M3 - Merge Ministry Mostly
A behind-the-scenes look at camp and ministry leadership, told with humor and heart. This podcast offers honest conversations about Christian leadership in student and children’s ministry—sharing real wins, mistakes, growth moments, and the everyday joys and challenges of serving. With plenty of laughs and genuine passion, it’s where Christian leadership meets youth camp chaos—real, relatable, and rooted in purpose.
M3 - Merge Ministry Mostly
Special Guest TO “Thomas Owens Toole"
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This week we are joined by the one and only TO. We will jump into football pics, dad life, and end with TO’s story with Merge. Join in on the picks or send us messages with your questions or comments to mergeministries12@gmail.com.
Welcome back to another week of M3 Merge Ministry. Got a new little system over here, so we're trying to figure out some sound stuff. But glad you're here with us. As always, I'm Daniel. I'm Luke. We have a special guest today, Thomas T. O Tool. I did not like how you said that. Thomas Owen Toole. So we will uh get to him in a little bit, get to know him, that kind of thing. Uh but last week we was it last week? Yeah, it was last week. We started talking about football. Uh I will have to say that I am two and oh on the year. Pick the central flag and central losing to Thompson. Uh Luke is one and one on the year. So you just hate Central? Uh no, it was the facts that I didn't think they would beat Thompson.
SPEAKER_03Unfortunately, he was correct. It was very unfortunate. They did not. Last uh this this week when as we were recording this today came out yesterday, Johnny's text me, he said, What an unfortunate take on Central Thompson. I was like, Yeah, true. I did say in the very beginning that I don't know what I'm talking about.
SPEAKER_02So we have this week four high school games and four college games that we're all going to pick. Uh we're not picking against the spread. You're just picking who you think will win. Who's better at football? I do have the spreads for the college games. I do not have the spreads for the high school games. I don't even know if they do that. But I don't think they do. I hope they don't. That should be highly legal if they do. All right. So we'll go. I'll pick first, then Luke, then TO will pick, and we'll go through these games and we'll let you know how we did. How well do y'all know high school football first? Obviously, not very well. I've missed. Yeah, I think high school is just more of the names of like yeah, but some of these schools, you ain't even gonna know who they are.
SPEAKER_03So you're literally just picking a name. That's true. So we have T.O. went to Calvary, so he don't necessarily know these high school schools and high school schools. High schools in Alabama. I was I thought I said Alabama first.
SPEAKER_02I'm not sure he knows the one in Georgia either. He didn't even know Calvary lost the other day.
SPEAKER_01I'm on I'm a coach.
SPEAKER_02Did you not go to the game? No. Uh was it away? Yeah. All right. So first up, Central versus Jag. I'm taking Central.
SPEAKER_03I'm taking Central big, baby.
SPEAKER_02I'll take Central. You should take Central. As we just said, he does not really know. Uh Calvary versus Terrell Academy. Uh I'm gonna go with the uh Calvary Knights in that game.
SPEAKER_03I'm not ever gonna go against Calvary, like I'm never going against Central.
SPEAKER_02You're never going against Calvary?
SPEAKER_03That's shh. I don't I don't care about my record, man. I'm a homer. I'm a homer now. Homer.
SPEAKER_02But like I put you're never picking against Central? Obviously, you should last week.
SPEAKER_01You should have. Probably not.
SPEAKER_00I think we win the state championship, baby.
SPEAKER_01Who you got? Uh there are a bunch of corn fed boys up there. There's like some like they wake up and plow hay and like do stuff like that. Uh I'll go Calvary in a close one.
SPEAKER_03I don't know that you plow hay. Plow hay, plow corn. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I don't farm. I'm not gonna act like I farm either.
SPEAKER_02It sounds like it. Yeah, that's true. All right, next up, uh, Glenwood versus Houston Academy. They're out of Dothan. I did figure that out last night. So it's not Houston. No, it's Houston Academy. Uh I'm gonna go with the Glenwood Gators. Look at you. I'm so proud of you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm going with Glenwood. I actually did a little bit of research. Oh, really? Yeah. What'd you figure out about them? I think uh I don't I from their first game was all I really had to go off of. Wasn't super impressed. I think you didn't look at like last year. Glenwood's got it. Glenwood's got it.
SPEAKER_01I was at Calvary around the time where Glenwood was a pretty decent rivalry, so I'm bump Glenwood. I'm going Houston. I'll never pick Glenwood.
SPEAKER_02Nice. Uh see that's the way I feel about this next one.
SPEAKER_03According to the stats, Glenwood's defense was pretty good. Their offense was a little shaky. Defense gone. They played like half a quarter.
SPEAKER_02All right.
SPEAKER_03I think Lee Scott was probably favored in that one. Yeah, I think so too. It didn't work out for them.
SPEAKER_02Well, they didn't play a whole game. They didn't even play to halftime.
SPEAKER_03It waned.
SPEAKER_02They got uh either way. Weather delayed Smith Station for those who think we should say station.
SPEAKER_03Smith versus See, I I'm out on that. People be telling me that too. Station. I'm like, nah, I'm gonna say Smith. Smith's. Yeah. I didn't go there so I can say what I want.
SPEAKER_02I think Dathan wins that one pretty big.
SPEAKER_03Ah, unfortunately, man, I'm with you. I think I think it's gonna be pretty big.
SPEAKER_01I'm a big under dog guy, so uh let's go Smith's.
SPEAKER_02Look at that how he immediately comes in and just rolls Smith's, no station. All right, college football. Uh first up, Auburn is a seven-point favorite versus Baylor on a neutral site. I think Auburn pulls it out.
SPEAKER_00I do too.
SPEAKER_02I would agree with you. What's your score? Uh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03Not that we're gonna be good at this.
SPEAKER_0214 to 5. It could be something stupid like that. It could I I would say 28-17 Auburn.
SPEAKER_0334-27. That was one of the things I looked up. That's what they said. You should go on college game days. Okay, guessing scores. Like, how are you supposed to know how many points they're gonna do? You should gotta know.
SPEAKER_02First game of the year, new offense, new quarterback. Like, you don't ever know. From what I've seen though, that Byron Brown, he pretty dog on good.
SPEAKER_01He throws kind of funky, but he gets the job done.
SPEAKER_02He does. Yeah, I did hear somebody's comment on his throwing motion.
SPEAKER_01Nobody cared about his throwing motion though until he got Dalberg.
SPEAKER_02Until he got all, yeah. USF is fine. All right, next up, a 28 and a half point favorite. Alabama versus Carolina's East Carolina. You pick an East Cook. Unfortunately, as much as I wouldn't love to pick against this, you know what? I'm going to East Carolina. Wow. That's what I'm talking about. We're going to even this play field out a little bit. I made a lot of the same pick so far.
SPEAKER_03I'm not picking Bama. I'm getting a win right here. That's that's the opposite of me saying I'm gonna always pick Calvary. I'm never picking Bama. I'm not. Yeah, I got Bama.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Who did they name it? Who did they name the starter? Russell. Russell guy. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't know if I'll ever be able to pick Alabama, even though they're a 28 and a half point favorite. You kind of know that's a lot of point favorites is East Carolina.
SPEAKER_03Like, come on. They got a good program. Like they've got a good program. It just I don't think it compares to it.
SPEAKER_01I mean, they went to USF a few years ago and almost lost. So East Carolina could mess around and do something stupid and win a game. Maybe the upstate did beat Michigan a while back.
SPEAKER_02Maybe I get the points there, and then that way covers the spread versus the spread.
SPEAKER_03We're not picking on the spread. We're picking the winners. What if we pick one underdog and they get the points? Then if Smith wins, my boy got it. Go pick it.
SPEAKER_02Next up, Clipson versus LSU. LSU is a nine and a half point favorite.
SPEAKER_03Is that where's it at? I think it's I bet it's in Death Valley. I think it is. Which one? The real one or the fake one?
SPEAKER_02I think I don't think they're at a neutral site. I think I think they are at uh LSU.
SPEAKER_03I think so too.
SPEAKER_02See, this was tough because I really don't believe that LSU's gonna have it all together. But also Clemson last year, like I I'm tempted to pick Clemson here. Um but I don't know. Like you got the best roster money can buy over there at LSU.
SPEAKER_03But can they put it together week one?
SPEAKER_02Can they put it together week one? Um I think they do. I'm gonna go with LSU. Yeah, I was. I I actually have Clemson marked on here. I really but I think I'm going with LSU.
SPEAKER_03I'm a Dabo Sweeney fan. I like I like old Dabo. I I got the Tigers in Death Valley. That's not an option. So uh I yeah, I think LSU pulls it together. I think I think I like, I really do like Dabo.
SPEAKER_02If Dabo wins this game, uh it's a completely different year for them. Like last year they were talking about like it was not a good year. But they did lose a lot on the defensive side. Uh TJ Parker and Peter Woods and a couple others, so they could have more missing than you got.
SPEAKER_01I'm going I'm uh I'll just take LSU because Lane Kiffin's the man. He should be finding ways to get it done somehow.
SPEAKER_03That's the thing with LSU is adding Lane Kiffin, they are going to score points. Yeah. Like, can your defense hold up? Like, they're going to score points. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, we all went on that. And now this one is another tough one. Ole Miss is a six and a half point favorite over Louisville, and it's at a neutral site. I don't know where it's at, but it's neutral. I don't know where they're playing. But I am gonna go with the upset here. I'm taking Louisville.
SPEAKER_03I don't like that because I had the same pick, brother. I think Louisville's gonna shock the world. I I that's crazy. I was picking the upset too, because I haven't picked an underdog yet. Yes, you have.
SPEAKER_01Oh East Carolina. Oh, wait, no, you didn't pick East Carolina.
SPEAKER_02Uh no, you Calvary was not under it. Yeah, you haven't picked underdog yet. Yeah. So where are you going with?
SPEAKER_01DeVille.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, we're going Louisville.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01I'm going on this. I think that's just the smart safe decision.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't know why you picked that now. You picked Smith over Dothan. Dothan, actually. It looks pretty good.
SPEAKER_03Like what the I forget what their first game was. They went down to Florida to play in Bay County or whatever, and I think they whooped on them.
SPEAKER_02Nothing's got better over the past couple years. Um they'll probably be the one two three. They'll probably be the four, could be the three seed.
SPEAKER_03I I thought them adding like combining with Northside, I thought they would immediately be like really good. Because both teams had Northview. North View, yeah. What did I say? North Side? North View, yeah. Both both teams as I played them, you know, they they were, you know, one or two players from being a really good ball team. Right. And you combined them, I thought for sure they were just going to be able to. They got real bad. They did, which blew my mind. It was crazy. I have no idea we are dark and one of my uh sh shorter teammates actually went down there and was a coach down there. Um I think that first year.
SPEAKER_02Just because he wasn't you're taller than him? No, he was really tall.
SPEAKER_03He's now a head coach down in uh Mississippi. Oh wow. Actually, four of the guys that I played with are now head coaches. Two of them in Georgia, one at Grayson. One at Grayson's a big one. That's another big school, another powerhouse in Georgia. I can't remember which team he's at. But anyways, four of them head coaches. Wow. Wow. 33 years later next.
SPEAKER_02Uh we'll see, and I don't know. I th I don't know if this is ever gonna work out because we're actually gonna record the next podcast before these games are played. So we're gonna be way behind.
SPEAKER_03That's true. I I was you know, I was com somewhat wondering, but like if we're picking if we was to pick week two right now, which we're still live, but we picked week two, like that happens this Friday. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the idea was we're gonna record this and pick, and then it's gonna play No, this will play next week. Yeah, and then they play that Friday.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but then we're gonna record next Wednesday. And we still don't know the results.
SPEAKER_03We won't know.
SPEAKER_02You gotta wait two weeks before you get the results.
SPEAKER_03We still don't know the results. That's what I'm thinking. I'm going, well, we'll win some, you lose some. We'll never. We'll clip this for the next one. Uh let's go to week two.
SPEAKER_02No, but then it wouldn't post. Like you have to.
SPEAKER_03It'll post afterwards. Yeah, but afterwards. We've just created a new segment, brother. Luke, Daniel and Luke's pics.
SPEAKER_02I guess I guess we could. We should do that in tow today on Thursday. But anyway. So that's that. We'll figure we'll figure all that out. If you're confused as we are, then welcome. So anyway, so today we have Tio uh in with us. So I'm gonna let you introduce yourself, talk about yourself for a little bit, uh, to the podcast world out there. At one time we did have one episode that got up to close to 500, and now we're sitting about 20. So you came at the right time because there's not a lot of folks out there. So tell us a little bit about yourself um and yeah, introduce yourself to the podcast.
SPEAKER_01I like my whole life story.
SPEAKER_02No, man, just what you're doing, where you're at, like things in life, like that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_01So I'm a student pastor here at a local church in town. Uh, I've been doing that for about this is my third year going going on three years. I know. Um, full time. That's all. And so, yeah. Well, before that I was at a church part-time. And so I guess I've been like paid for a few years now. So not doing voluntary work. Um I've been married for like a year and a half. Right on. Just had a baby. Right on. Uh that's pretty cool. It's it's weird. It's so weird. Um I I help help use the word help very loosely coach football at Calvary. Uh, I'm more of moral support and the team chaplain. Make sure not uh make sure people don't get out of hand and uh I can't.
SPEAKER_02Coach Calvary. They can't get out of hand at Calvary. You'd be surprised, brother. You'd be surprised.
SPEAKER_01And uh coach baseball and hang out with I'm like y'all's shadow.
SPEAKER_02So we love it. So, how is dad life?
SPEAKER_01Uh, so I'm gonna say this in full transparency, and I tell a lot of people this, and I'm not just saying this because the microphone's in front of my face, but I don't do as much as I probably should. Tabitha does a lot of the work.
SPEAKER_02Does she would she let you? Like, is it she wants to do it?
SPEAKER_01No, she just she's just knocking it out of the ballpark. Like, she's not she's just killing it. I didn't really know how she would do, if I'm gonna be honest with her, like with you, but like she's she's probably the best mom out there, and so but like that's it's weird holding a baby, and it's just like bro, like you're mine. You're mine. It's so it's so weird.
SPEAKER_02How's the sleeping going for him?
SPEAKER_01So this is actually three nights in a row now that he slept pretty good. Usually he like the other.
SPEAKER_02Well, what's pretty good? Like, how many times is he getting up? I think he woke up twice to feed. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You don't get up? I mean, I'll wake up because I he be crying, and so like I I wake up automatically, and then like usually I make sure Tabitha's good. Yeah, and if she's good, I just go I just go right back to sleep. Is the baby in y'all's room? Or yeah, he's in like a bassinet.
SPEAKER_02Okay. So not in the bed. No. Uh that's good. Don't don't start that. Never, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you're talking about like he's not in the in your bed. Oh no, brother. No, we not we don't be having that.
SPEAKER_03So we we were talking about this this morning before you guys got here. Um me and my sister, my older sister, it was like that was not an an option. Like you ain't getting them nowadays, but it was it was almost weird for me. Like, I didn't want I ain't go in their bedroom. It was like, it was it to me, there wasn't a rule, but it was to me, it was like that's off limits. You know what I mean? You don't go in there, uh, which you had to go through their bedroom to go like to the laundry room, or anyways. Anyways, it was just kind of a thing. And uh my little sister, it we did not get the same rules as my little sister. The baby was in the bed nine years old. She was nine before they were like, You've got to get out of my room.
SPEAKER_01No shot, brother. No shot.
SPEAKER_03We were talking about that with my cousin. It's like, I don't know how this happened. It was like, but my oldest daughter, it was the same. You ain't coming in here, and the younger one is like, all right, it's fine. And then the next thing you know, you're like, You've got to get out of my room. You know, he said, We got a king-sized bed and I sleep on six inches of it. He said, We sleep like an H every night. She's across the bus. I got a foot in my face. Yeah, I couldn't uh he's a he's a large human. So him sleeping on six inches of the bed is impressive. We ain't be doing that.
SPEAKER_01I have to like sleep like this because Tabitha, she'll just find a way to like scoot over and I'm like, Shawdy, you got you gotta move. Like I'm a large person. You don't be like touching?
SPEAKER_03No.
SPEAKER_02What size bed you got? King size?
SPEAKER_01No, queen.
SPEAKER_02Oh, we got king's size.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna upgrade soon, but when I Are y'all on opposite sides of the bed too? Yes. Uh well, like don't touch me. Uh body part.
SPEAKER_01She like her feet touch me. But like I get so hot and she like radiates a thousand degree body, and so I'm like, girl, you just gotta get out of my way. I should be really hot up in here.
SPEAKER_02See, Ivy wants to do that too, but I think it's more would be more aggravating, and she tries it to like just barely touch my arm. And I'm like, that's uh more aggravating. I'm like, so stop.
SPEAKER_03We we start like I cuddle, we cuddle every night, and then I end up I got shoulder, back, you know, old man issues. And uh so I end up going to sleep like on my back. At some point I lay on my back, and uh she's there's always like just like an arm, a hand on my arm, or it might be her foot, you know, something she's she's got to touch me in some way. And if like she wakes up in the middle of the night, she's not, she like is slapping to make sure that I'm still there. Which again, I sleep really hard, so I don't know it.
SPEAKER_02She just tells me this. Yeah, I couldn't do that. Uh you gotta get on on the on the silver side of the bed. Before you sleep, like that's fine.
SPEAKER_01We wal while we're watching TV, I don't, it don't matter. Yeah, but it's is it when I'm going to sleep, girl, you best be getting out of my way. No, yeah, I'm out.
SPEAKER_02We had uh, I think it was Colby we were talking about not too long ago. She would go to Abby's side of the bed and climb over Abby to get in the bed because if they came to my side, I was go get back in the bed. Get out of here. There's three people in the bed that ain't gonna work. I would go to Abby's side, climb over her because she would let them get in the bed. That's funny until I realized they were there. Then I was like, You gotta go.
SPEAKER_03Both of us are like, nah, brother, go back. Go back to your room. I'll come lay in your bed if you sick or you don't feel good, whatever. Like you're scared, I'll come to you. Let me get up in there.
SPEAKER_02So, how would you rate your diaper changing skills?
SPEAKER_01Oh god. So uh I give I give myself a seven. Yeah, you know, I'm I'm efficient, but not as efficient as I probably should be. Yeah, but I'm waiting for the day that he he be boo-booing himself really bad. Because I have I have bad gagger reflexes. I be I'd be gagging. And so smells like that's that's one of the worst things. The other day, it was it was bad. And I'm like, Tab of the I might need your help. She's sitting beside she's sitting beside him making sure I'm good, and I'm over here like, oh she's like, Are you good? Do I need a hubby? And I'm like, no, I got it. I'm a man.
SPEAKER_03And I'm over here like what? Have you been wiping him and realize you you got it on your finger? Yes. Do you freak out about that?
SPEAKER_01My instinct is too, but like, I'm like, he just be drinking middle of it. He's just gonna roll off of his thing. The first the first time I changed his diaper, it was literally like day two of him being alive.
SPEAKER_03Tylko's still like black and tar. Yes.
SPEAKER_01But but Tyler's in the shower, she got she's getting up moving around, and I my mom is in the room with us visiting, and uh, I get his diaper situated and everything, and I take it off, but I for I forget to get a diaper. And so you know, I've never done this before. You know, I've had knees and nephews, but like I've never had a baby brand new like this, and so I go to reach for another diaper, and he just be peeing everywhere. I've gotten pee on like five times.
SPEAKER_03This man said it was it happen. But at when he came to your D now, he comes up to me while y'all are y'all playing a game in the gym. He's like, Can you tell my church wet? And I was like, No, no, can you just pee all over me? I had to wash it and dry.
SPEAKER_00Off in the hand driver in the top in the bathroom.
SPEAKER_01I was holding him and he just he just starts peeing everywhere. I almost actually forgot if you got an extra shirt. But then top of them was like, go and go put it under the dryer. So I'm like, like. So he's got dried pee on this. Yeah, you ain't a snow, brother. You just be roughing it sometimes.
SPEAKER_02Oh dude, just wait till he poops and it comes up the back of his diaper. It's on his shirt, and you can't take the shirt off because you're gonna then get poop all over.
SPEAKER_01That bummer's gonna put a water hose, just yeah. Pressure was your mom.
SPEAKER_03Speaking of that, so one time we're out at uh Miss Susan and Mr. Keith's house, um, that's Joe's parents, and he's got the sprinklers running, not to water his grass, the kids are playing in the sprinklers. And Graham uh Johnny calls it a punami. And he has one of those where it's coming up the back. Uh Baric sees it, and like we all, you know, we just take care of it's you know, it takes a village. So she pops his diaper off, rolls it up, sets it on the side, and then she's going with the sprinkler like a bidet. Getting it off of him. It was great. It was hilarious. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
SPEAKER_02So, how is balancing family and ministry now that there's a baby? Has there been has that come pretty easy? I mean it sounds like Tabitha obviously she's still not working. So she's her last week before she starts working.
SPEAKER_03Oh then where does the baby go? I know we want to answer that question. Where does the baby go when she goes back to work?
SPEAKER_01So I think for the first few weeks she'll be with her grandmother. Okay. And then when he gets eight weeks, he's gonna start daycare.
SPEAKER_02See that so that'll be uh so right now it's probably fairly easy because she's at home with him. Yeah, you can go and do what you gotta do. So we'll we'll revisit this and see what else. Yeah, give it a few months and then we'll see we'll see how it'll be going. When she's having to get up and go to work, and that means you're gonna have to take some of the night duties.
SPEAKER_01But she's already talked about like I'm staying up till three o'clock. And I was like, okay. That's not that's a long time for me to be up.
SPEAKER_02You're staying up till three o'clock?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she's apparently like the thing is like to take shifts at night. So should I be the like the first shift so she can sleep and then she's gotta get up earlier than I do for work and to take the baby because the baby's on the way wherever she's gotta wherever you gotta be. And so she was like, I'll I'll sleep first and then you can sleep last because I'll be I need to get up anyway. And so she was like, You can sleep, or I'll sleep till like 2.33, and then after that you can. And I was like, that only gives me like four hours to sleep. I was gonna say that for sure.
SPEAKER_03Baby, we sleep together, son. You do what works for you, but anyway, I'm out.
SPEAKER_02When that baby goes to sleep, you go to sleep. Everybody goes to sleep. That's what I was thinking about. The whole house goes to sleep. That's fun. Well, uh, so when's baby number two? Have you already talked about it?
SPEAKER_01Probably we'll probably probably like two or three years. Two or three? Because like when you're like three, you're kind of you're you're kind of independent, but you're kind of not. And so it it's just a little easier, I feel like, if you gotta have a little bit of an age guy. I can't be doing two diapers at once.
SPEAKER_03Not them babies out, brother.
SPEAKER_02So that's what we do. Just go ahead and do that. That's what everybody's saying. Yeah. Go through the stages at close to the same time and just get it over with. But anyway, do it.
SPEAKER_03Macon and Juju are 18 months apart. Juju and Graham are right at two years. So it's a few a few more months. Yeah. 18 months. That's that sweet spot, brother.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think ours are like two years. Oh, Mason's a lot, and then like adopted.
SPEAKER_01So I'm three, I'm three years older than my younger sister. And then my older brother is about ten years older than me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, just go ahead, man. If you don't have him, just go ahead. Might as well go ahead and knock him out. But you do you do you.
SPEAKER_01All right, so I'll let the Lord dictate that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'll pray about that one. Moving on. Uh so how often do you listen, or how many episodes have you listened to of the podcast?
SPEAKER_01I feel like I've listened to about 85% for the most part. Now, my brain, I don't retain everything. So, like, maybe times where I have to like replay and be like, What'd you say?
SPEAKER_02So, in listening, um do you have any unpopular opinions? Any disagreements that you've heard? Uh I'm sure it's probably with Luke more than me, but any disagreements?
SPEAKER_01Not necessarily like disagreements, but like the the hot dog thing, like I'd it should be a sandwich.
SPEAKER_03You think it is a sandwich?
SPEAKER_01Like, I think sandwich is the main category, and then hot dog is its own subcategory. And so, like, I mean subcategory. Yeah. Of a sandwich. Yeah. Just like I I think a taco's the same way. Because tortillas be bread. Tortillas.
SPEAKER_03And so I think that's where we ended up playing. I think y'all won me to that side.
SPEAKER_01And then like I don't like it. Hot hot takes. I I mean, I think morning, morning people are liars. You're not a morning person, bro. You can't convince me otherwise, bro. Like, you're not a morning person? No, nobody's a morning person.
SPEAKER_02Yes, they are.
SPEAKER_01Daniel, you're telling me you you wake up in the morning, go, I'm ready for the day.
SPEAKER_03Brother, when my feet hit the floor, I am an annoying human to people like you because I am happy, happy, happy.
SPEAKER_01Like during camps and stuff. I feel like I'm just more awake because like I have to be, but like when I wake up just on a regular day, it takes me a good 30 minutes. I gotta have my coffee and walk around and take the dog out before like give me an hour and a half before you talk to me.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01No, no, I don't like too. You're wrong, brother. You can't in my mind, you can't give it to another body. I know y'all today because I know y'all the one person. And maybe I genuinely get naive still, but like I just been like this my whole life. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean, there's times that I wake up in the morning and I'm like, man, I don't want to wake up. But for a majority of the time, like when it's feel like that.
SPEAKER_03So like when you wake up, my feet hit the floor. So like when you wake up in bed, I'm like, oh, I don't want to do this. But then feet hit the floor and I'm so when you wake up, like it's easy, like you're just like, I'm ready for the day. Once my feet hit the floor. Laying in the bed, I don't want to get out of the bed. I'm like normal people, but when my feet hit the floor and I'm up, like I'm out of the bed, what's the point in being miserable for an hour and a half?
SPEAKER_01It's not miserable, it's just like you just not wake up, like it takes me forever to while to wake up. But like that's that's one I think cereal is a soup. I've not heard that one, but I mean, cereal is a soup.
SPEAKER_02I like breakfast soup. I mean, if you think about it, like it is very similar to soup.
SPEAKER_01It is, it's just not hot. I mean, does soup have to be hot?
SPEAKER_03No, that's the only thing, like and then I guess like another thing would probably be like Isn't there a isn't that like at a Chinese restaurant, don't they serve you some some cold soup? Cold soup? I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I forget which one it is. And then like my other thing would be golf is probably the hardest sport to play.
SPEAKER_02Oh, jeez. Yeah, it's hard to hit that little ball that's sitting at your feet.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I've played a lot of sports, and I I feel like I'm I'm athletic. Are you an athlete or are you athletic? Oh, so I saw this one with Levi. So I mean.
SPEAKER_03Do you also think pitchers are athletes?
SPEAKER_01I I I I I mean I can play multiple sports, and not now because I'm fat and somewhat old and out of shape, but like when I was in high school and college, like I could pretty much play whatever and be, you know, good at it.
SPEAKER_03At Daniel's D now, I recently learned I have a new criteria of athleticism. I have a feeling I know if you can skate, yeah, I'm gonna call you more athletic than if you can't. Because I one day when we get Levi back on here, I'm playing the clip of watching we're gonna see him skate, and he was not athletic. He looked like an old person. He didn't try to walk. He's not athletic at all while he was on them skates. Well, I will I'm gonna say too, Daniel first started looking like a newborn gazelle. You're too old to be skating giraffe out there, but he warmed up. It's like it's like it's gonna knock the rust off.
SPEAKER_01Everything got old up and he was able to force up when he started running, the bases start falling off.
SPEAKER_02That was it took me a little while. It will. I don't know the last time I uh skated since then or before then, but yeah, it did. It took a little while. I mean, I am 44 now, so well, not to call nobody out.
SPEAKER_03How old is Miss Christy when you're volunteers? Oh, I don't know. Oh she's rocking and rolling, she's skating backwards. She's skating backwards.
SPEAKER_02She also can ski. She skis very well. Really? Um, yeah, so she still can do that.
SPEAKER_03I asked her, I said, Do you skate a lot? She's I haven't skated in 25 years. I was a little nervous. I was like, well, you shouldn't be now. She's lying. She'd be practicing the home.
SPEAKER_02She was killing it. Well, I will say as he talks about how uh athletic and uh how golf is hard. He's the only person I gosh, here we go.
SPEAKER_01I shouldn't have brought the show.
SPEAKER_02Me and Grant played TO and Levi in golf. It was like two years ago, a year and a half ago. Best ball. They shot, I swear I think it was eight, at least 18, if not 20 over on 18 holes. Playing best ball. Playing best ball. Him and Levi.
SPEAKER_01This is so this is so I've been playing golf. I played golf when I was a kid, and I was like really good for no reason. Uh my grandparents played, and so I played a lot, and then I stopped because it just got too expensive. And then COVID happened, and we started getting back into it, and so it it has taken me from about COVID till now to really start being able to get it straight again. Be getting like good. Like I think I'm I'm an average golfer above average golfer. But like that day, I it's my fault because I was talking about how how decent I am. Like I'm a I'm a mid-80s guy, like low 80s on a good day. I'm flirting, I'm flirting breaking 80. And so, like you did not that day. And it's because it is only because it's Daniel and Levi. Levi was on my team the whole time. He's talking to you to me. I'm like, bro, we're on the same team.
SPEAKER_00Like, was he any better? No, obviously not.
SPEAKER_01It's uh literally from that day forward, I was like, I'm not doing this anymore. So I went to go get lessons. We have a golf pro in my church, and he tells me out that's okay. But it's because I talked and was like, I'm I'm good, like I can play. I saw never I've never said it, never said that again.
SPEAKER_03I've never been much of a trash talker. Daniel is. Johnny is, who's been on the podcast. Uh I I just I that feeling that you feel when you talk trash and then you don't back it up, I hate it so much. I just I'm not a trash talker. I'm I'll let the game you know prove my prove my point. Like I'm out on that. Nice.
SPEAKER_02Uh so as we anything else, pop opinions, anything? So we're gonna move on. What year did you start helping at merge? Like the first year you came to merge, what year was it?
SPEAKER_01So I went to a merge camp at twenty-one, I believe. With a chaperone. It was like a chaperone.
SPEAKER_02Did you really?
SPEAKER_01That was the overflow year.
SPEAKER_02With who?
SPEAKER_01Second. And then that next year. So six years.
SPEAKER_02So what year, man?
SPEAKER_012022.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think it was 21. I don't know that. I didn't realize that either. We I learned that recently. He said that and I was like, I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_02I think I think it was who was leading the group. I don't remember. I don't remember. Interesting. I think it was 2021. So in 22 you were out of high school?
SPEAKER_01Was I out of high school when I came? I don't know. It might have been 2019 and I started in 21.
SPEAKER_02Because we didn't do COVID. We didn't do COVID.
SPEAKER_01That might have been what it that might have been what it was. Because I think I was still in high school. Yeah, I think so.
SPEAKER_02Dang.
SPEAKER_01I'll have to go look at some pictures and see. It's either 21 or 22.
SPEAKER_02So when you started as so you came as a chaperone, when you started as staff, what was your first roles and responsibilities that first year you came?
SPEAKER_01Back I did backstage stuff.
SPEAKER_03Just help people get on and off.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Was Tiffany doing that at the time and you were helping with her?
SPEAKER_01No, it was just me.
SPEAKER_02How'd you get thrown into that?
SPEAKER_01I don't know how'd you be knowing people, I reckon. I don't know. I think it was because I went with JD. I came with JD the first year. And he did that too. And so Because he spoke in the morning. Yeah, he did morning stuff. And so I guess I did.
SPEAKER_02I don't think. He did skit.
SPEAKER_01He did some skits or something. I don't remember.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I want to say that yeah.
SPEAKER_01I don't think he But him and I were like were together and then that just what it was.
SPEAKER_03And then the next year, what was your role? Same second year here. Same thing. So it was your third year before you had like a speaking role. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That wasn't the math, math there. Because that'd be in 2024 you spoke in the mornings. Well, I did ago.
SPEAKER_01So last year I wasn't there. Or this past camp I wasn't there. Then brother. Well I was I was technically there for a few days.
SPEAKER_03Twenty six, he was not on, he didn't your role was not anything during services. Yes. 2025, you spoke at night at night. It was the first year night, and then 24, you spoke in the morning by yourself. Yes. And then 23 did something. DO did skits and stuff like that. Yeah. Set up set up the morning teaching with us from a skit. So but then with He had some dumb roles. He got to play a moron. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Had heat Applejacks off the float. Rather fitting.
SPEAKER_02That's great. So with youth, you've been with have you been with youth since youth started? Were you with us down at Laguna? Yeah. Playing the drums. So for youth, you were Then he got kicked out of the drums. He got kicked out of the band. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Shout out my kid for that one.
SPEAKER_02So you were you played in the band last year.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02Every year it merged.
SPEAKER_01Every year. Every year. Except this year this year.
SPEAKER_02When you got kicked out. I kicked out.
SPEAKER_03On maternity leave or whatever it's called. Paternity leave. Paternity, maternity. I don't know. One of those.
SPEAKER_02So what do you like better being in the band? Because for kids, you can't we brought Trenton in and they led for two years, I think it's been. So you can't speak and be in the band, but you I mean I can. You would just won't let me.
SPEAKER_03You can call that we won't let you. It's not gonna work out well. So what would you the transition of the band going off and him grabbing, you know, getting his stuff and walking on front? Like, yeah, get out of here, man.
SPEAKER_02So what do you like better? Being in the band or speaking?
SPEAKER_01So both don't you can't say both. So I've been playing, I've been playing drums since I was like nine months old.
SPEAKER_02And before you answer, be careful how you answer this.
SPEAKER_01So I've been playing drums since I was nine months old. I love playing the drums. Nine months old? Yes, sir. Did what? He just said yes, sir. Thank y'all for joining us.
SPEAKER_02Uh we're done with my castle.
SPEAKER_03I'm from the style of this. You'll never see TO on this podcast.
SPEAKER_02Yes, Daniel. You may not hear this podcast.
SPEAKER_01But anyway. And so like I've been playing drums since I was I could hold drumsticks. And so drums is my like I love playing playing drums. So like it's cool to be able to see out in the crowd and watch people worship. And when I'm it's just cool to sit back and watch everybody and and get lit for Jesus. But also, too, like I've come to realize that like my calling is not the drums. My calling is to is to you know be a minister and and preach to people. And so I I don't I don't know. I it it's it's conflicting to me because one is like a passion of mine, and like obviously getting to be able to speak in some way, that's an honor and a privilege. And I guess they hold different yeah, if that makes any I don't like one or another, like I still haven't heard the answer.
SPEAKER_02What do you like better being in the band or speaking? You have to answer.
SPEAKER_03I I guess understanding that they're different, yeah. Hold different value on it. Which one do you enjoy more?
SPEAKER_01Playing the drums because I I feel more comfortable. Because I'm still I'm still pretty new to to speaking, and you know, speaking in front of six, seven, eight hundred people, that'd be a lot of people. And so I guess I guess drums for the sole fact of it's just what I've done for my whole life and I'm just comfortable with it more.
SPEAKER_03But I I I do, you know, like to spread the word to people who say like I don't want people to think like so while you may enjoy playing the drums more, it's not that you don't like the speaking.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Because I enjoyed it, it's a cool experience. I mean, I don't know too many 20-year-olds that get to have the have that opportunity. So that's true.
SPEAKER_03That's fair. And you did a great job. You do, you do, you do do.
SPEAKER_02You did not do a very good job this year, but you did not at all. So what keeps you coming back to merge? Like you've been there since 2019. I think we've come up with like what is it about merge that you want to be a part of?
SPEAKER_01You said I you said I have no choice. No, uh, I mean it helps that you know my wife w grew up with merge and was on staff, and so I I guess I just kind of married into it and like I've made friends like that I've never would have thought I would have made, and so it's you know, I I people say it all the time, but it's like it's family, like it really is. And so that's the even though we're not close, we're we're close at the same time, if that makes any sense.
SPEAKER_03It's like we don't necessarily hang out every day, yes.
SPEAKER_01But when we do hang out, it's like we see each other every day.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I've I've enjoyed getting to know Tio. We're very similar in a lot of ways. Very, very similar. It's kind of weird. But uh Tio kind of took on the same similar role that that I did when I first started with with Merge. He's just around, you know, he's always there, he's always ready to to work and do whatever you you ask him to do. So I we we appreciate that. Um it's sometimes you know, we've had the conversation of like trying to find roles for some of these guys that are you know, they're getting older, they're no longer in high school, some of them graduating college, they're adults now, like they need you know a place in the ministry. Yeah, it's really easy when you just look back and oh, there's Tio. Here's the spot for you. That's pretty much what happened with with me and Daniel. Like I found out that that you know, second morning or the first morning, I found out he's up at 5 30. And I'm like, Well, you can get up at 5 30, not me. You know what I mean? There's work to be done. I'm here.
SPEAKER_01When I was there for like the the two days I was there, we didn't go to bed till like 3 30, and then we'd be waking up at 5. I was like, oh my god, every night, brother. And it was like we weren't just like up because we were up, like we had like good, like good conversation and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_03I think the night that Daniel was gone, I slept maybe an hour. Like, I don't, I'm not, I don't have anxiety, I don't get stressed out about stuff. That made me nervous, my boy. Like when I get up, like Daniel's not here. Like, I gotta I gotta make sure everything operates and plays. Like you demand everything's done, you know? Like there's normally two of us working at the computer uh in the morning when we get into the situation.
SPEAKER_02It's just me today. Yeah, but you're uh but being there and being available, I think is a big part. Um, but you're also fun to be around. You can laugh at yourself and be true easy. You let us you let us make fun of you and laugh at you as well. I'm the guinea pig, I like so what's your I say greatest, best memory, like something about merge that you look back on as like, hey, that was cool, or seeing that or being a part of that was I should have known this wasn't gonna be a question.
SPEAKER_01I should have thought of this before.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you definitely should have.
SPEAKER_01Um You know obviously all the fun moments, right? Kickball and playing that one year we played volleyball until like three o'clock in the morning. Like those those are fun, those are cool. Getting to hang out with everybody, that that's pretty neat. But I think it was um last year when Macon the year Macon got saved. And it was salvation. I and I had done my I had spoke or whatever. And first of all, the mount the mountain thing was a pretty cool that was that illustration. I I think that kind of the vision. I'm a visual learner and so getting to see that kind of workout was was really cool. But when I was done, I went to the back because a lot of times when in any service, not just merge, I'm either playing the drums or speaking. Yeah. And so like I don't really get to enjoy a service a lot. And so I go to the back and everybody's worshiping. And just seeing like kids. Yeah. Everybody's hands are raised and like it's it's it's unreal to see. Like somebody said one time that that's like the closest to heaven you'll get. And it it truly is. And getting to hear every all the kids sing like that junk, it just gives you chills. And so that's probably that year. Yeah. For some reason, it just hit different. Yeah. And so I think I think that would be I've I've talked about it in here before.
SPEAKER_03The first year hearing the kids was it's overwhelming. Yeah, I couldn't get over it. But the the two to to know that there's nothing that I have to say that is impactful, that is gonna mean anything in light of eternity, that the Lord is the one that's moving. But to see the kids respond on you know that night and it's I was a part of it, and God allowed me to be a vessel in that moment, it's it is after that. That was your first year speaking at night, and it is something different.
SPEAKER_01I think that I think that a lot of people don't get to experience, you know, that because I would like you know, it's not about me, but it's the fact that you know we planned all year for this to see it work out the way it works out, and then you get to sit back and be like, Man, like I was I was a part of that. Yeah, like God used me to do that.
SPEAKER_03Is yeah, it's something it's hard to explain because you don't want to bring credit to myself. Like I know it ain't got nothing to do with me, you know. So it is hard for uh other people to be able to really genuinely understand what that feeling is, but I I totally it's the fact that I was a piece in the game that God used me. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, and that's merge. I mean, uh one of the things I like to see in merge is people like you who start as just somebody who's there, but then that you we have the opportunity to allow you to do things like you said, most 20-something year olds may not get to do. I know I didn't get to do that when I was 20 years old. Um, but to be able to see God use you and we provide you that opportunity to be able to do that, but then like what you remember is connected to his kid. Yeah. To go back to the whole family thing of like when you saw that and that moment and that night, like that mattered to you because it was his kid.
SPEAKER_03So that's a cool thing with merge and that that night um Joa's on on the lift running the spotlight, and um you said it, and so did Melissa, and it was you know, I don't know, doing and nothing about that moment was hey, look at my son, hey, look at this, you know. It was nothing was like that, but I wanted Joa to hear from him, not from me, the decision that he had made. So, you know, I tossed him up on my shoulder and I'm trying to like climb up a little bit on the lift, she's leaning down, and you know, that was one of the things you said was like seeing that the excitement and all was just really, really cool. And I I when Graham was born, my youngest, it was during COVID, and so nobody was allowed to be at the hospital. And it was one of the things that I mean and Joe are sitting in there all by ourselves, and it was like, this sucks, you know what I mean? Like the joy of of my family and my friends taking finding joy in in my child being born, you know, is something that we missed, and it was like I didn't I didn't realize how much that mattered to me and how much I enjoyed that. And you know, it's it's back another one of those moments, you know, seeing it is a family. It's it's it's merge isn't just you know, it's not Daniel's show, it's it's merge, and it's us as a family.
SPEAKER_01I feel like I feel like a lot of camps, like you know, family atmosphere, like we're a family, but like this this sounds mean, but like I don't think they got it like we do, like if that makes any sense. Like, you know, when I talk to people about merge, like that's that's like the first thing I talk about, and it's like it true, like I feel like I don't know, it gets said so much, but like it's the truth.
SPEAKER_03Like when we were doing that little uh shooting our little I think you called it commercial, little video, you know. Uh hearing everybody say that we didn't tell nobody what to say, right? Yeah, and and our desire is that it would be a family atmosphere, at least on on staff. Hearing everybody say that, I'm I'm watching the guy shooting like the guy, the videographer, and it's like it's almost like he's thinking, say something else. I mean like use a different terminology, a different word, but uh like you said, there's really no other way to describe it. I don't I hope the camera didn't catch it, but that one got me a little out of it.
SPEAKER_00I saw you guys give run up some book. Get back in there too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we're waiting to to see those videos. Hopefully they'll be out pretty soon and everybody gets to see them. But um, but that's I mean, that's what merge is, is a group of people coming together, using talents and abilities to to make camp happen. And I think when it's not about a person or the individual coming to camp, I mean I think that uh those relationships happen naturally and genuinely, and that's kind of kind of what you get. So um that's about all the time we got for today. You got any words of wisdom? Any outgoing advice?
SPEAKER_01Not not really.
SPEAKER_03Cachow. I'm uh I'm I was waiting to hear, you know. Oh, redo. I was waiting for redo, and uh it's taken me, you know, how many episodes to be able to get on the podcast? Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Pim was slightly softy, but it was very well the thing is the thing is Daniel just you and Daniel, every Tuesday, we're gonna go join the pump cuts. And then one week goes by. Freaking Kobe. Next week it's Levi. Next week it's Trent. I understand Johnny. Johnny, you know, I get that. But like, brother, you just be putting on my downfall.
SPEAKER_03Now Levi's been on it twice before.
SPEAKER_01I'm not Daniel's blood, I reckon.
SPEAKER_02Just know where you stand in the pecking word.
SPEAKER_01And then I I was supposed to say my life is like a podcast because this is my first time ever doing a podcast, and before I was like, I don't know what to do. Do I get a redo or something? And then I was like, oh, my life is kind of like this.
SPEAKER_02So well, thank you for joining us. Uh, hope you got something out of today. If anything, be available, like be around people, be around ministry.
SPEAKER_01Like be okay, be be okay to say yes. Is that the right word? Yeah, be okay to say yes. Like be uncomfortable sometimes. It's worth it.
SPEAKER_03It's worth it.
SPEAKER_02Good point. So uh you can email us, mergeministries 12 at gmail.com. Uh let us know what you agree with, disagree with, give us your thoughts. Um, we'll keep you posted on the football stuff. I don't know how that's gonna work out. Like three weeks ahead. But we'll figure it out. So um we'll be back next week. Not sure if we'll have a guest. Maybe Tio can be a regular since he just lives right down the road. Yeah, literally like a minute and a half. I was telling Luke. So Teo, thanks for coming. Appreciate it. Uh Luke, uh, you have to be here. So glad you're here too. But enjoy the weekend and enjoy college football.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02All right. So we will see you next week. See ya bye.
SPEAKER_04Deuces