EXPERIENCE 193 | Party In The Front! - Overcome Loneliness and Find Community Right Where You Are - A Conversation with First-Time Authors Jeff Dillon & Ty Dannebring

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I met Ty Danabring at church one Sunday when he hunted me down and said, Can we have a conversation about possibly being on your podcast with regard to our new book?

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Knowing nothing, I said, Of course.

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And then after a coffee and conversation, I was eager to spend time in the podcast studio with Ty and his co author, Jeff Dillon.

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Ty is a financial advisor with a big idea.

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And Jeff is a pastor at Redemption Church in Loveland.

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And his skill and expertise in writing helped give shape to Dai's ideas with proper grammar and sentence structure.

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From the GoFundMe page for Party in the Front, there's an epidemic of loneliness in our culture today.

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The U.

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S.

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Surgeon General says lacking social connection is more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes a day, more dangerous than obesity or air pollution.

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Yet Most of us live separate lives distant from the people who are literally right outside our front door We believe it's time to change that story and it doesn't take a lot All it takes is being yourself and bringing the good things of your life out into the open for others to see You Instead of a party in your backyard, why not bring it to the front yard, where people can see and be invited in?

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This is what it means to party in the front, to overcome loneliness and create community right where you are.

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My conversation today is with a pair of smart and thoughtful guys who spend a bunch of time putting together ideas and structure around a big challenge.

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Why are so many people lonely when we're surrounded by people every day?

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And how can we fix that?

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So please join me to share in some ideas and visions for a more connected future, and to And get to know the authors behind a new book sparking change in our cultural revitalization.

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Party in the Front.

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Welcome back to The Loco Experience.

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I'm honored today to be joined by Ty Danenbring, and Jeff Dillon.

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And Ty goes to my church.

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He's a financial advisor of unnamed firm, which is also not relevant to the reason they're here.

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And then pastor Jeff Dillon serves at Redemption Church in Loveland.

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So together they've written a book called Party in the Front.

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And, uh, It's just as cool as you might think, and, uh, so why don't I, uh, just kind of let you start, Ty, since you are the person that, uh, talked your way onto this podcast today.

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Yeah, Kurt, thanks so much for having us.

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Um, it's a blessing to be here.

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So the, the subtitle of the book is Overcome Loneliness and Find Community Right Where You Are., We, we feel like it's a huge need right now, um, to get the word out to, um, to really a lonely world and, um, an isolated world for many reasons that we'll go into, but, um, but yeah.

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So the right where you are, uh, if I recall from our coffee was kind of hang out in your front yard.

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So you actually get to meet your neighbors and stuff.

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Yeah.

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At least that's part of the theme.

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I'm sure it's a much more expensive book than that because that would be the essay at the best.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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It, what, what's been interesting is, you know, I think you set out to write a book and you think you know what the book is going to be about and then you get in the process and it's like, Oh.

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That's what the book's going to be about, right?

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It's about some other things.

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And, and yes, it is, you know, very basically about that idea of bringing, bringing the party to the front, bringing the things that you do, uh, that bring life, that bring connection, that build relationships from the backyard, from inside your home to the front, where you can connect with your neighbors.

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But it's also really started to become about more than that.

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And this idea of, you know, finding community right where you are, you know who you are, who God's made you to be, your warts and all, your weirdness and all right.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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And, and just being real.

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I'm here cracking sex jokes with a pastor and guy I go to church with, you know?

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Right.

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You gotta, you just gotta be who you are.

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Afterlife jokes and I think, uh, I think that's what builds relationship and what our world needs to see.

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is people, particularly Christians, who can just be real, can be who they are.

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So that's part of it too.

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You know, I think that's one thing that people have appreciated, like, I try not to do anything that brings a lot of, uh, disdain or shouts of hypocrite, uh, from the non churched people, but I also, I give myself a license to be kind of weird.

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You know, and I, I, I cuss a lot less than I used to, but when the word is just right, you know, sometimes I do.

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Um, and, uh, so, I guess, oh, one thing I wanted to mention is that navigation, somebody told me a long time ago, writing is thinking.

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And so, through the act of writing, you're thinking this, you're thinking that, and then you're like, oh shoot, I changed my mind about that a little bit, or I want to expand on that, so.

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Yep, absolutely.

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How's that work?

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Doing so with two people like is this both of your ideas and you work together on it right from the start or what?

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Ty's just always right.

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He gets to subscribe.

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He's the big name on the front of the cover and you just kind of get to use your big voice as a pastor and stuff to give him some credibility.

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You know, I, I think the synergy has actually been really cool.

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Um, not only to do a project with someone else to keep you going, uh, when you're, you know, running out of ideas or when you're at a block or whatever.

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Um, but just to bounce things off one another and, or be encouraged by like, Oh yeah, that, like you're, does that resonate with you too?

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Like, okay.

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Yeah.

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Um, we feel like we're onto something from your angle.

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Yeah.

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Yep.

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Yep.

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Yep.

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I feel like I've had a lot of ideas in the past that, um, you know, Probably should not have been shared.

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And so I was like, okay, I'm glad this one's sticking.

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At least don't feel as crazy.

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We have that kind of philosophy here.

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You know, before something leaves the local think tank office, whether it's a note from Kurt or, you know, my blog, somebody else has to read that, you know?

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And so I can imagine that that building process over time was pretty special.

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Yeah, for sure.

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And.

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You know, this is, this was Ty's idea, you know, full credit to him.

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He, he approached me a couple of years ago at a, at an event at church.

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and said, Hey, I have this idea for a book, you know, party in the front and explain the whole idea and about reaching your neighbors and building community.

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And I thought, yeah, that's great.

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And he, he said, yeah, just, you know, I need someone to help me write it.

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Here's the idea.

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I'm not writing any of it.

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I'm good at math.

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Right.

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Talking to people.

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I'm going to talk about my ideas and you write them all down.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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And I, and so I, you know, I'll, I'll share more probably, but you know, my background is in journalism and writing.

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I'll see.

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I write.

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I write sermons.

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I write church emails that nobody reads.

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They're fantastic.

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Really well written.

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I write local think tank emails.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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That's, that's just part of it.

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But you know, I was like, I'd be willing to give it a shot.

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And, and Ty was willing to, to let me jump in.

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He was crazy enough, loco enough to let me jump in on the process with him.

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And.

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And, and yeah, it has been so good to see how, how God has led us through this process, how we've learned, how we've balanced ideas off each other, how we've changed things as we went.

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And it really has been an incredible process and it, it becomes its own thing.

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Like I said, you think, you know what you're setting out to write and then, and then you start to actually figure out what that's going to be.

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Right.

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The process.

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Totally.

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Totally.

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Um, Where did this idea germinate from?

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Were you, like, I'm guessing it might have even been a COVID season kind of an idea when everybody was so isolated and whatnot?

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Yeah, that was certainly a catalyst.

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We, we moved into our neighborhood that we live in now.

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So we purchased a home three years ago.

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And I think like most people in 2021, we're just still kind of coming out from that fog of COVID.

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Um, yeah, it was just, uh, how do we, how do we meet neighbors and how do we.

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have meaningful conversations other than maybe just knowing their names.

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And so, you know, I, I guess I could door knock them and just, you know, but then you're creepy.

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Yeah, yeah, exactly.

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It's like trying to sell me life insurance or something.

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Totally.

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You know, I've had plenty of that with my own job.

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And so like, uh, how do I not be that guy to my neighbors?

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And, um, and so, yeah, it just, it, it came out of us, um, trying to think outside the box and we, we pulled our, our griddle, uh, Out from the backyard and put it in the front yard and we started hosting, hosting pancake breakfast and it's just been a real hit.

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We've done, um, like a bigger one for the last three summers now and we've, we still get it out.

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Um, you know, probably two or three times a month just to, to get it out.

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And I like to, and do you like advertise this thing or whatever?

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Just the smell of pancakes.

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Yeah, we'll do, we'll do like, yeah, one, one big one for sure.

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We'll, we'll, we'll try to get as many people from our neighborhood there and, and I'll send text messages or, yeah, I, I, Because I know them now, I'll go door knock them.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Um, but yeah, it's just been great too.

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By the way, one of my, uh, favorite, um, music shows around here.

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Have you, have we talked about the brothers fountain?

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I don't brother's fountain band.

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They have a song that's got pancakes in it and they're in there.

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They're like the kids of, uh, young.

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Life parents.

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Uh, and so they have kind of all this kind of sneaky Christian biblical stuff wrapped in their folk music.

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And so if you guys ever want to do a pancake breakfast, like street party with with music, uh, like they could sing the pancake song like every 20 minutes.

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Anyway, sorry not to interrupt, but I, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a scroll chaser.

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No, that's great.

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And you know, it's fun.

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You were doing this for a little while.

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Yeah, we're doing that for a while.

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And.

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It was like, Hey, we're going to keep doing this because we're, we're having meaningful conversations.

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And, um, what we noticed is that people are a lot more receptive to come if it's something in the front yard, less creepy, I guess.

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For sure.

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Yeah.

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No, it's an interesting, like we put a sign on our door when we have meetings.

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backyard parties, because we've got a two bedroom, one bath house.

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And so when we have people over, it's in the summertime and in the backyard.

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Yes.

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And, but we put a sticker has come on through and like, if people are there for the first time, it's like, what do you mean?

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I come right through your house to your backyard.

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I'm like, my, my hairs are standing in my arm as I'm imagining other people's feelings in that circumstance.

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Yep.

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But my dog will get out if I leave the door open.

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So, you know, yeah, yeah.

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There's something about that.

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And it's interesting because we've, we've even done some research in the book and just talking to people, how even the design of homes has changed over the years in our, in our culture over the decades and how, you know, used to have big front porches, a lot of homes and, and things were designed.

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To, to be more Yeah.

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You were some iced tea.

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Yeah.

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Look, those horses were all quiet Yeah, exactly.

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Going by and stuff.

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And you could wave to your neighbor.

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Exactly.

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You didn't need a garage.

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Right.

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It was just, it was just different.

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And so there's some, there's some practical things like that, that have changed the way we interact with neighbors and makes it more of a challenge.

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And, and you forget about that, that, that it can be intimidating.

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To walk through someone's house, to walk through someone's front door to go to the backyard.

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Yeah.

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And just the simple act of coming to the front can change that.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Make that easier.

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Well, and did we talk about lightning mini golf when we met for coffee?

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No, you mentioned that to me before Jeff got there.

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Okay, gotcha.

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I missed it.

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I gotta hear it so.

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Well, you gotta go check it out is what you gotta do's.

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It's in my neighborhood on, on West side, on LaPorte and Whitcomb.

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The corner of it is the.

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Original three holes and it was built during COVID and it's, it's free mini golf equipped with putters and balls and everything you need a donation QR code.

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If you want to, after the podcast, we're going to go there right now.

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I don't stand a chance.

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World class golfer.

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It'd be fun to lose.

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It's mini golf.

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It's different than regular golf.

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You're looking at a two time, uh, champion of the neighborhood mini golf team.

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Oh, wow.

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Let's do it.

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Wow.

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Congratulations, Kurt.

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Well, but I, I, I think why, why I resonated a lot with, with you guys and like, we literally have a hole that, uh, with a spinning gate that we put in the fence between us and our next door neighbors.

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Neat.

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So that we could have his shared 50th birthday party in both yards because they didn't have enough room for everybody in his yard and I had the pig roast in mine.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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But it's Old Town Westside.

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It's a different.

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Yeah.

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You know, it was built in a different time.

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It's early 1900s is when those homes were built.

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Yep.

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For sure.

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Yeah.

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You just don't realize some of those things.

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I I've never thought about it before.

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And we actually were just in North Carolina and, uh, had an event out there sharing about the book and I was in a buddy's neighborhood and some of the homes in their neighborhood had been built like 20 years ago and then some of them within the last 10 years.

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And even in that 10 years difference.

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You can just see on the block, you know, every other home is just built differently and you know, from 20 years ago, even there's still a little front porch.

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And I know this is one example, but I think this is kind of the trend.

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And then now the newer homes are all, you know, they, they give more space inside the house or in the backyard.

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There's literally, there's a few steps up to their front door.

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So there's some of these tangible things that we just, we, you know, I've never thought of that.

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Doesn't preclude you from getting to know your neighbors.

00:14:11.230 --> 00:14:13.370
It doesn't, it doesn't make it maybe a little more.

00:14:14.166 --> 00:14:14.625
Intentional.

00:14:14.626 --> 00:14:14.755
Exactly.

00:14:14.755 --> 00:14:15.296
Yeah, exactly.

00:14:15.346 --> 00:14:22.395
So much of our world now is built around, uh, things that, that don't make that natural to interact with our neighbors.

00:14:22.426 --> 00:14:25.645
It's not as natural or as organic as it used to be.

00:14:25.696 --> 00:14:28.296
so, can we, like, jump into the book a little bit?

00:14:28.296 --> 00:14:30.895
Does the book have a, like, a prescription?

00:14:30.905 --> 00:14:33.056
Or is it more of a story?

00:14:33.076 --> 00:14:38.605
Like, talk to me about the, uh, outline, if you will, of what, how do you lay out a book like this?

00:14:39.346 --> 00:14:40.673
Yeah, Jeff, do you want to take a stab at the outline?

00:14:40.673 --> 00:14:40.791
Sure.

00:14:40.941 --> 00:14:42.091
Yeah, absolutely.

00:14:42.091 --> 00:15:01.096
So kind of our, our vision from the beginning was to, um, kind of go backwards a little bit and look at how culture has changed, how, um, those things like the design of homes and, um, just the cultural societal norms, you know, um, Uh, there used to be bridge clubs and things like that.

00:15:01.096 --> 00:15:03.466
I remember my grandparents growing up would talk about playing bridge.

00:15:03.865 --> 00:15:06.645
I still don't know what bridges have you guys ever played bridge?

00:15:07.475 --> 00:15:10.155
Uh, no, no people that do, but yeah, that's right.

00:15:10.176 --> 00:15:11.456
They're all over 80 too.

00:15:11.466 --> 00:15:12.206
All right.

00:15:12.206 --> 00:15:15.635
Bridge will die or it might be making a comeback.

00:15:16.865 --> 00:15:17.645
I'm sure it's a ton of fun.

00:15:17.645 --> 00:15:17.905
fun.

00:15:17.916 --> 00:15:22.485
No offense to the bridge players out there, but you know, it's one of those things where like those things have changed.

00:15:22.485 --> 00:15:23.015
There's a really good book.

00:15:23.025 --> 00:15:23.245
Yeah.

00:15:23.245 --> 00:15:24.096
We went to North Dakota.

00:15:24.096 --> 00:15:25.875
We would have whisked parties in the winter time.

00:15:26.145 --> 00:15:26.416
Yes.

00:15:26.446 --> 00:15:35.495
Which in North Dakota in the winter, we've got like, if you're a farming community, like you're not doing nothing from November through March, really trying to stay alive.

00:15:35.525 --> 00:15:35.696
Yes.

00:15:36.150 --> 00:15:36.380
Yeah.

00:15:36.431 --> 00:15:37.020
Exactly.

00:15:37.071 --> 00:15:37.341
Yeah.

00:15:37.441 --> 00:15:38.471
And not bored to death.

00:15:39.211 --> 00:15:41.850
So go play Whisper Six Hours and drink Tom and Jerry's.

00:15:41.850 --> 00:15:42.650
That sounds real good.

00:15:42.671 --> 00:15:43.280
There you go.

00:15:43.321 --> 00:15:43.640
Yeah.

00:15:43.640 --> 00:15:44.150
There you go.

00:15:44.201 --> 00:15:49.561
So it, you know, it's so interesting as we've, as we've looked at that, just some of the, the cultural changes that have happened.

00:15:49.561 --> 00:15:52.561
There's a great book called Bowling Alone that was written in the nineties.

00:15:52.561 --> 00:15:52.850
Yeah.

00:15:53.105 --> 00:16:08.916
And talked about the cultural changes from like the 50s and 60s through the 90s, you know, and all, all kinds of changes that happened in our culture in terms of, um, you know, the, the, the sprawling suburbs and how, how homes were built, how neighborhoods were designed to garages, the advent of the garage.

00:16:09.775 --> 00:16:11.225
Now you don't even have to see your neighbors.

00:16:11.235 --> 00:16:13.125
No, you literally don't have to interact at all.

00:16:13.166 --> 00:16:23.725
Um, to the design that the, the introduction in the, in the spread of, of television sets, you know, that now all of a sudden you've got entertainment in your home.

00:16:24.105 --> 00:16:24.405
Right.

00:16:24.416 --> 00:16:29.186
And you don't even have to go out for ice cream or for a walk around the neighborhood, go see how Bob's doing.

00:16:29.245 --> 00:16:29.895
Exactly.

00:16:29.905 --> 00:16:35.206
So just, there's like some of those cultural changes and that was written, that book was written before the internet really exploded.

00:16:35.426 --> 00:16:38.836
So you think about the changes since, since Al Gore invented the internet.

00:16:39.216 --> 00:16:40.046
And right.

00:16:40.096 --> 00:16:49.166
Wasn't that you know, and it's like, those, all those changes have just exploded even more over the last 20, 30 years.

00:16:49.166 --> 00:16:54.836
And so the first part of our book, we kind of go backwards to look at, okay, what are some of those changes that have happened?

00:16:55.255 --> 00:17:02.446
Um, and then kind of bring it up to today and address, address some of the issues, strategic planning things start.

00:17:02.475 --> 00:17:02.725
Okay.

00:17:02.755 --> 00:17:03.615
What's an accurate assessment?

00:17:03.650 --> 00:17:05.121
Been of our current condition.

00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:05.810
Exactly.

00:17:05.961 --> 00:17:06.381
It ain't good.

00:17:06.381 --> 00:17:06.471
Mm-Hmm.

00:17:06.861 --> 00:17:07.221
Yeah.

00:17:07.221 --> 00:17:19.971
And I think, and that's where, you know, coming out of COVI, a lot of those issues were really apparent to us where, um, again, I think a lot of things that, that the issues that already existed got accelerated during Covid.

00:17:20.211 --> 00:17:20.391
Yeah.

00:17:20.391 --> 00:17:22.070
And so we addressed some of those things as well.

00:17:22.070 --> 00:17:25.760
Things like the political divisiveness in the country.

00:17:25.881 --> 00:17:26.316
Right, right, right.

00:17:26.570 --> 00:17:30.980
Um, like, you know, some of the covid policies and masks and those types of things.

00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:31.881
I mean, everything.

00:17:31.881 --> 00:17:31.882
Yeah.

00:17:32.266 --> 00:17:41.078
Got even more intensified now in, in literally for a while during COVID, we were told to not see our neighbor, right?

00:17:41.078 --> 00:17:43.125
And so, and that's a whole other thing.

00:17:43.125 --> 00:17:43.336
Right.

00:17:43.336 --> 00:17:50.836
But like, literally we had this, this period of time where we were discouraged from loving our neighbor and interacting with our neighbor.

00:17:51.046 --> 00:17:53.596
And so that's, that's kind of where we go in the book a little bit.

00:17:53.625 --> 00:17:55.486
We don't get into a ton of that, but addressing.

00:17:55.885 --> 00:17:58.296
Some of those realities that exist in our culture today.

00:17:58.336 --> 00:18:07.236
The, uh, the reason I'm smiling is not just because of COVID, but my guest from about two months back was my neighbor with whom we have the, the fence hole cut.

00:18:07.465 --> 00:18:07.705
Yeah.

00:18:07.766 --> 00:18:21.965
And we talked about in that episode about, um, we continued our tradition of having a Cinco de Mayo party in May of 2020, a backyard party with, uh, fish tacos and, and a carnitas tacos and whatever.

00:18:22.465 --> 00:18:27.105
And our neighbors, Chris and Christy moved in like, two weeks before.

00:18:27.236 --> 00:18:27.486
Yeah.

00:18:27.516 --> 00:18:34.395
Like, yeah, you know, in the first month of COVID basically, and we invited them to our party and they were like, huh?

00:18:36.066 --> 00:18:46.175
And then we, you know, invited them again or whatever, they didn't come, but I put some leftover cilantro, lime coleslaw and carnitas and some tortillas on the fence in case they wanted them.

00:18:47.145 --> 00:19:09.915
And like by the next weekend, we were like, Hang on the pretty regular and yeah, you know, and I'm, you know, probably more libertine than almost anybody and They were probably both from a fairly liberal perspective in there, but they're moving more libertine I think at least in part from our influence and just yeah being old and seeing the world go into a Weird place for a while.

00:19:09.915 --> 00:19:11.105
You're like, you know what?

00:19:11.145 --> 00:19:13.280
I'm not gonna Yeah.

00:19:13.941 --> 00:19:15.951
Jump is high when people say jump next time.

00:19:16.221 --> 00:19:16.560
Sir.

00:19:16.861 --> 00:19:17.330
I don't know.

00:19:17.451 --> 00:19:17.921
Yes.

00:19:18.471 --> 00:19:19.520
You mentioned food too.

00:19:19.651 --> 00:19:20.810
It's amazing what food can do.

00:19:20.810 --> 00:19:21.500
Food is binding.

00:19:21.520 --> 00:19:22.330
It really is.

00:19:22.471 --> 00:19:23.961
Food and music are amazing.

00:19:23.971 --> 00:19:23.990
Yeah.

00:19:23.990 --> 00:19:24.391
And so.

00:19:24.695 --> 00:19:28.006
You know, getting back to the pancakes, it's like, we're doing things now.

00:19:28.006 --> 00:19:36.375
We, we just saw neighbors this last weekend because we, it's fall time here now, and, uh, we made pumpkin spice pancakes with, I was just going to ask you, you make pumpkin pancakes.

00:19:36.375 --> 00:19:36.586
Yeah.

00:19:36.586 --> 00:19:39.885
So what's the acronym PSL, uh, you know, pumpkin spice latte.

00:19:39.885 --> 00:19:45.596
It's like PSPs and, uh, so we've got the PSPs going on with some chocolate chips in it.

00:19:45.655 --> 00:19:46.115
I like it.

00:19:46.115 --> 00:19:46.965
Who does not like that?

00:19:46.965 --> 00:19:47.286
And.

00:19:47.705 --> 00:19:50.826
Um, and you know, if you griddle it, they will come with the bacon.

00:19:50.826 --> 00:19:52.086
So it's, it's great.

00:19:52.086 --> 00:19:53.425
Do you have the, the Blackstone?

00:19:53.435 --> 00:19:53.925
We do.

00:19:53.955 --> 00:19:54.145
Yeah.

00:19:54.286 --> 00:19:55.885
So shameless plug for Blackstone.

00:19:55.886 --> 00:19:58.155
It's been, it's been a game changer for our family.

00:19:58.155 --> 00:20:03.385
Cause Jeff and I, we both have five children, 10 between the two of us and uh, our families.

00:20:03.385 --> 00:20:05.215
And so it's been, well, so you eat a lot of pancakes.

00:20:05.217 --> 00:20:06.375
Yeah.

00:20:06.375 --> 00:20:07.066
That's all we eat.

00:20:07.066 --> 00:20:07.266
Cheap bacon.

00:20:08.996 --> 00:20:13.026
Um, Yeah, we can feed an army with a griddle, so Well, and the Blackstone never needs to be cleaned.

00:20:13.026 --> 00:20:15.191
I mean, you clean it like I know.

00:20:15.330 --> 00:20:15.550
Yes.

00:20:15.901 --> 00:20:16.351
It's amazing.

00:20:17.191 --> 00:20:19.746
I, I got one of those in Covid season too.

00:20:19.746 --> 00:20:20.375
It was great.

00:20:20.375 --> 00:20:21.875
We still use it every, it's in the truck.

00:20:22.086 --> 00:20:22.865
Yeah, right now.

00:20:22.895 --> 00:20:23.346
They're great.

00:20:23.346 --> 00:20:23.645
Yeah.

00:20:23.826 --> 00:20:29.195
It's, it's actually sad for me to not cook breakfast that way or anything really in the wintertime.

00:20:29.195 --> 00:20:31.310
So it's like, gotta be creative.

00:20:32.191 --> 00:20:34.510
I mean, you can use it pretty cold if you're willing to tolerate that.

00:20:34.520 --> 00:20:35.580
Yeah, true, yep.

00:20:36.351 --> 00:20:36.971
They light up.

00:20:37.161 --> 00:20:38.060
Yeah, yeah.

00:20:38.060 --> 00:20:38.621
Keeps you warm.

00:20:38.721 --> 00:20:41.010
So, anyway, I think, Jeff, I might have derailed you a little bit.

00:20:41.010 --> 00:20:46.611
So you kind of look back, set the current assessment of the scene, and then I assume that the kind of Okay.

00:20:46.641 --> 00:20:48.191
Now, what do we try to do about it?

00:20:48.441 --> 00:20:49.000
Yeah, for sure.

00:20:49.001 --> 00:20:54.651
We, we, we try to, we, we didn't want to leave the book on just, Hey, this is the problem and, uh, see you later.

00:20:54.830 --> 00:20:55.911
Here's a big problem.

00:20:56.111 --> 00:20:57.371
It is called party in the front.

00:20:57.371 --> 00:21:00.111
It's supposed to be a, you know, a fun book and an engaging book.

00:21:00.111 --> 00:21:03.161
So really what, what's kind of interesting is in the heart of the book.

00:21:03.645 --> 00:21:07.415
Again, as we wrote it, we realized, yeah, we can look at all the cultural changes.

00:21:07.415 --> 00:21:14.056
We can look at history, we can look at how things have changed, um, in our neighborhoods and in the way we function as, as a society.

00:21:14.675 --> 00:21:20.086
But the reality is, is we believe there's a deeper reason that we are.

00:21:20.391 --> 00:21:31.671
That we desire connection and community with other people and that that there's a deeper reason and Deeper things that keep us from doing that and so we believe that's what the Bible teaches, right?

00:21:31.671 --> 00:21:43.851
And so we go all the way back to Genesis chapter 1 in the middle of the book and we look at creation and how God made in his image man and woman To be in relationship, right?

00:21:43.851 --> 00:21:45.340
Adam and Eve to be in relationship.

00:21:45.340 --> 00:21:50.540
And I don't need to go into the whole story, but you, you, you see this design of relationship and community.

00:21:50.580 --> 00:21:56.040
Well, and right away, Cain and Abel fractured relationship, you know, and even before that.

00:21:56.161 --> 00:21:56.661
Exactly.

00:21:56.661 --> 00:21:58.980
So Genesis chapter three, you've got the fall, right?

00:21:58.990 --> 00:22:01.641
Adam and Eve commit the first sin and there's a brokenness now.

00:22:02.080 --> 00:22:05.431
in their relationship with God and with each other.

00:22:05.730 --> 00:22:08.500
And then, yeah, you see immediately Cain and Abel, right?

00:22:08.500 --> 00:22:14.381
Like, and, and throughout the pages of, of the Bible, you see the brokenness of human relationships being played out.

00:22:14.721 --> 00:22:24.971
And so we, we really didn't want to just say, Hey, let's point the finger outward at all of these things that we can blame for our lack of community and lack of relationship in our neighborhoods.

00:22:24.971 --> 00:22:31.201
Let's actually challenge all of us, ourselves included to look inward as well and go, Hey, Hold up.

00:22:31.211 --> 00:22:42.881
Something's broken in here and I'm, I don't always want to get to know my neighbor, you know, I am tempted many, many nights to just drive into the garage and close it and not talk.

00:22:43.201 --> 00:22:44.891
And there's a lot of different reasons for that.

00:22:45.375 --> 00:22:56.385
But a lot of those reasons come down to me and my own struggles, my own brokenness, not necessarily because, you know, of something my neighbor's done or, or, or some societal change.

00:22:56.385 --> 00:23:00.006
It's just, there's something in me that wants me to kind of.

00:23:01.010 --> 00:23:02.260
Yeah, yeah.

00:23:02.260 --> 00:23:06.891
Well, it's a very safe place to just go flip through YouTube videos.

00:23:06.901 --> 00:23:10.171
Nobody's criticizing your bad habits, you know, whatever.

00:23:10.381 --> 00:23:10.971
Exactly.

00:23:11.070 --> 00:23:13.441
Else, you don't have to even engage in conversation.

00:23:13.560 --> 00:23:13.830
Yep.

00:23:14.381 --> 00:23:16.221
Uh, yeah, that's an interesting dynamic.

00:23:16.310 --> 00:23:16.681
Yep.

00:23:17.020 --> 00:23:19.891
And shame leading to isolation just naturally, right away.

00:23:20.040 --> 00:23:20.191
Right.

00:23:20.211 --> 00:23:21.590
In the garden, you know, it's like.

00:23:21.590 --> 00:23:24.631
They, they know they sinned and they tried to hide.

00:23:24.730 --> 00:23:25.750
Obviously they didn't, but.

00:23:25.760 --> 00:23:26.080
Yeah.

00:23:26.121 --> 00:23:28.931
Um, but that, we, we see that, I see that in my own life.

00:23:28.931 --> 00:23:29.990
And, um.

00:23:30.435 --> 00:23:32.205
Yeah, it's easy to try to escape.

00:23:32.425 --> 00:23:32.736
Yeah.

00:23:32.945 --> 00:23:47.385
And, and my add to like, when we look at community and where people had found community in the past, like looking through their work, like actually physically going somewhere or going to a classroom setting, uh, going to get groceries somewhere.

00:23:47.715 --> 00:23:54.405
Um, having front porches and maybe a different type of setting, uh, 100 years ago or wherever, um, or the church.

00:23:54.605 --> 00:23:59.276
And now you have a lot of different options for any of those, uh, spheres.

00:23:59.286 --> 00:23:59.665
For sure.

00:23:59.675 --> 00:24:04.006
So you're working online, uh, online church, uh, even proximity to family.

00:24:04.026 --> 00:24:05.506
People just don't live.

00:24:06.486 --> 00:24:08.405
So just that community is way different now.

00:24:08.715 --> 00:24:11.806
Um, it's been this, I think, slow fade to where we are now.

00:24:12.355 --> 00:24:15.336
Not all those things are bad, but yeah, but that's where we're at.

00:24:16.316 --> 00:24:21.165
That's really, uh, Ava, our, our newest employee here at Loco.

00:24:21.165 --> 00:24:28.915
Uh, she came over maybe a month into her tenure for a Sunday football game between the Vikings and the Packers.

00:24:28.915 --> 00:24:31.336
Cause Alma and her husband are pretty close.

00:24:31.455 --> 00:24:34.976
Packers fans, me and my wife, Jill are Vikings fans.

00:24:34.986 --> 00:24:37.576
So we planned ahead and we, you know, included Ava.

00:24:37.576 --> 00:24:49.250
And at least in part, like, like we could see, like, she's got an abundance of friends, but it was mostly her and her mom and her older, much older brother growing up and her dad's been here and there and she doesn't really have family.

00:24:49.330 --> 00:25:07.221
family, you know, not that we're going to ever be her family, but if she can have the sensation of a family type atmosphere at this little office, you know, the likelihood that she'll work hard and not quit on short notice and maybe want to stay, you know, is much stronger.

00:25:07.290 --> 00:25:07.461
Yeah.

00:25:07.921 --> 00:25:09.191
And it's not self serving.

00:25:09.221 --> 00:25:21.560
Like that sounds almost like I'm trying to, you know, but I'm more trying to justify the doing of, of, of like, Doing good things always comes back and connecting with people, building relationship.

00:25:21.871 --> 00:25:30.296
And the other thing I was just thinking when you were talking to Jeff was Um, I guess that notion of the body of Christ, like that's one of the most powerful elements.

00:25:30.296 --> 00:25:41.115
And I think which frictions against the, the individualism that's been created, like individual rights is the only way to have individual rights.

00:25:41.115 --> 00:25:51.806
And as a, a pretty pronounced libertarian, you don't always see me advocating for individual rights cause that's the only way to do it, but it doesn't recognize the fact that none of us are sufficient.

00:25:52.115 --> 00:25:53.526
By ourselves, right?

00:25:53.705 --> 00:26:02.195
You know, we, if, and if we would all see ourselves as part of a body that yes, division is a lot, uh, decreased.

00:26:02.405 --> 00:26:02.615
Yeah.

00:26:02.645 --> 00:26:02.945
Right.

00:26:03.316 --> 00:26:03.496
Yeah.

00:26:03.496 --> 00:26:04.945
We were, we were made for community.

00:26:04.945 --> 00:26:06.846
That's one of the things that we, that we talk about in the book.

00:26:06.846 --> 00:26:07.425
We believe that.

00:26:07.820 --> 00:26:12.560
God designed us to know others and be known by them.

00:26:13.080 --> 00:26:14.230
That's what God designed.

00:26:14.260 --> 00:26:24.101
And you think about, you know, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, like God himself exists in a relationship and, and there's this recognition that we, we need to be connected with each other.

00:26:24.101 --> 00:26:33.465
And I think, you know, you look at, uh, I think community is defined as, you know, meaningful, Relationships in a group of people that are close together.

00:26:33.596 --> 00:26:42.405
I just botched the Miriam Webster definition, but, um, because people that are geographically aligned, there's something about that.

00:26:42.425 --> 00:26:45.355
When you're talking about family, like what, what is a, what is a family?

00:26:45.355 --> 00:26:49.830
Like a family is a group of people who are like together and committed to each other.

00:26:49.951 --> 00:26:50.230
Yeah.

00:26:50.260 --> 00:26:51.070
No matter what.

00:26:51.560 --> 00:26:56.181
And that's, that's really a great, that's the beautiful picture of, of community right.

00:26:56.181 --> 00:26:56.941
And a family.

00:26:57.270 --> 00:27:02.490
And is this idea that we, we are, we're here, we're together, we're knitted together.

00:27:02.780 --> 00:27:05.270
And that means we're, we're kind of stuck with each other too.

00:27:05.790 --> 00:27:17.560
And like, uh, unfortunately, because of like, like Ty was saying, the, the the, the way that our culture is set up and how, uh, you know, people just bounce around, you know, from place to place and, and move every few years.

00:27:17.760 --> 00:27:19.770
It's a lot harder to find that.

00:27:20.201 --> 00:27:24.621
And, and I think there's a tendency, I was just talking to someone where it's like, they're having an issue with their neighbor.

00:27:25.070 --> 00:27:29.361
And the easiest thing to do is just shut that off, right?

00:27:29.421 --> 00:27:30.800
Just avoid that person.

00:27:30.871 --> 00:27:36.530
And, and yet we believe that God has designed us for something more and that we're actually called to press in.

00:27:36.530 --> 00:27:38.300
We're called to have relationships.

00:27:38.310 --> 00:27:49.471
So I had a, a former pastor that would always say like, you're not, Close to someone until you're close enough to hurt them or be hurt by them, you know, And that's a scary thing with community and yet absolutely.

00:27:49.471 --> 00:28:05.490
I think that's what we're called to That's what we're called to in the church is the body of Christ But we have a chance to share that with the world as well and to let people know Hey, you might you might see things completely different in terms of the kovat shutdown But I can still share some fish tacos with you, right?

00:28:05.760 --> 00:28:13.256
And and and for your neighbors to go like, oh, you know Maybe these people aren't so crazy, you know, like, and even if they are crazy, they make some good.

00:28:13.257 --> 00:28:15.685
Yeah.

00:28:15.685 --> 00:28:17.115
And all of a sudden now you're friends.

00:28:17.115 --> 00:28:17.346
Right.

00:28:17.346 --> 00:28:21.796
And, and, and you, you have an impact in their lives and they have an impact in yours.

00:28:21.796 --> 00:28:27.665
And so I think that's a great picture of like, community is, is a commitment to each other as a knitting together.

00:28:27.895 --> 00:28:30.855
It's a pressing in and that's uncomfortable yet.

00:28:30.865 --> 00:28:32.096
That's what we're designed for.

00:28:32.955 --> 00:28:36.326
You know, I, I grew up in a village, basically, of a hundred people.

00:28:36.496 --> 00:28:36.826
Yep.

00:28:36.976 --> 00:28:42.205
Uh, you know, in a school with fifty kids in the high school and sixty kids in the elementary school, kind of thing.

00:28:42.455 --> 00:28:42.586
Yep.

00:28:42.645 --> 00:28:50.026
And I never really gave it credit for how much, maybe, of my, uh, fanciful notions of community.

00:28:50.276 --> 00:28:58.096
Uh, there are, because you're stuck with, you know, yeah, like people don't really move away from 100 person villages in the middle of North Dakota, right.

00:28:58.135 --> 00:28:59.675
Very often or north of the move.

00:28:59.675 --> 00:29:01.486
There's like, Oh, screw these neighbors.

00:29:01.486 --> 00:29:01.986
They suck.

00:29:01.986 --> 00:29:04.326
I'm going to move somewhere.

00:29:04.846 --> 00:29:05.665
You know, they're just cut.

00:29:06.256 --> 00:29:08.246
Uh, that's where you're there.

00:29:08.266 --> 00:29:09.115
That's where you're at.

00:29:09.155 --> 00:29:09.496
Yeah.

00:29:09.536 --> 00:29:31.340
And you're, you've, You've, you've committed in some fashion, um, but especially the, the online game and the, the garages and the, and the internets allow people to, I wonder what the average Um, like monthly interaction of, of, uh, of a typical American household is.

00:29:31.361 --> 00:29:39.830
Like their kids go out and do stuff and stuff, but a lot of families really only have a handful of people that they really interact with.

00:29:40.141 --> 00:29:40.381
Right.

00:29:40.471 --> 00:29:44.871
And a lot of times their families, families families are not in the same city as they are anymore either.

00:29:44.951 --> 00:29:45.260
Mm hmm.

00:29:45.320 --> 00:29:45.510
Yep.

00:29:45.601 --> 00:29:46.941
What did your research say about that?

00:29:46.941 --> 00:29:52.520
Or did you get deep into like the real data around how lonely people are, how isolated from each other?

00:29:52.521 --> 00:29:52.980
Yeah.

00:29:53.060 --> 00:29:53.240
Yeah.

00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:54.580
Jeff, can you remember some of the stats?

00:29:54.631 --> 00:29:55.141
Uh, yeah.

00:29:55.211 --> 00:29:55.996
I, uh, Yeah.

00:29:56.155 --> 00:30:01.246
I would like to say I have them memorized, but I've got them, I've got them pulled up here while you're, while you're pulling that up.

00:30:01.246 --> 00:30:08.066
I'll say a picture that someone told me that was just, uh, helpful, especially getting back to things like the fish tacos.

00:30:08.066 --> 00:30:11.016
Like it might sound insignificant, but it really is significant.

00:30:11.016 --> 00:30:16.016
I believe in, uh, pumpkin spice pancakes, you know, like what does that actually do to a relationship?

00:30:16.195 --> 00:30:19.776
And if you think about like rock climbing, it's like you're going rock climbing.

00:30:20.290 --> 00:30:22.471
And you have these carabiners, right?

00:30:22.490 --> 00:30:39.111
And you have these, these points of contact with the mountain as you're climbing up that are safety nets, you know, I feel like fish tacos and stuff like those relationships, those connections, as people look back, like, like, those are important because they provide a carabiner to the relationship.

00:30:39.201 --> 00:30:44.111
Like if, if you don't see eye to eye politically or whatever the reason.

00:30:44.316 --> 00:30:48.326
And something gets under your skin with your neighbor or whoever you're in relationship with.

00:30:48.326 --> 00:30:48.445
Yeah.

00:30:48.445 --> 00:30:48.635
Yeah.

00:30:48.665 --> 00:30:52.576
You have those carabiners that hold you back from just like crumbling.

00:30:52.665 --> 00:30:53.016
Yeah.

00:30:53.236 --> 00:31:02.905
And I just, I feel like it's just so important to, um, to just keep at trying to get those carabiners in place, uh, with your neighbors and with people in your community with.

00:31:03.175 --> 00:31:04.576
Yeah, I think that's distinctive.

00:31:05.115 --> 00:31:12.675
Uh, and I'm going to remind myself to tell the story of Derek and Crystal, uh, when we come back, but I want to, I want to hear what you got for stats.

00:31:12.726 --> 00:31:13.516
Yeah, absolutely.

00:31:13.516 --> 00:31:25.175
So we, we found that, um, uh, well, first of all, last year, 2023, the U S surgeon general actually released a report declaring, uh, an epidemic of loneliness in our culture.

00:31:25.506 --> 00:31:29.246
And so this is the, this is the government that's identifying this.

00:31:29.726 --> 00:31:37.165
And, um, and so they have a lot of statistics in that report that you can go read, but one of the things they found is that, um, about half of adults in the U.

00:31:37.165 --> 00:31:41.756
S., um, report experiencing some level of loneliness on a regular basis.

00:31:42.036 --> 00:31:42.506
Half.

00:31:42.986 --> 00:31:48.830
Um, Studies show that about only, only about half of Americans know some of their neighbors.

00:31:49.361 --> 00:31:53.000
Um, 17 percent of Americans say they know none of their neighbors.

00:31:53.290 --> 00:32:02.260
And for people under 30, that's about 25%, almost a quarter of Americans under 30 say they know none of their neighbors.

00:32:02.260 --> 00:32:03.000
Isn't that crazy?

00:32:03.040 --> 00:32:03.240
Yeah.

00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:03.510
Yeah.

00:32:03.540 --> 00:32:14.026
Um, and then this is another interesting stat among those who do know at least some of their neighbors, Um, 58 percent say they have never had meaningful connection with them.

00:32:14.496 --> 00:32:14.596
Wow.

00:32:14.915 --> 00:32:19.863
So, you know, I think if you ask the question differently and define what a, really knowing someone is.

00:32:19.863 --> 00:32:24.346
So really, 7 percent of Americans actually have meaningful connections with them.

00:32:24.836 --> 00:32:25.915
Some of their neighbors.

00:32:25.945 --> 00:32:26.385
Exactly.

00:32:26.675 --> 00:32:27.955
And it's something like that.

00:32:28.135 --> 00:32:28.425
Yeah.

00:32:28.425 --> 00:32:29.165
Maybe 15.

00:32:29.415 --> 00:32:29.816
Probably.

00:32:29.816 --> 00:32:31.266
It's probably very, very low.

00:32:31.286 --> 00:32:33.586
So you think about some of those things and it's pretty shocking.

00:32:33.675 --> 00:32:33.925
Right.

00:32:34.076 --> 00:32:40.066
And then, uh, and, and you recognize, yeah, there probably is an epidemic of loneliness in our culture today.

00:32:40.066 --> 00:32:46.685
Cause there's so many people that aren't known and if they don't have family close by, if they're not a part of a church or.

00:32:46.836 --> 00:32:53.715
A social club or a bridge club, one of the last remaining bridge clubs, then they might not, do they have any meaningful relationships?

00:32:53.715 --> 00:33:03.286
Maybe they have coworkers or things like that, but you know, I, I think about it in my own story and after graduating college, like, you know, it's, it's very easy if you don't.

00:33:03.836 --> 00:33:05.135
Search out community.

00:33:05.145 --> 00:33:21.576
It's very easy, I think, to just get in your own little bubble and just go home and, and watch TV and do your own things and, and just kind of build your own little world and never have to interact with those around you, but which for a while, especially as a guy is like, there's a part of me like, That sounds awesome.

00:33:21.576 --> 00:33:25.766
But after a while, it's like, Oh, like I am lonely.

00:33:25.776 --> 00:33:30.365
Like I do crave relationship and interaction, meaningful connections with people.

00:33:30.395 --> 00:33:54.615
Well, and I'm thinking to myself right now about the notion of, uh, renewalment and, uh, in that like, A lot of us build a lot of friends, like, maybe it's high school, maybe it's college, maybe it's our first few years of working at a job, you know, and especially if it's a vibrant community of peers and stuff, you build a bunch of friends, and then you hang out with your favorites of those people.

00:33:54.955 --> 00:34:17.811
For a long time, but then maybe you move, maybe this or that happens, and people just kind of slip off, slip off of that list, and unless you have a process by which you invite and allow new people to, to renew your community, you know, whether it's your next door neighbors or, or just Your list of people that you hang out with regularly, right?

00:34:17.911 --> 00:34:23.260
You know, you either not hanging out with anybody anymore or just the same small number of people that are left.

00:34:23.490 --> 00:34:23.990
Exactly.

00:34:23.990 --> 00:34:24.240
Yeah.

00:34:24.240 --> 00:34:25.101
It's, it's interesting.

00:34:25.101 --> 00:34:30.141
You think about like growing up, like as a, as a kid in school.

00:34:30.606 --> 00:34:58.045
And then, you know, all the way through college and, and just kind of the way most of us have grown up, like community relationships are almost like built in for you, there's like these places for you to go where, whether you want to or not, you're going to have relationships, you're going to have connections with people, but when you get out of that, when you become an adult on your own two feet, um, you know, all of a sudden now you have to be intentional to create those relationships, you know, you have to build that community.

00:34:58.047 --> 00:34:58.231
Yeah.

00:34:58.811 --> 00:35:02.541
That's part of why our, you know, our subtitles find community right where you are.

00:35:02.550 --> 00:35:11.431
You know, another way we talk about is building community that takes action because there's not these automatic places for most of us to immediately have that community.

00:35:11.431 --> 00:35:15.431
Now, we would believe that that's part of the huge purpose of the church, right?

00:35:15.550 --> 00:35:19.041
That we find community there, but that's only 40 percent of Americans.

00:35:19.121 --> 00:35:19.791
Exactly.

00:35:19.791 --> 00:35:22.791
And that number is continually going down or something.

00:35:22.791 --> 00:35:22.871
Yeah.

00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:23.190
Yep.

00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:44.701
And then you look at some of the numbers of, of who even experiences meaningful connection Within church and those numbers can be kind of startling to, you know, even if you're going, um, you know, with the mega church movement, some of those things we talk about in the book and nothing against mega churches, but it's, it's a lot easier to go to some of these churches today and, you know, have enjoyed the service, but never have meaningful interactions.

00:35:44.702 --> 00:35:47.690
Nobody knows if you're there or not.

00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:48.221
Exactly.

00:35:48.221 --> 00:35:55.521
Never been, you know, so it takes a lot of intentionality and, and stepping out of your comfort zone to build that community.

00:35:56.820 --> 00:35:57.530
I'll add to that.

00:35:57.791 --> 00:36:17.431
I think part of the reason why we wrote this is because we wanted to leave a legacy for our kids, you know, there's this next generation that we want to help train and we're seeing, I think now the, the anxious generation of the, as they've been called, you know, and, and a book and, um, and we don't want our kids to fall into that.

00:36:17.791 --> 00:36:21.210
And we want to show them what does it, what does it mean to just look someone in the eye?

00:36:21.411 --> 00:36:21.701
What is it?

00:36:21.911 --> 00:36:32.041
What is it like some of these basic life skills that um, you know, making pancakes for them and serving them is An act of humility and an act of just like hey, this is an easy this can be an easy thing.

00:36:32.141 --> 00:36:45.721
Yeah, and it's powerful Yeah, um, so yeah So like I think if nothing else if like us working on this project together, like I I really think our our family You know Our families have changed, um, because of this and, and it's been a real good accountability.

00:36:45.731 --> 00:36:50.001
What's the, uh, what's the spread, uh, on your kids and your kids?

00:36:50.090 --> 00:36:50.670
Very similar.

00:36:50.681 --> 00:36:52.001
Yeah, it is really similar too.

00:36:52.021 --> 00:36:52.251
Yep.

00:36:52.451 --> 00:36:53.791
We're just trying to be like the Danbrings.

00:36:53.791 --> 00:36:56.550
Just a little bit behind them.

00:36:56.621 --> 00:36:57.121
That's right.

00:36:58.731 --> 00:36:58.971
Yeah.

00:36:58.971 --> 00:37:01.860
You have, you have the oldest by a little bit, right?

00:37:01.860 --> 00:37:02.420
No, I think.

00:37:02.490 --> 00:37:03.168
Or is Abby the oldest?

00:37:03.168 --> 00:37:04.760
Yeah, I think Abby's just older than Leah.

00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:05.010
Yep.

00:37:05.141 --> 00:37:05.451
Okay.

00:37:05.451 --> 00:37:05.860
That's right.

00:37:05.911 --> 00:37:06.201
Okay.

00:37:06.221 --> 00:37:07.541
We're, we're nine down to two.

00:37:07.550 --> 00:37:07.780
That's right.

00:37:07.780 --> 00:37:08.251
And they're.

00:37:08.300 --> 00:37:08.690
10.

00:37:09.190 --> 00:37:10.001
We're 10 down to.

00:37:11.490 --> 00:37:16.561
Yeah, so we're a little, a little tighter, but they're more organized than we are.

00:37:17.940 --> 00:37:19.721
Well, he's not trying to love how the pastor's income is.

00:37:23.481 --> 00:37:25.431
He probably is trying to, but he's investing the rest.

00:37:28.081 --> 00:37:31.090
So we're trying to change the next generation and we're trying to make the next generation.

00:37:31.092 --> 00:37:33.960
That's right.

00:37:33.960 --> 00:37:40.565
Well, if we keep having kids, that guarantees, You know, at least we've guaranteed 10 book sales, all of our kids buy a book.

00:37:42.255 --> 00:37:49.936
So my, my oldest, when I told him about the book idea, um, that we're at the table and I said, Hey, I got this book idea and you know, what do you guys think?

00:37:49.936 --> 00:37:54.346
And I, and, uh, our daughter had seen like New York times bestseller on something.

00:37:54.346 --> 00:37:57.456
She's like, dad, you could, you could just write New York times bestseller on it.

00:37:57.786 --> 00:38:01.726
Like I was like, I was like, yeah, that's not how it works, but I love the idea.

00:38:02.936 --> 00:38:05.735
Well, I I'm in Rotary Club and I really appreciate Rotary.

00:38:05.990 --> 00:38:07.621
Rotary Simplicity sometimes.

00:38:07.621 --> 00:38:08.710
Have you, have you attended?

00:38:08.710 --> 00:38:09.110
Oh, I have.

00:38:09.110 --> 00:38:09.280
Yep.

00:38:09.831 --> 00:38:10.650
Is it the truth?

00:38:10.740 --> 00:38:12.280
Is it fair to all concerned?

00:38:12.311 --> 00:38:15.601
You know, is it, when you start with, is it the truth?

00:38:15.601 --> 00:38:16.920
You can eliminate a lot of things like.

00:38:17.851 --> 00:38:18.880
New York Times bestseller.

00:38:19.911 --> 00:38:21.960
You can put like a really tiny print potential.

00:38:30.721 --> 00:38:32.231
I just changed the words around a little bit.

00:38:32.800 --> 00:38:36.385
So you've got this, uh, this, uh, It's totally cool.

00:38:36.516 --> 00:38:42.016
Uh, the camera can't quite see it probably, but, uh, a yak, I think, uh, is that a yak?

00:38:42.306 --> 00:38:42.525
Yeah.

00:38:42.525 --> 00:38:44.706
It's a, it's a Highland, a Scottish Highland cow.

00:38:44.706 --> 00:38:49.326
Oh, a Scottish Highlands cow, which is pretty similar to a yak as far as I've seen it.

00:38:49.655 --> 00:38:50.806
They both have the same hair, dude.

00:38:51.396 --> 00:38:54.956
And, uh, uh, So what's with the cow?

00:38:55.056 --> 00:38:56.235
What's with the cow?

00:38:56.235 --> 00:39:00.565
And, and, well, and it's like, if I remember correctly, Oh wait, it's party in the front.

00:39:00.585 --> 00:39:00.925
Oh yeah.

00:39:00.925 --> 00:39:02.025
It's party in the back.

00:39:02.025 --> 00:39:03.425
It's normally, yeah, I get it now.

00:39:03.425 --> 00:39:04.385
Business in the front, party in the back.

00:39:04.396 --> 00:39:06.686
Yeah, but you're suggesting we turn that around.

00:39:06.706 --> 00:39:07.346
Exactly.

00:39:07.356 --> 00:39:07.826
Exactly.

00:39:07.826 --> 00:39:09.076
It's like the reverse mullet.

00:39:09.085 --> 00:39:11.335
Business in the back, party in the front.

00:39:11.396 --> 00:39:13.505
I'm going to go home and tell Jill I'm going to grow a reverse mullet.

00:39:13.507 --> 00:39:14.552
There you go.

00:39:14.552 --> 00:39:15.250
Yeah, absolutely.

00:39:15.250 --> 00:39:17.365
Keep it just like it is right here.

00:39:18.576 --> 00:39:19.505
Let it grow, man.

00:39:20.045 --> 00:39:20.795
Just like the Highland.

00:39:20.795 --> 00:39:20.835
Sweet.

00:39:21.815 --> 00:39:33.195
So because we haven't seen too many of those hairdos, uh, you know, the, The Scottish Highland has become the perfect mascot for the book and one of our taglines is like taking loneliness by the horns and So it's just been so fun.

00:39:33.505 --> 00:39:37.326
Do you guys have any ideas to do like a workbook or something to go with this?

00:39:37.456 --> 00:39:38.425
Have you thought about that?

00:39:39.275 --> 00:39:47.326
Yeah, because it seems like if I was a pastor, especially I'd be accustomed to this kind of book with an associated workbook Kind of thing you can implement this in your neighborhood.

00:39:47.525 --> 00:39:47.856
Yeah.

00:39:47.936 --> 00:39:48.695
Yeah Yeah.

00:39:48.695 --> 00:39:49.706
And actually within the book.

00:39:49.706 --> 00:40:00.795
So the last chapter of the book, we, we are, we're still kind of shaping actually, as we, as we work through the editing process and we want that last chapter to be really focused on practical action steps and action steps.

00:40:00.797 --> 00:40:09.626
So we want that to be within the book, but yeah, we've, we've thought about and had a lot of people suggest, you know, like a small group, small group guide or just something like that.

00:40:09.626 --> 00:40:26.666
We want to make this really practical for people and, and share ideas that, that like, yeah, You can pull your griddle around the front and make pancakes, but you also can do something as simple as, you know, my, my girls love having a lemonade stand, you know, have your kids do a lemonade stand or literally just sitting out in front.

00:40:26.686 --> 00:40:32.476
We share the story in the book of my grandfather, who again, grew up in a very different culture, a very different time.

00:40:32.695 --> 00:40:51.420
He was actually a world war II veteran and, Um, has had an amazing story and, and he was kind of a, a gruff guy, kind of intimidating and, um, but he would sit on his front porch in Eaton, Colorado, this little town, and he would sit on his front porch swing all day, every day.

00:40:51.501 --> 00:40:52.210
He would just sit out there.

00:40:52.210 --> 00:40:57.030
Every time we came over, Grampy Don is just sitting on that yellow front porch swing.

00:40:57.471 --> 00:41:02.141
And, um, and, and I just, you know, I used to be just like, well, that's just where he is.

00:41:02.150 --> 00:41:06.451
There's, there's Grampy Don, but I started to pay more attention as I got older and realized.

00:41:06.835 --> 00:41:16.985
He knew every neighbor in that neighborhood, you know, he knew pretty much everybody in the town just by sitting there, you know, he wasn't doing anything and people would stop by.

00:41:16.996 --> 00:41:25.565
I mean, he had some crazy stories about things he saw and, you know, he, he got to know people and be a part of their lives just because he was, Out there.

00:41:25.576 --> 00:41:30.235
And so we want really practical ideas like that and encouragement that anybody can do this.

00:41:30.235 --> 00:41:34.356
And it doesn't take some huge fancy party necessarily.

00:41:34.356 --> 00:41:35.905
It just takes being present.

00:41:35.925 --> 00:41:45.596
Well, and that's, I mean, that's the number one, like encouragement of life for most people is just like, do something like get engaged, you know?

00:41:45.597 --> 00:41:46.141
Yep.

00:41:46.311 --> 00:41:46.960
Yep, exactly.

00:41:46.960 --> 00:41:50.081
And that's, that's bringing it back to the, what's the deal with the cow?

00:41:50.501 --> 00:41:53.971
Um, I always heard Jerry Seinfeld in my brain when I say, what's the deal with the cow?

00:41:54.021 --> 00:41:55.101
What's the deal with the cow?

00:41:55.101 --> 00:42:02.460
And it's like that when Ty, Ty sent me that picture a while back, they were traveling, I think in an Airbnb, right.

00:42:02.460 --> 00:42:04.210
And he saw the, you know, the picture of the Highland.

00:42:04.210 --> 00:42:05.431
They're very popular right now.

00:42:05.581 --> 00:42:06.510
Like go to Hobby Lobby.

00:42:06.510 --> 00:42:06.860
They're everywhere.

00:42:06.920 --> 00:42:07.780
Oh yeah.

00:42:07.780 --> 00:42:07.800
Yeah.

00:42:07.811 --> 00:42:09.471
And he's like, that's perfect.

00:42:09.490 --> 00:42:11.731
Like that's our mascot, you know, for partying in the front.

00:42:11.731 --> 00:42:11.990
Yes.

00:42:11.990 --> 00:42:13.101
Because of the haircut, right.

00:42:13.101 --> 00:42:13.590
The hairdo.

00:42:14.246 --> 00:42:17.186
Um, well, these guys always hang out in herds for sure.

00:42:17.186 --> 00:42:18.505
They don't hang out by themselves.

00:42:18.556 --> 00:42:19.326
Exactly.

00:42:19.376 --> 00:42:19.826
They're herded.

00:42:19.826 --> 00:42:20.385
Exactly.

00:42:20.715 --> 00:42:22.266
And what makes the Highlands so cool?

00:42:22.266 --> 00:42:26.226
Like they are kind of goofy looking, you know, they're kind of messy, right?

00:42:26.226 --> 00:42:27.786
There are hairs all over the place.

00:42:27.786 --> 00:42:28.155
Right.

00:42:28.545 --> 00:42:31.115
But that's kind of what makes them lovable, right?

00:42:31.255 --> 00:42:31.405
Yeah.

00:42:31.436 --> 00:42:34.385
Is there just who they are and all, yeah, that's just who they are.

00:42:34.396 --> 00:42:35.221
They're just there.

00:42:35.490 --> 00:42:39.121
And, and we love that as a, as a picture of what this can look like.

00:42:39.121 --> 00:42:40.541
You don't have to be all cleaned up.

00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:41.880
You don't have to be fancy.

00:42:41.880 --> 00:42:43.101
You don't have to be impressive.

00:42:43.331 --> 00:42:47.280
You just need to be you and be out there and present and God will do the rest.

00:42:47.820 --> 00:42:51.731
Um, I see www dot party in the front book.

00:42:52.001 --> 00:42:52.431
com.

00:42:52.471 --> 00:42:52.880
You got it.

00:42:53.070 --> 00:42:55.530
Uh, and then Instagram party in the front.

00:42:55.780 --> 00:42:55.960
Yep.

00:42:56.291 --> 00:43:22.721
Um, Before we, uh, jump in the time machine to get to know more about the authors, uh, I guess, what, if, uh, if you had, like, your prayers and wishes come true of how this book impacts the, the community, impacts your lives, I mean, are you, like, optimistic you can chase this thing and, like, do a book tour and, I mean, you're already doing some stuff, you're in North Carolina, you said.

00:43:22.722 --> 00:43:22.880
Yeah.

00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:23.331
Yeah.

00:43:24.041 --> 00:43:30.021
Yeah, I think from the get go, we, we had a conversation of like, do we swing for the fences or do we just do this for our families?

00:43:30.021 --> 00:43:31.610
And it's like, let's do this.

00:43:31.701 --> 00:43:33.221
Like, let's go swing for the fences.

00:43:33.221 --> 00:43:42.351
And, um, as a middle aged man now, it's like having a project like this to just devote to, it's like, yeah, it's been, it's been really fun.

00:43:42.351 --> 00:43:45.840
And so, um, yeah, we're like, get us on the today show.

00:43:45.851 --> 00:43:47.851
Get us like, we, we want to do the fun thing.

00:43:47.891 --> 00:43:47.981
Yeah.

00:43:47.981 --> 00:43:48.181
Yeah.

00:43:48.181 --> 00:43:48.596
Okay.

00:43:48.786 --> 00:43:50.246
Yeah, it's like that's where we want to go.

00:43:50.376 --> 00:43:50.615
Cool.

00:43:50.786 --> 00:43:51.295
I dig it.

00:43:51.326 --> 00:43:54.266
Because it's like, I think there's some traction.

00:43:54.275 --> 00:43:57.806
I think it has possibility to change a lot of lives and, and make an impact.

00:43:58.226 --> 00:43:58.465
Yeah.

00:43:58.467 --> 00:44:01.715
Yeah, I appreciate you mentioning Instagram or on Facebook too.

00:44:01.715 --> 00:44:06.726
You can just search party in the front, but, um, we really want this to be a movement as well.

00:44:06.806 --> 00:44:07.056
Yeah.

00:44:07.096 --> 00:44:14.396
And, um, we know that's kind of a, a crazy word, but we want to, we want to dream crazy, you know, that people Oh, there you go.

00:44:14.606 --> 00:44:15.135
There you go.

00:44:15.385 --> 00:44:16.735
That sounds like a new tag line or something.

00:44:17.746 --> 00:44:26.335
And, um, you know, to, to, to see people catch on with this and, and do, you know, hashtag party in the front, like share what you do out there, share your ideas.

00:44:26.335 --> 00:44:30.545
We want to see people catch onto this and kind of have a, a culture, a, a, a.

00:44:30.675 --> 00:44:36.695
Uh, a community that's built even online and, and, um, just encouraging people that it's, you can do this.

00:44:36.726 --> 00:44:43.045
This is something you can be a part of, and we're hoping that lots of people out there will catch on with the idea of Party in the Front.

00:44:43.166 --> 00:44:46.936
I'd recommend starting like a, a Facebook group or something if you haven't already.

00:44:46.945 --> 00:44:47.865
Yep, yep, we got it.

00:44:47.985 --> 00:44:48.396
Got it.

00:44:48.396 --> 00:44:48.606
Yep.

00:44:48.666 --> 00:44:50.505
And you guys are, you're, you're on this.

00:44:50.545 --> 00:44:51.536
Yeah, we're getting there.

00:44:51.615 --> 00:44:52.005
Yeah.

00:44:52.025 --> 00:44:52.396
We're getting there.

00:44:52.396 --> 00:44:55.326
Step one, uh, write book.

00:44:55.396 --> 00:44:56.525
Uh, step two, come on in.

00:44:57.025 --> 00:44:58.865
Be on the local experience podcast.

00:44:58.865 --> 00:45:00.885
Yeah, that, yes, that's really the key step.

00:45:01.166 --> 00:45:11.045
Well, and I, you know, I'll share Kurt, uh, one of the pieces of advice we got early on that was really helpful for us was a lot of people will write the book first and then they try to promote it.

00:45:11.135 --> 00:45:18.735
And, and, and we've, we're told by several people, you know, do it the other way around, actually start promoting the book, start sharing the idea, start casting.

00:45:18.826 --> 00:45:20.436
As long as you're sure you're not going to.

00:45:20.740 --> 00:45:21.670
Flake out halfway.

00:45:21.690 --> 00:45:22.041
Exactly.

00:45:22.121 --> 00:45:23.840
You got to finish the book.

00:45:23.840 --> 00:45:27.141
So, but we're, we're very close to having the book all done.

00:45:27.141 --> 00:45:28.960
But what's cool now is we have.

00:45:29.335 --> 00:45:30.735
We have people excited about it.

00:45:30.755 --> 00:45:35.186
We have people that are engaged with it and we're, we're honing in the message of the book.

00:45:35.186 --> 00:45:37.436
The book has gotten better as we've done this process.

00:45:37.436 --> 00:45:41.505
And so, um, when the book comes, it's, uh, we're excited to see where it goes.

00:45:41.936 --> 00:45:42.286
Awesome.

00:45:43.115 --> 00:46:01.565
Well, and, and we're getting ideas like the feedback and, and it makes the book better or yeah, making the book better, but also just like, Like it's, uh, we were talking to our friend Jason a couple of weeks ago down in Denver and, um, he's like, oh yeah, we did something where, you know, we built bike ramps like we used to as a kids and like we did as kids.

00:46:01.565 --> 00:46:14.585
And, um, so they had this bike ramp, they went to their neighborhood, invited people that had kids bikes and they had this bike night where the kids literally just went in circles riding over this ramp and the parents brought their lawn chairs.

00:46:14.596 --> 00:46:18.846
And so they just sat there for three hours, just having a good time and having conversations.

00:46:18.846 --> 00:46:19.965
And so like.

00:46:20.081 --> 00:46:23.090
Just having cool ideas like that come up has just been really cool.

00:46:23.110 --> 00:46:31.755
So if people can be annoyed three years from now by the number of Like street closures and, uh, like people hanging out together.

00:46:31.755 --> 00:46:35.306
Why are all these people hanging out together in these side streets and in these cul de sacs?

00:46:35.755 --> 00:46:36.016
Yep.

00:46:36.076 --> 00:46:36.326
Yeah.

00:46:36.326 --> 00:46:41.726
If we're getting angry letters from HOA boards, we have done our job.

00:46:41.726 --> 00:46:46.525
One of the other ideas that was just shared by some friends of, of ties in North Carolina, as we were sharing.

00:46:46.965 --> 00:46:52.655
Was, uh, they would, they would do like a, uh, uh, Nerf gun war in their front yard.

00:46:52.746 --> 00:46:53.235
Yeah.

00:46:53.295 --> 00:47:03.166
And they would line up a bunch of Nerf guns that, you know, they just collected them over the years, invite all the kids over and adults would get into it, you know, and they'd have these epic battles in the front.

00:47:03.715 --> 00:47:04.746
It's like, that's such a cool idea.

00:47:04.755 --> 00:47:15.521
I have a gift for you guys, actually, if you'd like, cause when I was food trucking, after I left banking and landed with a mobile food business, uh, I I, I, we were backyard party in a box.

00:47:15.911 --> 00:47:17.570
Oh, that was our concept.

00:47:17.570 --> 00:47:21.231
And I've got like maybe nine nerf guns left.

00:47:21.251 --> 00:47:21.740
No bullets.

00:47:22.101 --> 00:47:37.411
All the bullets are, but I've got a bunch of nerf guns, including, I think two megas, seven year old son that would probably have to get the air hose and dust them off a little bit.

00:47:37.411 --> 00:47:39.650
They've been in the shed for a while, but, uh, That's awesome.

00:47:39.951 --> 00:47:39.971
Yeah.

00:47:39.990 --> 00:47:40.610
Remind me.

00:47:40.900 --> 00:47:41.170
Yeah.

00:47:41.210 --> 00:47:46.141
Um, well let's go ahead and take a short break and we'll jump in the time machine and learn about these two crazy authors.

00:48:25.476 --> 00:48:25.896
All right.

00:48:25.896 --> 00:48:27.056
We are back.

00:48:27.135 --> 00:48:33.181
Uh, and, uh, Gosh, that was a nice, uh, little comic interlude.

00:48:33.481 --> 00:48:33.701
Yep.

00:48:33.721 --> 00:48:42.570
I think I've decided I'm going to take the explicit, I'm going to take the fucking explicit button off of my podcast and I'm going to turn it into a comedy show after this one, instead of arts and entertainment.

00:48:42.570 --> 00:48:42.931
Yeah.

00:48:43.181 --> 00:48:43.440
Yeah.

00:48:43.451 --> 00:48:46.791
After that's the last time I'm cussing on air.

00:48:49.811 --> 00:48:50.291
All right.

00:48:50.340 --> 00:48:54.920
Um, should we play a fun game of, uh, guessing age?

00:48:55.981 --> 00:49:21.425
Uh, Cuz I'm trying to decide who we're gonna jump in the time machine and go back to where both of you guys were like From and born and age and stuff and yes, like Jeff or sorry Jeff tie Is clearly a lot smarter, uh, but I don't know if that's from his age, or Yeah, no, it, no, that's, that's just But he has the hairline thing that's deceptive, he's a lot harder to guess.

00:49:21.425 --> 00:49:24.096
He could be 27, he could be 53.

00:49:25.626 --> 00:49:26.096
Anywhere in there.

00:49:26.106 --> 00:49:28.806
Whereas you're pretty much 37.

00:49:29.706 --> 00:49:32.525
That's just handsome GQ guy over here.

00:49:32.525 --> 00:49:33.655
And you're not 40.

00:49:33.655 --> 00:49:34.485
I just turned 40.

00:49:34.525 --> 00:49:35.155
I just turned 40.

00:49:35.155 --> 00:49:35.775
That's not too bad.

00:49:35.896 --> 00:49:36.045
Yeah.

00:49:36.045 --> 00:49:36.356
You were close.

00:49:36.365 --> 00:49:44.356
Um, and I'm going to guess that you are, if you just turned 40, it's irrelevant because you could be 27, you could be 53.

00:49:44.735 --> 00:49:48.070
I'm going to say you're, 42.

00:49:48.351 --> 00:49:49.451
Okay, 37.

00:49:49.530 --> 00:49:51.710
Oh, you are 37.

00:49:51.710 --> 00:49:52.920
I just turned 37.

00:49:52.920 --> 00:49:54.251
I was gonna go lower actually.

00:49:54.581 --> 00:49:55.351
It's the balding.

00:49:55.650 --> 00:49:58.530
Well, I mean, well, you're smart for your age.

00:49:59.130 --> 00:50:00.920
I didn't start getting smart until I was like 35.

00:50:04.101 --> 00:50:05.920
And would you care to guess?

00:50:05.920 --> 00:50:06.431
You want to try?

00:50:07.081 --> 00:50:07.960
Or do you know already?

00:50:08.150 --> 00:50:08.690
No, I don't.

00:50:08.731 --> 00:50:12.130
I'm gonna go 49.

00:50:13.800 --> 00:50:15.871
Wow, I was gonna say like 46.

00:50:16.826 --> 00:50:17.976
50, just turned 50.

00:50:19.135 --> 00:50:25.556
I'm sorry for overguessing your age, Ty, we'll do something nice for you.

00:50:25.596 --> 00:50:26.215
When's your birthday?

00:50:26.695 --> 00:50:27.376
How many months?

00:50:27.476 --> 00:50:29.706
Uh, August 20th, I just turned 50 a couple months ago.

00:50:30.175 --> 00:50:31.206
You gotta give me credit for that.

00:50:31.965 --> 00:50:32.766
That's impressive.

00:50:32.896 --> 00:50:33.835
That's fair, that's fair.

00:50:34.465 --> 00:50:39.326
Alright, so, uh, 1980.

00:50:41.286 --> 00:50:41.806
Yes.

00:50:41.835 --> 00:50:43.445
You were born somewhere.

00:50:43.485 --> 00:50:44.005
Yes.

00:50:44.306 --> 00:50:44.815
Is that right?

00:50:44.856 --> 00:50:45.615
Yes, I was.

00:50:45.615 --> 00:50:47.865
I was born in Twin Falls, Idaho.

00:50:47.916 --> 00:50:48.476
Oh, cool.

00:50:48.505 --> 00:50:52.686
And I was born the weekend that the original Ghostbusters came out.

00:50:52.695 --> 00:50:53.485
Oh, nice.

00:50:53.536 --> 00:51:01.335
Because my aunt, who is a big movie fan, she said that she got news that I was born while she was driving to see Ghostbusters.

00:51:01.335 --> 00:51:03.885
And, um, she didn't still went.

00:51:05.146 --> 00:51:06.815
I thought about getting on a plane.

00:51:06.965 --> 00:51:07.815
She lived in California.

00:51:07.896 --> 00:51:08.945
It was like, I'm seeing ghosts.

00:51:11.346 --> 00:51:12.655
So, um, yep.

00:51:12.735 --> 00:51:18.996
I was born into a world of Ghostbusters and, uh, in, in Southern Idaho, really small little town.

00:51:19.005 --> 00:51:19.235
Yeah.

00:51:19.326 --> 00:51:20.545
I've been in Twin Falls actually.

00:51:20.545 --> 00:51:20.755
Yeah.

00:51:20.795 --> 00:51:21.195
Actually.

00:51:22.146 --> 00:51:30.315
My wife's parents lived in Twin Falls before they moved to Yuma, Arizona, where my wife was born.

00:51:30.326 --> 00:51:31.436
Wow, that's amazing.

00:51:31.445 --> 00:51:34.036
But her older brother was born in Twin Falls.

00:51:34.106 --> 00:51:39.385
That's really rare to meet someone that knows anything about Twin Falls, Idaho.

00:51:39.565 --> 00:51:40.525
You know, that's incredible.

00:51:40.556 --> 00:51:41.775
So yeah, that's where it all began.

00:51:41.775 --> 00:51:43.971
My dad Uh, was a pastor.

00:51:44.061 --> 00:51:44.371
He was.

00:51:44.371 --> 00:51:50.920
And was a pastor for three plus decades and so he was a pastor there in, in Southern Idaho and that's where it all began.

00:51:51.161 --> 00:51:51.590
Okay.

00:51:51.701 --> 00:51:52.650
Were there twin falls?

00:51:53.501 --> 00:52:00.501
Yeah, there are twin falls, but the falls are like kind of far away from town and not that big.

00:52:00.940 --> 00:52:01.231
You know?

00:52:01.541 --> 00:52:01.940
So, you know.

00:52:01.940 --> 00:52:03.920
Like two months of the year when there's waterfalls.

00:52:03.920 --> 00:52:09.081
Does anybody have a good name for this town that we've started building around here?

00:52:09.081 --> 00:52:09.300
It's like.

00:52:09.530 --> 00:52:16.880
Well, we passed some falls like a couple of hours ago, but, uh, you know, it's a nice little, this is a nice little town.

00:52:16.880 --> 00:52:20.601
And, but we moved to Colorado when I was five or six years old.

00:52:20.650 --> 00:52:24.570
So I really don't remember much of the town and, or my time in Idaho.

00:52:24.570 --> 00:52:30.561
And we've been back to visit since, but, uh, moved to Greeley when I was in elementary school.

00:52:30.561 --> 00:52:33.701
And my dad pastored a church there for pretty much my entire time.

00:52:33.701 --> 00:52:34.505
It's probably a good time to pass.

00:52:34.846 --> 00:52:35.695
Pick up the story.

00:52:35.695 --> 00:52:48.505
Anyways, uh, when you can start remembering it, um, so tell me we only child You've got a bunch of littles to were they breeders also you're also I have one brother just one brother Yeah, they weren't writing a book.

00:52:48.505 --> 00:52:54.920
So they didn't need as many kids to buy copies So, you know, it was just me and my brother and He was younger?

00:52:54.920 --> 00:52:55.130
Older?

00:52:55.130 --> 00:52:55.521
He's older.

00:52:55.521 --> 00:52:56.411
Fifteen months older.

00:52:56.411 --> 00:52:56.791
Okay.

00:52:56.811 --> 00:52:58.590
So we're real close and, and still are.

00:52:58.590 --> 00:53:07.780
And, uh, we did everything together and, um, played sports and rode our bikes and went to church a lot cause our dad was a pastor and that was our, that was our lives.

00:53:07.851 --> 00:53:10.436
And what, uh, what kind of a church was he pastoring?

00:53:10.436 --> 00:53:11.581
Is a Baptist church.

00:53:11.581 --> 00:53:12.065
Okay.

00:53:12.275 --> 00:53:15.496
Yep, Baptist Church and a little, little, little Baptist Church.

00:53:15.496 --> 00:53:19.465
Same thing up in Idaho, I assume, they don't change charter that fast, kind of thing.

00:53:19.485 --> 00:53:21.335
Yep, yep, same, same kind of thing.

00:53:21.335 --> 00:53:23.306
And, um, you know, great group of people.

00:53:23.306 --> 00:53:27.396
I actually really, I really enjoyed being a PK, a pastor's kid.

00:53:27.465 --> 00:53:27.715
Okay.

00:53:27.715 --> 00:53:28.545
Um, I really did.

00:53:28.556 --> 00:53:31.186
It was a good experience and we were involved with church.

00:53:31.186 --> 00:53:32.405
We had a lot of friends at church.

00:53:32.405 --> 00:53:34.215
We had a great youth group growing up.

00:53:34.635 --> 00:53:38.525
Um, and my faith really grew there during my junior high, high school years.

00:53:38.525 --> 00:53:39.876
Um, So I really enjoyed it.

00:53:39.876 --> 00:53:41.675
I never, ever would have.

00:53:41.755 --> 00:53:44.565
You were never like a revolting pastor's kid to speak of?

00:53:44.576 --> 00:53:45.356
No, not really.

00:53:45.356 --> 00:53:49.365
Especially, especially not then there, there was really no, really not ever.

00:53:49.396 --> 00:53:50.166
You know, I think.

00:53:50.585 --> 00:53:55.195
Um, there certainly were years where I wasn't as, as serious about my faith than others.

00:53:55.226 --> 00:54:01.186
But no, it was, it was really a pretty good experience, but I never would have said I'd be a pastor when I grew up.

00:54:01.266 --> 00:54:01.545
Yeah.

00:54:01.585 --> 00:54:03.795
And it wasn't again, that I had a bad experience.

00:54:03.795 --> 00:54:05.516
It was just like, I'm going to do my own thing.

00:54:05.565 --> 00:54:05.835
Right.

00:54:05.835 --> 00:54:06.106
Right.

00:54:06.195 --> 00:54:08.266
I'm going to, I'm going to do something different.

00:54:08.286 --> 00:54:09.905
Were there things that you were especially good at?

00:54:09.916 --> 00:54:11.195
Were you a sporty kid?

00:54:11.195 --> 00:54:13.596
Were you a good student?

00:54:13.876 --> 00:54:14.215
Yeah.

00:54:14.215 --> 00:54:15.315
So the girls, yeah.

00:54:16.706 --> 00:54:19.246
Now we're, now we're getting into the ping pong questions.

00:54:19.246 --> 00:54:19.496
Yeah.

00:54:19.746 --> 00:54:23.126
So I, uh, I was into sports, played basketball and tennis.

00:54:23.126 --> 00:54:23.916
Those were my main things.

00:54:24.356 --> 00:54:26.235
And, uh, especially in high school.

00:54:26.715 --> 00:54:32.615
Uh, yeah, I used to, I, I haven't played a lot recently, but I can still, I get done early enough, we can try to whip a game out real quick.

00:54:33.025 --> 00:54:35.606
I find that the people that beat me the most are tennis players.

00:54:35.606 --> 00:54:36.326
Yeah, yeah.

00:54:36.326 --> 00:54:36.815
Historically.

00:54:36.876 --> 00:54:37.726
Yeah, yeah.

00:54:37.726 --> 00:54:40.695
I'm, I'm, you know, it's, it's something I don't do as much anymore.

00:54:40.695 --> 00:54:43.775
And now I go out and play tennis and I just get frustrated at how bad I am.

00:54:43.815 --> 00:54:45.626
Because my brain still thinks I can play like I did.

00:54:46.206 --> 00:54:47.726
That's when I played basketball, it was the same thing.

00:54:47.775 --> 00:54:48.065
Yep.

00:54:48.175 --> 00:54:50.596
But I, yeah, so sports were a big thing for me.

00:54:50.596 --> 00:54:52.775
And, um, again, really involved with church.

00:54:53.476 --> 00:54:59.346
Um, you know, I mean, the girls, the girls liked me, you know, I wasn't, I mean, they always try to turn you.

00:55:01.735 --> 00:55:02.266
That's right.

00:55:02.295 --> 00:55:07.346
So tell me about growing up in Greeley, I guess, whatever, 40 years ago, 30, 30 years ago.

00:55:07.865 --> 00:55:08.246
Yeah.

00:55:08.516 --> 00:55:08.885
Yeah.

00:55:08.885 --> 00:55:09.585
Greeley.

00:55:10.036 --> 00:55:11.525
Greeley is a really interesting town.

00:55:11.525 --> 00:55:12.135
Still is.

00:55:12.166 --> 00:55:18.820
Um, You know, a lot, it's a, obviously a huge rural community, you know, farming community kind of population.

00:55:18.820 --> 00:55:23.690
And that's where a lot of my family background was, was, was from that side of things.

00:55:23.740 --> 00:55:30.510
Um, so our church was, was a lot of farmers, frankly, and, uh, people have been there for a long time.

00:55:30.510 --> 00:55:30.871
Yeah.

00:55:30.871 --> 00:55:36.340
And so they drive in from, you know, Wiggins and stuff, exactly, exactly.

00:55:36.360 --> 00:55:37.181
And, um, yeah.

00:55:37.431 --> 00:55:38.701
So a really great group of people.

00:55:38.710 --> 00:55:42.590
But, um, you know, I think, I think I enjoyed it for the most part.

00:55:42.911 --> 00:55:46.380
I feel like, uh, you know, we moved to a new brand new neighborhood.

00:55:46.380 --> 00:55:48.710
It was a new build neighborhood when I was probably in.

00:55:49.331 --> 00:55:51.300
Second or third grade, something like that.

00:55:51.780 --> 00:56:02.030
And, um, and, and I loved our neighborhood and we were at the very end of our street and, you know, we would organize basketball games and we'd love riding our bikes around.

00:56:02.030 --> 00:56:04.371
And, uh, so you were partying in the front already.

00:56:04.530 --> 00:56:04.840
Yeah.

00:56:04.840 --> 00:56:06.960
I mean, looking back for sure.

00:56:06.971 --> 00:56:09.670
Like we did some stuff in the backyard, but we were out front a ton.

00:56:09.670 --> 00:56:12.150
We had the basketball hoop out front and that's where we were.

00:56:12.541 --> 00:56:14.201
And, um, actually it's funny.

00:56:14.201 --> 00:56:16.871
We had a golden retriever named nugget growing up.

00:56:17.380 --> 00:56:17.641
Yeah.

00:56:17.641 --> 00:56:18.050
And, uh.

00:56:18.101 --> 00:56:19.610
She was an escape artist.

00:56:19.751 --> 00:56:21.851
I mean, she could, she could get out of anything.

00:56:21.871 --> 00:56:23.161
We couldn't keep her in our yard.

00:56:23.721 --> 00:56:26.400
And, uh, so I was thinking about that kids out front playing.

00:56:26.451 --> 00:56:27.130
Yeah, exactly.

00:56:27.130 --> 00:56:34.271
I was like, we need to put the nugget in the book because nugget would like, we met all these neighbors because nugget would just wander to their house.

00:56:34.380 --> 00:56:37.146
You know, she was like creating, Creating community for us.

00:56:37.206 --> 00:56:42.246
She was partying in the front before partying the front in the, in the side yards and Exactly, yeah.

00:56:42.246 --> 00:56:43.146
Pooping in the roses.

00:56:43.295 --> 00:56:43.896
Exactly.

00:56:43.896 --> 00:56:46.056
So yeah, that was kind of our experience.

00:56:46.056 --> 00:56:53.166
And, um, and, you know, it was, it was, uh, I think it was good growing up in, in G Town as I called it for the most part.

00:56:53.255 --> 00:56:53.556
Yeah.

00:56:53.556 --> 00:56:53.556
Yeah.

00:56:54.226 --> 00:56:56.925
Um, let's bounce over to you, uh, Ty.

00:56:56.925 --> 00:57:00.385
Uh, where, where, where were you?

00:57:00.385 --> 00:57:00.596
Uh.

00:57:01.690 --> 00:57:02.030
birthed.

00:57:02.451 --> 00:57:05.630
Yeah, birthed in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

00:57:05.740 --> 00:57:06.141
Oh, yeah.

00:57:06.141 --> 00:57:07.170
So fairly close to.

00:57:07.400 --> 00:57:09.351
Yeah, pretty close to Jamestown, where I'm from.

00:57:09.351 --> 00:57:09.681
Yep.

00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:12.931
And then, uh, grew up mostly in Yankton, South Dakota.

00:57:13.121 --> 00:57:13.561
Okay.

00:57:13.610 --> 00:57:17.911
Short stint in Laurel, Nebraska, uh, south of the South Dakota border there.

00:57:17.990 --> 00:57:18.380
Okay.

00:57:18.431 --> 00:57:25.846
And, um, So, like, what were you doing, like, what were your folks situation in Aberdeen and then Yankton?

00:57:25.896 --> 00:57:30.626
Yep, so, my dad was in school, um, at Northern College, up in Aberdeen.

00:57:30.695 --> 00:57:31.076
Okay.

00:57:31.166 --> 00:57:33.246
And I've got an older brother, he's four years older.

00:57:33.255 --> 00:57:34.695
So he was going to school when you were born?

00:57:34.965 --> 00:57:35.996
Um, yes, yep.

00:57:36.076 --> 00:57:36.396
Okay.

00:57:36.405 --> 00:57:38.135
My parents were really young when they had us.

00:57:38.135 --> 00:57:38.476
Yeah, yeah.

00:57:38.496 --> 00:57:41.755
And, um, and then, um, he got a stint.

00:57:42.070 --> 00:57:43.661
Teaching job down in Laurel, Nebraska.

00:57:43.840 --> 00:57:45.550
So we were down there for I think two years.

00:57:45.851 --> 00:57:49.920
And then, um, we got to go back up to South Dakota where he's from.

00:57:49.920 --> 00:57:52.411
Well, actually both of my parents are from, uh, from Yankton, so.

00:57:52.501 --> 00:57:52.831
Okay.

00:57:52.920 --> 00:57:55.920
Um, yeah, so it was, uh, a great place to grow up.

00:57:55.951 --> 00:57:57.780
Um, oh, so that was multi-generational.

00:57:57.780 --> 00:58:01.740
So like, like your, your mom's parents and your dad's parents were both around Yeah.

00:58:01.740 --> 00:58:02.460
When you were growing up.

00:58:02.581 --> 00:58:02.880
Yep.

00:58:02.940 --> 00:58:05.400
So, yeah, it was great having, having some family there.

00:58:05.521 --> 00:58:11.101
Um, and, uh, and yin's what, like 20,000, 30,000, 50,000 people.

00:58:11.760 --> 00:58:13.740
It's about 14, 000, 15, 000.

00:58:13.800 --> 00:58:14.340
Okay.

00:58:14.501 --> 00:58:15.420
So it's right on the river.

00:58:15.420 --> 00:58:16.431
It's Missouri River.

00:58:16.451 --> 00:58:16.621
Yeah.

00:58:16.621 --> 00:58:23.050
Yeah loved going down the river on on tubes and stuff growing up and Yeah, yeah.

00:58:23.190 --> 00:58:29.550
Wasn't that supposed to, that was a candidate to be the capital of the Dakota territory, wasn't it?

00:58:29.590 --> 00:58:29.900
Yes.

00:58:30.081 --> 00:58:34.960
But then Bismarck won and then the South Dakotas got all sissy and pissy and made their own state.

00:58:35.201 --> 00:58:35.550
Yep.

00:58:35.641 --> 00:58:37.460
But made Pierre's capital.

00:58:37.460 --> 00:58:42.521
There's like the capital building still right on the river there, um, that I think they're really proud about that still.

00:58:42.521 --> 00:58:44.811
But, um, you know, what could have been, you know?

00:58:44.811 --> 00:58:46.001
What could have been, yeah.

00:58:46.681 --> 00:58:47.150
Um.

00:58:47.150 --> 00:58:47.391
That's awesome.

00:58:47.391 --> 00:58:47.510
Awesome.

00:58:47.650 --> 00:58:49.670
So, uh, you have brothers and sisters too?

00:58:50.050 --> 00:58:50.320
Yep.

00:58:50.501 --> 00:58:53.981
Um, so, older brother Scott, um, have a twin brother, uh, Sam.

00:58:54.150 --> 00:58:54.471
Okay.

00:58:54.471 --> 00:58:55.251
He's out in Oregon.

00:58:55.391 --> 00:58:55.601
Alright.

00:58:55.610 --> 00:58:57.150
He's got a way cooler job than I do.

00:58:57.150 --> 00:59:01.150
He, uh, is, uh, with the Coast Guard and he drops out of helicopters.

00:59:01.190 --> 00:59:01.621
Oh, cool.

00:59:01.630 --> 00:59:02.440
So, I'm a rescue swimmer with them.

00:59:02.601 --> 00:59:03.030
Nice.

00:59:03.181 --> 00:59:06.471
Um, our family doesn't go without any brokenness too.

00:59:06.481 --> 00:59:20.740
So, we, uh, my parents got a divorce when I was younger, but, uh, Um, I have, uh, some half siblings and I'm really thankful for, honestly, just how God's redeemed that brokenness and to have just a healthy relationship with all my siblings now.

00:59:20.981 --> 00:59:21.280
Yeah.

00:59:21.351 --> 00:59:21.610
Yeah.

00:59:21.690 --> 00:59:27.010
My, uh, my folks split up actually after my wife and I got married 21 years ago.

00:59:27.400 --> 00:59:39.021
And then my dad married a gal who had been widowed that had like twin 11 year old girls and a eight year old boy and they've all gotten married the last year.

00:59:40.090 --> 00:59:41.251
and now they're having babies.

00:59:41.251 --> 00:59:43.490
I've got like four or five babies between the three of them.

00:59:43.920 --> 00:59:49.971
And it's just like a whole generational chapter of our family that we otherwise wouldn't have experienced.

00:59:50.940 --> 00:59:55.101
Because the next generation, like there's going to be at least 10 years before we'll have any babies around.

00:59:56.161 --> 01:00:06.800
And it's just really a special thing, uh, to have, you know, both of those things, like, uh, that opportunity, but, but also, um, just for my dad to have a second.

01:00:07.771 --> 01:00:11.650
Swing through the raising children game was kind of cool for him, too.

01:00:11.820 --> 01:00:12.150
Yes.

01:00:13.101 --> 01:00:13.411
Yep.

01:00:14.280 --> 01:00:19.521
So anyway, um, so what is your like situation look like?

01:00:19.521 --> 01:00:21.371
Are you, uh, you're pretty tall guy.

01:00:21.371 --> 01:00:24.260
Were you tall early or tall late athletic man?

01:00:24.260 --> 01:00:25.391
I was like that awkward.

01:00:25.391 --> 01:00:25.760
Lanky.

01:00:26.226 --> 01:00:32.456
Uh, stage in middle school, um, I grew up, grew up golfing all the time, 8 a.

01:00:32.456 --> 01:00:32.596
m.

01:00:32.596 --> 01:00:33.036
to 8 p.

01:00:33.036 --> 01:00:33.215
m.

01:00:33.246 --> 01:00:33.766
typically.

01:00:33.856 --> 01:00:34.335
Oh, wow.

01:00:34.346 --> 01:00:38.485
And, uh, it was for, for a lot of reasons, but I just gravitated toward that.

01:00:38.505 --> 01:00:39.376
Um, I loved it.

01:00:39.416 --> 01:00:39.635
Yeah.

01:00:39.635 --> 01:00:40.175
Talk to me more.

01:00:40.195 --> 01:00:41.985
Like, was your dad a big golfer or something?

01:00:41.985 --> 01:00:47.126
Um, actually, so my, uh, when my mom remarried, she, uh, married a family from North Carolina.

01:00:47.126 --> 01:00:47.246
Okay.

01:00:47.246 --> 01:00:47.626
Okay.

01:00:47.635 --> 01:00:54.951
And, uh, So when we went out to visit her in the summertime, I would, um, just play golf and my grandpa introduced me to it out there.

01:00:54.951 --> 01:00:56.510
And he was a very good golfer.

01:00:56.510 --> 01:00:57.780
He played in one of the U.

01:00:57.780 --> 01:00:57.900
S.

01:00:57.900 --> 01:00:59.681
Opens in 1955.

01:00:59.681 --> 01:01:02.150
Um, and so, uh, yeah, really good golfer.

01:01:02.190 --> 01:01:04.690
Uh, feel really blessed that I could learn from him.

01:01:04.690 --> 01:01:08.726
And, um, it was just really great to, Yeah, I became that as an outlet.

01:01:08.726 --> 01:01:12.396
Passion, you're on the high school golf team and stuff like that, I suppose.

01:01:12.476 --> 01:01:12.996
Golf team.

01:01:12.996 --> 01:01:15.795
And then went out to North Carolina for college and played golf out there.

01:01:15.826 --> 01:01:16.635
Okay, cool.

01:01:17.076 --> 01:01:19.036
Um, did you try to go pro?

01:01:19.036 --> 01:01:23.655
I mean, I played a couple of events on the Dakota's tour event, uh, or events.

01:01:23.675 --> 01:01:26.635
And, um, you know, it was just a really good humbling experience.

01:01:26.635 --> 01:01:31.485
Honestly, golf's good for that, but, uh, love still golfing and good lifelong sport.

01:01:31.516 --> 01:01:35.485
My dad was really good about, uh, teaching us things that we could do longterm.

01:01:35.675 --> 01:01:36.746
So we, I ran.

01:01:37.161 --> 01:01:38.001
In high school.

01:01:38.090 --> 01:01:38.240
Oh.

01:01:38.300 --> 01:01:41.271
And, uh, and then a little bit college country or cross country track.

01:01:41.570 --> 01:01:41.630
Yeah.

01:01:41.690 --> 01:01:42.641
Um, yeah.

01:01:42.670 --> 01:01:44.411
So still do all that to this day.

01:01:44.530 --> 01:01:44.981
Very cool.

01:01:45.130 --> 01:01:45.581
Very cool.

01:01:46.001 --> 01:01:55.030
Um, and you went to college in North Carolina and then, um, like were you on track to be a financial services guy right away?

01:01:55.030 --> 01:01:56.740
Or did you go, what did you go to college for?

01:01:57.351 --> 01:02:00.440
Yeah, I, I got my, my MBA eventually.

01:02:00.740 --> 01:02:00.862
Oh wow.

01:02:02.146 --> 01:02:05.916
During that time, but, um, yeah, it wasn't, wasn't really sure what I wanted to do.

01:02:05.925 --> 01:02:13.065
I have some, had some ideas, um, wanted to honestly be a missionary and, uh, and do different things, um, globally.

01:02:13.106 --> 01:02:19.556
And it was really drawn to different people groups and, um, loved, I love to travel and so that was certainly on my radar.

01:02:19.795 --> 01:02:21.795
Um, even like business as mission.

01:02:21.985 --> 01:02:22.596
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:02:22.655 --> 01:02:23.405
Type concepts.

01:02:23.646 --> 01:02:28.025
Um, so did different mission trips in college and graduate school and learned more about that.

01:02:28.335 --> 01:02:28.746
Interesting.

01:02:28.835 --> 01:02:35.465
So yeah, we'll see if that circles back around later on in life, but yeah, um, but yeah, I really actually enjoy my job right now.

01:02:35.505 --> 01:02:36.106
So yeah.

01:02:36.925 --> 01:02:40.460
Um, how does, uh, where, where did you go, did you go off to school?

01:02:40.820 --> 01:02:41.751
School, Jeff?

01:02:41.751 --> 01:02:42.501
Uh, yep.

01:02:42.561 --> 01:02:47.150
So I went to, uh, a Nazarene school in San Diego, point Loma Nazarene.

01:02:47.271 --> 01:02:47.630
Okay.

01:02:47.630 --> 01:02:49.010
In San Diego, California.

01:02:49.070 --> 01:02:53.271
And, uh, uh, and where did the Nazarenes fit in With the Baptist and all that?

01:02:53.271 --> 01:02:53.331
Yeah.

01:02:53.331 --> 01:02:54.110
Not, not really.

01:02:54.110 --> 01:02:55.041
Well, that's what I thought actually.

01:02:55.041 --> 01:02:55.371
Yeah.

01:02:55.371 --> 01:02:55.760
Not really.

01:02:55.760 --> 01:03:01.335
Well, yeah, I was a Baptist kid at a Nazarene school and, um, but the reason I went there.

01:03:02.260 --> 01:03:07.110
Was because their campus is maybe the most beautiful campus in America.

01:03:07.110 --> 01:03:08.981
Point Loma Nazarene University.

01:03:09.201 --> 01:03:13.811
So Point Loma is a little peninsula that curves around to the southwest of, of downtown San Diego.

01:03:13.820 --> 01:03:15.110
Yeah, yeah, I've seen it.

01:03:15.110 --> 01:03:17.030
So it's, yeah, it's a beautiful place.

01:03:17.081 --> 01:03:17.471
Okay.

01:03:17.471 --> 01:03:18.420
And it's like the campus.

01:03:18.420 --> 01:03:19.860
You're like, I'm here for the surfing.

01:03:19.860 --> 01:03:20.246
Yep.

01:03:20.246 --> 01:03:23.565
I mean, I wanted to live on the beach, play tennis.

01:03:23.565 --> 01:03:27.126
They had a tennis team and be a California surfer kid.

01:03:27.856 --> 01:03:28.675
We had the same idea.

01:03:28.675 --> 01:03:32.056
Cause I went, uh, I went to Wilmington, North Carolina for my first semester.

01:03:32.315 --> 01:03:32.606
Yeah.

01:03:33.396 --> 01:03:33.775
Yeah.

01:03:33.806 --> 01:03:36.376
It, you know, Ty and I have a lot of overlap with some of those things.

01:03:36.376 --> 01:03:41.621
Like, you know, you're just a kid and you're like, you know, not maybe thinking through the decisions that deeply.

01:03:41.621 --> 01:03:42.831
It's just like, that's a cool spot.

01:03:43.251 --> 01:03:50.820
It's I told Ty like, uh, you know, at our high school graduation in Greeley, they would read off, you know, the, where the kids were going to, to school.

01:03:51.210 --> 01:03:51.621
Yeah.

01:03:51.690 --> 01:03:58.990
And I wanted mine to be at least like top three coolest, you know, like that was my, that was my mission criteria.

01:03:59.050 --> 01:03:59.400
Yeah.

01:03:59.451 --> 01:04:18.565
So it wasn't exactly like a prayerful, thoughtful decision, but I went out there and, Uh, honestly, like that was the first place that I really experienced loneliness and, you know, obviously the homesickness and all that, but like, I just didn't, um, connect real deeply with a lot of people and I felt very alone.

01:04:18.626 --> 01:04:22.981
Uh, And, you know, I was, I was surrounded by people all the time in a dorm.

01:04:22.981 --> 01:04:28.880
But, um, so looking back, that was kind of a shaping experience in a, in a hard way, but a good way for me.

01:04:28.911 --> 01:04:30.090
Tennis was going nowhere.

01:04:30.090 --> 01:04:39.371
I, my coach sat me down sophomore year and said, look, Jeff, you know, we'd love having you on the team, but you're not going to get to play a lot and you're probably never going to get scholarship money.

01:04:39.371 --> 01:04:39.400
So.

01:04:39.565 --> 01:04:44.025
You know, and I was like, other than that, was that, was that a focus thing?

01:04:44.025 --> 01:04:44.896
A physical thing?

01:04:44.896 --> 01:04:45.195
Was it?

01:04:45.226 --> 01:04:50.795
So it was, uh, it was a fact that in, in California, even, you know, we were in NAIA school.

01:04:50.945 --> 01:04:59.465
Um, so not a huge school by any means, but they, they can supply of incredible athletes that, well, they recruited people from overseas.

01:04:59.476 --> 01:05:04.155
So our top five players were all foreign born because they want to come play in a place like San Diego.

01:05:04.166 --> 01:05:04.635
Right.

01:05:04.706 --> 01:05:10.065
And so we had some unbelievable players on our team and I just was not getting a lot of playing time.

01:05:10.065 --> 01:05:17.695
And so, you know, I was pretty good here in Colorado and in, in high school, but Um, by the time I got there, it was a very humbling experience.

01:05:17.695 --> 01:05:20.096
If you had gone to UNC instead, you'd have been a star.

01:05:20.146 --> 01:05:21.525
Yeah, that's exactly, yeah.

01:05:22.085 --> 01:05:22.715
I mean, yeah.

01:05:22.715 --> 01:05:23.706
Not University of North Carolina.

01:05:23.706 --> 01:05:26.411
No, not, yeah, no, that was it.

01:05:26.411 --> 01:05:28.896
But yeah, I, I could have stayed close to home.

01:05:28.896 --> 01:05:31.686
There was other places I could have gone, but I wanted to be in San Diego.

01:05:31.686 --> 01:05:44.936
So, um, it's really interesting because, you know, thinking about it, like, I lived in this, I mean, I lived on, on the beach, you know, my, our dorm was a five minute walk to the ocean with 140 people to live in it.

01:05:45.016 --> 01:05:45.405
Right.

01:05:45.436 --> 01:05:48.775
And yet I felt so alone and depressed.

01:05:49.215 --> 01:06:03.695
And so I looked back and I really am thankful for that experience now, a, because God was shaping me in a lot of different ways, but B, I think I can relate so much more to what, what loneliness feels like and, and just that desiring deep connection.

01:06:03.695 --> 01:06:05.596
And I remember thinking like, I wish I had.

01:06:06.106 --> 01:06:09.635
A family around here that would like adopt me.

01:06:09.666 --> 01:06:10.025
Right.

01:06:10.206 --> 01:06:13.596
And I'm like, just go over on Sunday afternoon and have, you were talking about Anna, right?

01:06:13.606 --> 01:06:17.335
Having Anna over and just, sorry, that's close.

01:06:17.755 --> 01:06:26.766
Uh, but like, you know, just that, that idea, like, that's what I desired so much is that I could be brought into it and that what I was desiring was, was community, was that meaningful connection.

01:06:26.766 --> 01:06:27.885
So that's, that's my experience.

01:06:27.896 --> 01:06:38.811
Then I, I transferred out, um, after my sophomore year came back, um, To, uh, Colorado ended up finishing at Colorado state university and, uh, majored in journalism here.

01:06:38.811 --> 01:06:44.990
That's a whole other story, but, um, that's kind of how the college years and, uh, didn't talk to the tennis coach.

01:06:45.610 --> 01:06:46.690
They don't have men's tennis.

01:06:46.820 --> 01:06:53.791
So it's, they have a club team, but that was a title nine casualty back in the eighties or nineties or whatever.

01:06:54.411 --> 01:06:57.541
So there wasn't even a men's team, but I honestly was, I was ready.

01:06:57.541 --> 01:06:59.201
That was done.

01:06:59.251 --> 01:06:59.621
Got it.

01:06:59.681 --> 01:07:00.010
Got it.

01:07:00.021 --> 01:07:00.701
Well, tell me about.

01:07:00.760 --> 01:07:06.041
Uh, while we're here, tell me about the switch to journalism and what did you go to the Nazarene school for in the first place?

01:07:06.070 --> 01:07:06.260
Yep.

01:07:06.331 --> 01:07:07.701
I was studying business there.

01:07:07.780 --> 01:07:10.320
Uh, cause that just seemed like the thing to do.

01:07:10.391 --> 01:07:16.420
Uh, you know, I just, sometimes I like, if I could go back and talk to myself, like, what, what are you thinking Jeff?

01:07:16.440 --> 01:07:20.376
Like, but that's just where I was, you know, I'm going to go to San Diego and stuff.

01:07:20.385 --> 01:07:21.036
Study business.

01:07:21.045 --> 01:07:23.826
Well, your dad was a pastor and business is like the opposite of that.

01:07:23.826 --> 01:07:24.445
Yeah, right.

01:07:24.456 --> 01:07:25.065
Exactly.

01:07:25.065 --> 01:07:27.865
And, and so here I was and I just was not happy.

01:07:28.115 --> 01:07:34.016
And so I came back, landed at CSU and I was like, okay, I, I, I need to just get this degree, right?

01:07:34.016 --> 01:07:38.215
I need to finish like so many, so many people had told me, like, my parents were really freaked out.

01:07:38.215 --> 01:07:44.655
Like if you take off too much time, if you, if you kind of wander, you know, you'll never harness your, uh, yeah.

01:07:45.135 --> 01:07:49.655
And so I was like, all right, a bunch of scare tactics, but I look back and I'm like, I had so much time.

01:07:50.746 --> 01:07:59.505
But anyways, um, I, I just wanted to get it done, you know, and so I'm like, all right, I'll go to CSU and, um, what do I want to study?

01:07:59.505 --> 01:08:02.965
Well, don't want to do business because accounting almost killed me.

01:08:03.300 --> 01:08:05.431
Like, I almost died in the classroom.

01:08:06.971 --> 01:08:08.210
Ty probably came to life.

01:08:08.851 --> 01:08:10.791
Ty was like, you know, this is amazing.

01:08:10.960 --> 01:08:11.771
credits balance.

01:08:13.860 --> 01:08:15.701
I'm like, oh, like somebody.

01:08:15.701 --> 01:08:16.211
Should we know?

01:08:16.220 --> 01:08:16.810
Yeah, exactly.

01:08:16.820 --> 01:08:19.860
But, you know, I decided journalism.

01:08:19.890 --> 01:08:21.180
I've always loved writing.

01:08:21.251 --> 01:08:21.520
Yeah.

01:08:21.581 --> 01:08:23.301
And I've always loved communication.

01:08:23.871 --> 01:08:25.011
And I love sports.

01:08:25.020 --> 01:08:28.770
And so I'm like, man, I can cover sports for the collegiate, the Rocky mountain collegiate.

01:08:28.770 --> 01:08:33.270
And so I did and got to travel and cover football and basketball and all those things.

01:08:33.270 --> 01:08:39.520
And, um, and, and did a little bit of radio and some other things too, just got experiences and, and I loved it.

01:08:39.520 --> 01:08:40.921
So it's got a great radio.

01:08:40.951 --> 01:08:41.541
Yeah, you do.

01:08:41.541 --> 01:08:41.871
Yeah.

01:08:41.871 --> 01:08:44.980
I'm kind of envious of your podcast.

01:08:44.990 --> 01:08:47.631
Well, you're, you, you've got a good one too, but yeah.

01:08:47.631 --> 01:08:51.530
So I, that's what I thought I was going to do is, is, you know, I thought it'd be at ESPN by now.

01:08:51.570 --> 01:08:54.131
And, uh, Uh, doing something like that.

01:08:54.131 --> 01:09:00.751
But I graduated in 2008 with a journalism degree as the economy was tanking.

01:09:01.320 --> 01:09:05.951
And I'm looking for print journalism jobs when the internet is killing every newspaper.

01:09:05.951 --> 01:09:10.110
I mean, I could not have, yeah, I could not have chosen worse, right?

01:09:10.511 --> 01:09:15.871
Um, and so that's where God kind of started to redirect my story, but, uh, but I, I enjoyed it so much.

01:09:15.871 --> 01:09:22.110
And I, I like to think that those skills of writing and communication serve me in, in my role as a pastor.

01:09:22.110 --> 01:09:22.511
And that's where I'm at now.

01:09:22.905 --> 01:09:24.036
We're writing a book together.

01:09:24.065 --> 01:09:25.355
Yeah, well, for sure.

01:09:25.365 --> 01:09:25.805
It's been good.

01:09:26.105 --> 01:09:44.011
Well, it was, I just shared this in a podcast a couple weeks ago with somebody that, um, one of my, one of my advisory board folks, Sharing, you know, Kurt, the reason you're a really good banker, like you get the customers and stuff, but you get your loans approved because you're an excellent writer.

01:09:44.051 --> 01:09:52.001
Like you can write the story about why this person will pay us back and stuff, you know, and that, that really, that one small comment.

01:09:52.216 --> 01:09:56.275
Like, it's probably the impetus for having a blog since I went independent.

01:09:56.305 --> 01:10:00.536
You know, when I first left, I, with Bear Capital Advisors, I had a blog with my food truck.

01:10:00.536 --> 01:10:01.206
I had a blog.

01:10:01.235 --> 01:10:02.945
Who needs a blog in your food trailer, really?

01:10:03.435 --> 01:10:03.935
I did.

01:10:05.246 --> 01:10:06.275
I don't know how many people read it.

01:10:06.296 --> 01:10:06.855
Not very many.

01:10:07.780 --> 01:10:14.780
Uh, but, but writing is thinking and if you can process what you want to do with yourself because you spend a little intentional time thinking.

01:10:14.940 --> 01:10:15.240
Right.

01:10:15.470 --> 01:10:18.001
Uh, that can, you know, help lead to those things.

01:10:18.030 --> 01:10:18.720
Exactly, yeah.

01:10:18.740 --> 01:10:19.841
Yeah, it's so good and that's, yeah.

01:10:19.850 --> 01:10:23.400
So did you get in, like, an entry level church thing then, uh, instead?

01:10:23.400 --> 01:10:24.701
Like, what was that first career step?

01:10:24.701 --> 01:10:32.801
I think my only You know, job offer in the, in the journalism world was, uh, to go cover high school sports, probably, probably what was your town in Nebraska?

01:10:32.841 --> 01:10:35.591
That's probably what it was like, this is little Nebraska town.

01:10:35.650 --> 01:10:37.881
Probably that's probably what it was.

01:10:38.081 --> 01:10:40.911
Um, but you know, it paid 14, 000 a year.

01:10:40.961 --> 01:10:41.501
Oh yeah, exactly.

01:10:42.591 --> 01:10:43.871
And I'm like, Okay.

01:10:43.871 --> 01:10:50.230
That's not quite ESPN, you know, but, um, so I'm like, all right.

01:10:50.230 --> 01:10:52.770
So my brother was living in and working in Denver.

01:10:52.770 --> 01:10:58.650
I went and worked with him, taught tennis for the summer and just kind of thinking about praying about where I should go.

01:10:58.650 --> 01:11:05.060
And I, and it was sitting in church one day and the pastor was talking about, you know, God's will and all, you know, how do you know that?

01:11:05.060 --> 01:11:11.350
And it's like, sometimes you're banging your head against a wall and it's like, well, You know, maybe that is a closed door.

01:11:11.350 --> 01:11:14.680
Like maybe God has something over here versus like, come on, God.

01:11:14.680 --> 01:11:17.051
Did God really say you should not be a pastor?

01:11:17.711 --> 01:11:21.150
Or was that me that told me that way back when?

01:11:21.360 --> 01:11:21.951
100%.

01:11:21.970 --> 01:11:35.921
So all of a sudden, um, I felt prompted to look at ministry, um, stuff and Got a job with an adoption agency, a Christian adoption agency in Loveland, nightlight Christian adoptions, started working there.

01:11:35.940 --> 01:11:43.831
And then my wife and I got involved with another nonprofit ministry, his little feats and international children's choir and worked with them for a number of years.

01:11:43.860 --> 01:11:48.261
And God just gave us a heart for ministry, for kids, for families.

01:11:48.650 --> 01:11:55.671
And then when the whole church thing started, um, that was, that was, you know, God just kind of made it clear.

01:11:56.320 --> 01:11:57.161
We were a part of it.

01:11:57.161 --> 01:12:00.621
Yeah, we weren't, we weren't officially, we were still working in the nonprofit world.

01:12:00.650 --> 01:12:04.610
So we were lay leaders, but we were a part of it from the beginning back in 2015.

01:12:04.640 --> 01:12:08.251
I'm going to come back to that story because we've neglected Ty for a little bit.

01:12:08.251 --> 01:12:09.280
Go back in Ty's time machine.

01:12:09.280 --> 01:12:09.751
Yeah, yeah.

01:12:10.110 --> 01:12:10.951
Ty's time machine.

01:12:11.371 --> 01:12:12.900
Um, where did we leave you off?

01:12:12.900 --> 01:12:21.011
You were, um, in North Carolina, not quite becoming a pro golfer, but having a lot of fun with it.

01:12:21.011 --> 01:12:22.581
And dreams being crushed.

01:12:22.581 --> 01:12:22.751
Yeah.

01:12:22.751 --> 01:12:23.110
Yeah.

01:12:23.650 --> 01:12:24.970
It was really, really helpful though, yeah.

01:12:25.301 --> 01:12:25.671
All good.

01:12:26.411 --> 01:12:32.261
Uh, uh, what were the significant things and where did you, like, start your actual career after?

01:12:32.310 --> 01:12:32.801
Yeah.

01:12:33.030 --> 01:12:35.390
Did you find your wife there while you were in North Carolina?

01:12:35.390 --> 01:12:36.530
No, sweet story.

01:12:36.671 --> 01:12:38.621
My wife and I have known each other since the first grade.

01:12:39.001 --> 01:12:39.320
Oh, dang.

01:12:39.320 --> 01:12:40.650
Small, small town in South Dakota.

01:12:40.881 --> 01:12:41.791
Back in Yankton, so.

01:12:42.251 --> 01:12:42.831
Um.

01:12:43.070 --> 01:12:44.341
When did you grab her along the way?

01:12:44.405 --> 01:12:47.655
Lot in between there.

01:12:47.886 --> 01:12:48.966
You grabbed her lots of times.

01:12:54.225 --> 01:12:56.676
People ask us where you sweat, uh, high school sweethearts.

01:12:56.685 --> 01:12:57.126
Right, right.

01:12:57.136 --> 01:12:58.886
Well, that's half true.

01:12:58.886 --> 01:12:59.865
You know, I was sweet on her.

01:12:59.886 --> 01:13:00.626
She wasn't sweet on me.

01:13:01.456 --> 01:13:02.195
Um, but.

01:13:02.496 --> 01:13:05.235
No, so we, we went different ways for, for college.

01:13:05.565 --> 01:13:06.706
Um, I was on the East coast.

01:13:06.716 --> 01:13:08.206
She was in the Midwest still.

01:13:08.475 --> 01:13:11.546
And, um, and then got redirected things.

01:13:11.546 --> 01:13:14.475
It was really clear, uh, for us to be back together.

01:13:14.475 --> 01:13:16.536
It was honestly where it was, it was really cool.

01:13:16.536 --> 01:13:22.525
I, this is like my, my throwing the fleece out to God about my future wife.

01:13:22.555 --> 01:13:26.105
Um, I felt prompted to pray for, for 40 days.

01:13:26.155 --> 01:13:29.315
Uh, and just for my future wife, I was single.

01:13:29.336 --> 01:13:30.485
And this is like.

01:13:30.801 --> 01:13:32.530
Post college, post graduate school.

01:13:32.701 --> 01:13:33.020
Okay.

01:13:33.070 --> 01:13:47.381
And, uh, it's back in South Dakota, and then, um, Ashley was not on my radar, and uh, I won't tell the whole story, but, um, but, yeah, so, on the 40th day, um, we got reconnected through a friend, and, uh, I was like, this is really clear.

01:13:47.470 --> 01:13:57.216
Like, to at least I mean, did you have a 40 day plan or you were going to go and tell it, get it answered or like the 40 day thing is pretty, you know, you could have quit after that.

01:13:57.216 --> 01:14:03.716
So yeah, like, um, yeah, so it was, it was just really, 41?

01:14:04.555 --> 01:14:05.115
Yeah, right.

01:14:05.286 --> 01:14:13.945
I guess I just felt prompted to pray for 40 days and, and then I guess just keep looking, but so, so yeah.

01:14:13.945 --> 01:14:18.666
So then, uh, yeah, it was just really clear, uh, to reach out to her and, um, and I did and.

01:14:19.661 --> 01:14:24.980
It was January 14th of 2014, we ended up getting married in May, that same year.

01:14:25.001 --> 01:14:28.680
And we were, yeah, totally different states, so it was really cool.

01:14:29.390 --> 01:14:33.310
Having that friendship growing up, um, really helped obviously, but, uh, yeah.

01:14:35.490 --> 01:14:38.171
You look like you wanted to say something about his wife.

01:14:39.331 --> 01:14:48.871
Well, no, they're, they're such an incredible couple and family and just thinking about like, yeah, the intentionality that you had to, to pray about that and God so clearly directing you.

01:14:48.871 --> 01:14:50.661
I just had, I'd never had heard that story before.

01:14:51.011 --> 01:14:52.400
That's so, that's so incredible.

01:14:52.400 --> 01:15:02.078
But it is funny to think about, like, if you would have met someone, like if Ashley, Would have come to mind or reached out on day 41 and you're like, sorry, you missed the cutoff.

01:15:02.078 --> 01:15:05.652
I'll tell you the full story later.

01:15:05.652 --> 01:15:13.166
You know, I, uh, I was just musing to myself that, I mean, I have no question that.

01:15:14.041 --> 01:15:17.720
God answers prayers, you know, I've seen it and whatever.

01:15:18.211 --> 01:15:31.121
And I have also no question that prayer, like meditation or something, focuses its user in ways that make prayers come true sometimes too.

01:15:32.060 --> 01:15:44.350
It's an interesting dynamic, you know, um, It is cool, I, having this conversation with people that ask us what our story is, like, Ashley will share that during that same time, she was just praying for a lifelong best friend.

01:15:44.661 --> 01:15:59.180
And I'm the guy that fit that mold, you know, in her life, and, um, so it was just cool to have that friendship from, you know, knowing her from the first grade, and, Yeah, um, and having that background's, So you go to your school, and then your MBA, Yep.

01:15:59.411 --> 01:16:02.640
And then like, yeah, then a major crossroads.

01:16:02.640 --> 01:16:06.951
Actually, I, I, um, nobody wants to give me 140, 000 with an experience.

01:16:08.661 --> 01:16:17.161
So it was, you know, North Carolina, 2012 timeframe when I finished my MBA and still the economy out there.

01:16:17.161 --> 01:16:26.140
I think when I graduated, my I think unemployment in Hickory, North Carolina was 17 percent and it was just like, so that's why I went to graduate school.

01:16:26.421 --> 01:16:33.331
So, um, got my MBA and, um, and it wasn't a whole lot better there, but my parents didn't want me to come back to South Dakota without a job.

01:16:33.331 --> 01:16:37.511
So I got a job and, uh, and, uh, and then just kind of started things from there.

01:16:37.511 --> 01:16:43.030
So, um, but before being able to come back to South Dakota, um, you know, Jeff talks about college.

01:16:43.265 --> 01:17:01.025
That time of kind of loneliness and depression out out there and I experienced something very similar I was very heavily involved in in our local church and campus ministries and things and then all that kind of stopped in graduate school And I kind of had to figure out what it means to like, yeah be an adult single man.

01:17:01.036 --> 01:17:19.115
Yeah, right and Um, yeah, I mean, to be transparent, I, I kind of spiraled into a point of depression and it was a really dark spot that I hope no one gets to, but that's kind of the motivation for this book too is, um, so that we can put a guardrail up around situations like that.

01:17:19.970 --> 01:17:23.600
And if it weren't for the local church back there, like, um, you know, who knows?

01:17:23.841 --> 01:17:30.081
Um, I, I don't want to go there, but, um, but the reality is that, that there's a problem right now.

01:17:30.381 --> 01:17:35.701
And, and I, I felt like God, um, as I look back, like I'm really grateful for that time.

01:17:35.761 --> 01:17:36.400
Right, right.

01:17:36.430 --> 01:17:37.911
So that I can have some empathy.

01:17:38.251 --> 01:17:56.666
Um, because I never would have thought, like, there was, like, I loved waking up in the mornings, like, seriously, like, but not that, not in that time, like, I, I did not want to wake up, I couldn't wait for, um, my head to hit the pillow, and, um, and night time was hard, and so, um, it was a funny story, we share a little bit about this in the book, but, yeah.

01:17:57.935 --> 01:18:00.996
Got to go with a family on, uh, from our church.

01:18:01.286 --> 01:18:07.815
They had a milk cow and, uh, and that was like my motivation to get out of bed because they said, yes, you can live with us.

01:18:07.845 --> 01:18:10.036
And, uh, here's, here's what rent costs.

01:18:10.046 --> 01:18:12.485
And by the way, you have the morning shift.

01:18:13.206 --> 01:18:13.855
I'm dead serious.

01:18:13.876 --> 01:18:15.685
And so it was like, it was the best.

01:18:15.881 --> 01:18:21.690
thing for me because, um, you know, well, a little bit of responsibility, purpose, a reason to get up out of bed in the morning.

01:18:21.730 --> 01:18:22.341
Oh, totally.

01:18:22.341 --> 01:18:22.730
You know?

01:18:22.730 --> 01:18:24.220
And so, yeah, it was, it was great.

01:18:24.251 --> 01:18:27.990
So that was, uh, honestly, that was a catalyst for me getting back on my feet, literally.

01:18:27.990 --> 01:18:30.110
And, um, and things turning around.

01:18:30.341 --> 01:18:32.895
Was it a, was it a cowtalist?

01:18:32.895 --> 01:18:35.220
Move over, depression.

01:18:35.220 --> 01:18:38.030
That was a stretch.

01:18:38.030 --> 01:18:38.511
That was a stretch.

01:18:38.511 --> 01:18:39.690
Sorry, that just came to me.

01:18:39.940 --> 01:18:40.850
I felt like I had to share it.

01:18:41.650 --> 01:18:42.581
We need to cut that.

01:18:42.990 --> 01:18:43.801
That's a cat alist.

01:18:43.831 --> 01:18:44.740
Uh, I don't think so.

01:18:44.836 --> 01:18:45.855
So we're not cutting that.

01:18:49.176 --> 01:18:52.315
Um, let's see, uh, where'd we go?

01:18:52.515 --> 01:18:57.466
Oh, so, but you still don't have a job or what you got, you got a job, but not really.

01:18:57.466 --> 01:19:00.055
Or I mean, I was, I was working some, some odd jobs there and.

01:19:00.201 --> 01:19:00.461
Gotcha.

01:19:00.730 --> 01:19:03.390
And, um, just waiting for, to get a real job.

01:19:03.421 --> 01:19:05.591
Um, and so my dad would let me back in the state.

01:19:05.841 --> 01:19:06.131
Right.

01:19:06.770 --> 01:19:09.261
So you're like, hunting for jobs in South Dakota virtually.

01:19:09.350 --> 01:19:09.610
It was.

01:19:09.610 --> 01:19:11.440
Trying to find a girlfriend in South Dakota.

01:19:11.440 --> 01:19:13.560
Yeah, exactly.

01:19:13.560 --> 01:19:17.390
And so, I mean, to my dad's credit, like, that was the right thing that I needed to hear.

01:19:17.390 --> 01:19:17.921
Yeah, yeah.

01:19:17.961 --> 01:19:19.060
Some tough love at the time.

01:19:19.060 --> 01:19:27.600
And, um, yeah, didn't want to, he for sure didn't want another child in his basement and, uh, Fair enough.

01:19:28.220 --> 01:19:29.470
Um, so.

01:19:29.701 --> 01:19:31.850
When you made it back, like, what was that?

01:19:31.850 --> 01:19:34.381
And did you get right into the financial services room?

01:19:34.381 --> 01:19:49.360
Yeah, no, I, um, in, in college, I was a part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Ministry, and so I got a job with, um, the University of Sioux Falls as their golf coach, um, cause I played golf in college and then also, um, was, uh, part time.

01:19:49.360 --> 01:19:52.110
And you could fundraise for your own salary with FCA?

01:19:52.131 --> 01:19:52.371
Yeah.

01:19:52.390 --> 01:19:52.581
Yep.

01:19:52.621 --> 01:19:54.430
So I, I, I, I did both of those.

01:19:54.451 --> 01:19:54.680
Yeah.

01:19:54.680 --> 01:19:57.831
So I worked for FCA part time and then worked for the college part time.

01:19:57.841 --> 01:19:58.371
Yeah, I gotcha.

01:19:58.400 --> 01:19:59.480
Um, you know, I bet my.

01:19:59.985 --> 01:20:07.845
I bet my salary was like 26, 000 barely more than that sports writer and a small town, Nebraska.

01:20:09.036 --> 01:20:13.506
So, uh, you know, quickly, and that was not going to support a family, but, uh, um, yeah.

01:20:14.400 --> 01:20:14.640
Yeah.

01:20:14.820 --> 01:20:14.970
Yeah.

01:20:14.970 --> 01:20:15.680
What was the pivot?

01:20:15.900 --> 01:20:16.430
The pivot.

01:20:16.990 --> 01:20:17.331
Yeah.

01:20:17.551 --> 01:20:19.051
Well, that was right around the same.

01:20:19.081 --> 01:20:25.461
So when I was in Sioux Falls, uh, that's when I started praying for my future wife and then God provided Ashley.

01:20:26.301 --> 01:20:26.501
Yeah.

01:20:26.661 --> 01:20:27.201
And then.

01:20:27.400 --> 01:20:29.270
And then I needed to get a, a different job.

01:20:29.270 --> 01:20:30.470
And then she got pregnant right away?

01:20:30.470 --> 01:20:31.951
Yeah.

01:20:31.951 --> 01:20:32.211
Yeah.

01:20:32.211 --> 01:20:32.801
So, yeah.

01:20:32.890 --> 01:20:37.041
You didn't really have this epiphany leading you into your current work necessarily.

01:20:37.551 --> 01:20:37.850
Yeah.

01:20:37.860 --> 01:20:41.291
Like if this book blows up and you can quit your current job, would you?

01:20:41.756 --> 01:20:43.115
No, probably not.

01:20:43.115 --> 01:20:44.296
Your clients are going to listen to this.

01:20:44.296 --> 01:20:46.286
So you don't want to, cause you love your work.

01:20:46.286 --> 01:20:48.086
I can tell from our previous conversations.

01:20:48.095 --> 01:20:48.485
I do.

01:20:48.485 --> 01:20:52.506
I love my job as a financial advisor because of just the relational aspect.

01:20:52.515 --> 01:20:55.975
And it's a, it's a way that I can speak life into people's situations.

01:20:56.671 --> 01:20:59.791
Uh, I feel like, um, Is it something that you've been good at?

01:21:00.220 --> 01:21:00.621
Yeah.

01:21:00.640 --> 01:21:01.530
I've done this.

01:21:01.770 --> 01:21:04.310
Well, I've done this for seven years now.

01:21:04.371 --> 01:21:06.041
Um, No, but you do it good for your family.

01:21:06.180 --> 01:21:13.921
Well, yeah, I feel like, um, Cause I've met a lot of broke financial advisors that are also have BMW leases and stuff.

01:21:13.921 --> 01:21:19.921
I feel like growing up, um, I was always like the, the bank for a couple of my brothers.

01:21:19.921 --> 01:21:20.560
Yeah, for sure.

01:21:21.121 --> 01:21:21.451
Yeah.

01:21:21.490 --> 01:21:22.240
Good saver.

01:21:22.291 --> 01:21:24.530
Um, and, uh, Fair enough.

01:21:24.780 --> 01:21:34.871
I'm not trying to get you to be, uh, dishumble, but, uh, like I said, I've seen a lot of BMW leasers, uh, financial advisors that didn't, uh, it didn't benefit them financially.

01:21:35.871 --> 01:21:40.621
Anyway, uh, so, so that has been just kind of a slow unfolding.

01:21:40.621 --> 01:21:44.086
You've been, uh, You change jobs, need to make more money for the kids.

01:21:44.086 --> 01:21:48.395
Here's a good conduit where I can serve people, use my kind of natural abilities.

01:21:48.595 --> 01:21:48.815
Yep.

01:21:48.826 --> 01:21:57.515
I feel like, um, as a financial advisor, uh, similar to like a pastor, we're the first that, that see major things that go on banker too, is where I came from, you know?

01:21:57.536 --> 01:21:57.735
Yeah.

01:21:57.735 --> 01:21:57.975
Right.

01:21:57.985 --> 01:21:58.206
Yep.

01:21:58.206 --> 01:22:05.315
So, you know, either, um, weddings or divorces or deaths, like we're like first line of defense for most families.

01:22:05.336 --> 01:22:10.155
And, um, so to be able to come alongside people, it's been, it's been Been a great, great position.

01:22:10.235 --> 01:22:10.536
Cool.

01:22:10.546 --> 01:22:11.076
I dig it.

01:22:11.506 --> 01:22:11.876
All right.

01:22:11.876 --> 01:22:14.815
Let's hear the story of the church plant thing.

01:22:15.036 --> 01:22:15.735
Yeah.

01:22:15.775 --> 01:22:16.095
Yeah.

01:22:16.095 --> 01:22:18.126
So my wife and I were working for a nonprofit.

01:22:18.136 --> 01:22:19.225
We're attending.

01:22:19.265 --> 01:22:20.206
Oh, where'd you find her?

01:22:20.376 --> 01:22:20.756
Yeah.

01:22:21.036 --> 01:22:21.916
That's a great question.

01:22:22.166 --> 01:22:23.555
You picked her up in the journalism school?

01:22:23.605 --> 01:22:24.355
Yeah, no, we.

01:22:24.480 --> 01:22:25.051
Didn't actually.

01:22:25.051 --> 01:22:27.791
So she went to Colorado Christian university in Denver.

01:22:27.791 --> 01:22:29.100
So we met through some mutual friends.

01:22:29.100 --> 01:22:30.421
That's where my brother went to school.

01:22:30.841 --> 01:22:39.060
So the summer I was in Denver teaching tennis, um, we met and then actually had a pretty crazy, uh, reconnection.

01:22:39.070 --> 01:22:42.730
We, we didn't really stay connected after that summer, but that October.

01:22:42.730 --> 01:22:44.711
So this was October of 2008.

01:22:48.015 --> 01:22:48.286
Yeah.

01:22:48.496 --> 01:22:50.876
October 2008, right before the financial crash.

01:22:51.076 --> 01:22:51.305
Yeah.

01:22:51.305 --> 01:22:53.735
So I just graduated that spring and yeah.

01:22:53.826 --> 01:22:57.945
And, um, I had gotten the job at the adoption agency.

01:22:57.945 --> 01:23:00.046
So I've moved back up here.

01:23:00.046 --> 01:23:04.195
I just started, I was living in Loveland and, uh, went to.

01:23:05.280 --> 01:23:07.461
Old Chicago in Old Town, Fort Collins.

01:23:07.461 --> 01:23:10.091
That's the first place I went to in Fort Collins.

01:23:10.091 --> 01:23:10.501
Was it?

01:23:10.501 --> 01:23:10.730
Yeah.

01:23:10.730 --> 01:23:11.131
Yeah.

01:23:11.161 --> 01:23:11.360
Yeah.

01:23:11.661 --> 01:23:12.570
I missed that spot.

01:23:13.411 --> 01:23:26.951
And we, uh, some buddies and I went to watch some playoff baseball, uh, that was going on and, and we were sitting there and incomes Becca, my now wife, um, who lived in Denver, but here she is in Fort Collins and they sit down at the table right next to us.

01:23:27.011 --> 01:23:27.280
No.

01:23:27.671 --> 01:23:29.581
And, uh, the funny thing is that I didn't.

01:23:30.060 --> 01:23:30.810
I didn't talk to her.

01:23:30.810 --> 01:23:33.220
She, she kind of like, you ghosted her back that previous summer.

01:23:33.220 --> 01:23:36.701
Well, it was kind of a mutual ghosting.

01:23:37.301 --> 01:23:43.740
And when she walked in, she like did the whole, like, you know, glance away real quick, like, um, and, and so it was just awkward.

01:23:44.360 --> 01:23:58.041
And of course I made the mistake of telling my buddies like, Oh, Hey, like that's that girl I met this summer, you know, and you weren't telling her bragging, you were like 100 percent and, and they're, and they're like, you got to talk to her, you know?

01:23:58.711 --> 01:24:02.020
And I'm like, no, she clearly doesn't want me to, I don't want to make it awkward.

01:24:02.020 --> 01:24:04.331
It was like her, it was her sister's birthday party.

01:24:04.331 --> 01:24:10.421
I think is why they were, I'm like, I don't, that's awkward, you know, but they're sitting right next to us and as hilarious.

01:24:11.001 --> 01:24:19.801
And so, um, meanwhile at their table, I realized, you know, now, now, uh, after the facts, I've been told that they were having a whole conversation as well.

01:24:20.291 --> 01:24:22.131
And they're like, well, he's going to come over here.

01:24:22.131 --> 01:24:22.341
Right.

01:24:22.350 --> 01:24:24.041
Like, and then they're like, no, he's not coming up.

01:24:24.041 --> 01:24:24.430
We're like, what are you?

01:24:24.765 --> 01:24:25.895
What's the deal?

01:24:26.265 --> 01:24:26.985
Like what a wimp.

01:24:27.435 --> 01:24:29.876
And Beck is like, if he's not going to come over here, then fine.

01:24:29.985 --> 01:24:31.876
Like, you know, I'm done with this guy.

01:24:31.876 --> 01:24:33.055
So they get up and leave.

01:24:33.055 --> 01:24:34.815
Old Chicago.

01:24:34.815 --> 01:24:38.086
And my buddies are killing me.

01:24:38.185 --> 01:24:40.636
You know, they're like, you are a loser.

01:24:41.296 --> 01:24:46.105
And I'm like, no, I'm like, I really don't think she wants to, it's okay.

01:24:46.275 --> 01:24:49.796
Like, and they're like, no, you, you gotta do something, bro.

01:24:49.845 --> 01:24:50.195
Like.

01:24:50.591 --> 01:24:51.810
And so I was like, all right, fine.

01:24:51.820 --> 01:24:53.720
Like mostly just to get them off my back.

01:24:53.881 --> 01:24:56.301
I texted a friend who I knew had her number.

01:24:56.860 --> 01:25:03.871
And so I, I very boldly and courageously shot her a text message that said, Hey, was that you at old Chicago?

01:25:07.661 --> 01:25:10.671
And, um, yeah, I was just keeping it cool guys.

01:25:13.430 --> 01:25:14.371
Yeah, exactly.

01:25:14.451 --> 01:25:16.310
And of course she's like, yeah.

01:25:16.310 --> 01:25:16.610
Yeah.

01:25:16.701 --> 01:25:18.820
It was, that was awkward or something.

01:25:18.820 --> 01:25:20.180
I was like, I know, I'm sorry.

01:25:20.180 --> 01:25:23.690
And I was like, Hey, you know, if you're still out, like maybe we can meet up somewhere.

01:25:23.690 --> 01:25:24.591
So we were going to meet up.

01:25:25.341 --> 01:25:31.720
And then some, for some reason they had to, they had like something, something bad happened with one of their friends or something, they had to leave quickly.

01:25:32.131 --> 01:25:34.261
And then it took a while for us to reconnect.

01:25:34.261 --> 01:25:37.930
But anyway, so all that to say, it was kind of a crazy story drinking too much.

01:25:37.940 --> 01:25:39.831
No, it was, it was a friend of.

01:25:39.871 --> 01:25:42.720
One of the friends she was with Oh, was in an accident or something?

01:25:43.350 --> 01:25:43.680
Yeah.

01:25:43.711 --> 01:25:44.730
No, I don't remember.

01:25:44.730 --> 01:25:44.791
Yeah.

01:25:44.791 --> 01:25:46.740
You were trying to avoid your kids hearing something.

01:25:46.740 --> 01:25:50.430
I thought so I was, no, it was legitimately a terrible situation.

01:25:50.551 --> 01:25:51.690
And they had to leave.

01:25:51.690 --> 01:25:55.831
Mom couldn't deviate because Yeah, at the time, no, at the time I'm like, is this just a story?

01:25:55.831 --> 01:25:56.131
You know?

01:25:56.850 --> 01:25:59.881
But she has confirmed that like, no, like something weird happened.

01:25:59.881 --> 01:26:05.400
And um, and it took multiple attempts after that to finally get her to, to go to lunch with me.

01:26:05.400 --> 01:26:07.680
But we had lunch, actually it was Halloween.

01:26:08.166 --> 01:26:14.086
Um, later in October was our first lunch date and then kind of the rest, rest is history from there.

01:26:14.086 --> 01:26:15.836
So we got married in 2010.

01:26:16.076 --> 01:26:17.345
We weren't quite as quick.

01:26:17.716 --> 01:26:18.015
It's tight.

01:26:18.036 --> 01:26:19.345
See, Ty's just more organized.

01:26:20.246 --> 01:26:20.865
He's smarter.

01:26:20.895 --> 01:26:23.216
Like you said, he's got these things figured out.

01:26:23.216 --> 01:26:24.095
It took me a while.

01:26:24.195 --> 01:26:37.796
And, um, but we got married in 2010 and then we were living in Loveland, but, uh, landed at Mountain View community church in Fort Collins and just loved the church there, got plugged in and, um, We, um, uh, we're doing the nonprofit things.

01:26:37.796 --> 01:26:48.015
We were traveling a lot and we weren't, uh, you know, super involved, but we loved our church and then in 2014, well, I guess it was towards the end of 2013.

01:26:48.275 --> 01:26:52.336
We found out we were pregnant with our first, uh, for our first little one.

01:26:52.336 --> 01:26:54.905
And, and so that kind of brought us back from traveling.

01:26:54.905 --> 01:26:56.515
We were going to be more stable here.

01:26:57.036 --> 01:27:02.886
And, uh, right about then we got word about this church plant in Loveland, from Mountain View.

01:27:03.216 --> 01:27:05.685
And we were back, we were living in Loveland.

01:27:06.086 --> 01:27:09.496
So we thought, well, we'll go, you know, check it out and just kind of get to know some of these people.

01:27:09.496 --> 01:27:10.786
But we really, we loved Mountain View.

01:27:10.786 --> 01:27:11.975
We love Fort Collins.

01:27:12.115 --> 01:27:12.365
Yeah.

01:27:12.386 --> 01:27:14.076
You know, we didn't want to live in Loveland.

01:27:14.286 --> 01:27:15.836
Like who wants, what's in Loveland?

01:27:15.956 --> 01:27:16.145
Yeah.

01:27:16.145 --> 01:27:22.930
You know, like Loveland is just where, where you drive through to get to Fort Collins or Justice Park, you know?

01:27:22.930 --> 01:27:26.536
And, um, so we were like, well, we'll probably end up back at Fort Collins.

01:27:26.595 --> 01:27:28.155
And where is the Redemption Church in Loveland?

01:27:28.166 --> 01:27:29.586
We are right in downtown.

01:27:29.841 --> 01:27:33.341
The very heart of downtown Loveland and we, we weren't at the very beginning.

01:27:33.390 --> 01:27:40.150
Um, we met, uh, in homes for two weeks, then realized we had way too many kids, um, to pull it off.

01:27:40.150 --> 01:27:43.640
We met at another church in town that was gracious to let us use it on Sunday nights.

01:27:44.190 --> 01:27:45.551
Um, kind of an interesting story.

01:27:45.551 --> 01:27:46.780
You mentioned the Vikings.

01:27:46.780 --> 01:27:47.871
We are first.

01:27:48.506 --> 01:27:55.655
Um, uh, like month of like formal meetings and, and, and kind of going through who we're going to be about at church.

01:27:55.655 --> 01:28:04.775
We were meeting Sunday evenings, I think at five o'clock during the Broncos Super Bowl run when they won the Super Bowl in 2015, Yeah, I think so.

01:28:05.911 --> 01:28:08.091
I'm like, the church is going to die.

01:28:08.350 --> 01:28:09.570
Like, what are we doing?

01:28:10.690 --> 01:28:23.850
And like, you know, during, during the services, you just kind of see a bunch of dudes just checking their phone, like what's going on, you know, but we, we made it through and then we, then we actually were able to start meeting at a seventh day Venice church in downtown.

01:28:23.900 --> 01:28:24.301
Okay.

01:28:24.636 --> 01:28:30.006
And that kind of from the beginning, the, the pastors who planted and, and led the church early on had a vision for downtown.

01:28:30.006 --> 01:28:31.086
And talk to me about that.

01:28:31.145 --> 01:28:32.586
Who, who was that group?

01:28:32.645 --> 01:28:32.855
Yep.

01:28:32.886 --> 01:28:35.916
So it's Matt Morehead, Matt Brown, and Jason Valderrama.

01:28:35.975 --> 01:28:36.275
Okay.

01:28:36.275 --> 01:28:36.966
Who were all Oh, yeah.

01:28:36.966 --> 01:28:40.865
Involved at, at Mountain View, uh, uh, Jason Valderrama and Wendy.

01:28:41.015 --> 01:28:41.166
Mm-Hmm.

01:28:41.405 --> 01:28:41.555
yes.

01:28:41.706 --> 01:28:46.416
Went skiing with me and Jill soon after I first got my Audi s.

01:28:46.626 --> 01:28:55.275
Six turbo, um, back in the day and we went to winter park soon after the birth and pass was improved to two lanes on the uphill.

01:28:55.815 --> 01:29:01.626
And we did two hours door to door and those two did not freak out at all.

01:29:02.176 --> 01:29:03.046
Uh, so cheers.

01:29:03.046 --> 01:29:05.546
I think Jason's in Carolina maybe now, isn't he?

01:29:05.546 --> 01:29:06.445
Or somewhere in Southeast.

01:29:06.765 --> 01:29:07.265
No, that's a map.

01:29:07.265 --> 01:29:12.475
Morehead in South Carolina, North Carolina, but the Valderramas are actually in Denver.

01:29:12.546 --> 01:29:13.095
Well, they are.

01:29:13.095 --> 01:29:13.315
Okay.

01:29:13.595 --> 01:29:16.445
And, uh, they're that's actually a tie reference.

01:29:16.445 --> 01:29:19.416
Jason earlier, they're good friends of ours and a great connection.

01:29:19.416 --> 01:29:23.586
Wendy has helped us a lot with photos and marketing for party in the front.

01:29:23.586 --> 01:29:25.865
So we're still super close with them.

01:29:25.865 --> 01:29:30.680
And, and, and, uh, Um, so yeah, we got, Jason, if you listen to this, I appreciate both of you guys very much.

01:29:30.720 --> 01:29:31.230
There you go.

01:29:31.230 --> 01:29:33.600
And, and glad you survived that trip up Bertha pass.

01:29:33.661 --> 01:29:37.371
Yeah, that sounds like, uh, quite an experience.

01:29:37.570 --> 01:29:38.030
It was.

01:29:38.030 --> 01:29:40.341
Well, I mean, uh, he was a neat guy.

01:29:40.371 --> 01:29:40.801
I was.

01:29:41.315 --> 01:29:46.615
I guess Jill and I were recently back to Fort Collins, and we entertained joining the Mountain View Church.

01:29:46.926 --> 01:29:47.166
Yeah.

01:29:47.206 --> 01:29:52.296
But it was where Jill's parents, my wife's parents were members, and I was like, eh, you know.

01:29:52.576 --> 01:29:52.945
Yeah.

01:29:53.296 --> 01:29:56.456
They're gonna know our attendance rates and stuff in the summer.

01:29:56.926 --> 01:29:57.536
Can't be having that.

01:29:57.725 --> 01:29:58.405
Let's go to the crossing.

01:29:58.405 --> 01:30:00.094
So the crossing seemed better, yeah.

01:30:00.094 --> 01:30:01.319
That's good stuff.

01:30:01.319 --> 01:30:03.905
Although Mountain View was a lot closer.

01:30:03.905 --> 01:30:04.546
Yeah.

01:30:04.546 --> 01:30:05.185
Yeah.

01:30:05.185 --> 01:30:05.636
Anyway.

01:30:05.735 --> 01:30:15.730
So, okay, so these guys get the church, and it's really, like, to start, it's whatever Six couples, plus these three pastors are probably three couples plus their kids.

01:30:15.730 --> 01:30:16.970
Plus these three pastors and their kids.

01:30:16.970 --> 01:30:18.980
Yeah, it was just a core group of people.

01:30:18.980 --> 01:30:28.100
I think, you know, with kids, maybe 50 or so people in the beginning, but God really blessed it from the beginning, brought people, uh, just, just an incredible group of people.

01:30:28.100 --> 01:30:35.051
And, and, uh, you know, we had this desire to, to reach people that in Loveland, you know, Loveland is, is kind of an interesting place.

01:30:35.060 --> 01:30:37.581
It's kind of like, it really is kind of in between.

01:30:38.060 --> 01:31:01.350
Uh, it's how I describe it, it's, it's in between Fort Collins and then like, you know, getting closer down to Denver, it's in between, you know, I 25 and the mountains, it's, but it's in between kind of culturally, it's kind of an interesting, it's kind of in between Fort Collins and Greeley, culturally, I kind of is, and, um, and so there's just kind of a unique demographic there, and there's a lot of church hurt there, we've realized, and that's probably true in a lot of places.

01:31:01.405 --> 01:31:09.126
Uh, but you, you just have a lot of conversations with your neighbors and people that say like, Oh yeah, I'm a, I'm a believer, you know, but I don't, I don't go to church anymore.

01:31:09.185 --> 01:31:18.496
You know, I've had some bad experiences and there's a lot of sad stories of, of, you know, some church, um, difficulties and, and collapses over the years.

01:31:18.496 --> 01:31:19.916
You probably know Adam Lum.

01:31:21.386 --> 01:31:22.015
Sounds familiar.

01:31:22.046 --> 01:31:28.145
He was a Mountain View guy for a long time that, uh, Uh, became part of the Eastern Orthodox Church down there, St.

01:31:28.145 --> 01:31:28.886
Spyridon.

01:31:29.265 --> 01:31:30.975
You probably know Father Evan, perhaps.

01:31:31.786 --> 01:31:38.015
My, uh, my, my longest, uh, one of our good friends is, uh, her son is dating his daughter right now.

01:31:38.645 --> 01:31:39.195
Uh, the St.

01:31:39.195 --> 01:31:40.115
Spyridon guy.

01:31:40.445 --> 01:31:45.216
And I listen to his podcast more than I listen to The Crossing, because I find it very interesting to learn about kind of the Greek Orthodox.

01:31:45.336 --> 01:31:46.605
Twist in comparison.

01:31:46.765 --> 01:31:47.296
There you go.

01:31:47.395 --> 01:31:47.645
Yeah.

01:31:47.685 --> 01:31:50.305
And you don't have to listen to the crowd, the crossing podcast.

01:31:50.305 --> 01:31:50.975
Cause you're there every week.

01:31:53.546 --> 01:31:58.275
I was there last week, yesterday, but yeah, it's all right.

01:31:58.296 --> 01:32:00.225
We, it was incredible to be a part of that.

01:32:00.246 --> 01:32:03.426
We're coming into winter now and I'm going to be a hit and bet in at least like 70%.

01:32:03.815 --> 01:32:04.395
There you go.

01:32:04.515 --> 01:32:05.025
There you go.

01:32:05.176 --> 01:32:09.796
Um, but yeah, so great church network that we're part of and redemption has been such a blessing.

01:32:09.796 --> 01:32:20.185
We got just kind of, you know, more and more involved and, and God made it clear that, that he wanted me to, to go through pastoral leadership training and started doing that in 2016.

01:32:20.666 --> 01:32:21.145
And, uh, Okay.

01:32:21.911 --> 01:32:24.490
So pretty quickly after you pretty quickly, yeah, yeah.

01:32:24.490 --> 01:32:29.030
And we just got more and more leadership training with anybody that's actively serving in the crossway network now.

01:32:29.030 --> 01:32:29.251
Yeah.

01:32:29.251 --> 01:32:39.551
So Matt Brown took us through it, but Nate Tyler, who was one of our pastors still at redemption, we went through it together and it was kind of a Matt and Jason really took us through it.

01:32:39.551 --> 01:32:40.430
It was kind of an on.

01:32:40.595 --> 01:32:43.525
On the job training because we were in the middle of church planting.

01:32:43.536 --> 01:32:46.006
We're growing, we need more pastors.

01:32:46.006 --> 01:32:46.326
Yeah.

01:32:46.326 --> 01:32:56.475
And so our, our situation was different than a lot of the other, you know, Crossway, which was really amazing because we were, we were showing up to our PLI meetings.

01:32:56.935 --> 01:33:00.815
Talking about, Hey, this family's going through X or Y, right?

01:33:00.826 --> 01:33:02.185
We've got to make this decision.

01:33:03.275 --> 01:33:08.126
When I went to my driver's education training and I had already logged like 5, 000 miles on my dad's pickup.

01:33:08.166 --> 01:33:08.676
There you go.

01:33:09.645 --> 01:33:10.076
There you go.

01:33:10.235 --> 01:33:12.155
Yeah, exactly.

01:33:13.100 --> 01:33:19.001
And so, you know, it did happen pretty quickly and in 2018, I think we were both brought on as pastors.

01:33:19.121 --> 01:33:19.480
Cool.

01:33:19.560 --> 01:33:19.900
Yeah.

01:33:20.030 --> 01:33:27.610
Um, and so do you have the same kind of structure where you have two, three paid pastors and a couple of, uh, hardworking and non paid laypersons?

01:33:27.621 --> 01:33:29.405
We actually, so Jason was our pastor.

01:33:30.365 --> 01:33:33.676
for a number of years, but they, they moved to Denver a year and a half ago.

01:33:33.716 --> 01:33:37.185
Um, but we've had, yeah, we've had kind of a mix of that right now.

01:33:37.185 --> 01:33:41.895
It's, it's three of us, pastor Greg, pastor Nate and myself are, are on staff.

01:33:42.275 --> 01:33:54.336
Um, but we've got some guys right now that are kind of in the pipeline to become elders and, and that's been so cool to see, you know, I love the model of raising up leaders within and, and seeing guys that, that take that step.

01:33:54.336 --> 01:33:57.336
So, um, plurality has been a good thing.

01:33:57.336 --> 01:33:58.905
I was just telling somebody today about.

01:33:59.296 --> 01:34:03.145
You know, going to Mountain View and it was like, who's, who's the lead guy here?

01:34:03.475 --> 01:34:11.466
You know, like, can you just tell me growing up as a pastor, you know, or as a pastor's kid, it's like, this is so weird to me, you know, and now I'm like, I love it.

01:34:11.466 --> 01:34:12.645
I love the plurality.

01:34:12.645 --> 01:34:14.386
I have a small confession to make.

01:34:14.496 --> 01:34:24.975
Um, maybe it's a confession, maybe it's not, but like when I tell people about the crossing church and the crossway network in general, I, I talk about that plurality of pastors and whatever.

01:34:25.065 --> 01:34:25.275
Yeah.

01:34:25.515 --> 01:34:29.206
Um, and sometimes usually I say, you know, that way.

01:34:29.496 --> 01:34:33.496
If the pastor gets caught with the church secretary, like the whole church doesn't just crumble.

01:34:33.506 --> 01:34:35.496
Like there's still some other pastors there.

01:34:36.086 --> 01:34:39.051
And that's not, you know, it's a sad thing to say.

01:34:39.051 --> 01:34:41.376
Well, it's just, I'm a pragmatic kind of guy.

01:34:41.466 --> 01:34:44.345
Uh, and so, and people.

01:34:45.240 --> 01:34:55.381
I think people, uh, associate with that because that's part of the wounds that people have seen is the hypocrisy shine through in the actions of a, especially a very charismatic.

01:34:55.661 --> 01:35:12.190
I was in Colorado Springs when the whole, uh, dude with the gay meth dude kind of thing came down and that was like fascinating to see how fast an organization can evaporate just about, I guess it still is rebirthed a bit, but yep.

01:35:12.581 --> 01:35:13.251
Yeah, no, it's true.

01:35:13.251 --> 01:35:16.411
I mean, the, the church cannot be built around one person.

01:35:16.411 --> 01:35:17.850
It's supposed to be built around Jesus.

01:35:17.871 --> 01:35:29.161
Well, it's way easier for a pastor, be a man of the Lord and a good shepherd for his sheep, if he's with peers, instead of just a bunch of adoring fans.

01:35:29.171 --> 01:35:29.680
Exactly.

01:35:30.400 --> 01:35:30.711
Exactly.

01:35:30.711 --> 01:35:30.900
Yeah.

01:35:30.900 --> 01:35:35.900
It's mutual accountability and it's totally, you have to tell people all the time, it's not the most efficient way.

01:35:36.220 --> 01:35:36.911
It's to lead a church.

01:35:36.911 --> 01:35:37.180
Totally.

01:35:37.180 --> 01:35:39.280
In a lot of ways, like our payroll's way too high.

01:35:39.341 --> 01:35:39.520
Yeah.

01:35:39.520 --> 01:35:40.570
I mean, it's true.

01:35:41.320 --> 01:35:43.900
and, and, and, and decisions take longer and Totally.

01:35:43.930 --> 01:35:49.001
You gotta get on the same page, but it is, I am convinced the healthiest way to do it.

01:35:49.350 --> 01:35:56.456
How, uh, I, I also describe our church as kind of like Presbyterian ish.

01:35:56.506 --> 01:35:58.030
Uh, how, how's that jive with.

01:35:58.030 --> 01:35:59.506
Your Baptist background.

01:35:59.666 --> 01:35:59.855
Yeah.

01:35:59.886 --> 01:36:01.015
That's really interesting.

01:36:01.095 --> 01:36:11.235
Um, yeah, I think it took me a while going to Mountain View to like, even realize what they're, yeah, just, just the different approach on, on so many different things.

01:36:11.265 --> 01:36:19.746
But, um, you know, at the end of the day, I, again, the plurality, I love, I love the approach of, of teaching exegetically through books of the Bible.

01:36:20.185 --> 01:36:24.006
Um, and you know, and dogma light kind of, uh, yeah.

01:36:24.716 --> 01:36:32.565
And, and just like the, I love, you know, the idea that, that we are supposed to be about making disciples.

01:36:32.565 --> 01:36:34.985
Like we are to invest in people's lives.

01:36:34.985 --> 01:36:41.886
You know, even the reason I'm there, reason I'm a pastor is because Matt and Jason, those guys came after me to invest in me, you know?

01:36:42.291 --> 01:36:48.081
And, um, it's not all about programs or, um, you know, classes or those types of things.

01:36:48.081 --> 01:36:53.001
And not that those things are bad, but it's about relationship, you know, it's about community.

01:36:53.001 --> 01:36:54.360
It's the things we talk about.

01:36:54.701 --> 01:36:58.930
We experienced that at Mountain View and it was like, man, this is so good.

01:36:58.940 --> 01:37:04.900
So, um, yeah, so that, I think I'm, I'm, I'm fully on board with, uh, with that model of doing things.

01:37:04.911 --> 01:37:05.780
I think it, yeah.

01:37:06.480 --> 01:37:15.185
Um, Any observations from that little tangent on church, uh, oh, you're, you, you, you changed churches to come to the crossing now.

01:37:15.185 --> 01:37:18.536
Is that, uh, yeah, yeah, a little background.

01:37:18.845 --> 01:37:20.576
Um, had you been at redemption?

01:37:20.576 --> 01:37:21.006
I assume.

01:37:21.565 --> 01:37:23.326
Yeah, we were at redemption for.

01:37:24.650 --> 01:37:26.291
I mean, six and a half, seven, almost seven years.

01:37:26.291 --> 01:37:37.020
And, um, you talked about the first couple of weeks of redemption being planted and in the homes and Ashley and I were out here during one of those Sundays and we were at one of those homes.

01:37:37.020 --> 01:37:38.400
Oh, cause you knew somebody?

01:37:38.430 --> 01:37:45.126
Yeah, we knew, we knew, uh, We knew Matt Brown and, uh, the Valderamas and a bunch of people there already.

01:37:45.326 --> 01:37:46.916
Matt Brown married us here in Loveland.

01:37:46.966 --> 01:37:47.416
Oh, cool.

01:37:47.445 --> 01:37:48.886
So, um, Ashley was at Mountain View.

01:37:48.886 --> 01:37:51.855
And I've met Matt, but I don't know him, you know, I know him ish.

01:37:51.855 --> 01:37:53.555
Yeah, I think everyone knows Matt Brown.

01:37:53.695 --> 01:37:54.395
Right, right.

01:37:55.136 --> 01:37:57.376
Um, but yeah, so a lot of overlap relationally.

01:37:57.376 --> 01:38:04.220
And, um, so when we were just hoping to come back out here, um, Because Ashley was out here, uh, after college, she moved here.

01:38:04.220 --> 01:38:16.957
Her sister went to Mountain View and, um, and then it just made sense to Oh, so you took a little while to reel her in kind of, even though Ashley or, uh, well, I mean, like if you consider like 18 years or whatever it was.

01:38:16.957 --> 01:38:18.578
That's true, from first grade.

01:38:18.578 --> 01:38:21.935
Oh, that was your, you were in South Dakota, but she had moved out here.

01:38:22.006 --> 01:38:22.365
Yeah.

01:38:22.586 --> 01:38:23.475
Oh, now I'm getting it.

01:38:23.576 --> 01:38:24.296
I was, I had my time.

01:38:24.706 --> 01:38:25.365
So, yep.

01:38:25.445 --> 01:38:25.966
Uh, yeah.

01:38:25.975 --> 01:38:27.546
I finished school, moved to South Dakota.

01:38:27.555 --> 01:38:28.926
She was out here after college.

01:38:28.935 --> 01:38:29.185
Gotcha.

01:38:29.235 --> 01:38:31.275
And then, relationally, we were still connected.

01:38:31.286 --> 01:38:31.546
Yeah, yeah.

01:38:31.666 --> 01:38:33.770
But, um, but yeah, she was at Mountain View and, and.

01:38:34.030 --> 01:38:39.041
Um, God really used that church to, to help and, and save her family.

01:38:39.051 --> 01:38:43.211
And so, um, then she was really drawn to that and then I was really drawn to her.

01:38:45.081 --> 01:38:46.030
Whatever you say, baby.

01:38:47.560 --> 01:39:00.530
So, but, but honestly, yeah, the, the network's been so great from a plurality sense of, of individual churches, like people in the church and the pastoral teams, but, um, even just having multiple churches that we can lean on.

01:39:00.541 --> 01:39:01.091
And so.

01:39:01.305 --> 01:39:05.256
You know, I think the cool thing is we can tie that back to that body a little bit.

01:39:05.445 --> 01:39:22.506
You know, having a really vibrant church is a really important thing and having three pastors and maybe a couple of bivocational pastors at that church is really great and a nice membership of a huge mix of young people and a few old people that give you way too much money help you pay all those salaries and stuff.

01:39:23.025 --> 01:39:28.326
But then being a part of a greater community, like the Crossway Network is, is really, but not too big.

01:39:28.536 --> 01:39:28.786
Right.

01:39:28.815 --> 01:39:29.136
Yeah.

01:39:29.225 --> 01:39:29.645
Right.

01:39:29.975 --> 01:39:30.275
Exactly.

01:39:30.845 --> 01:39:32.595
We have to do some monopoly busting if we get too late.

01:39:33.496 --> 01:39:33.775
Yep.

01:39:34.155 --> 01:39:34.386
Yeah.

01:39:34.706 --> 01:39:44.426
So anyway, sorry to interrupt, but I felt like that was such an interesting tie in back to that previous, you know, strong, but not that capable by yourself.

01:39:44.576 --> 01:39:44.845
Right.

01:39:45.235 --> 01:39:45.605
Well, yeah.

01:39:45.605 --> 01:39:51.095
And we talk about, um, you know, not living in isolation and you wouldn't want to do anything in isolation.

01:39:51.095 --> 01:39:53.015
So you wouldn't want to pastor in isolation.

01:39:53.015 --> 01:39:54.975
You wouldn't want to do your job in isolation.

01:39:55.315 --> 01:39:56.265
Um, and so.

01:39:56.570 --> 01:39:56.780
Yeah.

01:39:56.780 --> 01:39:59.820
So many, so many great things to pull from that experience.

01:40:00.371 --> 01:40:07.091
Um, and so you were early adopter, a part of that plant crew and you've seen his transition up and so it's nothing personal that you're coming to the cross.

01:40:07.121 --> 01:40:07.461
Yeah.

01:40:07.520 --> 01:40:08.730
Yeah, no, no, it's great.

01:40:08.730 --> 01:40:11.381
And having a project like this too, like.

01:40:11.605 --> 01:40:21.176
It's been so helpful for our friendship and like to just it's like we're all we're on the same team and Um, even though we're in different places right now at a church.

01:40:21.195 --> 01:40:25.095
Yeah, we're still great friends So some of you do you want the real story?

01:40:25.265 --> 01:40:25.615
Sure.

01:40:25.636 --> 01:40:31.456
So we were playing top golf a while ago And I think I started to intimidate him that I was getting my game.

01:40:31.586 --> 01:40:35.246
Uh, you know getting A little too close to his.

01:40:35.845 --> 01:40:39.537
So before that happens, Jeff, we're going to the Putt Putt after this.

01:40:39.537 --> 01:40:42.405
Before you pass it by, he's like, I need to stop hanging out with that guy.

01:40:42.636 --> 01:40:45.676
I can't be at a church with someone better at the game.

01:40:45.676 --> 01:40:47.756
And, um, and so it was time.

01:40:47.765 --> 01:40:49.025
The alpha dog's coming out.

01:40:49.685 --> 01:40:50.506
We're going to play Putt Putt.

01:40:50.506 --> 01:40:59.055
But that's, I love that about the network, you know, we've, we've joked actually, Ty and I were talking about this the other day, like, the Crossing has sent us so many amazing families.

01:40:59.055 --> 01:41:00.171
So Um, and people.

01:41:00.171 --> 01:41:00.751
Oh, for sure.

01:41:00.900 --> 01:41:01.360
Yeah, over the years.

01:41:01.360 --> 01:41:02.980
Well, because people will move away.

01:41:03.291 --> 01:41:03.530
Exactly.

01:41:03.530 --> 01:41:04.226
And it's like, dude.

01:41:04.226 --> 01:41:04.400
Yeah.

01:41:04.400 --> 01:41:06.081
Like, you can't be driving.

01:41:06.131 --> 01:41:06.801
I mean, you can.

01:41:06.980 --> 01:41:07.421
You can.

01:41:07.430 --> 01:41:11.520
You can drive 15 miles to church every week if you want to, but you could also drive six.

01:41:11.520 --> 01:41:11.801
Yeah.

01:41:11.831 --> 01:41:16.791
Well, I, I mean, it's, it's in the tagline of our book, again, find community right where you are.

01:41:16.801 --> 01:41:17.171
Right.

01:41:17.180 --> 01:41:18.541
You know, and there's something to that.

01:41:18.551 --> 01:41:19.180
No, there's a hundred percent.

01:41:19.331 --> 01:41:19.631
And so.

01:41:19.640 --> 01:41:20.051
A hundred percent.

01:41:20.060 --> 01:41:20.911
We encourage people that.

01:41:20.911 --> 01:41:24.421
So we've gotten, we've inherited so many incredible people from the cross.

01:41:24.770 --> 01:41:24.990
Right.

01:41:24.990 --> 01:41:26.551
We're like, it's finally time to pay back.

01:41:27.190 --> 01:41:27.860
Well, for sure.

01:41:27.871 --> 01:41:29.001
Cause we were the Southern most.

01:41:29.115 --> 01:41:30.876
It's a quadrant for a long time.

01:41:31.086 --> 01:41:35.036
So anybody from, we had people from Millican and Johnstown and all kinds of stuff.

01:41:35.185 --> 01:41:36.246
They're all just, exactly.

01:41:36.445 --> 01:41:36.695
Yeah.

01:41:36.695 --> 01:41:39.655
So now we're trying, we're trying to pay, repay the favor.

01:41:39.655 --> 01:41:40.185
Here you go.

01:41:40.565 --> 01:41:45.555
You could have the den and brings, which really makes up for a lot.

01:41:46.775 --> 01:41:50.536
It's not that we have a trade chart in our offices, but you know, something like that.

01:41:50.546 --> 01:41:58.426
Well, um, I'm feeling like I have to go pee, um, again, and so we can do a short break and then we'll do our closing segments after that.

01:41:58.435 --> 01:42:00.966
And we are back with our closing segments.

01:42:01.376 --> 01:42:07.185
Uh, we always talk about faith, family, politics, and we've talked about faith and family quite a bit already.

01:42:07.735 --> 01:42:15.086
Um, do you want to stay on those, uh, and close with politics, or do you want to start with politics and the danger section?

01:42:16.055 --> 01:42:16.916
Let's go politics.

01:42:16.916 --> 01:42:18.405
You want to go politics right away?

01:42:18.996 --> 01:42:19.466
Let's hit it.

01:42:19.466 --> 01:42:20.095
Let's just jump right in.

01:42:20.105 --> 01:42:20.485
All right.

01:42:20.515 --> 01:42:24.195
I mean, we're 22 days or something and counting.

01:42:24.235 --> 01:42:35.275
I saw a rumor on X today that, uh, uh, they're getting ready to pull a Kamala and put another, I'm pretty sure it was just a rumor.

01:42:35.786 --> 01:42:39.966
Um, but, uh, like, how do you think that's, that's going to turn?

01:42:41.555 --> 01:42:44.286
You know, it's so hard to, to know what to believe anymore.

01:42:44.395 --> 01:42:44.725
Yeah.

01:42:44.746 --> 01:42:45.105
Right.

01:42:45.376 --> 01:42:46.365
It looks like a horse race.

01:42:46.365 --> 01:42:50.546
Uh, yeah, I think it's probably closer than people give credit to.

01:42:50.565 --> 01:42:55.036
Um, Yeah, and I think large part because people don't know what to believe anymore.

01:42:55.265 --> 01:42:55.655
Right.

01:42:55.735 --> 01:42:56.006
You know?

01:42:56.036 --> 01:42:56.805
And so, Yeah, yeah.

01:42:56.826 --> 01:43:01.275
Just kind of put into two different categories and just, Alright, let's do it.

01:43:01.275 --> 01:43:01.595
Yeah.

01:43:01.975 --> 01:43:06.371
But, Um, like, is there some thoughts in the book about, The political divide.

01:43:06.371 --> 01:43:08.220
I mean, uh, you guys are Christians.

01:43:08.230 --> 01:43:17.841
So you're obviously voting for Trump, even though he's, uh, like cheated on his wife a bunch of times and grabs him by the, I mean, I, that's a whole other podcast.

01:43:17.841 --> 01:43:23.940
If you want to talk about Trump someday, let's do that because there's, there's obviously issues, but what do you think about this?

01:43:23.951 --> 01:43:28.650
Like the scene right now is really like, literally I wrote about that in my blog.

01:43:28.680 --> 01:43:35.466
Like, Half the country just about believes that if the other candidate wins, that the America's ruined forever.

01:43:36.326 --> 01:43:39.115
Um, and only half of them are right.

01:43:39.136 --> 01:43:39.546
Just kidding.

01:43:40.315 --> 01:43:56.506
And I don't know which half, uh, but it is really an awkward place where like, there's a Darth there's, there's only like three Harris, Biden, or Harris, whatever, Walls signs in my whole neighborhood of Old Town Westside and there's no Trump signs hardly that I've found.

01:43:56.685 --> 01:43:57.086
Sure.

01:43:57.115 --> 01:43:58.655
Which is a testimony, I think, to.

01:43:59.155 --> 01:43:59.475
Yeah.

01:43:59.636 --> 01:44:04.826
Maybe it's a testimony to Fort Collins for not trying to play that, for trying not to play that game.

01:44:04.926 --> 01:44:05.216
Yeah.

01:44:05.216 --> 01:44:05.815
A little bit.

01:44:05.865 --> 01:44:06.720
I love that you brought that up.

01:44:06.720 --> 01:44:11.621
brought that up because that's, that's something that we talk about in the book is political signs in the front yard.

01:44:11.631 --> 01:44:22.990
And it's funny because we, it's, it's party in the front, you know, and it's like thinking about how the front of your home can be used as a tool to reach your neighbors, to build community.

01:44:23.331 --> 01:44:25.930
And if you know, and look, I'm.

01:44:26.400 --> 01:44:28.911
I enjoy talking politics and I'm a U.

01:44:28.911 --> 01:44:29.041
S.

01:44:29.041 --> 01:44:29.650
history nerd.

01:44:29.650 --> 01:44:29.961
I was a U.

01:44:29.961 --> 01:44:30.081
S.

01:44:30.081 --> 01:44:30.791
history minor.

01:44:30.791 --> 01:44:33.230
So I majored in journalism and minored in U.

01:44:33.230 --> 01:44:33.341
S.

01:44:33.341 --> 01:44:33.841
history.

01:44:34.600 --> 01:44:37.360
I not sure what I was doing there, but that's, that's what we did.

01:44:37.610 --> 01:44:41.251
So I love getting in that stuff and it's important and we should be engaged and we should be involved.

01:44:41.261 --> 01:44:41.841
We should vote.

01:44:42.890 --> 01:45:09.951
things are true, but, uh, we actually talk about political signs in the book and how, you know, planting a, a, a Trump or a Harris flag or, or whatever, you know, in your, in your front yard, um, can, can immediately be a barrier to getting to know your neighbors, you know, and I know lots of people who, who do it and I don't want to condemn them by any means, but for me personally, I'm just not going to do that because it's like, that's how you lead into the, some of those relationships.

01:45:10.180 --> 01:45:22.930
And unfortunately, because of how divisive our culture is, because of where the media is at and how it's portrayed, like you said, when people see that sign in your front yard, if they're either going to go, yes, I agree with them.

01:45:22.970 --> 01:45:30.520
And I love that person or 50 percent of the people are going to go, I don't like that person and I'm never going to talk to him, you know?

01:45:30.551 --> 01:45:32.661
And it's like, why would we immediately?

01:45:32.661 --> 01:45:36.860
And I'm sure there's lots of research about like how effective is a political side in the front yard anyways.

01:45:37.301 --> 01:45:43.581
Um, but we don't think personally, I'll speak for myself, what we talk about the book, like it's not worth it for me.

01:45:43.610 --> 01:45:48.480
Well, the world's like totally different now, like even in.

01:45:49.416 --> 01:45:51.256
I don't see bumper stickers.

01:45:51.895 --> 01:45:52.615
It's changing.

01:45:52.765 --> 01:45:59.615
Uh, you know, going back to even to the 2008 Obama bumper stickers were all over the place and different things.

01:45:59.615 --> 01:46:03.676
And like, it was a lot more visible thing.

01:46:03.676 --> 01:46:06.886
And maybe it's just because social media is active with it.

01:46:06.886 --> 01:46:10.595
I don't, I really don't understand the lack of, maybe it's a positive thing.

01:46:10.605 --> 01:46:12.765
Kind of the lack of visible identification.

01:46:12.796 --> 01:46:14.456
I think it's definitely positive for your movement.

01:46:15.470 --> 01:46:19.791
Yeah, I think it's just like, I don't want to, I don't want to lead with that in a relationship, you know?

01:46:20.121 --> 01:46:22.461
I want somebody to know that I'm a follower of Jesus.

01:46:23.025 --> 01:46:30.176
long before they know how I vote politically, I think politically, you know, and, and, and, and it's easy to, to do it the other way around.

01:46:30.176 --> 01:46:34.475
And so, um, man, I want, I want my neighbors to know that, that we love them.

01:46:34.536 --> 01:46:37.235
We care about them genuinely interested in them.

01:46:37.435 --> 01:46:42.850
Those are the things that are important for them to know long before they know whether you follow Jesus or not.

01:46:43.020 --> 01:46:46.820
How you vote is that you love them, that you care for them, that you appreciate them.

01:46:47.070 --> 01:46:47.640
Exactly.

01:46:47.940 --> 01:46:49.930
That's why bringing them fish tacos.

01:46:49.961 --> 01:46:51.610
I mean, that's a great starting point, you know?

01:46:52.261 --> 01:46:55.560
Versus putting a sign in your yard that you've got a 50 50 chance.

01:46:56.091 --> 01:46:57.900
is going to offend them right off the bat.

01:46:58.871 --> 01:47:03.140
Um, Ty, what would you like to add in the political segment, if any?

01:47:03.600 --> 01:47:03.930
Yeah.

01:47:03.930 --> 01:47:04.150
Wow.

01:47:04.150 --> 01:47:06.591
It's, that's a, it's a hard tension.

01:47:06.621 --> 01:47:11.350
You know, if you're passionate about something and you feel strongly that Why do you have so many yard signs?

01:47:13.661 --> 01:47:15.430
I come over at night and just pick them up.

01:47:15.430 --> 01:47:16.488
He puts them back.

01:47:16.488 --> 01:47:18.610
Do you guys ever have the flamingos?

01:47:18.640 --> 01:47:21.501
Like someone put flamingos and you had to pay to get them off?

01:47:21.740 --> 01:47:23.310
The, uh, the, uh.

01:47:23.331 --> 01:47:27.720
The, the tire spiked Trump signs have been very popular on x.

01:47:27.930 --> 01:47:29.951
com this year.

01:47:29.951 --> 01:47:31.371
It's just like, yeah.

01:47:31.371 --> 01:47:39.051
So I, I mean, I, I'm going to, I'm going to side with, I'm going to err on not trying to, um, put a divisive wall up, uh, where I live.

01:47:39.591 --> 01:48:00.305
Um, I think there are other ways that I can, uh, make my voice heard or if I'm passionate about a certain topic or not a candidate, um, I just don't think that's one that I want to, uh, I, uh, I've been, well, I voted for Kanye, uh, last election, uh, me and 450 other loyal Lerner County citizens.

01:48:01.405 --> 01:48:06.945
And and so this could potentially be the first time I would vote for Trump or I might just vote for RFK.

01:48:06.966 --> 01:48:08.015
I kind of, I don't know.

01:48:08.506 --> 01:48:10.275
Cause it won't matter in Colorado, right?

01:48:10.286 --> 01:48:11.555
Like we're not a swing state.

01:48:12.015 --> 01:48:15.645
Um, and I got, you know, some static here and there about that.

01:48:15.645 --> 01:48:26.206
And obviously people think I'm weird anyway, but, uh, the, the way that the, the primary, like the way that.

01:48:26.746 --> 01:48:34.015
We all know that, knew that Biden should be in a nursing home in 2021, 20, 22, 23.

01:48:34.466 --> 01:48:38.025
And then they run him out in primarium and keep competition away from it.

01:48:38.895 --> 01:48:46.376
And then slip somebody else in that, like, that felt super democratic to me, uh, on this cycle.

01:48:46.376 --> 01:48:57.570
And that's my biggest criticism, including their, their, Yeah deceitful and including they're not like if like RFK was like, Hey dude, just so you know, I'm here and Biden looks like a turnip.

01:48:58.331 --> 01:49:00.680
Um, can I run?

01:49:00.680 --> 01:49:08.110
And if the party knew what was good for itself, it would let a little bit of competition into that space, I think.

01:49:09.301 --> 01:49:19.511
Um, so that's my biggest criticism with the election season so far is just the way that, and then, and then you don't even have somebody like a little, kind of a, a little contest at the democratic committee.

01:49:19.511 --> 01:49:28.541
It was coming right up like, we're going to just decide awkward, fascinating, fascinating how things work.

01:49:28.541 --> 01:49:31.761
The, uh, the plant, I don't know.

01:49:31.881 --> 01:49:35.871
The vegetable made way for the plant, uh, to save democracy without a vote.

01:49:36.961 --> 01:49:37.850
VeggieTales democracy.

01:49:37.951 --> 01:49:38.940
VeggieTales democracy.

01:49:39.161 --> 01:49:48.201
Anyway, I won't get you into any trouble with your democratic, uh, because I, I suspect, like, at your church, uh, there's probably a fair mix.

01:49:48.201 --> 01:49:57.421
I don't know if your church is the same as ours, but, like, Aaron Santini has mocked Donald Trump from the pulpit quite a few times, uh, back when he was president.

01:49:57.591 --> 01:49:57.900
Sure.

01:49:58.100 --> 01:49:59.180
Eddie, I'm sure you'll vote for him.

01:49:59.190 --> 01:49:59.381
Sure.

01:49:59.390 --> 01:50:07.421
But, like, it's a, uh, and he has a, fuck, that sounds rough, but, uh, teased, uh, commentary on cultural, political events.

01:50:07.430 --> 01:50:08.525
I mean, they're all easy to pick.

01:50:08.735 --> 01:50:09.326
To poke fun at.

01:50:09.345 --> 01:50:09.905
Right.

01:50:09.905 --> 01:50:10.126
Right.

01:50:10.126 --> 01:50:11.435
Well, I think that's just being real.

01:50:11.445 --> 01:50:12.076
Speaking the truth.

01:50:12.086 --> 01:50:13.065
Yeah, exactly.

01:50:13.435 --> 01:50:14.076
Yeah, for sure.

01:50:14.095 --> 01:50:26.305
No, and I think, you know, I'm, I think I'm, I'm growing in my conviction in that area that like, I think in 2020, just to be honest with you, I was like, I just don't want to talk about it at all.

01:50:26.551 --> 01:50:27.780
You know, I just want to avoid it.

01:50:27.791 --> 01:50:28.930
Like, certainly not from the pulpit.

01:50:28.930 --> 01:50:29.820
I'm a new pastor here.

01:50:31.470 --> 01:50:35.610
I don't want those emails, you know, I'll let Matt or somebody else, um, do that.

01:50:35.610 --> 01:50:53.341
And they, and they did at times, but, but then going through all the COVID stuff, you know, and, and realizing that like, we live in a time right now where, and this, this might sound like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth with the political side thing, but it's like, you, you, you almost can't help but offend somebody with anything you say.

01:50:54.081 --> 01:51:01.480
And, but here's the reality, like whether it's in your neighborhood or in our churches or, or wherever, like, I want to speak the truth to your point.

01:51:01.490 --> 01:51:03.020
Like, I want to speak what is true.

01:51:03.350 --> 01:51:07.430
I want to be loving and compassionate, but, but truthful.

01:51:07.440 --> 01:51:07.770
Right.

01:51:07.810 --> 01:51:10.831
And care about what God cares about and not hide the truth.

01:51:10.951 --> 01:51:13.400
My faith and what I believe in God's word.

01:51:13.730 --> 01:51:16.690
And so, you know, that's what I want to continue to land on.

01:51:16.690 --> 01:51:25.011
And the reality is, is if we just stay out of those conversations entirely, if we just won't engage, then we're not, we don't have an opportunity to inject truth into them.

01:51:25.041 --> 01:51:33.600
And so the last couple of weeks at our church, I've made a point to talk about the election and even some specific issues and things that we are, we encourage people to think about.

01:51:33.600 --> 01:51:37.100
And so, you know, it, I'm never going to say things exactly, right.

01:51:37.150 --> 01:51:37.610
I got.

01:51:37.815 --> 01:51:39.716
an email that was like, thank you.

01:51:39.716 --> 01:51:48.256
And then I got another email that was like, we're not sure you, we like you talking about those things from, from the front, you know, but it's like, I'm, I can't put my head in the sand either.

01:51:48.286 --> 01:51:50.025
And I think as Christians, that's the challenge.

01:51:50.025 --> 01:51:52.086
And it is a tough road to walk.

01:51:52.435 --> 01:51:58.565
But again, you know, you think about how Jesus would constantly, he, he spoke the truth in love.

01:51:59.461 --> 01:52:00.530
There's a way to do both.

01:52:00.871 --> 01:52:02.570
And I think that's our calling as Christians.

01:52:03.631 --> 01:52:09.122
I was just imagining a new hat for my hat website sales, uh, how would Jesus vote?

01:52:09.122 --> 01:52:09.974
Bright red.

01:52:09.974 --> 01:52:10.400
Yeah.

01:52:10.400 --> 01:52:11.253
That's it.

01:52:11.253 --> 01:52:12.105
That's right.

01:52:12.105 --> 01:52:12.533
Anyway.

01:52:12.533 --> 01:52:14.238
Um, that's really funny.

01:52:14.238 --> 01:52:18.502
I'm not actually going to put that on my website.

01:52:18.502 --> 01:52:20.261
You would sell a lot.

01:52:20.261 --> 01:52:20.911
I might.

01:52:20.980 --> 01:52:21.280
Yeah.

01:52:23.791 --> 01:52:27.661
Any wrap up thoughts on the politics segment, Ty, before we move on?

01:52:28.065 --> 01:52:38.865
No, I just think that, you know, what we're trying to do with the book and, and with not only isolation and loneliness, but like the political divide and other things that have fractured our society.

01:52:38.865 --> 01:52:52.336
I think it's just so important that, um, like that's why we're trying to get back to, um, looking people in the eyes and like having real conversations and you may disagree with them, but at least you have some rapport with that.

01:52:52.386 --> 01:52:52.466
Yeah.

01:52:52.466 --> 01:52:52.716
Yeah.

01:52:53.015 --> 01:52:56.145
Um, and you're not stuck in this, um, algorithm.

01:52:56.541 --> 01:52:58.336
You know, I, uh, circle, echo chamber.

01:52:58.341 --> 01:53:01.520
I had coffee with, uh, I had coffee with John Al the other day.

01:53:01.761 --> 01:53:02.030
Oh, neat.

01:53:02.060 --> 01:53:10.162
Uh, and partly because of my conversation with Ben ote, I found out how much money county commissioners would make and I was like, John, uh, maybe I could.

01:53:10.966 --> 01:53:13.195
If you'll give me your endorsement, I could probably win your seat.

01:53:13.836 --> 01:53:18.246
Uh, and, and it turns out it's a full time job.

01:53:18.275 --> 01:53:21.725
I can't keep doing podcasts and local think tank and stuff.

01:53:21.725 --> 01:53:24.126
So I will not be running for county commissioner in 2026.

01:53:24.126 --> 01:53:25.895
It's going to be exciting.

01:53:25.905 --> 01:53:30.996
No, I will not be running maybe in 2030 after I find somebody to run local think tank for me.

01:53:31.515 --> 01:53:32.365
Uh, but anyway, we.

01:53:32.845 --> 01:53:37.865
We, we ended up, we talked about a lot of things, motorcycles and the job and all these things.

01:53:37.865 --> 01:53:41.555
And we ended up talking about the election because I find that always curious.

01:53:41.576 --> 01:53:55.836
And when I told him that I think most people that vote for Trump will be doing it in part because it's less likely that a World War III type scenario will unfold and they trust that he's the anti war choice.

01:53:56.865 --> 01:54:12.860
Like you, his, his point is, Like you can barely believe that that's what most people think because frankly, he's been so programmed by his tube to think that Trump's a warmonger and we'll side with Russia and Ukraine's fucked or something like that.

01:54:12.871 --> 01:54:16.751
I don't know what he thinks, but those echo chambers are just not healthy.

01:54:16.751 --> 01:54:18.150
And so, yeah, yeah.

01:54:18.190 --> 01:54:18.400
Yeah.

01:54:18.820 --> 01:54:20.360
And that's why I try to say things like that.

01:54:20.360 --> 01:54:27.850
Like I think most, Of these people think this and it seems like my knitting that stuff together a little bit, right?

01:54:28.140 --> 01:54:48.685
Well, that's the thing is I I mean that's that's maybe another book down the road I don't know, you know party party on the on the tv cable news station or something but like in recognizing that Um, you know, our media is so set up to, to divide, frankly, you know, and to present things in an echo chamber that we either party in the dumpster.

01:54:48.935 --> 01:54:54.305
When I talked about Republicans and Democrats, let's talk about party in the dumpster and dustbins of history.

01:54:54.355 --> 01:55:01.100
And, you know, but the reality is, you know, Three weeks from now, or however many days from now, four weeks from now, we're going to live in a world.

01:55:01.131 --> 01:55:04.621
We're going to live in a country where 50 percent of people are going to be happy.

01:55:04.621 --> 01:55:06.970
And 50 percent of people are going to be really upset.

01:55:07.530 --> 01:55:11.761
And the reality is, is we have an opportunity regardless of how things go.

01:55:12.155 --> 01:55:14.426
Um, to be witnesses, right?

01:55:14.456 --> 01:55:16.836
To be lights wherever we, we live.

01:55:16.836 --> 01:55:21.445
And I think we need to prepare ourselves for whatever's going to happen in, in the country.

01:55:21.445 --> 01:55:22.145
We got to trust that God.

01:55:22.155 --> 01:55:23.326
Well, I'm moving to Costa Rica.

01:55:25.065 --> 01:55:25.435
All right.

01:55:26.006 --> 01:55:29.426
Uh, I think, I think Trump's going to do the same thing.

01:55:29.426 --> 01:55:31.945
He might be your Elon Musk could get a place together.

01:55:31.966 --> 01:55:33.296
Now that Elon Musk will be toast.

01:55:33.836 --> 01:55:36.485
Like our, our perspective needs to be bigger.

01:55:36.591 --> 01:55:39.440
You know, the country is still going to keep going.

01:55:39.440 --> 01:55:40.560
Like the world's still going to exist.

01:55:40.591 --> 01:55:41.951
Jesus is still going to be on his throne.

01:55:41.951 --> 01:55:44.791
So how do we set ourselves up to live in that world?

01:55:45.081 --> 01:55:49.001
Whatever happens in community with the people that are right there with us, right where we are.

01:55:49.980 --> 01:55:51.390
Uh, family.

01:55:51.451 --> 01:55:51.701
Oh, go ahead.

01:55:51.940 --> 01:55:53.740
And people's problems don't go away.

01:55:53.831 --> 01:55:57.041
You know, if anything, they're going to be magnified to some degree.

01:55:57.331 --> 01:55:57.951
Um, if.

01:55:59.011 --> 01:56:00.440
Internally, potentially for them.

01:56:00.470 --> 01:56:04.581
If their anxiety, their loneliness, their angst could be increased.

01:56:04.900 --> 01:56:05.140
Right.

01:56:05.161 --> 01:56:09.900
And so like we just, oh, we never said this earlier, but, um, um, maybe you did.

01:56:09.961 --> 01:56:21.020
Uh, the, the stat of not living in community is worse than, um, Smoking six, 15 cigarettes a day.

01:56:21.591 --> 01:56:28.211
And you know, the surgeon general number where they keep that number, but like, it's, it's data that they're putting out there that, that lacking.

01:56:28.301 --> 01:56:31.150
I mean, that's why I have so much community in my life.

01:56:31.150 --> 01:56:32.121
So I can keep smoking.

01:56:33.320 --> 01:56:36.610
We've joked that we've joked that that's why we only smoke 14 a day.

01:56:38.270 --> 01:56:40.621
I guess I'm one step behind you on that joke.

01:56:41.430 --> 01:56:42.881
Um, I'll go ahead.

01:56:43.011 --> 01:56:45.470
But yeah, like the election's going to happen.

01:56:45.520 --> 01:56:46.610
And, and so.

01:56:46.820 --> 01:56:58.430
We want to do something that's meaningful that, like, will leave a legacy and that, that can change lives and that, um, that can enter into those things and, and to some degree be an antidote for those things.

01:56:58.461 --> 01:56:59.511
Yeah, yeah, I dig it.

01:57:00.230 --> 01:57:08.206
Um, Family or faith faith faith next.

01:57:08.275 --> 01:57:09.206
Yeah, let's do faith.

01:57:09.336 --> 01:57:13.485
Um, I mean, you were, of course the pastors, he always answers Jesus.

01:57:14.235 --> 01:57:29.176
Well, like in your story, uh, I didn't really hear, um, for a pastor's kid, especially didn't really hear for too much, uh, you know, womanizing, uh, chasing girls, uh, doing drugs and all that stuff.

01:57:29.185 --> 01:57:30.666
You're a pretty good kid the whole time.

01:57:30.945 --> 01:57:31.206
Yeah.

01:57:31.206 --> 01:57:33.216
No, no crisis of confidence.

01:57:34.055 --> 01:57:34.235
Yeah.

01:57:34.235 --> 01:57:34.716
It's interesting.

01:57:34.716 --> 01:57:40.525
Cause I think, you know, my experience, so yeah, growing up, uh, you know, not to say you didn't ever chase girls or drink too much.

01:57:40.525 --> 01:57:45.865
Yeah, pretty straight arrow growing up and had, well, I would say like a pretty close walk with, with Jesus.

01:57:45.865 --> 01:57:51.626
And I was very involved with church and then, you know, went to a Christian school, a Nazarene school in San Diego.

01:57:52.171 --> 01:58:11.261
Um, but that was where I, I experienced some of that loneliness and depression and really kind of got to a dark place of, of my faith as well, where I just felt like, man, like, God, like I came, I came to a Christian school, you know, I'm supposed to, my faith is supposed to be thriving and I feel alone and I like tennis isn't working out.

01:58:11.261 --> 01:58:11.671
And.

01:58:11.730 --> 01:58:14.381
Accounting almost killed me, almost died in class.

01:58:14.711 --> 01:58:20.411
And it was just like feeling a little bit alone, a little forgotten by God during those years.

01:58:20.640 --> 01:58:23.511
And I, and I look back and it's like, okay, that wasn't true.

01:58:23.511 --> 01:58:26.280
And I see where, where God was using that season.

01:58:26.621 --> 01:58:33.350
But I came to CSU in a place of really, um, kind of just wanting to do my own thing, frankly.

01:58:33.350 --> 01:58:37.720
And now I'm at CSU, this big school, now I can live the college life and.

01:58:38.360 --> 01:58:41.520
You know, I never got super crazy, but I just kind of did my own thing for a while.

01:58:42.001 --> 01:58:49.301
And, um, and then, uh, this is circa 2010, this would have been 2006, 2006.

01:58:49.331 --> 01:58:54.761
Um, and, but I worked actually at the library, Morgan library on, on campus.

01:58:54.761 --> 01:58:56.251
It says you, I'll get you in a lot of trouble.

01:58:56.270 --> 01:58:57.110
Um, yeah.

01:58:57.110 --> 01:58:58.940
And, and had a bunch of.

01:58:59.775 --> 01:59:01.945
Trailhead would have been better if you were trying to get in trouble.

01:59:01.945 --> 01:59:02.565
Yeah, exactly.

01:59:02.576 --> 01:59:03.115
Uh, just saying.

01:59:03.895 --> 01:59:07.706
But I don't know, some of those library, uh, employees, you'd be surprised.

01:59:07.706 --> 01:59:13.086
But, uh, there was a couple guys I met there that were involved with campus ministry and a church, church here in town.

01:59:13.086 --> 01:59:19.586
And, um, the crazy thing is, um, I was in a relationship at the time with a, a girl who wasn't a believer.

01:59:19.586 --> 01:59:23.895
And, and again, just kind of doing my own thing and, and not really thinking about Jesus a whole lot.

01:59:23.895 --> 01:59:25.645
And, um, she broke up with me.

01:59:25.876 --> 01:59:41.240
And, um, I, I, that night I decided I, I, I should go to this campus ministry thing, you know, and I showed up and, and one of these guys from the campus ministry came over to me at one point and said, Hey, uh, your girlfriend just broke up with you, didn't she?

01:59:41.926 --> 01:59:46.386
And I was like, what, you know, yeah.

01:59:46.386 --> 01:59:48.496
Is this like, yeah.

01:59:48.496 --> 01:59:49.595
I was like, well, how'd you know?

01:59:49.595 --> 01:59:49.935
You know?

01:59:49.945 --> 01:59:55.015
So anyways, God used that and these guys, and they like just kind of challenged me and poured into me.

01:59:55.015 --> 01:59:57.565
And then slowly my faith kind of came back on track.

01:59:57.565 --> 01:59:58.605
So it's really interesting.

01:59:58.605 --> 02:00:02.296
Cause I talk about, like, I went to a Christian school and my faith really kind of struggled there.

02:00:02.315 --> 02:00:06.485
And then I came to CSU and I really had to kind of decide, okay, which way am I going?

02:00:06.485 --> 02:00:09.796
And my, and my faith really began to grow during my time at CSU.

02:00:09.956 --> 02:00:10.326
That's cool.

02:00:10.520 --> 02:00:11.041
That's cool.

02:00:11.091 --> 02:00:12.871
Back to the guy that talked to you that night.

02:00:12.930 --> 02:00:15.171
Was it like, dude, what's wrong with you?

02:00:15.171 --> 02:00:20.320
You had like, did your girlfriend break up with you or was it like, dude, your girlfriend broke up with you?

02:00:20.320 --> 02:00:21.020
No, he was a prophet.

02:00:21.020 --> 02:00:22.030
It was straight up.

02:00:22.291 --> 02:00:24.030
You know, and I think he even said like, I don't know.

02:00:24.030 --> 02:00:27.570
I just had a feeling like, uh, it was like, you, your girlfriend just broke up with you, huh?

02:00:27.650 --> 02:00:34.610
And, um, so yeah, yeah, it was, it was one of those, one of those handful of times in my life where I'm like, I don't, that's crazy.

02:00:34.621 --> 02:00:34.980
You know?

02:00:34.990 --> 02:00:36.940
That's a, we just went through.

02:00:37.326 --> 02:00:43.055
Oh gosh, Luke 12 or wherever we're at, at the crossing this past week.

02:00:43.055 --> 02:00:51.166
And that, that, uh, line of it where they're describing how Jesus was like blindfolded and then, oh, who punched you, Mr.

02:00:51.166 --> 02:00:55.636
Prophet kind of thing, and stuff like that was fascinating.

02:00:55.636 --> 02:01:01.065
I hadn't really picked up that detail before, just the cruelty of that moment in some ways.

02:01:01.576 --> 02:01:04.935
Um, and like, I don't know if you, like, sometimes when people.

02:01:05.126 --> 02:01:06.826
Let me say this, but I'm a prophet for sure.

02:01:06.905 --> 02:01:13.876
Like when they talk about the different personality types and who gift of service is that I see things way ahead of time, a lot of times.

02:01:14.155 --> 02:01:14.336
Yep.

02:01:14.615 --> 02:01:16.536
Uh, and sometimes I'm wrong.

02:01:16.536 --> 02:01:20.355
Uh, but anyway, that's an interesting thing.

02:01:20.355 --> 02:01:23.855
Like that was, that was him exercising that gift of faith for him.

02:01:23.895 --> 02:01:24.015
Yep.

02:01:24.105 --> 02:01:25.025
Uh, right there.

02:01:25.166 --> 02:01:30.466
And he was also the one that, that really challenged me in a, in a prophetic sort of way, like, what are you doing with your life?

02:01:30.466 --> 02:01:32.595
You know, like, I know, you know.

02:01:33.076 --> 02:01:36.945
The, you know, the way the truth of the life, like, why aren't you living in it?

02:01:36.985 --> 02:01:37.845
Why aren't you walking in it?

02:01:38.416 --> 02:01:42.855
And I remember thinking, this dude's a jerk, you know, what is it?

02:01:42.855 --> 02:01:45.386
Like the truth will set you free, but first of all, take you off.

02:01:45.386 --> 02:02:01.595
You said that's the quote, but it's like, you know, I look back and God was, God was, God was coming after me in those years, you know, he never left me and, um, and use some of those, those conversations to, to find me and, and bring me back home.

02:02:01.595 --> 02:02:04.426
So, um, yeah, so that's kind of my, my story.

02:02:04.426 --> 02:02:05.886
And, and then, you know, since then.

02:02:06.836 --> 02:02:13.796
I'll, you know, all over the place, but have been involved in ministry and, and, uh, just see the Lord growing me, still growing me.

02:02:13.796 --> 02:02:18.046
So I have so much to learn and, um, but yeah, that's, that's my faith story.

02:02:18.046 --> 02:02:18.475
Cool.

02:02:19.985 --> 02:02:29.155
Ty, um, same question, although different, obviously from a different background and different, uh, circumstance, but maybe the same question of you.

02:02:29.166 --> 02:02:31.555
Did you have a season when you were doubtful?

02:02:32.145 --> 02:02:32.426
Oh, yeah.

02:02:32.426 --> 02:02:34.386
Because you were raised in a Christian home as well, right?

02:02:34.386 --> 02:02:34.576
Yeah.

02:02:34.576 --> 02:02:38.206
Raised in a Christian home and grateful for my dad's influence.

02:02:38.216 --> 02:02:50.095
And, um, you know, in sixth grade we moved, uh, churches and that was significant for me to hear the gospel, which is, you know, God creating us to be with him and our sins separating us from him.

02:02:50.095 --> 02:02:50.886
What before that?

02:02:51.216 --> 02:02:58.706
Um, uh, we were, we were at a, uh, just a church that was not, Just not a gospel center.

02:02:58.975 --> 02:03:00.206
Actually I, yeah, same.

02:03:00.355 --> 02:03:13.395
Like, I, I went to a congregational church, uh, in central North Dakota and I never heard the good news really until I was 25, you know, I got confirmed and everything and never really knew it, you know?

02:03:13.706 --> 02:03:14.095
Yeah.

02:03:14.435 --> 02:03:20.536
I remember when we switched churches, so sixth grade and I was like the heyday of like me golfing and like, right.

02:03:20.926 --> 02:03:22.695
Everybody's celebrating how awesome you are.

02:03:22.805 --> 02:03:23.895
Well, I was like.

02:03:24.115 --> 02:03:29.326
Uh, it's 8am to 8pm to get out there and, and to try to prove myself.

02:03:29.386 --> 02:03:30.235
Oh, not yet, yeah.

02:03:30.605 --> 02:03:34.086
But Well, cause you were feeling maybe lonely as your parents split up and stuff?

02:03:34.086 --> 02:03:36.445
Yeah, just, you know, just, yeah, brokenness and Yeah.

02:03:36.780 --> 02:03:46.930
Um, and just an awkward time anyway, in sixth grade, you know, um, trying to figure out like, so we switched churches.

02:03:47.161 --> 02:03:50.360
Um, there was a youth group that was, I think part of the reason my dad did that.

02:03:50.390 --> 02:03:51.791
And I'm grateful for that.

02:03:51.820 --> 02:03:53.761
But at the time I was like, not interested.

02:03:53.990 --> 02:03:58.520
And it was Wednesday came around and I totally spaced off.

02:03:58.520 --> 02:04:04.440
Like I rode my bike to the golf course across town with my golf bag on my back and seven o'clock.

02:04:05.235 --> 02:04:06.855
And I was, you know, I golfed till eight.

02:04:06.865 --> 02:04:10.836
So like, I was not at youth group and my dad was not happy.

02:04:11.775 --> 02:04:14.525
That was my first, uh, taste of like moving to that church.

02:04:14.525 --> 02:04:17.706
And like, and it just really exposed where my priorities were, of course.

02:04:18.805 --> 02:04:39.935
But there were some people in that church that, um, that leaned into us as, um, just young men, you know, my twin brother and I, and I'm just really grateful for their, their, um, willingness to listen and, uh, meet us where we were and, um, you know, getting back to like the gospel, like, like things starting to come alive because I like see them a different light.

02:04:40.336 --> 02:04:40.515
Right.

02:04:40.515 --> 02:04:45.456
Well, I, I not only heard it, but it was like, this is making sense because you're right.

02:04:45.485 --> 02:04:47.195
I, I can see that I'm sinful.

02:04:47.536 --> 02:04:48.756
You can see that I'm selfish.

02:04:49.115 --> 02:04:56.161
Um, and so Like hearing like repent and believe and seeing like, Hey, there, there maybe is something to this.

02:04:56.161 --> 02:05:08.331
And so seventh grade, um, I, uh, I would say that that's the time where I surrendered to what I was doing and, um, and wanted to, um, just accept that.

02:05:08.626 --> 02:05:11.996
Yeah, maybe there, maybe Jesus did die for, for me too.

02:05:12.485 --> 02:05:14.735
And so, um, so yeah, that was really pivotal.

02:05:15.076 --> 02:05:20.826
And then going into high school, I was still immature and chasing my own things.

02:05:20.855 --> 02:05:25.315
And then college came around and I, uh, actually got cut for my first college golf team.

02:05:25.685 --> 02:05:28.926
Um, and so that was, that was huge just to really shake me up.

02:05:29.286 --> 02:05:30.926
For skills, grades.

02:05:30.935 --> 02:05:37.115
Um, yeah, so I was a recruited walk on and, um, wasn't playing great golf.

02:05:37.115 --> 02:05:37.136
Yeah.

02:05:37.136 --> 02:05:38.485
to go into that.

02:05:38.515 --> 02:05:42.666
And then he took the upperclassmen and said, you know, Hey, just wait around.

02:05:42.666 --> 02:05:43.716
And I didn't want to wait around.

02:05:44.145 --> 02:05:46.126
So I went to a different school that gave me a scholarship.

02:05:46.426 --> 02:05:59.525
So, um, so, but, but still that had a huge impact and it was like, what, you know, the, the whole identity thing and, um, where, where's my hope and, uh, why am I, why am I here?

02:06:00.126 --> 02:06:00.685
That's my purpose in life.

02:06:01.326 --> 02:06:02.015
All those questions.

02:06:02.086 --> 02:06:02.546
All those.

02:06:03.180 --> 02:06:12.791
So, was there a time when you really, like, okay, aside from your girlfriend being a Christian, uh, were you really embraced, uh, the faith?

02:06:12.791 --> 02:06:20.381
Right, yeah, so Or, how did that look for you, or were you when you were, because you said you had a church community, like, in that time of Yeah, in college.

02:06:20.690 --> 02:06:20.940
Yeah.

02:06:20.990 --> 02:06:31.560
Um, so College, uh, gravitated toward things like Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade for Christ, uh, InterVarsity, uh, Kind of church adjacent kind of communities, but also aligned.

02:06:31.640 --> 02:06:32.791
And the local church there.

02:06:32.820 --> 02:06:34.621
Um, so I was in Hickory at the time.

02:06:34.680 --> 02:06:35.100
Yeah.

02:06:35.190 --> 02:06:51.615
I think there was a season for sure, a couple, a couple of years where like four or five nights a week I was, you know, Like going to a campus ministry event and like, I was like, all in, you know, I was not, you know, I was just like, this is, this is amazing.

02:06:51.626 --> 02:06:58.185
Like, like my life was changing and it was really cool to like, like all the energy and effort that I put into golfing growing up.

02:06:58.435 --> 02:07:07.525
It was like, I was putting it into something else now, fast forward a couple more years and then I'm depressed and lonely and don't want to wake up in the morning.

02:07:08.076 --> 02:07:12.480
So, you know, what happened, you know, it's like, um, Do you have a theory?

02:07:12.490 --> 02:07:12.831
Yeah.

02:07:12.831 --> 02:07:17.280
Well, I think like anything can become an idol, you know, even good things.

02:07:17.831 --> 02:07:24.650
And so I, I started expecting all this change and all this magnificent stuff from being a part of all these things.

02:07:24.711 --> 02:07:39.761
And well, I think there's a level of immaturity and like trying to, like, without knowing it, I was, I was propping myself up and becoming self righteous and like, Trying to almost set yourself as an idol in some ways to some of those communities, or at least in your own mind.

02:07:39.770 --> 02:07:40.451
Yeah, right.

02:07:40.541 --> 02:07:42.451
Oh, look at all these things I'm doing.

02:07:42.480 --> 02:07:44.070
I must be perfectly great.

02:07:44.140 --> 02:07:47.360
Yeah, well, I think it's just like, not truly understanding.

02:07:47.381 --> 02:07:51.951
Like, I, I, looking back, like, do I think if I died then, like, would I have gone to heaven?

02:07:51.951 --> 02:07:56.541
Yes, because, like, whatever I did was not going to separate me from the love of Christ.

02:07:56.570 --> 02:07:57.131
Yeah, yeah.

02:07:57.140 --> 02:08:03.055
But, um, But I wasn't, I wasn't joyfully living life because I was living it for myself still.

02:08:03.496 --> 02:08:15.296
And so just that navigating those truths and trying to, um, and God having to humble me and yeah, and then eventually like using a cow to get me out of it.

02:08:15.345 --> 02:08:16.666
To milk it.

02:08:16.666 --> 02:08:17.926
It was like, I needed that.

02:08:17.956 --> 02:08:19.315
And it was just, so I wasn't.

02:08:19.725 --> 02:08:21.695
Like there was a point where I just needed to repent.

02:08:21.796 --> 02:08:21.996
Yeah.

02:08:21.996 --> 02:08:22.275
Yeah.

02:08:22.286 --> 02:08:24.876
And that was the biggest thing that was blocking probably.

02:08:25.225 --> 02:08:25.786
Yeah, for sure.

02:08:25.826 --> 02:08:26.275
Yeah.

02:08:26.666 --> 02:08:29.195
That goes back to the, our lesson from this past Sunday.

02:08:29.525 --> 02:08:29.815
Yeah.

02:08:29.876 --> 02:08:30.945
Take the focus off yourself.

02:08:30.945 --> 02:08:36.796
You know, you can be remorseful and not really change how you approach the next day, but you can repent and do that.

02:08:36.956 --> 02:08:37.405
Amen.

02:08:37.716 --> 02:08:38.055
That's good.

02:08:38.176 --> 02:08:41.395
Um, this has taken longer than I thought on these segments.

02:08:41.405 --> 02:08:42.645
So I'll keep us moving here.

02:08:43.155 --> 02:08:43.886
Family.

02:08:44.065 --> 02:08:47.256
Um, Jeff, we'll bring it back to you.

02:08:47.256 --> 02:08:49.355
Uh, what's your wife's name?

02:08:50.206 --> 02:08:50.666
Becca.

02:08:50.725 --> 02:08:51.265
Yes.

02:08:51.355 --> 02:08:58.145
And, uh, tell me, uh, what Becca would say nice about you if you weren't here.

02:08:58.615 --> 02:08:59.405
Oh, man.

02:08:59.666 --> 02:09:00.275
Wow.

02:09:00.645 --> 02:09:08.376
He is ruggedly handsome and, uh, uh, very smart with his intelligence.

02:09:08.525 --> 02:09:09.496
I don't know about that.

02:09:10.225 --> 02:09:13.345
No, what set you apart from all the other dudes that were chasing Becca?

02:09:13.355 --> 02:09:23.805
No, um, I think she would say, you know, She, she feels safe with me and, uh, feels cared for by me.

02:09:23.865 --> 02:09:30.355
I think she has always, um, affirmed, like she loves doing things with me.

02:09:30.376 --> 02:09:32.326
We've, we've, we're friends as well.

02:09:32.326 --> 02:09:35.876
We, we didn't know each other in the first grade, but friends first.

02:09:35.876 --> 02:09:38.155
And we, we just enjoy doing things together.

02:09:38.155 --> 02:09:42.065
And, um, I think she, she loves, you know, I make her laugh.

02:09:42.136 --> 02:09:43.456
She at least laughs at my jokes.

02:09:43.456 --> 02:09:45.666
If no one else does, that's why I keep having kids.

02:09:45.820 --> 02:09:46.451
Yeah, that's right.

02:09:47.020 --> 02:09:48.291
Tell her about three that, you know.

02:09:48.650 --> 02:09:53.480
Man, yeah, we're starting to get to that age where my, my older girls are like, yeah, come on dad.

02:09:53.780 --> 02:09:54.291
That's a bad one.

02:09:55.060 --> 02:09:56.871
But Becca still laughs at my jokes too.

02:09:57.451 --> 02:09:57.881
I dig it.

02:09:58.320 --> 02:10:01.390
Um, do you want to, uh, run the gauntlet?

02:10:01.980 --> 02:10:05.131
On, uh, the child thing.

02:10:05.180 --> 02:10:05.551
Sure.

02:10:05.631 --> 02:10:14.690
We can just, uh, we'll just do it a name, an age, a one word description, and then 30 seconds more.

02:10:14.780 --> 02:10:15.180
Yeah.

02:10:15.220 --> 02:10:15.501
Okay.

02:10:15.511 --> 02:10:16.990
Just for some extra color.

02:10:17.041 --> 02:10:17.390
Sounds good.

02:10:17.411 --> 02:10:18.020
Oh, you want to go.

02:10:18.265 --> 02:10:18.605
Yeah.

02:10:18.655 --> 02:10:21.025
Oldest to youngest is kind of the norm or whatever.

02:10:21.145 --> 02:10:21.626
What's helpful.

02:10:21.626 --> 02:10:27.985
Cause each of their names kind of has a meaning and a word that we've kind of spoken over and says, well, it's, it's pretty easy, but it fits, it fits.

02:10:28.355 --> 02:10:32.756
So our oldest is Abigail, which is, uh, the Hebrew spelling of Abigail.

02:10:32.756 --> 02:10:37.605
We call her Abby and, uh, she is 10 and the word I would use is joy.

02:10:38.105 --> 02:10:43.676
Um, she has the joy of, of the father and her, um, Aiden may as our second.

02:10:43.746 --> 02:10:53.945
And actually Aiden is a masculine name in Hebrew, but it's a, it's a A feminine name in, um, in Gaelic, and in Gaelic, it means little fire.

02:10:54.275 --> 02:10:59.706
So that's two words, but she's, she's our fire and she's got that warmth and that spark to it.

02:11:00.195 --> 02:11:02.996
And you don't want to, you don't want to set her off too much either.

02:11:03.435 --> 02:11:07.166
Um, and then Isley is, uh, oh, and Aidan Mae's eight.

02:11:07.206 --> 02:11:08.176
Isley is six.

02:11:08.716 --> 02:11:10.055
Uh, her word is cheer.

02:11:10.065 --> 02:11:11.605
She's a cheerful little girl.

02:11:11.836 --> 02:11:12.926
Isley is what?

02:11:12.926 --> 02:11:14.365
Like E I S L E Y?

02:11:14.365 --> 02:11:15.246
E I S L E Y.

02:11:15.256 --> 02:11:15.305
Yeah.

02:11:15.305 --> 02:11:17.796
There's actually a great band, uh, called Isley.

02:11:18.046 --> 02:11:22.136
Well, and, uh, uh, a singer with that last name, the Isley Brothers.

02:11:22.136 --> 02:11:23.015
The Isley Brothers.

02:11:23.086 --> 02:11:23.506
Yes.

02:11:23.506 --> 02:11:23.926
Yes.

02:11:23.956 --> 02:11:24.445
Exactly.

02:11:24.445 --> 02:11:27.735
So, she, uh, she is, yeah, she's our cheer.

02:11:27.735 --> 02:11:32.511
She's, she's a sweet little kid and, and then, uh, and that's what Isley means actually in, uh, in English.

02:11:32.591 --> 02:11:35.761
Swiss, I think it's a Swiss name, cheer, cheerfulness.

02:11:36.230 --> 02:11:41.490
And then our fourth is Eleanor and she is three and her word is light.

02:11:41.501 --> 02:11:42.570
She's our little light.

02:11:42.801 --> 02:11:43.051
Okay.

02:11:43.051 --> 02:11:44.430
And brights, brightens up everything.

02:11:44.430 --> 02:11:45.970
Does Eleanor mean light in?

02:11:46.081 --> 02:11:46.560
Uh huh.

02:11:46.640 --> 02:11:47.791
That's in there somewhere.

02:11:48.070 --> 02:11:48.570
It's something.

02:11:48.636 --> 02:11:53.515
Uh, and then, it's funny, you can find What happens if you're wrong with one of these names?

02:11:53.515 --> 02:11:55.515
Are you gonna change the name, or are you just gonna lie about it?

02:11:55.525 --> 02:11:57.176
We're gonna just straight up change it, yeah.

02:11:57.176 --> 02:11:58.435
Okay, I'm just curious.

02:11:58.685 --> 02:12:01.185
Yeah, I mean, you can find anything on the internet, you know?

02:12:01.185 --> 02:12:07.110
Like, yeah, sure, we've, you know, in, in, uh, you know, Some random country in in Africa.

02:12:07.121 --> 02:12:08.451
It means this so we can okay.

02:12:08.520 --> 02:12:08.921
All right.

02:12:08.921 --> 02:12:09.251
All right.

02:12:09.280 --> 02:12:13.841
So, uh Semantics are our last one is our first boy.

02:12:13.841 --> 02:12:14.740
So we have four girls.

02:12:14.740 --> 02:12:15.381
Oh, wow.

02:12:15.480 --> 02:12:35.371
Okay, and that's Noah Noah Shepard and You know, it's funny because the there's meaning of names there But for for me like I as I've been speaking those words over him, like I've just said he's my son You know, he's my son and, um, I know that's obvious, but for me being a girl dad, which I've loved being a girl dad.

02:12:36.136 --> 02:12:38.315
Uh, to get a boy now has just been a gift.

02:12:38.315 --> 02:12:40.746
It's still mind blowing that we have a boy.

02:12:40.916 --> 02:12:41.206
Yeah.

02:12:41.256 --> 02:12:43.555
And, uh, that I've been gifted with a son.

02:12:43.615 --> 02:12:44.935
So, there you go.

02:12:45.126 --> 02:12:45.655
I like it.

02:12:45.916 --> 02:12:46.565
I like it.

02:12:46.655 --> 02:12:52.935
Um, I had another question I was going to follow up with that, but I'm going to just leave it because I I forgot it quite.

02:12:52.935 --> 02:12:54.086
I can't remember it quite.

02:12:54.496 --> 02:12:55.435
It was right in there.

02:12:55.435 --> 02:12:57.235
It was about one of those littles along the way.

02:12:57.815 --> 02:12:58.706
Uh, but it's okay.

02:12:58.706 --> 02:12:59.095
I'll leave it.

02:12:59.725 --> 02:13:00.395
Tyler.

02:13:00.595 --> 02:13:00.926
Yeah.

02:13:01.006 --> 02:13:01.876
I assume it's Tyler?

02:13:01.935 --> 02:13:02.685
No, it's just Ty, actually.

02:13:02.685 --> 02:13:03.256
Just Ty?

02:13:03.515 --> 02:13:03.945
Oh shit.

02:13:04.216 --> 02:13:06.405
I don't know if I've ever met a Ty that was just a Ty.

02:13:06.416 --> 02:13:07.076
Just Ty.

02:13:07.115 --> 02:13:08.105
The long last name.

02:13:08.466 --> 02:13:08.655
Dutch name.

02:13:09.225 --> 02:13:10.765
Right there, like, we got enough.

02:13:10.765 --> 02:13:11.860
Yeah.

02:13:12.171 --> 02:13:13.980
So we have, uh, we have five as well.

02:13:13.990 --> 02:13:15.850
Um, three girls and two boys.

02:13:16.020 --> 02:13:17.171
So Leah is our oldest.

02:13:17.171 --> 02:13:17.841
She's nine.

02:13:17.951 --> 02:13:19.161
Oh, that was what I wanted to ask.

02:13:19.171 --> 02:13:22.310
Did you do something different with that last one to get a boy?

02:13:22.680 --> 02:13:23.020
Yeah.

02:13:23.020 --> 02:13:25.100
Just chugged hot sauce for like a month.

02:13:25.100 --> 02:13:28.041
Yeah.

02:13:28.041 --> 02:13:28.451
Yeah.

02:13:28.911 --> 02:13:32.930
It's a Louisiana red hot sauce and, uh, highly recommend it.

02:13:36.171 --> 02:13:40.581
My, uh, my wife's father was one of, uh, Seven boys, no girls.

02:13:40.711 --> 02:13:41.411
Okay, yeah.

02:13:41.411 --> 02:13:53.390
Uh, and when they announced their, their final, um, boy, still not a girl, pregnancy, the father in law or something was like, put it in deeper next time! Oh, jeez.

02:13:53.440 --> 02:13:53.841
Anyway.

02:13:55.131 --> 02:14:00.850
Yeah, I don't think there's any, uh, specific method, but, but, uh, yeah, if I ever discover that, I'll let you know.

02:14:02.091 --> 02:14:04.301
You'll have to explain that to your daughter when she listens here.

02:14:04.850 --> 02:14:06.720
Sorry! Eisley.

02:14:06.990 --> 02:14:07.586
That's right.

02:14:07.586 --> 02:14:08.171
That's right.

02:14:08.956 --> 02:14:09.485
That's right.

02:14:11.355 --> 02:14:11.826
Sorry, Ty.

02:14:13.225 --> 02:14:14.496
It's a comedy podcast.

02:14:14.496 --> 02:14:15.695
It's a comedy podcast.

02:14:15.716 --> 02:14:16.695
We're changing it up here.

02:14:17.485 --> 02:14:18.605
Bill Arts and Entertainment.

02:14:18.636 --> 02:14:20.355
This is pure comedy.

02:14:20.456 --> 02:14:20.985
Good deal.

02:14:21.405 --> 02:14:22.185
Um, yes.

02:14:22.195 --> 02:14:24.275
So, Fruitful and Multiply, for sure.

02:14:24.685 --> 02:14:25.985
Um, yes.

02:14:26.015 --> 02:14:27.086
Leah is nine.

02:14:27.265 --> 02:14:28.296
And, uh.

02:14:28.576 --> 02:14:33.076
Man, you did such a good job just like Well, he's all like, he was prepared for that.

02:14:33.086 --> 02:14:33.905
Yeah, totally.

02:14:34.206 --> 02:14:34.935
Use your heart.

02:14:34.935 --> 02:14:40.926
Um, I mean I mean, what, this isn't one word, but I guess her We allow hyphens easily.

02:14:40.935 --> 02:14:46.355
We intentionally had, like, so, uh, L E D, so her middle name starts with an E.

02:14:46.655 --> 02:14:49.341
And, um, and so Yeah.

02:14:49.341 --> 02:14:50.530
Like bright led.

02:14:50.560 --> 02:14:54.421
So like, it was like efficient, bright and efficient.

02:14:55.341 --> 02:14:58.671
Just kind of like praying over her about like being a light to the world.

02:14:59.121 --> 02:15:03.121
And so that was, that's kind of what came to my mind originally when, when we thought about that.

02:15:03.530 --> 02:15:13.780
Um, Samuel is, uh, number two, he is seven and, and he, uh, What's a good word for Samuel?

02:15:14.711 --> 02:15:15.600
He's organized.

02:15:16.155 --> 02:15:16.796
He really is.

02:15:16.796 --> 02:15:17.966
He's a lot like his mom.

02:15:18.065 --> 02:15:18.395
Yeah, yeah.

02:15:18.466 --> 02:15:22.595
And, uh, yeah, he's just, he's always up at like the same time, 6am.

02:15:22.956 --> 02:15:29.086
He's like, if you come to our house and go to the bathroom at 6am, he's getting his hair done and he's ready to go for school.

02:15:29.086 --> 02:15:31.006
So, yeah, he's, he's really organized.

02:15:31.456 --> 02:15:33.536
Um, Abigail is right smack in the middle.

02:15:34.765 --> 02:15:34.985
Yeah.

02:15:35.015 --> 02:15:36.416
Fire is a good word for her too.

02:15:37.826 --> 02:15:41.126
Was she jealous of Abigail's name or it was cool.

02:15:41.136 --> 02:15:42.246
Yeah, I don't know.

02:15:42.246 --> 02:15:43.836
I think, yeah, she's just, yeah.

02:15:43.836 --> 02:15:44.645
Or passionate.

02:15:44.645 --> 02:15:45.865
She's just really passionate.

02:15:45.926 --> 02:15:46.166
Okay.

02:15:46.176 --> 02:15:47.855
Um, and so that comes out in different ways.

02:15:48.905 --> 02:15:51.155
Um, and then Anna, like the fire.

02:15:51.195 --> 02:15:52.536
Yeah, totally.

02:15:52.536 --> 02:15:52.826
Yep.

02:15:53.296 --> 02:15:55.046
Um, Anna, she is sweet.

02:15:55.105 --> 02:15:55.895
She's really sweet.

02:15:55.985 --> 02:15:57.565
Um, she's definitely a gift.

02:15:57.576 --> 02:15:59.326
She says the right thing at the right time.

02:15:59.685 --> 02:16:00.305
Um, for.

02:16:00.475 --> 02:16:04.166
For different dynamics in the family, just like, Oh, that was, that was a good word.

02:16:04.166 --> 02:16:06.006
And, uh, you fixed it.

02:16:07.315 --> 02:16:07.546
Yeah.

02:16:07.576 --> 02:16:09.015
So yeah, really good sweet hugs.

02:16:09.036 --> 02:16:12.735
Um, and Joseph is our youngest and, uh, still figuring him out.

02:16:12.746 --> 02:16:13.485
There's two.

02:16:13.815 --> 02:16:15.176
Um, he loves golfing.

02:16:15.195 --> 02:16:16.216
He actually really does.

02:16:17.355 --> 02:16:19.046
He, He talks about golf all the time.

02:16:19.055 --> 02:16:20.695
He'll watch golf on TV.

02:16:20.735 --> 02:16:21.065
Oh gosh.

02:16:21.076 --> 02:16:24.645
I made him a little golf club, um, like out of PVC pipe and stuff.

02:16:24.645 --> 02:16:25.176
And I love it.

02:16:25.176 --> 02:16:25.536
It's great.

02:16:25.555 --> 02:16:27.496
So, uh, we'll just go golf with him.

02:16:27.515 --> 02:16:34.765
What, uh, what percentage of your, um, financial services clients, uh, come from the golf course, Ty?

02:16:35.126 --> 02:16:35.636
Oh yeah.

02:16:35.636 --> 02:16:37.226
It's a great way to meet people.

02:16:37.265 --> 02:16:37.886
I love it too.

02:16:39.486 --> 02:16:41.445
If they don't golf, I really don't talk to them.

02:16:43.945 --> 02:16:45.726
Yeah, I love, love getting out there still.

02:16:45.745 --> 02:16:46.816
And, um, for sure.

02:16:46.816 --> 02:16:48.275
It's been great to meet people.

02:16:49.950 --> 02:16:52.421
So, we did faith, we did family, we did politics.

02:16:52.501 --> 02:16:55.181
Uh, who wants to go first on the loco experience?

02:16:55.210 --> 02:16:58.720
And that's the craziest experience of your lifetime that you're willing to share.

02:16:58.720 --> 02:17:02.351
Um, oh, and actually I wrote this down.

02:17:03.861 --> 02:17:08.950
Because people sometimes ask me to share some of my loco experiences as guests and stuff.

02:17:08.990 --> 02:17:13.120
And I've only shared like four or five or something, but I've got like a hundred.

02:17:13.261 --> 02:17:13.640
Yeah.

02:17:13.720 --> 02:17:14.980
Um, and, and.

02:17:15.335 --> 02:17:29.015
Old Chicago, uh, played into my local experience in July of late, yeah, July, late June, early July of 1999.

02:17:29.536 --> 02:17:31.546
I moved here sight unseen.

02:17:31.546 --> 02:17:37.775
I had a job starting Monday morning in Fort Collins at the bank at, uh, right across from Fort fun.

02:17:38.515 --> 02:17:40.386
I stayed at the Kiva Inn.

02:17:41.171 --> 02:17:45.150
Um, I towed my Pontiac Grand Prix with my U Haul.

02:17:45.611 --> 02:17:50.900
I partied hard the night before with all my friends from Minnesota that I lived there for a year.

02:17:51.261 --> 02:17:55.656
And then drove hungover all the way here and got here at like, six o'clock.

02:17:56.195 --> 02:17:56.675
Wow.

02:17:56.745 --> 02:18:03.066
Um, and took a shower, went down, no, went downtown on a, on a Friday night.

02:18:03.435 --> 02:18:06.605
I had to find a place to live on Saturday, move in on Sunday and go to work on Monday.

02:18:07.175 --> 02:18:12.195
And I roll into old Chicago cause I recognize the name cause there's old Chicago's in Minneapolis and in Fargo.

02:18:12.585 --> 02:18:14.806
So I was like, Oh, that's sweet though.

02:18:14.816 --> 02:18:15.925
Lots of beer samples.

02:18:16.265 --> 02:18:23.345
And so I roll in there, I'm finishing my pizza or whatever, a calzone, probably if I know myself.

02:18:23.900 --> 02:18:36.431
And a group of like, seven people rolls in, and uh, sits down at a bar with me, I guess, and like, meets me, and they're like, Oh, you, like, literally just moved here.

02:18:37.120 --> 02:18:40.060
Well, you gotta come out with us for Anna's birthday party.

02:18:40.730 --> 02:18:41.800
We're pubcrawling.

02:18:43.921 --> 02:18:46.611
And, uh, so they, like, and it was like fun.

02:18:46.611 --> 02:18:52.091
I think I was just there to balance the thing, even though there wasn't a spark, you know, or anything like that.

02:18:52.480 --> 02:19:02.720
But I go to like, six different places, um, and then they took me to an after party at like, 1 a.

02:19:02.720 --> 02:19:03.040
m.

02:19:03.050 --> 02:19:03.990
that I stayed until like 3.

02:19:03.990 --> 02:19:15.240
30 Um, I quit drinking but I smoked some weed and it was the best weed I ever had in my whole life because I was in Colorado now And I like find my way home.

02:19:15.240 --> 02:19:24.105
This is pre internet phone and google maps and stuff You guys don't even know that but I found my way back to the Kiva Inn at four o'clock in the morning Sober ish.

02:19:24.816 --> 02:19:27.425
And I was like, man, this town is fucking awesome.

02:19:28.835 --> 02:19:29.185
Anyway.

02:19:29.185 --> 02:19:30.466
So thanks to all of you guys.

02:19:31.415 --> 02:19:41.335
I, I would see those people occasionally, uh, for years afterwards, never really stayed in touch, but just the fact that they'd be like, Oh, well, you got to come party with us.

02:19:41.396 --> 02:19:46.306
So it was like such an introduction to this community and just the welcomingness.

02:19:46.386 --> 02:19:55.675
And I think that's even why you wrote this book in some ways is because the welcomingness of Northern Colorado is different than the welcomingness of Of some other places.

02:19:55.675 --> 02:20:00.036
And if we can transfer that to other neighborhoods and communities, that would be good.

02:20:00.466 --> 02:20:02.025
And we can do a lot better at it too.

02:20:02.636 --> 02:20:04.156
So anyway, there's my local experience.

02:20:04.515 --> 02:20:05.046
I love that.

02:20:05.046 --> 02:20:06.445
That's awesome.

02:20:06.445 --> 02:20:06.765
That's amazing.

02:20:07.456 --> 02:20:08.345
So anyway, who would go first?

02:20:08.986 --> 02:20:09.595
Yeah.

02:20:10.646 --> 02:20:11.966
Do you have anything to top your head?

02:20:14.146 --> 02:20:16.976
I, well, so, you know, I was trying to think of something.

02:20:17.845 --> 02:20:18.745
It doesn't have to be crazy.

02:20:18.765 --> 02:20:19.806
Get you fired from the church.

02:20:19.806 --> 02:20:23.115
No, I probably the craziest experience.

02:20:23.115 --> 02:20:24.615
I was in a hurricane in Haiti.

02:20:24.615 --> 02:20:25.095
Hmm.

02:20:25.265 --> 02:20:28.286
Um, you know, we actually were just being in Haiti is pretty crazy.

02:20:28.316 --> 02:20:28.736
Yeah.

02:20:28.736 --> 02:20:36.575
We were just in North Carolina right after hurricane Helene through, and we saw, you know, massive trees down in, in Hickory and.

02:20:37.185 --> 02:20:50.825
Um, fortunately, you know, the worst was, was further west of, of Hickory, fortunately for, for them where we were, but you can still see the effects, but that really brought back a lot of memories of, of, yeah, being in Haiti with the nonprofit I was working with, uh, was there.

02:20:50.845 --> 02:20:51.595
Uh, yep.

02:20:51.595 --> 02:20:58.195
And, um, and, uh, I was just, you know, visiting some orphanages there doing some ministry work and I got a message from my brother.

02:20:59.060 --> 02:21:00.661
I was like, Hey, have you checked the weather forecast?

02:21:00.720 --> 02:21:06.411
I'm like, no, I'm in, I'm in Haiti, you know, I'm in the Caribbean, like, why would I check the forecast?

02:21:07.011 --> 02:21:12.040
And, uh, and so I look and sure enough, there's a hurricane headed right towards Haiti.

02:21:12.570 --> 02:21:19.220
And it's like, oh, sheesh, you know, so I start looking at flights and, you know, talking to our ministry people back home.

02:21:19.865 --> 02:21:23.906
Um, and, and, uh, all the airlines are getting their planes off the island.

02:21:23.925 --> 02:21:24.316
Right.

02:21:24.445 --> 02:21:25.515
So it's this mass exodus.

02:21:25.515 --> 02:21:27.605
So it was gonna be like They're like flying empty planes off the island.

02:21:27.646 --> 02:21:39.226
Yeah, it was like, and, and, there was one plane I maybe could have gotten on, it was gonna be like 3, 000 bucks or something to get out, and, and, um, so anyways, I, I stayed Yeah, all these people are gonna die.

02:21:39.345 --> 02:21:54.505
Yeah, I stayed there and, and weathered the hurricane, technically when it made landfall it, it became a tropical storm, but hurricane in Haiti sounds way Um, and, uh, and so that was a crazy experience and, and some, some wild stories with that.

02:21:54.505 --> 02:22:09.255
But the, the crazy thing was the next morning, uh, driving around, um, the city and seeing the people that weathered the storm in their tent cities, you know, from people still living there from the earthquakes back in 2010 or whenever that was.

02:22:09.255 --> 02:22:23.751
And, and just remembering, like, I mean, Goodness, like here I am worried about myself and like, I'm in a guest home that has pretty solid walls and these people are out there and the next day they're just back to selling stuff in the market and walk around like nothing happened.

02:22:23.751 --> 02:22:25.031
And it's like, wow.

02:22:25.040 --> 02:22:29.771
So anyways, there's a bunch of stories that go into there, but being in a hurricane in Haiti is, is up there.

02:22:29.771 --> 02:22:32.120
That is a pretty interesting, uh, so.

02:22:33.001 --> 02:22:34.050
Do you want a terrible question?

02:22:34.290 --> 02:22:34.620
Sure.

02:22:34.751 --> 02:22:40.441
Like, you were talking about, like, being in Haiti, doing adoption related ministry and stuff.

02:22:40.441 --> 02:22:42.501
Are you, like, buying?

02:22:42.511 --> 02:22:43.911
Are you, like, picking up inventories?

02:22:44.370 --> 02:22:44.810
Great question.

02:22:44.810 --> 02:22:54.431
So, so it's actually with, uh, with, uh, his little feet ministry, the, the, the international choir ministry, where we'd bring kids to be a part of the ministry here.

02:22:54.441 --> 02:22:55.060
And so, Oh, is she?

02:22:55.236 --> 02:22:57.206
We would work with orphanages.

02:22:58.355 --> 02:23:08.816
No, we're, we're here to, we were there to bring kids to be a part of this experience, to advocate for kids that needed adoption, but most of the kids that came weren't, they didn't actually need it.

02:23:08.886 --> 02:23:09.245
Okay.

02:23:09.245 --> 02:23:09.556
Gotcha.

02:23:09.585 --> 02:23:17.476
So it was more of a, uh, an opportunity to, you know, to share the, the need and, and these kids were able to come for a, for a season.

02:23:17.505 --> 02:23:18.505
So no, that's a good question.

02:23:18.855 --> 02:23:22.255
So, but yeah, you're trying to build relationships with orphanages and find a good family.

02:23:22.255 --> 02:23:25.745
fit and, and places where they're, they're taking care of the children.

02:23:25.745 --> 02:23:25.976
Right.

02:23:25.976 --> 02:23:30.605
And, and, and where, you know, that these kids are going to be going back to a good situation.

02:23:30.605 --> 02:23:38.935
And so that's a whole story because we ended up not working with any of those horses in Haiti because it, there wasn't, they weren't great situations.

02:23:39.036 --> 02:23:40.995
So it was a very strange trip.

02:23:41.036 --> 02:23:44.376
And the whole thing was just like, people have talked about there.

02:23:44.386 --> 02:23:45.935
There is kind of a spiritual.

02:23:46.441 --> 02:23:52.310
darkness, heaviness in Haiti, um, and, uh, and I felt it there and then a hurricane hits.

02:23:52.361 --> 02:24:12.460
I mean, not to get, go back into political, but like that, that notion of like bringing Haitian immigrants in when they've been coming from a dark place, it's not that much different than like, no country wants the Palestinians because the Palestinians have been like, totally programmed to think that if you're a Jew, I, Kill you kind of thing.

02:24:12.460 --> 02:24:15.650
And like, nobody, nobody wants those people in their place.

02:24:16.531 --> 02:24:16.740
Yeah.

02:24:16.740 --> 02:24:18.450
It's anyway, it's interesting.

02:24:18.591 --> 02:24:24.570
So do you think we would improve the situation if we just made adoption more capitalistic, kind of a bid system?

02:24:25.771 --> 02:24:27.880
Man, it's, it's so, it's so tough.

02:24:27.960 --> 02:24:28.650
It's so tough.

02:24:28.691 --> 02:24:29.040
Really?

02:24:29.050 --> 02:24:32.361
No, I mean, honestly, like it's like, did he's winning again?

02:24:33.220 --> 02:24:33.570
Sorry.

02:24:33.570 --> 02:24:34.021
That's wrong.

02:24:34.040 --> 02:24:43.796
That's, I think, I think the reality is, is like, you know, adoption is, Is such a beautiful thing that should be more possible for more people.

02:24:43.845 --> 02:24:44.325
Agreed.

02:24:44.425 --> 02:24:45.136
That's what I would say.

02:24:45.325 --> 02:24:46.915
And I wish that we could do that.

02:24:47.245 --> 02:24:51.350
And it's hard because it's now, it's so expensive because of all the government red tape and everything.

02:24:51.350 --> 02:24:52.466
It costs more than IVF.

02:24:52.546 --> 02:24:53.175
Exactly.

02:24:53.175 --> 02:24:59.835
And so it's, it, unfortunately there's, I think there's a lot of people, especially within the church who would like to adopt and it's just not possible.

02:24:59.876 --> 02:25:00.425
Yeah.

02:25:00.456 --> 02:25:02.275
So I, there's something that needs to be done there.

02:25:02.275 --> 02:25:02.915
Something needs to be broken.

02:25:02.945 --> 02:25:03.986
I don't know what the answer is.

02:25:04.015 --> 02:25:05.531
Yeah, I, I, I I agree.

02:25:05.570 --> 02:25:13.130
It's a, it's a fascinating, you know, my wife and I don't have any kids of our own and if a baby wasn't 30, 000, maybe we would have one.

02:25:13.130 --> 02:25:13.671
I don't know.

02:25:13.751 --> 02:25:19.730
Um, but certainly there's a lot of mismatched placements there.

02:25:19.761 --> 02:25:19.990
Yep.

02:25:20.140 --> 02:25:20.411
Yep.

02:25:20.540 --> 02:25:20.851
Right.

02:25:20.911 --> 02:25:25.001
People, both sides of benefit, you know, just like you wanted to be adopted.

02:25:25.011 --> 02:25:28.710
You wanted to be, no, you wanted to be adopted by a family when you're like going to college.

02:25:28.710 --> 02:25:30.300
Like just somebody to hang out with, you know?

02:25:30.390 --> 02:25:31.411
Yes, exactly.

02:25:31.816 --> 02:25:33.525
And you were like a star tennis player.

02:25:33.525 --> 02:25:34.775
Like you'd be easy to adopt.

02:25:36.015 --> 02:25:36.935
I would have thought so.

02:25:37.066 --> 02:25:39.275
Right, how pretty you are.

02:25:39.275 --> 02:25:45.486
Ty, meanwhile, is like a prematurely balding 19 year old.

02:25:45.486 --> 02:25:47.365
And like, who's going to take him?

02:25:49.345 --> 02:25:50.195
Well, he milks cows.

02:25:50.745 --> 02:25:52.265
Well, yeah, just for the cow milking.

02:25:52.765 --> 02:25:54.056
Great skills.

02:25:55.595 --> 02:25:56.806
That's why my wife married me, for my skills.

02:25:56.845 --> 02:25:57.396
I think.

02:25:57.796 --> 02:26:00.986
The thing I appreciate about Ty the most is that I think he likes my humor.

02:26:00.986 --> 02:26:04.406
He smiles early at my jokes when he figures out where I'm going.

02:26:06.335 --> 02:26:08.695
Anyway, uh, your local experience.

02:26:08.775 --> 02:26:10.886
Oh, my twin brother, they call him Smiling Sam.

02:26:10.886 --> 02:26:14.595
He actually got in trouble in the military for smiling too much.

02:26:17.306 --> 02:26:19.476
So that leads over to me too, probably.

02:26:19.995 --> 02:26:21.525
Um, your local experience.

02:26:21.716 --> 02:26:24.275
Yeah, since we're on the Haiti theme, um, I've got.

02:26:24.825 --> 02:26:26.156
Haiti experience too.

02:26:26.175 --> 02:26:30.736
Um, so I went there twice in, once in undergrad, once in, uh, graduate school.

02:26:30.736 --> 02:26:31.825
We were probably there the same year.

02:26:32.255 --> 02:26:33.056
What month were you there?

02:26:33.316 --> 02:26:34.245
Gosh, I don't know.

02:26:34.245 --> 02:26:37.505
Um, June, I think it was summer, June or July.

02:26:37.636 --> 02:26:37.876
Okay.

02:26:37.896 --> 02:26:39.075
I was spring break time.

02:26:39.075 --> 02:26:43.355
So March, uh, I'll say that I think it was the 2012 March time.

02:26:44.275 --> 02:26:45.456
where this experience came from.

02:26:45.775 --> 02:26:49.626
Uh, went down there just to serve, uh, some people from, from our church.

02:26:49.636 --> 02:26:50.745
And I was helping.

02:26:50.745 --> 02:26:55.175
There's like post hurricane kind of post, um, well, hurricane season.

02:26:55.175 --> 02:26:57.865
I mean, there's always stuff to recover from it.

02:26:57.865 --> 02:26:58.876
Hey, yeah, right.

02:26:58.915 --> 02:27:00.185
But it post earthquake.

02:27:00.296 --> 02:27:00.646
Okay.

02:27:00.646 --> 02:27:02.435
That was the first big one.

02:27:02.445 --> 02:27:02.695
Yep.

02:27:02.765 --> 02:27:04.796
Um, so they're to help.

02:27:04.816 --> 02:27:08.726
And I was there kind of leading, uh, a medical mission trip.

02:27:08.835 --> 02:27:13.376
from our church and I didn't have any medical background, but, um, You're a good project manager.

02:27:13.376 --> 02:27:13.656
Yeah.

02:27:13.796 --> 02:27:14.406
Yeah, exactly.

02:27:14.486 --> 02:27:18.275
I helped, uh, rally the troops and we got a good team there, uh, doing different projects.

02:27:18.296 --> 02:27:22.425
We went to, uh, the Island of Lagunov, which is just off the coast there.

02:27:22.755 --> 02:27:26.066
Um, so still in Haiti, but just a small Island off there.

02:27:26.345 --> 02:27:35.480
And, um, and so we did, um, medical things up on the island and then I was adventurous and just wanted to go see the place.

02:27:35.501 --> 02:27:36.210
Oh, you want to go for a hike?

02:27:36.281 --> 02:27:37.700
Yeah, so I literally did.

02:27:37.810 --> 02:27:38.740
Find lunch in the town.

02:27:38.820 --> 02:27:44.790
So I told the guys, I was like, all right, I'm going to, I'm going to go out for the afternoon cause we were done with the morning stuff at the clinic.

02:27:45.495 --> 02:27:51.855
And, uh, ended up finding this, uh, this other village way up in the hill, uh, on the mountain, top of the mountain there.

02:27:51.855 --> 02:27:55.206
Cause it's, I think that probably is, the island is probably another volcano there.

02:27:55.636 --> 02:28:03.325
I'm not sure, but, uh, but anyway, so I went, well, you get off the beach and you go up to the mountain and then there's like cooler things down there, pig roasts and stuff.

02:28:03.636 --> 02:28:03.925
Yes.

02:28:03.925 --> 02:28:05.525
It was like, I'm not just going to sit here.

02:28:05.536 --> 02:28:12.716
So I went up and, uh, and had a great time by myself, met some people and there was a missionary from, are you fluent in Spanish or?

02:28:12.716 --> 02:28:12.786
Yeah.

02:28:12.786 --> 02:28:12.800
Yeah.

02:28:13.161 --> 02:28:19.060
Um, I, I could get by with, with some things, but, um, and smile and nod gets you along with this too.

02:28:19.560 --> 02:28:24.740
Um, so there was a family up there, um, they're, they were American, had been there for I think 30 years.

02:28:24.740 --> 02:28:27.070
Our Haitians were a French colony or something, right?

02:28:27.081 --> 02:28:28.720
So Spanish won't get you nowhere.

02:28:29.161 --> 02:28:29.950
Yeah, the Creole.

02:28:29.980 --> 02:28:30.781
They speak Creole.

02:28:31.081 --> 02:28:31.720
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

02:28:31.720 --> 02:28:32.060
Okay.

02:28:32.310 --> 02:28:35.550
Um, so then, uh, this American family was up there.

02:28:35.786 --> 02:28:39.415
And this was probably like five miles, five mile walk from where I was.

02:28:39.886 --> 02:28:42.585
So they had no where, like the team had no idea where it was.

02:28:42.595 --> 02:28:42.995
Right, right.

02:28:43.025 --> 02:28:44.945
And I, they just knew I went up the road.

02:28:46.165 --> 02:28:47.906
So then a couple hours had passed.

02:28:48.056 --> 02:28:50.445
So I'm there with this new family that I met.

02:28:50.825 --> 02:28:54.695
And then they're like, Hey, we're going tonight.

02:28:54.695 --> 02:28:57.736
We're hosting a, uh, uh, uh, like a revival.

02:28:58.066 --> 02:28:58.206
Oh shit.

02:28:59.716 --> 02:29:00.706
Like, Oh, this sounds fun.

02:29:02.036 --> 02:29:03.515
So then a couple more hours passed.

02:29:03.976 --> 02:29:08.406
And I'm up with this random family, uh, having And there's, like, no comms or whatever?

02:29:08.425 --> 02:29:10.615
Oh, like, no cell phone or anything.

02:29:10.626 --> 02:29:13.575
Like, I had no way to reach them, and they had no way to reach me.

02:29:13.896 --> 02:29:15.605
And I'm this white guy up there.

02:29:15.615 --> 02:29:17.755
And, um, so then, yeah.

02:29:17.995 --> 02:29:21.005
All told, it was probably like six hours where I was off.

02:29:21.216 --> 02:29:25.835
By myself, um, and ultimately it was with his family, but then it became dark.

02:29:25.876 --> 02:29:32.286
And so then I was in their car, they started driving me down the three Haitians that were like our interpreters.

02:29:32.695 --> 02:29:46.825
Sort of like, I saw them running up the hill trying to find me and they were, and then word got back to the mainland with the doctor and he was like, it was, it could have been, he like, a reputation decreaser.

02:29:47.595 --> 02:29:49.456
He, he taught, he had a good talk with me.

02:29:49.456 --> 02:29:51.990
So, um, I had a blast, Right.

02:29:52.861 --> 02:29:53.470
Best time.

02:29:54.226 --> 02:29:55.335
And what was the revival?

02:29:55.341 --> 02:29:56.630
Did they have like a worship band going?

02:29:56.861 --> 02:29:57.511
Yeah, yeah.

02:29:57.511 --> 02:29:59.716
They, they were, you know, they were, uh, missionaries there.

02:29:59.720 --> 02:29:59.912
Right, right.

02:29:59.916 --> 02:30:03.345
And so yeah, they were just doing their thing and so I just joined along.

02:30:03.495 --> 02:30:04.515
That's so awesome.

02:30:04.605 --> 02:30:06.796
And like Creole, um, yeah.

02:30:06.796 --> 02:30:07.036
Oh yeah.

02:30:07.036 --> 02:30:09.136
They, yeah, they had everything, um, interesting.

02:30:09.165 --> 02:30:11.710
The native language and it was, uh, what a fascinating, uh, yeah, it was great.

02:30:13.466 --> 02:30:15.675
Interesting Haiti connections here, right?

02:30:15.925 --> 02:30:16.515
So, yeah.

02:30:16.585 --> 02:30:26.136
Um, one of my podcast guests, I booked him because he was, he, he hasn't done a very good job apparently, but he was like negotiating with all the major interests in Haiti.

02:30:26.765 --> 02:30:45.605
Um, he was working for a nonprofit that had like 65 percent of the people in the room, all the biggest industries that are actively in, which is very tribal and very like chessboard oppositional, you know, Um, and you know, shit went downhill since then, so I guess Sean is not doing good.

02:30:46.236 --> 02:30:46.615
I don't know.

02:30:47.095 --> 02:30:48.495
Yeah, it's a hard place to set.

02:30:49.206 --> 02:30:57.156
Yeah, like, it's, it's, it's too bad we can't push the reset button easier on human stuff.

02:30:57.306 --> 02:31:07.486
You know, cause we get programmed sideways sometimes and stuff, and I feel like that's part of our country right now, part of the world, like part of the Palestinian situation.

02:31:08.126 --> 02:31:08.755
Like you can't.

02:31:10.025 --> 02:31:13.066
Not to get into it, but you can't really blame the Jews for wanting to have security.

02:31:13.796 --> 02:31:23.146
And you can't really blame these poor, miserable people that have been suffering for a long time, that have been programmed to Think terrible things about their neighbors.

02:31:23.605 --> 02:31:23.876
Yeah.

02:31:24.546 --> 02:31:24.775
Hard.

02:31:25.046 --> 02:31:26.626
Anyway, that's where we need the gospel.

02:31:26.626 --> 02:31:27.505
We'll fix that in the next.

02:31:27.505 --> 02:31:28.265
Yeah, actually it is.

02:31:28.816 --> 02:31:32.345
I mean, if you love your neighbor, if you love your neighbor, that is the reset button.

02:31:32.445 --> 02:31:33.986
Yeah, that is the reset button.

02:31:34.056 --> 02:31:42.486
And, um, you know, that's, I mean, that's at the heart of the book is like, there really is no, yes, we, you know, obviously it's party in the front and there's practical things we can do.

02:31:42.505 --> 02:31:44.646
There's fun things we can do at the end of the day.

02:31:44.646 --> 02:31:45.716
The only thing that.

02:31:46.156 --> 02:31:49.566
Um, reconnects us in a healthy relationship to each other.

02:31:49.945 --> 02:31:53.046
Um, and obviously it's a God is, is the gospel is Jesus.

02:31:53.056 --> 02:31:54.976
So that's, that's why we're writing the book.

02:31:55.345 --> 02:31:57.306
That's a theme song, right?

02:31:57.636 --> 02:31:57.765
Yeah.

02:31:57.765 --> 02:31:59.335
You want to say it for us to close?

02:31:59.355 --> 02:31:59.656
Yeah.

02:31:59.656 --> 02:31:59.855
Yeah.

02:31:59.855 --> 02:32:00.995
I've been waiting for my opportunity.

02:32:01.396 --> 02:32:01.765
Come on.

02:32:01.765 --> 02:32:03.345
Now we'll, we'll set you up for that.

02:32:03.825 --> 02:32:05.656
Um, and you're, you're a hundred percent right.

02:32:05.656 --> 02:32:06.275
You know, I think.

02:32:07.091 --> 02:32:14.870
Like, I don't know about your, your congregation down there in Loveland, but we've got at least probably a dozen mixed race families at the crossing.

02:32:14.921 --> 02:32:22.781
And I just, I'm really proud of that, you know, and, and there ain't nobody from any race that we're Americans and we're Christians and we love each other.

02:32:22.960 --> 02:32:23.421
Right.

02:32:24.220 --> 02:32:24.400
Yep.

02:32:24.450 --> 02:32:27.011
So to set this up, it's like buying a new car.

02:32:27.040 --> 02:32:33.511
You know, you We're working on this book project and you start seeing things that can connect to the book and, you know, you see your car everywhere once you buy it.

02:32:33.511 --> 02:32:33.820
Sure.

02:32:33.831 --> 02:32:40.210
And so, uh, so, Jeff, he threw this out to me, he's like, hey, the Full House song, like, It's our song.

02:32:40.220 --> 02:32:40.861
It's our song.

02:32:40.890 --> 02:32:41.351
Yeah.

02:32:41.370 --> 02:32:51.976
So, you know, I won't quit my day job, but, um, so I'll, I'll, I'll read the first lyric and then, The last, the last, the outro of the song is just too good to read.

02:32:51.976 --> 02:32:52.646
So I'll just sing it.

02:32:53.165 --> 02:33:14.466
Um, so everywhere you look, everywhere you go, there's a heart and a hand to hold onto everywhere you look, everywhere you go, there's a face of somebody who needs you everywhere you look when you're lost out there and you're all alone, a light is waiting to carry you home everywhere you look.

02:33:14.876 --> 02:33:17.275
And then the last part, uh, how's it go?

02:33:18.306 --> 02:33:24.626
Chibbity bop! Chibbity bop! Badaow! There you go, yes! Thank you.

02:33:24.896 --> 02:33:25.896
That's amazing.

02:33:25.915 --> 02:33:33.536
Um, again, uh, those people that want to get the book and get updates, uh, go to thepartyinthefrontbook.

02:33:33.986 --> 02:33:34.206
com.

02:33:34.216 --> 02:33:36.515
It's not yet for sale, but it's coming soon.

02:33:36.525 --> 02:33:38.505
Might be by the time this podcast is published.

02:33:39.095 --> 02:33:39.595
Yep, soon.

02:33:39.980 --> 02:33:41.380
Uh, follow on Instagram.

02:33:41.490 --> 02:33:42.681
Party in the front book.

02:33:43.050 --> 02:33:43.331
Got it.

02:33:43.351 --> 02:34:04.040
And, uh, if you're, uh, like, cool, and you've had bad church experiences in the past, and you're not currently part of a cool church, because we don't like to steal people, we like to redeem them, uh, go on and come on down to Redemption Church Loveland, or wander up to Fort Collins for the Crossing Church.

02:34:04.040 --> 02:34:05.331
You'll see me and Ty there.

02:34:05.331 --> 02:34:06.001
There you go.

02:34:06.050 --> 02:34:09.120
And, uh, otherwise, I just want to thank you two guys for spending the time.

02:34:09.675 --> 02:34:10.036
Yeah.

02:34:10.066 --> 02:34:10.695
Thank you, Kurt.

02:34:10.695 --> 02:34:11.976
Thank you so much for having us.

02:34:12.036 --> 02:34:12.726
It's been fun.

02:34:12.726 --> 02:34:14.376
All right.

02:34:14.536 --> 02:34:14.886
Cheers.

02:34:15.075 --> 02:34:15.306
Yep.

02:34:15.435 --> 02:34:15.685
Bye for now.

02:34:15.825 --> 02:34:22.165
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Loco Experience podcast produced and sponsored by Loco Think Tank.

02:34:23.765 --> 02:34:25.945
This is your producer Alma Arellano.

02:34:26.056 --> 02:34:28.255
Check out our website at thelocoexperience.

02:34:28.255 --> 02:34:32.726
com to find all of our episodes, nominate future guests, or leave us a message.

02:34:33.105 --> 02:34:38.245
You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn at The Loco Experience.

02:34:38.626 --> 02:34:41.956
To support the show, please subscribe and share it with your favorite people.

02:34:42.175 --> 02:34:44.036
Until next time, stay loco.