The Loudest Sermon You'll Preach

This week on Us Unveiled, we’re back in Northern California after an eight-day road trip from Texas - complete with nervous laughter, Joseph’s cowboy moment, Amanda’s dream job as a burger connoisseur, and plenty of laughs along the way.

But the heart of this episode is all about what it actually looks like to live more like Jesus in everyday life. We talk about choosing kindness when people are difficult, praying before conversations, setting our pride aside, apologizing when you’re wrong, and how the way we treat others can be the loudest sermon we ever preach. 

⛪️ Dropping the church service we referred to here: 
https://www.youtube.com/live/K42GEJ6fitA?si=I3Nv8t5dyp2e__yv

‼️ Don't forget to leave a comment to help us out and let us know what you'd like to see more of on this series! Sooo much more to get into!!

➡️ Subscribe to my YouTube channel or follow along on Spotify/Apple Podcasts as we will drop new episodes weekly. You also can't miss the everyday fun on my Instagram stories @movinwithmandy - https://www.instagram.com/movinwithmandy/

Thanks for letting us talk your ears off ! 😋

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Howdy everyone, welcome to another week of Us Unveiled. This week we're coming to you again from California, but this time Northern California, not soop whoop hometown. Yep, we're back in my hometown where I grew up. So it's been fun to be back and be able to explore, but the road trip that was a long one.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Yeah, glad that's done.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Texas to Northern California. Woo! We took eight days to get here. Mind you, we did have a little vacay fun on the mean in the way, but it took a while to get here.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Yeah, and the first like three days were pretty boring.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

And guess who drove the entire way?

SPEAKER_01 0:41

This guy.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

You drove the entire thing. And then he asks me to drive for a half hour. He goes, I need to respond to some emails. Can you drive for a half hour? And I was like, sure, got it. I'm happy to drive. I've been begging to drive this whole time. Yes, gladly. Hop in the driver's seat. I hop on the road. We are literally in what I would like to call Death Valley, but not really Death Valley, but it felt like Death Valley because it was the scariest ride I've ever driven. And it was just curvy. There were bumps in the road. I was like, The dogs are scared. The dogs were freaking out. It was desert around us. There was literally nothing around us. And I was like, Joseph was like, what? You need to drive slower. And I'm like, I'm literally driving the speed limit. I'm trying to go exactly the way I'm supposed to do this. And this is just a scary drive. Like, and then he's like, I'm not letting you drive anymore.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

And I'm like, it was it was literally 30 minutes that I just couldn't take it after that.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

30 minutes? It was the craziest 30 minutes of my life. And I'm like, why did that 30 minutes happen to be the 30 minutes that I hop in the driver's seat? So now I look like a bad driver when really we were just in the most chaotic, craziest road span that I've ever been in.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

And the worst part is where even were we? Uh it was, it was, it was like it was in between the Arizona-California border and uh like Palm Springs. So it was like Death Valley. I mean, it was I think a triple digits. Yes. Maybe. And and then there's no cell service, no nothing. So like, and then no gas. I think the cl there is a stretch where like uh no gas station or any or life for that matter, for like, you know, 45 or 60 miles. So like you definitely didn't want a breakdown out there, but I don't know, it it was kind of scary. And the worst part was is Amanda does this like little giggle laugh thing when she's nervous, and oh my gosh, she started laughing, like nervous laughing as we're driving, which made me even more scared because I'm like, you need to focus on the road, not laugh.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

I was focused, I was just it was so it was scary. It was scary, and I was so nervous, and I'm driving and I'm like, and I'm giggling, and I I that's that's a fault of mine that I wish I could do something about. But anything.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Yeah, like if I'm if I break my arm, Amanda starts laughing.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

I will start busting at laughing, not laughing at him, but just because I'm so nervous, I don't know what to do with myself, I start giggling and laughing. And it's like, and it's it's bad. Like I remember when I was a kid, I sorry, this is very off topic, but when I was a kid, I my friend and I went to the movie theater and she we walked out of the movies and literally in the lobby of the movie theater, she started throwing up, literally threw up every piece of candy, popcorn, everything she had eaten, all over the lobby floor. And I was so nervous, I I started laughing and I was giggling, and I was like, I'm so I was like, I'm not giggling at you. Like, I promise I I won't I'm I'm here for you, girl. But I was like, I can't stop. It's just it's like a nervous thing that I do, and it's such a fault, and it can happen in the worst, worst times. Something I I don't know how to work on, but something that I think you should work on that then.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

That's it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

That's so I'm driving through this death valley, like in my mind. He's like Amanda, and I'm like, I can't stop hobby.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

Yeah, it was crazy though. It was it was a lot of driving in like these areas where there was no life, like all through New Mexico. I feel like everything's just so like dry and stuff. I tell you what though, when I'm driving like that and you're just kind of like not dozing off, because that obviously could cause a wreck, but when you're just kind of like driving, for some reason, like I get so uh creative, like I can actually like think of creative things when I'm driving. And honestly, like if I was a truck driver, like a you know, international or not international, international truck driver, nationwide, yeah. Internal might be tough.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

That would be rough. You'd be having to hop on boats.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

If I was a nationwide truck driver, like I could be a pretty creative person, and honestly, it could be like the job for me. Yes. Like to really hit my like peak creativity ability. Yes, you know.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

I I feel like um Joseph in the car is another another kind of Joseph. It's like a it's it's how do I describe this? It's very hard to just sit in silence if you're in the car with Joseph because he is like, look at that over there, that tree over there. Oh my gosh, where are we? What look at this, look at this, look at this. And then he starts coming up with ideas, and then he's randomly talking about the random things going on in the world. Or I don't even I have no idea even what you're talking what you talk about, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Yeah, I I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

You don't know either.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

I I I really don't, but and I would it's weird. I would hate being a truck driver, but I feel like I could thrive in my thoughts.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

You you would you you do thrive in your thoughts in general, and I feel like if you had the time to just sit in a vehicle without like a phone and just like drive in the midst of nothing, like you would or go crazy, honestly. No, I think you would thrive. You would be like, Wow, I saw the seashells, I saw the like you you would be like, he sees things, you know, I don't even know.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Okay, to be fair though, growing up, if we went on a road trip or something, or like a long drive, like we didn't have cell phones, we didn't have like any of the stuff you have today. So you didn't have the CD player, the portable CD player, because I had the I did later in my life, yes, yes, but or I think iPod was like the first major like technological improvement we had. Okay, but before that act like you're very old, too. No, I'm not that old. I'm I'm in my early 30s.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Joseph is the most old soul I've ever met. In my early 30s, yes, and he's in his early 30s, and he acts like he's in his early 70s, and I I love him for it, every bit of it.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Anyways. That would be my thriving job, though.

SPEAKER_02 7:21

Yes, uh oh, if I had a thriving job. I know I'm like, shoot.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

What would be the peak, Amanda? Like creativity, like you name it. I mean, I have my thoughts, but it's funny. I want to hear yours.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

It's funny because if I was a kid, I would have said a dancer, obviously.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

But like But you already did that.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

We did that, we hit that peak. I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Great job.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Honestly, it's not as much of a dream job as it seems, but it is very fun. Um I think I would honestly, I mean, there are pros and cons that come with any dream job, right? Like, if you want to be on Broadway, you're gonna be working every every what weekend or whatever. So, like, there's gonna be pros and cons. But um, my dream job would be to be a burger connoisseur, and the con of that would be obviously that I would gain a lot of weight and like probably not feel good a lot of the time, but like to be able to eat a cheeseburger, a really good cheeseburger, and like travel around and try all the best cheeseburgers.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

I don't understand you at all, dude. You you don't make any sense because that is so basic. I'm sorry. That is so basic.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

That is not basic.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

That is the definition of basic.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Okay, maybe I'm basic and I'm I'm not mad.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

I think we need to first clarify how you like a burger meat, cheese, bun. That's ketchup.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

No, not even ketchup.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

How much more like what do you need to taste after that?

SPEAKER_02 9:03

But that's why I would be a professional in this in this industry, because I genuinely, it's not about all of the like additional ingredients that go on a cheeseburger. It's about the meat itself. It's about how the meat is prepared, it's about the juiciness with the seared outside. It's about the burger. It's not about the additional like condiments that go along with the burger.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

But hamburger, you realize hamburger is like the cheapest of the cheap like cuts.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

Hey, I mean, if I go if I go somewhere and they have like a what's what's the good meat called?

SPEAKER_01 9:40

Like a like a filet?

SPEAKER_02 9:41

No, like a flame mignon burger. No, I'm talking like a like a wago burger. Like, I mean, that would be cool to try too.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Like, I think I'd be really good at this because I can get a genuine, like not like not wavered, like like test because I genuinely just want the meat, cheese, and bun.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

It's so interesting.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Like it just depends on whether like the meat, cheese and bun, the core ingredients, the bun, if it's like that soft texture, if they toast it, if they butter it, like oh, I'm drooling. I'm drooling talking about that's because I love my cheese burgers so much.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

It's so interesting too, because I feel like you you if you have too much of something, like you get sick of it. Where and and for some weird reason, burgers and Chick-fil-A.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

I've never gotten sick of it.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

It's so odd to me.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

I know, I don't know. And you but there are a lot, like most other things I do get sick of if I eat a lot of it.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

It's it's a don't tell Amanda this, but I actually uh sometimes if there's something that she likes that I don't like or I don't want like around, I'll actually do kind of like a little trick on her reverse engineer it. You'll give reverse I'll I'll go out and buy her just like a a 36 pack of something. What did I do that with Milanos? I think yes, it was she was like obsessed with Milano cookies and it drove me.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

I don't know why it drove me nuts, but it did because he's a freak and he little things like that drive him up the wall. So I went out and I bought her like I bought you a ton of these things, and I think you You've done this a few times because there's been other things that I just can't even look at anymore because you've overbought them from me and then I've overindulged, and now I just can't even look at them.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

But I was obsessed, it works, yeah. No, I get I have obsessions with with like foods. Like in high school, I was obsessed with Captain Crunch and that series. Rose. I would eat it dry. Literally, like I would get in my locker and people would put Captain Crunch in my like there would be everybody was able to apparently get into my locker, but there was like Captain Crunch boxes in my locker one time. Like people would like I don't know, I carried it in my golf bag on the golf course, and we're just like wow.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Sounds like a mess.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

That's that's me.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

I had a couple jobs for you.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Oh, you came up with some for me.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

I did.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

Oh, what did you think that I'd be good at?

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Well, the first one you've kind of already done, not dancing, but uh HR.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

I feel like you're Oh, he's coming up with legalistic jobs, okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

Yes, well, yeah. I I just feel like you're such a rule follower. Yeah, it it like you Amanda loves it when there's like black and white rules, and everybody needs to follow those rules.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

And she is A-OK saying you're not following the rules, and you're not following the rules. And she's also she's also really good at uh praising people when they do follow the rules. For sure. And giving them the gold star. And she's like that that cheerleader in the workforce, like, you did so good this quarter, like good job. We're gonna like throw a little party.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

I want to see more out of you next time.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

And you know now you're getting too out of it. No, but sh sh she started in HR. You actually got your degree in HR, which I thought was a good Yeah, I was gonna say, I went to school for HR.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

Like that was what I've because I'm a rule follower. I was like, man, I think I would really, really excel in this career.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

Yeah, and but I and I think it uh yeah, I think it'd be a good one for you.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

But the other one, which uh Well, and guess where my first job in HR was at a college?

SPEAKER_01 13:40

We all know it's Chick-fil-A.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Chick-fil-A, I got to do the the hiring and the firing at Chick-fil-A. Honestly, that's where I like learned like how to fire somebody. That is how do you fire a Chick-fil-A employee? Like I wouldn't want to be on your bed, so I did payroll, I did all the things I had to teach the language of hospitality. That there is some there's some expectations that come with that. It's my pleasure to serve you. It's a great day at Chick-fil-A. My name's Amanda. How may I serve you today?

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Anyways, um Job two. Job two would be a dance teacher, but for people like me.

SPEAKER_02 14:22

Oh, I think I would absolutely hate that.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Oh, what really?

SPEAKER_02 14:25

What?

SPEAKER_01 14:26

You always laugh when I when I try to dance.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

It's maybe it's that giggle nervous again.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Are you laughing at me?

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Or I think it's the giggling nervousness.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

All right, well, never mind.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

I'm a little laughing at you. I don't think I could do that job because I think I would I would giggle too much. Like I don't think I would be able to like fully. I honestly I I love I love dance with a passion, but teaching it to people who don't want to learn it, like little kids. Like, I I I don't mind coming in and teaching like a group of kids, but like it's the it's the like kindergartners who like don't want to be there and want to run around, and then I'm just doing bathroom breaks the whole time. Like, no interest in that. If you were going to the bathroom the whole time, because we've discussed this last time, and you need bathroom breaks. If you're gonna be that bathroom break boy, I don't want to teach you dance.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Whoa, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. How many times did I go to the bathroom on a 14-hour drive, Amanda?

SPEAKER_02 15:25

I don't know. I didn't count how many times.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

I did. It was either three or four.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

So you didn't count.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

I think it was four, but either way, that is impressive.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

I told you last time, I'm impressed with it. I feel like you have been improving. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Anyways, man, your shoulders are looking a little red there.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

Oh, yo.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Someone got sun for the first time in four years.

unknown 15:51

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

No, I know. We talked last last week about how the sun didn't touch me, and now the sun is coming off of me still.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

She's been blessed.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

I've been blessed with a little bit of sun-kissed skin. Just on the shoulders, I got a little on the chest. My nose got a little bit, but other than that, I feel like that's the perfect amount.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

You're not like burnt.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

You're not I'm a little little sun. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

I'm feeling good.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

That I feel like that's the beauty of California too, like versus Texas, is like you actually spend time outside here and you actually like get to enjoy nature because the weather's not like unbearably hot where you can actually get a tan or you know enjoy the air, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

Like protect your skin with that SPF.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

I'm telling you, I am I am oh, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

I I'm not on the anger that has come stemming from SPF.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

Okay, hold on. It it didn't even start with SPF. I do want to clarify that because I think it started with this uh fake tanner. I knew you were gonna say that. This this self-tanner. Self-tanner, whatever that dye is that you put on your skin. That stuff, I am I'm not sold on that. I think there's a total sales pitch on that. I think it's partially, potentially a scam.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

Um he thinks it's causing me cancer.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

I I think well, hold on. Has has there been any studies on this stuff? Not that I'm aware of.

SPEAKER_02 17:25

I think you're just diving in a little too deep.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

I don't know. I need to do some homework to don't put it in the case.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

I'm just a girl and I just want a tan and a coffee.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

I know, but I feel like where like the whole market went so so like anti-tanning, it was like nobody got actual natural sun outside anymore because it was like they just put SPF on or they just didn't you need to protect your skin. I know, but you like I feel like human beings need a little vitamin, yeah, and some color to them. It it it helps a lot. I I feel like vitamin D is like a super important part of your like health and stuff, but I don't know. There again, I need to do some research on this on uh Google and do some self-research. But and I need to go on the forums and read a little bit, but on Facebook, but still your kingdom, your Facebook kingdom. But I I will say I am skeptical about SPF, okay. I get it, because I think there are some people that have more sensitive skin than others, like like your skin is way more sensitive than mine. Like I feel like I can tan, you know, like in a couple days. W we're talking like if it did, but yeah, like I think SPF is not horrible because like some people need to protect their you know skin, but it's the self-tanning. I that one I'm just not sold on. I think they yeah. You think they were it's just weird, like you you put it on your body, and then it looks it looks good when you do it. Yeah, you compliment me every time I do it. And then for like a week, and then yeah, and then a week later you look like a reptile. That's I mean, because it's like scaling off, it just doesn't look right, and it's nothing against you or any woman who does it, but something about it feels off. That's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

Yeah, the scaling off is is odd.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

I don't I don't the staining of the skin. Is this henna? Like, I think that's what henna probably does.

SPEAKER_02 19:52

No, but they're doing some henna tattoos down the street if you want to go get one. No, uh I just think it looks good and it's it's a lot easier than just going out in the sun, and it's going out in the sun can damage your skin, it can cause cancer, it can cause wrinkles, and so it's like, and I did the whole bed tanning thing for a while.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

That I think is bad.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

That is bad.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

So it's like, what's the alternative? We need a spray tan or some self-tanner.

SPEAKER_01 20:22

Yeah, but w look at those farmers that have been out there for 60, 70, 10, skin is like leather. Yeah, that's tough.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

Like that. Yeah, you're laughing at yourself over here.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

But I don't see, I see that some of those guys are like the happiest.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

And you also see the guys who are outside all the time working in the long sleeves and they have hats on. They even have like face coverings and because they're protecting themselves from the sun. Not because the sun is hot, because if it was just hot, they would be wearing a t-shirt.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

I mean, actually, like I get it. And speaking of the devil, yeah, because you're a farmer. Right after this, I'm going up to the ranch.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Oh, farmer Joe is coming out again, folks.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Three-day trip, baby. Three day. Gonna go play with the cows.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

He he goes, Amanda, uh, I got invited to go wrangle some cows. Can I go, can I go out and wrangle them? And then I was like, I don't even know what that means. What does this consist of?

SPEAKER_01 21:25

We're we're gonna go up in the hills and pull the cows down so we can bring them down to some cooler weather.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

Why are they why are they in the hills?

SPEAKER_01 21:34

That's where they go for the winter.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

Oh, okay. So it's just for the winter and then the summer.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

Yeah, because the grass grows like, you know, out in the hills and stuff. You don't have to irrigate it or anything. Okay. And then during the summertime it's so hot, so then you bring them down to land that you can actually like irrigate and then they eat green grass. So it's like year round green grass. I mean, it's the best of both worlds. So how best of both seasons.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Okay, so how many cows are you wrangling?

SPEAKER_01 22:03

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

You have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

It's 6,000 acres, so we've got some land to cover.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

That's for sure. Are you gonna hop on a horse? What this is my envision. Let me explain to you what I think is gonna happen in my head. So I'm thinking you're gonna be on a horse and you're gonna be, you've got a rope in your hand, and you're riding the horse up in the hills, and then you see a cow and you go like this and you lasso it and you rope it in and then you carry it in, and then you put it on a on a uh one of those things, those trailer things that go on a truck, and then you got half of that right.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

I did okay, so what the first half is wrong. I'm not gonna sit out there with a rope and drag them in.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

Are you on a horse?

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Uh probably ATV. It's a little bit easier to like a TV. Like a four-wheeler. Okay. But it's it's all you're doing is like going up into the hills, you find them because some of them like go out on their own and do their own thing. So you go out there, find them, and then you just herd them back. So you don't have to rope them, you just get behind that and then you direct them not wrangling kind of almost like a shepherd. Think of it that way.

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Oh, so you're playing a little David today.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

Yeah, exactly. That's a good way to think of it.

SPEAKER_02 23:18

Look at you. Yes, Joe, go find the lost one. Wait, I'm excited for you now.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Yeeha.

SPEAKER_02 23:28

So, how can you bring Jesus into this experience?

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Well, I mean, I think it's a good opportunity to um like talk with with the people I'm around about God and Jesus. Like, I mean, a lot of that time too is riding up in the hills and like just BSing, you know, so it's BSing or enjoying God's uh. Well, that too. Honestly, like it's some of the like I think that's why I love it here in California because you you get such a beautiful like scenery with rolling hills, with oak trees, being out in nature, seeing wildlife. Like, how many deer have we seen here?

SPEAKER_02 24:11

We saw deer, we've been seeing, we saw turkeys as we were pulling into our house. We've tons of stuff. We've been seeing lots of different things.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

Yeah, so it's like I like I think it's it's also a reminder of like God's creation when you're out there and and just how powerful and how beautiful everything is that He created. So I think it's um I don't know, like that's where it's so crazy. It's like I've always thought if if money wasn't an object, like I would just be totally content being out in the hills in California with cows and my beautiful wife, obviously. And like I I wouldn't care like if I had any money or not, like I would just be happy because it's so beautiful and like awesome out there.

SPEAKER_02 24:59

But well, that's good. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

I just don't think you would go for it. You'd be bored.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

Well, yeah, I feel like I need a Target 10 miles away.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

I would probably realistically be bored too.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

Yeah, you would be. We need a target somewhere close by. We need I think you can live out, but also like close enough to town. Like where we are now. Like I feel like we're out, but like we're like 10 minutes from town.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Yeah, uh honestly, Sonoma County is like a pretty legit spot when you think about it, as far as like uh accessibility to things, but also getting like the you know, enough country and land where you can. I mean, the land's expensive, but yeah, yeah, that's for sure. So I guess that is the the trade-off, but like, but it is cool, like you get the best of both worlds, and it is funny too. I feel like there's way more like country and uh cowboy and you name it here than in like DFW area.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

It's different because it is different. I feel like the Texas cowboy is like actually like like you see a lot more cowboys in Texas, like in town. Like you'll see people at church in a cowboy hat or at restaurants wearing wranglers and boots and like all that. Here, I feel like you more so see like the I don't know, like the the redneck, like big trucks. I mean it's kind of similar, but like in a different it's like different different cowboys.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Yeah, but I don't know from my perspective though, it's like people in California actually have cows. Well, and that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Like I think that Texas might be a little bit like like it's all hat with no cattle. All hat, no cattle. No, I think a lot of people are though, like you. You're kind of all hat, no cattle. And I'm so sorry to break your heart by saying that, but like you were the cowboy hat. You you you play cowboy and you play it well, and you you have experience, experience on the field. But there is just look at you. The reaction, but there is just something missing, and it's it's the fact that we don't own land or cows. All right, but but yes, you come back to the city.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

You just crushed my self-esteem right there. Crushed me. We already know I don't have cows, right? You will right now, you keyword keyword.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry to break your heart. I love you and I love your cowboyness. But yeah, Texas can be a little bit of faux cowboys, kind of like the faux tanner that I wear. But you know, we come to California, there's a little more realness there, and it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

Hey, but to be fair, I actually go out there with my cousin. I actually like work on the cattle races.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

I face that country. I go out there with my cousin.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

No, like, like we we do things, so it's it's not just like I I'm like I actually go out there and work, and I have in the past too.

SPEAKER_02 28:16

Like you don't need to prove it to me. I've seen it, I've watched you with cows, I've I've heard the stories. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01 28:24

I just feel like you you really you you jolted me. I I don't know how to recover from that right now.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

But you're gonna go out there and you're gonna wrangle those cats, and you're gonna wrangle them good.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

But now I have to like prove it to you. No, yeah, but I do think you should vlog it for us because I I really want to do you do not bring your phone and vlog Vlog things.

SPEAKER_02 28:47

He always says Vlog. Whenever I say happening to a vlog, he always talks, how's your Vlog going? I'm like, it's not a Vlog, it's a vlog.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

Video log.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

This is the 70-year-old man coming out. Anyways, so we've been really challenging ourselves a lot lately to try to live more like Jesus. And for me, I think I see a lot of like social media, and because it's my job, and you know, I'm on it all the time, and I compare myself to other people and like how I can live more like them. And instead of doing that, I want to try to live more like Jesus instead of trying to live more like these Christians that I look up to on social media and stuff. Like, it's like not how can I live like them, but how can I live like Jesus?

SPEAKER_01 29:39

Yeah, I don't know. Mine is also kind of work-related too, but it's more so just uh like reactions, which I think I've kind of touched on before, but like and also how I treat other people. Like, I for example, like I uh periodically have to call the IRS, which obviously no one really like wants to do that, but but I do it, and like there's a lot of the people that work there, I mean, honestly, they kind of have a crappy job, and like they're probably talking to people that don't want to talk to them. It's kind of like calling or going to the dentist, like you know, you don't really like well, most people don't look forward to that, so it's like kind of interesting when you're on the phone with them, and before, and for most of my career, like if they would kind of make a snarky comment, like I would get kind of upset, lose patience, and I would be short and not very nice after that. And it just like sometimes I would kind of come away from those, like pretty frustrated.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

But well imagine they probably hate their job too.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

They do, yeah. And so uh probably within the last like three or four months, like I I really tried to switch gears and um like even if the thing was is I I wasn't gonna totally avoid people being like you know sh not as nice and stuff, which I accept. And but I think it's my I can react differently to how them being short and stuff. And so uh recently I've been you know, if they are short and not very nice, I'll just be like, okay, like you know, let's just kind of cut to the chase, get get this over with, and then at the end of it, I'll try to end end nicely at the at the very least, like end nicely and say, hey, like, you know, have a good day, or something like that. And in and I know it's simple and basic and like kind of boilerplate, but um I think it's a lot better than just I used it. I I feel ashamed to admit this. Sometimes I would just hang up on them, yeah. And I feel kind of guilty for saying that, but like I'd be so frustrated, I'd just be like, I get what I needed, hang up. And it was like, all right, well, I think it's a little bit easier to and I the crazy thing too is that I feel like I've kind of walked away from those situations uh a lot, I don't know if happy is the right word, but a lot less mad. Well, yeah, frustrated.

SPEAKER_02 32:19

You're not dwelling on what just happened, instead you're like, I'm changing, changing the outcome of it and I'm making it a little bit better. Yeah, or even by just saying, like, have a nice day. I hope you have a great day. Like you might have changed, they were probably not in a good mood either. If they're giving you smarky, snarky remarks, like they might not have been in a good mood, and you could have changed that for them.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

Yeah, and then also on the flip side too, like I've gotten some good people, and with the help of my wife, she told me that I should tell these people and recognize them, which I think that has also been kind of nice and fun too. Like, if I do get someone that's good, I'll tell them, like, hey, you like you've been really helpful today. Like, um, you know, probably not gonna do the whole survey thing, but like I'll still tell them like thank you, like this has been really nice of you.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Well, and who you do who do you think any other CPAs like are like that? You know what I mean? Where they're like, Thank you so much for being helpful, and like, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Yeah, probably not that.

SPEAKER_02 33:20

And so it's like if you're if you're just kind and generous and you're like, you know, thank you so much, like you've been so great to work with. I I appreciate your kindness. Maybe they'll take that into the next person too, and like be kind. I think the way that you treat others is the loudest sermon you'll preach.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

It's so true.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Like your your actions and the way you treat people, the way you respond to people, it's it matters.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

I agree. And I feel like in in my own perspective, that's like the simplest way to put like living like Jesus is just the not not telling people what to do, but just like acting in kindness and and forgiveness and and understanding and patience. Kind of I literally James, like the book of James. Yeah. That that's living like Jesus, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

It's the simplest way to just also share a glimpse of Jesus into somebody who might not know Jesus. Like uh, I always think of like when I was like a barista at Starbucks, like social media, I have more of like my own leeway to like share whatever I want and share the gospel if I want to on my page. But like a lot of people are like, well, if I'm how can I live like Jesus or bring bring Jesus into my world if I'm a barista or I'm a construction worker or I'm this or that, and it's like an accountant, and it's like you have so many opportunities and such like different ways to bring the gospel into your work, to bring Jesus' light into what you do. Like as a barista, a receptionist, whatever you are, like you are the first person that people get to see before their day begins. If you're a receptionist, you're the first person people see when they walk into that building. Like you can make or break their day.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

Yeah, and I I feel like so many people obviously remember when someone's mean to them or you know not nice. But also it's I think it's fair to recognize like a lot of people remember someone who's really nice to them too. Like if you were so nice or consistently nice, I think that's another thing too. Like, I think if you're consistently nice to people, like that stands out a big time.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

Like well, because I would be like, what does what does this girl have in her life where she is so happy and so kind every single day, no matter what the circumstances, she's handling it with such kindness.

SPEAKER_00 35:51

Yeah, like how that's rare.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

That's rare. And it's like, what do you have in your life that I don't? Because I'm gonna want a piece of that. And then that's how you can kind of shed a little bit of Jesus into it. And I think also like when you start seeing everybody like Christ, like every single person, Jesus loves everybody out there, no matter he doesn't love the sin that's going on, but he loves the person. So it's like if you look at people as people that Jesus loved and see the cr see Christ inside of them, like how could you not love them? You know, you don't have to love their sin, but you can love them. And so it's like, why do we treat people so uh uh unfairly or unkind when it's like Jesus, Jesus loves that?

SPEAKER_01 36:40

No, I agree, yeah. And it obviously takes a lot of patience and like you know, prayer. I think I think that's the other thing to to talk about is like if you're going into a situation that you might or that you know might be difficult, or maybe just before you start your day, like I I know you've been starting to do this a lot more, but it's uh like praying before meetings or situations and just asking God to like give you patience or give you, you know, the right words to say, or or whatever it is. And and I mean, that's something we never really did before until like this last year, and I feel like that's helped a lot.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

It has made a world of a difference. Praying before, like, even if I'm just going to coffee with a friend, I will sit in the car before it and I will pray and be like, and I'll I'll ask God, like, make make this conversation be about you. Please provide us with fruitful conversation. Like, and every single time there is no gossip. It's about God. It is, I leave feeling inspired and like left with fruit. And it's it's it's game-changing. I prayed one time for me going into this thing to like have can find community here. And literally, there I left and I was like, Thank you, God, like you brought me so much community at this event that I was at. And I didn't, if I hadn't prayed for it, I don't know if I would have gotten it, you know, and so it's like praying before you meet people, praying to even if you're having a tough conversation, maybe pray that the Lord can soften their heart, pray that the Lord can give you patience in the middle of your conversations. You have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. If you are a believer and you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside of you. Use that power. That's he's powerful. Like ask him to help give you patience, ask him to help give you the words that you need to get out if you're in a tough conversation. But it's it's huge.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

No, I think that's so good. And it's such a beautiful thing, too, on the flip side of it, like on the back end when you come out of those conversations. And and even like I kind of it's a little off of subject, but like I had a uh situation actually um in Houston a couple weeks ago when we were at a wedding, and um I went to go pump up your your tires to your car at a gas station just to like I'd I think the light had come on, and I just wanted to make sure like they didn't look flat even. And so I started pumping them up at the um the tire pressure thing, and next thing I know the air like deflated the tires, so rather than inflating, pumping them up, yeah, it literally made them flat. And so I was like, Whoa, what is going on? Like this machine, like something's really wrong here. And so I was obviously a little frustrated.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

And it was like a couple hours before the so I was a little stressed and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

So I go into the uh gas station and I tell the guy, and I'm like, hey, like you're I think your machine's broke out there, and he's like, Oh, I know, I know that you know we need to put a sign up, all this stuff, and and I'm like, no man, like you you don't get it, like it deflated my tires. Like, I don't even know if I can drive to the next place right now. Like, and I was really, I was kind of being a jerk, like, not nice, and and long story short, I was able to make it to another gas station, ended up being fine. I pumped the cars or the air back in the car, got them all back to normal, and then um funny enough, I took like a longer route for my own sake because I just didn't want to hop back on the freeway. And I just so happened to pass that same gas station that I wasn't nice to that guy at, and something in me was like, stop and apologize. And I'm I've never done this before in my life. And and I'm like, oh, I don't want to, but and the Holy Spirit's like knock knock knock jeez. And it was I think it was that that the fact that like I had a feeling to do it, and I didn't want to do it, so I'm like, all right, this is clear that like God wants me to like go tell this guy like I'm sorry. So I did, and this guy was so nice, he was like, I get it, like I understand. We shook hands, uh, like we you know introduced each other and and like this whole thing, and like he was the nicest guy ever. And um, and I just told him I was like, hey man, like I I just wanted to come in and apologize, like feel like I was kind of a jerk and was frustrated earlier, and that's not your fault. Like, you know, and so I'd and I left and I was like, Whoa, that that when I left him felt so much better. I was like, changed your day.

SPEAKER_02 41:56

Yeah. You came walking into the hotel room and you're like, Manda, I just went back and apologized to this guy. I was kind of a jerk too, and like, and I was like, What? Go you! Like that's huge.

SPEAKER_01 42:06

The funny thing too is I feel like I got more out of it probably than he did.

SPEAKER_02 42:11

But isn't that literally living like Jesus? Like, that's the definition of living like Jesus. Like you you taking up your cross and like you owning up to your mistakes, and you you asking for forgiveness, and yeah, like cultivating a heart of forgiveness is huge, and I think that that is a prime example of how Jesus lived when he was here, like he instilled us, like he forgives us daily, and so it's like if we want to live like Jesus, we need to forgive others daily.

SPEAKER_01 42:47

And the crazy thing is uh on the flip side of this, so if that guy was a jerk and you know, you name it, like I probably would have been even more frustrated. But kudos to that guy as well, because he was actually living kind of like Christ, and he was nice to me the whole time, and and he was forgiving of me being a jerk and and all this stuff, so I had like walked away from that, and I'm like, well, this is so interesting. Like, I feel like like I was able to like you know be nicer after that, but it was a lot because he was nice, like this whole weird thing, and I'm like, I don't know, it was like the first interaction I've ever had like that, which is cool, but it I took a lot away from it, and I think it it takes a lot of courage in um falling on your own sword and um humility, I think to do that type of stuff, but man, is it worth it?

SPEAKER_02 43:51

Setting your pride aside, and I think that's like one of the hardest things to do, is like we all get so like prideful and our egos get big, and it's like I I have to like, I have to get this person back because they got me, or like, you know, I'm I don't, I'm the bigger person. Like, I don't, I don't need to, I don't even need them, you know? And it's like, let's like take a step back and like look at look at Jesus. Like, I think a lot of us try to come out on top of things. And this can definitely be a thing amongst men too, like just wanting that masculinity. But it's like you forgiving and you having the softness that Jesus had is not a weakness, it doesn't make you any weaker or less masculine than you are. Honestly, in my eyes, it makes you more masculine and it makes you more like Jesus. It makes you a better person, it makes you more loving, it makes you understanding. Like I respect people like that.

SPEAKER_01 44:49

Yeah, no, it's so true. And um, sorry to keep going on about this, but it's uh one thing that also stood out to me on our last uh church service was when you're bitter and when you're living in bitterness, you are so he like listed all these things that uh it's so hard to be connected to God effectively. Like you you don't want to pray when you're bitter, you you don't want to like be nice to people, all these things, and it's like if you just set the pride aside, I've it's so crazy. I never understood how big of a deal pride was until this last year, and someone uh in my men's group said he he had made a comment like uh pride, in his opinion, pride was the um you know like the most dangerous sin. And when I first heard it, I was kind of like okay, it's a big deal, but like not probably not the biggest. Now I'm like, oh, that's the biggest, like it it's the root of so many like selfish desires, like you name it, it's uh being mean, it it's it's just such a big deal, and I feel like if you're able to set your pride aside, it can help you a lot.

SPEAKER_02 46:14

And I think we're called as believers to set our pride aside and bring people to him.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 46:20

Like that's it, it doesn't matter what we want in this world, it doesn't matter what these earthly feelings and desires are necessarily. It's how can we expand his king kingdom? How can we bring people to him? I mean, Acts 2024, my favorite verse in the Bible, our probably favorite verse in the Bible, is like my life means nothing to me unless I'm doing the finishing work of God, which is to share the good news. And it's like that's literally your life means nothing unless you're sharing the good news of God. So, like, what else are we here for? Like, I think we can do it in these simple little ways daily of like I've been setting little daily challenges for myself. Like every day I ask God, like, how can I be a light to somebody today? Give me opportunities to get uncomfortable and talk about Jesus in a way that I don't necessarily think I would just do, or like maybe share somebody like this, gen share generosity in a way that just sheds your light, you know? And it's like, what am I gonna do today? One kind thing, one thing that's going to just scream Jesus, you know.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

And that's so good.

SPEAKER_02 47:34

Yeah, it's I think it's a beautiful thing to do day by day, and it doesn't have to be you don't have to go all in all in one day. Like it's it's a daily commitment.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

Yeah, no, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 47:46

This was great conversation. And if you want to hear more about like forgiveness, our pastor did a wonderful service on forgiveness um this past week. So I'm gonna link it in the comment or in the description for y'all. So make sure to check that out. And if you like what we're doing here, like, comment, subscribe. Um, rate us all the things, all of that helps us so that we can continue this. So please like, comment, subscribe. Let us know what you want to hear next. I'm happy to incorporate anything into this. Um, but we have a lot of fun with this and enjoy this. So I want to hear from you guys and hear what you're learning, hear how you're incorporating Jesus into your life and all the things too. But yay! Another episode down. Okay, let's pray us out.

SPEAKER_01 48:34

Dear Lord, thank you so much for creating this platform and just bringing this community community together to um share all these good things. I pray that you give us patience. Um I pray that you just walk with us in difficult situations and just make us more Christ like. And I also pray for the person behind the screen that you just bless them and be with them and help them through any difficult situation that they might be going through. And thank you again for everything you do for us. And in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 49:15

Amen.