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Hey guys, and welcome to this episode of Technically Short.

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In this episode, I got to sit down with Leah Gasowski.

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Well, you heard it from her husband last week, and this conversation was fantastic.

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She really dived into her faith a lot about what it means to follow your passions and

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follow your goals, follow your dreams, while also laying them down whenever the sacrifice

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needs to be made.

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What does that mean?

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Well, we'll dive into that a lot during the episode, so make sure to stick around for

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the whole thing.

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Also, if you would be so kind to leave a word review, an actual review of this episode or

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of the podcast on Apple or Spotify, that would be fantastic.

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It really helps out the algorithm and lets people know what you think.

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Then also give us a follow and a five star review.

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All right.

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See you in the episode.

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All right guys.

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So I'm here with Leah Gasowski.

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Hello.

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Leah, last week you heard from Rob, her husband, and I think a lot of things I said about Rob

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I could also say about Leah, but she also... Usually I have things written down as

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an intro piece, but as we were saying earlier, I was less prepared.

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Leah's less prepared, I told listeners from hearing this for a second time, but I was

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telling Rob one of the main things I vividly remember from both of you was that you guys

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were the first people to show me how to worship in the home.

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And that was whenever we were there, I was there with Austin and you guys put something

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from the upper room on the TV and you were like, do you know what they're saying?

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Do you know what this means?

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I was like, no.

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That was definitely a pinnacle point of me really growing in my faith.

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Wow.

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That's beautiful.

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But yeah, I think there's just for the listeners, Leah, she's definitely one of those people

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that always have a smile on her face and that whenever you see her, she has this fun, sometimes

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goofy personality that does brighten up the room.

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And I think it's really also very good with very prominent for what she does leading Amplify

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Youth.

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So guys, well, Leah, for those who don't know you and maybe didn't want to know you a little

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bit more, who is Leah Gasowski?

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Yeah.

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Well, thank you so much, Thomas.

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I'm so excited to be here.

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I think anytime I'm asked to share anything, it's such an honor.

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I don't take that lightly.

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I don't know who recommended me to Thomas, but I want to say thank you.

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It's absolutely honoring and I'm very flattered.

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So thank you.

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Who am I?

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Wow.

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What a loaded question.

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So a little bit about me.

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I love Jesus.

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That's probably the most important thing.

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I am a wife to Rob Gasowski, who you guys heard from before you're hearing this.

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Maybe you're not.

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Maybe you're listening to this first, but if you haven't heard from him, you will hear

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from him.

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And then so I am married to Rob.

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We've been married for about four years now, going on four years or going on five years,

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married for four years.

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I currently I'm not actually on staff at the church.

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I am a volunteer.

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I volunteer probably, I don't know, I don't know, can't put hours to it, but it's probably

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like part time equivalent.

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It's what I do in my time outside of work.

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So kind of like, I guess, by vocational season of my life.

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So I help lead amplify youth, our youth group at our church, which we love so much.

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And I also I'm actually just starting a new job.

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So I recently just this last week and did finished out my job at a wonderful organization

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where I was able to serve veterans who were at risk for homelessness or experiencing homelessness.

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It was extremely rewarding and absolutely amazing what God has been able to do in just

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my I think I was I've only been there for like six months.

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So in that time, that was really beautiful.

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And now next week, I'm going to be getting a job as a project manager at a nonprofit

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in downtown Pittsburgh.

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And they focus on trauma informed community development.

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And so I'll be project managing there.

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And I start that on Monday.

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So it's very exciting.

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So that's kind of like what I do, I guess.

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I just shared a lot about what I do.

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But who am I?

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I love Jesus.

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And I really just want people know Jesus.

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I want people to know Him for themselves and to be able to walk out their faith in every

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aspect of their life and not just have a relationship on Sundays.

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But that really is what drives me.

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So that's who I am.

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I also have three dogs.

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We have three dogs and we also are believing for a family.

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So we're believing for a baby that in the right time, God's going to give us a healthy

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baby.

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So that's just a little bit about me.

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And I like to travel.

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That's probably important, too.

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I really like to travel and I like I like I like brunch.

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I like breakfast food.

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I love breakfast.

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I haven't had breakfast in such a long time.

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It is my favorite type of food.

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I can have it at any time of day.

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Go to like Denny's and get I think they have like the slam, the breakfast slam.

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Any time of day you can find me eating breakfast food.

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That's great.

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Could you what's the name of the nonprofit?

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So the one that I was recently working for is called Shepherd's Heart Fellowship.

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And the one that I'm going to be working for is called Neighborhood Resilience Project.

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So if you're wondering if you're like looking for good causes and organizations to look

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into if you're listening to this, you should check them out because God is doing some really

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amazing work through them.

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Neighborhood Resilience Project, isn't that that's what Q works for.

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It is.

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I've heard this before.

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Yes.

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And if you haven't had him on the podcast, he's a good he's a good person to ask as well.

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So you like one of our two remote episodes, we actually have a video for his.

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Oh, that's awesome.

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That's great.

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I love that.

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Yeah, that was also one we did with Sean was a here for.

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Nice.

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It was pretty cool.

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That's great.

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But the.

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So this podcast, technically short and soon to be rebranded, is about really about pursuing

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the call pursuing your calling and like really what was talking about, like what that means

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and really all aspects of calling purpose, etc.

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So like these two things that you've done recently, like or will be one that we will

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be doing soon, like they I feel like there is a very particular passion that you have

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and could you dive into that?

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What is this passion that you have?

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Yeah, I mean, I there's sometimes ways it's hard to explain it because I do believe I

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there's things that I feel like I'm passionate about that I don't fully know why.

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If that makes sense, you're kind of like, where does this come from?

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Like, does this make any sense?

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I do believe God gives each and every one of us very specific things that we're drawn

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to, that we're gifted in, that we're passionate about and that we just deeply that breaks

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our hearts.

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Right.

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Like I my hope would be from not only my life, but for everyone that either I'm discipling

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or I'm walking with or just doing life with would be that we would allow God to break

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our hearts for what breaks his.

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And I think those sometimes that can specifically show up in us in a maybe sometimes a very

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specific need.

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Right.

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Like there are certain people who are very, very passionate and drawn to certain causes.

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I'm probably drawn to like a handful of them, but each one, I think I've been able to kind

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of see God's guidance in my life.

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Looking back, I think when I was for me, it started when I was really, really little.

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I remember I went to a really small private Christian school, like really small when I

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was young.

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And I remember one time driving downtown for something with my dad.

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And I remember seeing like a homeless encampment and tents and things.

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And I remember, I think that's the first time that I recall asking my dad, hey dad, like

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what's going on here?

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And I was kind of like, I was initially sad about it.

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I was very sad.

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I was a little confused like what's going on here.

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And then as my dad was kind of teaching me about just, hey, this is the situation that

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some people are in.

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And it's a complex situation.

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And I'm a little kid asking about it.

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And I remember just at first feeling really sad and then very angry and angry like for

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them of, I don't really know what's going on, but I just want to do something about

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it.

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I was moved with compassion.

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So I think from a really, really young age, I've had a lot of compassion.

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And when I was like nine years old, I wanted to be a missionary.

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Like I remember in my church, like every second Sunday of the month, we'd have like mission

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Sunday and kids church, they would highlight some missionary in some part of the world

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where in some places it was harder to advance the gospel and share about Jesus than others.

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And they would share about these different cultures and these different places where

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missionaries are trying to share the word of God.

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And I remember hearing that and being like, oh my gosh, there's people who don't know

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about Jesus.

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And I think there's like a couple of different facets of it.

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But as I've gotten older, I think I've seen just a thread of things that sometimes I'm

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like, yeah, God, why is this the, you know, why this thing?

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And I really, I don't necessarily know that I know a reason why other than I think that

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it's given by God.

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And it's because he wants his name to be known.

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He wants to get the glory.

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But also I think we have a part to play in the restoration.

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So he specializes in restoring.

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We see it all the way from Genesis to Revelation.

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And after the fall, we're in the Garden of Eden and then the fall happens.

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And then we go all the way to the end of Revelation and where do we end up right back in his presence,

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unhindered by anything in the new heavens and new earth.

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And so he's in the process of restoration.

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And I think that that's kind of been a theme for me is how can I be an agent of that restoration

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specifically in the areas of serving people who are what really stirs my heart is as people

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who maybe are in need or under under resource, underprivileged, marginalized, kind of like

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the people who are on the outs of society and the culture, but also sharing.

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It's like bottom line is like sharing Jesus.

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But I think there's a lot of actions we can do that also share Jesus.

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So I've kind of just seen this theme in my life all the way from probably that experience

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seeing a homeless encampment to when I was in college.

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And I remember like when I first got to give my life to Jesus, started going to church,

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I'm like, I want to go on a mission trip and kind of getting experience for missions.

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But then even here at home, really feeling heartbroken by injustice and seeing seeing

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injustice and knowing people who have experienced it and just being like, OK, God, what is my

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part to play?

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And it's kind of like a weird thing to explain, but it's like this.

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I don't know.

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Maybe if you're listening, you know what I'm talking about.

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Thomas, you may know I'm talking about.

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But it's like when there's something that just moves your spirit so much, it kind of

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can feel like for me, it will feel like this like this is such a weird way to explain it.

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But it's the only way to know how it's like a stirring in your spirit or like almost in

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like your stomach.

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It's and you're like, I have to move.

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I have to act now.

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I have an urgency around it.

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And then I get frustrated if I can't move.

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So I I I hope that answers the question.

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I think I think it's from God and I don't fully always know what he wants to do with

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it other than I'm just I'm just one piece of the puzzle of his big picture.

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And I just want to play whatever piece that is in that restoration.

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Yeah.

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No, no, that's awesome.

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That's a lot of how you answer that question.

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I do 100 percent understand that and get that because at least from like the perspective

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of not knowing where the passion comes from sometimes.

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Because like, yeah, I won't dive too far into my because I feel like the listeners have

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heard my stuff a lot.

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But like, but no, I 100 percent get that.

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I feel like there's going to be some listeners that like that's one thing I'm like, I want

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to make a solo episode about the past about passion.

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That's something we talked about.

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Robin I talked about even like like where do you start?

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Like you start with the passion.

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Like what are you like?

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It's like I hear the this is a whole tangent I could go on.

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But there's a whole idea.

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There's something I can like, OK, real quick.

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There's this advice that people give.

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That they don't start with your passion.

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People say like, don't start with your passion about because you could be passionate about

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the wrong things.

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And I'm like, I'm like, and I'm like, that's true.

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But I'm like, it's also for me, I'm like, I feel like passion itself is a building block.

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And like you have to start somewhere.

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And so like, and like some people, they feel like they talk about like making money, like

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you want to make money.

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Don't start with what you're passionate about.

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And that's like, well, that's like, that defeats the purpose of purpose.

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I feel like if you're not passionate about what you're doing, that I don't see a point

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to it.

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I think that's interesting.

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I think personally, I do kind of see where someone's coming from.

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We may not be.

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I think we do have to be cautious in that regard of what actually what are we passionate

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about?

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Because as specifically as believers, I believe that God does position us and calls us and

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he uniquely gifts us even for certain things that he's asked us to do.

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I mean, there's a lot of things I'm passionate about.

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I don't think I'm good enough to even like work in those areas.

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Right?

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Like I have things I deeply, deeply care about.

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But I think that maybe I'm sometimes I'm like, maybe I'm not the one who is meant to maybe

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it's not right now.

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Right now thing.

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I would say I would say if someone is like, what do I do with this?

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I would just I my continuous thing I go back to is just asking God break my heart for what

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breaks yours.

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Yeah.

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And and don't be surprised when you because here's the thing, if I'm here for a certain

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amount of time on this earth, I want it to be for something worthy of of living for.

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And I mean, I do believe that's Jesus.

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And I believe that when we're following Jesus, when we give him, we give him our lives, we

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give him our time, we even we sometimes we even have to sacrifice those passions and

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dreams on.

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We have to sacrifice them and be like, OK, God, if they are actually of you, if they're

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from him, he's going to make them grow in his time.

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And we have to trust that.

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So I kind of I kind of like I'm like agreeing with both of those sentiments.

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Because passion is also hard.

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I mean, we we sometimes refer to Jesus's death and death on the cross as like the passion

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of the Christ.

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Yeah.

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And here's the interesting thing about passion is like it's probably at some point, you're

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probably going to have to suffer for it.

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And so if it's something you're not if you're not willing to count the cost of that thing,

283
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you might want to you might want to slow down because it's costly.

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I do believe when when God asks you to lay down your life for something greater than

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you, it's a costly thing.

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And I do think we can have worthwhile pursuits and pursuits that really aren't as grand

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as we think they are.

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Like like in our minds, they may be the most significant thing.

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But to God, he's like, hey, let me show you what really truly matters to me.

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And honestly, he can do so much more.

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He can do so much more than than what we want, what we desire.

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We're just we're just in service to him.

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And what he wants is greater because he's a good God.

294
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Yeah.

295
00:16:56,320 --> 00:17:02,240
No, that's I think I think you like I don't know if you like technically were pushing

296
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back, but I think I agree with both.

297
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I see both.

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But I think time like I appreciate that because now I want different perspectives and like

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you said you were talking about like sacrifice and I think they have sacrificed for passions.

300
00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:23,400
Has that ever happened?

301
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,680
Like what are some of these things you've had to give up for for your passions?

302
00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:28,680
Absolutely.

303
00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:32,480
I mean, not everybody.

304
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:38,920
So not everybody is called to, you know, be a pastor in the church or be like even even

305
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,040
in the church world.

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I mean, we want it's it's our desire that people would serve and contribute to the local

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church.

308
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Right.

309
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But even speaking from a like more ministry focused perspective, I mean, there's a lot

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of things I feel like I've had to you have to sacrifice in that role specifically when

311
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you're in a pastoral position.

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I mean, you have to in general, if I would say even just following Jesus, there's so

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00:18:06,900 --> 00:18:08,360
many things I've had to sacrifice.

314
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I mean, you have to sacrifice what seems fun in the moment.

315
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Like that's a cost.

316
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,080
What seems really, really fun and good to you in the moment or may seem fun and good

317
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to everybody else.

318
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You got to lay that down.

319
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:21,160
Yeah.

320
00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,280
You have to be there to, you know, I want to go do what everybody else around me is

321
00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,040
doing, what the world's doing.

322
00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:31,200
And you have to lay that down because it's because it's not always what you're meant

323
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:32,680
to be doing.

324
00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:34,800
It looks like sacrificing time.

325
00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:39,440
I mean, there's a lot of times where if I don't and this is just life.

326
00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,120
I mean, I think, yes, boundaries, there's healthy boundaries to have whether you are

327
00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:45,720
working a full time job or you're in vocational ministry.

328
00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,240
Like no matter where you are, you need to have healthy boundaries.

329
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At the same time, sometimes life just happens and it happens to you and it happens to the

330
00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:53,520
people around you.

331
00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:58,440
And there's times I've had to sacrifice my comfort, my time to kind of sit with somebody

332
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when they're really struggling with something and they're like, I need someone right now

333
00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,360
and be like, OK, I'm going to sacrifice what I want in this moment to kind of be with this

334
00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:09,560
person and hold them, create space for them.

335
00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,320
I think that's something that you have to sacrifice.

336
00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:17,500
And I think honestly, like my own, I think my own dreams in some ways I've had to sacrifice.

337
00:19:17,500 --> 00:19:22,560
These things that years ago I was like, I really want to see this thing as this thing.

338
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:24,520
I don't think all those things were bad.

339
00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:29,300
I mean, I have a my therapist a really long time ago when we first started meeting, she

340
00:19:29,300 --> 00:19:31,880
encouraged me to create like a dream journal.

341
00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,280
And so I have a stream journal at home that I have like that's my go to where like if

342
00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:41,080
I have a night, sometimes I get like really big ideas, like whether it's a business or

343
00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,440
a ministry or just something I really want to.

344
00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:44,440
I just want to.

345
00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:45,440
This would be cool to see.

346
00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,960
I'm just to keep my like creative creativity flowing.

347
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:50,440
And she encouraged me to do that.

348
00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,760
She said, and then when you get some more ideas, you go and you write and you make it

349
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:54,760
as detailed as possible.

350
00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:55,760
Like just a dream.

351
00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:00,440
Like if you had if you had all the resources and and what would it look like and all this

352
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:01,440
stuff.

353
00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:06,760
And if I were to go look back on that, you would find that like there's not many of those

354
00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:08,720
that have actually come to fruition.

355
00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:09,880
And that's OK.

356
00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,720
And I think that there's if we're being honest, even our dream to be my dream to be a mom

357
00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:18,320
one day to be a parent, that might not happen in my timing.

358
00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,960
And so I think you have to sacrifice no matter what you're doing.

359
00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:26,960
I've personally I know I've had to sacrifice like this is what I want versus this is what's

360
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:27,960
actually happening.

361
00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:33,520
You have to like balance this tension of unmet expectations, but trusting that when we when

362
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,000
we say yes to whatever God's asking us to do, it's going to be so much better.

363
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,840
I mean, I never ever in my life wanted to be a pastor.

364
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:42,840
Yeah.

365
00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:43,840
Ever.

366
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:44,840
I mean, ever.

367
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:45,840
I mean, I want to be a missionary.

368
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,440
And that was it was not something that was on the table for me at some point was like,

369
00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,720
I want to I want to work at a church.

370
00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,960
And this is the position I want to.

371
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,840
It was never a goal of mine ever.

372
00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:04,680
However, God has a way of when you say yes to him, taking your yes and turning it to

373
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:05,680
a million different things.

374
00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:10,640
When I was and I went to I went to college for finance and economics, which is like hilarious

375
00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,360
because I don't do like really anything right now.

376
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:16,080
Maybe I will soon, but I don't do anything directly.

377
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,920
And I remember graduating college and my dream at that time was I want to go into investment

378
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,760
banking and I'm going to make a ton of money.

379
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,680
And then I'm like, you know, maybe married by 27.

380
00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:31,960
I had like my life planned out basically in my mind when I said yes to Jesus, when I laid

381
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:32,960
all that down.

382
00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:37,140
I mean, I can't tell you how fast all of that just completely.

383
00:21:37,140 --> 00:21:41,840
Every plan that I had, I remember it was to the point where I was like, OK, well, maybe

384
00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:46,840
I'm going to take off some time after I graduate because I wanted I wanted to go and do like

385
00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:47,840
economic research.

386
00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:48,840
Yeah.

387
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:53,260
And I had a pastor, a college pastor at the time, who kind of laughed at me.

388
00:21:53,260 --> 00:21:55,280
And he was like, why would you do that?

389
00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,600
He's like, you should do something for ministry because we all know that's what you're going

390
00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:58,600
to be doing anyways.

391
00:21:58,600 --> 00:21:59,800
And I and I didn't see that.

392
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,600
Like, I did not see that at the time.

393
00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,880
But I did end up graduating.

394
00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:09,280
And instead of going into work and what I had originally hoped to do, I felt God instead

395
00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:14,160
through and that's a it's a really long story that we don't have to get into.

396
00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:19,140
But it was just a really long series of events over like a year where I felt God actually

397
00:22:19,140 --> 00:22:24,720
stirring my heart to go do like a longer term type trip.

398
00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:30,200
And so through that opportunity, got to go spend like four months in Kigali, Rwanda in

399
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,800
East Africa and serving in a ministry there.

400
00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:37,160
And let me tell you, when I was when I came like when I experienced that, I came back

401
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,160
from that.

402
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:43,560
I just remember thinking like, wow, God has really completely transformed every dream

403
00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,120
that I had.

404
00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:48,960
I mean, I ended up getting married at 22 when I thought I was like, in my mind, I want to

405
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:50,440
get married in my late 20s.

406
00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,800
And, you know, I had all these plans.

407
00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:58,160
My plans went out the window whenever I said yes to what God was asking me to do.

408
00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,480
And and I've had to let some things die.

409
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:06,920
And if if they're meant to happen, we have to trust God at his good time is going to

410
00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:08,240
is going to make it happen.

411
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,520
And his time is always, always, always so much better than ours.

412
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,360
And looking now back at all of that, I'm like, wow, the things that God the places that God

413
00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:20,560
has put me, the relationships, the people that we get to meet, the people we've gotten

414
00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:21,880
to serve.

415
00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:26,160
I'm like, wow, this is so much better.

416
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:27,160
This is so much better.

417
00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:33,000
And I and even in this place, I never expected to be where I am even now.

418
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,080
Going into going back kind of into like a regular full time job, I wasn't expecting

419
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,960
that that also wasn't on my radar this year.

420
00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:42,920
But even in that, I'm like, God, you're so good.

421
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:49,880
And how he just he he takes our yes, our laid down life and he makes it something so much

422
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,320
more than I could ever ask or think or imagine.

423
00:23:54,320 --> 00:24:05,280
Man, there's like one thing that you said a lot about and I'm curious because my hope

424
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,600
is that this podcast is it doesn't just reach Christians, but people that believe in God,

425
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,320
but all the people that don't.

426
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:17,760
And so for those like you were saying the term like lay down a lot for those that maybe

427
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:23,080
don't understand what that means, like to lay like lay down something like for God or

428
00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:26,640
just lay down something in general, like what what does that mean?

429
00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,480
Like you were like you dove into it a lot.

430
00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:30,480
Yeah.

431
00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,280
But yeah, let's talk about that.

432
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:37,400
Well, for if I mean, if you're a follower of Jesus, you're probably familiar with this

433
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:38,400
passage.

434
00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,080
I actually don't remember which gospel it's in.

435
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:47,000
I think I wrote it down, though, as I was praying and thinking about being on the show.

436
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:53,480
Jesus says he tells the disciples to take up their cross and follow him.

437
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:58,120
And when you think of when we think of the crucifixion, we think of the cross, we see

438
00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:00,940
it now as a sign of a victory, right?

439
00:25:00,940 --> 00:25:02,900
Because we know Jesus died.

440
00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:04,920
He rose again, the tomb's empty.

441
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:08,720
So we were able as believers, we look at the cross today.

442
00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:14,720
Thousands of years later, we see a symbol of victory in life and forgiveness like this

443
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:15,720
is what we see.

444
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:21,280
And in that time, as Jesus is saying, hey, take up your cross and follow me.

445
00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,280
He's literally saying, I mean, like it's a it's a torture device.

446
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,160
It's a it's a it's a means of death and execution.

447
00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,240
He's literally saying, take up your cross.

448
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,760
This this this thing, the symbol of death and follow me.

449
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,680
I mean, that's not exactly like a war rally cry.

450
00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:41,080
If you think about it, you're like, Jesus, what are you saying?

451
00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,400
I believe what he's saying is like, if you are saying if you want to follow me, die so

452
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,160
that you may live.

453
00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:51,500
And obviously, he's speaking of he's not saying, you know, like physically die.

454
00:25:51,500 --> 00:25:57,520
He's saying death in the sense of like, die to yourself, die to to your desires, what

455
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:04,440
you what you think is best, your plans, your dreams, your way of life, everything, everything

456
00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:12,200
that that is you, you, you like, let it die and take take up that cross and follow me.

457
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:16,960
And I believe he's basically saying, like, let those things literally be crucified.

458
00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:21,180
And along with the things getting crucified is our sin and it is our shame.

459
00:26:21,180 --> 00:26:28,480
But it's also our the human nature in us that it's like selfish, selfishness.

460
00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:29,480
It's what we want.

461
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:30,480
It's our selfish ambition.

462
00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:31,480
Yeah.

463
00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,160
And it die and follow me.

464
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:38,080
And so not only does that translate to fault, just salvation and being saved.

465
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:39,080
Right.

466
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,440
And so turning from my way, which is repentance is the big word we use for it.

467
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:49,520
Turning away from my sin, my desires, my my old way of living that's completely driven

468
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,720
by what I want, what I feel.

469
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,800
You know, our whole world tells us, follow your dreams.

470
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:55,800
Yeah.

471
00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:56,800
Right.

472
00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:57,800
Follow your dreams.

473
00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,600
And, you know, you the world is your oyster.

474
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:00,920
I think nobody actually says that.

475
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,000
I think I'm the only one that says I think I'm the only one who, like, has ever said

476
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,000
that.

477
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,000
I don't know.

478
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:11,120
I think the world tells us everything is just so like, you know, you are the author of your

479
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:13,400
blah, blah, blah, your destiny.

480
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:14,400
None of that is biblical.

481
00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:15,400
Yeah.

482
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:16,400
None of that's in the Bible.

483
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:17,400
He does not say follow your dreams.

484
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,000
He says, take up your cross and follow me.

485
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,000
Yeah.

486
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,600
And to deny yourself.

487
00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,440
And so not only is that true for when we give our lives to Jesus and we're saying no to

488
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,960
our old way, no to what we want to do, yes to him.

489
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,960
But I think it translates to everything.

490
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:35,840
I mean, I think even even even when I'm praying about the kind of parents we want to be, there

491
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,800
are certain things I think about that I'm like, huh, you know, maybe like I maybe I'd

492
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,660
be OK, you know, raising our kid to do this.

493
00:27:42,660 --> 00:27:43,660
And this is the way I think.

494
00:27:43,660 --> 00:27:46,840
But then I have to be like, whoa, is that actually what God is going to lead us to do?

495
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:52,600
You know, like even in my career, it's like this may be what I really, really want.

496
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,880
But is it what God wants for me?

497
00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:00,800
And it's really just putting God when I say lay it down, it's like putting God at the

498
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:06,280
focus and center of your life in such a way that like he's not an afterthought.

499
00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,400
It's not like a I'm just going to do this thing and then later, hey, God, can you bless

500
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:11,400
this like after the fact?

501
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,160
But it's like, no, God, what do you want to do?

502
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:15,080
What do you want to make out of my life?

503
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,680
And just laying down those desires, because sometimes it's not that our desires.

504
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:19,680
I want to say this.

505
00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:25,280
It's not that our desires are always bad, because I think sometimes people hearing like

506
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:29,480
Christians speak about desires and sins and things, it's like every emotion that I have

507
00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,520
is bad and every desires, that's not true.

508
00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,760
Actually desires are given to us from God.

509
00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:38,760
Like he's given us the ability to want things and desire things.

510
00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:40,200
And there's a lot of good things we desire.

511
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,760
We have a lot of good emotions.

512
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,840
I mean, we have it's a good thing he's given us emotions because it's a signal.

513
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:47,480
Feelings are like a signal of what's going on.

514
00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:48,480
Like I'm angry.

515
00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:49,640
Oh, why am I angry?

516
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,320
But these things aren't meant to our desires aren't meant to rule us.

517
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,680
And I can't I can't think of certain passages at the moment, but there's definitely passages

518
00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:01,840
where he the word specifically talks about people who are driven by their own selfish

519
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,880
ambition, their desires and what ends up happening to them.

520
00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:11,000
And so when I say lay it down, I mean, like and for someone who is not a believer, that

521
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,880
might be a little bit harder for them because they've not yet made that decision to completely

522
00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:21,040
laid down and give their life to Jesus as a response of him giving his life to us.

523
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:25,840
So I think that's it's just sacrifice is simply I think what that means.

524
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,520
I hope that makes sense.

525
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,680
No, I think it does.

526
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:38,120
I think you wrapped it up well with that saying that it's really what it is, a sacrifice and

527
00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:43,360
giving up what you're giving up what your desires are for something greater.

528
00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:44,360
Yeah.

529
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,800
And if you don't trust God, that's going to be hard for you.

530
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,960
Yeah, that's gonna be really hard.

531
00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:55,220
But God is a trustworthy God and he's a good God and we've seen his track record.

532
00:29:55,220 --> 00:29:59,880
And so whether it's parenting, whether it's your job, whether it's friendships, whether

533
00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:04,120
it's marriage, like is this the right things I should be looking for in a spouse?

534
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:09,760
Like no matter what area it is, you cannot you will I feel like if you when you trust

535
00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:16,400
Jesus, you will find that what he's what he's drawing you to do will lead to so much more

536
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:24,000
life and health and joy and peace than when you are in the driver's seat.

537
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:31,320
Yeah, like it kind of leads me into another question.

538
00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:39,560
Like there's whenever we like we're pursuing that we're pursuing our callings, we're laying

539
00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:47,600
things down like what I guess, okay, there's two parts to this question as I as I'm thinking

540
00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:53,840
like one, like how do you know you're actually on the right path?

541
00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:58,120
There's one question, how do you know you're actually heading in that right direction?

542
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:04,080
And then part two, which we'll come back to is like, how do you do that confidently?

543
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:08,160
Are you speaking so when you say, how do you know you're headed in the right direction?

544
00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:09,160
What do you are you referring to?

545
00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:14,040
What are you referring to?

546
00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:21,360
How do you know like, or is it possible to know like, what you're working on?

547
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,440
Yeah, like what you're working on in the moment, you believe you're working, you're working

548
00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:32,680
your say you are working in a passion that something you're passionate about and the

549
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:43,400
and something gets in the way and your and then you get discouraged and think, okay,

550
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,040
maybe this is God closing the door.

551
00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:47,320
Yeah.

552
00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:52,120
But maybe it's then the other part of me, my brain works like maybe it's got closing

553
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,720
door or maybe it's got just challenging me to be like, okay, double down.

554
00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:00,440
Like, there's like, so I'm like, how do you know?

555
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,120
That's like, and this is a loaded question.

556
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:04,120
Yeah.

557
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:10,000
It's a good question, though, because I am I think, I think there's something interesting

558
00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:13,520
when we when we think about like, you know, what are we called?

559
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:14,920
We use the word.

560
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,600
If you're if you're a churchy person, if you've been in church for a while, you'll know what

561
00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:19,600
I'm talking about.

562
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:24,920
Like, we use the phrase like, I'm I feel called to I feel called to this, like we use it so

563
00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:26,480
much.

564
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:27,480
Sometimes that I'm like, do we know?

565
00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,560
Do we actually know what we're saying?

566
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,640
And so I think what's helpful is to is first before I answer that question, it kind of

567
00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:37,080
define a little bit like, as and this is very specific.

568
00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:43,080
So if you are not a if you're not a Christian, like, keep stay with me, stay with me.

569
00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,080
Okay.

570
00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:49,280
So this also applies to you, even though you may not know it, but stick with me.

571
00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,280
The number one thing we're called to is to Christ.

572
00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:55,840
Yeah, we are called to Jesus.

573
00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,160
I wrote down a verse.

574
00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,040
This is in First Corinthians.

575
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:02,840
Yeah, First Corinthians one nine.

576
00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:07,520
God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ, our

577
00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:08,720
Lord.

578
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:15,760
And then in John, he says, This is to my father's glory, that you bear much fruit showing yourselves

579
00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:16,760
to be my disciples.

580
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:21,480
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear

581
00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,360
fruit fruit that will last.

582
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,020
And so that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you.

583
00:33:26,020 --> 00:33:31,040
And so we know from the word we see Jesus, we are called to Jesus.

584
00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,280
And we're called so we're called to fellowship.

585
00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:35,280
This is a very Christian.

586
00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:36,280
He's word.

587
00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:37,280
We're called to fellowship.

588
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:38,840
We're called to know him.

589
00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,080
We're also called to be like him.

590
00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:45,280
And a lot of times people are like, I'm trying to figure out what I'm called to do.

591
00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:47,000
It's like, OK, well, start there.

592
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:48,000
Start with that thing.

593
00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,960
I'm called to know Jesus and I'm called to be like him.

594
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:52,320
OK, yeah.

595
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,480
And then you also see throughout all of the scripture things that things you're called

596
00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:57,520
to within that.

597
00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,400
So being like Jesus looks like we're called to love other people.

598
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:01,400
We're called to love people.

599
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,640
We're called to love people how Christ loved us.

600
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:07,080
We are called to in humility, honor one another above ourselves.

601
00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:10,920
We're called to do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with our God.

602
00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,800
Like we can see revealed in some parts of the Bible revealed what we're called to do.

603
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,720
And so I think we need to start there.

604
00:34:17,720 --> 00:34:20,100
Because here's here's why I'm saying that.

605
00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:24,880
Because what you're asking is such a is such a real thing that we deal with.

606
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,720
And I will give an example.

607
00:34:27,720 --> 00:34:29,260
So last.

608
00:34:29,260 --> 00:34:32,480
So we are now you've pastoring both my husband and I would be new pastoring for maybe like,

609
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:36,360
I don't know, almost we're going to month seven.

610
00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:41,000
But both of us are working jobs outside of the church that we were not expecting.

611
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:46,160
And for four or three or four years prior to that, we were campus pastoring.

612
00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,160
So we were in a different location.

613
00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:52,520
We were in a different we were just in a different area of ministry.

614
00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:53,520
Right.

615
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,680
And I remember like, you know, things change.

616
00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,600
So so my thing is like, what happens when you're to what you're asking?

617
00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:00,600
I think it's a good question.

618
00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,000
It's like, well, what happens when we feel like we're really, really called to something

619
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:08,000
and then something happens that isn't it wasn't our choosing.

620
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,120
It wasn't our doing.

621
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:13,400
Maybe it was someone else's or maybe it was like, I don't know, circumstantial.

622
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:18,400
You know, this job has to if you get you get laid off or something like that's something

623
00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:19,960
that's an external thing.

624
00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,920
And sometimes there's internal things that happen that we have to leave certain positions

625
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,200
and certain jobs and things like that.

626
00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:31,480
So something similar to that actually happened last year.

627
00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:35,200
Something that some similar thing happened to us, to my husband and I were like last

628
00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:37,000
year we I mean, I was in a groove.

629
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:42,160
I was like just getting just when I was getting comfortable with accepting that, like, this

630
00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:43,160
is where God had me.

631
00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:48,840
There were just a series of events that happened that led to we're no longer in those positions

632
00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:49,840
anymore.

633
00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:50,840
Yeah.

634
00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:52,120
And it wasn't our doing.

635
00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,700
It wasn't our decision.

636
00:35:54,700 --> 00:35:58,440
And so with some shifting and changing and sometimes that happens, especially like with

637
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:00,440
organizations and churches and all kinds of things.

638
00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:04,720
Sometimes things change and you're in transition and you didn't ask to be in transition.

639
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:10,600
And I remember in January I was jobless and I was just sitting sitting because because

640
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,000
my job wasn't really no longer available.

641
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:19,440
It wasn't an option to return to that position, which at that time Rob was a campus pastor.

642
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:23,440
I was a community pastor and really like running discipleship in small groups, which I love

643
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:24,880
so much.

644
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:29,700
And I remember kind of wrestling with that and being like, well, God, I really believed

645
00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:32,040
that you called us.

646
00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,180
You called us to a certain community.

647
00:36:34,180 --> 00:36:36,080
You called us to a certain thing.

648
00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,880
And I remember kind of getting a little frustrated with like, you know, why is this happening?

649
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:41,720
God, I don't really understand.

650
00:36:41,720 --> 00:36:48,540
And what I believe God was showing me in that is reminding me that I'm called to Him before

651
00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:51,280
I'm called to anything else.

652
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:56,480
And so like one like it's it's it's harder.

653
00:36:56,480 --> 00:37:01,560
I will say it's it's easier to kind of accept when it's not your decision to leave something

654
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:05,120
or get, you know, you can get discouraged.

655
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:09,940
I think a lot easier when it like how do I word this?

656
00:37:09,940 --> 00:37:12,400
When it's an external factor.

657
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,560
I think it's a lot.

658
00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:16,880
Maybe it's not.

659
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,700
It can still be confusing, but I think it's easier to accept.

660
00:37:19,700 --> 00:37:20,760
Sometimes it's an external thing.

661
00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:25,440
It's a lot harder to discern when like organizations going great.

662
00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:31,040
Being super healthy and but for some reason, I'm like, God is telling me to leave this.

663
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:35,120
You know, so I think that I think that those are maybe two different types of things.

664
00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:39,100
But no matter what situation you're in, whenever you're like, I'm called to this thing and

665
00:37:39,100 --> 00:37:42,360
things get shaken up, we have to first and foremost come back to the fact that we are

666
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,720
we are called to Jesus and we're called to be like him before we're called to anything

667
00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:46,720
else.

668
00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:51,680
And that really helped me because for a solid month we begin youth pastoring.

669
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,840
And I remember kind of like sitting there and praying and like, God, I really am.

670
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:56,840
I'm confused.

671
00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:00,000
Like, does this calling like like what does this mean?

672
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,760
And here's what I think happened to me.

673
00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:03,760
And I'm not saying this happens.

674
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:04,760
But here's what happened.

675
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:05,760
Here's what I believe happened to me.

676
00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,240
And I'm sure I'm certain it has happened to other people because we are there's nothing

677
00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:10,640
new under the sun.

678
00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:17,640
I think that I was putting too much maybe stock into very specifically like where I

679
00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:21,160
was and what I was doing.

680
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:28,360
And to the point where I think I was letting that become more a part of my identity and

681
00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:34,800
my why then who I was in Jesus and what he's asked me to do, if that is making any sense.

682
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:40,000
And I think I think it's important to come back to us being called to know Jesus and

683
00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,920
to be like him because we can get caught up.

684
00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:43,920
It's okay.

685
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,320
Well, if I'm telling you, Thomas, I'm called to, you know, this role at this company, but

686
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,280
like two weeks from then I get fired.

687
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:51,280
Yeah.

688
00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:57,000
And I put all my stock in like, I feel I'm called to this specific position at this specific

689
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:58,280
business and whatever.

690
00:38:58,280 --> 00:38:59,280
Okay.

691
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,400
Well, God didn't make the mistake here.

692
00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:02,400
Yeah.

693
00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:03,400
Right.

694
00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:08,320
So I think we have to in humility come back to this place of it's God who calls and it's

695
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,460
God who qualifies and he calls us to himself.

696
00:39:11,460 --> 00:39:15,160
So when we know that, that makes it for me so much easier to understand.

697
00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:16,160
Okay.

698
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:17,160
Now, I will say this.

699
00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,680
I believe he calls us to himself and to be like him, but I do believe he places us in

700
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,360
certain roles for a certain time.

701
00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:26,080
I believe for that season, for those couple of years, we were meant to be, we were called

702
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:30,000
to those people, that congregation.

703
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,160
I also believe though that more broadly, I think that could be summed up.

704
00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:37,600
I think I've been called to make disciples, which is also biblical.

705
00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:39,920
And that also applies no matter where you are.

706
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:44,640
So even at this new job, I think I'm called to represent Christ there.

707
00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,160
And I think we have to keep coming back to him because what ends up happening is we'll

708
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:51,080
put the object that we, you know, I'm called to preach and teach the word.

709
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:55,240
And if in your mind, it's always on a stage, but that's never the place that you're preaching,

710
00:39:55,240 --> 00:39:58,920
you're going to be waiting your whole life to get on that stage.

711
00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:03,400
When it may never happen, that might not be the specific place that you're meant to do

712
00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:04,400
that.

713
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,800
But maybe you're meant to preach and teach the word, you know, in your small group or

714
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,200
one-on-one and showing people the word, right?

715
00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:15,680
We can't let these like how we expect it to look to hinder what God actually wants to

716
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,720
do in us.

717
00:40:17,720 --> 00:40:21,800
And so I think that answered your question.

718
00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:25,560
But that's a tricky thing because we can get discouraged.

719
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:29,600
That was a discouraging thing for me to be like, oh man, I just got in my groove.

720
00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:34,600
Like you know, I'm getting comfortable here in this place of pastoring in this specific

721
00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:35,600
role.

722
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,720
And it's a lot more uncomfortable for me right now, if I'm being really honest, to return

723
00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:42,880
to a nine to five job, it's uncomfortable.

724
00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:46,440
And there's going to be, I've not yet maybe been in a role specifically like this, I've

725
00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:51,600
done similar things, but there's things about going back into like a regular nine to five

726
00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:54,040
job that are kind of intimidating to me.

727
00:40:54,040 --> 00:41:00,760
And I've had a lot of moments of like, God, is this really, you know, what you have me

728
00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:01,760
doing?

729
00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:05,080
But when I look at every single step, so to answer your question more directly of like,

730
00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:06,360
how do I know?

731
00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:08,280
I think there's a lot of ways that we can know.

732
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:13,200
I think one is obviously testing everything with the Word of God.

733
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:18,840
Our decisions bring honor and glory to God.

734
00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:20,920
Are they reflecting His heart?

735
00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:24,120
I think another thing is like wise counsel.

736
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:28,840
Just being honest, I mean, before we accepted the yes to youth pastoring, one thing that

737
00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,040
we did was we spent time praying.

738
00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:35,120
We sat with people that we really trust, godly people that we love and trust.

739
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:37,080
We sat for hours.

740
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:41,040
I'm not kidding, hours talking about it, praying about it.

741
00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:45,960
And when we had left that conversation, Rob and I had so much peace and we really felt,

742
00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:50,480
okay, God, this is lining up for what we feel like you're saying to us.

743
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:53,240
I also think too, it's like, do you have gifting and skill in that area?

744
00:41:53,240 --> 00:41:56,760
Like what aligns with your gifts and your skill?

745
00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,240
For me, I'm not an overly analytical person, right?

746
00:42:00,240 --> 00:42:06,200
So for me to be, if I feel like I already get an offer or something for a job that's

747
00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:11,640
me sitting and analyzing data all day, every day, absolutely not, which is basically what

748
00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:13,440
my husband's really good at.

749
00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:14,440
But for me, absolutely not.

750
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:16,120
I mean, that's going to drain me.

751
00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:17,520
I'm going to be exhausted.

752
00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:21,240
Now we are going to have to do things sometimes that do not always align directly with our

753
00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:22,240
gifting.

754
00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:23,240
That's just the reality.

755
00:42:23,240 --> 00:42:24,240
That's life.

756
00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:25,240
We have to accept that.

757
00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:30,840
But when I think of places, I think God is so good that He does, He knows us, He knows

758
00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:31,840
how He designed us.

759
00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:32,840
He's our creator.

760
00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:36,120
I do believe He positions us in places.

761
00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:40,320
Sometimes it plays exactly to our strengths and sometimes it's meant to stretch us.

762
00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:44,440
But no matter where we are, we have to know that He's got us there for a bigger plan and

763
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:46,640
a bigger purpose.

764
00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:50,960
And typically we have a very poor theology of work.

765
00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:55,120
Typically we're like, I have to be working.

766
00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:59,200
I mean, Paul, Paul was an apostle, but he also was a tent maker.

767
00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:03,760
He did make tents on the side here and there because he wanted to raise money to be able

768
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:08,960
to fund his mission, which was to go and plant churches and share the gospel to the Gentiles.

769
00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:11,120
He did that on the side.

770
00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,400
And so that means, you know what, sometimes I still got to provide for my family.

771
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:16,100
I still got to do all these things.

772
00:43:16,100 --> 00:43:21,080
We may not always be doing things that we feel directly goes along with this grand thing

773
00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:24,760
that we think, but that doesn't mean it's any less worthy to God.

774
00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:27,440
It doesn't mean that it means less.

775
00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:34,000
Every single thing that we do, every vocation, we are able to work in such a way that it

776
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:40,600
brings honor and shows people who God is by how we work and how we show up there.

777
00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:45,480
I think your second part of your question, it was how do you walk in that confidently?

778
00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:46,480
Yeah.

779
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:48,440
Oh, that's a good one.

780
00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:53,320
How do I walk confidently?

781
00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:57,720
I think there's a couple of high level things to that, but also I think there's practical.

782
00:43:57,720 --> 00:43:59,720
How are you confident?

783
00:43:59,720 --> 00:44:04,880
You have to be confident in who God is and who he made you to be.

784
00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:10,240
And that's honestly the second part of that for me is the hardest.

785
00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:17,200
Thomas, when you texted me, I think in your message you had said something about, you

786
00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:21,440
said something along the lines of you view me as somebody who is very confident of what

787
00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:22,760
is God called them to be.

788
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:28,800
I laughed at that at first because I was like, you know, sometimes I don't know if I'm, there's

789
00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:34,480
so many moments I've had in the last five years of my life where I'm like, God, are

790
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:35,480
you sure?

791
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:39,280
Are you sure you got the right one?

792
00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:42,760
So that kind of made me, I was like, wow, that's amazing that someone would think that

793
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:47,440
because I'm not always confident.

794
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,800
And sometimes we're confident in the wrong things.

795
00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:54,160
There's times I've been really confident in my ability to do something only to find

796
00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,520
out like, I don't know actually what I'm doing.

797
00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:02,560
And I, and sometimes it takes me longer to realize that than it should.

798
00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:09,900
But I think how we walk confidently is we have to take God at his word that he does

799
00:45:09,900 --> 00:45:14,640
have us where he has us for a reason.

800
00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:19,160
And he's going to use that for his purpose, no matter what you're doing.

801
00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:23,360
So if you're, you know, you might view your job if you're like an accountant, it's like,

802
00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:24,360
I'm just an accountant.

803
00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:26,200
You're not just an accountant.

804
00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:34,520
You are in your job, you are able to show people who God is by how excellent you work,

805
00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,640
how you're showing up to your coworkers, by your diligence and your job.

806
00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:42,040
Like, God has positioned you every place that you are for a purpose, even if you don't

807
00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:43,940
know it yet, even if you don't see it.

808
00:45:43,940 --> 00:45:47,040
Like we see this part of the story, if you guys can't see what I'm doing with my hand,

809
00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:49,440
but I've got a little dot right in front of me.

810
00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:50,800
We see this part of the story.

811
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:53,360
God is seeing every single dot in every single place.

812
00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:54,360
Like he's seeing the big picture.

813
00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:57,760
So we have to be confident that he knows what he's doing even when we don't know, even when

814
00:45:57,760 --> 00:45:59,400
things shake up on us.

815
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,320
Like I look back at that season when I'm like, oh, I wasn't really confident.

816
00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:06,760
I'm like, okay, we kind of just got like life kind of switched up on us.

817
00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:09,560
Like our whole, our whole church community is different now.

818
00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:11,960
And that was really uncomfortable and painful at the time.

819
00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:16,000
I look back and I'm like, I see God's hand and I see, wow.

820
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:17,000
Okay, God.

821
00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:22,120
And then the chapter was coming to a close and I don't know that if he would not have

822
00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:26,240
positioned us out of it, that we would have willingly, you know, wanted to move on.

823
00:46:26,240 --> 00:46:27,240
I don't know.

824
00:46:27,240 --> 00:46:29,680
And so in his kindness, I see him doing that.

825
00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,080
So I think we have to trust that he knows what he's doing more than we know what we're

826
00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:33,080
doing.

827
00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:37,640
I also think practically speaking, how we continue is like, man, we got to be encouraged.

828
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:42,380
Like you need people around you who are speaking life into you, who are praying for you, who

829
00:46:42,380 --> 00:46:46,560
are able to encourage in those moments, because you will probably get discouraged.

830
00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:49,980
It's probably going to happen at some point if it hasn't happened, especially when things

831
00:46:49,980 --> 00:46:51,120
happen unexpectedly.

832
00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:55,280
You lose the job, your community changes, your, you know, your life gets shaken up a

833
00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:56,280
little bit.

834
00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:57,280
It's going to happen.

835
00:46:57,280 --> 00:46:58,280
The word promises that that's going to happen.

836
00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:00,960
We're going to experience trial and tribulation in this life.

837
00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:05,240
We got to have people in our corner who are there to encourage us, speak life into us,

838
00:47:05,240 --> 00:47:06,240
pray for us.

839
00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:07,880
And also like wise, be wise.

840
00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:09,760
They're going to tell us how it is.

841
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:11,960
Like if I, this is so funny.

842
00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:15,400
Like if I have someone come to me and they're like, Oh, you know, I feel like I'm called

843
00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:20,200
to be a missionary in, I don't know, Thailand.

844
00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:23,640
But when I, but as someone who is walking with them, if I'm not seeing maybe consistent

845
00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:28,400
qualities of like, I might be like, Hey, let's have an honest conversation of, you know,

846
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:29,840
why do you feel you're called to this?

847
00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:33,160
Because I think sometimes emotions can kind of drive and we need, we need wise people

848
00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:37,760
around us who, who ideally love the Lord and are able to speak life.

849
00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:41,280
I also think how we walk confidently is like, we got to understand that we don't know what

850
00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:42,880
we think we know.

851
00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:44,720
That's just, that's true with everything.

852
00:47:44,720 --> 00:47:47,480
You don't actually know as much as you think, you know, you're not the smartest.

853
00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:49,200
You should, hopefully you're not the smartest person in the room.

854
00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:53,760
You should surround yourself with people who've, who've been where you have not yet been.

855
00:47:53,760 --> 00:47:55,120
I think we need people.

856
00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:58,640
I feel like at all points in our lives, we need people who've gone ahead of us.

857
00:47:58,640 --> 00:48:02,600
We need people who are kind of like either right where we are, maybe in it with us.

858
00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:07,080
And then we also need to have somebody who's not yet where we are, who we're able to guide.

859
00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,720
Like that's how discipleship works.

860
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:12,280
That's how I believe like mentorship works.

861
00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:15,460
We're all called to do, to do discipleship.

862
00:48:15,460 --> 00:48:17,120
Sometimes it looks formal like mentorship.

863
00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:19,400
Sometimes it looks like natural relationship.

864
00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:24,360
But I think that we all need, we need people who have kind of been ahead of where we are.

865
00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:25,880
We need to be humble and listen to them.

866
00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:27,800
We need to be willing and we need it.

867
00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:31,240
We need to be willing when we make to admit when we make a mistake, when we don't get

868
00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:32,280
it right.

869
00:48:32,280 --> 00:48:36,880
We have to be willing to admit that because we're not always going to get it right and

870
00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:42,240
understand like, Oh my gosh, people, this, this, this, this used to be me.

871
00:48:42,240 --> 00:48:47,800
Sometimes we're so afraid to make a move with anything because we're so afraid of, you know,

872
00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:53,800
what if I make this one decision and you know, what if I make this one decision and everything

873
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,040
falls apart?

874
00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:59,320
If we have our eyes fixed on Jesus, he's going to guide us exactly.

875
00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:02,520
His spirit's going to guide us exactly where we need, where we need to be.

876
00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:04,480
He's always drawing, he's always drawing us back to him.

877
00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:06,000
He's going to guide us to where we need to be.

878
00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:10,920
So even if you make a mistake, even if you slip up, something happens.

879
00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:12,960
You make the wrong decision.

880
00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:17,080
As long as we in humility, we turn and say, Hey, Hey, I need some help.

881
00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:19,760
I do believe God is going to lead us down the right path.

882
00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:24,120
And so I think those are some ways that I've kind of, I've grown in more in confidence

883
00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:33,400
because I've learned to rely on God more, more than I rely on my own strength, but also

884
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,760
even what other people think of me.

885
00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:38,840
Like we, I can't, I can easily get too caught up in that.

886
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:41,800
And I just need him to remember like, this is how God, this is who God is.

887
00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:44,000
This is how he sees me.

888
00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:47,280
And I think that he's going to guide us to where exactly we need to be as long as we've

889
00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:49,720
got him on the forefront.

890
00:49:49,720 --> 00:49:52,880
And that sounds really simple, I know, but I believe it's the truth.

891
00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:57,800
Like when we've got our eyes locked on him, man, the word says, trust in the Lord with

892
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:00,600
all your heart, lean not on your understanding and all your ways acknowledge him.

893
00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:01,600
He'll make your path straight.

894
00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:02,600
I've seen it.

895
00:50:02,600 --> 00:50:03,600
I've experienced it.

896
00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:06,040
Moments when I have no idea what I'm doing.

897
00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:10,760
I'm like, God, I have this person in front of me who like, I can't relate to your experience.

898
00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:14,160
Like I've worked with people who are experiencing homelessness.

899
00:50:14,160 --> 00:50:16,280
I have no idea what that's like.

900
00:50:16,280 --> 00:50:20,760
And it can be really easy to kind of be like, okay, God, I'm inadequate in this area.

901
00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:24,200
I don't, I don't, I'm a girl from suburbia.

902
00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:27,800
I've never had to, you know, I've never, we don't have the same experience.

903
00:50:27,800 --> 00:50:32,840
But when I remind, when I say to remind myself, I, yes, I don't have the same experience as

904
00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:39,020
this person, but I do believe that God has positioned me in this moment to be the one

905
00:50:39,020 --> 00:50:41,080
to, I'm able to love them.

906
00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:42,760
I'm able to serve them.

907
00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:45,880
And he has given me a heart of compassion to be able to meet them where they are.

908
00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:46,880
And I don't have to pretend.

909
00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:49,440
I don't have to pretend to be somebody else.

910
00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:54,880
I just need to be who God has asked me to be and, and just be there for that person

911
00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:57,680
and help them the best that I can.

912
00:50:57,680 --> 00:51:01,400
And there's been many times I've kind of had like an imposter syndrome because of that,

913
00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:03,120
because I'm like, I don't, I don't know what I'm doing.

914
00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:04,400
God, I need you.

915
00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:06,680
I need you to show me what to do.

916
00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:10,080
Um, there's times where I think I know what I'm doing and I'm like kind of steady, but

917
00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:12,080
then I feel like there's always something that pops up.

918
00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:13,080
That's like, okay.

919
00:51:13,080 --> 00:51:17,600
And then I'm like, okay, God, I'm not really confident here and God will remind me I'm

920
00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:18,600
here.

921
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:19,600
Yeah.

922
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:20,600
Let me show you what to do.

923
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,600
Let me show you how to respond in this situation.

924
00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:30,160
Man, I like so many more questions I want to ask, but I want to get to the point where

925
00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:31,480
we're wrap up.

926
00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:40,480
Um, but now just to like, kind of summarize what I, I, some of the notes I took was like,

927
00:51:40,480 --> 00:51:50,360
if you don't know where to start, you start with Jesus and you, and like that, even if

928
00:51:50,360 --> 00:51:53,200
you're already a Christian that's been walking, you don't know where, you don't know what

929
00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:54,200
your calling is.

930
00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:55,560
You don't know where you're going.

931
00:51:55,560 --> 00:52:02,640
Like you can start with just seeking him and like he will guide you.

932
00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:03,640
Yeah.

933
00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:09,960
And like, like there's like, cause to what you were saying, like way in the beginning

934
00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:15,640
about like the, um, passions and like not showing what, like not sure why you're passionate

935
00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:23,400
about what, whatever, like, like I re like, I picked up, I picked up on what I was passionate

936
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:31,480
about randomly and like, I then like, I didn't even know what was passionate about it until

937
00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:36,200
I was like really diving into like learning to learn more about the particular topic of

938
00:52:36,200 --> 00:52:38,040
like understanding how people think.

939
00:52:38,040 --> 00:52:39,040
Yeah.

940
00:52:39,040 --> 00:52:40,040
And then it's like, Oh wow.

941
00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:42,040
It's like, this is actually really interesting.

942
00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:48,080
It led me down all these other paths that seemingly had nothing to do with that.

943
00:52:48,080 --> 00:52:54,520
But, but then every, all these other skills I learned in respect to what I was doing,

944
00:52:54,520 --> 00:53:00,920
um, are now going to be contributing, like, it could contribute to this podcast, like,

945
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:05,080
which I believe is part of my calling part of like, cause like I wanted to be part of

946
00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:06,080
my mind, like I wanted to be on stage.

947
00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:07,080
I wanted to have a microphone.

948
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:08,720
I felt like I had things to say.

949
00:53:08,720 --> 00:53:14,240
And then I had people tell us like two people told me that I should start a podcast, like

950
00:53:14,240 --> 00:53:15,640
not knowing that part of me.

951
00:53:15,640 --> 00:53:18,280
And then I was like, but even before then they were saying that I was like, I should

952
00:53:18,280 --> 00:53:20,600
think like maybe it was for our podcast at some point.

953
00:53:20,600 --> 00:53:23,160
And then I just, people were like, yeah, you should just do one.

954
00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:25,600
And I was like, without me like prompting them.

955
00:53:25,600 --> 00:53:26,600
I was like, I love that.

956
00:53:26,600 --> 00:53:30,320
I was like, then so eventually it happened.

957
00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:37,280
And like, and so I think like for people who don't know what they're doing, I don't know,

958
00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:41,240
I was just gonna say don't know what they're doing.

959
00:53:41,240 --> 00:53:45,920
You're unsure of what you're called to do.

960
00:53:45,920 --> 00:53:48,000
That's funny.

961
00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:49,000
Yes.

962
00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:55,560
Like it's like very basic advice, but I don't think enough people follow it that you just

963
00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:56,560
start.

964
00:53:56,560 --> 00:53:57,560
Yeah.

965
00:53:57,560 --> 00:53:58,560
You just start.

966
00:53:58,560 --> 00:54:02,520
And I mean, I like, I love what you just said, Thomas of like, what, like, like actually

967
00:54:02,520 --> 00:54:04,280
take inventory and this is hard to do.

968
00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:08,120
It's really hard for us to be like, what, you know, what am I actually good at?

969
00:54:08,120 --> 00:54:09,120
Yeah.

970
00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:13,040
Like I'm like, I'm gonna take my time and actually sit down, get like a pen and a notebook

971
00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:16,200
out and like ask those questions like, okay, what are things I like doing?

972
00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:17,200
Yeah.

973
00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:19,400
What are things that I'm like, I feel like I'm pretty good at?

974
00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:22,880
What are things other people like you just mentioned other people, what are things other

975
00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:26,480
people have said to me about certain things?

976
00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:33,440
Like I had people many times, which is, I don't know, sometimes they say people say

977
00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:38,800
things you're like, okay, but then it like resonates somehow.

978
00:54:38,800 --> 00:54:43,720
I, when I was doing that longer term kind of mission trip in Ronda, there were people

979
00:54:43,720 --> 00:54:49,520
there who affirmed for me of like, oh, oh yeah, like you, God has really gifted you

980
00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:57,080
to, at that time it was to do ministry and like other cultures.

981
00:54:57,080 --> 00:55:02,760
And like it was, it was everything and every people everywhere from pastors to friends

982
00:55:02,760 --> 00:55:03,880
to colleagues.

983
00:55:03,880 --> 00:55:07,560
I mean, there's like, pay attention to what people are saying to you and pointing out

984
00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:11,240
to you if you're like, what am I actually supposed to be doing?

985
00:55:11,240 --> 00:55:15,080
Like take a little inventory, what are the things I'm actually good at?

986
00:55:15,080 --> 00:55:16,800
What are the things that fuel you?

987
00:55:16,800 --> 00:55:19,800
Like I said, for me, like doing analytical work all day, like just looking at straight

988
00:55:19,800 --> 00:55:23,920
numbers on like running on a computer drains me, I'm exhausted.

989
00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:28,840
But what I absolutely love is like, man, when someone asks me one-on-one to meet with them

990
00:55:28,840 --> 00:55:33,840
and maybe they're asking a question, they're wrestling with something in the Bible or they're

991
00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:37,420
just going through a life issue and they just want to bring me in, man, I am fueled in that

992
00:55:37,420 --> 00:55:38,420
moment.

993
00:55:38,420 --> 00:55:40,120
I love, I love walking with people.

994
00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:41,540
It brings me energy.

995
00:55:41,540 --> 00:55:42,880
It brings me life.

996
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:45,440
I like, what do you love doing?

997
00:55:45,440 --> 00:55:48,720
And I think kind of taking inventory and kind of maybe seeing, okay, what am I good at?

998
00:55:48,720 --> 00:55:49,720
What am I gifted at?

999
00:55:49,720 --> 00:55:53,000
What are people saying to me?

1000
00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:56,280
Actually if you don't have, if you're like, nobody's around me, go find people and ask

1001
00:55:56,280 --> 00:56:00,480
them, Hey, and maybe you can ask them to like write it down and tell you later if you're

1002
00:56:00,480 --> 00:56:01,680
uncomfortable hearing in that moment.

1003
00:56:01,680 --> 00:56:04,840
Say, Hey, can you write down like three things that you see in me?

1004
00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:08,960
Three things that you have noticed in me and pay attention to those things because those

1005
00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:12,960
things might be pretty good indicators of like practically speaking.

1006
00:56:12,960 --> 00:56:17,680
Like I like, like the higher level is yes, we're called to know Jesus.

1007
00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:20,960
On a practical level, I think there's some wisdom and kind of literally what you're saying

1008
00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:24,080
Thomas you're like, you know, I thought it was this, but there's all these people around

1009
00:56:24,080 --> 00:56:28,000
me who are kind of like, and then you cut your mind kind of goes like, Oh, so it doesn't

1010
00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:29,560
have to look like that.

1011
00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:34,480
I can actually have an impact and do what I believe God's asking me to do, but it doesn't

1012
00:56:34,480 --> 00:56:37,180
always look how we think it looks.

1013
00:56:37,180 --> 00:56:42,840
And so I think that's really good practical wisdom of just like taking that inventory

1014
00:56:42,840 --> 00:56:44,840
and kind of like, okay, what now?

1015
00:56:44,840 --> 00:56:48,240
Like, maybe that even helps you like find out what jobs to apply for.

1016
00:56:48,240 --> 00:56:53,200
It's like figuring out what you're like, not just what you're good at, but like, it's like

1017
00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:55,920
what, like what you're passionate about, why you're passionate about it.

1018
00:56:55,920 --> 00:57:00,480
It can be a good, a lot of things that you shouldn't be pursuing, but, but the, oh yes,

1019
00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:01,480
I love music.

1020
00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:05,480
Like, does that mean I should quit my job and, and go become a producer?

1021
00:57:05,480 --> 00:57:07,400
No, I know nothing about it.

1022
00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:11,920
And that would take me a long time to learn the skills.

1023
00:57:11,920 --> 00:57:16,960
It's like why, like you were saying, like why you're doing something and you, like you

1024
00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:20,560
figure out what fuels you in, like you figured out that taking the inventory, like why does

1025
00:57:20,560 --> 00:57:21,760
it fuel you?

1026
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:28,220
Like what's that part of you that like, that you break it down to its like smallest pieces

1027
00:57:28,220 --> 00:57:31,760
and you're like, why is this such an important thing in my life?

1028
00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:36,160
And like, why, like I didn't know, I, I don't know why this is, I don't know why I'm passionate

1029
00:57:36,160 --> 00:57:37,160
about this thing.

1030
00:57:37,160 --> 00:57:38,160
I don't know why this feels me.

1031
00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:41,280
I don't know why those things don't fuel me because that other people say they should.

1032
00:57:41,280 --> 00:57:42,280
Yeah.

1033
00:57:42,280 --> 00:57:46,600
But like, that's a part of me that, but it's like, why is this such an exciting thing for

1034
00:57:46,600 --> 00:57:47,600
me to do?

1035
00:57:47,600 --> 00:57:49,760
And then that can help you find other things.

1036
00:57:49,760 --> 00:57:50,760
Yeah.

1037
00:57:50,760 --> 00:57:55,760
Because it's just like, it's not the thing that, that, that is fueling you.

1038
00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:57,640
It's the, it in itself.

1039
00:57:57,640 --> 00:57:58,640
It's the, yeah.

1040
00:57:58,640 --> 00:58:01,360
I'm not sure how to word this properly.

1041
00:58:01,360 --> 00:58:07,240
Like without being vague, because like, it's not the thing that's, it's not the thing itself

1042
00:58:07,240 --> 00:58:08,720
that is fueling you.

1043
00:58:08,720 --> 00:58:16,840
It's I guess if you would ask certain people, if you think some people would say it's like,

1044
00:58:16,840 --> 00:58:18,600
it's what you get almost after.

1045
00:58:18,600 --> 00:58:20,600
If that makes sense.

1046
00:58:20,600 --> 00:58:23,600
It's like, it's like, because it's like, I like what you say.

1047
00:58:23,600 --> 00:58:26,120
Like it's like, it's like you get fueled during, during.

1048
00:58:26,120 --> 00:58:27,120
Yeah.

1049
00:58:27,120 --> 00:58:28,120
Like a reward.

1050
00:58:28,120 --> 00:58:29,120
Yeah.

1051
00:58:29,120 --> 00:58:31,400
And it's, that's a really good way of putting it.

1052
00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:34,880
Like, like I had mentioned one thing that fuels me is like, I really love walking people,

1053
00:58:34,880 --> 00:58:38,280
like practically speaking, like what is the, what is, what does this Bible mean for my

1054
00:58:38,280 --> 00:58:39,280
life?

1055
00:58:39,280 --> 00:58:40,280
Right.

1056
00:58:40,280 --> 00:58:43,520
I love, I could like geek out about it.

1057
00:58:43,520 --> 00:58:47,760
Like I love, I love when these productive like, okay, I know this, but how do I actually

1058
00:58:47,760 --> 00:58:49,200
walk it out?

1059
00:58:49,200 --> 00:58:50,400
That fuels me because why?

1060
00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:57,880
The product of that is seeing someone walk towards Jesus and want him more.

1061
00:58:57,880 --> 00:59:03,600
Like seeing that for me, it's, it's like what keeps me going.

1062
00:59:03,600 --> 00:59:05,960
It energizes me in a way.

1063
00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:08,200
I shouldn't say keeps me going, but I guess sometimes it does.

1064
00:59:08,200 --> 00:59:10,080
It like encourages you when you're discouraged.

1065
00:59:10,080 --> 00:59:12,440
It's the reward of the thing.

1066
00:59:12,440 --> 00:59:14,680
Sometimes though, you might not see the reward quickly.

1067
00:59:14,680 --> 00:59:16,880
I think that's something important to remember.

1068
00:59:16,880 --> 00:59:21,120
Some things are a labor of love as they say, like there's sometimes like, like Thomas,

1069
00:59:21,120 --> 00:59:24,280
how long did it take you to kind of learn what you needed to learn to be able to even

1070
00:59:24,280 --> 00:59:25,280
start this?

1071
00:59:25,280 --> 00:59:27,520
It probably took you time, right?

1072
00:59:27,520 --> 00:59:36,760
Like, it's funny because it took me time, but not all the things that I needed to learn.

1073
00:59:36,760 --> 00:59:39,720
One, I didn't need to know all of them upfront.

1074
00:59:39,720 --> 00:59:40,720
Right.

1075
00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:43,440
And two, like some of them I learned years ago.

1076
00:59:43,440 --> 00:59:45,840
It was just knowledge that I had from like my job.

1077
00:59:45,840 --> 00:59:48,160
I was like, oh, I know this stuff exists.

1078
00:59:48,160 --> 00:59:50,680
It's like, I know an RSS feed exists.

1079
00:59:50,680 --> 00:59:55,600
I know how to like kind of like how I chose like the platform to host on and stuff.

1080
00:59:55,600 --> 00:59:58,840
It's like, it's like, you don't have it.

1081
00:59:58,840 --> 01:00:02,360
Like you can, yes, you should like kind of inventory the knowledge of things that you

1082
01:00:02,360 --> 01:00:04,600
should know, but like, but yeah, like.

1083
01:00:04,600 --> 01:00:09,040
But it takes time to like get, it takes time to like be like, get things to a place where

1084
01:00:09,040 --> 01:00:13,040
you're like, oh, this is like a healthy moving thing.

1085
01:00:13,040 --> 01:00:14,040
Like it takes time to do that.

1086
01:00:14,040 --> 01:00:16,960
And you won't know all everything you need to know until you start.

1087
01:00:16,960 --> 01:00:17,960
Right.

1088
01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:19,760
Because you don't know the questions to ask.

1089
01:00:19,760 --> 01:00:20,760
Yeah.

1090
01:00:20,760 --> 01:00:25,120
So if you're listening to this and you're like paralyzed, you've been paralyzed with

1091
01:00:25,120 --> 01:00:27,960
indecision, take a step out of faith.

1092
01:00:27,960 --> 01:00:32,800
I don't know what that means for you, but find the person who has the expertise to ask

1093
01:00:32,800 --> 01:00:39,880
questions, find the mentor, pray and ask God to bring you the people and to just show you

1094
01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:41,560
how he's uniquely designed you.

1095
01:00:41,560 --> 01:00:48,320
Because he has uniquely designed each of us for a plan and a purpose.

1096
01:00:48,320 --> 01:00:53,480
And it's, and it's, it's worth, it's worth taking the time to, to, to ask him to show

1097
01:00:53,480 --> 01:00:56,640
you what that is and guide you in that.

1098
01:00:56,640 --> 01:00:57,640
Yeah.

1099
01:00:57,640 --> 01:01:01,640
I think that's a great place to kind of, to wrap it, to wrap it up.

1100
01:01:01,640 --> 01:01:06,080
And I have a couple of ending questions, but like, thank you for ending it off like that.

1101
01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:10,920
Um, this officially the, the longest episode.

1102
01:01:10,920 --> 01:01:12,720
I've never hit the hour mark on my gosh.

1103
01:01:12,720 --> 01:01:13,720
I'm so sorry.

1104
01:01:13,720 --> 01:01:14,720
I'm afraid some things will get cut.

1105
01:01:14,720 --> 01:01:15,720
Oh, no, no, it's not.

1106
01:01:15,720 --> 01:01:21,320
I actually like, I was watching this, like, like usually like the last Rob's was, was

1107
01:01:21,320 --> 01:01:22,320
the longest.

1108
01:01:22,320 --> 01:01:23,320
Now yours is.

1109
01:01:23,320 --> 01:01:24,320
Oh Lord.

1110
01:01:24,320 --> 01:01:25,320
I'm long winded.

1111
01:01:25,320 --> 01:01:26,320
Oh no, you're good.

1112
01:01:26,320 --> 01:01:29,480
Just a final wrap up questions.

1113
01:01:29,480 --> 01:01:36,360
Um, when it comes to personal personal growth development, um, pursuing one's calling, like

1114
01:01:36,360 --> 01:01:42,240
what are some resources that you have or would recommend to people, whether it can be anything?

1115
01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:45,200
I think there's some really good, I listened to some really good podcasts.

1116
01:01:45,200 --> 01:01:50,040
I like, I try to read a lot, but sometimes I don't always get to, um, but I definitely

1117
01:01:50,040 --> 01:01:52,640
like some, just some, some people's podcasts.

1118
01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:53,640
I like a lot.

1119
01:01:53,640 --> 01:01:57,560
Uh, Frank DiMazio, I think he has a podcast, but I'm not certain.

1120
01:01:57,560 --> 01:01:58,920
He definitely has some resources.

1121
01:01:58,920 --> 01:02:03,040
He is a, I think, I don't know if he's currently a pastor, he's got a really good, some really

1122
01:02:03,040 --> 01:02:04,160
good leadership things.

1123
01:02:04,160 --> 01:02:07,880
They're obviously, um, they're not always church focused.

1124
01:02:07,880 --> 01:02:12,920
They are usually broad leadership, but they're obviously Christian based, but he's amazing.

1125
01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:17,760
Um, John Maxwell, the Craig Rochelle leadership podcast is so good.

1126
01:02:17,760 --> 01:02:19,640
I love his books, love his stuff.

1127
01:02:19,640 --> 01:02:24,560
Um, the Kierie Newhoff leadership podcast is really good because he interviews so many

1128
01:02:24,560 --> 01:02:25,560
different people.

1129
01:02:25,560 --> 01:02:29,560
I mean, he interviews everybody from like, uh, he's interviewed like, I think famous

1130
01:02:29,560 --> 01:02:35,120
like sports players to the CEO of Chick-fil-A to, I mean, like people in the church world

1131
01:02:35,120 --> 01:02:36,360
and the business world.

1132
01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:38,000
And it's always about like a different topic.

1133
01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:40,280
He's got hundreds of episodes.

1134
01:02:40,280 --> 01:02:41,720
He also has a blog.

1135
01:02:41,720 --> 01:02:45,840
Um, that's been something personally that I just enjoy the different topics, like certain

1136
01:02:45,840 --> 01:02:47,440
things I would never think about.

1137
01:02:47,440 --> 01:02:50,400
And, but it still talks about leadership in some ways.

1138
01:02:50,400 --> 01:02:51,960
So I really like that.

1139
01:02:51,960 --> 01:02:58,680
Um, Jenny Allen, probably more, um, ah, I think she has some general leadership stuff,

1140
01:02:58,680 --> 01:03:01,080
but Jenny Allen has some good stuff.

1141
01:03:01,080 --> 01:03:05,120
And if you're somebody who this has, this has been a blessing to me and has helped me

1142
01:03:05,120 --> 01:03:06,120
grow.

1143
01:03:06,120 --> 01:03:09,200
I remember how I said before, like, we just sometimes have a really poor theology of work.

1144
01:03:09,200 --> 01:03:14,600
Like we think like, um, unless we're working always directly in something we love, love,

1145
01:03:14,600 --> 01:03:17,120
love that it's like worthless, which I don't believe that's true.

1146
01:03:17,120 --> 01:03:20,040
I do believe, I mean, God has designed us to work.

1147
01:03:20,040 --> 01:03:22,880
There's a really great resource for anybody who might be interested in this.

1148
01:03:22,880 --> 01:03:23,880
I love their stuff.

1149
01:03:23,880 --> 01:03:25,680
It's called made to flourish.

1150
01:03:25,680 --> 01:03:31,520
And what they do is, um, on a larger, on a larger level, they try to produce resources

1151
01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:36,960
to equip, kind of like equip churches to be able to empower their congregation of like

1152
01:03:36,960 --> 01:03:43,760
how their work actually matters to, to God, but also to advancing his name and advancing

1153
01:03:43,760 --> 01:03:44,760
the kingdom.

1154
01:03:44,760 --> 01:03:46,820
Um, and I really enjoy it.

1155
01:03:46,820 --> 01:03:48,520
So I think they've got all kinds of resources.

1156
01:03:48,520 --> 01:03:50,680
They've got a magazine that comes out once a month.

1157
01:03:50,680 --> 01:03:55,200
Um, they've got some good like articles and stuff out there, everything from like economics

1158
01:03:55,200 --> 01:03:59,240
to marriage to the home, to the workplace, to church specifically.

1159
01:03:59,240 --> 01:04:01,480
They've got a lot of really good stuff.

1160
01:04:01,480 --> 01:04:04,040
I think their magazine is called common good magazine.

1161
01:04:04,040 --> 01:04:06,880
Um, cause their whole thing is like, it's for the common good.

1162
01:04:06,880 --> 01:04:09,800
So I really love them, highly recommend them.

1163
01:04:09,800 --> 01:04:12,440
I've learned a lot from them about a lot of different things.

1164
01:04:12,440 --> 01:04:13,760
So I like that.

1165
01:04:13,760 --> 01:04:17,880
And then honestly, I, I like, I listen to those things, but I also listened to a lot

1166
01:04:17,880 --> 01:04:24,800
of, um, like Bible teaching and lots of like sermons and things like that, because I, um,

1167
01:04:24,800 --> 01:04:29,560
I feel like I also learn a lot about leadership and development from those things.

1168
01:04:29,560 --> 01:04:35,480
Like I'm not, sometimes we're trying to be like better vocationally in our specific skill.

1169
01:04:35,480 --> 01:04:37,120
Sometimes we're trying to be better with like thought leadership.

1170
01:04:37,120 --> 01:04:40,880
Like I think there's something in all those resources I mentioned, there's probably something

1171
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:42,160
for everyone.

1172
01:04:42,160 --> 01:04:44,880
So I do, those are probably the main things I go to.

1173
01:04:44,880 --> 01:04:45,880
Okay.

1174
01:04:45,880 --> 01:04:49,280
I definitely ask you for links for probably all of this.

1175
01:04:49,280 --> 01:04:50,280
Absolutely.

1176
01:04:50,280 --> 01:04:51,280
Okay.

1177
01:04:51,280 --> 01:04:52,280
I like to, I usually always put links in the show notes.

1178
01:04:52,280 --> 01:04:53,280
Yep.

1179
01:04:53,280 --> 01:04:54,280
Yep.

1180
01:04:54,280 --> 01:04:55,280
I can send them.

1181
01:04:55,280 --> 01:04:57,520
Um, and then final question.

1182
01:04:57,520 --> 01:04:59,480
Who would you like to hear?

1183
01:04:59,480 --> 01:05:02,080
Do you think would be good on this podcast?

1184
01:05:02,080 --> 01:05:08,080
Um, I'm trying to think who I hope, I don't know who all has been on it so far.

1185
01:05:08,080 --> 01:05:11,520
Literally anybody like, uh, Rob recommended F, uh, F1 racer.

1186
01:05:11,520 --> 01:05:13,320
Oh, that would be crazy.

1187
01:05:13,320 --> 01:05:14,320
Crazy.

1188
01:05:14,320 --> 01:05:15,320
Oh, wow.

1189
01:05:15,320 --> 01:05:16,320
Okay.

1190
01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:21,440
So he said someone like, that's like, I don't know, maybe someone would.

1191
01:05:21,440 --> 01:05:23,440
Um, hmm.

1192
01:05:23,440 --> 01:05:27,600
Now you've just broadened my scope.

1193
01:05:27,600 --> 01:05:29,800
Now I'm like, Oh, the world is our oyster.

1194
01:05:29,800 --> 01:05:30,800
Wow.

1195
01:05:30,800 --> 01:05:33,840
See, I'm the only one that says that.

1196
01:05:33,840 --> 01:05:34,840
Such a, such a weird saying.

1197
01:05:34,840 --> 01:05:35,840
I don't even know what it means.

1198
01:05:35,840 --> 01:05:36,840
It's fine.

1199
01:05:36,840 --> 01:05:39,240
Um, I'm going to, okay.

1200
01:05:39,240 --> 01:05:44,720
I'm going to recommend, um, my really, really good friend, Bethany Martin.

1201
01:05:44,720 --> 01:05:45,720
Okay.

1202
01:05:45,720 --> 01:05:50,320
So Bethany is a, um, she's amazing.

1203
01:05:50,320 --> 01:05:54,040
She, um, she's an amazing friend.

1204
01:05:54,040 --> 01:05:57,640
She's an amazing follower of Jesus, but you know what?

1205
01:05:57,640 --> 01:05:59,280
She is a great leader.

1206
01:05:59,280 --> 01:06:00,680
She's in architectural design.

1207
01:06:00,680 --> 01:06:05,400
Um, she's a great leader of people and I've kind of got to see that up close.

1208
01:06:05,400 --> 01:06:08,680
And I think what's interesting is she is, I mean, her, that's her full-time job.

1209
01:06:08,680 --> 01:06:12,920
She's a architectural design designer, I guess I was going to say designist.

1210
01:06:12,920 --> 01:06:14,760
I'm like, what is even happening?

1211
01:06:14,760 --> 01:06:16,560
She, um, she's amazing.

1212
01:06:16,560 --> 01:06:20,440
And I've gotten to see her up close leading people and the way she not only leads them,

1213
01:06:20,440 --> 01:06:21,440
but she serves them.

1214
01:06:21,440 --> 01:06:23,000
She cares for them.

1215
01:06:23,000 --> 01:06:26,280
Um, she has a lot of wisdom, I think, to share.

1216
01:06:26,280 --> 01:06:27,280
So I'd say Bethany.

1217
01:06:27,280 --> 01:06:28,280
Awesome.

1218
01:06:28,280 --> 01:06:29,280
Yeah.

1219
01:06:29,280 --> 01:06:30,280
I'll ask you for some contact information.

1220
01:06:30,280 --> 01:06:31,280
Yeah, absolutely.

1221
01:06:31,280 --> 01:06:34,240
Um, all right guys.

1222
01:06:34,240 --> 01:06:38,880
Thank you for listening to the longest episode of Technically Short.

1223
01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:40,960
Hopefully it might not be that way once they cut things.

1224
01:06:40,960 --> 01:06:41,960
Thank you.

1225
01:06:41,960 --> 01:06:52,400
Uh, if you haven't already, go ahead and give us a like on, uh, or yeah, a review on Spotify,

1226
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:57,760
Apple podcasts, wherever you listen to the podcast, five stars would be appreciated.

1227
01:06:57,760 --> 01:07:00,960
And if you want to leave a review, that would be great too.

1228
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:04,600
Share us on all your socials and we will see you next time.

1229
01:07:04,600 --> 01:07:13,000
See ya.