Keywords

peace, faith, transformation, testimony, community, spiritual growth, parenting, God's presence, grace, support, family communication, God's perspective, truth, redemption, forgiveness, peace, youth recklessness, healing, hope, testimony

Summary

In this conversation, the hosts and their guest, Tracy Filley "T-Fill", explore themes of peace, faith, and transformation. They discuss the importance of recognizing God's presence in our lives, the power of personal testimony, and the role of community in spiritual growth. The conversation also touches on parenting, the significance of listening to God, and embracing His grace and provision. Through shared experiences and insights, they emphasize that everything happens for a reason and that one person's journey can inspire and change the lives of others. In this conversation, Benjamin Miller shares his personal journey of struggles, redemption, and the importance of communication within family dynamics. He reflects on how God views our struggles and the weight of secrets we carry. The discussion emphasizes the power of forgiveness, the majesty of God, and the peace that surpasses understanding during troubling times. Benjamin also recounts youthful recklessness and the consequences of actions, ultimately highlighting the journey of healing and the call to share testimonies of hope and faith. Takeaways The peace of God surpasses all understanding. Finding peace in the midst of life's storms is possible. Personal testimonies can have a profound impact on others. God's presence is always with us, even when we don't recognize it. Community support is vital for spiritual growth. Listening to God can lead to transformative experiences. Embracing God's grace allows us to overcome challenges. Parenting requires open communication and understanding. Everything happens for a reason, even difficult experiences. Creating a Christ-centered environment fosters spiritual growth. Communication is vital in family dynamics. God desires us to share our struggles with Him. Holding onto secrets can lead to negative consequences. Moments of despair can lead to profound realizations. Forgiveness is a powerful tool for healing. God's love is unfailing and unconditional. Peace from God surpasses all understanding. Youthful recklessness can have lasting impacts. Sharing testimonies can inspire hope in others. God's plan for us is greater than we can imagine. Titles Finding Peace in Turmoil The Journey of Faith and Transformation Sound bites "Better late than never" "Why don't we come to God?" "He knows all about us."

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

06:10 Reconnecting and Sharing Life Stories

12:27 The Journey of Faith and Spiritual Growth

18:53 Experiences of Prayer and Spiritual Encounters

25:07 Reflections on Parenting and Spiritual Lessons

31:43 The Importance of Seeking God in Daily Life

39:37 Letting Go and Trusting God

45:24 Personal Testimonies of Transformation

50:34 The Impact of Christ's Sacrifice

56:28 The Majesty of God and Our Place in Creation

01:01:45 Finding Peace in Troubling Times

01:16:45 Finding Peace in Turmoil

01:19:38 Recognizing God in Our Lives

01:22:54 The Resurrection and Recognition of Christ

01:25:35 The Journey to Opening a Barbershop

01:28:55 Faith and Financial Miracles

01:31:34 Creating a Unique Atmosphere in the Barbershop

01:34:34 Conversations on Faith and Deception

01:37:32 The Role of Community in Spiritual Growth

01:54:33 The Power of Laughter and Friendship

01:56:26 Facing Adversity and Personal Testimonies

01:57:02 Confronting Lies and Seeking Truth

02:00:53 Moments of Despair and Divine Intervention

02:05:58 The Weight of Secrets and the Need for Honesty

02:10:16 The Journey to Redemption and Forgiveness

02:17:50 The Grace of God in Our Messiest Moments

02:27:00 Lighthearted Memories and Lessons Learned

Come on in, Den-Fo. Come on in. Another episode of the Lionel Judah podcast. God bless you. Thank you for joining us today. We're your host, Marcus Green. I'm your co-host, Benjamin Miller, and we've got our esteemed guests. Here and on location in our hometown, Cameron, Missouri. If you know, know. Cameron, man, this place.

I mean, you'll hear about it in our previous episodes, but man, back where we grew up for all the childhood, back with a childhood friend in his establishment, this beautiful barbershop, man, God is really busting. We're gonna introduce and let him speak for himself, who he is. Man, meet our friend, friend to the show, our guest right now, but hold on later on, a little bit more, maybe a little bit a regular on the show.

Our friend, Tracy Philly, man. Good to meet you. We call him T-Phil affectionately. Thanks for joining us. ⁓ It's such a blessing to be here. We've been down, I've probably been in camera here in the last two months, more than I have in the past few years. And those times me and Ben have been down here talking to you off camera and man, you sharing your story with us and us sharing information with you. And to a point where now we're in like a text.

⁓ group text and sharing scripture and thoughts on it and questions and everything man it's really been a blessing and man we just glad here to talk to you and your wife was here earlier and some of your kids ⁓ a small group of the bigger picture of all your kids man but a man a beautiful family and man it's just a joy a pleasure to have you finally sit down with us on camera we've been talking for talking about it for a while and man just say something to the people man

Well, I honestly I it's a blessing that you guys would even ask me to do something like this. ⁓ Like you know, we were talking about podcast thing like never dreamed it would be an actual thing or even how it would come into play. But yet here we are. So yeah, like you said, like in Cameron ⁓ place, I thought I'd never be, you know, being a dad and a husband. And I mean, we don't live here, but I never thought I'd be here doing.

I never thought I'd be a barber being here and doing what I'm doing, know? So just even you guys, like even getting back in touch with me, like was a blessing to me, you know, because.

I couldn't, I can't even put it into words. Like what it's meant to me watching you guys, you know, all growing up. And then even though we've lost touch for some years, you know, mate, see you here and there maybe if I was lucky, like the last time I remember seeing like you was over at when Chris had the, the thing in the cracker box. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was like the last time I remember seeing you. about that. You know what I mean? I even seen Vinny there too. so no, man, it's just, it's been a blessing. Like just to even

to reunite if you will and then even just to be sitting here with you guys right now. just, it like warms my heart really. So. It's an honor and a privilege to be sitting here with you and like I said, I know you've been in contact with Ben and.

That kind of just got the wheels turning and the ideas coming up to bring T-Field in and man just ⁓ knowing who you are and how we knew you growing up and how you are now, man, I'm saying your testimony is a blessing and it's helped me. ⁓

man, and I can't wait to see who else is going to touch and affect and draw some people in and as a business owner and having people in your chair. And we were just sharing before we went live how they may even be like, man, you telling this story again, man? If I had the same story, I'd be telling folks the same thing over and just tell the grace of God. Yeah, you're going to hear it every time because that's how good God's been. Amen.

Well, honestly, man, like Emma, with all the things that are happening around us, it's almost like, you know, everybody talks about, you know, politics or or this or that or even sports, you know, like the only reason I know anything about sports right now today is because of Enzo. I because I don't follow it. I don't pay no attention to it. It's not that I love it. I love sports. You know, I played ball and all that growing up. But like I just. I don't know, man, like.

Where I was at to where I'm at now, like all of this stuff means nothing to me if it's not centered around the Lord. Amen. So I just. It's interesting how that happens. Yeah, it's like I was just telling somebody the other day. I used to watch at least I watched Chiefs games. I watch what most UFC events. I watched those. And now like I don't even know what's going on. I just.

lost focus, but it's my focus is on the important things. Right. It's a blessing. I'm just like Marcus said, I'm glad you decided that you'd join us, that you'd share your story. think ⁓ I too have been blessed just as much as he has from hearing your testimony and ⁓ just excited to kind of see the response of others and how it touches them. Cause it's, you know,

One person's testimony could be all the difference that is needed to totally change someone's life. So, you know, that's kind of the mission behind what we're doing here. And thank you for coming on. Thank you for being willing to share. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. So I know we we've got a lot to talk about and some stuff, you know, we've we've talked about off camera and maybe repeat information for us to hear. But no.

I think it's definitely some of the stuff is definitely worth telling again I don't mind hearing the same sort because I love hearing how God's brought people out Give us just a little bit of background on you know, you're upbringing. Did you grow up in a church? Did you know God or whatever man? How how is it for you growing up here and in in Cameron? Well, honestly, so I remember

a handful of times going to church just out south of town by south standard that little church that sits behind south standard and ⁓

but I wasn't necessarily raised in church. The one that really spoke a lot to me growing up would have been my grandma. And then even seeing like you guys in Terrell, like you guys were the most like spiritual people that I had in my, in my, my corner. You know what I mean? If you will, because, and I'm not dogging on my mom and dad or my family. I'm not, there's nothing like that. It's, just that I guess the girls told me even like Terry and Carrie told me,

they used to go to church quite a bit. And then I came in and, you know, things started happening and they just didn't go as much. But I wouldn't really say I had a, the church life upbringing. And so, ⁓ I seen a lot of,

necessarily like Christian values growing up. So, but my grandma, I remember before she passed, she would talk to me. She's like, you know, you

You need to have a relationship. need to you need to, you know, pray to the Lord. You need to read. You know, was, man. She she really was. And and I had seen my dad even with his Bible, you know, and he even had the one that had the little his little name on the front of it, you know, in gold. Yeah. So I always thought that was pretty cool. He was, you know, and but he just we never really talked about it. We never really did a whole lot of that. ⁓ anything that's happened to me has really been.

since I've been married. So how long y'all been married? Dude, December 2nd coming up will be 19 years. Man, congrats on that. Yeah, dude, 19 years, man. 19 years. I remember y'all. My foot, my bad. That's so good. But yeah, man. ⁓

You and Kristen, another childhood friend of ours who moved here from Winston, I think in seventh grade. ⁓ And we would love to have her on the show as well. And we just seen her before we went live. First time I've seen her in.

15 years. Man, God has really blessed y'all on the scene. Like I said, seeing y'all's kids and your son whooping my behind in checkers and did it so humbly. He didn't trash talk, which maybe he teach me something because I would have said some stuff if I had a but even he did a little humble bragging. You could could say something about you can try. Yeah, I said I need to practice. He's like, yeah, you need to practice. So.

But man, they were just a joy to be around and like I said, they all ain't no ain't no hey whose kids are these they look like either you and or Kristen so they are spitting images of y'all and just a beautiful family and your oldest son coming up up here and man I'm young kids teaching us stuff about this technology and

all this kind of stuff we trying to figure out and like y'all making me feel dumb, man. These young whippersnappers ain't even 18 years old yet just schooling us on technical stuff. But man, God has really been blessing y'all. if you've never been down to a shop before, you come in here and you see scripture written everywhere, everywhere your eyes will lay.

their scripture written on the wall. And just to show where God has brought this man and the relationship that ⁓ they have, that he's had, he's molded with God over the years, man, it's amazing. It's amazing. I'm inspired and encouraged to see this and to, just to be here. Like I we've been here a couple of times ⁓ off camera sharing information.

Man up in here crying, pouring out hearts, Three grown men up in here boohooing like we in therapy or something. man, it's. Somebody's going to cry for this show. Genex is over there. Right. So, man, it's it's truly just a blessing to be with other believers and with brothers, especially ones that you grew up with. And like I remember.

I think my earliest memories of you, you you be around everybody so often, but you don't remember up until a certain point. I think I remember you in like fourth or fifth grade on. that, I don't remember a whole lot of people, but they're like, man, this dude's pretty cool. You say he was never into sports, but he was like a naturally gifted athlete. I'm like, man, it's, he ain't even trying to do well and he's doing well. And he went to rail. I used to hate.

playing on sports teams with y'all because y'all did everything so effortlessly and made it look so easy. But man, that's growing up together, playing sports and boxing and hanging around. And I know there's. What story in particular that I don't know if we want to share. already know I've already been thinking about it in my mind because I was like, I can't share that one. Just do it. Man, it's beyond the statute of limitations.

You can't open it like that. I tell it, man. Just do it later. we'll get it later on. We will. We'll we'll we'll the names to protect the innocent. ⁓ You all stay tuned for that. that. Thank God for his grace, as I can say, so ⁓ safe in the process. Amen. Well, it's just a blessing, man, to know this. ⁓

do growing up and to see where God's brought you from. And gave us a little bit on, you know, your upbringing and how you grew up. Man, there's there's in our conversations, ⁓ you've told us a couple of incidents like during our school age ⁓ of how like God is trying to get a hold of you and like before you even before you even knew it. And

really to show his patience from that point all the way to whenever you gave your life to God. Man, tell us about ⁓ one incident in particular that you talked about the dance. Dude, that one is like imprinted in my mind a lot. But it wasn't like when it happened, I held onto it for a little bit and I thought about it for a while. And then it's almost like I forgot about it until I went.

to passion. But we were at the dance. I don't remember which one it was. I don't remember what year it was. ⁓ There's no we were in high school. Yeah, we were in high school and it was way before they ever did all the, you know, the renovations and stuff to it now because like the bathroom was right outside the gymnasium. So I go to the bathroom and I'm walking down the hallway. Well, there were these two kids in there that I had never seen before. And ⁓ and I had seen them in there and I think they were with

And I could be wrong, but I think they were with Jessica and Cassie Durant and Jessica Blair. Shout out Jessica Blair and Cassie. Right. Amen. And ⁓ as I'm walking, so I go out to the bathroom, I'm walking down the hallway and I just, as I'm walking into the bathroom, I look over my shoulder and those two dudes are walking down the hallway. And I was just like, dang it, man.

Yeah. What, what did I do? Like, you know, ultimately I'm thinking I did something. said something, you know, like I've done something because these dudes are fought like clearly they were following me to the bathroom. And so I get in there and I'm washing my hands, you know, I get done, I'm washing my hands and they're in there and they start talking to me. Um, and I don't remember the whole conversation, like how it went down.

And honestly, I think it was, it might've been our junior year because I think it was the year that I didn't get to play ball no more. think honestly, because when we were talking about it, think I, I think I told them that and that's why they were praying for me. but I, I don't remember all the details, so I don't know if that's accurate or not. So forgive me if it's not, but, What's the, uh, not to interrupt this whole story. didn't get to play ball.

expand on that for just a second so like when I went to get my like the physical you know

⁓ The doctor found what he said it was a irregular heartbeat. And so they were like, you know, you can't play sports anymore. He's like, you can go get a second opinion if you want to. So that took me down to this place in Kansas City and got another second opinion. ⁓ And he was like, yeah, you can you can go play all the backyard sports you want to. You just can't play for the school no more. And I was like, why? Like, so you don't care about me as a human.

Like you just care that in the school. Yeah. I get, you know, I get, mean, you know, my dad was even like, you know, if there's, you know, papers that we need to sign saying you won't be held accountable, let's do that. And the doctor was like, no, we're not going to do all that. And so I went to a cardiologist, one of the hall to monitor on, you know, had the wires all over me and stuff and.

There were too many extra beats. Like it wasn't skip beats. There was just extra beats. And so they were like, well, there's too many of those in a 24 hour period or something like that, that you just, we just don't know enough about it back then to say we're okay telling you, can go play. So I've never had any issues. I've never had any, any trouble like that. You know, I feel like the Lord was just, he was taking me in a different direction because

That's the only explanation I can have for it, honestly. I don't know why I'll say what happened. I had no idea that that was even a thing. Yeah, I didn't either. Had the same thing murmurs, heart murmurs. I know box growing up. I didn't know we had to go through the physical before we go through ⁓ before we even have the match. I've had I've been canceled from fights because I've had they said irregular heartbeats, but they put a scientific name to it. They hurt heart murmur.

And I haven't had in years. I haven't had any kind of thing, but I had the same thing you had as a kid. I don't know if I grew out of it. If I haven't heard anything about it in 20, 30, some of my years. Yeah. was gonna say, ever since then, like, I don't know if I still do, but I don't really go and get checked up either. You know what mean? So I can't say, but.

looking back now it's almost like I do believe he was trying to take me in a different direction and I just I didn't know and I didn't see it I couldn't see it instead of like that I just kind of went the other direction I was I was I was upset frustrated PO'd you know whatever you want to call it and I had a really horrible attitude about it so

But like going back to the bathroom scene, if you will. So somehow these guys spark up a conversation in the bathroom. Right. And get on the topic of the heart situation. I do believe that's what was going on because like I just.

couldn't figure out why else it would have been. So I feel like it was probably our junior year. Yeah, I think but I again did many years have gone by since then. So I can't really be certain but it doesn't make sense to me other than that. But then again, the Lord knew what he was doing back then. But they start talking to me. And they're like, well, can we pray with you? And I was like, well, sure, you know, like, that's cool. And they're like, well, can we lay our hands on you? And I was like,

OK, like, you know, like I don't understand this, you know, but nobody's ever asked me if they could pray for me, let alone put their hands on me because I was always like, don't put your hands on me. You know what I mean? You know, that was just because I was young and dumb. But. And so they were like, now we're going to pray for you. But if you hear it start talking in this other language, like, don't let it freak you out. And I'm like. OK, what's this going to be rushing? Yeah, I was like.

I'm like, okay, you know, like didn't think too much about it. Like I was like, you know, yes Speaking another language. Okay And so they do and they their hands on me and I'm standing there in the bathroom and they're just praying man and all of a sudden they just start praying in tongues and I'm just like, whoa like Honestly, dude, it was it was weird to me, but it was actually it was beautiful to me too because it was like I Knew there was something there and I had no idea what it was

And that's your first exposure to spirit. Absolutely. Absolutely. First exposure to somebody praying for me like that, like somebody approaching me in that way, wanting to pray for me, wanting to lay their hands on me and then praying in tongues over me to ask God to do what only God can do. You know what I mean? But back then, forgive me, back then I had no idea what that was. Right. No idea what that was. could.

And I didn't realize what it was. And I had forgot about it until we went to passion. Do no kid, you're not man like so. Kristen's family always went to the Baptist Church in Winston and I love the people I love. You know, I always got a good word from the pastors that were in there. I'm not not dogging that at all. ⁓ But.

parking lot service. And so out there at the dealership, you know, this old Ford dealership, yeah, they had that old, well, it's the Ford one. Red X was done by that's right. That's right. But they had that stage out in front. And so the pastor and the worship team would come outside and they would stand up there and you could pull into the parking lot and tune in on a radio station. And then you could hear

the service without ever getting out of your car without ever rolling down your windows, man, they'd be out there honking the horn and just, kudos to them for figuring out a way dude. was, it was going. that meant a lot to me, you know, because in a time in my life with all the other stuff going on that I was working through my mind and my heart and just my family and my relationships and

everything, you know what mean? Like even in the barber shop, it's just like, it spoke to me, like it spoke to my heart. It spoke to everything there was about me. It spoke to the spirit inside of me. And so I told Kristen, I was like, you know, I said, when, if and when everybody opens back up, we have got to come here and just check this out, you know, just to see what it's all about. Because this was like it hit me like a ton of bricks. You know what I mean? And so

I don't know how long later. It was like a couple months maybe and everything opened back up. I don't remember exactly. ⁓ we go in and at that time it was on the south side of the building because the north side was still the garage where they did all the work on the cars and stuff. And so we were on the south side where all the offices were. And so we go in there and Tony was in there and Robin was in there.

And I think there was a couple other people that I had known or had seen, you know, from just from way back, but I don't remember. But. ⁓

Sorry, was just trying to think of who else was in there, because I know there was somebody else. But anyways, and I go in there and, know, worship starts and, you know, it just felt different. It's like it's something I had never felt before. Of course, I didn't have many, like, I didn't have a whole lot of church experience. And so, you know, up there in Winston, it'd be like, you know, we come in.

do the, you know, the like the what's on the docket, if you will, they talk about the things and then they get you to like three songs, you know, and then they give you a little message and then you're out the door. And if the chiefs were playing bro, watch out. You know what I mean? Previated service. Yeah. Like if they're playing at noon.

Lord, you're going to move, you better do it. Yeah. the kickoff. My on my timeline. Yeah. Like, no. Got these wings in the upper for the game. You better hurry up. I couldn't. I couldn't do it. It frustrated me. And like not to be like indignant towards anybody else, but it was just like, how can you do that? Yeah. You know what I mean? And so anyways, I go in there and the worship's going on. And all of a sudden I hear people start praying in tongues and instantly did instantly.

It was like he reminded me of the bathroom in the high school. And I was just like, I felt like a little kid and I was just like so excited. And I'm like. And it was like he was like, I was trying to talk to you back then. Yeah. Are you going to listen to me now? And I was just like, dude, it wrecked me, dude. was balling. I was just like, no way, man. Like, and it was so beautiful. You know what I mean? Because it didn't sound made up to me. It didn't sound like.

It was like the Lord was just, he was talking to me. I couldn't understand what they were saying. Don't get me wrong. But like, it was like he was talking to me in a language that you ain't gonna find in a book. Right. And that, that was like warming to it. It was, it was reminiscent of the first conversation he had with you enough so that the only thing you needed to know was like, ⁓

He's here. Yeah. Yeah. It was so real, So real. I don't know if God will bring back to your remembrance past experiences and like, ⁓ that's why you did it. God, now I now I understand. And he won't let experiences just.

happened for nothing. You know, there are there are no throwaway moments whenever we really try to search the mind of God and his purpose for us. There are no throwaway moments. Everything happens for a reason. Even the things that you think are most insignificant. And then if you really sit around and think about like, Lord, that's why you did that. That's why I had that interaction and interaction with that person. We might edit this. I just caught myself.

No, what you're saying is accurate. Cause I actually just had a conversation like two days ago. was talking to somebody and they brought up, ⁓ they brought up something that I just kind of played off. And then it's like the law will deal with you later. Like remember that conversation? Yeah. I was talking to you.

And it's like, ⁓ but you just find yourself moving so quick through the day. And you talk to, you know, so many people that sometimes you lose sight and you just don't listen. It's just like you just move it. I would say we're right, especially you. Right. You got a lot of people coming in and talking. do. But we're the ones that let that fall to the floor. Yeah. Like he won't. You know what I mean? He won't. If we're just if we're listening and sensitive to what he's trying to do.

Like he speaks in those ways, but I have noticed and I'm guilty of it. Like I have let things fall to the floor. Absolutely. Yeah. ⁓ I was talking about my wife, ⁓ talking to her about that yesterday, ⁓ was going through.

Like I'm on my last day and my year long Bible reading plan. She's asking, you know, how what have you gotten out of the last year? It hasn't been a full 365 days. It's like 314. And because they put like a whole bunch in one year and one day and she's asking, what have you gotten out of the year besides just just reading the Bible? Certainly you've got something besides just reading from cover to cover what he's gotten out of that. And I told her that.

⁓ You know, I come to the realization that really I have been putting my time in the word on the back burner. I've been letting life happen, ⁓ going to work, going to school, being a husband, father, put all this other stuff in front of just spending time in his word. And now with that year's time of making a conscious effort to be in the word, like I can't go backwards.

now like my mind and my spirit man has been opened up to so much and I was reading revelation and there was ⁓ there's a song that we sing in a church, that I didn't know that song came from The the scripture, ⁓ you're gonna song hallelujah salvation and glory honor That scripture I had no idea until I read it and so now i'm like god there's so and that's not the first one. It's been a few It's a lot of yeah, and i'm like man. I didn't know that they was we were just putting scripture to music

And now I'm like I felt like a whole world has been opened up to me that was right there the whole time And now I can't like now that I've been a part of it. I can't go back. It's like I got steak I can't go back to Chipmunks. So hey Yeah, you're right. We let so many things take our Time away from God where you'll just miss stuff like Lord if I had stayed in tune if I had stayed prayed up I'd stay in your word

If I had kept it sharp, kept my ⁓ spirit man sharp, then I wouldn't have missed certain opportunities to minister to somebody or to just keep my ear open to God's voice. And I'm guilty. I've let it fall. I've let my spiritual sense get dull. But to the grace of God, you know, it gives you a chance to rectify it. And even if it's years later, whenever he's trying to get a hold of you and you don't realize it until later.

He still loves us enough to give us that grace to where we can come back to it. So, man, I'm grateful for it. My guy PD always says he'll circle the block. Yeah. Circle the block. It's the horn. You ain't ready to come out. All right. Then we go around the block again. Yeah. It's interesting that you're finishing that up. And to my knowledge, we never discussed this, but I started my year long plan at the beginning of the year. Now, mine's the mine's the three sixty five.

So mine won't finish until December 31st. But to your point, I'm saying way it's like, man, now I'm looking at it like, look at all the time that I wasted. I don't want to, and now I'm trying to like cram as much in as I, it's like, I'm, it's like, I'm back in college and I'm cramming for a final exam. And it's like, I just feel like there's not a whole lot of time.

in my in my spirit, I just feel like there's not a whole lot of time. So I'm just like cramming and cramming and cramming. it's. And it's it's it's a great place to be, at least I've I am enjoying it thoroughly. And. For anybody that hasn't done one of those plans, it's it's there's a lot to gain. And it's not and it's not like, you know. We've been in the church our entire life.

Tracy came in a little bit later and we'll talk about whenever you first got your first Bible in your thirties, you said 36, 36. So he's, although he's not a babe in Christ at all, ⁓ he's just getting his first Bible. Not even 10 years ago. We've been at this our whole entire life and we just now exactly. We've had no excuse to do it, but God's grace says, know what? Don't worry about that.

Better late than never. Absolutely. I'll for you. Well, it reminds me of the story when you talk about, know, the landowner goes out and he's like, hey, you know, in the first, you know, in the morning, he's like, hey, I'll hire you to come out and do this. And then he back and there's like 30 minutes left and he's like, I'll hire you to do this. And the other dude's like, well, hold on a second. Like, I've been working all day. He's like, yeah, but you agreed to it. You know what mean? So I don't know. It's funny that you guys were talking to me about your Bible plans.

Because I too have been in a year long Bible Bible plan on you version. And it's it's called Eden to eternity. It's been really good, man. And so it's like and wouldn't you know that Enzo is the one that asked me to do it with him, you know? And so me, him and Kristen have all been doing this year long Bible plan. I'm like, Lord, love it out of the mouth of babes. But like what I've learned from my children, even I mean, even just the little ones, you know what I mean, Mike?

I can't even, I can't even like begin to describe what it's done to me, like as a dad, but even just spiritually, knowing that I can learn from these kids when I'm supposed to be teaching them, you know? And your interaction with them, like they don't even have to say anything. It's, I you and I were talking the other day when I had a similar experience, but you were, you were sharing something about,

believe it was like you were you were praying like Lord, why don't these why don't these children listen or something like that? Yeah, man. And and it's and I was sharing something on on one of our previous episodes like, know, you you got the answers, you got the you got the the cheat sheet for the test, you got the teachers. Come on. sheet. Come on. Hand. But they got to be willing to take it. And so it's as you're.

You know, dealing with the Lord and praying like, why won't these kids listen? Cause I've been there. ⁓ he's dealing with you. Hey, you're my kid. Why wouldn't you listen? Right. I got all the answers right there. Absolutely. You've had that, you've had that manuscript for how long you're still like open it up. Well, did like that one, like what you were talking about, like really hit me. Cause like Ellen Enzo.

I all the first five kids have all been like mama's mama's kids. first five kids, the first five on the back. Now the sixth one, she's a daddy's girl and she's the only one I got out all of them, which whatever. mean, that's not even the thing. Like there's no animosity there at all. But like what I've noticed and I get to experience and watch like the way that woman moves, you know what I mean? And even like just

talking to those kids. like Ellen Enzo confide in her. Like, and they tell her, you know, cause they're both in a, you know, Enzo's not old enough to date, but he's got a friend that he likes, you know, and we've been trying to raise them way better than what we were doing. You know what mean? Cause we weren't doing things necessarily the right way. And she can tell her own side of it. I'm not going to do that for her, but watching them like,

bring their thoughts and cares and confide in her about their relationship is beautiful to me. And at the same time, I'm like, Lord, why won't they come and talk to me? You know what I mean? I want to be there with them too. I want to share in this with them too, because I didn't do that with my mom and dad. So I've never expected them to do it with me. But then when I...

I witness it, like, it's like I have this longing for that. Like I just, want that, you know, like I want them to feel comfortable enough and safe enough to come and talk to me, but yet I'm the enforcer, you know? So like when you're screwing up, who you gonna come and see? I'm coming to you, you know what I mean? And so I feel like because of that, I've not handled myself in a way that still has opened the door for them to come to me.

Like it's almost like I did that to myself and I closed that door so they don't have that want to. And so I'm like, I was I was in my prayer time and I was wrecked. You know, I'm balling. I'm like, Lord, why? Why won't they do that with me? I'm not jealous of my wife, but like at the same time,

If I'm not being honest, like I'm a little envious. You know what mean? Like, why? Why can't they? Why don't they want to come and talk to me about it? And it was like I'm like I'm kneeled down, right? And I'm I'm praying. Because that's where I do most of my praying is like it's in my shower time, right? And so I'm just like.

I'm bawling dude and I'm like just I'm picturing myself at his feet and I'm just like Lord please like help me understand like what can I do if it's not me it's okay like I'm not trying to take on something that's not for me but at the same time like I am their dad like why can't they do that and he's just standing there and like I'm like I'm at his feet though right so I can't necessarily see his face but at the same time

In my mind, I can see his face and he's just standing there looking at me. And I'm just like, why aren't you saying nothing? You know, like. And it was all almost like just to like the look in his eyes, he was just like. I know. Like I'm right here and my children. Don't come and confide in me. Yeah, like.

And it was like in that moment he was letting me feel what he feels, right? Because even myself, like I don't always go to him and confide in him. Like there's stuff that I still will like not necessarily spill, you know, like I'm frustrated because you know, like Kristen's hanging out with the kids and not me or, know, something stupid, you know, it's normally something dumb, but like, why don't I go and confide in him about that? Yeah. And it was just like,

Like, I hate that feeling. Like, I can't imagine, like what you go through on a daily basis, what you hear, what you listen to, the bickering and moaning and complaining. And it's just like, even with all of that, you still want to hear what's on her heart, what's on her mind. Man, don't make me shout all in this. You know what I mean? It's just like, dang, Man, that, I never thought about that until you just.

shared that sentiment because I kind of went through the same thing. There was even a point where I thought I was crying and tell my wife that my daughter doesn't like me and I was like literally crying thinking she doesn't like me but lo and behold, she's she's a daddy's girl. Whenever she was born whenever she first opened her eyes. She looked dead at me like she knew where I was the whole time ⁓ and it kind of freaked me out when she did it. I like jump and ⁓ like she knew exactly where I was and

⁓ We know we have we shared some of the same interest and She you know, if I were a 12 year old girl, I would be she would be me I would be her but there's been times I'm like man they they don't they talk to their mom about everything my daughter and my son and ⁓ You know, admit yeah, I've been like

And I don't think they talk to me. I'm here too. I mean, I know I go to work and school, but man, y'all could talk to me. But man, I never looked at it like how you put it that, you know, that's how God feels about, we don't come to him with everything. Even though the Bible tells us to cast our cares on him because he cares for us. Sometimes we, know, as, as men, especially just swallow that lump and just push it down and just like, man, whatever, just deal with this, with this hurt, pain.

any kind of way I can without giving it to God. And then it just gets compiled with something else and something else and something else. And eventually it's going to come out in a way that we don't want it to. It's to come out either in some kind of ⁓ violence or resentment towards somebody. And if we just give it to God and just leave it there, put it at his feet. But we just, no, we...

find somebody else and will and nothing against counselors or ⁓ therapists or whatever. I'm all for it. However you got to work it out, but why don't we come to God and let him know, man, that just, you just dropped the bomb on me. I putting it in that perspective, man. Well, it's like, it's like Pastor Darius says, you know, I don't know if we, think we were talking about this one when he was at elevation, he was talking about it. He's like, you know, he said, when you're trying to carry something,

That's not yours to carry. You're trying to take on God weight. And I'm like, hmm, dude, like, and that's why he's like, and that's why it will crush you because you're not built to why you ain't got the shoulders for that. And I was like, dude, he is. Wow. He was killing it. That's the same one. He was talking about, know, you told us you were going to take us from Egypt to the promised land. Now we're out here eating this man. He's like, what is it? You know, like

Dude, he was killing it that day. love that sermon. I've listened to that thing so many times because it speaks to me. Even still, it speaks to me. So here's another thing to ponder, too, as we're talking about the Lord dealing with you and just kind of giving you a glimpse of how he feels when he's dealing with his children is, you know, if if Marcus just just wrapped up reading Revelation, but

You know, he's going to pour out wrath at some point. And some of that wrath is, is, mean, as parents, I think we've probably all experienced something where somebody does something sideways to your child. And not to, not to go down a whole rabbit hole, but you see what's happening in Nigeria and the wrath that's coming at some point. My goodness. Cause I know.

I just know my own personal experiences of a feeling of wrath over my children ⁓ and anybody trying to do them wrong. So I can't even imagine. man. I was just reading, I think, the chapter before the last one, it's how that chapter was was closing out talking about those who have spilled the blood of the saints. And I'm like,

I don't want to be around to see it, but at the same time, I want to see what God has in store for those folks. Just the black told you. And then I, they got a, they made that bed and they want to sleep it. They got to sleep in it. I'm interested to see, uh, from, from John's vision to the, the reality of it. I'm curious to see what God has in store and man, it's this. Well, there's a point in there, right? Where, uh,

God tells John, don't even write this down. They're not ready for this one. Yeah. Seal up with the seventh understand. Don't write it down. You can't even, you can't even put this one into words. So dude, that makes me think like, what does it look like in real time? You know, when he talks about the four angels at bound at the river, you freights and when that dries up, they'll be loose. Like, what does that actually look like in real time? What does it look like in real time when the, bowls are poured out? know, like

What does that actually look like with our human eyes? You know what I mean? Like that's something I've been terrifying. You know what I mean? That really has been something I've thought about a lot because it's like, I feel like maybe some of that's happening right now, but like, how do I know exactly if that's what that is? You know, because there's no like ding, ding, ding. Like now it is here it is. You know, it's just like, it's yeah.

his word, like it gets me, man. Sometimes I walk away with more questions than answers. ⁓ and then get, I gotta get commentaries and all those good, those so-called scholars can put their perspective on whatever, but man, I feel like how, however someone describes it won't do it justice to what it actually happens. ⁓ And I'm just, I just want to be ready. So I don't have to.

it be on the other side of it and to endure the consequences. I'm like, Lord, let me be ready for whenever this happens that I'm not suffering the consequences of your wrath. Right. Well, sorry to take us down that rabbit hole. But as we were just talking about how, you know, God's emotions with his children that stood out in my mind. So I don't want to be on the other side of the wall. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓

Man enough that we'll get we'll get back to you man for like yeah, if we go down there We've had those conversations to where it will branch off into other things man. We are getting your testimony and Man, was there a moment? that and again, you've probably told us this before off camera, but for the sake of ⁓ Denfolk was there a moment that Was your

come to Jesus moment, that's what it is. Your saw to paw moment.

Well, I've had a, I've actually had a couple of them. I know I was just even reminded of one today when you were looking at that heaven's gates and hell's flames thing. I didn't even remember that until you said that. But the first one, ⁓ was when we lived in Kearney and I was still, I think I was still at Lowe's at the time and, Enzo, I think he was, he was six years old.

And him and I are outside playing catch one day in the front yard and he just looks at me. He's like, Hey daddy, was like, what? He's like, well, you get baptized with me. And I was just like, I was, y'all I was, ⁓ I was living pretty rough. Like I was, I was unfaithful. was lying, stealing, cheating, like drunk high, like, you know,

fornicating, pornicating. Like I was doing all the things, man, all the things I'd been doing since I was like 13 years old, you know, was, it followed me all the way in to my adulthood as a dad, as a husband. And dude, I gotta, I gotta say this because I remember one time, because way back in high school, I was doing the same dumb stuff. And I remember Abby, like,

Forgive me for ever hurting that girl, but like.

She said one time, she's like, you know, once a cheater, always a cheater. because I did that to her in high school. You know what mean? And I was like, for so long, like, I don't know if she realized that the power of life and death is in the tongue. So when you speak stuff over people that can that can keep them in bondage, you know what I mean? And I don't blame her by any stretch of the imagination, because I mean, I heard that girl, you know what I mean? I heard a lot of people.

And ⁓ so forgive me, but.

I honestly, I agree with what she said, because until you do have the Lord in your life, or until you do have the Holy Spirit that dwells on the inside of you, what exactly are you going to do without it? Because you ultimately, you don't have the power, if you will, to really change and be who you were created to be without him. So in regard to that, like,

I mean, she wasn't she wasn't lying. You know what mean? She was actually telling the truth. And that really dawned on me not too long after that. Like, man, like I have been the same dude for so long and like and I didn't necessarily want to be doing it. I just didn't really know how to turn it off. Yeah. You know what mean? Because I've been doing it for so long. I just I didn't really know. But that day when Enzo said that to me, it was like.

That has to be the only other way that I can turn it off because I've been trying to do it on my own. And I failed every time, failed every time. it, nothing I ever tried ever worked. Of course I wasn't even talking to my wife about it because how could I, you know what I mean? I just, I'll be lying about it all the time, dude. Like it's bad, man. One thing fed another thing and it was just a dude. And when you lie so much, like you forget what you lie about. And then you're like, what?

Start keeping spreadsheets. Dude. Posted notes. You know what I mean? Like, OK, I told this one, this one, this one, this one, one backing up the other one. Like it was just it so dumb, man. So dumb. And but when he asked me that, I was like, yes, I will. You know, I will, because it's like I knew in that moment I felt like the Lord was telling me. He is watching you.

Like let alone the Lord watching me, but like Enzo's watching what you're doing, the way you're speaking, all the things that you're doing. Like I remember one time I asked him, he's like, dude, will you go get me another beer out of the fridge? And he was like, another one. I'm like DJ Khaled, you know, like another one. And I'm like, he's checking you. I was like, yeah, man. He's like, do you like this? Like the Lord has been using this young man.

Even since he was like six that that's the same year that dude taught me how to play chess at six years old I will not play The last time I played him in chess he beat me in five moves I'm like I'm dude. I'm done. That's possible dude stupid

Like I'm just like, I can't even with you, man. Honestly, like I ain't doing, I won't play Madden with him no more. I won't play 2k with him no more. like, because I told him for the longest time, like if I'm going to be beat by anybody, I'm glad at you, but I don't even play you no more. If I'm being honest, I only want to play him on the basketball court. Like I only want to lace up and do that. Like no ruined experience. Yeah. I'm my days are done, man. I'm done. Like you got the reins now, but anyways. So yeah, I think that was probably the biggest.

aha moment, the first one. But then at Heaven's gates and Hell's flames, like I was saying earlier, like that is the first time when I seen Aaron walking down the aisle with the cross. And, know, he was he was ⁓ representing Jesus. Like, dude, I was drunk and I was high.

There at Heaven's Gates and Hell's flames. yeah, dude. Like everything I did, I wasn't like drunk all the time, but I was, I was smoking all the time, dude. In the morning on my lunch breaks, like I was high all the time. I stayed high and ⁓ so stupid. You know what I mean? But like, that's just, that's just what I was doing. And I'm, as I'm watching him walk down that aisle, it was in the gymnasium at a Winston.

And they had the altar call. Like it wrecked me watching that. And I was like, I was sitting there and I think Garrett was there with me, honestly. And dude, I'm balling. And I'm just like, man. And then they did the altar call at the end after the show was over. And I went, man, I was like, I can't sit here. know, like I felt like I was sober after that. know, like as soon as that I seen Jesus, because I could see him actually walking through there.

And like every time I imagine that that via Dolorosa man like that wrecks me every time. Like I can't imagine somebody doing that for me. You know what I mean? Like I can't.

And so watching that, just a depiction of it, like wrecked me. And so I was like, I gotta go. I gotta go. Man, seeing even if it's a production or dramatization of Christ, like he paid the price. He paid the penalty that we rightfully should be paying ourselves. I definitely deserve it. he had.

Not going there. ⁓ To know that ⁓ he gave us what we don't deserve and that's another chance. A way out of our sin. That's one thing I always say. ⁓

And I hate getting my glasses wet too, especially wet with rain and tears. I hate doing it, but man to know that ⁓ he knows all about us. He knew what we would do before we even born.

He knew where we would go, the things we would say to each other, to his creation. He knew some of us would curse his name. He knew some of us would blaspheme that we would do all these horrible things and still die on the cross for us. Now, you do, you run afoul of me once or twice. I ain't doing nothing for you, let alone dying. Not just dying, but being tortured.

for somebody else's mess. And to know that he just loves us that much to where we deserve to be in his place, but he's like, no, I got you. And he's had this plan before creation even came to pass, before anything even kicked off, he knew where we would be and still made a way out of sin for us.

And I've been to one that we were talking about. I've been to one of those ⁓ productions kind of like Heaven's Gate and Hell's Flames, ⁓ one's called ⁓ Final Exit. And we went there with our youth ministry and man, had, they didn't ⁓ have.

the person playing Jesus carrying the cross, they had him on the cross and they had like makeup and whatever that looked like ⁓ his wounds all over him. And to see him up there and I was done. The two moments in that production was when the people were in hell reaching up at you as you're walking through, was a walk through production. They're reaching at your feet.

and like all these demons reaching at you and even though you know they're actors and stuff, I'm like, oh God, I don't even wanna walk through this, because it is just like to see it portrayed. It's intense. And it's not even close to what it'll be in real life. And then to see after you walk through that scene of hell and to come on the other side of it and see Christ.

And man, was telling you, I was already saved. was a youth leader at the time. I'm like, man, let me run to the altar too. And along with these young folks. But man, just to see it ⁓ represented by actors doesn't do it justice, but you appreciate it more because you can see ⁓ what he went through for undeserving wretches. Like I can't speak for nobody else, a wretch like Marcus. I know what I've done. I know where I've been.

I can't speak for a rich like me. God did that for me. Man, I just make me love more. How can we not serve a God like this who would ⁓ sacrifice, who would be willingly to lay down his life for us? I love I don't see how you couldn't love him. How you couldn't want to serve this guy. Yeah, it's it's incredible. I know we talk a lot about just the

almost the unfathomable, fathomable enormity of God and everything that he is. And I know, I don't know if I shared this with you all the other day or not, but there was something I ran across on Facebook that said the,

The observable universe is like 93 billion light years across. Yeah, you said that. And men have traveled 1.3 light seconds so far in the observable universe. And I'm sure what is observable to us is only the tip of the iceberg of creation. So if you put that into perspective of 93 billion.

light years and we've traveled 1.3 light seconds is the furthest we've made it. It shows you how tiny we are in the

I don't even have a word for it. Just the majestic creation that that is. And. It just it further emphasizes like that God would go to the cross for. Nothing's like us that to your point. Don't act right, don't do right. Can't figure things out. ⁓

What can you say other than, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus. Like, what can you say? There's nothing. And there's nothing that we've ever done, even on our best days, to deserve even a fraction of it. Even to stoop down and loose his sandals. Dude, when you sent that, I thought of Job, you know, because...

when he says, and I think I told you this, but he's like, I measure the universe in the palm of my hand. And I'm thinking like, if I had a speck of dust in my hand, that's what it would be like. Yeah. You know what I mean? Or a bouncy ball, you know? And so in my mind, like if he's looking like this, then I'm like, well, what's he got in the other hand? You know what I mean? Like.

Yeah, he's holding at least 93 billion light years of creation in the palm. In the palm. Like what's he got in the other one? You know what I mean? Like it's mind blowing to me. And to think that we are that small to him. And still cares for us. And still would be like, all right, I'm gonna shrink my son down and I'm gonna drop him in there with you. Like dude. And as-

And I like that we're the enormity of God. We're that small and seemingly in our eyes insignificant, but yet he has all of our hairs numbered. He has the hairs on your head numbered. Amen. ⁓ It's amazing that he has that much care for a creation that...

No, in the grand scheme of things, we were expected us. We were nothing. We're nothing. And he still loves us enough to like, you what? I want you with me. Yeah. And in spite of all the stuff that you did and ⁓ all the stuff that you will do, because we didn't just stop doing dumb stuff just because we profess Christ. Most of my stuff came after being saved. But he still loved us enough, man. It's I'm so glad that ⁓

I think about this, what Paul said in Romans eight, how he's persuaded that nothing can separate from the love of God. I'm so glad that God didn't have to be persuaded. You know, that we, there's nothing we could do to talk him into loving us. Imagine your pitch to God, like, yeah, there's some people that gonna lie, they gonna curse your name, they gonna hate each other, they're gonna separate themselves, they're not gonna love, they're not gonna...

They're gonna cheat. They're gonna steal. They're gonna murder. How about it? Would you still love them? Thankfully, we don't have to persuade him to love us and and and even after all that we are when we're honest with ourself when we know the wretches that we are the mess that we are Paul says I'm persuaded that nothing's gonna separate us from this that man this dude

God is amazing. Right. Right. It's amazing. And the deeper you dive, the more amazing he becomes. And that's why I just is it like you were talking about, you know, the more you read, then you start reading commentaries and diving into other things. It's like, the more you know, the more you want to know. And it's it's not like the Bible is a is a is a one of a kind.

I mean, it's God's work. Yeah. And so it operates as such. And the more you dive into it, the more you pull from it. And so you just want to keep diving deeper and deeper. And so it's. I don't know how to describe it, and it's like a it's like a never ending treasure hunt. And the deeper you dig, the greater treasure you find. And so it's.

And the more you want to tell folks about it, right? One thing that I have come to appreciate and treasure is in our group text, how we'll come across something in the Bible. I'm like, man, this is this what happened and this is what I read. it's like. just be so excited to share what God revealed to you, but was there the whole time that we're just coming to the realization of and man, it's like.

It's so great that I can't keep this light hidden under a bushel, right? I've got to share this even if they already know it Of course we all have kids when kids come home from school and they want to act they act like they drop a knowledge on you But you know that there's nine planets in the solar system like yeah, that's old news But they'd be so excited to let you know something that they just found out. That's how we are like, man, man, did you know?

christ said this and did this and then this and you're like yeah he he did say it but it's it's like so brand new to us but you still get so excited to know you know to to understand and and have revelation unto his word i his word is just that great for us and i'm glad to be in a place where i can still get excited all over again about his word i mean essentially essentially it's it's the truth and it's the filter by which you measure

the real world around you at this point. is this, absolutely. Do I believe this? Is this true? Is this what I should be doing? Oh, I've got something to measure that against. Whereas before you were just, we were all just operating off of flesh. Okay. Here's, here's my nature. My human nature wants to do this. I'm going go do it. And, um, where's the fruit? It's always going to take you to destruction. Cause that's just, it's your

all of our nature just wants to do the things that eventually lead to destruction. And ⁓ it's just a blessing to have the truth and have something that helps us measure truth against lies and understand that there's a better way. And man, there's so much peace that comes with it that...

You know, like, like the Bible says, peace of suppress is all understanding. And you're sitting here like, I just see myself in situations nowadays where on the outside, just kind of looking at my situation, I'm like, man, I should be stressed out right now. But I'm like, why? He's got it all. He's going to take care of me. He hasn't failed me in 43 years. So.

what would lead me to believe that he's going to start now other than the enemies in my head trying to stress me out. trust what you've seen, trust what you've lived.

If he hasn't failed at this point, he's not going to Well, like even with that, you know, he's like, if you don't believe me, believe the works. ⁓ like, so when you have your own testimony of the things that he's done in your life, if you believe nothing else, believe that. And like just even looking at my own life, you know, just some of the stuff that we've touched on so far is like.

Dude, like, it can't be explained other than his hand was in it the whole time. None of this stuff can be explained except it had to be him because I was not gonna be able to do any of this if it wasn't for him. There's no way. You know, like, ⁓

I don't know why I just thought of this, but I'm going to share it because this morning, know, pastor's message was talking to me. He said he was talking about Jairus and this little girl. And he was asking, you like, many of y'all have have gone through, you know, something similar to this? I like it hit me because it's like, you know, Kristen and I have six kids, but we've had nine pregnancies.

So there's three that we've lost. And I've like, I've even taken her, he asked her, you know, you ever had to rush somebody to the emergency room? Like, yeah, actually my wife, because she was miscarrying another pregnancy. And like, I don't know how graphic do you want me to be, but like she was.

I mean, bleeding so bad, like she's sitting in the car and I had put towels down in the trash bag down and like she's bleeding so bad, like it's puddling between her legs, you know? And I'm just like, Lord, like, I just got to get there, you know? And I was, I was moving on the highway and I get her there, the security guard comes out and she's like, you can't park here, you know? And I'm like, check, I mean, look, she's like,

Like the look on her face, she's like, OK, honey, I got you like this and that. She brings a wheelchair out and this and that. And they get her in there and do we go upstairs and and St. Luke's on the plaza is phenomenal. I love those people like. My heart goes out for those people.

But we get her upstairs and she's in triage and like they're checking her and doing all the things man. And it's like I'm going nuts. You know what I mean? Because like this was yet another one that we're going through. Like this was this was number I think this was number three in a matter of like three years. And it's just like is wrecking me. And they're like, we got to get her back to the operating room now. And I was just like, what?

What the heck is going on? know, like, obviously I knew what was going on, but like, all of a sudden they're like, we got to get her to the operating room. Now. I was just like, what is going on? You know what I mean? And so they rush her back to the operating room. They kind of kicked me out the room and they tell me to go sit in this other room. And I'm sitting here and I'm just like. Losing my mind because the last time I see my wife, she's bawling.

on this table and she's in pain and I can do nothing.

There's nothing I can do. And they pushed me off in this room and they're wheeling her down the hallway. And instantly I had this feeling like, you have to bring her back.

Like if you've already taken my baby, that's okay.

you've got to bring her back to me.

and dude I was on my knees in this hospital like bawling, just crying like, Lord I can't, I can't do this, you know what I mean? Like, I don't wanna do this.

And then all of a sudden, like I was, I was, don't even know how long it was. It seemed like forever and it could have been five minutes. I don't know. And then all of a sudden I just had this. Like peace, just like. I don't even know how to explain it. It just like. Just for lack of better term, wash over me. And I was just like. I just quit crying.

went to the bathroom, my nose. I come back out and I'm sitting there and the doctor comes out and she's like, she's doing fine.

Board.

driving nuts man like like because that was like that third one you know and so Chris and I have gone over it so many times like why you know like not like questioning him was like why did you do this why blah blah blah blah it's like nothing like that but it's like at the same time like why like were we doing something wrong like should we be doing something different and so ⁓ when Eliana was ⁓

When she was pregnant with Eliana, we go in for what they call a sir cloche and she's a she comes out and she's on the recovery floor. And one of the other nurses. It wasn't her nurse that was taking care of her, but it was one of the other nurses on the floor. She comes over. She's like. I don't know if you think this is weird or not, she said, but. I was just looking through your chart and she said, I've seen that you've had three miscarriages in the last three years.

She said, I just had my third miscarriage two weeks ago. She's like, and seeing you here gives me hope. ⁓

So it's like, okay, Lord, like if we had to go through what we went through just so this one little girl could have hope, you is worth it.

can't say I'd want to do it all again, right? But if it gave her hope, then he trusted us to be able to go through it, to minister to that little girl that day. Now, I wasn't the one ministering to her, it was Kristen, but she crawled up in the bed with Kristen. She prayed with her and just, loved on her.

And I was like, it's like what Marcus was saying just a little bit ago, the chances, the second chance is the grace. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for him to even speak in ways that.

you don't hear audibly, just in moments, just in seconds. It's just like.

that washing over of peace is... ⁓

kind of the way I would describe what I felt in our first release episode, second episode where I was talking about walking a dog and seeing the rainbows and lightning strike. And it was like.

Right at that moment when we turned that corner and I saw that just the piece just washed over me like, you know, and things weren't even to my knowledge, things weren't in a great position yet. Got to give you that piece that surpasses your understanding, because my own understanding in that moment is like I'm running out of time. You know.

And your understanding in your moment is this could be it. Don't let this be it. And then it's just amazing. ⁓ It reminds me, we've been studying Elijah and John the Baptist these last few months with our Bible study. But it reminds me of like Elijah.

You know, getting threatened by Jezebel that she's gonna kill him. ⁓ And he runs off and basically hides in the bush or whatever and is praying, just take me. I'm ready to die. And it's like when you're in those, when you're in those moments where you're like.

You got nowhere else to turn. You're to the point where you're saying, just take me, Lord. An angel shows up and gives you some food. Or peace washes over you. Or two rainbows with a lightning strike hits you. It's like, I ain't done yet. Right. Quit tripping. Man, y'all talking about this piece. It brought to my ⁓ memory.

This verse and I like the words by one to make sure to quote it correctly John 14 27 says peace and this is Jesus speaking peace I leave I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you Let not your heart be troubled neither. Let it be afraid Will seek peace and everything else that the world offers but crisis. I'm gonna give you my peace

Peace that pass all understanding. Whenever you have the peace of God, man, there's no other comfort. There's nothing we can drink. There's nothing we can smoke. There's nothing we can ⁓ put in the bed with us. But his peace, man, that even in the most troubling of times, whenever you're facing mortality of loved ones and the peace that he gives you allows...

peace for somebody else. Now when that nurse came to you and said that it gave her hope to seeing after God gave you his peace, the Bible says he's the prince of peace. That means that he commands peace. A prince is a ruler. It listens to whatever ruler has and has its subjects follow the direction of that ruler. A prince is a ruler if he's the prince of peace and he directs peace to go to

Whomever needs it. I see Tracy needs peace. Peace go there. I see Ben needs peace. Peace go there. He commands the peace to go wherever it's needed. And man, it is so amazing how his piece is all that we need, regardless of what we're facing. If we could just have his piece on it, not as the world gives, that piece is fickle. That piece is fleeting. It sure don't last. It

Yeah, the peace. Yeah, continue with that. The enemy tried to just break up the peace we had going. Right. We got the power back and we're still talking peace. Yeah, we're just talking about the peace of God that passes all understanding. And I think we're saying he's the prince of peace, meaning he commands peace to go wherever he needs it. And while we may not be able to find peace in things of the world.

Christ promises that you he'll give us his peace And I'm just looking on your wall right now and the peace of God I Was at Philippians 4 and 7 man like It's such a blessing having to have all these things all these scriptures all over every wall here and you can look To whatever you need that Lord. I need a scripture on peace and it is looking nice to ride your face here but yeah, just

how his piece will intervene even in the most traumatic of situations that we can face and whenever we least expected and where we think we're least likely to find it, where we can find peace in the middle of the storm. When we were talking about our last video, know, G is in the bottom of the boat, the boat was being tossed to and fro, he in there sleeping. Same with Jonah. He was...

in the boat sleep. He ain't no more peaceful than being asleep. So man, if we could just rest in his promises and trust in the peace of God, in spite of whatever life hands us, Christ says he'll give us his peace, not as the world gives, but as he gives.

Imagine him sending them into the storm.

like knowing that they're about to go into a storm. It's like, yeah, we're to go over here.

I'm gonna take a nap. Put my head on the pillow, you know what I mean? And they're freaking out and he's just like, sleeping. And I can't help but think how often, you guys already know when you're in a storm, all you have to do is call on the name of Jesus and he's right there with you. He didn't leave them in the storm. He sent them into the storm knowing he's gonna be right there with them.

But then the next time he sent him into the storm, he's watching them. And they're freaking out again. And what do they do? Call on the name of Jesus. Where is he at? Right there in the middle of the storm, walking on water. I think it's a ghost. But think about that. Like he's like, well, Lord, if it is you, bid me to come.

So they already knew it was him because he said, Lord, if it is you, he's like, what do mean if it is you already told you it was me, but come on out. You know what I mean? Like, and it's funny how at that time they had been with him every day, traveling with him, ⁓ spending time with him intimately, knowing who he is that in the time of trouble, they don't recognize God.

And that's how sometimes you know we get we'll in we'll spend all this time with christ And our daily walk or whatnot, but sometimes there are situations that hit us the way we won't recognize who god is We won't recognize ⁓ his hand in it We've seen him in other other situations and other facets of our life But there's something that will hit us so hard that we won't even recognize god We're like questioning if he's even with us or not when he's right there

We

knew him then, but life happened and now it's to the point that we can't even see him. And man, I said I don't wanna get to that point, but we just gotta realize that even in our most desperate situations, he ain't left us.

He says, he'll never leave us nor forsake us. Even when we don't recognize him, he hasn't left us. Even whenever, you know, the winds and rain and waves are so chaotic and whatnot, he, even if we don't recognize him, he hasn't left us. He's just waiting on us to call on him, to recognize that he's in the middle of the storm, when even when we don't see it, God, is this you?

If it is, you know, I need you to bring me up out of this. I just need you to recognize me know that i'm with you I uh just got through reading on the resurrection and um

find it interesting how Jesus comes back to the disciples and into Mary Magdalene and it's like so often when he's resurrected in his resurrected body and he comes back to meet with them they don't initially recognize him and it's interesting to me that they don't recognize him

until he speaks in a couple situations where he just he might just said a couple words and it's like ⁓ it's you and so it's i was thinking when you were just talking about that when mary was at the the tomb and she was like she thinks he's the gardener right and she was like well just tell me where you put him so i can go get him and he's talking to her and then he's all of sudden he says mary and then that's when it hits her like

Rabonai right? No like and so I think about it like do you think they didn't recognize him because So this is something I don't know it doesn't necessarily say but like Because of the scourging that he took so they couldn't recognize him Because I don't necessarily think that he was so like that was the part that they seen because when he's talking to Thomas he was like

He wasn't in his glorified body yet. You know what mean? You see that. So then I think, well, like, they could have expected him, but did they not recognize him because he was so...

his flesh was just destroyed. You know what I mean? Like I don't know, because it doesn't necessarily say, but like, could you not know who he was and all the things until he actually says Mary? just have a random dude with all the same injuries and whatnot. And he's the gardener. I don't know. You took it too, huh? I feel like he and I definitely want to do more study on this, but.

in my own mind it's like his resurrected body was so much more glorious than what they had experienced previously not not necessarily different but just now you're experiencing

basically the word come to full fruition in resurrection form. And it's like you do. Okay. It's, I don't even know how to explain it other than now there's no doubt that it's God before it was, it's Jesus. And yeah, he's not that he didn't have believers, but when he comes after what you just seen him go through,

And yeah, he's got he's got the marks in his hands and his feet.

and Thomas is putting his hand in the side but I think it I really this is gonna sound silly I think I probably said this to y'all before but I hope there's like a

highlight reel that we get to see in heaven of like put that clip up put the resurrection clip up you know so we can fully understand like because we're just we're left here to speculate to some extent there's there are all kinds of commentaries on why why they didn't recognize him or what it might have been but

don't think anybody 100 % knows. And just to be able to have that knowledge from one day, I think would be amazing. That makes sense to me, like what you're talking about. They couldn't see him for who he was because now it was like the culmination of everything that they had been taught. And so maybe that's why they couldn't necessarily recognize him because he was so...

I hate to use that word disfigured, like his body was destroyed. You know what I mean? And so like the last image that they had, or at least Mary and John and his mama, like the last image they had of him was like, it was really bad, right? But now all of a sudden he's glorious in all his glory. Kind of like when he's in the transfiguration, like they got to see him for truly who he is.

And they like, dude, that one blows my mind too, like to sit there and see him up on the mountain with Elijah and Moses. And they knew who they were, even though they were, you know, hundreds of years earlier, but they knew who they were. Like, it's like he just pulled a curtain back like, yeah, y'all see that? Like, yeah. And he was talking to him.

You know what I mean? Yeah, they're like, can we put up some tents for y'all? Right. And then God himself shows up. It was like, man, I've never thought about that. How in the world they going to know who Elijah and Moses is if they were centuries before them. Exactly. Wow. And I think about that. And you don't read anywhere in the Bible like this is Elijah. This is Moses. He say nothing about introducing them. They recognized him. But they knew who they were.

That's crazy. I've never thought about that. It just blows my mind to think like they're the only three that got to see him like that. So then after the resurrection, I'm not going to say that he was shining like he was in that transfiguration moment. But like what you were saying just made sense to me. Like they've never seen him like that because now it's all came to the culmination, the fruition of like, whoa.

Yeah. W H O A. Whoa. Not W O E. You know what I yeah, dude, I like that. That's good. Jesus resurrected like, whoa. Hi, Rob. Rest in peace, Rob. Black Rob. We might be able to get Brody to make sound up for us. That'd be pretty sweet.

I don't know if he knows who like Rob is. These kids. He might surprise me because he surprised me just with whatever he was showing us. But he's good, man. He does a good job. But man, I want to make sure that we get. And I know we kind of have free range speaking. Just how did you get to here? We are in your shop. We're in your business, not just your shop. We're in your building. You own this. You're a landlord.

You can tell people to get out if you want to. How did this come to fruition? ⁓ Well, I said earlier, I had been at Lowe's. I worked at Lowe's for like 12 years. Just some things. I was living a horrible, my life was horrible in that time. I was making...

good money, but like it was just it was just bad bad environment because of me my decisions not because Lowe's itself is a bad environment. I'm not I'm not dogging on Lowe's at all right. ⁓ I was just I was making just horrible decisions all the way around so ⁓ there was a guy that used to work there that went and was dispatching trucks down off Van Brunt down south of Leeds.

traffic way and he was like, dude, you want to come down here? I was like, what am I going to do? He's like, just dispatch trucks. You and I'll set the office and we'll just build loads, send the loads out and that's it. I was like, well, what am I going to make? He's like, same money you're making now. I was like, okay. You know what I mean? Like I'm good. Well, so I went down there, left loads and went down there and the, was the safety guy, but then he became the like,

The guy that I worked with his name was Mike. The guy that came in his name was Rob. ⁓ Him and I didn't necessarily see eye to eye. We kind of butted heads and so while we were in the hospital, Chris and I were in the hospital with Hazel and she's the eight year old. ⁓ She was trying to come out at 16 weeks, 14 weeks. And so we had the sir cloche done on her. That was the first one. First baby we had a sir cloche done. They fired me.

from that job, they're like, well, if you don't need to be here, know, I was like, dude, I'm in the hospital. Like, what do you mean? So anyways, I got fired from that job. But before that happened, a buddy of mine was like, who cuts your hair? You guys remember Wayne Walla? Right. It was Wayne. So he asked me, he's like, well, who cut your hair? It's like, I do. He said, okay, well, you cut me and my son, Satan's. I was like, well, sure. So I cut their hair. ⁓

Wait, what'd say his name and son's name was? Zayden. I heard something else. No, you're good. But I was like, yeah, man, no big deal. So I cut it. And then his wife's name is April. So they were at our house a week later or something. They're like, why don't you open a barbershop? Like, there's no good barbershops around here. And I was like, I mean, I never even dreamed of it. You know what I mean? So then.

This was also in the time where I was just coming into like trying to have relationship with the Lord, just building on faith and just starting to like listen to the Bible even, ⁓ you know, through the pastor up in Winston and stuff like that. I was very, very, very early. And then when I got fired.

because I had started like researching like barbershop or schools, like what to do, all the things. And so at Elamars, it was a full-time deal for me. thought, well, if I do full-time is 10 months. If I do part-time, it's 15 months, but it's like full-time. it's almost like you're in a job. You know what I mean? Just the hours that it was. And so I was like, well, how am I going to do that and work and, you know, pay the bills and stuff.

So fast forward back to the time of me getting fired, because I was praying. was like, well, Lord, I don't know what to do. I don't know how I'm going do it. If this is what you want me to do, I'm stepping out here like you're going to have to show me. Right. I'm from the show me. So you got to show me. And so ⁓ he's like, bet. Slam that door in my face. And it like it hurt, dude, because I had never actually been, quote unquote, fired for something that I

didn't necessarily felt like I did wrong. There was another job that I had where I was still smoking weed and ⁓ I lied and told him, well, I fell on the machine, my back hurts, I think I need to go home. He's like, you fell on the machine? And I was like, yeah. He's like, you need to go down and take a drug screen. I was like, crap.

That one backfired. Yep. Right in my face. like now I'm good. I'm good. I was like, dang it, man. So I did. went down, beat in the cup, came back dirty. And I was talking to the guy. was like, man, I was like, yeah, we can't just we can't do that. I was like, my bad. You know, so that's actually the second time I've been fired from a job. But anyways, ⁓ so it opened the door for me to go to barber school and then.

was doing all that, graduated. And one of the women, well, there was a few women that worked in there, but Miss Mac, like she was, I don't remember how, I think she was around in her seventies, maybe at the time, just one of the sweetest little old women I've ever met in my life. And she always had a Bible. And it really like spoke to me because I was trying to read and learn at that time because

As I was going through barber school, I had downloaded a U version on my phone. And so on the way back and forth, I listened to it twice, from Genesis to Revelation all the way through because we lived in Winston and driving down off 12th Street. So I had plenty of time, right?

Well, so then I got my first Bible at 36. That's when I told Chris and I was like, I want to get my Bible. You know, I've been listening to it and there's things in here that are really intriguing to me. You know, like in Ezekiel when he's talking about the creatures that surround God and like just, holy, holy, holy, you know, like that was like really spoke to me and like my mind just went nuts. So anyways, so she would always like she could like when

kids down there, they'd be acting up, right? And so she could like come in and talk to them and just look at them and cut them down, but not in a way that they ever took offense to it or that they even realized that they were just getting chastised and just look at them just so sweet and have this look on her face. And yet they didn't get it, but yet she'd build them right back up. And so they, they didn't even get the part where she was like chastising them.

but then she's building them right back up. And I was like, I don't even know why I went there, but it was, was beautiful to me. Like this woman, like she just had this, she had the light that just shone through her. And I was like, I am drawn to her. You know what I mean? It was, it was beautiful to me. So anyways, fast forward, I graduate and I started over in Gallatin.

Uh, cause Kristen's cousin, she had a shop for like, she'd been doing that stuff for like 25, 30 years, something at the time. And so I started off over there and then the girl, Tara and Carrie were like, Hey, we're thinking about buying a building and doing some things. You want to move your shop to camera? I was like, no, not really. You know, I don't really want to.

Cause like I said, I didn't ever want to come back here, you know, because the history that I have here was horrible. Like I made a horrible name for myself, you know, and all the things like I was like, I don't want to go there. I don't ever want to go back there, but it wasn't the town. was me. You know, I was, I was the reason why I didn't want to be here, but, but over there, ⁓ there was like Tricia did nails and she did hair and then she had a tanning bed.

in there. So then you'd have all sorts of girls coming in there to tan and I'm like, I don't really need to be here. Like I'm trying to move away from all of that kind of interaction. Like I don't want to be here anymore. You know what I mean? It was just bad. And plus I was still I still was I was trying, but I was still like I was struggling with a lot of stuff. So I'm just like.

you know, the mind is one of the hardest things that I've had to try and like, grab a hold of and like bring in the reins and like, you know, take those thoughts captive. And so I'm just like, I don't need to be here watching, you know, half dressed women coming in here trying to get in the tent a bit naked. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, I'm that's what I'm saying. Like I don't, I don't need to do this. You know what mean? I can do bad by myself. I don't need help. You know what I mean? So

And that's where I started right here. Wow. Just and so then as it went on, we went ahead and we bought the building from her. Like that was the plan from the from the beginning. But we asked her like, well, can we like I'm trying to get a barbershop and just kind of walked her through it and everything. She's like, here, you can have this corner. Like this woman has been like the building itself, it says little blessings on a dude. That's exactly what it's been not only for me, but to me, like.

So many other people like just even from the people that come in here Like we've never seen anything like this. We've never experienced anything like this like this barbershop is There's something different. I'm like, well, I know what it is. It's the holy spirit. has nothing to do with me You know what? mean, it's just him. I've I've asked him to be here with me I've asked him to come and like like I've walked this whole building and prayed over all the doors and windows like just all the things right and so

Now you see what you see today. And it's just like, I even had a gentleman come in here the other day and Dre had cut his hair. And after he got done, Dre had another person in the chair and the guy comes over and he said, I heard him say something. He's like, this place is, this place is really, I forget exactly what he said. He's like, but this, this is.

get exactly how we said it. But he's like, basically, it was just like, this is really nice what you guys are doing in here. I love what you're doing in here. Like, you know, and just the older generations that come in here and they're like, well, you know, we've been to barbershops our whole lives, but I've never seen anything like right, right. And it's just like, well, if I'm being honest, I've only been to

Well, Johnny's was back in the day on fifth Street here. Like I've never been to Kings or Howard's and I'm not knocking any of that. I just never went there because my dad took me to Johnny's. So after Johnny retired, I just never did go to another one. But then I've been to Brent's down in Corny. It's called good times. Like that's another shop that I've been in and past that I've only seen other barber shops. I've never actually been into other barber shops and I'm not for no reason. I just never have.

I've been cutting my own hair for like 20 some years, man. So it's like, why do I need to go to a barber shop? You know what mean? So, and now what? I've been in here for six years now. And last time we were up, there was a, I think it was the last time we were up here. That Saturday. There was somebody you were cutting that had a comment similar to what you're saying. I think he said something along the of he'd never really experienced this kind of atmosphere or something like that.

And I think you told that same individual that, yeah, man, that's the Holy Spirit. Yeah. Well, like I like you guys, when I tell you, like all I did was say yes to the Lord and I'll go wherever you want me to do and do whatever you want me to do. I take no credit for anything in here at all, like the stuff that's on the walls, like, yes, I've wrote most of it. Drey's wrote a lot, but then I even have people like.

If you have a favorite verse, please write it on the wall. I would love to have you write stuff on the walls and let's fill it up. I even started writing on the ceiling. You know what I mean? Because it's like when something speaks to me, I just want to share it. So it's been wonderful, man. I can't.

can't explain it other than it's like this had to be him. Because like if you were even to like look at my life outside of the shop like between, you know, in those basketball in the summertime and basketball that we're coming up on in the season and like what I make financially. And the kids and the travel and the tires and the car, you know, the insurance like all the things like. Like you can't make it, you ain't gonna make it.

You know, like it doesn't make sense. Like on paper, it don't make sense. And yet every month, you guys, I kid you not, every month we make it another month. And it's just like, and so I'm in this place and even Terrell said something the other day, he's like, stay in that place of like humility. And it's like right now in my life, like I don't.

You know, you always pray like, what if I won the lottery or think like, what if I won the lottery and this or if I, you know, did this and came up on some money, what, you know, and I'm thinking like.

I feel like if I was supposed to have that kind of money, I would have done had it by now. And I also think like if I was to have that kind of money, would I be where I'm at? And so then my prayer has shifted because I used to be like, Lord, I just I need this. I need this. I need this. And it's like I've always provided everything that you need. Like through the whole time in barber school, man, when Kristen and I did our taxes that year that I was in barber school, her and I both.

They're not pushy, but they're like, at the same time, they're like, let us help you. And so we're like, OK. So they paid that light bill that month, the very next month I was able to pay them back. It was just like that whole year, my bills on average around $2,000, $2,500 a month. So with the math, that would have been two months we would have made it.

never missed a payment, lights never got cut off, gas never got, we always had gas in the propane tank cause it's propane. So, we always, we've always made it. And that's what I'm saying. Like when you look at it from a worldly perspective, a financial perspective, you know, it'd be like, there ain't no way. And I still honestly on this, I still don't know how we do it. Well don't make sense. Makes a miracle. Amen.

He he supply all of our needs according to his riches and glory not our rich his riches and glory Man, that's amazing. Yeah, when you put a number amount on it that brings into perspective for that you spend that on school supplies for Whatever for all your kids and that's y'all made in a year a year Wow, that's what I'm saying. Like I can't make this stuff up I take no credit for the shop the building the tenants that we had like

I didn't do anything. You know what I mean? just, went to barber school and you said yes. said, that's all you did. That's what I'm saying. Like, you say yes. Jairo. Yes, sir. And you've, it's obvious you've dedicated a, what he's blessed you with. You've dedicated back to him and like Lord use it. And he has been saying we've been in here when the guys

regular customers come in here and he said something along the lines of, man, I've never been in a place like this before. And, uh, know that if we had been running the cameras that day, we were here for Lord, Lord, how long from like 12 to whatever time it was later on, four or five hours. Yeah. Just talking and crying and man, I can't imagine what a customer's reaction would be coming here.

first of them like what's all these sunday school what's all these bible verses and stuff on the wall and then hearing the conversation and you know you go a lot of ⁓ barbershops you hear a lot of you know definitely non-biblical talk hear a lot of nonsense you hear a lot of you know sports talk you hear you know politics foolishness worldly stuff

One things you're not going to hear a lot about is a lot of Jesus talk, like in depth. might gloss over it, but whenever you see the scriptures on the wall everywhere, you know that it is a central focus and where you're stepping into. uh, like a customer, especially in a little town like this, this is definitely like a shock to them. Oh, what, what did I walk into? I'm telling you, dude, because there's a lot of people that will not step foot back in here.

I've seen them multiple times, like come in and sit on the couch. And then they start looking around and reading. And then they're like.

I got to go tiptoe back out. this finger. Have a good day. Go ahead. Go ahead. Because I'm like, I've even had like, you're just talking about the sports talk and stuff. Like Dre is, is wonderful because he is that barber that knows more about the sports. Like he doesn't follow it like he used to by any means. Cause you know, he just got married and then they're, they're, they're starting to, to grow into their marriage and they're, you know, through working on family stuff. And so like,

but there are guys that won't come and sit in my chair no more. And I've seen it and it's just like, and I take no offense to it because I think about it. Like I could, right? I could take those thoughts and just like, like run with it. Like why they go to Dre now? You know, like why are they doing this? And don't get me wrong, Dre, like his haircuts hit man. Like he, does a really good job. I'm not knocking my brother at all, but I just like, it's just funny to me because

most people, not all the time, but most of the time when somebody sits in the chair, we're going to talk about the Lord in one facet or another. And, Dre will do the same thing. Like I'm not saying they won't, but like, I've just noticed that there's people now that will not come and sit in my chair no more. And so I think, okay, Lord. So then it's like, well, if they hate you, just know they hated me first.

But do you also on the flip side of that, I have to imagine you've got some that specifically come to your chair. Absolutely. For that conversation. Absolutely. I won't name names by no means, like name them. I've had a few that will just like. Yeah. And some that you probably would never expect, you know what I mean? And I imagine is there's a lot of folks who.

some of this may be scary or intimidating. I imagine there's a good portion of folks who this is the only Christ centric atmosphere they've been in. They may not know what a Philippians four and seven says. They may not know what Mark two and 17 says. They may not have opened a Bible a day in our life, but coming into here like, man, let me.

I've said before, if you can get their intrigue, you can, you know, at least get them to listen to you. Yeah. And I'm sure there's been more than enough people that have been intrigued by what they see in here, intrigued by the conversation to where you're planting the seed and someone else will water and, uh, but God's going to bring the increase and, know, it may have started just come in and get a haircut. Yeah. Well, there's been a couple of them. Like I even had one. It's like, dude,

He's like, for real, you tell me I got to go to church. I'm like, I'm not telling you nothing, man. Honestly, like I ain't telling you nothing. said, I'm not going to tell you. have to go attend a congregation to be right in the eyes of God. I'm not telling you that at all. I said, because to me, that's that's religion. That's a religiosity. However you want to say it like and there ain't nothing in the Bible that tells you you have to go do this. But in Hebrews, he says when it in the when it gets closer to the end, don't forsake the gathering of the brethren.

But that can be right here in the shop because he says we're two or three are gathered there. Am I in my name? There I am in the midst of them. So you don't have to go to a big gathering of like-minded believers. But at the same time, he tells you don't forsake that gathering, right? Because you need people around you that are going to help you and you can bounce ideas off and questions and like, and they don't shame you or condemn you because you thought something different than what they've always known, you know, because then there's

offense and then that's pride and then all this stuff like dude like you're open here like you're safe here i had i had a guy in here the other day and i was asking him you know it's like what's deception look like you know we kind of went down that that topic of conversation because that's huge in our world is deception and ⁓ and i said i was talking to him about like clothing that girls wear how and like you know the shorts that show way too much

And I was like, you know, what's that do? Like, what's that do to your mind? And he was just like, like a deer in the headlights. Like, uh, I was like, brother, you're safe here. Like, it's okay. Like, I'm just asking you questions. Like this is not to like condemn you or shame you like, but at the same time, like your mind goes to places that it shouldn't go. said, and the thing about that is, is that that is a, that is, uh, that's for one, it's deception because all of a sudden now does that girl.

especially when they're young and at home and they still live at home with mommy and daddy. Like, does that girl realize what she's doing? Does that mom and dad realize what they're allowing their little girl to do? Because the Bible says if one of you would cause my children to stumble or to fall into to sin, it's better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck thrown into the sea and drowned. So if that little girl doesn't realize what she's doing, who's responsible for that? Mom and dad or the people that are raising that woman?

that young lady, that girl. Now for the women that are doing it, especially if the ones that say I'm Christian, I'm Christian, what you're doing may be no big deal to you, but in the eyes of the people who are looking at you, you can be causing them into temptation. And some people can't control that. And then all of a sudden they're in sin because they don't know how to turn that off. So, and that's why I was talking to him about it. It's just like, you can't.

You can't fault somebody for not knowing. But even for that, somebody in that. I'm guessing. Has to know that that's not the way it should be right. And that's just one example you could take, take whatever you want. Like what does deception look like? You know what I mean? Like, well, you know, I had a, remember my father-in-law went to a church one time and flip flops. And the guy said something to me was like, you, came to church and flip flops. And he's like.

And it was golden, right? Because he's got he's got some zingers and he's just like, well, if they were good enough for Jesus, they're good enough for me. And I was got him. Like, and it wasn't like I got you a moment at the same time. Like, do you think Jesus cares if you fly flip flops or barefoot? I come on like seriously like that. That's that that's that which you just talk about that going into the church and religiosity and all that kind of stuff. And man, that that don't.

I had a comeback whenever you said that I had a comeback in my head that is in no way Christ like and it's not bad, but I'm going to tell it. come on. And he said, you came in, come in and hear what your flip flops on my immediate response was come on. I know it's a good one. Well, your mama didn't mind. Now, mama, Lord is doing some work in me to get that all out.

But that's the first place that I went to. But I digress. That brought back some old school stuff. That reminds me of you could probably tell this story better than I can. But it was down there at that. Was that Royal Rangers? my gosh. That pastor. Pastor Tim, Pastor Pete, Pastor Pete. Pastor Pete, if he's still around, I think I've seen him on Facebook. Did you?

Pastor Pete's. He came to me, right? And said, or was it you? I was worried. yeah. I was wearing this Nike shirt. I'm trying to keep get my bearings together. Listen, I was wearing this Nike shirt. Mind my own business now. He came for me. So. Part of me.

Part of me doesn't pity him because he came from me. Yeah, he started it. Yeah. I you just finished it. You just put a bow on it. No, it wasn't me. He put a bow on it. So it was tag team effort. It was. I was wearing this Nike shirt and he comes up to me and is like, oh, that's a nice shirt. Would you? I used to have one like that, but you know what happened? And Ben comes off the top. He stretched it out.

He was a bigger dude. And what he had to say after that didn't even land because I was already hollering, laughing. He's like, no, I got cool. No, know, was a whack come back. You came in guns blazing. It was instant. I had your back. was. Hey, Bible says a brother's made for adversity, so that was my adversity and you came in.

It's disrespectful, but at that time it was was coming comedy for us. So, oh, give us. I know we and I know we kind of limited by time. Otherwise we could continue on and on and on. And I said we've we've had where I think this is my third time in this shop and the last month or two. And each time has been.

had extensive conversation and we can continue on ⁓ hours more, especially when we get Kristen here on the mic and get her ⁓ testimony and stuff. Man, I don't wanna cut nothing off. I know we have, like I said, time constraints. I don't know how much longer you wanna go. You got some.

I mean, we can keep going for a minute or two here. ⁓ it's, not no big deal. I do want to, ⁓ give you the opportunity. know we've, we've talked down a whole bunch of different paths and, ⁓ and wandered all over the place. So if there's any, as far as your testimony, if there's any other parts or pieces that you want to share before we wrap up, I don't want to miss anything as far as your personal testimony. ⁓ and we'll do our best not to.

distract if there's more left to give. ⁓ But we tend to have these ⁓ these fine stories that take us down other rabbit holes. Which we will not leave until we tell the one story that that you started off with. We'll make sure we get all the serious stuff out first and then we'll go to that. Well, man, honestly, just I mean, even from my own.

perspective like there has been a lot that I've lied about over the years, you know what I mean? And I think like I even talked to you guys about it and I talked to Kristen and there's one person I haven't told yet My sister Carrie, but like Amongst a million other people that I've always lied to about this certain situation in my life that ⁓

It was really unsettling for me because I, that was the one thing that I would just take to my grave. You know what I mean? And, ⁓ and I talked to a lot of people about this, topic because I've something I never wanted to admit, but I've actually had the thought and even like, I had tried to, to take it, the opportunity and it just didn't work out.

say God had different plans, ⁓ I think this would be a good opportunity for me to reach more people than just one at a time. And so ⁓

I don't remember what year it was, but my mom was married to a man. And I used to sell him weed. And ⁓ so all going over there, like. I'd be selling it and then I'd be stealing it right back from him. Stealing money out of the drawer.

I actually copped my first firearm from this man. He didn't even know it. If he did know it, he didn't say nothing. And well, I was down and out pretty bad, know? ⁓ And I had been, I had even been on.

Myth.

excuse me, amongst some other things. this was when Kristen was in college, like her and I weren't really a thing at the time. And then I had it even like, Abby had kind of wrote me off too, honestly.

which man I did that girl wrong for so long like I was even smoking. Abby forgive me if you ever watch this I do truly apologize but I was smoking meth in her bathroom when she lived down in the Waldo area with I don't even remember the girl's names the two other girls and ⁓ I'd be in the shower man and I'd be

smoking that pipe in the shower, because you know, I was always had it in my mind, like you can't smell it. If I get a get the shower hot enough, then you won't even see the smoke. You know what I mean? And so ⁓ one night, man, I was I was pretty down and out and she worked at the Hinn House pharmacy down in the Waldo.

And I had it in my mind that I was going to pull into that parking lot and I was going to use that gun on myself. And, ⁓ so I pull over, I'm in the parking lot and I try and shoot myself and the gun wouldn't go off. Hallelujah. And I was like, what the?

Like I can't even do this right. So I take off, go down this little side street, this little neighborhood, and I pop off a couple of rounds in between these two houses. I'm like, gum works. So I go back to the parking lot because I had it in my mind, like at least she would find me, she'd be able to tell everybody. And I look back, I'm like, why would I do that to her?

She did not deserve that like she didn't deserve all the other crap that I did but she sure as heck didn't deserve that You know what mean? I'm like Why would I do that? Pull back in the parking lot try it again gun won't go off And I was so mad dude I was so mad because that was even in the time that like my dad had told me you know like or told the girls and my mom like

Don't talk to him like don't answer his phone calls. Don't answer the door like that tough love kind of stuff. You know, he's just like, just, just leave him alone. He's got to figure it out, which I'm grateful for at the same time. It like it freaking wrecked me man. Cause it's like, who do I have? You know what I mean?

I felt like I had nobody. I know that's all lies, but like that's just how I felt. And you know, when you're, when you're in a place of seclusion and, ⁓ you know, all by yourself, that's exactly what Satan wants to do. He wants to keep you locked in that spot because when you're locked in that spot, he's got you right where he wants you to go and he'll torment. He'll torment the heck out of you.

So I come back up here to Cameron and I was out by Wallace State Park and I wanted to do it again.

best broad daylight. And it was in the wintertime, man. It was cold outside. And I just get out of the car and I'm like, I was so mad. just, I was like, I fricking hate you dude. Like I hated myself so bad because all the stealing, lying, cheating, you name it, dude. I was doing it I was just like, nobody fricking cares. Nobody cares. And so I'm

not mind you before that. I'll run it back a little bit because I used to work at a cemetery down in KCK right off of 18th and right down the street from Quindaro. So I had made a couple connections down there. I used to go down there and get weed and sit in this dude's house and just smoke out. I actually took two people down there that I never should have took down there. But I did. I took a couple of people down there and ⁓

I actually talked to one of them here a few weeks ago and just came clean with him and told him, you know what I was doing. And it's amazing when you share your testimony about trying to, you know, take your life. Other people that can share the same testimony, not the same, but like he too has had that moment that the Lord saved him from. Anyways, so I get out of my car and I'm just like, I'm like.

crying out. wasn't crying out to God in the moment. I was just like, I was bawling, dude. I was freaking miserable. And I was like, I hate you. I hate everything about you. And I'm visualizing myself sitting in the car. And I shoot it. I walk around to the driver's side door and I shoot into the door three times. And then I walk around to the back and I shoot out the back glass. And I'm just like.

what the heck did I just do because the back glass said I was like

you're the dumbest person I've ever met in my life. Like, what did you just, like, dude, it was bad, And so in my mind, I'm like,

can't tell anybody that I tried to kill myself. I will never tell a soul that. It sounds better for me to make up a story because I was spending time down in a place I shouldn't have been. It sounds better to me to make up a story that I got shot at because of the color of my skin. Because some dude hated me down there. Which I mean, there could have been, I don't know. But that was just a bold face lie.

And so I instead I told everybody that I got shot at. And so one day we had this guest speaker come in. Her name was Maddie Ray. And she was talking. She's like she didn't necessarily say about lies, but she's like God already knows everything there is to know about you. You know, like you there's nothing that he doesn't know that that he won't forgive you of this and that. And it like it it really hit me because I'm just like, ⁓ because.

at your dad's when I walked in and I seen you guys standing there with Joe and Garrett and I'm just like, this is like, I was just, that was beautiful to me. I mean, under the circumstances wasn't so wonderful, you know, but it's just like, I didn't even think anything about it. And then you said something about it and dude, it just like,

freaking hurt man. I get hurt bad. Cause I had just listened to her and then I see you or I think it was you first and then I listened to her like, and I'm like, I'm in line to these guys. call my friends for 20 plus years about something that never even happened, but I could never tell them that I was going to do that because

I got I'm for real like I said at the beginning like you guys were some of the only ones that I ever knew that had a relationship with the Lord that there was something different about you guys that Was intriguing to me that drew me to you, but I didn't know how to communicate that you know what I mean It's just like I didn't know how to I didn't know and I'm not making excuses for my actions. I just I didn't I didn't know

But it hurt, man, like.

still like and then when Maddie Ray said that she was like he already knows everything there is to know about you like there's nothing that will separate you but then that but then it was almost like as she's saying that this other thought comes in is like what are you gonna do when I show up and you're still lying and I was like well it probably adds insult to injury too because I'm

I don't remember exactly what our conversation was, but I remember it was along the lines of, man, what a blessing, you know, that just where you're at, you know, I was excited, like T-Phil, you're doing it. Like you came all the way from, and then I mentioned that story. You came from getting your car shot up and now you're living for Christ. And so it was like, probably felt like a slap in the face because it was like,

He was dealing with. I'm excited about your testimony that's in my head. But there's some some falsehood to that testimony that's in my head, so he's like probably much the more just starting to deal with you. It was. It was heavy. It was man and I. I don't remember exactly how much longer or how.

how far along after that I told Kristen because it was really eating me up. I just like, I gotta tell you something. She was like, oh crap, you know? I can't do this right now. And I'm like, it's nothing like that, you know? Because anytime I ever told her that, was, it wasn't pretty, you know what I mean? It was bad. It was always really bad. And that woman is a saint for putting up with me as long as she has to.

But anyways, ⁓ and so I told her and she was just like, hallelujah. And I was like, what? It's just like, doesn't that feel good? you know, like, no, it doesn't. I'm like, yes, but no, I've been lying to everybody for so long. Like people that I love, I'm lying to like, no, this does not feel good. And she's like.

Okay. You know, like, cause in her mind, she's like, I already know, you know, like what he's doing to you. And I knew it too. I could feel it. But at the same time, like, you know, it's like that, that shame and that guilt come in. Cause it's like, you, you're just still just a huge piece of, you know, but at the same time, like the Lord was like, you have to tell people the truth. Like if I show up today and you're still lying to people, like, what do you want me to do?

Like, he forgive me? Yes, he can forgive me, but at the same time...

I'm saying like, tell me the truth. Tell me the truth. Don't ever lie to me. Don't ever lie to me. And I'm freaking lying to people like not actively. It's an old lie, but it's still a lie. Right. You know, and it's just like. So, yeah, man, like that, that was probably one of the biggest things of this whole walk that I never ever would have told a soul about. Until that day.

And so I want to say thank you, especially to you guys for listening to me like. Be able to come clean with that and then like to all the people that I've lied to about it like. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say.

hated that I lied to so many people and I just asked for your forgiveness. I've repented of those things and I know the Lord forgives me and one day I pray that if you can't forgive me, I understand, but that's between you and him. ⁓ Amen. You did your part. You came clean and came honest to ⁓ really knowing what I've No one would have been the wiser.

no one would have suspected, hey, this dude's lying, or nothing like that. You could have gotten away with it, and you felt convicted within your spirit enough to be like, I can't let this ride. And man, that's admirable. ⁓ To God be the glory for ⁓ even ⁓ putting that desire to want to make that right in your heart, even when you got away with it. You had nothing to worry about. I got away with the crime, cool.

but you were still open and humble enough to say I made a mistake, to admit to people that it didn't affect them at all. That information didn't hurt me, it hurt him, but because you felt like, man, I can't let this lie ride.

I appreciate that man. And when you first told me about it, I know being gone in the military, didn't hear about this story. So I didn't know about it. So whenever, you know, I think he was talking with a bin, like, what's he about? And then after hearing it, like, wow, this is, ⁓ I'm so amazed that number one, that God's desire for you stopped your plans. Amen.

and that you were, like said, humble enough and willing enough to be like, look, this is what really happened. And man, I'm just grateful to God that you were willing to go the extra mile to correct the wrong that, like I said, you could have gotten away with. And...

I'm sure that that people that are hearing this That's gonna be such ⁓ a blessing to them to let them know. Hey, know I've been living with something and holding on for so long When the Bible says the Sun sets free is free indeed now you are free indeed No, when you expose expose the truth ain't nothing the enemy can do about it. you got to remember a lie No more you free from that. I just think the Lord that he stops bullets

Yes. the natural sense, like, what?

Sometimes my mind always resorts back to math for whatever reason. And I shared a little bit of that with just asking Chad GPT, what are the possibilities of the rainbow situation? like, what is the possibility? What is the probability I should say that the gun jams or doesn't fire? Then you drive down the street and it fires two times. Then you come back and it won't fire.

That the probability of that is God. That's that's what the probability of that is. Dude, I've pulled the trigger on many different guns in my lifetime and I've never. Never had one not go off.

I was down at a shooting range, you know, cause I'm on the security team out at the church. And so we have to go through these little drills and stuff to be, make sure you know how to handle and can shoot this and that. And I tried this little gun that my dad had had while he gave it to me after he passed away. Well, not after, but he told me it was mine. You know what I mean? But anyways, um,

But the ammo in that was so old that when you pull the trigger, it wouldn't fire. I think the gunpowder was bad or whatever, the primers. But other than that, I've never had one not go off. So to think about that, and then to see where I'm at today, like...

Proverbs 69 the mind of man plans his way but the Lord directs the steps like I am here today because he has asked me to do something that I would have never have imagined me doing in my own or on my own accord in my own will and to think that he went through what he went through

And I'm gonna sit here and proclaim his name, yet living up with a lie that I've told so many. And like you said, it may not have affected anybody else but me, but it was enough for me to be like, I am lying to people about this stuff. And I preach to my children, do not lie to me, do not lie to me, do not lie to me. And here I am still telling a lie. And it's just like.

You know that those thoughts come in like, why Tracy like, why are you doing this? Why? And it's just like, because it was shame. I didn't want to tell nobody that. I didn't want to tell nobody. I don't want to tell my mom that I was stealing from her, her husband and all the things like he even passed away. I didn't get a chance to apologize to him or, or tell him and like,

My dad passed away, I didn't get a chance to tell him the truth, so it's like, like all these people I've been lying to and I even told Bigford about it here, dude, I was balling that day, I told him and he was just like, dude, he knows now.

most amazing part of that and I'm just paraphrasing what I'm hearing from your story but seemingly you were at your messiest, filthiest point in life. One of them. And God stopped two bullets even at your filthiest point in life to keep you.

mean, earlier we were talking about him dying for all of us, right? It's like, we don't deserve any of it, but it's the unfailing love that doesn't come from anywhere else. So.

I don't know what else to say about it, I think we do. If you got any more to share, please do so. But if not, we can transition to a little, little lighter side of things. Also with the firearm involved. Nonetheless, a lighter side to kind of wrap it up.

Okay, now this would be a collective effort for the story. But first, before we do that, hey, y'all looking for a haircut? and Cameron, come on down to Philly's Barbershop. Man, I'm telling you, it's a great atmosphere. We want to continue to support this brother, our brother. love him. We thank God for what he's doing, how he has surrendered his business to the Lord. And we want to make sure that thing continues and is successful for years to come.

Um, that being said, what grade were we in? were in, we weren't in high school yet. We were in high school. I'd be eighth grade summer. it? Yeah. I know it was the summertime. Okay. Now first, um, we're not putting any, any names of folks into this. Um, this is just for those of you that watch, if you put two and two together and you were on the wrong side of this,

We're sorry. Well, I already done told April, so we apologize. Yes, this was after eighth grade. Yeah. Yeah. We were. It was all high street. Like on in this little town, man, there ain't a whole lot to do. But one thing that happened in summer times, everybody would always be up around either the basketball courts or the baseball fields. And. ⁓

Me and Ben walked up to Tracy's house. He lived like a block away from the baseball fields. And we wouldn't, we didn't have a whole lot to do. And so we just walked up, let's go to Tracy's house, went over to his house and just kicking it for a little bit. And uh.

Tracy had a rifle BB gun. The kind where you move the stock in and compress the air and get some power in it. Pump it to compress it. Pump it, yeah. I'm not going to name whose idea it was, I don't even know whose idea it was. I it was mine. I don't remember either. We went to the back of his house. I'll take it.

We're to the back of his house and pointed the BB gun around the corner of his house to where we could where we could see cars. There was a stop sign. We start out shooting signs. I think so. So shooting that stop sign or something. And we were just shooting, shooting stop signs, shooting lights or whatever. And then we had the fantastic idea just to.

Hey, when the car is at the stop sign, shoot the car with a BB. And we were doing that and no harm, no foul. Yeah, my car with a BB and see how much no harm, no foul, whatever. But we were doing it. And there was a there was a while there was a lull in traffic. Gave us plenty of time to pump while while we were sitting there waiting.

One of the three of us now, I'm not going to say who did what. If the individual who does this wants to speak up, that's on them. But I'm going to say one of us was pumping the gun while we were waiting for a car to come to the stop sign. And we had it timed out to where it had a a scope on there to where as soon as you see the car in the scope, that's when you shoot it. And then it would hit the it would hit the car.

⁓ perfect timing and hit the car as you see as it passed while waiting for another car. I said you're pumping the gun and this thing had a bunch of pressure behind it. It's amazing. didn't blow the seals. ⁓ Well, while we're waiting, we see a car coming down the road. All right, there's a car coming.

And the person had the gun. it was a car belonging to someone who was upperclassmen. I think they had already, they hadn't graduated yet, because if we were in summer after eighth grade, they would have been about to start their senior year. It was the same grade as my brother. So their car came into the literal crosshairs. ⁓

Yeah, BB guns go. Yeah, trigger was pulled and all you hear was

Thank God there was everybody in the backseat. Thankfully. Then we scattered like cockroaches. We ran, although we were in a perfect spot where you couldn't be seen. We freaked out and started running, ran in the house and then tried to look through the blinds and knocked the blinds down.

We like man we ain't coming out this house we he stayed in the house overnight And then whenever we got up and was walking home. We looked in the street. There's glass all in the street We were uh Didn't know who the person was but later on I think it was a later on in the school year Tracy talked to uh Chris's sister who I feel like we were putting names to it

I already told her, I've already done told her like I came clean a long time ago. You're probably free to share the name at this point. In fact, it's like I said, it's beyond the statute of limitations. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm just thankful, like because it was it, the girl, the passenger in the front seat happens to be my sister in law now. And I told her because it was her boyfriend's car at the time and I won't name his name necessarily. But so you got the other side of the story. Yeah.

So what was it like being in there? What did they think? just happened. They didn't have any idea. They're like, what just happened to the window? Like they didn't hear it because you know, you can't hear it. Bebe. Right. It has no report. And so it's like, they're just like, well, the window just broke. Like what, what just happened? And like there's glass all over the place. And that's all my, nobody was in the back seat. It was just those two in the lower and And I don't know if she told me if like,

They thought maybe somebody threw a rock or something like that. I don't know if they ever seen the BB, you know, in the car, if they ever found the BB in the car, but like that BB traveled to the moon, man. We pumped that gun to that thing. It's probably a good five to seven minutes of pumping. Yeah, dude. Uninterrupted, just waiting on a car. I think we like, we were just talking and it was just being pumped and not even real. Here's another car. This is a cautionary tale. We do not encourage any young folks to be

doing.

None of this stuff. This is just more testimony to the grace of God. Are we going to talk about the basement in a carpentry class? Which one? There's so many doggone things from getting somebody to punch through the ⁓ board to what? 22 shells. I don't remember this. You all don't remember that. So up in the Eagles, Eagles landing Willowbrook. That's where we built the house, wasn't it?

Yeah, well, we built one. We built two in Eagles Landing. Was this the year that we were in it? I think so. But then there was one also over in Willowbrook. Was you guys not in that one? don't think I did that one. I think I only did Eagles Landing. OK, well, Spicer was there. Yeah, I wasn't in. I think Stoodle was in there, too, but we were taking 22 shells. don't know where we got the 22 shells, but we're down in the basement. We got a pair of pliers. Holding a 22 shell.

and we take a hammer and smack this 22 at a concrete wall. What in the world? I'm like, Mr. Vaughn is going to kill us if he sees us doing this, man. We did it like three or four times. And I'm thinking in the wall of the house that we're building. Yeah. Wow. I'm like, how did that thing not ricochet? Right. That's it. one first, though, because you're just holding it like this. Like there's no gun. There's no rifle. There's no two or you just.

Yeah, Sorry. Parents, make sure your kids got some sense. Right. And some extracurricular activities. ⁓ Busy. Yeah. What you end up? Not cell phones. Not laptops. Not iPads. Not BB guns and bushes.

I heard they have BB guns anymore. yeah, they do. They got these break barrel ones now, man, that they put out some power. They shoot pellets though. They'll kill coyotes. Crazy. Things we do in small towns. But anyway, Ben, we just want to thank God for allowing our brother to be the joy of the today, Like I said, this probably not be a first time, like to keep you on.

Be a regular guest, ⁓ break down some things in the Word, man, just kick it with us and chop it up from time to time. And man, we truly enjoyed just speaking with you and hearing what God has done for you. I'm sure that I'm positive. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that so many people are going to be blessed by hearing what God's done for you and where he's brought you from and where you are now. Man, I just look forward to the... ⁓

Remarks, mean that we've got plenty of good feedback from people seeing the first video and that was just us yapping This with with a purpose and I'm sure The vast majority of everyone's gonna be like man. I gotta hear more so and I'm Grateful and look forward to what's down the road and man, I just appreciate you appreciate your wife for you know letting you do us and look forward to

whenever we speak with her and man, we love you bro and always enjoy spending time and talking in the shop here. ⁓ Yes, same sentiments man. ⁓ Your testimony is crazy powerful and I'm just thankful that you're willing to share it. ⁓ I know it's gonna affect people in a number of different ways and. ⁓

I mean, you know better than anybody. There's a reason that God stopped those bullets. There's a reason that those young men were praying with you at that high school dance. There's a reason for all of it. And so I'm excited to see the full scale of what is that reason. Because I don't think you've seen anything yet of how he's going to use you. I just haven't seen, ears haven't heard. Whatever, enter into the hearts of men with

God has a store for his people, He was talking about you. This is the tip of the iceberg, man. God has purpose for you. And I'm happy and excited to see when it comes to completion of what it is, man, he's been putting piece after piece together for you. And I feel like this is ⁓ legos when you have pieces of stuff and it builds up into something greater.

And I feel like this is just the base. This is just the groundwork of what God has in store for you, And I'm glad that, number one, that you were here to see it, to live it out. And then I'll be more excited all the more just to see where it goes from here. Well, I just want to say thank you guys. Honestly, I'm honored that you even thought of me or even asked me to do it.

I'd be honored to do it again. Like if you guys ever want me to or just like you said, just to chop it up or, you know, speak about the word and just to try and sharpen each other, man, like it's been it's been a blessing for me even just to to reconnect. You know what I mean? So sure. I'm grateful. love you guys. Like I always have. And yeah, like this is wonderful. I love what you guys are doing. We love you, too. Amen. To God be the glory. We love you, Amen. Amen. So

Because it all concludes another episode. ⁓ No, stay for the greens. And we're gonna do our, the cadence in which we did that ⁓ thing at Jesus Chapman? I don't remember the cadence. Do you? I got an elephant's memory.

Yeah, that's why I depend on you for everything. When it comes to like deep memory, I'm referring to you. Let me call Marcus. Yeah. And anyone who's watching from Jesus Chapel, Life Tabernacle air, you already know what we did after Sunday school in between Sunday school and morning worship. Whenever we got out of there, all the kids came up to the front.

And we say this Bible verse, this is probably how I know the verse, not by reading it, but just by reciting it every week. I think I do remember the cadence that you say that. That's right. All right. Study to show ourselves approve unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Second Timothy, second chapter, 15th verse. God bless you. All right, then, fuck. We'll see you. Amen. That was good.