record_id: 310f8b3e-f83d-81cd-b82d-e499fe5c77c4
created_time: 2026-02-23T06:59:00.000Z
title: 02-22 Community Gathering: Church Life, Family Care, and Youth Logistics
source_url: /

[TRANSCRIPTION]
Speaker 1 00:00:41
How's it going? Ooh, it's chilly in here. We can shut the door and turn on the thermostat and everything. So about sixty- eight. Are we able to adjust it? Think so. Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 00:00:56
I'll just see if that water thing is fixed. Oh, okay. Wasn't it working earlier when you tried it? It like was very weak.
Speaker 3 00:01:04
Oh, okay. My guess is it's not fixed.
Speaker 1 00:01:15
I should probably wait, but it looks like we can. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:01:19
Oh, nice. Okay. Oh, it's for like seventy something? Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:01:28
So I'll wait till we close the door.
Speaker 3 00:01:30
Yeah. So did uh when you guys met last week, did Emma and George say that they were going to make it?
Speaker 4 00:01:40
Today? For today? Yeah. Um.
Speaker 1 00:01:44
I was passing out bulletins for second service and I saw Emma going, and I was like," Are you guys coming?" Oh,
Speaker 3 00:01:50
Okay. I figured you must have known because I was like," You didn't mention that." Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:01:56
They're out. No. Um. no. Yeah, I ran into her and she's. So she cracked a rib? She's. I'm like how'd you do it? And she's like oh.
Speaker 3 00:02:07
How do you just not know how you cracked your ribs?
Speaker 1 00:02:10
Right. So, I mean'cause i cracked a rib once, And I know exactly how I did it. Yeah, you know,
Speaker 3 00:02:17
And she knows that that's what.
Speaker 1 00:02:18
Yeah, She says they she ended up one night, and she was in so much pain that they went to the E R. And like yeah, you cracked your ribs. So and she's moving like, she's got a cracked rib. She's like it's so painful. Like oh yeah.
Speaker 3 00:02:32
That just seems like there is something you are not saying like why are you, but like how do you? Um Emma, like how do you crack your rib and not know how? So, but. 
Speaker 1 00:02:46
She said," Yeah, she's like one night. It was just like so bad." And I was with George, and he's just like," Let's go! Let's go!" Yeah. Soum.
Speaker 3 00:02:57
Maybe she'll like remember something.
Speaker 1 00:03:00
Yeah. Um, yeah, so she's got that she's like, honestly, it was hard for me to make it to church today. Uh, huh. Andum and then George has somebody that has. Birthday, something like that. So she's like," I think it's just us to count ourselves today." Yeah, okay. Well then, I better do a temperature check on you.
Speaker 2 00:03:22
Oh, this they texted you like separately or something?
Speaker 1 00:03:25
No, I saw her. I was doing bulletins this morning, and I saw her like Oh oh, You could go here." Yeah know yeah,
Speaker 3 00:03:34
I've seen her leaving first.
Speaker 1 00:03:36
Yeah, What's always weird. So like even like Like I handed McKenna a bulletin today and I am like How's it go?" And she's like," Good," and she keeps on walking. I was like," Yeah, I am kidding." You know, of course, I am always like i am always had it up by the time i you know, come here. Well, It's like every every Sunday my my middle is like, hey, can you play soccer tennis?
Speaker 2 00:03:59
Soccer tennis? Yeah. Is that where like you have a soccer ball, and you are kicking it up against the wall or something?
Speaker 1 00:04:04
It's like or you are kicking it over a net. You essentially have a net;. It's like you play tennis, but with a soccer ball. And so. Yeah, and any, any soccer player would like, you know. Oh yeah, it's like.
Speaker 2 00:04:21
I've seen soccer. It's like a good practice or something. I've seen like I don't know what it's called like soccer, ping pong or something like that, where people are heading a ball back and forth on a ping pong table. The ping pong feels like warts. 
Speaker 1 00:04:33
Yeah Yeah So I mean, some of these guys are like they do kicks from here to there down, slamming it, slamming the ball into the oh.
Speaker 3 00:04:43
Like are they jumping up and kicking it down?
Speaker 1 00:04:45
Sometimes they will, but like, you know, uh if you, You know not that you want to enter this into your feed, but You know like But I mean Ashley Ann sent me a couple things on like Instagram. And it's like yeah these kids are amazing. You knowum But, if you get if you get a bunch of soccer players together, You know next thing, you know, you'll end up with some sort of juggling game that they're all You know. Um.
Speaker 1 00:05:13
Yeah, so I am always like," I quick shower," then I ran up to you know. So I think that's why she didn't recognize me this morning.
Speaker 2 00:05:22
One of my sisters was inum club soccer growing up, but then just life happened; she lost interest and stuff. But like when she was really into it, it was always like any chance like Hey Ted, do you want to go juggle the soccer ball outside?" That kind of thing.
Speaker 1 00:05:41
Mhm yeah, Yeah, and if you got plenty of room, it's like, let's just send them all back. You know. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:05:58
I'm sure I've kicked a soccer ball, but like never played. Except it was a church event that I think was a soccer game. Right, and I wanna say I was out there. Like I stood out there.
Speaker 2 00:06:16
Like you're talking about, with me in the picture or what?
Speaker 3 00:06:18
Yeah. In Calgary, there was some park day for like a holiday. And I think there was a soccer game, possibly and I stood out there, but I don't think I ever touched the ball. It. 
Speaker 2 00:06:36
Used to be one of the it used to be this Sunday that I always looked forward to. We used to have likeum our church that we attended before coming here. It was like the first Sunday of each month was called Soccer Sunday, And whoever wanted to would show up to like a nearby soccer field after church, and we would play. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 3 00:06:56
That's why I was asking him. Some people were more serious. 
Speaker 1 00:06:60
And some people were just like yeah. What was at church today? She came to church when it was my car seat at the church.
Speaker 1 00:07:12
I was in a college group at Eastern Street. She doesn't even know. I know how do you not know? One day, so they have the auditorium and then they have a basketball gym next door. And one day, one of the guys is like, "That's weird." Yeah, interesting. With, our students were just like we'll turn into like where we got twenty nine. So that's like nineteen and a church, you know? One day it's like some guy hits me up years later. Like I, you had a church. It was either that or just some kind of like the local around strangers. And we can go play. I am like, "What church?" Like you could play in my church. I started that program. That still goes? Still is happening to this day? No, They stopped them like a couple years ago, and it went away for a long time.
Speaker 1 00:08:03
A Couple years ago,
Speaker 3 00:08:04
I was injured and I figured just kind of go easy on it. And you don't remember doing anything? No, I know how I did it. I was doing. 
Speaker 3 00:08:15
That. It was like a health hit immediately. I was like," Oh,
Speaker 3 00:08:26
That Hurts." It was something with my ribs. I don't know, but it wasn't broken.
Speaker 3 00:08:38
I Cracked it once.
Speaker 1 00:08:39
Uh, snowboarding. Okay. And went with a buddy of mine, and he says," Hey, let's go to the park." And I said," Look." I am not a quitter. But when it comes to the park, I am a quitter. I don't do the park. But if you want to go, I will watch you. He's like okay. So I go on the bypass lane and he's doing a great job. And next thing I know am like. My board is not on the snow anymore. And I look down and, you know, I just hit like a little lip.
Speaker 4 00:09:12
Oh. And I had,
Speaker 1 00:09:14
I was so the mountains this way and my board is and my board is now this way. I am like, well, that's going to hurt you know. And then they just oh no, it was like the most miserable night of my life. Oh, man. And then I caught a cold. Oh no no no and you are like stuck in Utah? And I remember, like sneezing. And I am like a big sneezer, right? Like when I sneeze, it's like you know. And I go "ah," and then and I can hear my assistant in the other room, you know, like "shut up." I can hear you. Oh, she loved every minute of it. You know, think about time. No, she was look they're coming over She's coming over old. Uh you know like a couple weeks. So it's like it was one of those.
Speaker 1 00:10:04
Relationships where it's like, you know, okay, you can laugh. You're allowed. You know. But so she's get I saw Emma this morning. She was like I could barely get through it.
Speaker 3 00:10:16
So And that takes a long time to heal, right? There's like nothing you can do Nothing.
Speaker 1 00:10:24
You can do just wait it out. Yeah takes I mean It's, you know, the pain gets less and less to that I don't remember how long?
Speaker 1 00:10:34
Just making it up. Mhm. Gotcha. Ash should be here soon. My dad's in town, and so, um. We've been. we're getting rocked by my uncle passed away. He'd had cancer for years. It's kind of one of those situations I feel bad saying it, But I'll just give you the easy digest version of it like he'd kind of like. And he's one of those guys that just takes and takes and takes, and so you know, um. There was one person that you know, I mean my my grandma, right um because he was taking care of my grandma. So my grandma now lives with my dad in South Carolina. But it ended up being a good service. But the hardest thing, my brother did the uh did the service, And the hardest thing was like, what do you say about the guy that nobody really liked You know? Yeah. Um.
Speaker 1 00:11:33
So that was different, you know. So my dad's in town for that.
Speaker 4 00:11:39
Hello. Hi.
Speaker 1 00:11:42
We got another funeral next weekend. Oh no. Yeah, my best friend's dad passed away. Oh, that's right, you've done like three funerals now? Yeah, yeah, three funerals in like a month, right? Almost a month from now?
Speaker 5 00:11:52
Yeah You guys don't mind if I wouldn't eat in front of you? Never? This time? No Yeah All the time Every time pretty much. 
Speaker 5 00:12:01
Thank you.
Speaker 1 00:12:03
Not at all. We've just been. Sweet. You know, going, going, going.
Speaker 5 00:12:14
What are you guys up to? We haven't seen you in a while. Yeah, we've been out for a while now. So. I feel like this is the first day that I've dressed for in a very long time. That's good.
Speaker 3 00:12:23
Weekend and I was moving and I see. I was like hoping I would have it done in one day on Saturday. 
Speaker 6 00:12:31
When you showed the pictures, I was like, one day that was impressive that you were. Yeah. Yeah. It would have taken me a week. It was Saturday,
Speaker 3 00:12:39
Sunday and Monday it ended up taking me, but I think on Monday I had just a little bit left to do most of it on Saturday and Sunday. So I'm glad that at least Monday was like a little bit, and then I was ready for work the next day. So all right. But I just wanted to spend all the time I could to like just make sure I got it done Oh yeah. Sorry if it smells,
Speaker 5 00:13:00
Guys. Kind of has a weird smell. Um, all the clientele and everything moved from Orange then to your new location?
Speaker 3 00:13:10
Um, I think majority, yeah. There is going to be a little bit that drops off, But I have already had like I've been in there for one week. And I've already been having all these new people want to come now because of the new location.
Speaker 5 00:13:24
So where are you located then? So. 
Speaker 6 00:13:32
Um, It's on the corner.
Speaker 2 00:13:33
It's like a very small private looking business. 
Speaker 6 00:13:37
Complex. Oh,
Speaker 2 00:13:38
It's the fire station right. 
Speaker 3 00:13:40
Next to the fire station.
Speaker 5 00:13:41
Oh, okay. Is there like a podiatrist? Happy happy hour? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 00:13:46
Okay, what is it again? El Dorado High School? El Dorado High School? Yes, it's right across from El Dorado High School.
Speaker 1 00:13:52
Yeah, our kids practice there all the time or we're there all the time.
Speaker 3 00:13:54
So I'm just in that. It's like medical offices, and then there is some salons. Yeah,
Speaker 5 00:14:03
That's great. I saw somebody who was like a masseuse there a couple of times, but I stopped going to her. But my podiatrist is there and I like him a lot.
Speaker 3 00:14:13
That's a good. Yeah. It's a good area. Yeah. It's nice. It feels like safe. The spot i was at in orange, felt like a little sketchy to me. So this feels just nicer and the street crews are here. And like three minutes from our house, so that's nice. Yeah, that's great. It's so nice. I was thinking when it's nice weather, I might want to ride my bike or something. Yeah, a little too far to walk. I wish it was walking distance. That'd be great. I used to walk to work when we lived in Huntington and I worked downtown, butum if I could hop on my bike, that would be fun for a little exercise too.
Speaker 5 00:14:50
Are you with in a salon with other other people or just independent?
Speaker 6 00:14:55
It's just my own space. Oh, wow. Well, That's nice, too, because now you're close enough to go home like in between flights. If you have a couple hours off or something. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:15:02
If I have a break like a gap, yes, That is one of the huge perks of being that close. Because if I'm far sometimes I'll have a gap and it's like not quite long enough to go home and come back. So I have to like figure out how to fill that time and I'll just usually do errands and stuff, but to be able to go home yeah, and like have lunch at home or get things done around the house. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:15:24
Is there a benefit to having, To being kind of like independent and on your own versus in a group where you can do walk ins like.
Speaker 3 00:15:33
Um, I don't need walk ins. Like I just have a really established client base when I do like all my own marketing. And so. When I was very first starting out, I depended on walk ins more or like call ins and stuff. Okay, be like same day people wanting to get in but. I don't,
Speaker 5 00:15:53
But this isn't no. I mean, I am sorry, I am not trying to.
Speaker 6 00:15:56
No, that's okay. I just assume, but like renting a chair is super expensive right to rent a salon. It's, i i mean it, i i am actually like saving money right now versus renting and somebody who owns their own salon, and you have to rent a place from them.
Speaker 3 00:16:14
I mean, I think it just like depends on your location, because if you are part time uh station rental like it might be less than. What I'm paying now, but for full time, it's like comparable. Okay. Um. But, like I'm saving money with this new space than where I was before, and it's so different. I have my own space before too. I just was in Orange and I had my own space in Huntington. I've just been like trying to migrate closer to home. So um yeah, It's amazing having full control because having I've had my own business for a long time renting stations at salons, but.
Speaker 3 00:16:51
It's just someone else owns the products, But I was still able to make my own schedule and do everything how I wanted to. Um, except for just like how it's decorated and the products you are using, And there might be things they want you to like come to meetings or just stuff like that, where I don't have to do any of that.
Speaker 5 00:17:12
Right, you are on your own. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:17:14
Yeah. So it's amazing. It's just so nice to be like fully yeah. I just had a landlord right rent, The space, okay. So,
Speaker 5 00:17:23
Did you draw this game. 
Speaker 3 00:17:25
Theum the mural? Yeah, I painted it.
Speaker 5 00:17:28
Oh, beautiful! I was going to ask you that, But I didn't want to like So.
Speaker 3 00:17:32
I I think I told you guys that I paint like remember i showed you that painting, right? So i've painted canvases a bunch, but i've never done a large scale like mural like yeah, but that one that i did is just the my inspiration, like i was like copying something that i saw, and it just looked. So. So easy, like so simple. Was it? You know, I was like," Oh, this will be so easy," but it wasn't as easy as I thought. That's funny. It was a learning experience. It was just like the colors and with ball paint is so much different than just like acrylic paint. So it was he would he saw me getting all frustrated,
Speaker 2 00:18:12
Because I am not artistic at all. And so she would like show me pictures on my oh, that looks cool. I was like, I'm not done.
Speaker 3 00:18:17
I don't think it's done. Yeah, I was like, it needs tweaking and it needs adjustment. And so I finally was able to get it to where I was happy with it. But yeah, I almost gave up.
Speaker 5 00:18:29
Well, looks good. It looks like wallpaper. It looks really nice. Thank, you So your intention would be to have wallpaper, but something that looks kind of like commercialized, but also like professional?
Speaker 3 00:18:39
Yeah Thank you Yeah, sure Yeah, I have a new respect for muralists. 
Speaker 5 00:18:45
How Long did it take you to do.
Speaker 3 00:18:47
Um. I wasn't really like keeping track, But I worked on it over the span of like three or four days for chunks of like hours at a time, but I don't know how many hours. Do you know? Like no. Like I don't know, like six hours eight hours, like some I don't know. So, I just know I would go and I would spend like a few hours, and then I would come back and then spend a few more hours.
Speaker 3 00:19:16
I did it over like a few days.
Speaker 5 00:19:18
Were you able to meet the demand of your clientele while you were kind of shut down or in between?
Speaker 3 00:19:22
I was just using all of the free time I had, which is why like I was saying, I just haven't had a like day to just rest in a very long time. So it was really nice to take one today. Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:19:33
She would like work. She was working orange and like if she had a shorter day of working orange, She would then spend the extra time. Yeah, yeah, oh,
Speaker 3 00:19:43
Gosh, yeah, or like at the weekends. When I'm off, I was in there like sitting up furniture and stuff like that. And then right before that, we had my brother's memorial. How. 
Speaker 3 00:19:56
Was it local It was in Marietta. Yeah, So my mom, she lives out in Canyon Lake, and she goes to church in Marietta, so they had it at her church. Um, So I was like helping her with a lot. And I did like florals for that. And I was just helping with. Whatever, yeah,
Speaker 5 00:20:17
Like food,
Speaker 3 00:20:17
And I was like writing a speech andum. But it it turned out really really good. It was beautiful and really happy with how it all came together. So good to have it done too, because it was like something that needed to.
Speaker 5 00:20:33
Did a lot of family come into town during that time?
Speaker 3 00:20:35
And yeah,
Speaker 5 00:20:36
It's like a reunion. The odd thing, yeah, because it turns into a reunion so you are kind of like Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:20:45
Nice having everybody together. So, I agree it was a really big turnout. Like, I think my mom said that seventy five RSVP'd, but that was like who all came to the lunch after. So, there was even more at the actual service, like maybe a hundred or one hundred and something. I don't know.
Speaker 5 00:21:04
Wasum Was Tyler local? Like he lived in Costa Mesa? Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 00:21:08
Yeah yeah So That's good. That's good that people kind of had like a place to go. And.
Speaker 5 00:21:15
Celebrate his life, you know.
Speaker 3 00:21:16
Yeah, so it was good. Yeah, it was very good. And my all my Tennessee family came into town and hung out with us. But yeah, that took over my life. And then moving the suite. And then before that it was like holidays. And then we had some travel things. And so I just feel like since before the holidays, I've been like nonstop and I am like a weekend, you know?
Speaker 5 00:21:39
I told Braidam like we're gonna lose. We're gonna lose. Taylor to softball Like. We're gonna like. He's like, right, right. We're like,
Speaker 1 00:21:49
We were joking last week. It's like every time she's like," Yeah, you know," I just don't feel like it.
Speaker 5 00:21:53
He's like," You rest." You guys, I'll be there in a little bit. I'm gonna go do softball. I'm gonna go do softball. And Braden was like," It's kind of low attendance." I'm like," I think it's just going to be the three couples." I think we should do it because we haven't seen Tara and Taylor in a long time. And if they're in, then we should just.
Speaker 3 00:22:11
So you guys came for us? Kind of,
Speaker 5 00:22:14
Well, we did. I don't, I mean, I think that that would be too.
Speaker 6 00:22:17
We haven't been in a couple weeks either. So yeah, where have you guys been? And we dismissed last week was last week though. Yeah, There was we went to Arrowhead for the games because we had a three day weekend for school. And so two of the girls went to camp in January. No yours are old enough to. 
Speaker 5 00:22:34
Go to camp. Our oldest went to camp, but not our like fifty six.
Speaker 6 00:22:38
Okay. So our oldest and our youngest went to winter camp with RCC. Okay, the middle one didn't want to go. And so. So we took her and her friend. There was not it snowed that day that we came home. They left early. We they left early that morning knowing it was coming. We left the same day because Arrowhead's just slightly above where they were, so yeah,
Speaker 5 00:22:58
The kids came down early from camp, and I was working that day, and my best friend's whose son was also there. She was like," Do you know the kids are back?" Like no,
Speaker 2 00:23:07
Like the whole like youth or just your kids?
Speaker 6 00:23:09
No, Like the whole camp knew it was going to snap when they were on these buses. So I looked at my kids'location and my daughter's phone had died, and I was like," Great." So I text one of her friends and was like," Are you guys on your way home already?" She's like," Yeah, we should be home in like fifteen minutes." And I am like," Oh," we're still here. Yeah. Luckily, they drove a car here because we were at work even the day they left. But my youngest is one who would be a little like wait. You are not home when we're home."
Speaker 2 00:23:33
Does RTC use shuttles or buses with all the youth? Altogether, or is it like just individual cars So,
Speaker 5 00:23:41
They used to do individual cars because there wasn't enough kids. But now that there's so many kids, they'll do a bus route fifty six I think does independent does like cars. Like for the like it's like fifth grade and sixth grade. But once you get to high school and middle school, they'll get a bus. But, they got so many kids last minute that wanted to go that they ended up calling four other families. Oh did they? Drive up. Oh,
Speaker 6 00:24:07
I didn't see that email last minute. 
Speaker 5 00:24:08
Because they didn't have enough space. Yeah, soum, yeah. Because it was seventeen plus it was a lot more chaotic before. I am glad that they have a bus now, But it was really chaotic because they would like call us like the night before, and they're be like, hey, you want to drive to or from. And then it's like, oh, why are we calling the night before? Guys like on a phone call on a workday well. I have I have volunteered before and because my job is more flexible, I can sometimes. And he's like, yeah, I called just cause I know you've done it before. And I'm like, I can't though this time. Like, you need to give me a little bit more space or a little bit more time. Yeah, Like uh, my job has kind of changed, so I need to know in advance. And he was like they went out Monday like Friday, and then came back on Monday, which is still a work day for me. Like, oh no you're on your own Justin sorry yeah. 
Speaker 5 00:25:05
Figure it out. But they made it. Yeah, he said he found people, so that's good. Um, all worked out.
Speaker 6 00:25:14
They went and you guys did a like a family trip. So my parents own a place in Arrowhead. Yeah, And so we went just us. 
Speaker 5 00:25:21
Your middle child got to act like an only child The middle.
Speaker 6 00:25:23
Well, she we let her bring her friend cause I was like I kind of want her to bring a friend like if it's just her, or she could care less You're like, so But I'm like, but I want to be like, well, what if we want to go sit on the porch and I don't know Right So. We had her bring, which is fun. There's pickleball in there, and we play pickleball. We went on a hike. It was nice.
Speaker 5 00:25:43
That's nice. On your.
Speaker 2 00:25:46
We were just up there in January. In January, yeah, what hike did you go on?
Speaker 6 00:25:52
We just so my parents live uh in Blue Jay. I've only been one okay, that's my first time Well, Where they live There's, just like from their house, you can walk into the trail. Is it have a name? What I think we've done. 
Speaker 6 00:26:08
There's a lot of the one hike that we did.
Speaker 3 00:26:10
We did Pinnacle, which was fun. It was a tough one, and then we did the really easy Heart Rock. Yeah, oh yeah, I didn't really consider that a it wasn't it was a walk.
Speaker 6 00:26:24
Was it water? Yeah, yeah, waterfall was oh that's where we're headed across. Oh yeah, That's closer to nope closer to like Grassy I think it. 
Speaker 7 00:26:36
Was down by Crestline line. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 6 00:26:39
Yeah, we did. We did that one. That one was fun.
Speaker 5 00:26:43
Are you guys big hikers?
Speaker 6 00:26:45
Uh, if I could pick my form of exercise, I would pick that if I had time to just like. Yeah, I enjoy hiking more than like, you know, You're not going to ever catch me running. Yeah, I love to walk so. I'll go on an eight mile walk with you. Mhm. And a quick. I get made fun of.
Speaker 3 00:27:02
I'm very quick Like do you have any favorite hikes in this area? No no He finds them all, I am kind of still getting to know. I love hiking, but I have like one trail that is close to us that I've done. Which is, um, blanking on what it's called.
Speaker 5 00:27:22
She's like Kramer Park.
Speaker 3 00:27:24
It's I just like know how to get to it and I can't remember what it's called, But it's like the name of the street, and it's just this trail that goes spreads all goes so far, but it's through houses.
Speaker 5 00:27:37
Does they go through their houses? Yeah. There's like a horse trail that goes through all of our. 
Speaker 6 00:27:40
Houses and whatnot. Oh, by our house. That's where we live. Have you been by our house? So, we did go to your guys'house.
Speaker 2 00:27:47
We went to your house for the yeah,
Speaker 6 00:27:49
Yeah. So if you go around the corner right there, the cul- de- sac, the trail starts right there. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:27:54
It's like more away. I don't know how to tell you where it is, but like towards the hill, like in the hills stuff, exactly know where you're going. I don't know. So maybe not talking about is like the one that we just rode bikes that one. Yeah, we've ridden bikes on that trail. And it passes French Church. Yeah, so that we've done. We've ridden bikes the one that I usually will walk. It's more like hilly. Oh,
Speaker 6 00:28:20
I know which one you're talking about. Yeah, I don't know how to get there either.
Speaker 3 00:28:23
I know how to get there. 
Speaker 6 00:28:24
Like Cherry Street or whatever it's called in there. There's lots of them. Yeah yeah So. We biked that a few times. Yeah I don't know Do you like hard ones. Um,
Speaker 3 00:28:34
Sometimes like hard ones but I like easy ones, Just a quick like I will want to just go and do a twenty thirty minute quick.
Speaker 7 00:28:41
Been to the redwoods in the dam?
Speaker 3 00:28:42
Yes, I've been to that. That one's fun.
Speaker 5 00:28:46
Yeah, when our kids were really young, we took them to that like before we went before you took them backpacking. And I was like Braden, I think we need to take them to the redwoods, like to see how they would do just like in a going backpacking. Yeah, That's,
Speaker 6 00:29:01
A big deal. Yeah,
Speaker 5 00:29:02
So. Are you taking the two older ones, maybe just older ones?
Speaker 1 00:29:05
Took Eric the first time.
Speaker 5 00:29:07
So that's like our first, like when they're four or five, we take them. We would take like the kids back there when they turn that age, just to see how they would do in like any type of like little incline or like trail.
Speaker 1 00:29:21
Yeah, It's the long aspect of it, you know.
Speaker 5 00:29:23
Yeah going for yeah. And then they kind of feel like it because the redwoods are all around them. And stuff. It's fun. I am shocked that not a lot you know it's like seems to be, Our trails are weird, in my opinion. It's really kind of like, doesn't seem very like obvious to me where to go. Like we have a bunch of them around us,
Speaker 6 00:29:43
But it's like. 
Speaker 5 00:29:46
Right Yeah yeah that one yeah. That's, the one I think you would take, instead of going down to the redwoods, you'd stay up and go through the homes because that's probably okay. So they're gonna have a lot like all that carbon canyon area. Yeah yes.
Speaker 5 00:29:60
I've done trails and stuff like that around our house but like. It's been done poorly, I'll say for me, Where, like by the time I finally get out of the house and I go, it's like in the middle of the day blazing heat. I am like, what am I doing? There is like little coverage wherever it is that I am going. That's like local and I am like this is the worst. Why did they do this to myself?
Speaker 2 00:30:24
Yeah, I have a hard time hiking anywhere around here. Am more like if there is a weekend up in the mountains or like a national park or something, that's where all usually go. But.
Speaker 3 00:30:36
He doesn't enjoy it like me.
Speaker 2 00:30:37
Yeah, it's not a social thing either.
Speaker 5 00:30:40
I'm just like, go, go, go, go get to the get to the end point destination. I want to kind of I kind of want the final destination as well. Like I enjoy like accomplishing my goal, but like the process of walking, unless I have like a really scenic view I'm not like. 
Speaker 3 00:30:56
Don't you have like the social? Like, if we go with friends, you enjoy that part of it more than the actual hike?
Speaker 2 00:31:02
I mean yeah yeah i guess but, I just always enjoy it more if it's like, away from, our in town or around home.
Speaker 3 00:31:11
Yeah. Not like close by home. Yeah. I just love being as close to home as possible. I could just like fit it into my day. But I haven't been in a minute.
Speaker 5 00:31:22
I think it'll all come down soon. You've gone You've done so much. So yeah It'll come Hopefully.
Speaker 5 00:31:38
You guys all go to church today.
Speaker 1 00:31:42
You know it's a good service when your brother- in- law looks over at you and goes," You know, he's talking about you, right?" Soccer Sundays. Oh god, really?
Speaker 5 00:31:54
We disagree with him on that one. Not my brother- in- law. Well, we didn't like Chris's— I mean I agree with you, Braden. I am saying it like we went together; we went separately because we. As soccer, so my oldest had a game, so he went to the first service with our oldest. Like our commitment is is like church is a priority, but we also have commitments. So, it's worked out pretty much pretty well to where if one parent can go to church, and one parent can't go to church, Then the kids go to church with the, you know, we do whatever we can to get to church, even if that means that we don't all go together as a family, you know. So.
Speaker 5 00:32:32
So and generally, we can get it all done. You know, like every one of our kids. Every one, like I have a lot, but all of our kids went to church today. You know, we did not go together but we managed. You know so. 
Speaker 6 00:32:46
I also noticed, he said practice right right.
Speaker 5 00:32:50
I'm like I don't have practice. I have games We're gonna make no,
Speaker 1 00:32:55
I i think he's just He's not an athlete,
Speaker 5 00:32:57
And so doesn't know that there's well in most. 
Speaker 7 00:32:60
Clubs now youth get Saturdays. Olders get Sunday,
Speaker 5 00:33:04
Right? That's what I've noticed is that there yet. Yeah,
Speaker 6 00:33:06
Well, We just kind of made a rule where there were only so many weeks and you are not allowed to miss church, right? So because their games are older too are almost every Sunday. And so it's like okay, Two weeks, and then you need to take a break, and you have to miss a game. And, we tell the coaches you are not just missing every single Sunday during club season.;, it's not okay.
Speaker 6 00:33:30
But we would do the same you did, where if one of them had a game in the morning, then one of them would miss and one of us would go.
Speaker 7 00:33:35
Yeah, a bunch of Mormons too that would miss on Sundays.
Speaker 6 00:33:37
Right. No, Sunday. Saturdays. Sundays they didn't play at all. There was a girl on her team that played in two games all season and like you paid for two games.
Speaker 5 00:33:48
Right I don't know what that is.
Speaker 6 00:33:50
On one hand you are like. Well, that's commitment though, as far as going to church.
Speaker 5 00:33:53
And yeah yeah So I mean, that's where it's like we're like I feel like. I wouldn't bother by it.
Speaker 1 00:34:01
Yeah, we didn't. You know, Agree to disagree. You know, I get your point though.
Speaker 3 00:34:06
So yes, I think to me, it doesn't like just my own personal opinion looking at you guys. It doesn't look like you are not prioritizing, like God and your faith in your life, you know, thank you. So I I. It seemed to me like it was more towards people who just don't make that a priority. And I don't know. That's just my first thought,
Speaker 5 00:34:26
Too. And I like a lot of things that. Like, I like Chris's take on a lot of things. Like, if I can be just completely blunt, like today was like challenging to me because it felt like. And you guys weren't at the. Obviously you guys weren't here last week, but um. We watched it. Um, I mean at our at our group. Oh, at group. Sorry that's what I'm talking about. Oh yeah There's some come up blessing. You're like I was there We watched them in the camera. No. We thought it was all different.
Speaker 5 00:34:58
Um, But like we kind of talked about how and I, i Brayden brought it up, And then it's been like killing me because now I think about it every time. You know, Stupid like um t here is like the call to action versus like the call to action on your life versus the call to action into It's, like not just think about. What is God calling us to do in our lives and change, but also like in that change, Like go out and then like get involved in your community and be joyful for Jesus. Seek Jesus out in your community. So that way you are like impacting your community or And, that sounds like its own subject, but it's not. It's all intertwined. It's all like.
Speaker 5 00:35:56
I am doing a lot of word salad today, but what I am trying to say is, Is like today bothered me because I kind of felt like it was like if I am just going to be really cross, I'll just say it. It's like, hey, all you washed out Christians who are like kind of surface level, like maybe you need to cut out that show. You know, like maybe you need to go to church more. You know, like that's kind of what it felt like. Like fix yourselves. And then, if I can fix my congregation, you know, then what's the next step? You know, so it didn't feel as needy. But, you know, obviously, he's speaking to the word so and there needs to be conviction. And there needs to be accountability, and there needs to be, you know, um God will use him, and God will use that. Maybe t here is somebody who's.
Speaker 3 00:36:52
Struggling with like a particular thing where like the Holy Spirit's convicting them, and then that was like their confirmation or something,
Speaker 5 00:36:58
Right? Right. So that's and there is there, yeah. And I think that's kind of where I go full circle. I am not going to sit here and just hate, and I don't hate on Christopher. I like what he has to say. I like how he uses the word. I like how he draws it sometimes. I just wish i wish it was a little bit more like now. What now now, you know?
Speaker 7 00:37:20
How Did that tie to the conversations you guys had last week?
Speaker 5 00:37:23
Gosh, what do we talk about last week?
Speaker 7 00:37:25
So, we. 
Speaker 5 00:37:26
Were the only ones out there. Oh, we just. yeah, it was us.
Speaker 1 00:37:31
But, it wasn't the conversation we had at the group.; it was you. 
Speaker 5 00:37:34
Are talking about what I said to you, Right? You said that to me and then I brought it up in last week's life group session. And then and then Matt and Kim were like," Yeah." So then the question is. 
Speaker 1 00:37:48
Okay so, We were talking about okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. No, no, no, you're fine. Um. I apologize for interrupting. So, I don't remember exactly how it came up, but it was kind of like, uh, here we were, here's. You know, okay, we've been with Chris a while. What are you thinking? What do you? You know, where are ya at mentally? And and You know I said, by the way, i i think he's a talented.
Speaker 1 00:38:19
You know, Pastor enjoys sermons and everything. This isn't a hate statement, but many of you guys were here for this. I think when he first preached here, it was his like trial run. And I might have actually said this in this group, though ;, he said the subject was ". What does it mean to be a good preacher." And he said," A good preacher can be defined, But not by when you leave church that day, you say what a great message. But a good preacher should be defined as when you leave church that day, you think what a great God." Yeah,
Speaker 5 00:39:04
Thank you.
Speaker 1 00:39:05
And. So so I brought that up and I said, this is this was the this was the foundation that we were supposed to be building off of. And I am a pattern guy and so, Each sermon, it just seems like, "Okay, here is what I am reading. Here is how you guys should change your lives." You know, and I don't think that that's necessarily what he's trying to say. But he's trying to like everything has an action, a checkbox something to it. And I just don't believe that that's a productive way of Christianity. I think what really happens is we say, "Here is who God is."
Speaker 1 00:39:48
And the more we seek God, the more we go after God, the more we have a relationship with Him. He starts moving in us and changing things in us. And so we go, And all of a sudden, you wake up one day, and you are kind of like, "Oh, I don't struggle with that anymore," you know. And I am not trying to say like you don't are not responsible for anything right? You don't need to make good choices; God will do it for you. But what I am saying is that I think our biggest issues. Although we were responsible for them, we're you know the more we're pursuing him, he'll be moving that step. That's what I was thinking about, Like drawing close to him and. 
Speaker 3 00:40:35
Let him mold our character and let him like convict.
Speaker 5 00:40:40
Like, you'll feel a call to action as you as you have that conviction. And as you are working through it. You know, like there is a like it's, And it's all encompassing, so I didn't answer your question. Like, so I am sorry about that. As far as like, how what does that have to do with last week's sermon? And, we were just addressing like we kind of picked one last question at the end of our life group to discuss. And it was I think what practices help us anchor? And then we kind of like were at a standstill and it was like. It felt very it just. It felt like it didn't really take off because.
Speaker 5 00:41:17
Nobody had a good answer for that, and then it felt like we weren't really like.
Speaker 1 00:41:24
So I think I injected that, like.
Speaker 5 00:41:26
It was like what what do we right hadn't really happened.
Speaker 1 00:41:29
It's not a like I injected the idea of because I really do think that you know.
Speaker 5 00:41:35
Shoot, my son came to me, which is awesome. He came out away from camp, and he's like dad. I made a commitment to my, you know, core group leader that I want to start reading more. And.
Speaker 1 00:41:46
I want to start making decisions because those are God's decisions and not my decisions. And I am like, "This is awesome, right?" And he goes and so and he says, "So," and my group leader challenged me to read James. And James is pretty much like you'll know my people by their by their actions, right? Um, and those those actions are asleep because their hearts are you know of me, right? And so it's not the actions but it's what's generating.
Speaker 1 00:42:18
And so, my response to him was, "That's great, but that's step two or three. You know, why are you. You know, what is it that you're rooted to that's pushing out these actions?" Um. Yeah, Because I think you know a lot of us, it's just like, well, we want to be good Christians. We want to honor God. We want to do all these things and and I go, okay, great who's God? You know and A lot of the times, there is a very empty response to that. Um, I am rambling at this point, But it's like I was sitting there during worship in the first couple songs, and I just wrote a note, and I said, " O ur worship and faith is taught to us based on what God has done for us. " And, this is why we can't handle it when our life isn't going well, because about who it should be.
Speaker 1 00:43:15
About who God is, you know, that is worth our praise, not what He has done for us. So it's not just this like Oh, you know, He died for me." Oh, this or that. There should be something in us that goes" Oh," right?
Speaker 5 00:43:29
Like just so much in awe and the longing to change just because of just how magnificent God is.
Speaker 3 00:43:35
Didum. sorry if I am interrupting.
Speaker 5 00:43:38
No, you are not.
Speaker 3 00:43:38
I've been talking for a long time when you guys were talking about that question of like how to answer, did that come up like. Because that was my first thought of like how to anchor is like to just know God, like know who He is.
Speaker 1 00:43:51
That's how that came up.
Speaker 3 00:43:53
Okay, so that was kind of like what you guys were talking about.
Speaker 5 00:43:56
Right, that's kind of how it went full circle was just knowing God, you know, like and what do we like who He is after. Right and then through through that, then you will find yourself growing in that, you know, a longing for more.
Speaker 5 00:44:17
So, I didn't mean to come across as like a snooty brat or anything like that. I love Chris; I really do. I do, but today i did feel like a little yeah and it was good. Like I said, it was good. Like t here is i mean, like t here is definitely like a place where i could you could always find, you know, conviction and change, and nobody should be walking away, going check all the boxes. ; I feel perfect, you know? So, I just like.
Speaker 5 00:44:48
You know, I don't know. Sometimes I just I want like. I don't know you just like wanna. It's like we forget like we forget why, why we want the change you know and what how, special that is you know so that's it thanks.
Speaker 2 00:45:10
I wanted to ask you guysum also, and maybe you don't even know, but it was a surprise to me too, when when Chris called up. The new, um, executive pastor. I am blanking on his name. Mark something like that.
Speaker 3 00:45:25
He introduced him last Sunday, right?
Speaker 2 00:45:27
Yeah. Like I was and then I checked online. And I am like, where is Brian because he wasn't. So you guys weren't here when we all talked about that.
Speaker 3 00:45:35
Oh, everyone talked about it. Well,
Speaker 2 00:45:36
We missed the bus. So yeah,
Speaker 3 00:45:37
We were we've been not here for a while, but I don't think did we all talk about it?
Speaker 1 00:45:41
I thought we talked about it in the cause, I guess maybe not no okayum, So Brian, I wouldn't say I know him well, but I know him well enough for him to call me and say, "Hey, this thing just happened. You are going to hear about it. " And. So I think the Reader's Digest version is they're trying to figure out, you know, obviously, a new pastor comes in and goes, okay, where are my people at? What are they doing? Where are they best? You know? And.
Speaker 1 00:46:18
As they looked around, they said," Hey Brian, you know you are kind of the ops guy right now. And I think you need to be more of an ops guy because we have these needs that need to be met." And he said," I want to be an ops guy. I want to be a pastor."
Speaker 5 00:46:35
He just finished his seminary.
Speaker 1 00:46:37
What's an ops guy? Operations? So like executive management? Like behind the scenes stuff?
Speaker 5 00:46:42
Yeah. And that's essentially what this new guy is going to be doing is like managing things. Clearly, more men, especially since we've had so much.
Speaker 1 00:46:52
Chris is like the teaching pastor. I think Chris is the head pastor who is teaching as well.
Speaker 5 00:46:59
And, that's always the way the structure of our church has been:. Is that the head pastor takes on the majority of it. And, it's like we were never big enough to have a teaching like all these different functions, and we did have a lot of pastors, But it was kind of if you looked at like the placement:, like we have Keith, who does like. Care and outreach, you know. And then we have Johnny, who is now our like youth adult adult pastor, you know. So like and then we had Brian. And while Brian was an associate pastor, I mean, they're all associates ; like he didn't have his seminary like, what is it yeah degree until until just recently. I mean he'd been working on it for a while, and that was his. 
Speaker 5 00:47:46
Go al was just to be purely like like to be a teaching pastor as well, and that's what he felt called to do.
Speaker 3 00:47:52
So, like assistant teaching pastor kind of thing,
Speaker 5 00:47:55
Yeah. But instead, He kind of fell into and I think it's like bad timing too, because with like the renovations and all that stuff and having the most familiarity, He was really excited about like having Chris on board and felt like he was going to be utilized more. I think as a pastor, but instead, Got more utilized as an operations guy and the church grew suddenly, and that's kind of the role that he ended up falling into. So yeah.
Speaker 1 00:48:23
So, but this this all happened like not that I knew about it then, but this all all those conversations went down like July August something like that. And soum he'd known about it was his decision. It wasn't, you know, and they said, okay. Well, if you're not going to be the guy, then we got to start looking for the guy.
Speaker 1 00:48:45
And then it was like," Hey, we found the guy." No, you know and and so he was a little bit surprised by that. But it had been I know it's been like three four months.
Speaker 3 00:48:57
So is Brian still like. 
Speaker 5 00:49:01
So His kids go here, But they left, and they're going to they're probably going to go and try out Southland until they until he finds something else too. Wasn't a need.
Speaker 7 00:49:13
Oh, he's not going to go try to find a church.
Speaker 5 00:49:15
He is,
Speaker 3 00:49:16
But he didn't have anything.
Speaker 7 00:49:18
I think so.
Speaker 3 00:49:20
Just there wasn't a need for what he was wanting like the role he wants here, so he's going to just look for that elsewhere. Right? Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:49:27
Yeah, but but I think that it's going to end up I don't know because I know that he called up you know, he's a marketing guy by trade and so that's where his roots are. So He came from the marketing world and. 
Speaker 1 00:49:42
You know, I know he went through a lot. It's kind of like when his he actually like committed his life to Christ, stuff like that. And then he got in tight with Todd, and Todd said, "Well, why don't you come work for me? " And, then you know, eventually you are going to have to get your, you know, seminary degree. And you know and. I no he just got it. He's been working on it for several years and so. Um, And I think that just the way. 
Speaker 5 00:50:17
It's just the way that the church unfolded, yeah, yeah. And the needs of it, you know.
Speaker 1 00:50:22
You know at the risk of like. 
Speaker 5 00:50:26
Chris is not an operations guy.; I am an ops guy,
Speaker 1 00:50:28
Right? And. So when he said to me, Brian said to me like Yeah, they're they're looking around and they're trying to figure out what it is I do here." You know, they tried to define that a little bit better. And I didn't say this to him, but it's like that was always my question. You know, and I know you. You know, and so um I think that they're trying to short some things up. You know um and by the way, my statement is not like I think that he was doing a bad job or anything like that. But I just kind of like I start looking around going who's doing what and I just kind of like slots just need to be filled.
Speaker 1 00:51:11
Over my head, and so you know, um. And yeah, and so they I know. That I think they offered this guy a job in December or something like that. And uh accepted. Yeah at some point in time. 
Speaker 2 00:51:27
Yeah I was just curious because. I don't need to know what's going on just because like we're new and then all of a sudden Sunday, we show up, and he introduces the new guy and I am like, oh, that's. That's Brian's position. So, what's Brian doing now that I didn't see him online? And then I know you guys like several weeks ago. I remember talking about like the direction of how worship used to be or whatever or where it's going with. Uh, oh my gosh. Sharia. That's right, and you guys were talking about some of that stuff. So, I was just curious if you guys had any insight on like what happened with Brian.
Speaker 1 00:52:08
Yeah, so they actually like did a, They like sent him off and everything, like they did a you know hey he's you know this is left.
Speaker 5 00:52:15
That was like the small bit that we talked about in our group because like there were a few people uh in our life group at the time that were like cause Brian had like a little message that he did, and it was pretty much just like about be passionate for the Lord. And like it was, it was beautiful, you know, and like a call to action. And like it hit a number of the people in our group, Like in a very meaningful way. You know. So, But we kind of just let it be be because of like we know. 
Speaker 1 00:52:48
They don't ever call me. And ask my opinion.
Speaker 5 00:52:50
Yeah, We knew about Brian's leaving, and we also know about the other pastor coming in. And, we kind of and we knew what they were happening at the same time. And, it was a weird turn of events of how we knew and how we knew from different people, but not we knew from Brian. No plug game, yeah, no very not in a good way. Yeah, No plug game very weird way. 
Speaker 5 00:53:10
It's almost like you have to ignore the noise and just be like, Cause there is a lot of people who have a lot of concerns and want to talk about it. And, it's just like you feel like you have to respond to their concerns and like listen to what they want to, you know, not you don't feel. You do I know okay. Like well, You have to have a response to their concerns, whether it's about the new pastor or about frustrating or being frustrated with with the old one going out. And it's just like let's just see what God does with this. You know, maybe this guy is perfect for this role. Maybe you know whatever he's struggled with in the past, like, This is the right role for him because we have a huge need here and you know, or whatever. You know Brian was struggling in his position and really having it being defined. Like. 
Speaker 1 00:53:59
I think ultimately you know. Put these guys in place and right got plan and you know just. Gotta let it play out.
Speaker 5 00:54:13
Not bad, considering we're not members of the church. One day we'll become members. We got time,
Speaker 1 00:54:20
But we're committed like members. 
Speaker 5 00:54:22
Sometimes if there's no sports. Just kidding. Anyways,
Speaker 3 00:54:31
So there you go. Any word or updates on the interview?
Speaker 1 00:54:35
Yeah, no wordsum, I know that, Like I don't think that anything's going to happen for the first for the one on Monday. I think it went well both of both the guys I interviewed with. One of them, the one on Monday, Was with the CEO of the company. And it was like, how do you feel about my ability to do the job You know, and he goes," I think you've got a very, you know, something like wide and. 
Speaker 5 00:55:05
Deep experience Background."
Speaker 1 00:55:11
I don't hear you saying you want me to be the guy doing the job. Um, and so and there were some issues with with you know it there was, and I don't even think you guys through this whole thing, but um, so and then Tuesday, What I really liked about Monday was that I feel like I found a major flaw in my.
Speaker 5 00:55:41
Burps. I'm so sorry. It's disgusting.
Speaker 1 00:55:44
I have no idea what's going on.
Speaker 5 00:55:46
No, I don't. I never like this, but I'm just having a really hard time with digesting my food. Okay, Because I hear like all the gurgling and then what it probably feels like it sounds yeah, It's like it sounds disgusting to me, so i'm like what's wrong, but well, Like anyway, sorry, continue. Okay, good. That makes me feel better because i. I like stepped outside to like and I was like hitting my back. I like trying to like burp myself because I was like," What is wrong with me?" Anyways, continue on, Braden. Sorry.
Speaker 1 00:56:19
So the good news is I didn't. I wanted to get the job on Monday, but I didn't really want for you.
Speaker 5 00:56:26
Thank you. That makes me feel better.
Speaker 1 00:56:27
Actually i wasn't excited about it. Um It would be like, yeah, that would be good for my family, but it's not great for my career. Um whereas the second one was. And so i said. You know, It's been a little bit since I've had a good interview or a real interview. And so, you know, what can I take from this? And so, I actually like did it. I recorded the entire thing and then transcribed it and sent it all into ChatGPT. And it just said, "Go crazy," like "Kill me on this." You know? And he gave some really good feedback. And it was like, okay cool. And so I changed like my kind of interview style completely.
Speaker 1 00:57:08
And I went into the second interview, and I was like, "Man, that was actually fun," you know. As I was coming out of it, so and so that one's with Home Chef, And they actually like they deliver ready made meals essentially, or or um pretty big. I mean t here is nine hundred fifty million last year in four plants nationwide, one in San Bernardino. And so I was interviewing for, The same, and with what would be my future boss, And anything to him like any concerns about, you know my ability to do the job. No, no. So okay, where we go from here? So hear from our recruiter next interview with the CEO, then C O O no panel then C E O then C O O. It's like you know, but hey, if you give me a call.
Speaker 1 00:58:08
I'll show up. Then, then I actually met with another recruiter that randomly called me on like Thursday. That was a really good talk as well. Nothing's come from it yet, but he was just like, okay, I don't think you're right for the job I was calling you about, but I think I got a different one that you'd be great for. So text me tomorrow. So I did. She didn't respond so. 
Speaker 5 00:58:36
We'll see.
Speaker 5 00:58:38
Market's weird. It's such a weird market,
Speaker 1 00:58:41
And it could be that she just didn't respond and she will. I don't you know, but yeah, It is even recruiters are saying so weird because everybody wants somebody like we want the perfect manager. And we can't seem to find anybody like that in our industry. But we need somebody with industry experience. So it's like which one you want? You want the guy that knows how to manage? You want the guy that knows how to make pasta? You knowum, But, because it's like the entire market, It's like a you know, they they say it's a buyer's market or seller's market. It's like a, it's like a higher risk market. So I know there is a lot of frustration out there among recruiters too. They're saying, if we get the perfect guy for you, but you won't take him because he has never done cardboard work. And you know, I come from, A very, very niche market. So they're like wait what did you do? And so.
Speaker 1 00:59:39
And the Lord decides to do something. I am, you know, I think you stress a little bit more than I do. But in the sense of just, I don't know, it's been really helpful for me recently. One of the guys that I mentor has young kids that I am constantly going, "He doesn't know much about Bible at all." Like keep going like. What would you do if you, you know, as a dad, what would you do? Kid wanted this from me. Like I don't know. You know. Do this, this and like well. How much more? God takes care of us and so. I am trying to do everything I can on my side of it, and then got a great God who is a much better dad than I am. So when it's time, it's time.
Speaker 1 01:00:38
Thank you, Brad. Tough to be in that season. It's not fun.
Speaker 5 01:00:48
Yeah, well, He's like I can't wait till I can feel like I can just focus on the job that I have and feeling like, I mean, like he's studying. It's like with every interview that you do, you're studying the person that you're interviewing, the company that you're interviewing with. You know and then, The role and gearing yourself for the role that you are in, you know, in the specifics of it. Because you got to like. If you are not just like a perfect fit, then they're looking for you to be able to speak to those, you know, very specific things. So, it's you know, three interviews last week was a lot for him, including just his work, and thankfully it rained. And so you were able to be home a little bit because I don't think he would have been able to do that with it.
Speaker 5 01:01:33
Like, at least, you wouldn't be able to get as much detail without without raining. Yeah, or without it raining. So, he said we'll stay home and do end draft and stuff because when it rains, the guys aren't on the field. Yeah. It's been a second that we've seen you guys, anything fun, exciting, interesting happening?
Speaker 6 01:01:59
Any changes?
Speaker 5 01:02:00
Anything going on with your daughters.
Speaker 6 01:02:02
I had myniece's bachelor or not bachelor, bridal shower at my house yesterday. Oh,
Speaker 5 01:02:06
That's a lot of work. That's fine.
Speaker 3 01:02:08
So you want to bounce over?
Speaker 6 01:02:11
Yeah, I mean my mom helps out a lot, especially financially, which is nice. Yeah, that is nice. But yeah, still being with the families. So she lives right down here, she goes to the new one. And she lives with my grandmother, so they come here her and her sister come here occasionally, and I'll pay her every once in a while to clean my house. I paid her to clean for her shower. Clean for her shower,
Speaker 5 01:02:34
Like hey,
Speaker 6 01:02:34
Can you clean for your shower on Sunday? But she needs to do it. But no, I mean I don't know if she'll be here. We're in the phase of life of just yeah. 
Speaker 5 01:02:49
That sounds nice. Honestly, that sounds great. That sounds really nice.
Speaker 6 01:02:53
It's not busy; it's just t here is just nothing new out there but. 
Speaker 5 01:02:57
Not that it's not busy, but it's just like, just to kind of. Stability.
Speaker 6 01:03:07
No, I mean, our oldest is going through this filling out all the stuff for college, and he's having to fill out all that paperwork, which is kind of annoying. The FAFSA and all that, just because you have to apparently fill it all out, knowing you're still not going to get any money because we don't make enough. We don't we make too much as teachers. To qualify for anything, so that but they still make you fill everything out, so that's kind of annoying. That is a lot of work. Do you apply for FAFSA before you apply like how does it work?
Speaker 5 01:03:37
Accept the college.
Speaker 6 01:03:38
Yeah, no, So she's already she already applied and got accepted to GCU, and he had to he doesn't apply for. 
Speaker 3 01:03:45
Stuff like that.
Speaker 7 01:03:46
Yeah, The FAFSA can send to fifteen different schools, depending on whether you are accepted or not from the will have it.
Speaker 7 01:03:56
Additional things. It's pretty. It's pretty streamlined, I think, for the most part. The hard part is there are deadlines for housing, and they won't find out roommates, and they have to schedule classes, and they got to figure out what major and all that kind of stuff seems to be kind of a large checklist.
Speaker 6 01:04:17
Seems like a lot more than it used to be, I guess. Like I applied, I got accepted, and then it was like okay And not just start in the fall? Yeah, let's just start in the fall.
Speaker 5 01:04:24
Well, what's interesting is that I like when I when I went to college, it was almost like. It was like kind of half written and half on the computer, but now there's so many apps and so many databases and stuff like that. Like to work through to like see the. It's almost like because it's not in front of you're learning how to use new system with every you know every. Well,
Speaker 6 01:04:46
You had to like join well, she let her get Instagram this year, but like you had to go on Instagram and create an account. To try and find your roommates. That's crazy. You don't have to. I mean, they'll find you, But the fact that they encourage, it's like But, they want you to kind of find your own. And then go on and basically kind of like picking a movie theater seat. You go on and find the dorm you want, and then look for a room. And, she has to do. We're making her do a triple because it's significantly cheaper than doing a double So. 
Speaker 2 01:05:16
Like with the Instagram option, are you like looking on random people's profiles?
Speaker 6 01:05:22
Yeah, baby, scrolling through their photos?
Speaker 2 01:05:23
Seeing like, oh,
Speaker 6 01:05:24
There's a business idea right there. She had her cousins help her pick like what I should pick on an app. What to say about yourself? Like make sure you point out that you are seeking Jesus.
Speaker 5 01:05:35
I used to like have to like we we all wrote a description. I literally wrote out the fruits of the spirit as like a joke.
Speaker 1 01:05:44
And she got somebody. 
Speaker 5 01:05:45
Who like wrote it very intentionally. And it was a very weird combo for like two months. And now we're. And then we became best friends, but it turned out amazing. But it was like it came out later that I was like," Oh yeah, I took him and put the shirt and everything." I was like," You know, like Jesus perfect," and that's what I left at half. And she put that down. Anyways but that was it; that was simple. And you know what? God works through hat now You have to feel like you now.
Speaker 6 01:06:11
Well, She didn't she didn't find one necessarily at first That way. So they, when you apply to GCU and you've been accepted, they'll fly you out for free Oh really So. She went out on a Friday. Friday morning, like six a m. and was home by three thirty the next day, um. And she hadn't met anybody, but apparently she posted something so someone started following her and said hey. I saw you there. Do you want to be roommates or something like that? And it turns out she's cousins of someone she goes to college or high school with. Oh, and then some other girl reached out. So I said, now, the odds are of you getting along. Great, are smaller, just so you know, it's okay to go a semester and then pick somebody new or.
Speaker 6 01:06:51
Yeah, so. But it's three of them, So that's just a little nerve wracking because she's not the most like I love everybody and I'm gonna just kind of bend a little bit for you like my attitude. Her attitude is going to come out all over this. I feel like you know what I mean? She can be like yesterday at the shower, she was like my niece's friend, She was just like, oh my gosh, thank you so much and so sweet, and then her cousin's over today, and she kind of got a little snotty and I'm like, oh, what's happening right now?
Speaker 6 01:07:22
We don't know, Or Is it just her age because she's seventeen?
Speaker 5 01:07:26
I don't know. I think kids kind of ebb and flow. Yeah, I am like, man, you are the most thoughtful kid in the other times. Oh,
Speaker 6 01:07:32
Yes. When, you see people right like so she loves Justin and Caitlin, who are the youth pastor and his wife. So she went out to lunch with them after day. She's done lunch or coffee with them multiple times. And they're always like Allison was just that, which is really what you want to guess, i guess, right? Like. I'd rather it be when they're away from me versus in my house, but I just want to be like," Can I just get a little?" Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Try.
Speaker 1 01:07:58
We had that with the funeral yesterday. Everybody's coming up to us like," Good boys," you are just so great. And it's like you know oh But you know what? I literally just told the kids like Your relationship has to be better than when you took the bat. And the ball and right into the. You know, it's just like." I think it's payback. I was an awful daughter. Daughter, sister. Oh, okay. To my mom and dad, yeah, I was an awful daughter. That is often. I'm starting to see them both my older boys. They give me this look and I'm like that's the look? Yeah, that's the one that my dad told me to stop looking at him like now, you know what it looks like. Well, now, what I do is i i pull out my phone, and i take a picture. And they go.
Speaker 1 01:08:48
What are you doing? I am like, that's what you look like. You are gonna show,
Speaker 6 01:08:50
Yeah. I remember my mom was like, just stop talking because I always had to have the last word. And sure enough, they're good kids. I know they're good kids. He has no idea. 
Speaker 7 01:09:05
What he's doing now that the whole thing is stupid. I think it's put together by helicopter moms out of so much of their own insecurities have inundated the school with its own system of well, let them kind of figure out what's. And it's not even them, probably it's their moms that are all in there. Right,
Speaker 5 01:09:20
Well that's kind of it. You feel like it's some sort of versus the world. And I'm not like that.
Speaker 7 01:09:23
She's a girl, she's a Christian, here is what she likes. Yeah. You guys put her in a room, Let her deal with it, and if she doesn't like it, semester later, she can find somebody else gets involved with worship finds those people she moves on That's life, Right Why are we doing this Like? Why why are you putting her into this world where you're you're growing on their own insecurities about? Nobody wants to choose her or whatever right Like sack up. Tell them it's on a list. Tell them it's there. Go like like it doesn't have to be like this,
Speaker 6 01:09:50
Which is true, because it was very like no one's reached out to me yet. Nobody's who wants me.
Speaker 5 01:09:55
It's a vast system of neglecting any responsibility. Yeah,
Speaker 7 01:09:59
They don't want to take you guys'choices,
Speaker 5 01:10:02
Take responsibility yourselves, you do what I mean.
Speaker 7 01:10:04
But and I get it because it's the parents, It's the whatever that are just like, you know,
Speaker 5 01:10:09
Miserable. Yeah,
Speaker 7 01:10:10
I am not going to let my kid trip. I am going to take everything off the path for him to trip on. Yeah. Yeah, And then if he does trip, I took everything away, so it must be somebody else's fault. Right? Who are the people that designed this trail? Like one hundred percent. Teach him how to get back up. That's where it should go. Right?
Speaker 2 01:10:25
It's irritating almost all the way down. It's like hand holding and like they, what are you are in like some GCU parent thing and flooding stuff with hugs. And oh, gosh, these people.
Speaker 7 01:10:40
Do you guys know where there's an Uber nearby?
Speaker 6 01:10:42
I don't think she's gonna be able to get to work. Yeah, it is every other week.
Speaker 7 01:10:44
Someone sends her flowers every other week, and it's like.
Speaker 6 01:10:47
Well then don't look at my Facebook if you don't want to see any of that. Concerns me.
Speaker 5 01:10:51
Well, it's hard because then you feel like you have to. Like, you don't want your. Not that you don't want your kid without, but it's like. It's kind of like wait a second, you know?
Speaker 6 01:11:01
No, but this is a little like I was at Biola and I had a regular phone. I could call my mom on. But other than that, there was nothing else.
Speaker 5 01:11:08
Right, my mom was like on a group chat, like checking to make sure, like they had like a parent's weekend. Yeah,
Speaker 6 01:11:13
But now it's literally in those Facebook pages. Like, you said it's my daughter's sick, and she doesn't want to go to the health center. Does, anybody know how I can you know, DoorDash her this or I can It's like, but she needs to figure it out in a couple of years. They're going to graduate and have to live. And these kids aren't going to know how to live on their own at all.
Speaker 7 01:11:30
And they're crap. I mean I am employing college guys right now, and they are the worst functioning. Members of society I have ever met. And they're from Iowa. Like they ghost things, like that's your employer, you are not going to get paid. Yeah. And they don't like get it. And it's just like well. Is there some way I can like talk to them? Like no, that's called a deadline. Fire? Yeah go for it talk to me, They don't want to talk to them though, either like it's just bonkers. And it's not just a few of them. It's almost all of them.
Speaker 6 01:11:57
Now he'll be like I text him about this game, you know, and literally twenty four hours have gone by, and they haven't texted back. I am like what? Anybody hello? It doesn't, Sound right You're coaching a team. Right.
Speaker 7 01:12:09
Recruiting, they don't call you back, they just don't talk to you like it's very strange. Even your own players. Like what's so weird Hey, what's going on Well,
Speaker 2 01:12:17
I mean as an elementary teacher, Like everything is like catered towards the students.
Speaker 7 01:12:21
And there's even at that age,
Speaker 2 01:12:23
They really know nothing and yet you're letting them like make the decisions for themselves and stuff. Andum yeah, like even like schoolwork when I help. Classrooms, if I if. If I have a a gap or something, I'll be used to cover for a teacher who has to step out. Yeah. And when I do that, I'm seeing like the schoolwork that they do and stuff and everything is on a computer in front of a screen. And it's so. Simple and like. Like scores are going further and further down, because everything is like on screens and yeah, they don't. Yeah, exactly they can't think for themselves.
Speaker 5 01:13:07
Bra yden and I got in a big fight about this actually last week because Ben, our middle son, our middle son had like capture the flag over here. And as they're driving.
Speaker 1 01:13:20
I am still trying to figure out what's the story.
Speaker 5 01:13:21
As they're driving, my middle son's like," Dad, can you text mom and ask mom to look up what time the sun?" And Brayden was like," Why don't you go and ask?" Like, but it took like a long time. It was like, no, you you've got this. Like he's like, well how would I do that?
Speaker 1 01:13:41
Well he wanted to make sure that we were that he wasn't waiting around. Mind, you. We live three minutes from here, right? If that you know and he's like, do you guys know what time this ends? I'm like no and it's like well can you text mom and ask her? No. You know go ask somebody when you get there dude. And what do I do about that? Like, you got, you know, an Apple Watch. Text us. You know. We'll be there. He's like, but isn't it just easier if mom just checks it? I'm like, Takes just about the same amount of time that it would for you to ask and check. But here's the thing. Here's the difference. Mom's been working all day and you haven't so and she's mom. And so when it's you versus her, you lose so just do it. 
Speaker 1 01:14:35
You know, but can't you? I was like, dude, this is it. We're not talking about it anymore. Ask somebody. Text. So eight twenty one. I get a text: Are you guys here? No, I haven't heard from you. Well, I forgot. Yeah, that sucks.
Speaker 1 01:14:58
So So what are we going to do? Well your brother finishes at eight thirty. Why. Don't you go hang out with him for a little bit? We'll figure it out from there, you know.
Speaker 6 01:15:07
Oh, He was there for the or not fortified It's,
Speaker 5 01:15:11
Like the fitness adventure has like the yeah capture the flag thing going on over here. And so, like we kind of got a little bit of a tip because I, the only thing I didn't want to go save him.
Speaker 1 01:15:24
Well, That was separate,
Speaker 5 01:15:25
But i want it I don't like the idea of people who are volunteers waiting around being like, hey w, here is your parents," you know. And my middle son, who's like her, I don't know. I don't know where they are. I don't even, I don't even know if I have parents anymore. You know, like can't think for himself. You know, And so I didn't know that Brayden communicated me like go and hang out go to high school group. Like just wait.
Speaker 6 01:15:48
They really should end it when this ends It's so weird so that you are not coming fifty six is weird.
Speaker 5 01:15:52
They don't communicate very well and they end like they will end earlier, even if they have it like scheduled later or they'll end like so, but it's separate from. From the high school, middle school, And like Heather plans that versus she doesn't do anything with regards to junior high and middle school.
Speaker 6 01:16:09
Yeah, but at least end it at the same time.
Speaker 5 01:16:10
Right, right. Make it convenient. Twenty minute. 
Speaker 7 01:16:13
Difference should be like a ops pastor that puts it all in like a calendar or something. I know that's a good idea where everybody's coming together.
Speaker 5 01:16:18
I agree. Hopefully, he does it. We'll see i since It's a smaller group, i'm going to put you guys on the spot, and you don't need to answer this question, but I've been baby cow. I was going to ask a different way. Were you really? Yeah, but not in that way. It was going to be like," Are you guys hoping to grow your family?" Are you like, Or are the plans to be together and just be satisfied with that either way? I am sure that the answer will be in my life.
Speaker 2 01:16:48
We definitely want to grow our family, but we've realized over the last couple of years that there is some complications. Okay,
Speaker 3 01:16:54
So we're working on it. So something to pray over.
Speaker 2 01:16:58
Yeah, I'm sorry to put you on the spot. I apologize. It's kind of the what's I'm blaming on the phrase elephant in the room with that speak feel likeum because we get we get asked a whole bunch like we're late later thirties. So it's like, okay, either they don't want to have kids at all or that kind of thing.
Speaker 5 01:17:18
So Well, I, you know what crosses my mind is like, sometimes I feel like and I just want to respect you guys. Like, I don't know, you know, I don't want to make an assumption one way or another. My husband is an idiot; he just said what he said. I thought about that.
Speaker 1 01:17:33
The whole laugh didn't think you were going there at all.
Speaker 5 01:17:35
Well, I was going to say it. And then like because it's like it's usually a choice, right? Or not not not a choice, right? And if it's not a choice that you would want, Then I would wouldn't want to put you on the spot, but I'd also want to be respectful to the conversations that we have about kids so much, depending on where your heart is, or if you're hurting about that or whatever. So that's why I asked you in a smaller group. So I apologize if that was. Something that came across,
Speaker 3 01:17:60
Yeah. No, I appreciate you caring and like be careful around it. Yeah,
Speaker 7 01:18:05
So are you going to articulate that to the other half of the group now?
Speaker 5 01:18:11
I don't think it's my place to share, but it's something that I can try to control within the community. We'll put it in the group. Yeah,
Speaker 1 01:18:20
I am just kidding. I am sorry for making that joke.
Speaker 6 01:18:25
Well, we can pray for that we We went through that. It took us six years. I don't know exactly; I am not going to ask specifics, but it took us six years to have our first. So, with four miscarriages amongst that time, so we will be clear. And. 
Speaker 7 01:18:45
Being a part of young marrieds that had kids, not feeling like that, Feeling like we wanted kids, but it wasn't coming and then not wanting to be around people that had kids because those were reminders.
Speaker 6 01:18:58
Actually, It was more of a oh this life group or it was Bible studies at EB Free. And it was like, oh, this one's for people with kids. And we were like, oh, like I didn't know that was a thing. Like that seemed weird to me. We were almost offended. Like, they were literally people. We knew the exact same ages as us, and they were all young kids. So it wasn't like, and so it was not easy to go. Okay, everybody party, right?
Speaker 2 01:19:24
Yeah. No, it's been a very challenging. Couple of years, I've been through some like challenging trials and stuff, but this one definitely takes the prize for sure on challenging because we, I she has two sisters who are having kids. They're out of state, so it's kind of more out of out of sight, out of mind. More and then I have my two sisters here who are also having kids. And then I mean we found out our stuff.
Speaker 2 01:19:55
Right at the same time as them announcing that they're expecting that kind of thing, so. Um, it's been challenging. So. Yeah.
Speaker 5 01:20:05
It's a really hard spot to be in, I'm sure. Because, there's a lot of like emotions to want to be happy for others, but also like kind of have like a like a little bit of a dagger in your heart feeling like this. I want this too well thank you for sharing, I'm sorry for, Putting you guys on the spot, and I am grateful that we have a smaller group to do that in. And thank you for being.
Speaker 2 01:20:30
Honestly, I was thinking about maybe sharing just because it is a smaller group. Because I tend to go more quiet as groups get bigger, so honestly, I appreciate that you asked because I might not have said anything had you not asked. But I think it is good to share.
Speaker 5 01:20:48
Yeah, well, thank you. It's been on my heart to want to pray about it, but I didn't want to like. Okay, well, thank you.
Speaker 7 01:20:55
How can we pray for them? Are you going through low motility counts at risk, and those types are losing babies? Are you not producing, not having? Is your desire to because we went through injections, we went through decisions about do we want to harvest, do we want to do artificial insemination? We talked with people. I've talked to people about adoption. We talked about all kinds of things. I don't want to get into all this.
Speaker 7 01:21:23
Just how can we pray for you? Like, what's pressing? What's the next thing that you are kind of facing, and how can we.
Speaker 3 01:21:30
Um, we are on a waiting list to potentially do IVF, but don't know if it will be a possibility for us. Like in our specific case like it might not be an option. Okay. So okay.
Speaker 7 01:21:43
Is that covered for you guys like Medicaid or something?
Speaker 3 01:21:45
Yeah, So we were like waiting for our, It's Been a delay because. 
Speaker 7 01:21:50
IVF is so expensive and.
Speaker 3 01:21:53
It wasn't covered like our insurance didn't cover S. So then now, It was like there was a law passed recently in California that insurers have to cover S for Californians, and that just passed like while we're going through all of this, and then it like just took effect for us in January. So now we're on this waiting list.
Speaker 2 01:22:13
It was unfortunate the way it works because. It's our insurance is Kaiser and Kaiser covers. The thing that was unfortunate was, When we found out that the insurance isn't covering, we're like, okay, we're gonna because we're especially me, I'm kind of fed up with Kaiser. I don't like how Kaiser functions and stuff. And so we kind of jumped from Kaiser and went to Anthem. And, then we found out that Anthem through my work doesn't cover it at all. So then we had to switch back to Kaiser, but because of the the time the timing with our enrollment period.
Speaker 3 01:22:52
We Have never switched from Kaiser. We like wouldn't be on this waiting list, but because we had like switched away from Kaiser and then switched back, now it's like all right, well who knows how long this is gonna take.
Speaker 2 01:23:04
So, it's been a lot of like. 
Speaker 5 01:23:05
That's frustrating to even deal with all the paperwork in that. And the nonsense to try to even just get through the red tape. Like worse. 
Speaker 3 01:23:12
Yeah worse like he was saying he. 
Speaker 5 01:23:15
Felt just already being beaten up right now like emotionally.
Speaker 3 01:23:18
Yeah, and it's just she was like the worst thing ever. Yeah.
Speaker 5 01:23:21
So now back with Kaiser, and Kaiser covers. And now on the way, and there is a waiting list for it.
Speaker 3 01:23:28
And we don't even know if like we can do it right.
Speaker 5 01:23:31
So that's frustrating because. 
Speaker 2 01:23:34
There is like one more step that we have to do. That will like say, like okay, you guys, it's like all depends on this one thing,
Speaker 3 01:23:41
Close the door or yeah.
Speaker 5 01:23:44
And you can't preemptively get that test done.
Speaker 3 01:23:47
We're trying, we're like just trying to get this appointment yeah. Trying to get that appointment, and so it's like. Basically, yeah, that door closes, then it's adoption, and so it's. But that's like I. Yeah, It's just oh, like you have to jump through so many hoops to just try to.
Speaker 2 01:24:10
Yesterday we were at aum. My nephew, he just turned one, and like we were there and and they hit. Something struck a nerve in me yesterday. Cause I, I've done pretty well, And then I don't know if it was like a thought that I had going into it or just seeing like just seeing all the kids running around and then young parents parenting and that kind of thing. So it was yeah, It like randomly is I am like fine most of the time, but then it'll be there will be random moments where I am just like this is heavy right now. Yeah.
Speaker 5 01:24:50
Turn out to like, let it eat you alive. But it's just like the the just the thoughts, you know, that kind of break you for a second there. Man. Well thank you for sharing. I can definitely pray for you guys on the process of it all. And, if anything just for protection and just minds. So that way you guys can just not feel that heaviness and yeah, just trusting God's timing and His plans for you.
Speaker 5 01:25:21
Well, this is weird. I made it weird, guys. I'm sorry. Um.
Speaker 2 01:25:29
I don't feel weird, but okay, good. Yeah.
Speaker 5 01:25:33
I'm the kind of person that has to fill the void, And I've had to like teach myself not to fill the void of awkward conversation. So like it's been like a lot of training for me to be like. No, it's okay. You don't have to carry this.
Speaker 5 01:25:51
But I feel bad for putting you guys on the spot, so yeah,
Speaker 7 01:25:56
We will be praying for that. You guys would be amazing parents. It has nothing to do with any of those things. Kind of like last week's sermon that God's in charge and Believe me, We were five plus years, and like she said, four miscarriages into it, that realizing that this may not be the thing for us. And while our story is not yours, God has done some weird things we've been able to, People, we never expected to be able to message them. Our story's hard because I don't know God in His timing decided finally to break the word for us. It was almost after we kind of said no more. That's not everybody's story, but understand that He loves you more.
Speaker 7 01:26:51
Just us three now. Couples, we are ready in a moment's notice to lay hands on you, to touch you. People people did all kinds of things we've never held back. Kind of a standoffish kind of person, But I can remember times wrestling with God, like You made us in such a way You give to us.
Speaker 7 01:27:22
Great to raise people that will love you. Part of our journey, and my journey too, was to humble myself and say, "You know, when people randomly ask me questions about this don't push away. You know, let them pray for you. Let them be there for you. Tell them what's happening. Tell them, hey, we got another notice they're putting us off. Can you guys pray right now? I really believe." It was one of the things I think that strengthened for me, for both of us, just how effective prayer can be. And I know we had we had at least three couples that were praying for us daily like daily. And I think Jackie and something she was just like every day. And it wasn't that it was you know hey, I think she said "I believe in miracles" many times to us, but she also said.
Speaker 7 01:28:22
Articulate that whatever God's plan is, whether it's with the kids that come, with its adopting, whether it's you know going through this. I am not saying He's putting you through this so that you can have opportunity to go through this. But if it draws us closer, If it allows us to be vulnerable one of each other and also allow I think for us to really learn to accept God.
Speaker 7 01:28:54
Being stoic, being strong, crying in darkness, hiding away. And it's easy to do. Like she says, we got angry at a lot of different things, including God for you know what's going on. But yeah, you know my promises to you I will continue to reach out to you. But I know they will too, and I'll be here and I'll always be here. Oh don't. 
Speaker 7 01:29:29
Never. Well,
Speaker 6 01:29:39
Especially when I know for me, I was having a heart like we were praying daily because it was we were not only miscarriage;. It was like a year in between of getting pregnant. So, it wasn't like miscarriage to miscarriage;. It was like get pregnant, and then you miscarry, and then a year later, right? So I got to a point where I was like," Do I want to cry anymore?" Right? So you know that other. People were praying really helped, you know what I mean? It just helped on the times where I was just like, "Yeah," because I can't pray about it anymore. You know, like everyone else can pray about it. It's hard. It was well and it was for me. It was like, "I am going to be married and then with kids by this age." And God was upstairs going, "It's not about what you want." Like I never prayed is now the right time to have kids. I was like my sister, My twin sister got pregnant, and we got pregnant the first time a month later. And I was like, this is gonna be so great. And.
Speaker 6 01:30:27
She's now twenty two, getting married, And I am very thankful that I don't have a twenty two year old about to get married. Right, so it's easy now to look back on it, but it was me surrendering, going okay. I need to pray about your will be done. Your will be done. Your will be done. And actually take our very long story and shorten it. We went to do doctors and our stories very different. Obviously, I have no idea, but we were doing the shots and all that kind of stuff. So every I don't know how often. I mean, Getting a shot in my back and we're doing all this stuff and suppositories and all this crazy stuff. And I went to call a good friend, accidentally called the friend below, and telling him our story. I am like, "Oh, it's in God's hands." And she said he said hadn't seen him since high school. If it's God's plan, why are you dealing with doctors? Because I was fully telling everybody God's plan. ; He was just not ready for me to have kids yet. Then why are you dealing with doctors? You are right. I went home i said I don't want to deal with.
Speaker 6 01:31:23
And our life group, Or it wasn't a life group;. It was like a young, whatever we were in, we were thirty something. And they prayed over us, and we got pregnant that month with Allison. It was just like God waiting for me,
Speaker 5 01:31:33
But that's again before. 
Speaker 6 01:31:36
He really was God waiting for me to surrender and going if it's His plan, which was, you know, so I can think I've learned that lesson by now and go God's in control. My plans, and yet I am still failing all the time in that area. But that was a big one of just learning. Okay, then if we're meant to, you know.
Speaker 1 01:32:04
It's this weird thing where it's just like kind of like difficult where he's got a unique plan for each of us, you know. And so worked out this way for you guys, worked out this way for us, and it could work out, The same way for these people, but for other people to touch, you know. And we just don't know. And you know, seek me, trust me. It's knowing better and the more we know him, the more we can trust him. And it's like that perfect dad. But one thing that hit me last week was like yeah because. 
Speaker 1 01:32:51
This is not the place we're supposed to end up. Everything's for there; it's the journey to get there, And that's why suffering becomes something that can actually be actually be appreciated, because suffering is God's tool to soften our edges. I've shared this a couple times, and I am going to share with you guys, and I'll leave it there.
Speaker 1 01:33:21
I heard in this sermon, I was just like," Oh, I got to write that down." And it was. I won't tell you guys here because I quote him too much. We'll just assume that I came up with this myself.
Speaker 5 01:33:36
He quotes so now Tim Keller.
Speaker 1 01:33:37
Yeah, because that's my guy. But and it's a summarized version, so it's not or paraphrase. The necessity of trials. Trials are not simply because the world is a bad place. If trouble comes, you need them. God hates the brokenness but monitors and allows suffering in stages to teach specific lessons. John Newton's quote encapsulates this : " E very thing is necessary that He sends ; nothing can be necessary that He withholds." Something is in your life, you need it, even if it's bad. If it's not, you don't need it, even if you think you do. I am reading this and.
Speaker 1 01:34:17
By the way, I am going. That's a hard statement to say with something like this. And so, please don't think I am being insensitive in the whole trusting thing, right? There is a divinely ordained order to your life, even if it appears chaotic from your limited perspective. So we just can't see.
Speaker 1 01:34:49
Going back to. You know, one in case of them, it's like, nephews and you know. So yeah, but it's like imagine your four year old coming to you and going dad. I need you to make some you know this needs to make sense. I need you to explain it to me. Anyway. You're four right? And how much more is it? Just won't get it. You're not ready or whatever, and that's that's extremely difficult. So definitely have our support in whatever way. Have,
Speaker 5 01:35:36
You guys done it being talked to or you does it feel like we've exhausted it?
Speaker 3 01:35:43
I'm like trying to speak as little words as possible because I just. 
Speaker 5 01:35:51
Would you like to move on? Okay. Sure. No, it's okay. We can move on. We can move on. It's okay. I'm not trying to say that after yours, I just. No,
Speaker 1 01:36:01
I didn't find it. Sorry guys.
Speaker 5 01:36:03
Sorry to take it there, I apologize. So thank you for sharing. My little cup was empty. So that's why I stopped talking. That was great. Thank you. That was a very nice way of saying that no. No, his version. No, his stop. I was like, no. You're like, no. That's funny. I'm like, no it's not. Anyways Well We got like my father-in-law home And, then he leaves tomorrow. And then like um And, then my niece comes into town On Friday with their three kids and she's pregnant The one who lives with me.
Speaker 5 01:36:45
Like she for, Christmas wanted us to fly out there to spend time with them, and we just couldn't commit the time off. And now they're all coming here. That's like overwhelming. It's like really overwhelming. At first it felt fine, But now it's like holy moly I just don't know if I can. 
Speaker 1 01:37:03
Like love to have them. It's not about them, It's just, you know, next weekend, I'll be going to my third funeral in a month and a half something like that. So it's like that. Plus the.
Speaker 5 01:37:15
Everything just keep on adding, and then they want to see that like my family and stuff. Like people want to see her, and I know she doesn't want to really. She likes being wanted, like people wanting to see her, but she doesn't want. She just wants to hang out with us. So I feel like I am having to kind of like oddly protect that, but like. I don't know, it's a weird dynamic. Yeah, I am feeling really overwhelmed with it because and then she was like, oh, don't take any time off like just you know. I was just going to take off one day, but she's like, But we have all week to hang out. And I'm thinking, Not really. Like, you're going to be gone on this day. And then like people want to come over and see you on this day. And then I don't know. I'm kind of anxious over it, to be honest. So just because we'll have then ten people in my house. So in my little shoebox of a house,
Speaker 1 01:38:08
That's not very big She's, like the little one has started hitting Oh. Yeah.
Speaker 5 01:38:14
She's like telling us all the bad things that her kids are doing. So that way, we really don't like judge her.
Speaker 1 01:38:21
I am sorry, I hit your kid when you met me.
Speaker 6 01:38:26
I want to tell my brother that all the time when I see his kids, I am like just give them to me for a week. I know, be gone. That'll stop real fast.
Speaker 5 01:38:33
That's kind of what we did with her when she was like no, Like they don't sleep through the night.
Speaker 1 01:38:38
Actually it was it was messiah. So her oldest. Name is Messiah, and so that's Messiah. Messiah,
Speaker 5 01:38:48
Like our Lord and Savior. That's like a lot to live on, right? She an interesting name. He, but well, okay,
Speaker 1 01:38:53
Yes, It's. 
Speaker 6 01:38:55
Kind of crazy how they named he He was,
Speaker 1 01:38:58
But you were going to say he or she named her the kid, right?
Speaker 6 01:39:02
No, they want to know if it was a boy or girl.
Speaker 1 01:39:03
It was a boy. No, I just met a girl named Noah today.
Speaker 6 01:39:05
So Noah no Well no you didn't meet him. Myniece's friend was over, saying her brother. 
Speaker 6 01:39:12
Had Two daughters and named them. Noah and Jonah.
Speaker 1 01:39:16
Can you imagine when you are, but when can you imagine watching this kid like in a public, he's running away. You are like Messiah,
Speaker 5 01:39:25
Come back here. I was trying to tell, okay. So here is the hard part. Tasia tells. So our history with Tasia, how we yeah, okay, yeah, we told you guys. Yeah. So she lived with us. Okay, so we fostered. The one that we fostered in high school, right? And then she ended up marrying a guy, NFL player. And then so oh, that's right. This is the one that's coming. Yeah,
Speaker 7 01:39:47
I put that together,
Speaker 5 01:39:48
But I wasn't sure how to ask her. So he's coming. Yeah, He has like he's meeting with his agent and they're doing like a dinner and award ceremony. But like they're coming here to spend time with us and they feel really. And then it's also him. And Solomon have like one on ones every week and whatnot, like where they just talk about the Bible. It's really good.
Speaker 6 01:40:07
This is her son. 
Speaker 5 01:40:08
This is her son Messiah. Solomon is her husband. Got it, so right, so Solomon's the husband.
Speaker 1 01:40:16
Her son is Messiah, And then she has a daughter named Blue that they spell like the cheese B L E U. By the way, last name Berg, So Bluebird unintentional. 
Speaker 5 01:40:27
My mom ruins everything, because myniece did not realize that she named her daughter Bluebird.
Speaker 1 01:40:33
But she's about to name the next one Bailey Bird.
Speaker 5 01:40:35
The last yeah. 
Speaker 3 01:40:37
The last name is Bird,
Speaker 5 01:40:39
B Y R D. So, first name is Bluebird. Bluebird. And I was my mom was like," Oh, Bluebird!" And my my I'll never forget the look on myniece's face where she was like," Oh,". And like we were like eight months in and my mom said that and she was like," Oh my gosh." It's okay. My mom once told us because when we were like talking about names for kids and what not, like. We were like, oh, if it's a girl, we'll name her Tiffany. And if it's a boy, we'll name him I don't know Eric or whatever. And my mom was like, Tiffany is the name of a hooker.
Speaker 1 01:41:14
Stripper. Stripper That's what she said. Tiffany is a stripper name,
Speaker 5 01:41:17
You wouldn't want that So from that point on I'm. Sorry, if you know any Tiffanys We do not believe that We like the name Tiffany But now forever more That is My mom ruins everything I don't like your mom My mom She sounds funny. My mom ruins, everything So. That's why I was like I told my mom. I was like Oh change it. Like, she's gonna name her girl Bailey. And my mom's like," like Bailey bird? Bailey bird?" Like, and I am like," Please do not say that when you come visit. Like, you are gonna kill her. Like, she's gonna die slowly." That's. 
Speaker 6 01:41:46
Why you don't tell people their names.
Speaker 5 01:41:47
I hear right. So what the. 
Speaker 1 01:41:52
Messiah hit me when he when they came here. So yes, the messiah hit me. So we have a lot of fun with that one branches. So. They didn't go to church for a very long time, too. I'll tell you that as well. Right, and he starts crying. I am like, "Don't hit me." And she's like, "Did you just?" I am like, "Yeah, yeah." She should be flicking you right now. You know and so he hit you? Yeah. Well, that was that's the so she's bringing the third one right? And it's like, yeah he started hitting. And you know, it's funny because it's like, hey, that's not if your son hits me, he will learn doesn't hit, just like the other one did.
Speaker 1 01:42:33
You know,
Speaker 5 01:42:37
So their third kid.
Speaker 7 01:42:39
This is what you invited in your home.
Speaker 5 01:42:41
She's telling me, she's like, they also say" what the hell." She's like, they say" what the hell," and I am like, okay. I am like, if my kids pick up bad language from your babies, we're going to have problems. Their third kid is named Malachi, which they don't call M, ala chi;, they call him. Bo. So I call him Bo Jangles because why? They actually didn't put two and two together, and they think it's really funny. So there you go. My niece is quick to call me racist as a joke, But the other day, I was talking about how my youngest son really likes colored goldfish, and then she called me a racist. And I said, "What are you talking about?" I'm like, "Goldfish are there are goldfish that are colored, and those are the only ones that he likes to eat." And then she felt really embarrassed, and I felt like I got her.
Speaker 5 01:43:33
I got her, so I felt pretty redeemed about that. This is a very weird dynamic between us because of like it's all. It's played out very odd in the fact that when my niece came to live with us, Like she would go home and like they would make her feel really bad about being whitewashed or whatever. We didn't really think anything of it. We never talked really about the only thing I ever encouraged her to do, which is funny is when she came to live with us. She was straining her hair every day. She's black. She is, yes, she's half black.
Speaker 1 01:44:06
So she's sorry, what half?
Speaker 5 01:44:09
Half black, quarter Mexican and quarter white.
Speaker 1 01:44:11
Half black, quarter Mexican and quarter white. Yeah, so this. 
Speaker 6 01:44:14
Is your sister's.
Speaker 1 01:44:16
So my cousin, oh,
Speaker 6 01:44:18
That's right.
Speaker 1 01:44:18
Your sister is half Mexican half white. Okay. And she spent the majority good portion of her childhood in my house. That's right. Um. We have a very, well, we did have a very good, um, Relationship to the point when she had cause she had four girls in between ages. She had the first one when she was eighteen. And the fourth one when she was twenty two. I think. And so Tasia is number four. Um, but they always called me uncle so. She became my niece.
Speaker 1 01:45:01
And live with us and then.
Speaker 5 01:45:03
Teja calls me on Friday and she has like fifty minutes to drive home. She's like, I hope you have time to talk. I have fifty minutes and I am like in the middle of work and I like, have to get stuff done. I've been totally unproductive. And like in the middle of the conversation she drops, she goes Eric's like fourteen, right Like, thirteen? I am like no he's fourteen. She goes, Can you imagine just giving up your son at thirteen because that was her age? She just dropped that one on me. Like what Like? What do you think? Like. Like, how would you feel about just saying, like giving up your son and telling him he was going to go and live with somebody else. And I was I didn't know how to respond, because I can tell that she's processing it. You know, cause that's the thing.
Speaker 1 01:45:42
You got kicked out on the last day of school for making out with a boy. How bad do you got to be making out with a boy, to get kicked out on the last day of school?
Speaker 5 01:45:51
I don't even know the dynamic of what happened. She didn't she isn't?
Speaker 1 01:45:54
She doesn't remember all this stuff yeah, but that's kind of the thing is like she. So, she's really the only one. It's not screwed up, and so it was. It was her mom saying," She literally said,'I've screwed up the older three. I want this one to have a chance. Will you take her?'" And then she did everything she could to screw up even more. Um.
Speaker 5 01:46:25
Anyways, I just thought it was like crazy that she dropped that one on me. I am like, guy, I don't. I don't know. That'd probably be pretty devastating. Like, how do you feel about it Like, What did you think about it at the time? I don't think I really ever asked you how you felt about it. You know, like how she's like, I don't know. I, just remember my mom sitting me down on the bench and just telling me, I was going to go live with you guys right? She goes honestly, It didn't even faze me, because that was like, because my life was chaotic. 
Speaker 1 01:46:52
When she's never been in a right And,
Speaker 5 01:46:54
Then we talked about and she was like, I don't even She said she doesn't even, Remember coming over and staying at our house for a week that summer. And I was like, yeah, there is things. I told her a story. And like there's one time when you were sitting at our bar and you were like eating a lot of fruit. And I'm just trying to make like small chat like with you. And I go, God, do you do you really like strawberries? Huh? Like, do you eat a lot of strawberries at home? And she goes no, I never like we never have fruit ever. In fact, sometimes we don't even eat at all.
Speaker 5 01:47:27
And she just said it so matter of fact, and Tayja starts laughing now because she doesn't remember, but she's like," Dang, I just tell it to you straight, huh?" And that's how she always was.
Speaker 1 01:47:36
Take her up for underwear.
Speaker 5 01:47:37
I know that was crazy. She was like washing so. 
Speaker 1 01:47:41
Had one pair of underwear to two two pairs.
Speaker 5 01:47:44
And. So I came into the about, i didn't know she'd been with us for a week and a half, and i came upstairs, and She had a pair of underwear just hanging over her sink drying. And I was like," Why do you have this? Like what happened? Do you need help?" You know, And she said she only had two pairs of underwear, so she was just washing them and reusing them. And she didn't feel like it was worth a load. And I was like, Let's go, let's go to Tilly's and buy you some stuff and whatnot. But but she like didn't know, so we talked about it on Friday a little bit. But she has like no recollection of any of this. It's like a lot of trauma based stuff. It's kind of weird, but the fact that she just dropped that one on me, I was like okay. 
Speaker 5 01:48:22
Like I didn't know how to respond though, because I didn't want to like make her mom look bad. Like, well, I would be kind of heartbroken to be honest. Like, I don't think I'd be able to like. Unless I felt like it was what was, Like if it was best for my son, then obviously, but even then like letting go of having my son go and live with somebody else, because and knowing that I wasn't gonna see him.
Speaker 3 01:48:42
Sounds like it was more of a selfless thing on the mom's part, because she felt like she was screwing up her kids. And so it was like a. Desperation, like I have to do this. I don't think she felt like she had a choice. It was out of love, so right,
Speaker 5 01:48:57
I agree.
Speaker 1 01:48:58
I think there was definitely i found out later that my dad had told her, and She's got a great relationship with my dad. My dad had told her to ask me it was It was, I guess it was my dad's idea because she's like," What am I going to do here?" Thanks, Dad. You know not that i take it away now but it's just like. 
Speaker 5 01:49:22
You Know. Yeah.
Speaker 1 01:49:31
But I think, but I think that, you know she's always wanted to do wanted she's. She had a child. I mean, I didn't find out most of this till a few years ago, but she had one of those childhoods where you go oh oh, No wonder why she screwed up. I mean, how could people do that? Oh, yeah. Um, And so but it's it's also difficult too, because you know it's like my dad will go. Don't you understand? She's just trying to like, no, you don't no You started. This Her daughter is in my house now She's the enemy You know I I you protect her Yeah.
Speaker 5 01:50:14
That was a challenge She's,
Speaker 1 01:50:15
You know, but.
Speaker 5 01:50:17
It's still,
Speaker 1 01:50:18
I can't do right by my daughter now, you know, because of your daughter. And.
Speaker 5 01:50:23
So it's just like we can't even talk about like so Teja hasn't told her mom who lives forty five minutes away from her that she's pregnant again. But, my father in law is staying with us, and they're connecting and like and they talk. Did my mom tell your dad today at the soccer game? I was going to text my mom be like, Mom don't say anything. Okay good but I was like I know, Because they talk, and so like I don't want her finding out through the dad or whatever, so we've been careful not to talk about it and whatnot. But it's just a it's a weird pull. Anyways, sorry this is a weird tangent and took a turn. Took a turn. But yeah, they're coming in the whole family, so it'll be ten of us staying in this little house together. And I am excited ; I know she wants to be with us and know she wants to hang out. But I like work is so hard right now. ; I feel like I am in the same position. I was last year.
Speaker 5 01:51:14
With a really crappy job, just because they've changed some things and whatnot, so I have to be just I had to just grind it out. But Keja's used to me being able to be home and have a really flexible schedule, and I don't have that so. Anyways. So if you guys can just be praying for my stress, I woke up this morning at like five forty, five this morning, and I couldn't go back to bed. Which is normal for some people but not for me. Just because of how much stuff I feel like I have to do. And it's like all work related and trying to get ahead of things because. I would, just be so behind, And I have no self control when it comes to like my time management, if people are in front of me. So. Thanks. There you go. He's like, are you okay this morning? I'm like, yeah, I just got things to do, and my nose is stuffy that I was standing up and crying.
Speaker 5 01:52:12
My nose is kind of stuffy. He's like, are you okay? I'm like, no, I'm okay. Just I gotta get up. I gotta do things. So I went to Trader Joe's this morning at eight o'clock in the morning. I was so stressed out. Like, got to get stuff done. So, anyways. What was the day right? Friday Yeah Friday so And I know it should be like good and easy, and it was meant to be easy, but it doesn't feel that way right now. Feels overwhelming. 
Speaker 3 01:52:39
It seems like a lot having that many people in your house.
Speaker 5 01:52:45
And they have like weird diet restrictions. Yeah, I feel like you bring your own stuff. 
Speaker 1 01:52:50
If you have diet restrictions. One of the first times they had what they stayed with us for, yeah, because they had those issues. They came to live with us for a couple months. She serves them pasta because I don't eat a lot, right? And she serves them pasta on the table and she's, They take this up and they start like putting the food on the ground and everything. And she's like," Are they babies or something?" They were old enough to keep the food on the plate. And Ashley was like," What are you what what's going on here?" She's like," Well, this is how we eat at our house." And it's like," This is in your house." Yeah,
Speaker 5 01:53:36
They're Like they're like our free range chickens. So like I made fun of her last week, right? So it's like if you see him now,
Speaker 1 01:53:44
They're not like that anymore because we've had to kind of go like hey, This is or like you go to their house, and there was like drawing all over it. Like there's crayons all over the walls and it's like hey.
Speaker 3 01:53:55
They just draw wherever they want.
Speaker 1 01:53:56
Hey, what's going on here? Well we just we want them to be. Just find in their house but. Right.
Speaker 6 01:54:02
No, they didn't draw on our wall. So after the food thing where it was like, okay, let's get a couple things straight. She was like, well, that's gonna be hard. He said, I will help you.
Speaker 1 01:54:10
So they just set it to the side. Didn't need to go back onto. So their house,
Speaker 7 01:54:18
So their. 
Speaker 1 01:54:19
House was, it wasn't there.
Speaker 2 01:54:25
But their house, there was no carpet. There was like it was it was all tile. It was it was tile. It was you know cleaner than take carpet. But and it was just like, oh, what's what's what's the what.
Speaker 1 01:54:38
You know, but you got to think about both of them. Didn't necessarily come from houses that were managed normal, right?
Speaker 6 01:54:49
The kids are done eating,
Speaker 5 01:54:50
So and then she'll clean up everything. She would wipe it all up, wipes it all up, but not really like that's kind of off the floor. They were just done and just no, well, okay,
Speaker 1 01:54:60
No, so they'd sit down eating.
Speaker 5 01:55:02
It's not on the plate, So that no. That's the other part. They weren't eating at a table, and they weren't so when I first started watching Messiah, and she was like," I don't know how I am gonna do it." Our Lord and Savior. You guys, t here is so many jokes. And make me they are good about it, But it was like like cause Solomon grew up in like a really weird, like mom considered herself a prophecy. And whatever the the wait. 
Speaker 2 01:55:26
So explain this to me. So like they put food on the floor?
Speaker 5 01:55:29
Okay, sorry. And then they're like, okay, try to get you to eat. No, no, no. They're like, hey, no. They're like hey here's some like graham crackers. Here's an apple or a banana. Messiah's walking around, puts it down on the ground, puts the apple on the yeah, just walking around the house. Just walking around the house, puts it down and eats a little bit of it, puts it on the ground, I'm in their house and I pick it up because it's dirty, and it's on the ground and she goes, oh, just leave it there. Oh, well, we're out there. He'll come back and get it.
Speaker 7 01:55:60
And then, like, draws like three of bugs.
Speaker 5 01:56:03
Well, yeah, they started having really bad ant problems like a couple of years later. But it was like, but you don't, but it's like, yeah, they are definitely like the you live, you learn like kind of people. Unless like, what would happen is that you don't have to right Like. You don't have to learn I don't crap. 
Speaker 7 01:56:21
In my own pants and walk around all day. Right? No, well that was it. But. 
Speaker 1 01:56:27
Both of them also and You know, This might sound like I am defending them or whatnot, But you get both of them grew up in a house where literally, like they weren't being watched.
Speaker 5 01:56:40
Yeah, it's just chaos. Mom was working all the time,
Speaker 1 01:56:42
And so t here is a lot of stuff where they go," Oh well," I think t here is certain senses of like I have no clue what it means to like manipulate this kid into my world of, you know, even watching my brother who. You know, grew up in the same house I did. It's like he did what you let him do what? You know,
Speaker 7 01:57:05
Five minute Google search. How do I keep my kid from dumping his food on the ground?
Speaker 5 01:57:08
He had a high chair, and she never used her high chair with her first kid. And she's like, I don't know how to do it. And, so when I start, when I got to watch her first son, and she'd go away for like, you know, hours at a time, she's like, oh did he give you a hard time? Did he eat? And I'm like yeah he ate. She goes how'd you get him to eat? I'm like well I locked him into his high chair and. I didn't give him any snacks in between, you know, like he didn't just like graze off the floor. You know, like I cleaned up everything off the floor. I gave him a meal when he sat down when I put him in his high chair. And to be honest, like if you turn on the TV then they just kind of mindlessly eat. Now I don't encourage that all the time. But in this case, I was able to clean your whole house while he was eating, and that's how I got it done, you know?
Speaker 5 01:57:59
So She's at home and he's you know. 
Speaker 1 01:58:02
At the time like football. At the time he was leading at like five eight.
Speaker 5 01:58:06
He's making about just well,
Speaker 1 01:58:07
If they go out to eat somewhere,
Speaker 5 01:58:09
Do they do well? But now they're making it, but it was difficult. Like if they had little kids,
Speaker 1 01:58:14
They never want to see. So he just like no they would.
Speaker 5 01:58:17
But I was like two months. Yeah, wasn't like it was just. 
Speaker 1 01:58:22
Tough with the constant travel. Like I think that's why she enjoyed hanging out with him. So it's not like, a, I would give a lot of the helping without her asking. And it wasn't judgment to her.
Speaker 5 01:58:36
It was just me taking ownership, Taking her kids and kind of just setting an example of what to do and how much easier it could be with a little structure.
Speaker 1 01:58:46
And so when I would walk them dinner back at nine p. m.
Speaker 5 01:58:50
Train fall back.
Speaker 5 01:58:53
By example, how I manage multiple kids or whatever, no, like literally he was training. He's you know, like oh like they just it doesn't work like that. Like I cannot tell you,
Speaker 1 01:59:03
There is film. There is all this stuff he doesn't do that. Oh my kids don't nap and we're really not really a big deal. Training the whole thing, but there is that whole NFL like path where they have to go meet with sponsors. They got to go meet with other. You know. So he was just kind of like, tell me what to do I'll do it.
Speaker 5 01:59:21
Well, It's like well that's the thing that's hard. It was like I would go and sit on her couch, and like her couch had like food all over it. And her answer to that was," I'll just take off all of the my the. 
Speaker 1 01:59:34
And wash it. 
Speaker 5 01:59:34
Off." She would just wash it off.
Speaker 5 01:59:39
So They're much better now because when she went and lived with her mom for a while,
Speaker 1 01:59:44
Her mom was like telling her," like What are you doing? Don't let your kids." Well, it was like. You know, in the beginning, I guess I couldn't even talk to him.
Speaker 5 01:59:53
You know, so now it's like. I came in. How can. 
Speaker 1 02:00:03
I help?
Speaker 5 02:00:04
Everybody's trying to appease me. I don't want to be that guy. So, you know, and he goes. And her mom would like put down a blanket and let them eat on that blanket.
Speaker 1 02:00:14
You know,
Speaker 5 02:00:14
And it was like so like you know tightly wound that like. And he's like," I hate being here.
Speaker 1 02:00:21
Like, I am not feeling wanted.
Speaker 5 02:00:22
I don't feel wanted." So it's like," Okay,
Speaker 1 02:00:23
We're going to get meet together for once a week and do one through eight." But. 
Speaker 5 02:00:26
We were accommodating within reason.
Speaker 1 02:00:27
The podcast series meaning that meeting America came out of from Tim Keller's book on the gospel.
Speaker 5 02:00:30
And I mean, Even the reality is, is that like recently, she just lost a friend. 
Speaker 1 02:00:34
Because her nine. 
Speaker 5 02:00:36
Kind of did got into some,
Speaker 1 02:00:39
Like, you know, something like that,
Speaker 5 02:00:40
They went and they picked them at a garden,
Speaker 1 02:00:43
You know, or whatever.
Speaker 5 02:00:45
Which Could have been managed totally differently, I think, from the friends that they were got to. But it's like if you know your kids have the tendency to do something, then you need to actually like and he's. 
Speaker 1 02:00:57
Like, I make the money take care of the house.
Speaker 5 02:00:59
She can't she's got a leg to cuddle princess. And so it's just been like that. But yes, it is ridiculous and it sounds ridiculous and that's what it is. So, but we've had to do a lot of like parenting like to help the parents. You know,'cause they were just really they're just really, really young. You know. So and her answer to a lot of these things was, Well, one day my husband will make enough money that I will just get help. Like these things will fix themselves because somebody will help me. I will pay somebody to help me. You know Nope Tasia And I said,
Speaker 1 02:01:31
Nope No So, it's like they've always had enough money. Now they have enough money to like live very comfortably, but not necessarily enough money to have like a full time like housekeeper or.
Speaker 5 02:01:42
Hired, yeah.
Speaker 1 02:01:43
Yeah, Because everything for him now is kind of, like with you know, it's how long am I going to be able to play. You know? So six years,
Speaker 7 02:01:51
That's what he I am on. That's the average.
Speaker 1 02:01:54
Yeah, Soum so each time like he got a hundred thousand dollar signing bonus when he signed and said, this is all we're going to live on this year, you know, and everything went intoum savings or investing or whatnot. Yeah. So and in the NFL. Sets you up with, like, investment.
Speaker 5 02:02:14
It's like where they really lack in like common sense, They are doing really well with knowing when to like that, most most kids, their age would really struggle. Like savings and you know forward thinking and whatnot. So, it's impressive on that sense because they never had that and they weren't really around that. Teja is the only one who had that small experience with us. So. Really,
Speaker 1 02:02:42
It's only because of her that he's kind of warmed up to her experience with us that he's warmed up to us because it's just been like a, you know, all of a sudden he was like, yeah I want family too. You know, it was actually kind of funny because they they both. Uh, he needed to come back here, and she was out visiting, and so she checked in. He forgot to check in right. And so she's like how about I get on the plane I'll save you a seat. So she. Gets on the plane, some guy comes by or whatnot. I was like," Oh, it's a column." They didn't see first.
Speaker 5 02:03:15
I was like sitting in the middle, so there was a window seat available on Southwest. So everybody was asking me for my window seat and I am like," Oh no, my nephew's going to sit here." My nephew's going to sit here. And I have like a guy sitting next to me, and then this like big, six foot, five, black guy comes walking up and I am like, oh, all right, you need to get up my nephew's here, right? And the guy is like, looking at me, like i am Like. Yeah, let's go. You know, get out.
Speaker 1 02:03:40
He is so sweet to her, like he's like you know, so like hey auntie, you know and what not. Like when this guy hugs me, nobody's ever made me feel small. He hugs me and I'm like you know. And and then like while they're flying, you know he's like you look tired. And she's yeah I'm a little tired. Just go ahead and you know use me as a pillow it's okay.
Speaker 5 02:04:01
Yeah no, it was good. Yeah. I was really sick flying home. He was like just lean on me. Auntie. It's okay. You can rest. It was cute sweet. So yeah, it. It's a weird day. We've had to have a lot of patience where things where you are like, yeah, absolutely that's disgusting. Like it is and like little baby steps because of the fact that like they just didn't learn, and they didn't even have any support when they had their first kid. They're, just like two kids, winging it out in Wyoming for the first year by themselves. So like the big breakthrough moment was he helping her while she was pregnant with our first baby. And I went to one of their USC.
Speaker 5 02:04:40
USC games together, Because it was like a family night and was walking back with me and she's kind of cry. I like look over my you, okay. She's kind of was like cryy and I'm like, It's up, babe. She's like, I just didn't know that this is what it was like having like supportive parents. Like with kids, Like I didn't know that this is what this could feel like. You know, And it just kind of broke me because it's just like. That's you know that's family and that's expect Affected, that's normal. You know, like of course you know I am here to help. Like it's not about me, it's about like just you and helping you and the kids. You know so, anyways. But it's really. 
Speaker 6 02:05:20
Good so to be worth it.
Speaker 5 02:05:21
Yeah no, it's really good. It's all really good. I am just like I am stressed because I want to give her the time that she wants. She just wants. She wants Does.
Speaker 7 02:05:30
He make enough for them to like at least stay in a hotel. And then they can hang out with you guys, so they have their own space? They do, but they want to stay with us.
Speaker 5 02:05:37
They want to be with us.
Speaker 7 02:05:39
They can be, yeah.
Speaker 5 02:05:42
I think that to sleep, yeah, right. I think that in that as the kids get older and bigger, That will probably, i mean, That kind of happened for us too, like where they will we won't be. So penny pinching, you know whatever, but she wants to stay like That's it.;. She wants it and. 
Speaker 1 02:06:01
Don't need about money.;. It's just yeah, they really don't. I mean, both. So that the moms that they have like don't do anything for them, and it's not even like don't do anything for them. Like his mom is constantly calling him up, like when you going to buy me a car?
Speaker 5 02:06:18
Yeah, asking for stuff. She found out because the contracts are all public, so she found out that he got a contract. And, then the next day she called and said that she had a prophecy that he should buy her a car, you know. And his dad who was never in his life who is in Texas. Yeah, called him out of the blue. Sure, Like just to try to create a relationship with him.
Speaker 1 02:06:39
Yeah, And her mom is, you know not asking for anything, but won't do anything that doesn't serve her own purpose.
Speaker 5 02:06:45
She's he's coming too with her? Yeah, so so yeah. But we should uh yeah. 
Speaker 1 02:06:52
Wrap it up.
Speaker 5 02:06:53
Yeah, Fine,
Speaker 1 02:06:55
Yeah, We can no I am not I am just trying to be respectful of time.
Speaker 5 02:06:60
No I know, yes. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 5 02:07:04
So, thank you so much for praying.
Speaker 7 02:07:17
Lord And Savior, thank you for being here with us. Thank you for the opportunity to share with another our burdens. And, we thank you that You have a plan. And You are the one that can shine a light. When we're trying to figure out where to go, when the world seems dark, when we don't have any answers, it's nice to know that the peace that passes all understanding comes from you. God, I pray for for the families here and and the burdens that they have. I pray that you will Lord, That you'll come alongside and that you will or even praying that it'll be an amazing time. That his family comes in.
Speaker 7 02:08:05
They'll be able to handle the chaos and to be able to continue to provide strength and leadership for young families that need it. Pray that you give her patience, That you bring the right things to say and the right opportunities to speak truth into into the lives that need to hear it. As pastor said, "may it be like salt not too heavy but seasoned." Lord, thank you that you give us the opportunities to minister to people, to be in their lives. And as we now get an opportunity maybe to minister to others, Lord, I pray that you'll allow us to continue to see the things that you are trying to speak to us. Lord, That the Spirit will move in ways that maybe we don't expect and that when we don't have the answers.
Speaker 7 02:09:06
The right motives, Lord, And that we can find those spaces of comfort and rest even when we can't control all of it. Lord, We thank you for the opportunity to gather in this place and freely worship and freely meet as Christians. We never take for granted the many blessings you've given us, not only in this country, but in our community as we continue to try to. As we talked about tonight, as we try to know you more, may so much of that spill out into the people around us. May we continue to put you first. May we experience, like Pastor said today, That God gave even when even when we don't exactly see how it's going to come out. How vegetables and waters can still make us fat. How reading and learning about.
Speaker 7 02:10:05
Cultures that are not our own, can still allow us to have wisdom and truth beyond our years. And, how standing up for the things that you've put in our life as boundaries can allow us to not only minister in the courts of Babylon, but in our own jobs, in our own families, in our own relationships. We give you the glory for any success that might come out of any of this.
Speaker 7 02:10:36
Send your angels to protect us as we are in a hostile place. Thank you for all you've done. Looking forward to heaven, give us grace in the name of Amen.
Speaker 5 02:10:48
I've been really stressed out lately and I texted. My mom and I was like," You know, I am just thinking about how good heaven is." And my mom's like," Man, things must be really bad if you are thinking about heaven." And I am like," Mom, I am not like trying to kill myself. I am just thinking about how good heaven is." And I texted that over to my braids to my husband. This is why I don't tell my mom anything. Can I want for heaven? Like, Is that like without like knowing yet knowing that like I am worthy to be alive now?
Speaker 5 02:11:38
Likewise. So anybody on the side making it awkward, I appreciate. 
Speaker 6 02:11:53
It. Like I hate you.
Speaker 5 02:11:59
Let's get to meet at the church, wow. Yeah, here I am.
Speaker 1 02:12:11
What's weird about it is like, I went," Hey Johnny," I think we need a uh solution here. And he's like," Just tell Kim that I said to give you the key." And I'm like," Really?" So I walk up to Kim." Johnny says just give me a key." She goes,"
Speaker 6 02:12:29
Okay." All right. They know you a while where if I walked up and said, Johnny said to give me a key they'd go, who are you?
Speaker 5 02:12:54
Have a good rest of the week. Appreciate your guys' prayer for us.
Speaker 4 02:13:45
Oh.
Speaker 4 02:18:57
Yeah, I'm almost finished.
Speaker 1 02:19:13
Are We talking about Tara? Yeah.
Speaker 1 02:19:29
I Didn't think they were that old. Yeah, that's what they said, but I didn't think. I. 
Speaker 5 02:19:36
Was like trying to be like Rose and judging really carefully. And then you. Oh, dude. I was like oh my gosh, like. I could what made me want to ask is not because I was going to be nosy,
Speaker 1 02:19:49
But No you you read that situation perfectly. I put my foot in my mouth.
Speaker 5 02:19:58
Me like sometimes I it's like I see people who love the Lord, he his job is about kids. So there's no unless he's like Roman where he's like I don't care about kids. Roman was kind of self-serving. This guy is happy with what he's doing, like they have to want children. So, if we want to ask them and it's more group because there's sometimes we talk a lot about kids, and it's like complaining about our. Kids and all this kind of stuff. And it's like, is there really hurting about it? Like, you know, we we have to be true to ourselves, you know in our life and they have to be accepting of that. But also like if she's having a hard day, it's really hard to listen people complain about their kids. Right. You know? Right. So, that's what I was trying to like get at is so talk with your spouse or something about that. You know? But like yeah.

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