Is Love Really Unconditional?

Can people truly love unconditionally, or is that kind of love only possible for God? This unscripted conversation explores the difference between loving a spouse and loving children, whether love is a choice or a feeling, and what Scripture teaches about loving a spouse as Christ loved the church.

The conversation also turns toward showing kindness to strangers, preparing for another mission trip to Germany, sharing the gospel through baseball, and the major differences between Christianity and the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is honest, unplanned, occasionally off track, and another reminder that everyone is still figuring it out.

We appreciate y’all listening. If you got something out of this, share it with someone who’s still figuring it out too. We’ll catch y’all next time.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Welcome back to another week's episode of Still Figuring It Out. I'm Josh. I'm with my co-host Britt.

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Good news is Britt is back this week. Yep. I'm back. Yeah, we had had a little well, you know, we both, of course, you know, like you said, the podcast, we both get busy, and of course I double booked myself and didn't realize it. Well, I'm usually never do.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

But well, dude, let me tell you, I was, I was stressed. I was nervous. Were you? Dude, it it's so like, you know, because you and I, we could sit here and talk like normal conversation, don't realize we have microphones in front of our face or anything like that. But but man, when you're sitting there by yourself, and the worst part was I was in my closet. You know, I have where where we have our quiet time and stuff like that. In our closet, we have a little desk and and sticky notes for like for prayer and stuff like that. But in front of me is a mirror. So literally, I'm just looking at myself in the mirror and I'm like, This is so weird.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Yeah. You know? I I don't know if I could do the mirror thing. The closet would be fine. That yeah. I I'm not a fan of mirrors. No, yeah. It was just like I said, it was just weird. You know, sometimes the your co-host, the other person is kind of your audience, you know, where they'll laugh or make comments when it's just you. You might say something funny and you know, just dead air.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

No, that that's and that's kind of what it was. I mean, it was it was dead air, you know, because I I recorded it, you know, Sunday night or I guess Monday morning at you know, like 12 30 at night. So it was it was like everybody was asleep, so I couldn't be really loud like we are now. Like we talk, we laugh, you know, we carry on. But yeah, it did seem like it was Muffled, maybe? I uh maybe not muffled, but like I was, you know, I was just above a whisper. I was kind of talking like this, you know, instead instead of just talking like you and I. But, you know, I mean it was just a busy, busy weekend, you know, with Jersey's birthday and everything going on. And my wife's a busybody anyway, so it's just, you know, and then Riley was scrambling around trying to get ready for Falls Creek and doing that stuff, and she was packing and she was up late. I could hear her, you know, scrummage around and and turn her to turn the shower on at one point. You know, it was after midnight. Like I said, it was just it was a hectic week, man.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

And I I don't think busybody is like someone that stays busy. I th right? I think that's like a gossip, a gossiper. Uh I thought it was always a busy I don't know. Maybe I don't know. You're probably right. I will say your intelligence is higher than mine. I don't think she's a busybody. Well, we'll we'll look it up in the next week.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

Yeah, maybe you can uh call me out and put me on the spot again like you did with the the assist thing. I I uh Chase, you know, uh Chase at Sunday school, he was like, Yeah, well, LeBron wasn't the leader in assist. And I was like, Yeah, thank you, Chase. I was like, glad to know you're listening there.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Thanks for listening. Yeah, you said that and I thought, uh, that doesn't sound right.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Well, maybe maybe it was the the a most active, active uh player with the most assistants. Oh, yeah. And I think that was what it was. Could be that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

But I guess Chris Chris Paul's still considered active. Probably, but I bet he's past him. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

Yeah. So well, no, I thought Chris Paul was two. Jason King was three, John Talcotton was one, and then LeBron was four. Oh. I don't know. It doesn't matter. It was, it was, it was two weeks ago. Let's not talk about me being wrong. I don't I don't ever like being pointed out that I was wrong anyway, so it's okay. Yeah. Probably get used to it. So this week, uh, we're gonna try something different. We're going to give us a topic. I'm gonna give you a topic blindly that you don't know about, and you're gonna give me a topic blindly in the you know, in the next episode that I don't know about. And and and we're gonna we're just gonna go with it, you know, because I mean, obviously, people, I don't know if people know, but sometimes our stuff is I don't want to say subscripted. Yeah, it's definitely not scripted. But it's it's I mean, we have our talking points that we we we follow along, you know.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

So, so this week we're gonna just try something new since nobody wants to tell us about their fails, you know, they don't it'd be a little new in a way, but at the same time it's kind of mixing stuff we've done because a lot of times it's just, you know, when we've had busy schedules and hadn't been able to think of anything, we'll just be like, well, we'll just talk about what we did this week, or we'll talk about this or that. And so it will just be, you know, whatever comes out of our mouth. No, yeah. But in this case, you know, one of us knows and one doesn't, and kind of really puts you on the spot. And I was, you know, when I was trying to think of something I wanted to do, I th at first I was thinking of things that would be tough, like, man, what would be a real tough subject? But then I'm like, you know what? I've got to talk about it too. So I'm like, I almost want to compare it to like, you know, if you were in church just sitting there and then the preacher just stood up and said, you know what, instead of a sermon today, we're gonna have Josh Sisko come up here and he's gonna spend an hour talking about the worst moment of his life. The very worst thing he's ever done.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

Like, you know, I I probably wouldn't have one, I would probably wouldn't have stand up. My body would be numb, you know, like my head would get hot, I would start running with sweat, you know, like a heart attack.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

But nah, you know, I was just trying to think of something that would would be tough to answer on the spot. Yeah. So I and it's not really one question, I guess. I guess it's a multi-layered. So I I'll I'll hit you with, you know, two or three questions, you you answer them. But it's it's kind of, you know, how what's the difference between how you love your wife and you love your kids? You know, is it more or less? Is it you know, is that comparing apples to oranges? And do you love either one of them unconditionally?

SPEAKER_02 5:51

Yeah. So the love I have for my wife is obviously a lot different than my kids. You know, I mean So you you know, different playing field stuff. Well, yeah, I mean, you know, uh I love her, I love her spiritually, I mean, I love her emotionally. Because here's the thing, I didn't choose my kids. Right. I did choose my wife. You know, and and it's it's kind of a a trick question, kind of. You know, I think before I got, you know, as close as I am to God now, I probably would have loved I probably would say I love my kids more. But you know, but now that that I I do dig into scripture and I do, you know, try to live my life according to God's laws as best as possible, I think just because I do those things, it's easier for me to love my wife. It's easier for me to to to choose her. It's easier for me to to see why I love my wife more. You know, like I couldn't tell you before like why I loved my kids more. I couldn't tell you why I would have loved my wife less or why I would have loved my wife more, but but you know, when you follow scripture, God sets those those things in line to to make it easy to to love your wife, you know, and and I mean our kids are gonna be, you know, they're gonna grow up and they're gonna, they're gonna leave and they're gonna go out and find their husbands or find their wives and and move on and start their own family. Well, no matter no matter what, my wife's stuck with me, you know, like she ain't going nowhere. You know, if she gets mad at me, she can go take a nap. Right. You know, but but yeah, it's it's honestly easy, easy for me to to say I love my wife more, you know. Like I I choose my wife over my kids. And I mean, some people are probably thinking, what? Like, why would you say that? You know, like if they were both drowning, I'd probably save my wife. You know, if if there was a situation where I had to I had to pick, I'm probably gonna pick my wife. I mean, now my wife would get mad at me and say, no, save our kids, you know, but my wife's my best friend, you know, and and I don't know, it's just kind of it's kind of hard, you know, to think about because you know, you you see my kids running around a little bit ago and and they're they're pretty cute kids, you know, and and they're fun, and they're they're fun. But but yeah, I would now Riley would probably say I would save Jersey over anybody.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

You know, but but uh she's convinced you got a favorite.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. You know, and I and I I give her a hard time just because Riley, you know, me and Riley, we're a lot alike. Like Riley is is me, you know, like and and she's honestly probably my favorite to mess with because she gets, you know, she gets feisty and gets mad, and you know you know what works use. Yeah. Yeah, right. And but you know, like I said, I always always joke around with them that you know, my favorite's the one that's doing the most for me at the time, you know?

unknown 9:16

Right.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

And uh, and uh, you know, like sometimes Riley will sit down on the couch and she'll just like rub my feet. And I'm like, well, you're my favorite child. You know. So, but it's just funny because like I said, you ask Riley, she'll be like, oh, it's Jersey. And I told, you know, I told Infinity yesterday, I said, man, you know, I got to thinking about Sunday because Jersey's party was on Saturday, and and his birthday was on Sunday. Well, I told Riley and Finney, I was like, man, I had to stop myself earlier because I was making a I was making a birthday post for Jersey. I was gonna make like a little clip for Jersey, you know. Then I was like, I gotta I had to stop myself because I was like, I got to thinking, I was like, this year I didn't make a post for Steven, I didn't make a post for Riley, I didn't make a post for Indian Ivy. I was like, yeah, I better not make a post for Jersey. So I just deleted it, you know. So and I I I think it's just because right now in life, like their everyday life, Riley don't need me that much, you know, and it's it's sad to think about. Like, she don't need me that much.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

She can do stuff on her own, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

And I mean, if if that was your only child, it would be different. But, you know, you've got Jersey jersey things going.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Well, Jersey still needs me the most, you know. Like, even which obviously, like we've seen earlier that Jersey is bigger than Indian Ivy, you know, but he's still 14 months younger. Right. I mean, they're you know, they're they're 14 months older than he is. They they've been through a whole year of school. I mean, they they get things, they know how to help themselves still. I mean, Jersey literally just is a f is four in a day, you know. And four and two days old. Yeah. Like so he's still young and he still needs help with things. And and I don't know, I I feel like I get to help him. You know, it's it's nice to be able to help him because because when you get kids that's 22 and 16, like they don't need your help anymore. They don't need you anymore. I mean, only time they need something is when they want something, you know, and that's I mean, that's and you're gonna know from past experiences things you missed with your 100%. And man, and I I I tell I tell Riley that all the time. I'm sorry, you know, because I did. I softball was first in my life at that time. You know, I I wanted to go play softball. I wanted to go hang out with my friends on the weekends, you know, and I was I was young. And and and Riley gets that, you know, because now we do we do. We we we do stuff at our house. Like we go hang out, we we go to the movies, we go to the district, we go, I don't know, wherever it may be. We we go and we go do it. Like we go on vacations, like I mean we I do as much with Riley as I possibly can. And and you know, and and obviously sometimes she has to miss certain things, you know, just because you know, we share, we share Riley. I mean, she's here two weeks, she's there two weeks, and and that that stinks, but you know, I think Riley gets it. But but yeah, so like but like I said, I I think my love for my wife is different than my love for my kids. And and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

So so what do you stand on unconditional love? Is that something you can't fathom or well, you know, again, I th I think of I think of God and his unconditional love.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

You know, and I I as much as I want to love my kids or my my wife as much, I don't know if it's possible. That's something God does. And God does the impossible. Sure. You know, and and if God loves me unconditionally, I mean, because here's the thing is if you if you think about it, you know, we both love the Lord, but do we love the Lord enough to sacrifice our child? You know what I mean? So so I unconditional love is is what God does. He I mean, he sent his son Jesus Christ down on the earth. And I'm I'm not trying to make this a spiritual thing or anything like that, but he sent his son to earth to die for our sins, you know? And I just I just couldn't send my kid anywhere to die for for somebody else.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Especially somebody else that don't have a relationship with.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

But but that almost makes it seem like maybe you do have unconditional love for your kid.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Yeah, from I mean, but possibly, but I don't what what you're saying is you love the Lord more, so but you you still wouldn't sacrifice your kid for the world.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Right. So I don't think I have unconditional love.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Yeah, so I don't think it's possible to have unconditional love. That's fair. I think I think God is the only one that could have unconditional love. I mean, he did the ultimate sacrifice, you know, like I mean, because again, I I couldn't send my kid to die for somebody I don't know. Like they don't have a relationship with maybe.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

But do you think there's anything your kid could do to make you not love them?

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Possibly. Possibly. I mean, you know, killing a sibling. You know? Yeah. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

Like I mean, I still might I man, I d I I don't know. Like that's a that's a great question. You know, I hope I never have to find that out.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

Well, yeah, that's you know, I mean that's I just I I hear that debate a lot and it just you know, just got me thinking, you know. What what about you? I mean Well so first off, I thought that I would get you on this topic. I thought, man, I'm gonna get him and I'm gonna go first, you know, and then it gets flipped on me when a lot of the answer you have is is the same that I had. I'm like, golly, that that backfired. Yeah, so that that's a tough one. So I would say that I okay, so I I love my wife more, but when it comes to unconditional love, I I would say I don't know. Because you know, it are there certain things she could do and and you know, we I've had this discussion with her and and it frustrates her that it's like she'll say, Well, I have unconditional love for you, I'd love you no matter what. And I say, Yeah, but if it's and she thinks it's like, you know, I love her because she cooks or cleans. It's it's not about the things that she does. It's about if she did something that could make me not love her, you know, that's what it's more about. So if I was in that position, I don't know. You know, that you know, if they cheated or if they, you know, murdered your kid, you know, just some of the worst things you could think of, I don't know. Like I said, I do love my wife more, but I do almost feel like I have an unconditional love for my daughter, where no matter what my daughter did, it there might be something she could do that I may not like her, but I would still love her no matter what.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_02 16:22

No, it does. But you know, I I think I think that it would be easier to have unconditional love for my wife more than it would or easier than it would be to have that unconditional love for my kids.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

That makes sense. To me, it's almost like it's almost like a scale. Like if I love you between one and ten, for God, it's a ten no matter what. To me, when I think of unconditional love, I st I just think of still being somewhere on that scale. Yeah. You know, could my wife do something that kicks her all the way off the scale? You know, because that's the person I chose, that's the person that chose me. So there's certain expectations. Yeah. Whereas with my kid, like you said, didn't choose her, I think the love could be the number could be lowered on the scale, but I don't think I could that she would just be. Yeah. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Yeah, and and you know, so my only thing about I think I could love love my wife unconditionally is because Ephesians 5.25. Husbands love your love your wives as Christ loved the church. We know Christ loved the church unconditionally. I mean, we know that, right? So so again, scripture's telling me husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church. So I I just think you you put that together and and he's telling you, love your wife unconditionally, you know, no matter how bad she messes up, or no matter how bad your husband messes up, we make mistakes. And and you should love because we know the church made mistakes, right? But Jesus still had that unconditional.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

But see, that's the thing too, is you know, it tells us to go God family church. Right. And you know God isn't gonna love church more than he would love us as individuals. So church isn't necessarily, you know, if he's telling us, you know, love your wife like the church, that's still not necessarily the tip top of the of the scale. Man, I just I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

That that is a tough question. It really is. I mean, I'm gonna I'll put a I'll put a poll out this week. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

You know, and and I mean you you ask a hundred people, you might get 90 different answers, you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Yeah, right. And that's okay, because I mean people are, you know, empowered to their own decision. They're in their own choices. Sure. And so I mean I don't think there's a wrong answer. Right. But I I don't think there's a right answer either. Mm-hmm. I mean, if there is a right answer, I don't know it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

And you know, it's always different ways of looking at it. But Yeah. No, I I think that is But like I I do agree with you, like you said, uh, you know, loving my wife more because I know my daughter's gonna find someone that that she loves more than me. She loves more than me. Right. You know, unfortunately. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

That sucks. Yeah, that does suck. But but no, yeah, that's I mean, that's honestly a that was a really good one, you know. I mean, that that one little that one little topic right there. Took up all what I what I spoke on last week. Already covered. Yeah, already covered that whole that whole section. No, but yeah, that that's a really good question. I mean, I don't know, but so but who would you say that you love more out of your your wife and your kid?

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Like I said, I I would love my wife more. But but you love your kid harder? So like my wife has a higher ceiling and a lower floor. Does that make sense? Yeah. Love my wife more, but there's a potential to drop more, I guess would be the best way of putting it. Yeah, it is weird because it's like maybe maybe God loves us an endless unconditional love that we don't have, I don't have, I guess I should say. And I don't necessarily maybe I don't have that endless unconditional love for my daughter, but there is unconditional love that I'll you know, I'll love her no matter what what happens.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Yeah, it's just like I said, that that's hard, you know, and I I mean I don't I man, like that's honestly a great question. But I I I will say, like, I don't think we love them any different on their good days or on their bad days, though, you know, like we we uh sometimes you gotta love them more on their bad days than you do on the good days, you know. You gotta and and maybe maybe not even love them more, but just show them that you love them, you know, because how often do we do we go around and just you know, not show love to one of our family members, you know? And that's that was something that I always did whenever I was teaching school, man. I after every class, you know, the bell would ring and I'd always tell the kids, you know, hey, I hope y'all have a great day and I love y'all, you know, because because how many of those kids go through their whole day that don't get told they love them? Or their whole childhood, their whole childhood.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

I mean, just I know people that they're Parents do love them. They show them love, but they don't have it's like they don't have the ability to just say it. I mean, how hard is that to say the three words?

SPEAKER_02 22:08

Yeah. I mean, I that's the thing is that man, I everybody that I talk to that I love, man, I tell them, I hey man, I have a good one. I love you. You know, like I mean, I tell my 22-year-old son that every day I get off the phone with him. You know, what's the worst that's gonna happen? Someone hears you and makes fun of you. I mean, you know, I mean it's okay it's okay to love. It's okay to be soft, right? You know, like we don't have to always have a tough guy look. And I man, I used to I used to think that whenever I was younger, like, you know, oh I can't look soft. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

You know, like who cares, man? But and but they, you know, they don't realize a lot of people how much that could mean to to someone, to their kid or whoever to just say that. So a a follow-up to that, do you think love is a choice or a feeling?

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Both. Same. I think it's both. I mean, I can I choose to love who I love, you know. I mean now I I but I also think, I mean, you feel love. I mean, that's I mean you you feel love. You know, because if you didn't feel love when somebody did you wrong and and you loved them, it hurts. You know, or or if you if you didn't feel love, when somebody's gone for a while and you see them, you're excited, you're happy, you know. Like when when when somebody in your family passes away and you love them, it hurts, you know. I mean, again, we talk about Jody's birthday, like we celebrated Jody's birthday party at Jersey's birthday party, and I was I was so happy when singing happy birthday to him because you know, he made another year. Like, I felt it, you know, I felt the love, you know. Like, like when I see Riley saying, you know, praise and worship on stage, like I'm happy, man. Like I get teared up because I love her, you know. So like that's a feeling. Yeah, it's a feeling, you know. I mean, when I come home from work and the kids beat me home from school or whatever it may be, they run to me and give me a hug. It feels good, you know. Like, so like that's that's stuff that I I look forward to those those feelings because I like it. It's it's nice, you know, it's it's warming, it's comforting.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

It's, you know, I mean, it's and you know, obviously you like being able to see if you love someone, being able to see them show that love. Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:29

I mean, uh, it feels good, you know. Like, I mean, like when, you know, when Steven was in high school, like when he would, when he would do something good, man, I was I was proud of him, you know. I wasn't proud that, oh, that's my kid, you know, everybody sees my kid. I was proud because he's he's being successful, you know. I love, but I don't, but I'm a I'm a kind of person that I love watching people succeed, man. I don't, I don't get upset when people succeed. I I truly enjoy watching people grow. I enjoy watching people be successful. I enjoy watching people be happy, you know. Like, as a matter of fact, this morning, you know, I I got I got to got to Walmart really early this morning. I had to go get some things and and I checked out, you know, and I was getting ready to walk out and I look over and this this guy's this old man, he's he's trying to check out, but I I don't know what happened. He had a basket full of stuff. I don't know if he has food stamps or what, but he paid, well, he owed $34. And they, I mean, the Walmart people, they they just wasn't being very helpful, you know. Like, and I I felt that. I felt sad for that guy. You know, I mean, he was probably, he's probably in his 90s. I mean, he was old, you know, barely could walk around. I mean, but you could tell he was still trying to do his, do his thing. And and they were just kind of giving him a hard time. And I, I mean, and I just walked, I was like, how much does he owe? And they said 34 bucks. I was like, damn. And I just put my card in, you know, like, because I felt the sadness on that guy's face because he they he was trying to give him a check, you know, and he he reaches out with his check and his hand's shaking real bad, you know, and he's trying to hold up that arm with that check, and she takes that check and she's like, Well, what's your phone number? I mean, that time she says, Well, what's your phone number? He's like, I don't know, ma'am. And he didn't know his phone number. Like, he didn't know his cell phone number. So, like, try to help the guy out. Don't be so impatient. Dude, it's it's 645, 7 o'clock in the morning. Yeah. Like, why are we being so impatient to start our day? Like, let's just be kind, man. Because, you know, that guy, I mean, being at that age, like, you risk the chance of losing a wife, possibly even losing a kid. Possibly, you know, there's no telling what this old gentleman's going through. And like, dude, just offer to help him, you know, like be patient.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

I mean, it's not that hard to quit being an employee for a second and just be a person.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Yeah, and and and like I said, it it just broke my heart watching this guy, you know, so I and I couldn't check out fast enough so I could get over there and help him, you know. And I'm not I'm not saying telling you that because I I'm like, oh yeah, look at me, I did this. But like I said, it goes back to the feeling. Like I felt so bad for this guy because all he was trying to do was get his groceries, you know, and and go. And and I mean, there was four or five people just just rushing him and hurry up. We need this phone number. What's your phone number?

SPEAKER_01 27:30

And that just makes it worse if he's shaking, he's shaking more or you can't ride it. Like I said, you know, and he's not trying to hold the line up.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

No, and I I it was just it was frustrating, man, you know, and and and you know, and then after I I paid for all those arm off the oh, thank you, thank you. I'm like, don't thank me, guys. Like, y'all are the same people that were sitting here rushing this guy, like, you know, like just kind, man.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

But but like I said, because I mean if you think about it, are they thanking you because you helped this guy, or are they thanking you because you pushed the line and might be the latter.

SPEAKER_02 28:04

It was just like I said, it was just super frustrating to to watch this this because what if that was my grandpa? What if that was your grandpa? Right. You know, like you know, unfortunately, my my grandparents, all of my grandparents are deceased. You know, I have zero grandparents left. Really? They're all they're all deceased. And and you know, which I have I have my grandma Joy, but she's she is not my she's my grandma by marriage. Now, granted, I consider her my grandma, but yeah, that would count. But my but my blood, my blood relatives are all deceased, you know, and and but you know, my my grandma, poor lady, you know, she she had a stroke a while back, and you know, she she struggles speaking now, and I just it's it's hard to see old people struggle, man. You know, it and I I can't stand it when I see people just impatient with them or rude to them or you know, it's just it's hard. It really is hard. So yeah. But that goes back to that feeling. That that's all that I was getting about on that thing, is is is you know, you have you have feelings, and whether it's you know, about love or anger or stress, whatever it may be, I mean, feelings feelings are real. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

Feelings are real lovely. So shoot, I had another question I was gonna ask. What what how did you start that answer off with? I don't remember what I asked now. Is there such a thing as unconditional love? No, not the very first question. The last question I asked. I don't even remember, honestly. I don't I don't I don't remember.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

I had I had a question in my head, but uh see guys, this is why this is why we try to go off a script because we were very forgetful.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Yeah. You know, and I mean that's kind of we are we we get we get way off. Yeah, we do where we were going.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

And that and that answer might not even have had anything to do with with the question. That's why we're sitting here thinking about what the question was, you know. I mean now, granted, if we go back and listen to it, we'd be like, duh. Yeah, you know, what an easy question. But like I said, I I don't remember what the question even was. Was it real or did it have to do with was it is it real? I I don't I don't know, honestly. I have no idea. I'm not gonna pretend to know. But but yeah, like I said, uh unconditional love is a is a trick question, I think. And whatever the other question was, I I think I might have answered it. I don't know if I answered it or not. You know, and people's gonna listen to this like, God, these two guys are such idiots.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Like they literally just hey, if they've been listening this, they already know they know exactly what we're they're getting into.

SPEAKER_02 30:35

That's funny.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Yeah, so is there any other questions that go off of that or well like I said, I had that one, but I've I guess I spaced out bad.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

What did I say? I asked you something about Well I I I honestly don't know.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Like I I don't know if there was because we was talking about feelings and we was talking about good and bad or sad and happy. I remember I remember saying something along the lines of my kids, you know, coming out and running out to me or orange.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

If it was a feeling or a choice.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

That was the last question you asked. That was the last question. That was the last question you asked. Okay. I don't remember what you Oh yeah. You said it was both. I I didn't think it was both, yeah. Well, that's okay. We see we got back on track. I mean we we figured it out. I mean, I still don't remember the question I was gonna ask. But uh But yeah. So Well so what? You're you're heading to Germany, what is it, four days?

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Yeah, I go to Germany in four days, man. I'm so excited. I'm ready to see the people, I'm I'm I'm ready to be in the culture, I'm ready to I'm ready to spread the the word, you know. I'm ready to tell people about Jesus, man. I'm I'm excited. Like I'm so excited about about just being able to talk to people and and tell them the good news, you know?

SPEAKER_01 31:58

That's that's one thing I was gonna ask you. Well, so what is it like with your family in terms of you know, just give me a little breakdown of you getting from here to Germany. Like how, you know, is your wife one of those that you guys are gonna be packed three or four days before? Well, so it's just me. Oh, it's just you. It's me. Oh, okay. Yeah. Well It's just me.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

That's Stephen, Stephen and Finnity and Riley and which Riley's at Fall Street right now. So Stephen and Finnity and Indian Ivy and Jersey will all be here at the house. So is your wife gonna do your packing for you? Oh Lord, no. No. When it comes to packing, I pack my own stuff. Like, I've I gotta make sure I have everything that I need. Like my wife would pack outfits. Like, oh, yeah. I I don't pack outfits. I pack all my shorts and all my t-shirts. Like I, you know, she packs, you know, well, this looks good together with this. This looks good together. I just I just say that's just pack it. That way I have it.

SPEAKER_01 32:59

Yeah, I mean, for me anymore, it's just, oh yeah, this shirt fits still. So it is.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

I was like that for a long time. I mean But you know, like we said before the podcast, I was, you know, I've I've lost a lot of weight and it it's nice to be able to go into a store and and buy, you know, a 2x shirt and fit it. You know, it's crazy. Yeah. Shoot, I never thought I'd be a two X again, you know. I I'm getting to the point where I You know, 4X was tight on me once once upon a time, you know.

SPEAKER_01 33:29

Yeah. So I'm I Yeah, 4X is about a perfect fit still. So I guess I hadn't quite caught where you were, but well, I mean, I wore 4X long ways from two.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

So I had to, you know, I've I've got a weird body shape, man. And I've got like super short legs and a really long torso. You know, I remember I remember going in I remember going into the military and doing my physical, and they, you know, they take all these measurements and do all these things. And he looks at me and he said, uh, you have a really odd shape body. And I was like, Well, thanks. He was like, no, he's like, is is your is one of your parents super short and you know, your other parent taller? I was like, well, yeah. And you just got a mixture of both. That's pretty much it. And he was like, well, he's like, he said, you know, you have you have the torso of a man that's gonna be about six, three, six, four, but you have the legs of a man that's about four or five. I mean five, five, four, five, five. And I was like, oh, great. And and so that I mean, that makes sense because you know, my my length on my my pants are 28. You know, so I have short legs, you know, but when I get shirts, I have to go, a lot of times I go to the big and tall section, and now I still go to the big and tall section, not because I need the big, but I need I need the two X talls. Because my, you know, my my if I wear a normal shirt, like this is this is a 2X tall. But so if I wear a normal shirt, it's like it's like right at the belt line. So if I barely raise my hand, my you know, my belly shows. So so I had to get the 2x talls now, you know, which I mean once I I was wearing 4XBs, you know, four X bigs, and that was just a big shirt, so I didn't have to worry about it. But now that I've lost some weight, I don't need the B's anymore. I need I I still have to get size up because I gotta have the length. Because my like I said, if I was to wear, like if I was to go to Walmart and buy a normal 2x shirt, it'd go right around my belly button. Yeah, I can't do that, you know. Like so, so it is, it's it's weird. But and so he called me an oddie body, you know. I'll I'll never forget that. He called me an oddie body. So yeah, no, so I and I again, I don't know how we even got on this topic, but here we are, you know. But uh, oh yeah, uh but Germany. So, like I said, I'm going to Germany, I'll be there for, you know, 10, 11 days. I'm excited, man. I'm like I said, I'm super excited. Seeing seeing the people, you know, because when you go back year after year, you see those kids that were young and then they get older, you know. So, you know, it was a full circle moment last year. I think I might have said on the podcast a few weeks back, but yeah, had this kid, you know, that I stayed with as a host home. Then last year I he asked me before I left, he's like, Well, you baptize me. You know, like that's awesome, you know. Yeah, that is, you know, and and he he was saved and he found the Lord, you know, in between camps, but he didn't want to get baptized until I got to camp. So I could baptize him. Like, man, that's I mean, that's that's so cool, man. You know, and a lot of mission trips, I don't know how many people go on missions and do missions and stuff like that, but there are so many different types of mission trips. You know, you could do mission trips right here in your hometown, whether it be handing out hot dogs or or picking up trash. I mean, just you know, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 36:47

Yeah, most people think that you have to go across the world. And that's not the can, but you don't have to.

SPEAKER_02 36:53

I mean, you know, there's that's that's not the case at all. I mean, if you can't go, you can give. I mean, you can give money, you know, you can you can give time, you can give effort. Uh there's a man riding around on lawnmower. Welcome. But uh but like, I mean, there's there's so many things that you can do with missions, and and that's and that's something that I really enjoy about the missions, you know. As a matter of fact, I posted posted on Facebook, hey guys, I'm going to Germany. I, you know, if you have old gloves or bats, you know, and and people are messaging me and texting me and and telling me the in the comments that, hey, we got some stuff you can have. Like, I mean, that's part of what missions is. Like, they're giving to people that need certain things to for us to be able to go over there and and tell people about God. Like, you know, so it's it's it's awesome. I mean, it really is awesome, you know. And that's like I said, that's uh that's what missions are about. Again, I'm the person that gets to go and and serve and and do what some people think would be a fun. I mean, I don't even wrong, I think it's a blast. I love it. I I truly love going to Germany every year. But it's not like a like a vacation you would think when you're right. It's not a vacation, you know. And I mean, because here's the thing is we get up at six o'clock every morning and we don't get in bed until 11 o'clock every night. Like it's from sunup to sundown. And when I say sunup to sundown, guys, I don't think y'all realize where Germany is on the globe. It gets light outside about 4 a.m. sometimes, and it gets dark about 11 or 12 midnight, you know. Like, so it's the sun's out a lot, you know. It's it's daylight a lot right during this time of year. Yeah. So, you know, because they're they're north, they're north of Germany. I mean, they're north of New York. You know, they're even higher up in New York. So about like, you know, when they talk about Alaska being Yeah, it's about the same, the same line as Alaska. So it's realize that.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Yeah, and and so so again. So if you went in the w so in the wintertime, it's like what, four or five hours a day?

SPEAKER_02 38:58

Yeah, it's it's it gets darker longer. Yeah, it's it's pretty, it's pretty wild. But like I said, it's it's awesome. And and and I just I love it because again, a lot of these kids, they're there to play baseball. They are there, they're not there to learn about God. They're they're not. But it's it's it's my job and everybody else that's going job to tell them about God, tell them the good news and and tell them, you know, what they need to know to have ever dynasty life, and you know, eternal life. So what's the what's the primary religion out there? Do you know? There so uh so here's the here's the crazy thing about Germany is everybody pays taxes, right? Well, they're automatically taxed to give to the Catholic Church or I think the Lutheran Church. Oh, really? Like you're uh whether you go or not. So here's the thing is like, you know, we're Baptists, we're doing like we're going with a bat, we're partnering with a Baptist church in Germany. Those people are taxed, even though they're not Catholic or Lutheran, they're they're taxed having to pay their tax money, their tithe, quote unquote, that's to the Catholic.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

I mean, you always hear about how much money the Catholic Church has. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:14

So those people that go to the Baptist church, the small Baptist church, they give on top of what they're already getting taxed on. So they're tithing to a church that they don't they don't go to, that they're not associated with. So it it's crazy. So so when people hear talk about how bad they have it, they don't. We are spoiled. We are we are I don't want to sit there and try to b belittle anybody, but we are entitled. We we cry about things that we have so much better than anybody else.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

But of course, it's like you said, I mean, you you don't even have to go across the globe to see you know, you get mad about some old man at Walmart taking too long. But you know, there's homeless people everywhere. There's people that have real struggles that it's like, you know, is me waiting five extra minutes on this guy really that important? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 41:21

Right. And and and yeah, that's why I I try I try to be kind to everybody, man, because even the, you know, in everybody just talks to telemarketers and and gets fired up about telemarketers and gets mad at telemarketers. And and before I even go off on my rant, I'll always tell them, listen, I know it's not your fault. I know you're just a person on the other end of the phone. But like it's aggravating. You know, I get aggravated. I'm frustrated. And I I tell them that. I'm like, listen, I know it's not your fault. I know personally you have nothing to do with why an extra $200 taken out of my account, or I know you had nothing to do with why this order was canceled, but it's frustrating because I did what I, you know. So it's I try I try to tell people.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

Like, maybe a little off topic. What do you do if like a Jehovah's Witness or someone like that knocks on your door?

SPEAKER_02 42:15

I don't answer. You don't answer? I don't I don't answer.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

I don't I don't sit there and I I don't try to, you know, because I guess my thing is always, okay, I'll listen to you, but you gotta be willing to listen to me and and I'll Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

I just I d I don't I don't even I don't even try because they're set on their ways. Jehovah's Witnesses are set. Sure. I mean they are Or Mormons or you know, whoever. Yeah, they are they are set and you're not gonna change your mind.

SPEAKER_01 42:47

So so I guess my thinking is that you know they're not gonna change my mind either.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

So, you know, why not So so why why even why waste time and give Satan what he wants? You know what I mean? I don't I don't know that it's that.

SPEAKER_01 43:01

It is I I do think it's always good to learn about different religions and what their actual because you could hear, you know, you could hear from third party people about, well, you know, all Mormons are polygamous and they believe that you get your own world. Oh yeah. But if you actually listen to some of the Mormons, it's not always like that, you know. So I don't know. I I I just I do enjoy learning about different religions and you know what makes them different. What Yeah, but you know, do you know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe? So you know, I've talked to several of them. My understanding is that Jesus was a prophet, not the son of God. And so my my uh argument to that would be to me, Jesus said he's the son of God, so he is either the son of God or he's a liar, right? He he has to be one or the other, so I don't think he could just be a good guy. Does that make sense? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

No.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

So that that's always my my argument with with with that religion. I don't know if I'm right.

SPEAKER_02 44:19

They they believe that Jesus is not God. I mean point blank. They believe that Jesus was God's first first creation. Oh, like he's Adam. Um but the the main thing is they j they believe Jesus is not Almighty God.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

So I mean so to me that's where I would put a stop to because Jesus is fully God and fully man. Right. You know. And I know they got something about uh like what is it, like a hundred only a hundred and eighty-eight thousand people go to heaven or something something odd like that.

SPEAKER_02 45:05

But yeah, they they they reject the Trinity, they don't believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe Jesus did not rise, you know, from the dead. They they think it's that's false. So yeah, it's it's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 45:21

And it's a hundred and forty-four thousand. Oh. Yeah. Well, I I knew the second and third number were the same.

SPEAKER_02 45:27

But you know, it it's it's funny because my thing was I used to ask, you know, when they Oh, let me guess, let me guess.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

If there's only 144,000 people going to heaven, why are you knocking on my door? Doesn't that hurt your odds?

SPEAKER_02 45:41

That hurts your odds, but you were gonna say, but but yeah, that was. But but you know, the thing is they said, well, they're already, you know, those five hundred and forty-four are already chosen.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

Oh, so everything's just predestined.

SPEAKER_02 45:51

Yeah, so so why are we even trying to spread Jehovah's Witness? If if if they're already chosen, why are we even, you know. But like I said, I as that's that's hearsay, and and it is what it is. You know, like it's but yeah, so I don't I don't waste my time with it. I just let them knock and, you know, I'll wave them through the door and keep on going to the house. That's fair. I have a I get a blue van that parks out in front of the house sometimes and goes from door to door and I I see them and I just But I have had some that say that they didn't want to listen to mine.

SPEAKER_01 46:24

I said, well, that's fine. I'm you know I'm not gonna listen to yours, but you want to listen to what I got to say, then we can chat. Yeah. So you're thinking's fair. Well, did you have anything else?

SPEAKER_02 46:34

Uh not really, man. It was uh this is a it was nice for you to be back. So much easier to talk to you. Yeah, sorry about that.

SPEAKER_01 46:40

So much easier that was all my fault on that. Uh no, it wasn't just your fault, it was mine as well. It was me. But yeah, man, I'm looking forward to next week. So I'm a little nervous about what you're gonna throw at me. No, it'll be probably better than this one.

SPEAKER_02 46:52

It'll be fun. I really don't know what I'm gonna throw at you. So luckily I've got I've got a couple minutes to figure it out. There you go. You know, well, guys, I appreciate y'all listening to this week's podcast. Like I said, Britt, it's nice to have you back. Guys, I'm Josh, and this is Britt, and we're just still figuring it out.