Welcome to the Live Out Loud podcast. As promised,
I have a special guest on here with me today,
our very first guest on the Live Out Loud podcast.
This is very exciting times, you guys, and I
am so happy to share today's space and conversation
with none other than my oldest son, Josh, who
is 15, almost 15, I'm sorry. And we're just going
to have a great conversation today and hear from
him a couple of our family dynamics that you
get to hear from someone different than myself,
right? And that's super exciting. So stay tuned.
Let's get into this conversation today. Welcome,
Josh, to this space. I am so glad to have you
on here and for our listeners to get to hear
a little bit about someone who is a part of this
family other than myself. And I'm so glad that
you have said yes to this scary and daunting
task of being on the podcast with me. But thank
you. Yeah, it was definitely interesting when
you asked me that question. When I asked you
to come on with me? Yeah, it caught me off guard
when I was like, oh yeah, I'll tell you all that
for a second. It can be a little scary to talk
into a microphone and have a conversation. Anyway,
I am so glad to have you on here and we have
discussed a few questions that I would like to
ask you and I'm sure that people would love to
hear from your perspective. But let's just start
with a very simple question and one that's so
much fun to me because I love books. But what
are you currently reading? Well, actually, first,
before we jump into that, let's say, tell people
your name and how old you are and something you
like to do for fun. My name is Josh. I am 14
going on 15 and almost in April. That's a nice.
Yeah. Yeah, I like to play guitar a lot. It's
a big passion of mine and I enjoy making music.
Yeah, you've been playing guitar for a very long
time. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, you've more recently
kind of pursued playing a little bit in more
structured ways. You're part of the band at church
and you're looking at expanding and playing at
community events now. Yeah. So that's super exciting?
Yeah, so yeah, I'm super excited for that and
hoping that can become a bigger thing for me.
For sure. Okay, so let's do jump into our first
question of what are you currently reading? Tell
us that. I'm reading a couple of books. One is
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which is
the fourth book. I'm kind of wrapping up that
one, but I'm closer to the end. That one's been
a fun thrill book to read every now and then.
I'm reading a couple others. I'm reading The
Mountain War Party by Louis Lamour. Oh, Louis
Lamour books. You love those. Actually, Dad got
you into those a couple of years ago. That was,
I think, one of the - Yeah, the first kiss he
gave me was Louis Lamour, a Hondo Lane book.
And that one was really cool and got me hooked
into them. And so I have a small collection going.
So what is it that you specifically like about
these books? I like the adventure of the books.
For sure. And the lessons they can teach. I like
the lessons and I feel like they've helped my
character grow some more. help my view on things
like or work or I've enjoyed harder work okay
them and yeah because of the books and just the
the life trials they've gone through it's gonna
help me realize like wow man people really went
through these and okay So that's been cool to
hear. Okay. And then what other books are you
reading? And then I'm reading Love Does by Bob
Goff. Oh, so good. And that's been a really good
one recently. Just the stories he has and the
life lessons he can teach also is just amazing.
Every time you share a story with me, I'm just
amazed at the ways he put himself out there in
the world and he just goes for it. And I think
that's so inspiring and exciting. To adopt yes,
it was really cool. Yeah, so and you're almost
done with that book. I think I'm half with her.
Yeah, okay So I might have to read it after you
because it looks really recommend just think
yes, I recommend it. Oh, you're awesome Okay,
and since I have you here, I would like to get
into a little bit deeper conversations. We have
kind of done a little bit of small talk, but
I want to ask you, what are some of the bigger
changes that have happened in your life over
the past couple of years? Tell us a little bit
about that. Yeah, it definitely changed when
I had heard you were dating a dad. And that was
a really big change because I hadn't gotten used
to that. I think we'd been, I mean, just us for
five years at that point. Yeah, so that's a long
time to just be with mom Yeah, and so I was just
I was used to being like I guess kind of like
the older man in the house Right and just kind
of used to having you a lot. And then when uh,
Kayla came or dad Kayla guys came along Um, it
definitely changed a lot whenever we got part
of his family, right? It just felt uh, it's been
different having like another like a man in the
house Uh -huh and for sure having I guess like
a dad again And it's been it's been uh felt very
different and that's been a very big change Yeah,
I would have to agree. That is probably one of
the biggest changes that has happened in the
last couple of years for you, for me, for us
collectively. And yeah, one that we are learning
to walk together, one that we have just prayed
a lot over, right, in all of this, but it has
also been very beautiful, I think, and really,
really neat things to see God working out and
working through. So, okay, so that's like the
major change. And anything else you want to share?
Not much else has, I mean, I feel like, been
really big in my life. I mean, we moved. Yes,
we did move. That was really big. We moved up
to California, from Guatemala, and then from
California to Idaho. And another big change has
been losing friends. Not losing friends, but
having to leave along the way. I would agree.
And, yeah. That's really hard. Yeah, the losing
friends and which is actually one of my questions
that I want to talk a little bit later with you.
But we'll get to that. But yeah, that has been
really hard. And we have found some incredible
people in all the places we've lived, haven't
we? Yes. God has been so good in that. And yeah.
Yeah. And it's just been it's been It's been
really nice to have those great friends, but
then to also have to like move away from them
It's also made it hard But yeah, it makes you
realize that like the amount of the people you
have backing you up in different times of life
or you know You can come back to those people
and it's been amazing to know that you have those
people Yeah, that is a really neat feeling and
that we have really good people kind of in a
lot of places I mean in the south in Louisiana
we have amazing friends in Missouri, in Guatemala,
in California, Idaho, and just so many other
places. Yeah, Arizona. So just different places
we've been and it's just, that's amazing. But
I would say the beauty of all of those changes
is that we're still together and everywhere we
go, we set up home together. And because home
is wherever you guys are and where we are together,
right? So that's a really neat part. And speaking
of home, let me ask you this. What is a common
quote that you hear me say that has impacted
our family life and one that maybe we kind of
live by? For me that would be we use what we
have using it wisely and responsibly. Okay. That
has been like I feel like a big part when I first
heard it like a couple years ago from what you
said. I feel like it has impacted the way I treat
my stuff and how I view it. whether it's a nice
thing or it's not a nice thing, it still needs
to be treated properly, because whatever you
treat it like, it's gonna indicate how you could
treat bigger things you ever get. Exactly. And
they're actually gifts from God. It doesn't matter
if it's big or small, it's a gift from God. And
actually, I got that. That's not my line. I actually
got it from a Sally Clarkson book. Really? Yeah.
We have a lot of Sally Clarkson books and Clay
Clarkson books in our home, which we love to
read. This one comes from their 24 family ways
and they talk about using your things wisely
and responsibly and I love that that one has
resonated with you. So that's really cool to
hear. I think a quote that's really funny that
one of your brothers pointed out recently was,
um, I was making, I was making a new hat for
the website and it said get outside. And then
Ethan saw me making it and he goes, mom, that's
your new tagline. Cause you say that all the
time. And I just thought it was funny that he
says that I say that all the time. Do I say that
all the time? Kind of. Yeah. Yes. Yes. But we've
had some beautiful days and they are worth taking
advantage of. And in between school breaks, we
should be outside. Visitors. Yeah. It's amazing.
Speaking of outside, you love to be out in the
forest. Yeah. Tell me what you were building
out there this summer. I was building forts out
there and a teepee and also working on a tree
house. Yeah. The teepee is quite awesome. And
it was really neat to go. and spend the evenings
out there. You haven't camped in it though yet.
Not yet, no. Nathan really wants to and so I,
but we'll see if we get around to it. Okay, maybe
this spring or summer. Yeah, possibly this spring
or summer. We were building mats out of cattails
and that was really fun to get that experience.
Yeah, that was cool. Weaving things. Yeah, weaving
things out of cattails from the pond. That was
pretty cool. And speaking of going camping with
your brother, let me ask you this. What are some
of the harder or difficult responsibilities in
being an older brother for you? Share a little
bit of that with us. That would be being a brother
who's there for his siblings. That has been more
difficult for me to step into that I'm the oldest.
They look up to me and I need to be there for
them whether they had something happen to them
that they need support from or something that
they love just got taken from them. yeah supporting
them and taking care of them through no matter
what uh trial of life they're in and just letting
even when we get older uh kind of like you and
your siblings do now how they all like you all
talk to each other and and communication and
That's why I feel like I want to be when I'm
older. I just I want to be that person where
they look up to and like hey I just just this
happened. I really need someone to talk to or
right Can you maybe help me with some advice
or something just to all be there for each other?
Mmm. Yeah, I don't know that I would see my siblings
look up to me, but I think it's it's pretty it
is pretty rad that they the communication that
we have and I think just a couple days ago one
of my brothers was calling me and asking for
something if for help and you had pointed that
out right like oh that's awesome that all of
like all of you guys do that and um yeah i think
that that's pretty neat and so is that like that's
a hard thing for you or is it just something
you carry with a lot of weight and responsibility
well it's one thing and both i carry a lot of
weight and responsibility of it but i also just
struggle to do it And I can see the times I don't
do it, and that can be very difficult. I'm like,
I don't know, why'd you do that, man? They needed
you most, and you failed to be there. And it's
kind of like saying, oh man, I had a chance to
bring Jesus and life into these people, and I
just didn't do it, and there was a chance failed.
Wow. But it's awesome that you can see that in
your actions, and that you can then not dwell
on... the wrong that we did but we can dwell
on that there's grace and that we can do better
and try better and and God is gives grace for
that right yeah that is pretty awesome um anything
else you want to share in that that is a hard
difficult responsibility for you right now as
an older brother no there's so much uh not much
more i can think about okay awesome so then let's
move on to our last question which is kind of
a big one um we had been talking about earlier
about friends and kind of losing friends along
the way of moving but my question to you is what
is a hard thing about this season which you and
I had I had asked you this question and it you
know it was finding friends and let's talk specifically
about that about finding friends in this season
of life because you are 14 going on 15 and because
we have moved several times it can be hard to
have those longer lasting relationships because
we have said goodbye, right? And with our more
recent move, I don't feel like we have found
a group of guy friends that you can connect with
that speak life to you and build you up, would
you say? Have you found that? No, not yet. I've
been looking and it's been difficult. Yeah. And
so, so in looking, tell me what are some things
that you specifically look in friendships? Someone
who I connect with well and I can talk to easily.
Someone who will listen and will talk. Someone
who's also not afraid to get their hands dirty
is a hard worker. Those are good values. Also
someone who will also help me point towards Christ.
Someone we can help each other or strengthen
each other as we grow in our faith and get older.
Yeah, and we have talked about finding friendships
since you were very young. Do you remember all
the conversations when you were little? Yes.
Of how to find a good friend and the importance
of this. And then why? Why? Because in Proverbs,
it talks about friends and who you walk with
and walk with the whys, right? And so it's a
very important part. And our friendships do define
a lot about us, right? Yes. And so they can speak
life and then... not speak life. So it is very
important. And so I love that you said that,
that what you look for in a friend also is that
they point you back to Christ. And I do feel
like you have a few of those friendships in your
life right now, which is pretty awesome. I think
just where we're at right now, just trying to
find those young men who can come alongside you,
I think is, it's been a prayer point for us lately,
I know, right? Yes, it's been nice to have those
friends I can talk to and be like, hey, how are
you? You know, my day's been like this. And just
having a conversation between us and having a
friend who can listen and again, as I said, give
and take. Yeah, yeah. And a lot of them are long
distance right now. And so, yeah, that is a hard
part of finding friends and finding... good.
And yeah, that's finding good friends. So definitely
preying on that together. But I have to say,
I don't think that you are alone in this because
so often in this stage of life, for some reason,
it can be, it can feel harder to connect with
friends. And I don't, I don't know why, but a
lot of it might have to do with raging emotions
and just our, our brains, they're developing
in an amazing way. And we are trying to Right?
I mean, our bodies are growing and yeah, and
so a lot of it might have to do with that. But
I don't think that you are alone in that. Right?
And I think we've, we've all walked through that.
And so, yeah, just encouragement to keep going.
Don't settle. God's got this. Right? I always
say God can bring good friends again. Right?
Yes. Do not stop praying to believe that He will.
It goes a long way. Yeah, to believe He will
because He already has. And so we will see this
to fruition. I know. Let's wrap our time up together.
And is there anything else that you would like
to say before we say goodbye? No, not really,
but just thank you so much for having me and
yeah, it's been awesome to join you awesome And
I love that you are my first guest on the podcast
I think that is pretty special and I know your
brother will be next sometime soon So we will
be hearing from him sometime. Maybe in the summer
Okay, mamas, I hope that you have had an encouraging
time together. This conversation with my son,
Josh, who is almost 15 was just a gift to me
to be able to hear his heart and have it recorded
for myself. And then for you guys as well to
get a little bit of an inside look at from one
of my kids for family life here. So next week
on the podcast, we will be talking about simple
things to cultivate for maximum growth. It is
a very simple application kind of conversation,
but I think that it will have a big impact on
our family lives if we take and apply these simple
truths of next week's podcast. So that is it
for today. Until next time.