Guest: Justin Williams (Board President)

This week we are joined by the Merge Board President Justin Williams. We dive into topics we have discussed before to get his thoughts, his email critic of the show, and a little of his story with Merge. As always if you have thoughts, questions, or input please send it in to mergeministries12@gmail.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:06

Welcome back to another week of M3 Podcast. I'm Daniel.

SPEAKER_03 0:09

Now I'm Luke.

SPEAKER_04 0:10

And this guy over here, we got our first um guest. Guest interview interviewee. We are joined today by the one and only Justin Williams. Welcome in.

SPEAKER_03 0:23

One of the biggest supporters and haters. And haters. I don't know if I should be glad to be here or like scared to be here.

SPEAKER_04 0:31

If you listened a couple weeks ago, I'm not real sure where it came in. So now we want to hear your take. Yeah, let's go. So you've you're you're a listener. You listen regularly. Since your um email, how do you feel that have we did we take your advice? Did we listen? Have things got better?

SPEAKER_07 0:55

I mean, yeah, I mean it's good. I I think people gotta understand. One, I have to set a reminder in my phone to listen to this podcast because that doesn't hurt my feelings.

SPEAKER_05 1:07

I don't want to miss it. I don't know. Oh, okay. I don't want to miss it. He doesn't say it like that.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

He says it like uh I'm the board president, so I should probably listen to the podcast, so I set an alarm. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_07 1:20

That's a side note because like people, I don't want to be, hey, aren't you the president of merge? Like, yeah, well, have you listened to the podcast? No. How good does that sound? Yeah, that sounds terrible. That's sounding good. So through the live updates that I give you guys, I I I sent you guys a compliment last week. I mean, hey, great job.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Killer. Yeah, but you also only said great job. You normally give us a live commentary as you're watching, but this week it was just, hey man, great job. So it wasn't great, is what you're saying.

SPEAKER_07 1:52

I think that you guys got all the Justin's sensitive topics out of the way. And so now I can actually enjoy it.

SPEAKER_04 2:01

Um what's the most sensitive topic that we've hit on?

SPEAKER_07 2:07

I think that the movies, the long movies was one. Um Star Wars, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 2:17

And you're a fan of Star Wars?

SPEAKER_07 2:19

Yeah, I like Star Wars. So I've I'm excited to see the new movie.

SPEAKER_04 2:22

I've got up to nine, maybe.

SPEAKER_07 2:26

You've watched all nine.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

There are nine of them.

SPEAKER_04 2:28

Or maybe I'm on nine. Yes. Goo! And it's like they've repeated the story. Well, there's actually more. Like they had to come up and yeah, they are if you watch all the episod all the series and all that, but it's like they repeated the story. Like, we now have another per Jedi who had kids and one went bad. Well, Solo wouldn't have kids. He wasn't a Jedi, but you had a kid who went bad, and now the other one's gotta save him. That's what we did the first time.

SPEAKER_07 2:54

But it works. It keeps uh keeps them coming back from the the first three are are touchy. Like, this is my honest take on it. The first two are touchy. Number three, dude, legendary. Legendary. Legendary. Four, five, and six are just nostalgic classics. I really enjoyed seven. Eight was kind of meh, and then nine was like, all right, let's wrap this up. Like it had some good stuff in it, but yeah, I'm a Star Wars guy. You got tired of it.

SPEAKER_04 3:25

So what's the ten what so tens coming out?

SPEAKER_07 3:27

No, this is like uh side story.

SPEAKER_04 3:33

They just went, yay, we just want to make another Star Wars movie.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

This ain't got a new nothing to do with everything else, but hey, here's another Star Wars movie.

SPEAKER_07 3:39

This is like a side trail.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

Yeah, nice. So I my only beef with with your comment, I actually listened again yesterday in preparation of uh you being on here, and you said that I don't give it enough time. I watched two Star Wars movies. I watched two whole movies. I'll give you now Stranger Things. I didn't even get through that first episode. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. You said my attention span isn't long enough, so I should I should just be honest about that. But I watched two Star Wars movies and then decided. All the way through. All the way through. And if you watch two Star Wars movies, that's at least six hours. Yeah, and and I did it for you.

SPEAKER_07 4:22

Which ones did you watch?

SPEAKER_03 4:23

The first two.

SPEAKER_07 4:24

Episode one and two?

SPEAKER_03 4:25

You told me.

SPEAKER_07 4:26

Episode one and two?

SPEAKER_03 4:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 4:27

They're terrible.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

You told me they're terrible to watch these movies because the new ones were coming out. They hadn't made any new ones yet. It was like, we need to watch these. So I watched one and two and then I gave up.

SPEAKER_07 4:38

I'm gonna help you out. Watch the last 40 minutes of the third movie.

SPEAKER_04 4:48

Oh wow. Well, we uh we have some questions for you today. Uh some we're gonna put you on the spot. Um will touch topics of things we've talked about, kind of what we just did, but we'll get into that later. So um you have not seen these questions, so yeah.

SPEAKER_07 5:05

I kept asking for like, hey, are you gonna send me something? But no, here we are.

SPEAKER_04 5:10

Here we are. We're gonna start off with a doozy. Really? If you could choose like this is new. If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a room, what would you choose and why?

SPEAKER_07 5:26

Creed higher.

SPEAKER_04 5:29

Creed?

SPEAKER_07 5:30

I didn't even need any time to answer that question. Like, who skips that song when it comes on the radio? Nobody.

SPEAKER_04 5:39

So you're a Creed fan, or just uh one song, one hit wonder.

SPEAKER_07 5:43

No, I listen to a lot of their stuff. Um most of their stuff is pretty good, but I'm more of a mainstream music kind of guy. Like I listen to it.

SPEAKER_04 5:53

What kind of music do you leave listen to?

SPEAKER_07 5:55

Oh, my Spotify is a wreck. It's all over. If you always it's the best.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

Like you got our when we'll we'll like work out together and he's like, What do you want to listen to? I was like, bro, I love your music. It's like 70s to today from rock, rap, oh yeah, uh, old school, like well culture. I mean, all kinds of stuff, pop, like it's everything.

SPEAKER_07 6:15

But it's never like deep dive stuff. Um, probably the only band like I've ever I would say listened to all their stuff is probably Need to Breathe. Um, I'm a big fan of them. But yeah, I like them.

SPEAKER_04 6:28

You don't like Need to Breathe? I mean, not that I've I couldn't. That doesn't surprise me that you don't like something that I like, by the way. I'm sure if you told me a song that they sing, I could probably go, oh yeah, I've heard that, but I couldn't name one song from Need to Breathe.

SPEAKER_07 6:41

Need to breathe is tragic.

SPEAKER_04 6:43

What's the song?

SPEAKER_07 6:44

Yahweh is a good one. Oh, Banks is legendary. That's a really good one. Wash by the Water. That I've been watching any bells by the water. No, no, no, no, no. That's the new one now. But yeah, I listen to a little bit of everything, but it's all mainstream stuff.

SPEAKER_04 7:02

Like Nate to breathe the Christian, right?

SPEAKER_07 7:06

Yes. I would say yes.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

They're kind of like Creed, where it's like No, no, no. They could be Christian or they may not be. Creed's Christian?

SPEAKER_07 7:14

I don't think Creed is Christian.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

A lot of Christians.

SPEAKER_07 7:17

They drop GD in a couple songs.

SPEAKER_04 7:20

There is one song that they say they just kind of go off uh Creed.

SPEAKER_07 7:25

I know, that's what I'm saying. I don't think they are. You ain't never heard Need to Breath through that. Ever.

SPEAKER_04 7:29

That is true. Hey, Mercy Me's coming to the Civic Center. Y'all go into that concert?

SPEAKER_07 7:33

No.

SPEAKER_04 7:35

He said that really bad. Yeah, Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, Night Dun.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

I'm actually not a big concert guy myself, anyway.

SPEAKER_04 7:45

I like to go and watch the lights and listen to the sound. That's about it. So anyway. Um I buy y'all tickets. Well, we put on a camp and we do lights and sound. So why wouldn't you go somewhere that does it better than we do? Maybe.

SPEAKER_07 8:00

Why would I pay to listen to a second rate version of an album? That's my point. They never sound as good live, and I know I'm gonna get some flack for that. But it's like it sounded better on the CD, man.

SPEAKER_03 8:14

It was for the extra. I bet Garth Brooks sounds better live.

SPEAKER_04 8:19

He does. Garth Brooks is the man. Great concert. Um seen him twice in concert. Once spent it was our 10th anniversary, maybe. So we bought tickets like seven, eight rows from the stage. Oh wow. Yeah. Drop some chains on that one. Yeah, then the kids didn't eat for like a year. Not worth it. But it was a good anniversary. We enjoyed it. Uh if you could be Batman or Robin, which would you be?

SPEAKER_07 8:49

I gotta think about my response so I don't this is merge podcast. Um Batman. Why? So who wants to wear green tights and red spandex undies? That's the first issue. And two, like who just comes out like, yeah, I'd actually prefer to be the sidekick.

SPEAKER_04 9:11

I think there's some people that don't like the the limelight. Some people would rather be the background than not you.

SPEAKER_07 9:17

Well, in real life, probably no. But if you're asking me, like, you can't be a superhero. Like he has batterings, like that's awesome. Well, it's not Robin doesn't have that.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Like Robin is kind of a lame sidekick.

SPEAKER_07 9:34

He is. There's a reason he's not in the new movies.

SPEAKER_03 9:37

So is there a not lame sidekick? To be honest with you. Wonder Dog. Wonder Dogekick.

SPEAKER_07 9:44

Yeah, I think that's his name. Superman's dog.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

See, I don't I don't know nothing about it about that.

SPEAKER_07 9:50

Who's in the new movie?

SPEAKER_03 9:52

There's a new movie.

SPEAKER_07 9:53

Yeah, there's a new Superman. DC movies suck. But they do. The Batman movies are really good. Superman, eh.

SPEAKER_04 10:01

DC movies seem a little dark.

SPEAKER_07 10:06

Oh, the last Batman was super dark. Yeah, it was really dark. It was really dark. Yeah, anyway.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

That's why I'm not as big of a fan of DC, because it is rather rather dark. Yeah. Anyway. Well, since you kind of mentioned this, in real life, in real life, if you were a superhero or a sidekick in real life, what do you think you would be? A superhero or a sidekick? If the world of superheroes were for real. You think you'd be the head dog in charge, or you think you'd be a good sidekick?

SPEAKER_07 10:38

I think I would end up being the head dog in charge, but the head dog in charge that just wings it. You know, because I feel like that's how I live my life anyway. It's like, you guys name me president of this organization for some reason. And it's like, I was talking to Brother David about that land and you know, everything that we were looking into, and it's like, how do I do this? And he was like, trusting the Lord, good luck. I really feel like a Bible carrier right now. Like, what do I do? But yeah, and then being a business partner with my father-in-law and running a business is tough, but I want to play the sidekick. Like my laziness wants to be the sidekick constant, but I don't really get that luxury often. So you got too much dogging. I'll stay with the uh probably a hero leader, but with some reserves.

SPEAKER_04 11:39

So you mentioned it. How is working with your father-in-law?

SPEAKER_07 11:43

This is gonna be on the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

This is live, baby.

SPEAKER_07 11:48

I love it. No, it's it's uh it's definitely there's some days where I actually do love it, and there's some days where I just really hate it. Um I think that's everybody. It's a great opportunity, you know. I started with Harding Builders when my daughter was in the hospital pretty much because I wasn't getting a whole lot of sick time or vacation time from Chick-fil-A. So he was like, hey, let's partner up. Here's a plan. And I was like, let's give it a shot. And so obviously, there's long-term goals, like he's not gonna work forever. So one day it'll be mine, and I think that's what I keep pushing myself is hey, I'm just gonna get as good as I can. So when the day comes that he does step out, like I'm ready. But there's a lot of days where I think, oh, I don't want him to leave. I kind of sound like a robin, Robin here. Yeah. See, see, we're just touching on that again. Like, but yeah, no, it's good, it's flexible. I haven't missed a kids' event since I started, which is really important to me. Um, I get to work with our superintendent, Mark, who's incredible, and he gets the same luxury as me. Like, we don't miss kids' events, we don't miss special days for family, and I think that makes all the struggles worth it.

SPEAKER_04 13:23

So you're a man of many talents. Uh master of mind talking about. Do you have any hidden talents that somebody would look at you and think, wow.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

Like how Daniel's surprisingly athletic. Are you surprisingly talented at anything?

SPEAKER_07 13:41

I used to be surprisingly athletic. I the last few kickball games I would say I'm probably not um anymore. But I used to be.

SPEAKER_04 13:48

Did you win the staff kickball? Were you on the winning team?

SPEAKER_07 13:52

No.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Who are you looking at over there?

SPEAKER_07 13:57

My boy. But um, what were we talking about? Hidden talents. Not really. Uh funny talents is I can't do it right now, so don't ask me. But I can blow a bubble with my tongue.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

I have seen him do that.

SPEAKER_07 14:17

And it like clear my tongue. So that's a hidden talent.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

That's pretty gross, I guess. His some of his kids do it too. It's really gross. Yeah, well, they haven't got it. They haven't got the lift on it, you know.

SPEAKER_07 14:29

They can just blow it on their tongue. Yeah, he can make it leave.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Uh the dinner table. All right, before you get up. Bubble tongue. That's their ticket to leave. You can do this like dad.

SPEAKER_07 14:44

I would probably say I wouldn't put it on the radar yet, but I have been playing the piano for about a year. Oh. And so I can play at it. Like I'm not perfect. You should play the drums too. Yeah, I play the drums too.

SPEAKER_03 14:57

He also is a very good artist. He just never tells anybody that he is. So that would be a hit. Yeah, I probably should have said that. Like paint, charcoal, drawing, whatever. Like he is a he's a very good artist. Kind of like Jonathan, but he won't put it put it out there like Jonathan does. So do you I recognize half of y'all don't know who Jonathan is. I'm just talking to Daniel.

SPEAKER_04 15:19

It's cool. So when you draw, do you have to have a picture to draw, or you just draw it out of your head and make it?

SPEAKER_07 15:26

So when I was doing it, the best drawings that I give are from a picture. So for example, I drew a bunch of Alabama football players, Bear Bryant, all on this one page for my buddy in high school. Yeah, I agree. But that just goes you goes to show you how much I appreciate my buddy Zach. And so all that stuff came from a picture. Most of my artwork in high school that I got scholarship stuff for is all off pictures. Um I'm not a very good doodler.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

Like legit uh chart it out with the graph and all that, or you just kind of freehand it as you're looking at it.

SPEAKER_07 16:09

Mainly free hand, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:10

Nice.

SPEAKER_04 16:11

Well, how'd you get you to draw a picture? We can do a I won't. We can do a drawing on the stage while somebody else is teaching. Like like drawing it upside down. And then they flip it up.

SPEAKER_07 16:23

It's like look at this Jesus. And everybody's like, wow, I never would have seen that coming. Okay. No, I can't. I can't. You can't no.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

Don't use your talents for Jesus. That's okay. Um You're welcome.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

He did make the merge logo in Christmas lights last year.

SPEAKER_04 16:40

He did do that. That is fair, I guess. That's kind of artist, uh artistic. What reality show do you think you'd be the best fit for?

SPEAKER_07 16:52

Reality show?

SPEAKER_04 16:53

The Kardashians? Love Allen?

SPEAKER_07 16:55

Give me some like not that one. I don't have a six-pack.

SPEAKER_03 17:02

What's the one where they go into the little pod and they meet the person before they make it in afraid?

SPEAKER_04 17:10

I'm not a reality. I can't even think of any Survivor, um, Bachelor. Um I'm out too. Amazing race. No.

SPEAKER_07 17:22

Yeah, I'm out.

SPEAKER_04 17:24

You don't watch any reality TV?

SPEAKER_07 17:26

No.

SPEAKER_04 17:27

Do you watch TV at all, or you just blow bubbles? Yeah, I just sit in my recliner.

SPEAKER_07 17:33

No.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

Storage wars. That's what he'd be good at. There you go.

SPEAKER_07 17:38

We stream a lot of stuff. Um, so I would say if I was wanted to be in a TV show, it would be the office for sure. But I know how you feel about that and everything else. You don't like it.

SPEAKER_03 17:51

So the office is great. Forget what Daniel said.

SPEAKER_04 17:54

Well, you want something, I guess you want something that you can have an opinion on. Is water wet?

SPEAKER_06 18:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 18:03

Oh boy. It's wet?

SPEAKER_03 18:06

Water's wet? Or does it make things wet?

SPEAKER_07 18:08

When you touch it, is it wet? Yes. It's wet.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

When you touch water, your finger is now wet. No. Water makes things wet. Water itself is wet.

SPEAKER_07 18:17

It's because water is wet.

SPEAKER_04 18:19

No. Water is water.

SPEAKER_07 18:21

Water is water, but when you touch it, your finger gets wet. Right? Because water is wet. No, because it made it wet. If water was dry and you touched it, your finger wouldn't be.

SPEAKER_04 18:29

When you dry off with a towel, the towel gets wet because the water made it wet.

SPEAKER_07 18:34

It touched water because water's wet.

SPEAKER_04 18:36

No.

SPEAKER_07 18:38

We can keep going. I just want the world to see how dumb y'all's opinions are.

SPEAKER_04 18:44

Water makes things wet.

SPEAKER_06 18:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 18:48

I learned that trick from Brother David. Would you rather be smart or attractive? And you can't be both.

SPEAKER_07 18:58

Uh well, I've never really been attractive, so I'll go with attractive.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

Yeah, I've been smart before.

SPEAKER_04 19:07

Let's try what the other one is. Yeah. So I guess you're saying you've been smart or you are smart.

SPEAKER_07 19:12

I would say I'm smart. Oh yeah? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

I'm not dumb.

SPEAKER_07 19:14

I'm smart. I mean, don't put me on the spot with something crazy, but I would say I'm smart.

SPEAKER_04 19:20

What's NASA stand for? We have that one.

SPEAKER_07 19:23

Oh man, I done forgot what it stands for. I can tell you it's not not nautical again.

SPEAKER_04 19:31

You uh y'all are food guys. Um doubt. What food best represents Alabama?

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Hmm.

SPEAKER_04 19:41

Put all the Alabamians. What food best represents Alabama?

SPEAKER_03 19:46

Casadilla.

SPEAKER_07 19:52

That's a good question. I my initial thought is barbecue. I know that's a Texas. No. Not without it. No.

SPEAKER_04 20:06

There's a place up in Birmingham that is known for their Alabama white sauce. There's somewhere around here. I thought that had to be.

SPEAKER_07 20:18

No, I like the mustard-based stuff. But like when I think of Alabama, you think of like, okay, there's Dreamland Barbecue, legendary. Right? Um Sonny's. No. Well, like Phoenix City, Phoenix City specifically is such a 13th Street. Smoke'em's Mike and Ed's Country's Barbecue, which I think is on the downhill.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

13th Street.

SPEAKER_07 20:43

13th Street, Ledonia, 13th Street, 13th Street.

SPEAKER_03 20:48

I mean, there is barbecue is definitely a hit.

SPEAKER_07 20:51

Yeah, I would say.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

That was my first thought.

SPEAKER_07 20:53

Well, I think Alabama is.

SPEAKER_03 20:55

What's your thought? I don't know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 20:57

Country style ribs or uh a barbecue sandwich. Nah.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Fried chicken. See, like if you said the staple for that you make at home. Staple you make at home, I would say maybe, you know, grandmama's making a fried chicken. My mama's fried chicken is so good. But like it's just uh they just turn into chicken nuggets.

SPEAKER_04 21:19

Yeah, but I don't really think when you hear Alabama, you think barbecue. Like that's more like Texas or South Carolina.

SPEAKER_07 21:28

That's why I said the disclaimer. Like, I know it's a Texas thing, but I think there is a such thing as Alabama barbecue. There's a lot of barbecue in Phoenix City.

SPEAKER_04 21:38

There is. I didn't say what represents Fanny City. Cheeseburger? I said Alabama. What is your biggest unpopular opinion? It can be one we talked about before. It can be one that we did not talk about.

SPEAKER_07 21:56

Um give me a few. I'm I'm blanking. Like what Did we what all did y'all talk about? I don't remember. Some unpopular opinions.

SPEAKER_04 22:05

Rom com's was a big one. I really don't have a dog in that fight, but so I'm trying to think of all the ones that our other write in Haley. I really, you know, I wouldn't sports, um, travel sports, not the devil.

SPEAKER_07 22:23

Oh, yeah. I I don't think I don't think travel sports is a good thing. I disagreed with y'all on that one.

SPEAKER_04 22:29

You don't think it's a good thing?

SPEAKER_07 22:30

No, I don't. But I've also never done it. So I heard your point, and it was a good point. Like you can have church where you're at, like, it's not about the building, but the scripture does say don't forsake the assembly.

SPEAKER_03 22:44

Well, we said that. We added that in there as well. Reassembly together. So, you know, I think there's we said if you use that as an excuse to never be there, then it's bad, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing.

SPEAKER_07 22:57

I just think 90% of these kids are never gonna see the league. So why are you giving up their childhood? Like, let's be a little bit more realistic.

SPEAKER_04 23:10

I don't think I would give up their childhood. I mean, I look at something they're living it up.

SPEAKER_07 23:17

Yeah. Two sides of the fence, which I've recently jumped on this side of the fence. Which is that the weed. Yeah, we don't really play. Like, I'm not gonna so it's my kids know Ronald Acunia, so I'm like, I would rather have that conversation now and be like, hey bro, than for them to be in high school not playing thinking they're gonna go to the major leagues. Right.

SPEAKER_04 23:41

So if one of your I mean, like really said, hey dad, I want to play travel ball with this team, you'd like to.

SPEAKER_07 23:48

Prove it. Prove it. That's what I would say.

SPEAKER_04 23:52

At the age of what?

SPEAKER_07 23:53

Eleven.

SPEAKER_04 23:56

See? That's getting there. But my kids started early. Like we started them seven, maybe.

SPEAKER_07 24:04

We started early. We started early too. I just this is what I tell I had this conversation miles ago the other day. Uh one of the guys I used to coach with was like, Man, I ain't seen you in a while. I said, Yep. I said, and again, unpopular take, and you gotta know your kids. You gotta know my kids. Luke knows my kids. If we're just gonna come out here and have fun, we can do that in the backyard.

SPEAKER_03 24:28

We can do that at home.

SPEAKER_07 24:31

I would much rather take my kids to shoot shotguns than to take them to a ball field where they're just what are we doing?

SPEAKER_04 24:40

Yeah, I mean if they don't love it and they don't have the drive and desire, then and I I think for you guys, and this is because I just don't know, and that's why I have this opinion, is I get it, games are reps like reps equal perfection.

SPEAKER_07 24:58

I get it. But who's out there watching these 12-year-olds? Are people legitimately scouting 12-year-olds?

SPEAKER_04 25:06

No, not that early. I mean, it don't start until a little bit later.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

You gotta go to the time tournaments for being any kind of scouts or something like that.

SPEAKER_07 25:14

I'll re-gear it. So I would say older kids who are developing and want to pursue a future. And have some potential. Yeah. Travel ball, great. Do what you gotta do. There's I'm pretty sure there's a six U travel ball team in Phoenix City.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

There is.

SPEAKER_07 25:33

What? I'm watching the highlight reel, and the coach is on his knee pitching the ball. And they're playing. I'm like, no.

SPEAKER_06 25:40

Throwing yards, maybe.

SPEAKER_07 25:42

Let the kids be kids. Let baseball season be baseball season. Like, if you want to keep playing sports, go play another sport. Come back to it.

SPEAKER_04 25:49

And then when they pick one, when they're older, well, maybe they're an athlete and they can't play multiple sports. Maybe they're not. That's an unpopular opinion.

SPEAKER_07 25:58

And another unpopular opinion is baseball is a flooded market.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

I agree with that. I can agree with that too, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:07

They got baseball teams all over the place and all different leagues or divisions. You don't make this one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:20

We're the we're the tournament silver bracket or I mean bronze bracket champion. Like we got 17 champions at this one tournament.

SPEAKER_07 26:30

We're we're rapidly approaching travel cheerleading for baseball. I think. Yeah. Like, what?

SPEAKER_03 26:38

It's coming. I'm also very against the rings that they get. Uh your daughter won state championship. I won a state championship. Are these kids getting all these rings? It diminishes the like what that what the accomplishment is. I know that that ring is not the same as what Colby has. But like you, we're we're making it like give them the daggum medal that they're gonna throw away in a couple years, and let's get away from these daggum rings. Like that the ring ain't nothing, just like the medal is.

SPEAKER_07 27:07

It's just another participation.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

I know they're cheap, but I'm saying, like, it's they're trying to make it the same thing. Just give them the freaking medal.

SPEAKER_07 27:14

But I'm sure there's some moms out there listening, like, this is stupid.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

Like, my baby needs this.

SPEAKER_04 27:20

Blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, all right, well, that's cool. We were part of a travel baseball team that won second place, and people were excited, and the coach took the trophy and went and threw it in the trash can in front of everybody. We had a mom going and take it out of the trash can and be like, they work for this. But he was like, I'm tired of second place. I'm tired of second place. We shouldn't be okay with this and threw it in the trash in front of team, the team, parents, everybody.

SPEAKER_07 27:47

And I was like, That'll always be a struggle with kids because that's fair. But it's not reality. That's what I was telling Abe the other day. He won, dude, his school, I'm not gonna say it. His school gave out 8,000 awards. This is a private Christian school. That's why they gave out 8,000 awards with maybe 100 kids, right? In the ceremony. And Abraham had this moment and he was like, Hey, are you proud of me? I said, Yeah, of course I'm proud of you.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

I said, But that don't mean nothing.

SPEAKER_07 28:24

But that piece of paper in your hand, like, what does it mean? Like it means like, hey, I always say it, you did what you were supposed to do. Like, that's the expectation in the house, is all A's is the expectation. Well, was that the award or did he get like something like No, so I made it a big deal about the all-A's award. Like, I'm definitely proud about that. But they did this thing this year where they honored instead of the top student in each subject, they honored the top two to three percent quote.

SPEAKER_03 28:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 28:57

And it was a lot of kids. And uh, it's kind of like the second place thing. And it's like, dude, I'm I didn't do that when I was in school. Like, Abraham finished with like lowest grade was like a 97. Yeah. So I was proud of that, but I'm like, you didn't finish top, you weren't the top. Yeah, so it's like this piece of paper is great, and I'm more proud of the all A's, but like this is like, and it's it's a whole nother ball game if he says, Dad, I want to be Valedictorian one day, because I would have said, This ain't good enough. Like you, you, you know, you set your sights on that. In in fifth grade.

SPEAKER_04 29:37

And then I'm gonna be disappointed in you for 97 because you gotta get to the valedictoria.

SPEAKER_07 29:41

But Abraham is just um he's a dog, like he's a hard worker in school, like he loves it, and you know, I'm always proud of him no matter what, but the award thing was a little much.

SPEAKER_04 29:52

Yeah. Well, that's private private schools. You paid for that award, so that's your fault. Uh, what is your most overrated or and or underrated thing? Like, you've listened to the podcast, we went through a whole bunch of things. Just when something is overrated, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Overrated.

SPEAKER_07 30:13

Canes.

SPEAKER_04 30:14

Yes. I agree with that. I agree. I don't think anybody can say that.

SPEAKER_07 30:19

I'm big guy certified. Like, I guess that would be a good second for Phoenix City is a chicken finger basket. Like, or state of Alabama, chicken finger basket. Because everybody and their mama has a chicken finger joint. That's right. Jim Bob's, Zaxby's, Cain's.

SPEAKER_03 30:35

I mean all the barbecue places, yeah. All the barbecue places got them. Autumn barbecue places got really good chicken fingers, too. A lot of them do. I agree.

SPEAKER_07 30:42

And I think canes, oh Guthrie's, yeah, Guthrie's too. Guthrie's. Cain's just white noise. Just white noise. It's overhyped. Now their toast, killer.

SPEAKER_04 30:52

There is a a place in town that does not have good toast. I never thought toast would be bad, but there's a place in town that they do not have good toast. Are you gonna say it? I'm not. Why not, Daniel? I'm not. He's not gonna be a hater today. I'm not is it canes?

SPEAKER_07 31:10

You think canes?

SPEAKER_04 31:12

No, I don't like canes. I don't think anything would I'm not a fan of Canes. Yeah. I think it's we went which I had one, we were out of the.

SPEAKER_07 31:19

They do a lot in the community though, so I mean that's a plus. Do they? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:23

Their their toast was not memorable to me, but it was also the day they opened and I don't remember. I don't remember it, but I I don't not believe you. Anything underrated.

SPEAKER_07 31:41

Underrated. Like, is this for y'all's perspective or everybody's perspective? Just you.

SPEAKER_04 31:50

Yeah, don't worry about us. Selling you things typically underrated in the world today. All right, we'll come on to that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:01

This one I want to know what's your uh overrated TV show or movie, since you was hating on both of mine. What is an overrated TV show or movie?

SPEAKER_07 32:14

I don't know, I kind of like them all. Like, what are some I didn't watch so I I y'all talked about uh Lost. Yeah. I'm not a Lost guy, didn't watch it, never watched it, never even seen an episode.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

So So that one can't be overrated.

SPEAKER_07 32:29

Yeah, as far as like TV shows goes, I'm passionate about the shows that I like.

SPEAKER_03 32:34

You just don't care about the rest of them.

SPEAKER_07 32:36

But I just don't watch anything else.

SPEAKER_03 32:38

What's your top shows?

SPEAKER_07 32:40

Hmm.

SPEAKER_04 32:40

The ones you like.

SPEAKER_07 32:42

So like comedy and stuff, like is this just all blanketed in?

SPEAKER_04 32:48

If you had to say top three shows, what would they be?

SPEAKER_07 32:50

I'm gonna go with The Office, I'm gonna go with Parks and Rec. And then Breaking Bad.

SPEAKER_03 33:00

I'm in on your top two.

SPEAKER_07 33:04

Breaking Bad was really good.

SPEAKER_04 33:05

I hadn't seen any of them, so I can't really give an opinion. Other than I'm not in with the office humor most times, but you're stupid. No, I agree. I just that's just we got that part. Do you eat ketchup on breakfast items? No. For sure. Yeah I'm not a terrorist. For sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:23

I sent Daniel a picture on uh Tuesday of or Monday of uh me eating Waffle House and had some ketchup on my hash browns for sure. Yeah, no, can't do it.

SPEAKER_04 33:35

Alright, so now we're gonna jump with with merge. Um just kind of give you so two questions, very simple. What is your favorite merge memory? So you've been well, you've been with merge for what'd you this will be year five?

SPEAKER_07 33:51

Yeah, going into year five.

SPEAKER_04 33:53

So you started as a chaperone for one year? No, I did two years as a chaperone, two time color game champion. Were you?

SPEAKER_07 34:03

Yeah. We won both years that I was a chaperone.

SPEAKER_04 34:06

Oh, that was rigged. Uh so two years as a chaperon. Call it what you want. Then you came on as uh staff, and this will be your third year of staff. Yep, third year staff. One complete will be when did we start the board? Last year? Has it been a year?

SPEAKER_07 34:23

It was the board existed.

SPEAKER_04 34:24

Yeah, we've had the board since we when I came, you know, incorporated. Okay. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Okay. Uh so your favorite memory through the four years going on five years, what would you say your favorite memory of merge has been?

SPEAKER_07 34:40

Uh, no doubt when my son surrendered his life to the Lord. I mean, it's kind of a softball question there. It's like I'm not gonna really say anything else other than that. Uh it was a great moment. Um, really proud of him that one, he came to me and felt confident in me to lead him to the Lord. I think that's a big deal. Right. And for me, you know, who's to say probably six, seven years ago, that I could even do that. Yeah. And so the yeah, six, seven. That's for other people that oh yeah. Uh he's to my back. But um, no, it was a great moment. I believe that it was real. I believe that he was ready, and it's just such a cool thing. As far as like outside of that goes, I'll probably never forget really the first service I ever went to. It was just really just wow. Yeah. That's what I remember thinking because my perspective of merge was such this is kids' camp, it's gonna be like VBS, like let's do the motions to the songs, and let's you know, do this corny stuff and color color sheets and stuff. And it wasn't, you know, we walked in, it was a full production thing, you know, the bands going, kids are dancing everywhere, there's funny videos going on the screen. The speaking was just so good, and I was like, wow, like this is legit.

SPEAKER_04 36:12

So um appreciate all that. Uh that kind of is the next question, what won you to merge? Um, but I guess why do you why do you do what you do with merge now? Like, yes, you have the experiences, but why are you still now you're the board president, you help run color games, like a big part of moving merge forward to our next steps. Why are you what drives you to do to do this?

SPEAKER_07 36:40

Well, I'll say I had such a good youth experience growing up. I really wasn't involved much in kids when I was a kid growing up. Uh my granddad preached at Lakewood Baptist for forever. Um, they had a really good youth program, was really involved in Smith Station Baptist youth program, and so camp was just a part of who I was as a teenager, and I remember it being such a good reset for me and something that I always I just loved camp. And so when I came to merge and realized, hey, this is probably the best camp that I've ever been to, I wanted to be involved off the hip. And then the more and more I'm involved in it, it's become really cool because every time I think about it, it's like how many gospel presentations do we give? And you know, people are gonna say, Well, it's kids, well kids need kids need a reset too. Oh, yeah, and I think it's important for everybody. In merge, we've said it, you know, with staff, and we need it just as bad as the kids. So I think to offer a chance for a kid to experience a merge camp and just thinking like, hey, I have a small part to play in that is really special. Um yeah, I agree with that.

SPEAKER_04 38:02

So if as the board president we all dream together and talk through things and what's next, if you could say one thing of what's next, not money's not an issue, um we'll we'll figure all that out. What would be the next thing you would like to see merged jump into?

SPEAKER_07 38:24

Just grow overall. Um just putting our product out there and getting it in front of people is my kind of mindset as putting my president hat on. Is okay, how can there's all these people that we know around and in our merge community that just love merge and there's nothing like merge. You talk to the people that come to merge, and it's just like, man, this is awesome. Okay, well, how can I get that to more people and let's grow this thing? Right. So that's kind of my mentality. Money's not an option, no doubt. A campus, like we're hosting camps, um, letting other camps come that are starting out just like we are, and giving them a chance to grow within our umbrella. Yeah, I believe that it can be done, but for right now, like my hat is okay, how can I grow? How can I give a better experience to the people that are already here? How can I expand? How can I make sure those first-time people are getting the best experience they can get?

SPEAKER_04 39:31

Yeah. So you also do a lot with Christmas in July. Any special theme Christmas in July you got in the works for this year? So if you don't know, Christmas in July, we bring we rented four big snow machines, and we're gonna have uh fake snow. We set up speed leaders.

SPEAKER_03 39:49

Snow tastes terrible.

SPEAKER_05 39:50

Luke A.

SPEAKER_04 39:52

So any anything in the works for Christmas in July, other than the we got some better lights coming this year. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 40:00

Um more inflatables this year, and I did just for the record, I did vote for another snow machine. I don't know if we all did that. No, we did. I mean, nobody complained, like there was too much snow.

SPEAKER_03 40:13

Nobody's ever gonna complain if there's too much snow. I'm with you. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_07 40:19

But yeah, it's gonna be awesome as usual. Lots of lights, lots of music, lots of fun. Lots of snow this year, and just trying to get better every year, trying to bring more lights to the to the deal.

SPEAKER_03 40:29

Uh y'all can begin praying now that it doesn't rain that first night.

SPEAKER_07 40:34

Yeah, that was a that's a nightmare for rain. That's for sure.

SPEAKER_04 40:36

Yeah, lights and rain don't work well together. So do you look forward to the staff kickball games? Do you take it as serious as some people?

SPEAKER_07 40:45

I'm a I'm a match energy kind of guy. So if my opponent is bringing energy, he's gonna bring some energy back.

SPEAKER_05 40:54

I didn't see that at the staff. Uh Mike knows how he was trying to I was giving good content.

SPEAKER_03 41:00

He was trying to be have some some good uh energy out there.

SPEAKER_07 41:03

Especially Levi is one thing, like we we smack talk back and forth. I love it. Um but my sister-in-law, when she decides she's gonna get in the game and start talking stupid stuff, then I'm gonna get in the game for sure.

SPEAKER_04 41:20

So you need to be on the opposite team of your sister-in-law and Levi.

SPEAKER_07 41:25

I would prefer to be on her team.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

No, no, no, no. But so we need some entertainment. Them being on the same team is as bad as them being on the opposite team. Yeah, because then they team up against somebody else and it's good.

SPEAKER_04 41:43

I don't know if we're gonna be able to edit that one out there. Wow. Well, I'm looking forward to kickball, even though my um age is catching up with me.

SPEAKER_03 41:51

So we'll have to see if I can guarantee you this. Next time we play kickball, there will not be three cooks on the same team. I don't care what I gotta do. It will be. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_07 42:03

Won't happen.

SPEAKER_03 42:04

These kids are out there playing volleyball to catch a ball all the way across the banana kickball. Yeah, y'all decide that afterwards. Well, some family they kick it into kick it over the fence, which is a home run, and this guy that's not been playing the entire time is just sitting there watching, catches the ball, and then we decide, oh yeah, banana kickball. Not house rules. It was in the house rules. House rules, right? It was not shared until afterwards. I have the video.

SPEAKER_04 42:34

Some families sit around and blow bubbles off their tongue after dinner. Some families go and practice. Get that number. I did it. Uh banana kickball after dinner.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

So nice.

SPEAKER_04 42:46

Well, that's all the time we have for today. Uh, thanks, Justin, for joining.

SPEAKER_07 42:50

Hey, one more one more thing. Givebutter.com. We really appreciate all the support from all our people, but these visions and stuff we talked about. Givebutter.com. All this great stuff. Is it free? I wish it was free, but it's not. Okay, I'm done.

SPEAKER_04 43:10

Yeah, so merge-ministries.com is our website. On there, there's the donate tab, and it explains how you can donate. Give butter is one of those ways that you can donate. We also have a Venmo. You can mail in checks to our PO box. So there's a lot of ways that you can support the ministry. We would love your support. We do, we are getting close, like a month and a half from camp, be here before you know it. It's kind of scary, man. We are getting close. Uh so thanks again for joining us next week. We will also have another uh visitor uh with us that we will interview. Uh so hopefully you enjoyed this week. If not, um write us an email and include the board president on that because he's part of this. So please see me, bro. C C how he did critique him and his thoughts. So we hope you have a good week and we will see you next week. See you bye.