men's, you know, I don't want to say banquets, but like the different men's things that I've seen locally, it's always the same person, the same people giving their their message or talk, or and I really love that you stepped out of the box and were open to you know some of the suggestions I had, even and you know, that that you've stepped outside the box a little bit on a c definitely a few of the speakers, probably. So yeah, um, and I just think that that's it brings something fresh and new, you know, also to the voice of men, you know what I mean? So yeah, and I love that. I love that you've done that incredibly.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I cannot wait to hear what comes out of the stage. That's the only thing that stinks about the men's conference is that I can't be there. Yeah, I can't see it for myself, I won't get to see it. I'll like it, I just get to hear about it later. And I'm like, dang it. And I know there is a couple wives, the unincluded, David's wife too, yeah, that are like, we really want to be there to support our guys. And I'm like, nope, no, nope, like we are not invited. Sorry. I mean, I if if anybody, if any woman was going to be there, it would be me. Yeah, right. Like, but I can't I have made the decision that and I told them, I said, I love you all very much. And I was there for the planning meeting. I said, but this will be like I will only be a part of the planning. You will not see me there, and that is why Jared is representing me. I trust him implicitly. You know, my husband is not particularly great with people. Um, so he would like to stay in the back. Jared is great with people and he knows my heart, and I feel fully confident that he can represent me well in that room. So I'm excited. So that's what's going on with me.
SPEAKER_02Is there anything else coming up for Light the Way this year or no? What about uh the one that's dangling over us? Are you doing it or no?
Funding, Grants, And Canceling An Event
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm I'm I'm not gonna be doing. We are canceling the holiday baking championship. I as much as I would love to have done that event, there really wasn't a lot of interest in it. And I still think it's because people, again, it's like, oh, it's December and we're, you know, there's a lot that goes into event planning. And myself, and I'm actually but talking, I have a good friend that's a uh, you know, Raina, who's an event planner of different types of events, and and we were actually just talking about how people have no concept of how much planning and money and time and energy go into putting something like that together. So when people aren't showing an interest in something early on, and you have no idea whether it's going to be beneficial or not, that you're kind of like, I don't know that I want to keep going and putting and investing because we don't have a lot of money. I got a grant, but it's only so much. And I'm like, I can either do take this money and do an incredible thing at Arise and the men's conference, or I can try to spread it over three events and do what I can at all three, and and to have no real interest in this over here, I'm like, do I just cut my losses and put the money towards the conference and a rise? And that was the decision that I made, and it stinks. But I also feel like, and this might make me sound crazy, I don't know if it's true or not, but when I have tried to do things to raise money for light the way, that it never works out ever. Like I've had two galas, and in both cases, I spent way more money prepping for those events than I did at the event, and so it ended up costing me money to do both of those things. But when I am not trying and I rely on the Lord to provide for me, He does preach. And so it's and and that's hard, it's scary. Even the even the grant, you know, it's it's by the grace, that really is by the grace of God, because the with the first year that I got that grant, she didn't want to give it to me. She was like, I think you put on concerts in the park. I don't know how that is beneficial. And I was like, let me tell you something, Linda. You know, no, his name is not Linda. Like, listen, Linda. No, but I I sat there and I fought for like the way, and I was like, We are more than just worship nights in the park, and this is why. And I and then she's like, Okay, you talked me into five grand. Now talk me into five more. And and I fully deny. Expect to get that grant, and we did, and because of that, we were able to put on the gala, we were able to buy all of the sound equipment that we bought in order to be able to support ourselves at events just in case. And we were trying to get you know the light the way united team going and and all of that, and we were able to do that, and it was a great opportunity for us, but obviously the united team thing didn't work out. It did, but not in the way that I thought it was going to. I mean, Northwest Indiana Worship Collective came together, Solo Fide came together, so there are united teams, right? They're just not the light the way united team, but they do come and play at Light the Way, and and that's what a blessing that's been.
SPEAKER_02I think one thing I respect about you though and the Light the Way Ministry is that you are true to because I didn't know anything about the grants when I first like came on board with you, and then you had explained that all to me. And I I appreciate and respect that you take that five thousand dollars that they've given you. Like I'm trying to say that I I know other ministries that are Christian that don't say they're Christian to get more money, and I don't like that, and I don't respect that, and that bothers me like a lot. Yeah, and the fact that you take that five thousand dollars, which is not a lot when it comes to what you are trying to do, and you allocate it where it's needed, you know, but then you put so much of your own money into these things too when you have to, you know. But I but I respect you for that, that you're not out there trying to pretend that I'm not a Christian ministry just to get money.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. In fact, the I I know we're talking about the same one that is coming off the top of my head. But I was actually told at a meeting with one of them not to claim to be a Christian ministry and tell people that Light the Way had to do with Jesus because there were certain foundations that do grants that would not give me money if they knew that I was a Christian ministry. And I said, if somebody doesn't want to give me money because because my because I have to do with Jesus, that is not money I'm interested in having. And I agree with that. And I was a hard no. Yeah. And and it stayed that way. And if you know, so that's kind of where I'm at right now. And that means sometimes I have to pay for things, my husband.
SPEAKER_02I respect you, friend.
SPEAKER_03Thanks. Thanks.
SPEAKER_02One of the reasons why I like you.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. Well, you're one of the only ones. Just kidding. Except the people on TikTok who think that I am the wonderful face of the lyric and the light. She is. Anyway. So anything else
Prayers, Friendship, And Closing Thoughts
SPEAKER_03before we wrap it up? I don't think so. I mean, that's to you know, just keeping busy at work and excited for my Disney trip and just praying for you. I am so prayerful that the surgery you're gonna have tomorrow is really gonna help you. It has been incredibly hard to have somebody you love be in pain every day, and there's nothing that I can do to help, yeah, except, you know, just be here to support you and let you.
SPEAKER_02That's how he how he said too like it's just it's hard when you can't, you know, there's nothing you can do.
SPEAKER_03No, we're helpless, and we and you have and and not to like put your business on the street, but you have a lot of things that just seem like they they have been coming at you one thing after another and to feel helpless as your friend and and not know what to say because you want to give advice and you want to be loving and you're calling me every day crying, yeah. But a but well, no, I don't mind that you're calling me every day crying, but I wish I had something helpful to offer you in return. And you know, but I'm like, I don't even know what to say because it's it feels I feel like you're just under I'm like, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_02I know I said I feel like I'm such an ee or sometimes. But I don't mind such a rough summer.
SPEAKER_03I don't I just want it, I just want you to to want some of that to to stop for you. Not because I'm tired of hearing it, but because I'm tired of you going through it and I'm like, Lord, help her. Yeah, you know. So I really, really hope and pray that this gives some resolve to at least this, you know. Thank you. One less thing.
SPEAKER_02Well, with that said, do you want to give closing prayer? Sure.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And then I'll give thoughts from the back, a couple of thoughts from the background you.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay. Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for my time with Dion this morning, that we got to just catch up and talk to each other about life. There's a lot going on for both of us, and I just want to cover her in prayer for her surgery tomorrow. Lord, you are the healer, the ultimate healer. And I know that you will be with her in that room. Thank you, God, for giving her a doctor that is a lover of you and Jesus, and let them surround her and cover her in prayer and worship before she goes in there and just give her a peace that surpasses understanding, like you have today, Lord. Make her brave, make her strong, and give her the endurance to get through the next few weeks of recovery. Lord, thank you for blessing our conversation and for being present even in our silliness, Lord. We love you so much and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER_02Amen. Thank you. I don't I don't even feel we were actually as silly as sometimes we can be today. I think we were pretty we kept it pretty well. We kept it. This was our third recording, so this is the third time. The third time. Hey, we got through it though. So we did it. All right, thoughts from the back row pew. Sometimes you don't need advice, you just need coffee, a good friend, a long conversation, and somebody who understands why the story is funny before you even finish telling it. God knew what he was doing when he gave us people to do life with, and I'm blessed to have you in mine. Tomorrow I'm having neck surgery. So, for the love of all things holy, somebody please remind both of us that while my neck is healing, Lena is supposed to keep me out of trouble. And a neck brace is a medical advice. Not advice, it's a medical device. Not a challenge to see how much nonsense we can still get into while I'm wearing it. Because apparently they're fixing my neck, not our ability to find trouble everywhere we go. Jesus Coffee, Truth and Sass. Until next time, we'll save you a seat in the back row pew. Bye.
SPEAKER_03Bye. You're gonna be all things holy. She has a hole in her neck.
SPEAKER_02I wasn't even thinking of that. I wasn't even thinking of that.
SPEAKER_00Jesus copied truth and sex, don't agree, can't get started. It's the lyric and the lie.