Episode 14 - Christmas Special Part 1 - Christmas Movie DRAFT

Ever wondered how your favorite Christmas movies, like 'Elf' and 'Home Alone', became the heartwarming traditions they are today? Join us as we draft our ultimate festive film lineup, share a hearty laugh over cinematic quirks, and even delve into the nostalgia of first-time viewings in theaters. From the comedic genius of the Jelly of the Month Club meltdown to the booby trap hilarity of the McCallister residence, we're unwrapping the gift of holiday movie magic and the laughter it brings to the season.

Setting aside the tinsel and the popcorn, we step into the transformative world of event planning, taking you behind the scenes of a Christmas program that captivated nearly 500 attendees. Discover the labor of love involved in turning a gymnasium into a winter wonderland and the heartwarming performances that left everyone spellbound. Embrace the simplicity of the Christmas message through our reflections on the event, and hear how your feedback can shape future celebrations, ensuring everyone feels the warmth of our community's embrace.

As the flicker of candlelight services beckons in the peaceful night, we contemplate the profound impact of carrying the light of Christ into a world shrouded in darkness. With stories that inspire and a call to live as beacons of hope, we discuss the importance of being a guiding light and the comfort that comes from knowing we're never alone, even in the darkest of times. So, grab a mug of hot cocoa, settle in by the fire, and let's revel in the sounds and stories that make Christmas a time of joy, reflection, and connection.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome.
Welcome back.
Welcome Welcome.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome, welcome Welcome.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome to the plugged in podcast.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Let's do it.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Welcome everyone.
Are you guys okay?

Speaker 3 (00:22):
I'm great how are you Matt?

Speaker 1 (00:23):
This is about like level 13 tired.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
I don't have any more numbers.
It's the highest level 13 isthe last.
Yeah, as far as you go.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
It doesn't go above 13.
I'm there.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
That's where I'm at.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
I'm sorry, good to know.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Good to know going into it where you're at, but I
feel like everyone's like thattired right.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Oh yeah, I feel great , you look great, I feel
fantastic.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Alright, alright, natesi anomaly, but everything's
good.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
So we are launching into our Christmas episodes here
on the plugged in podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yay, if you couldn't tell from the video, yes.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
In the festive backdrop here Winter wonderland.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
We literally are.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
We bought some of this stuff for the sounds of
Christmas.
I'm glad that we could use itagain, right.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yes, this is like.
This is the issue with thethree of us is we are each our
own level of extra.
Too much, too much.
Nates, or Matt's like can youput together a list for our
draft today?
Couldn't just, couldn't just doa regular draft, had to go all
out.
We're doing a draft.
We are doing a draft.
You were like launching ourwinter episodes.
Matt's like all right, I'mgoing all out with a backdrop

(01:25):
and lights.
He walks in.
He's like we need lighted trees.
Like the three of us are our ownworst enemies but it's a little
too much.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Sometimes.
I did text you guys.
I was just like I got into theclassic scenario of I start
something, I get way too fardown the rabbit hole and then
halfway through I'm just like.
I've got off way more than Iwant.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
And you can't back that one up.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
That's a character issue, a character complex, like
it's just too much.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
That's what our devotion is about today.
Just kidding, oh, being toomuch.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Okay, I have an opening rant.
I don't know if you like, myopening rants.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I love them.
I look forward to them.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Okay, so this is not Christmas related at all.

Speaker 3 (01:59):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
But I'm just going to go for it.
Yeah, so I don't know if yoursocial media feeds have been See
my brain is so worked up.
I know I know I've been seeinga lot of trailers for a new
movie that's coming out onNetflix called Maestro.
Have you seen it?

Speaker 2 (02:15):
No, okay, so it hasn't been channeled.
All right, so this is good.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
This is letting me know.
Is this movie actually going tobe really big, or is it just
being funneled?

Speaker 3 (02:23):
to my news feeds.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
So it's a movie about the life of Leonard Bernstein
and it's directed, written andstarring Bradley Cooper.
You haven't seen this at all.
No, not in the slightest bit.
Okay.
So Leonard Bernstein, I am justthis isn't even really a rant,
I am just like nervous sweatingfor this movie.
I am so worried that this mightbe a bad movie, for two reasons

(02:48):
.
Okay One Leonard Bernstein islike my whatever is above, like
musical hero, like when I wascoming through college, like so
he's maybe the most famousAmerican born conductor we've
ever had.
Leonard Bernstein wrote youprobably know the music of West
Side Story.
Oh yes, that's written byLeonard Bernstein.
He conducted the New YorkPhilharmonic for many, many

(03:10):
years.
As the music directorchampioned the music of Gustav
Mahler and those symphonies andstuff.
Just like a musical hero is notthe right word.
It's more than that Likeborderline, like I don't want to
use the word worshiped, butlike this guy was like way, way,
way, way up there for me Legendyeah, so.
I've watched so many videosabout him conducting.
I've wanted to look like him.

(03:33):
I've studied him.
He had a series of an anthology, really, of lectures at.
Harvard back in the day, andthis is about, like the deepest
ins and outs of music you canpossibly think of.
But Leonard Bernstein is just.
He's an absolute genius.
Now combine the fact with I'mgoing to let you in on a little
secret my Hollywood man crush isLeonard Bernstein.

(03:56):
No, Bradley Cooper.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Oh, okay, took me a second.

Speaker 3 (04:01):
How did you know that ?
Because Leonard Bernstein isnot in Hollywood.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yeah, no no, bernstein died in, I think, 92
or 93.
So he's been gone for a whilenow.
But Bradley Cooper is myHollywood like man crush, and so
it's a good choice, Iunderstand that Do you have a
man, you have a Hollywood mancrush.
Yeah, Ryan Reynolds.
Oh, okay.
Yeah he just seems like a coolguy.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah, that one real quick, I was ready.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Loretta do you?

Speaker 1 (04:22):
have a Hollywood man crush.
Oh careful.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
Oh, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Or a lady crush, lady crush.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
I got a T swift crush .
I love Taylor Swift.
Fair enough, that's big star,big star.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
But anyways, so fast forward.
This that was a really longrange about nothing.
But I love Bradley Cooper, Ilove Leonard Bernstein.
Combine those two things and ifthis movie is terrible.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
that's why I'll be heartbroken.
Yeah, no, I can understand that.
That's why it's being channeleddirectly to you.
You might be the only one.
No, no, no, that this movie isbeing.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Well, so I mean like so my feed is filled with a lot
of people from my music past andlike who I've studied with and
stuff like that.
So I feel like I've seen a lotof it, because a lot of the
music community is hyped forthis music, for this movie,
because Bernstein isn't justlike a you know, a rogue like
figure that I'm enamored with.
He is like he's legendary, theguy.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
Yeah, it's, he's up there, so anyways that is my
opening rant.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
We got some stuff lined up on the pug in the
Pugdance man.
We need to stop, I'm just goingto press.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Stop recording.
That's going to be thanks forjoining the show.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
everyone it for today .

Speaker 1 (05:27):
Peace.
So a little bit later we havewe're doing a Christmas draft.
Yeah, and we really enjoyeddoing our Thanksgiving draft.
It was so much fun, did we?
Um so Larita.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
I already know what you're going to say.
I didn't know.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
Larita potatoes Heinzman.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
And whatever.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
So I really saw you had some great stuff on social
media about our drafts, but Inever saw like a conclusive like
who won?
Yeah it was actually reallyclose.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
It was close, yeah, it was very close but got a huge
turnout.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
We did Like there were.
There were a lot of people thatvoted, a lot of people that
were sending in their thoughts,but I didn't know if there was a
.
Yeah final tally.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, nate one.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah, there was close to 60.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
Wow, you looked really excited.
There was over 60 votes closeto 70.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
There's, we were following it all day.
It was actually really fun.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, I only beat map by one boat, though.
Oh, so the read was last.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, All right everyone spit a nice one.
I'm gonna head out.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
No, the draft idea was fun.
It's not unique to our podcast,but today we're doing A
Christmas movies.
Yeah, loretta, tell us aboutthe list that you've put
together.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Oh, my goodness, it's in, it's a lot.
So we just we were gonna doeveryone chip in a couple movie
ideas and then I just went top100 Christmas movies of all time
.
So we got a little bit of isthat what's on?

Speaker 1 (06:56):
there's not a hundred on this page.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
No okay, no, I some of them I had never heard of and
was like there was one calledChristmas in Connecticut.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, it's like I don't know obscure ones.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Do you know that one?

Speaker 3 (07:07):
No, I saw that on the list.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
Oh, okay, when I was looking so tell our listeners
what we got.
Should I read down this wholelist?
Yeah, yeah, right, here we goready, say go and meet me in st
Louis.
Miracle on 34th Street,nightmare before Christmas.
It's a wonderful life, homealone.
Home alone to lost in New York,home alone three.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah, that was lame anyone picking them.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Elf, a Christmas story, the Grinch, which is the
Jim Carrey version, okay, howthe Grinch?
Still Christmas, which isanimated, jingle all the way.
I'm up at Christmas Carol, theSanta Claus, rudolph the Red
Nose, reindeer, frosty, thesnowman, national and poo and
Christmas vacation, the polarexpress, the holiday diehard
Nate had to have that one inthere for.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Christmas is.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Fred Claus Christmas with the cranks, the family
stone, here we go.
We're still going, guys,because we're all parents here.
Mickey's Christmas Carol,scrooge and Medea Christmas.
I'll be home for Christmas.
White Christmas, earn a savesChristmas, arthur, christmas
jingle, jangle, a Christmascarol, a boy called Christmas
spirited, scrooge, the ChristmasChronicles.
And then love actually, andlittle women.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
Wow, that is comprehensive.
Yeah, that is a bulldog of alist.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
I, I was gonna print all hundred, but then I was like
, oh, that might be.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
Keep our options open .
That's good, I like it.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
All right, well done, so a little bit later we're
gonna have a draft of Christmasmovies.
Yep, if you're tuned in OnYouTube or wherever you listen
to podcasts, you'll have to hookup with our socials.
It'll come first on theInstagram for mass youth and
then it'll hit SA mass music.
But I'm sure the reader willwhip up something again that
showcases her draft board.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, and then I'll put up my winner board and then,
and then, if she, loses, she'llnever announce the winner.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Never happened.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
That's awesome.
Okay, so in just a second we'regonna have our devotional
thought.
For today, nate has somethingplanned for us, but before we do
, we wanted to recap just thislast weekend yeah, we had the
sounds of Christmas.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah eighth annual right Eighth annual which is
probably the number one reasonwhy Matt is slurring his words
and a little all over the placetoday.
It was fantastic, it was agreat night.

Speaker 1 (09:17):
It was a really really good night.
So we set up.
We set up 50 tables, 400 chairs, transform the crock center
gymnasium from a gym into we'retrying, we were really going for
a winter wonderland, you know,just kind of a real Christmas-y
place.
And let me tell you that is themost red, yellow, blue gym I've
ever seen in my life, Holy molycow.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
I hadn't seen it until you were talking about it
and I was like I can't be thatbad like that gym is like
hashtag salvation army.
Yeah, those bleachers.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
You know where you are, and the blue I don't know.
William Booth would have beenproud.
We sang that in Sunday schoolwhen I was a kid.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
Wow, you and me are like Sunday school song
aficionados.
I'm like I love Sunday schoolI'd but anyways.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
So we transform the gym.
We set up 50 round tables theyall had treats on them 400
chairs we think I'm estimatingjust under 500 in attendance
because we had the 400 chairsset up.
We ended up not me personally,the program was actually running
, but I remember like 15, 20minutes into it, looking out
people were setting upadditional chairs in the back.
You had a couple rows, 35people in the band on stage and

(10:25):
so just overall, I Did rememberlike thinking in the middle of
the program, like I don't knowof me personally if I was able
to like really enjoy it becauseit was like such a An absolute
marathon of like setup, but itwas also like there was no break

(10:45):
from the setup into the startof the program.
It was like one, like Continuousline of like work, work, work,
work, work, work, work programstarted, so it also felt like
work, yeah.
And then at the end I was justlike it was like one of those
will ferrell moments whereyou're just like I think.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
I blacked out what just happened.

Speaker 1 (11:03):
I just concluded the concert.
I told everyone to go home.
Like what happened.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Yeah, no, it's true.
Yeah, cuz it was just like go,go, go people arrive, we're
still going, going, going, andthen you start yeah, tear down.

Speaker 1 (11:15):
It was crazy highlights for me, the ones I
can remember, you know.
No, out of your blackout at theend of the program the yam
course did a number with massbrass Combined.
It was called who is he?
Yeah, really great arrangementactually.
Paul Leslie alerted me to thatArrangement.
Paul Leslie is the officer inGreenfield.
Yeah, and he said, hey, checkout this piece of music.

(11:36):
It's a really good arrangement,and so the mass brass played
with the yam course and that itjust was a very special Kind of
highlight.
In the second half of theprogram Victor Morales was a
special guest.
He's awesome guitarist singerjust a virtuoso, virtuosic
musician.

Speaker 2 (11:50):
Awesome so engaging to the audience.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
They're a big sing-along.
Everyone's going after thecarols.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
The beat's not me.
Yeah, yeah, she loved it.

Speaker 1 (11:58):
Oh yeah, yeah, she's all about it, yeah, yeah and
then in the first half we did anon Christmas piece, but it was
with a narrator.
Yes a script of basically thebirth of Jesus and Emily, full
up from Waltham yeah, was ournarrator.
She did an awesome job.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
She's good.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
She's a she's kind of born for that kind of dramatic,
theatrical kind of things andshe was absolutely fantastic.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, she's not afraid of the stage.
Nope, no, it was really good.
No, it was really good.

Speaker 1 (12:25):
So it was a great evening.
I'm already trying to think ofwhat we're gonna do for the
ninth annual that's just kind ofhow my brain works that the day
after the concert was over Iwas like, well, how can we fit
more people in that gym?
Like what if it's gonna grow,and but I don't know, I'm just
really pleased.
I kind of think of the soundsof Christmas now, not Only as an
event.
It feels like a brand.

(12:47):
Yeah yep, and I hope that it'ssomething that people look
forward to, and I think it stillhas room to grow.

Speaker 3 (12:54):
I don't know if you've heard this, but we were
told yesterday that there was afamily visiting the area from
New Zealand who had really noconnection with the Salvation
Army, but they saw an ad for thesounds of Christmas concert and
they just came and enjoyed thenight, which is pretty amazing.

Speaker 1 (13:09):
I've heard a couple different stories like this,
where People not associated withthe Salvation Army were at the
concert and some people wereinvited and some people just saw
it online and decided to come.
Another good story was GaryPearsie from Quincy.
He brought his whole softballteam and and yeah so at the end
of the concert I saw he wastaking a picture with a bunch of
people and someone said likewho's who's that with Gary?

(13:32):
And he's like he invited hiswhole softball team and they
came and awesome, but he hadsaid something to the Quincy
core band.
At our last band rehearsal hesaid the thing that they took
away was they didn't know.
They didn't really know theSalvation Army, so this was
their first exposure to it.
But they were just so pleasedand kind of blown away with how
Jesus centered it was and howthe Christmas message was Loud

(13:55):
and clear.
That's great.
I think, at the end of the day.
That's kind of where I draw theline at.
You can do an insane amount ofwork.
You can physically feel tired.
You can almost say like, oh mygosh, is this, is this worth it?
Yeah you could really pushyourself to the limit.
But then at the end of the day,I always want that program to

(14:19):
be something where the verybasic part of the gospel message
is presented in a very simpleway, right that people can
understand that they are lovedby God enough that he sent Jesus
into the world to be born andthen to die for us.
And so when I hear stories likethat, it it just kind of wipes
away the physical tiredness andyou say like yeah, that was

(14:42):
worth it.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
Yeah, that was worth it percent.
Whenever we're programming, wealways talk about the thread
Where's the thread, what's?
The thread and and what's thetakeaway?
And I think the very simplethread and the number one
takeaway is that, like, nomatter where you come from and
whether this is your first visitat the salvation army, this is
what you say every year.
Whether this is your first timeat a salvation army, anything,

(15:04):
know that you're loved andyou're now family.

Speaker 1 (15:05):
And so.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
I think it's just so good we were.
When we were setting up onSaturday some of the croc staff
was just kind of watching anamazement, which was really cool
, and the one of the maintenanceguys was like man.
He's like you guys, know how tomake people feel special and I
was like that's it.
It's in the details, it's inthe little things like the
little carpet and, yeah, theChristmas trees, and you know

(15:29):
the cookie platters.
It's just it's important to makepeople feel valued and special
and, you know, especially thistime of year, to feel love, not
just to be told right.
So I think that wasCommunicated and I think it
happened.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
So and the fact that the program is free.
Yes, I mean.
So admission is free, kind oflike that special Christmas
feeling is free, it's it's.
I see that as an, that as a.
It's not free for everyone.
Obviously this albation armyhas to pay for that concert put
on, but I've kind of always seenthat program as an extension of
God's free gift of Christmas,you know.

(16:04):
So that's something we're allvery thankful for here, that the
salvation army is able to Putthemselves in a position where
we can offer that program as agift to the division.
To the people in the New Englandarea and I do want it to
continue to grow.
If anyone's listening out therewho has comments about the
sounds of Christmas, bothpositive and negative, I would

(16:26):
love to hear them.
So just very quick story beforewe transition.
The reason the program movedinto the gym was because of a
critical Feedback comment that.
I received from a survey that Isent out I sent it to core
officers about all the programswe do throughout the year and
there were some comments thatcame back that just said we
showed up at the sounds ofChristmas last year.

(16:47):
There were no seats, we feltunwelcome, so we went home.
Yeah, that broke my heart.
Yeah, now I didn't know thatwas happening right until
someone said it.
Right, and because it was said,we decided to make the change
and.
So I think that's so importantif you have feedback about an
event or things we're doing,there's constructive ways to
deliver those messages and inthis case, it was highly, highly

(17:09):
effective.
Yeah, so yeah, that's our recapon the sounds of Christmas.
In a little bit we're gonnahave our Christmas movie draft.
We're gonna take a short breakright here on the plugged-in
podcast and then when we Run, mypeas are really like nice.

Speaker 3 (17:23):
I'm really getting into the microphone.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, sorry, so I just ruined the broadcast.
All right, well, we are gonnatake a short break and then when
we come back, nate, can yougive us a little teaser about
our devotional for today?

Speaker 3 (17:35):
Yeah, we're really focusing on the light of Jesus,
which, during this season andalso today is the first date of
Hanukkah, the festival lights,so I wanted to keep a theme
centered on the light of Christand what that means in driving
out the darkness in our world.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
Oh, awesome, yeah, All right, we'll.
We'll be right back here on theplugged-in podcast.
Happy, happy, we're having anoff-air fight.

Speaker 3 (18:09):
We collect ourselves well though.

Speaker 1 (18:10):
Rita's still.
She's not happy.
She's not happy with how Nateand I well I guess it's me.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
No, it's both of you.
Matt's the chief antagonizer,but am I I think that's a little
far.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
I believe you just called me la Rita potatoes hind.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
Yeah, enough said, right there.

Speaker 1 (18:31):
La Rita is still a little salty About the
characterization of herThanksgiving draft.
I liked your draft.
I did, I liked mine the bestand and Nate's the second best,
but I also liked your draft.
Yeah, all right time to talkabout Jesus.
Welcome back to the plugged-inpodcast, nate, you have a
devotional for us.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
I do, I do.
I just wanted to start byreading second Corinthians,
chapter 4, verse 6, and saysthis for God, who said let there
be light in the darkness, hasmade this light shine in our
hearts so that we would know theglory of God that is seen in
the face of Jesus Christ.
Well, I mentioned earlier we'regonna be focusing on the light
of Christ with our devotionalthoughts today and I want to

(19:14):
start with a quick story.
I don't know if this story isreal or not, but it helps drive
home the point.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
Interesting yeah.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
Just want to give a disclaimer.
So here's the story.
There was a captain of a largeShip and he looked out across
the water on a dark, drearynight when he noticed, way off
in the distance, this faintflickering light that caught his
attention.
Fearing that another ship washeaded his way, the captain told
his signalman to send a messageover the ship's radio.

(19:44):
And so the message that wassent was attention, please alter
your course 10 degrees to thesouth.
Well, almost instantly a returnmessage was sent back From the
other supposed ship in thedistance.
It said no, you alter yourcourse 10 degrees north.
Oh, boy.
Yeah, you know, power struggle,going here and taking a back.

(20:05):
By the response, the captainbegan to grow pretty irritated
and thought to himself Are theycrazy?
Who do they think they are?
I'm the captain of the ship,I'm trying to just alert them to
potential danger.
But the light in the distancecontinued to grow bigger and
brighter with each passingminute.
And the captain was convincedthat if someone did not correct

(20:25):
their course soon, there wouldbe a devastating collision, and
so, frustrated and panicked, thecaptain ordered his signalman
to send a second message.
I repeat alter your course 10degrees to the south by orders
of the captain.
So after what seemed like aneternity, another return message
came through the wire no, Irepeat you, alter your course 10

(20:47):
degrees north by order ofsignalman Jones.
The captain thought to himselfwho is signalman Jones and why
is he being so belligerent?
He couldn't believe what he washearing.
He was determined that he wasgonna teach the signalman Jones
a lesson in compliance.
Knowing the fear that he wouldevoke, the captain angrily
growled his command a final time.

(21:09):
You don't understand.
Alter your course 10 degreessouth.
I'm a battleship and I'm headedyour way.
Oops, yeah.
You know, little fish, a littlefishing boat, has no, cannot
stand against a battleship right.

Speaker 1 (21:22):
I like the name of signalman Jones, by the way.
Every time you say the captain,I'm just thinking captain Bill
Belichick, and like this, likeyou do this, sorry.

Speaker 3 (21:35):
Thanks for that cool story, bro.

Speaker 1 (21:36):
I'm gonna edit that out.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
So, anyways, here we go several seconds past Several
seconds.
I know that the audience hasgripped in this tale right now.
I'm sorry, several secondspassed and the light continued
to inch ever closer when,finally, another message came
through sir, it doesn't matterwhat type of ship you are, you
need to alter your course 10degrees of the north right now,

(22:00):
or you will crash into the rocks.
I'm stationed here at thelighthouse and I'm trying to
save your life.
Yeah, you see, darkness can bepretty disorienting, right when
we can't see what's around us.
We live in a dark world.
That's.
That's the truth.
We know that, and we know thatthere are so many competing
voices in this world that areshouting for our attention.

(22:21):
Every day, we're asked to makedecisions that determine the
course of our life and can alterthe course of our life forever.
Yet it's also here in thedarkness that we know that there
is one true voice that signalssomething quite opposite from
the rest, a Voice that echoeshope and a light that brings
peace from a God who desires tobring us safe, safely, through

(22:43):
the choppy waves of our humanexperience.
Yet the sad reality is that formany, the light of Christ goes
unnoticed because the darknesshas become a comfortable place
for so many to hide.
From the first verse ofscripture we read how God
illuminates the darkness in thischaotic world by speaking light

(23:03):
into existence.
Genesis, chapter 1, verses 1and 2, tell us in the beginning,
god created the heaven and theearth.
The earth was formless andempty and an endless expanse of
darkness covered the depths.
Think about that total Darkness.
Yet it's here, in this greatvoid of darkness, that we find
the spirit of God Hovering overthe surface of the deep.

(23:23):
And his first action that'srecorded in scripture he speaks
and he says let there be light.
And instantly light breaksthrough this void, this formless
, empty state of darkness inHebrew it's best described as
confusion and chaos.
And right here, smack dab, inthe middle of that chaos, we

(23:44):
find a God who is alreadypresent.
And what does he do?
He brings order to the chaos byshining his unmistakable light.
Well, light is a very importantconcept.
All throughout scripture is avery important concept to the
people of Israel and the OldTestament authors Frequently
used light to represent thequality of life that was
pleasing to God.

(24:04):
In Psalm 56, 13, obedience toGod is described as walking
before him in the light of life.
And so we see light as thisagent of guidance, of direction,
of being in step with God'swill in his way.
Well, prior to Christ coming.
It was God's word, direct word,that he spoke to people and his

(24:25):
word that was conveyed throughthe prophets that brought
direction and guidance.
But the moment that Jesusarrived, we read in scripture
that a new light dawned for allpeople, and this light revealed
the father's heart to a worldtrapped in darkness.
The prophet Isaiah, in chapter9, verse 2, says this the people
living in darkness have seen agreat light.
On those living in the land ofthe shadow of death, a light has

(24:49):
dawned.
So here's the here's the point.
Light always prevails overdarkness.
We think about darkness.
Darkness does not have thepower to extinguish light
Physically.
From a scientific standpoint,darkness in its nature is
actually nothing more than theabsence of light.
If you've ever camped out in thewoods at night, no matter how

(25:10):
deep and how dense that forcemight be, no matter how blinding
the darkness might seem, all ittakes is a tiny flicker of
light to cut through it.
Right, if you light a match, ifyou open up your phone and turn
on the flashlight, wheneverlight is introduced, it cuts
through the darkness and oureyes instantly start to adjust
to that light and soon we areable or capable of making sense

(25:31):
of our Surroundings.
But here's the point it's notsimply enough to recognize the
light, we also need to becommitted to living in the light
.
Quick story when Jackson was aninfant, you know, we would take
turns getting up in the middleof the night when he needed to
eat, when he needed To bechanged as all babies do, right

(25:52):
and I remember there was onespecific time it was probably
around three in the morning whenit was my turn to get up and I
got up I heard him crying on themonitor and instead of grabbing
my phone, instead of turning onthe light, I just tried to
navigate through the bedroom inthe pitch black and ended up
stubbing my toe on the side ofthe bed, which it's the worst

(26:13):
because you feel, you literallyfeel your heart beating in your
toe, probably, and you feel likeman.
I wish I could just cut this offright now because this is so
terrible.
But I remember that and Iremember thinking to myself how
dumb it was.
I didn't just turn on the lampon the nightstand or just grab
my phone, but I preferred tojust try to avoid the obstacles,

(26:34):
completely blind.
And when I was thinking aboutthis, I'm thinking that's really
like that's a metaphor for life.
Right, we know what we shoulddo and we know that God has
already commanded us to live alife worthy of the calling We've
received, but so often weprefer to wade through the
darkness and simply try our bestto navigate it, and that's
where disaster strikes.

(26:55):
This is why the Apostle Paulsays in 1st Thessalonians 5 that
, instead of blending into thedarkness and lurking in the
shadows, be an agent of life.
Help expose the darkness forwhat it really is a place of
hopelessness fear shame andguilt.
Allow the light of God to drivethat out, because God is
intentional in meeting us thereand desiring relationship with

(27:18):
us.
Well, here's the obstacle tothat.
Nobody likes to be exposed.
Exposure can be a scary thing.
We'd much rather trudge alongin the dim light than flick on
the switch and allow everyoneelse to see the mess Going on in
our lives.
Perhaps we avoid the lightbecause we're afraid of what
it's going to reveal.
But John 3 17 promises that Goddid not send his son into the

(27:39):
world to condemn the world, butto save the world through him.
And so we don't need to fearChrist's light, but rather
welcome it, because it's in hislight that there is freedom,
healing and fullness of joy.
And so here's where we get tothe application.
What's the challenge?
If you're listening to thistoday and you're thinking okay,
I know Christ's light, I know, Iknow the Lord, I have a

(28:00):
relationship with him, what'sthe challenge for me today?
Well, the challenge is this ifyou have seen the light, then we
are called to go and reflectthe light.
In the Gospels, jesus refers tohimself as the light of the
world, but then he commissionedhis disciples to be a visible
light and witness for him.
Matthew 5, 7, 516 let yourlight shine before others so

(28:22):
that they may see your gooddeeds and bring praise to your
father in heaven.
Is he because of God's greatlove for us?
He refused to be a distantspectator.
On the contrary, he willinglystepped into the darkness.
He linked his story with oursand a desire to live what we
live and feel what we feel.
And Because he's done this,because we've experienced this,

(28:43):
the world needs to know theyneed his light to shine forth in
their lives as well.
By sending his son, jesus, intothe world, god canvassed the
darkest places.
He met us there in his perfectlove, and it's there, in the
fullness of everything good andpure and true, that God embraces
you and me with peace, hope andjoy.

(29:04):
Sometimes it might feel likethe darkness is winning.
We oftentimes feel like thedarkness is winning, but don't
lose heart.
Instead, cling to the promiseof God's presence, knowing that,
even in the shadows, our greatand merciful God is camping out
there with us.
He is the light that shines inthe darkness.
He is the the one who bringspeace to the chaos, and he is

(29:26):
the light that cannot beovercome.
Amen amen.

Speaker 1 (29:33):
Yeah, make it eight.
Yeah, it's awesome, thank you.

Speaker 2 (29:37):
So doing the, the devotional in the middle, like
switching it up a little, it'sgot me all Confused just
combobulated yeah cuz I feellike I'm like, I'm like all
silly in my head and I'm like,oh, I gotta be, gotta think
serious time to sign off andI'll buy.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
End of the episode no draft for you.
The only thing I was thinkingabout at the beginning that
story was Well, I mean, I wasjust thinking, why didn't the
lighthouse just say that sooner?

Speaker 3 (30:02):
Yeah, that's what there wouldn't be a sermon
illustration.

Speaker 1 (30:05):
I know, I know, but I was just like, why wouldn't
that be the first?
Like I'm a lighthouse, I'mtrying to save you.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Excuse you, I don't care if you're a battleship here
comes a battleship.

Speaker 3 (30:13):
Let's see if I can get him.

Speaker 1 (30:15):
Thank you me Sorry, I was that's my contrarian mind
like thinking like yeah, I don'tknow.

Speaker 3 (30:21):
I don't know where I've, where I found that story,
if I made that up or if I foundit somewhere.

Speaker 1 (30:25):
I think, I've heard I don't think you made it up.
I've heard I honestly, can'tremember.
Yeah, no, I think I've heardthat in other sermons before.
Okay, and thought the exactsame thing sermon illustration,
dot-com or something.
Yeah, is that a real?

Speaker 3 (30:36):
sign.
I think so, or somethingthere's a sermon, central calm,
which is like a hub of people'ssermons, but one they're not
many of them are very good andtwo you need a membership to
access them, so I don't.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
I don't know places you can go to get.
Yeah, you can findillustrations.

Speaker 1 (30:53):
You guys have any plans to do.
Speaking of light overcomingdarkness, yeah, and like that is
like a classic Christmas Eveservice candlelight service,
silent night oh, holy night,like you've ever been a part of
those services where at the veryend they pass out the candles
and, like those, are gonna lovethat.

Speaker 2 (31:08):
Turn the lights off.
We did that at spring Valley.

Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yeah, it's definitely one of my, one of my favorites,
it's certainly like a ChristmasEve, even New Year's, to kind
of turning over a new leaf likeyeah, no, but I love that stuff.

Speaker 3 (31:20):
Yeah, I'm a sucker for it.
When I graduated college andlived in a small town called
Maslin, ohio, there was all theall the churches in town.
On Christmas Eve they opened uptheir doors and you went from
church to church in acandlelight walk from church to
church and a each location therewould be a different homily, a
different part of the Christmasaccount and then a different

(31:41):
carol that was sung, and thosewere some really, really cool
memories.

Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah, that's great.
If you're listening out thereand if you are a core officer at
our core here in Massachusettsand you have a Christmas Eve
service or a New Year's Eveservice and you'd like Either
mass youth or SA mass music toput that stuff out there on
social media, we'd be happy todo that.
So just let us know the morepeople that we can make aware
that your doors are open.

(32:05):
We'd love to help, yep.
So we're gonna take one morebreak on the plugged in podcast
and then, as we said earlier, weare getting into the Christmas
movie draft.
I have no strategy.
I've just looked at this listfor the first time.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
Do we need to hear our draft song sound one more
time?
Oh yeah, it's all about it'snew right, it's a new one, it's
a new draft and it's a newproducer.

Speaker 1 (32:26):
I got fired, so Larita is in charge of the draft
chime.

Speaker 2 (32:31):
Here it is.

Speaker 3 (32:34):
Oh, I feel like there's reindeer on the Santa is
here.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
Okay, we'll be right back on the plugged in podcast.
All right, welcome back to theplugged in podcast.
Yeah, end of episode number Is14.
Yeah we're somewhere in themiddle of season two somewhere

(33:01):
in there.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
That's all I got.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
We'll say part one of our Christmas special.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
Yay.

Speaker 1 (33:05):
Like how we I shouldn't even say we I've come
up with these names theThanksgiving special, the
Christmas festival, christmasspecial and I've said them at
the end of the episodes, likeit's never at the top.

Speaker 2 (33:18):
Okay, it's time to retire mid branding, mid
branding, we're good.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
Okay, so Nate has the first pick.
Uh, in the Christmas moviedraft.
Uh, larita will pick second, Iwill pick third, and then
snaking back around, oh, Ithought you were.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
I thought you were doing second because you came in
second.

Speaker 1 (33:35):
Oh, okay, sure, that's fine, all right you don't
want to be in the middle.

Speaker 2 (33:40):
No, it's fine.
What's wrong, All right.
So I'll go second.

Speaker 1 (33:42):
Oh, seconds, fine, all right.
So Nate, and then me, and thenLarita, and then Larita again.
I think we're picking fivemovies, right, oh man?

Speaker 3 (33:50):
five.

Speaker 1 (33:50):
Yeah, there's a lot of pressure with the first pick.
There is pressure.
Oh oh, oh, so All right.
So if you're watching onyoutube, uh, we'll have the list
of movies up that we arepicking from.
If there's one not on the list,you can go for that as well,
and uh.
Yeah, one of the cameras justturned off.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
No, I clicked my pen.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
Oh, maybe it was the pen I don't know, that's maybe
it's, maybe that was it.
Yeah, okay.
So with the first overall pick,we throw it to Nate.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
All right, oh, here we go first.

Speaker 1 (34:20):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (34:21):
Ooh, the pick is in.
So here's my rationale.
Right, I always have to have arationale, yeah, so this is not
my favorite Christmas movie.
It's up there, but I'm goingfor again, trying to appeal to
the audience, right?

Speaker 1 (34:35):
And I know that it's trying to win the draft yeah
yeah, I have a clear, definitiveone.

Speaker 3 (34:38):
That's my favorite, but I don't think it's
everyone's favorite.
But I'm going to pick with thefirst overall pick in the draft
the classic that is now 20 yearsold Elf Will Ferrell's Elf.
I saw that coming and I knowthat I will get at least one
vote from Captain Marsha Barterfrom the Pitzfield Corps with
that selection.

Speaker 1 (34:57):
True that?
Do you have a memory of thefirst time you ever saw Elf?

Speaker 3 (35:02):
I saw it in the theaters.
I do remember that.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
Baaay buddy.
Hope you find your dad so good.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Mr Narwhal, but it's still like I was just at
Wal-Mart the other day andthere's still like buddy the elf
pancake mixes.

Speaker 1 (35:16):
Like it's still, people are still making money
off of this.
Shout out to my mother numberone listener of the Plugged In
podcast.

Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, Mama Lone.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
Yeah, she loves the movie Elf.
It quickly became a traditionin our household that on
Christmas Eve we would all watchElf together.
That's good, that's good.
So, yeah, elf, good pick Nate,well done, thank you, okay.
So we move over to myself.

Speaker 2 (35:39):
Okay, ready, so rough .

Speaker 3 (35:41):
Nice.

Speaker 1 (35:43):
There's a lot of great movies on here.
I am pretty torn.
I think that I am going to gowith, for the first round,
national Lampoon's Christmas.

Speaker 3 (35:51):
Vacation, so good Holiday room.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
There are so many moments in this movie, there's
too many to count.
My favorite scene, though, isprobably when he gets his
Christmas bonus, is a Jelly ofthe Month Club, and he
absolutely goes off on his boss.
It's Frank Shirley, right?
Yes, frank Shirley I think so.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
Yeah, I don't know the name, it sounds new.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
Yeah, just classic classic scene.
I also love when there's justtoo many moments we're going to
recap the movie real quick yeahwhen he turns on the lights and
it's like Joy's on the wall.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yeah, great, great he's just so good.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
So Christmas Vacation I'm taking with my first pick.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
Good one, all right, so my first pick this is hard to
do, I will say it's hard tothink for two different things.
I'm going classic, home alone.
Yes, good pick, that's myfavorite that is like I think I
could watch that, and I have towatch that every year multiple
times, Anytime it's on TBS.

(36:53):
That's what I click this timeof year.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yeah, and it's a multiple watch per year for me,
you have a favorite moment.

Speaker 2 (36:59):
I have one, but Well, actually funny, not favorite
moment, but I just saw somethingrecently where someone
calculated what Kevin spent atthe grocery store in current day
and it was like $75, but hepaid to like a $20 bill.

Speaker 1 (37:15):
It was unreal.
The eggs, the milk, thetoothbrush, like yeah, I don't
know.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
I just love.
I love the like, the scheming,I love all the traps and stuff.

Speaker 3 (37:24):
The one-liners.

Speaker 2 (37:26):
Buzz's girlfriend.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
Woof Do you if you're into the criminal, the criminal
characters?
Are you a?
Are you Harry or Marv?
Oh, I love Marv.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
He's such a lovable idiot.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
I love him, my two favorite moments are one when he
steps on the nail.

Speaker 3 (37:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (37:44):
And he's like.
And then the other one is whenthe tarantula is on the screen.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
It's the most incredible screen.
I love that.
Like for like half the movie hehas the iron mark on his
forehead.

Speaker 3 (37:55):
It's so good, I just think it's awesome that Joe
Pesci like infamous for theselike gangster movies is just
like a villain in a kid's movie.
It's great, all right.

Speaker 1 (38:04):
All right, so recapping the first round Nate
takes elf, I take Christmasvacation, loretta strong pick
with home alone.
Now we're turning around.
I'm just curious if Loretta isgoing to take home alone too Get
the whole thing right there.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
So I took one, two and three on one.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
No one likes three.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
All right, so pick number four.

Speaker 1 (38:24):
Loretta, you're up.

Speaker 2 (38:25):
I did think Sounder oh see, it's difficult.
Pick is in.
I did think about going homealone too, like the Boston New
York one, but I have to go.
The holiday, the holiday.

Speaker 1 (38:37):
Have you seen that one Sleeper pick?
I don't know.
Tell me about it.

Speaker 2 (38:41):
It's Cameron Diaz.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Oh yeah, jack Black, yeah, and they like switch
houses.

Speaker 2 (38:47):
I love Jude Law.
I'm a Jude Law sucker, but likethe switch, they switch houses
for the holiday and I think Isaw it for the first time just a
couple of years ago.
But I was like, oh, instantfave.

Speaker 3 (38:57):
Love the love story.
It's weird seeing Jack Black inlike a serious role.

Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yes, it's weird, yeah definitely that's where I'm
going on my with my draft.
It's just like people that youwouldn't ordinarily see in these
roles.
That's what I'm going to go for, All right.
All right, Matt ready.

Speaker 1 (39:10):
I'm ready.
Okay, I'm a little torn herebecause I do love the home alone
franchise and I really likewant to pick home alone too.
But I don't think I'm going to.
I'm going to go with anotherabsolute family favorite in the
LUN household.
I'm going with Tim Allen in theSanta Claus.
Oh, I had that one.

Speaker 2 (39:31):
I love the Santa Claus, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (39:33):
I'm not, so.
Uh, I think I like the secondone.
I don't know if I ever saw thethird one with the Jack Frost.

Speaker 3 (39:39):
Martin.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
Short.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
Yeah, yeah, but the first one the Santa Claus.

Speaker 1 (39:42):
What an absolute classic.
Oh, so good, and even now as anadult, if you like.
Tell me if you were to ask melike picture Santa Claus in your
head.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
It's Tim Allen.
It's Tim Allen's Santa.

Speaker 1 (39:53):
Claus.
Yep, a little fun fact.
He came to Boston last Januaryand Heather and I went to his
comedy show Did you really.
Yeah, very interesting.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
I'll just leave it at that.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Leave it there.
Enough appreciates in there.

Speaker 1 (40:10):
Okay, so this goes back to Nate to round out round
number two.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
Well, I'm out of it.
I don't know if there's anyoneelse out there who feels like I
do on this topic, but I thinkthat home alone 2 is superior to
home alone 1.
I love lost in New York BecauseI think the traps are better
and I love the city.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
I love the.

Speaker 3 (40:32):
Plaza hotel with Tim Curry and Rob Schneider guest
appearance by Donald Trump.
You know right, yes by DonaldTrump, yeah, and.
And the pigeon lady in CentralPark.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
I was terrified of her for the longest time.
I was afraid of that pigeonlady.

Speaker 1 (40:45):
Here's my music brain , though, like I watch this as
an adult and I am so jealousthat pigeon lady basically lives
in the attic of Carnegie Hall.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
Oh, really, yeah, so in her like house.

Speaker 1 (40:55):
She's she in her opening monologue in that house.
She's just like I've heard allthe world's great.
I've seen Luciano Pavarotti,and like I'm like what.

Speaker 3 (41:03):
You just.
You're living my dream and youjust live up here in the attic,
the phantom of the opera.
Oh man, I never put thattogether.
Yeah, no, that's a good thingyou would, though, but yeah,
sorry, that way to go, way to goand also the fact that, like
the family could leave him homea second time, it's like come on
, yeah, get your act together,guys.

Speaker 1 (41:21):
Colkin just got a star yeah and Catherine O'Hara
right, yeah, a homo loan mom wasthere with him.
That's very, very touching,yeah, okay, so here's the first
two rounds Nate has elf and homealone to.
I have Christmas vacation andthe Santa Claus, and, and then
Lerita has home alone, the firstone and the holiday.
All strong list so far, yeah,and so now we're snaking back to

(41:44):
Nate.

Speaker 3 (41:45):
Nate's gonna lead off round three.
All right, this is this.
Is that this is a sleeper pick?
Go ahead Jingle all the way,arnold Schwarzenegger and turbo.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
My pick I was.
That was next on my list turboman.

Speaker 2 (42:01):
You.
I grew up thinking like no oneelse watch that besides our
family come on man.
That's a line up I think yousaid jingle all the way.

Speaker 1 (42:10):
Yeah, jingle all the way was absolutely a favorite in
my house as well.
So many good moments from thatone as well.
Sin bad, yeah, so bad.

Speaker 2 (42:18):
The postman yeah it's so good I end up fighting in
like the parade.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
It's terrible died.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
Wow, you guys should go on the road.
Really terrible.

Speaker 1 (42:29):
Okay, well, now I'm a little scattered because boy
yeah.
I really had.
I really was thinking that noone would pick that one.
No it was like kind of my middraft, like Pick, so I'm just
gonna scan the list here becauseI'm the least prepared of the
three of us today.
This is a favorite of Heatherand Heather and me.
Heather and I what's thegrammatical?

(42:50):
Heather and me?

Speaker 2 (42:52):
us.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
Yeah, we've grown to love this movie.
I'm a.
I am a fan of Vince Vaughan,even though he's kind of the
same character, and most of themovies.
So there's two on here rightback to back, for Christmas is
in Fred Claus.
I like both of them, but forthis draft I'm picking for
Christmas is.
That's another one that'sbecome every holiday season.

(43:13):
I could watch that multipletimes.
I didn't jingle.
Oh Okay, I'm selecting forChristmas is.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
I think it's my third round pick.
I'm not sure.
I've definitely seen, I justcan't remember it.

Speaker 1 (43:27):
It's great, it's, it's very funny.
It's more on the Try to think.
It's not like an adult movie,but it's more on the adult side.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
The comedic jokes and stuff like this early a family.

Speaker 1 (43:38):
Hey, I didn't write down.
You told jingle all the way,that's right.
Yeah, sorry man.

Speaker 2 (43:42):
He's protesting, your pick.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
Yeah, all right.
So, lorena, it's your pick, thethird, third pick of the third
round.
Okay.
Here we go.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
Okay, again I'm gonna go For one that I'm not sure
other people have seen, but ourfamily watches it.
Every Christmas, when we allget together, the family stone
the family, so I have not seenthat.
Oh, it's a good one.
It's oh, sarah, sarah JessicaParker.
What's the girl from thenotebook?

(44:12):
Her?
Oh yeah, um then the girl fromtwilight.
All I have is the girls from.
I don't know any of the, butit's so, it's just good.
It's a good family movie.
It's funny.
Oh, what's the mom's name?

Speaker 3 (44:26):
This is your.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
Merrill strip is in my head.
It's not Merrill Street.
It's not Merrill Street.

Speaker 3 (44:34):
Oh, I'll come back and keep Diane Keaton.
That's what it is, it's justit's a good one.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
It's become a Vaughan fave, so nice anyone else out
there like it?
Let me know, because.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
Here of this movie.

Speaker 1 (44:47):
Family stone.
All right, so recapping, we'vegot three rounds in a.
Loretta has home alone, theholiday and the family stone, I
am with Christmas vacation, theSanta Claus for Christmas is,
and then Nate so far has elfhome alone to and jingle all the
way and Loretta starts offround four.

Speaker 2 (45:04):
Oh my gosh, I wasn't ready, crazy right.
Crazy.
Okay, you guys have stolen allthe ones that I was going for.
Okay, another classic, one ofthose ones that is, whenever
it's on, we make sure we turn iton Christmas story.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
Which is on all the time, which is on, I think 24
hours on Christmas day, yeahyou'll see, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (45:27):
Christmas story strong.

Speaker 3 (45:28):
They love when there's a strong mashed potato
scene in there, so I'm not, I'mnot going there anymore with
this.

Speaker 1 (45:35):
I'm not touching that You're taking your own crepes,
sir, oh my goodness.
Okay, I'm going with anabsolute classic here on the
list.
This is the, the old-schoolclaymation oh, rudolph the red

(45:56):
nose.
Yeah, that's good.
Hey, that's the.
I think it's the original.
If it's not, then I don't knowwhat the original is, but that
is always a fun one to watch andit's like I want it to be that
time now when, since I have kidslike I, want to watch that as
well, yeah actually so yeah, soclaymation.
Rudolph, the red nose reindeer,is my round four pick.

(46:17):
I almost took die hard justbecause I know Nate wants it.
I was gonna block him cuz heblocked you.
Yeah yeah, he did with jingleall the way.

Speaker 3 (46:26):
Yeah, yeah, we're going with.
I was debating it, but not yetBecause in all right, so Hold on
, I need to get, need to get mybearings here, yeah you've had
20 minutes to get your bearings.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
I know also sent me half the list, so yeah, that's
got another.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
So let's remind the audience while he's looking over
there's some favorites on here.
So you have Vince Vaughn, andFred Claus is still on the list
Tim Allen with Christmas withthe Cranks.
You got some classics likeScrooge.
It's a wonderful life, miracleon 34th Street.
I feel like this is.
There's some on the list herethat are just if the hosts of
the podcast were of a differentgeneration, yes, some of these

(47:08):
would already be gone.
Yeah, but I don't know if ifthose are really like, beloved
to our Generation we've seenthem because they're classics,
but I don't even know if I have.
Like I have not seen meet me inst Louis.

Speaker 2 (47:19):
No, I haven't seen that one.

Speaker 1 (47:20):
It's a wonderful life .
I know how like iconic that isand I feel like I have have seen
it many times, but never in onesitting like so I know the
that's my problem and I alsolike in my head.

Speaker 2 (47:32):
I think it's a wonderful.
Life is blurring with Miracleon 34th Street.
I'm like all the characters arein one movie at this point in
my head, so I can't remember.
All right, go ahead, nate.

Speaker 3 (47:41):
Yep, all right, so I'm going to pick one that we
always watched Christmas Evegrowing up.
I love the store, the CharlesDickens story of Christmas Carol
.
It's one of my favorite.
But the version that I like isactually called Scrooge and the
it's starring Albert Finney 1970version.

(48:03):
The music is fantastic.
The I don't know.

Speaker 2 (48:07):
I'm really picky when it's the one line you always
sing.
I.

Speaker 3 (48:10):
Don't know.
You put me on the spot.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
So but uh.

Speaker 3 (48:14):
Yeah, so it's.
It's these like these cockneyEnglish accents and they're just
like they roll dying gel sink.
Wow, back off the mic a littlebit that was awesome.
It's just a fantastic,continuous, fantastic version,
like I'm really okay, I'm kindof like a Christmas Carol snob
because there's like a JimCarrey version there's a little

(48:34):
bits one.
Yep, I like the Albert Finney1970 version of Scrooge.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
Okay, yeah thank you, can you?

Speaker 1 (48:40):
pick one more girl sing in that, in that accent.
That was awesome.

Speaker 3 (48:44):
Can you joy to the wild.

Speaker 1 (48:47):
Our friends across the pond are getting.
I like turning off the dial.
Okay, so Nate with his fourthpick in round four or I guess
it's just yeah, scrooge, okay.
Yeah, this is snaking back tome, right.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
No, oh man, I'm still up to Nate.
There is, it's Nate back to me.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
And just because I want to be that guy die.

Speaker 1 (49:09):
We all know die hard yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:11):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Yeah, I thought you would take a higher.

Speaker 3 (49:15):
He, I knew that.
I knew that it would still bethere at this point.

Speaker 2 (49:18):
Oh evidently you didn't, because Matt almost took
it from you.

Speaker 1 (49:22):
All right so there's a lot of good picks on here on
the list.
I still see the polar expresson here, the Jim Carrey the
Grinch Polar Express that's aweird one.
Fred Claus, christmas thecranks.
I'm going off the list though.
Oh so I see on here it'sMickey's Christmas Carol.
There's several of those outthere, I'm gonna go with there's

(49:44):
one.
Thank you, luria, straight upwith the hand up before I said
anything.
There's one from 1999 and it'scalled Mickey's Once Upon a
Christmas.
Oh that's a good one, and me andCaleb are watching that right
now just about every night, butit's like a three-part story,
and the first one is with DonaldDuck and Huey Louis Dewey, and
then the second part is goofyand his son, max, and then the

(50:07):
third part is with Mickey andMinnie and they're trying to buy
each other a Christmas gift.
But it's just a.
Really they're great stories.
Uh, also, I feel like it markslike a a a gone era for Disney,
cause if you watch it and listento it, it still has classic
Christmas carols Like you hear.
Oh, come on, you, faithful youhear joy to the world.

(50:29):
I don't feel like Disney is inthat Like Christian zone of
Christmas anymore.
I feel like it's uh more of asecular thing and uh, but
anyways.
So I'm going with uh Disney'sum one to pawn a Christmas.
The Mickey mouse, that's my, mysleeper pick, okay.

Speaker 2 (50:48):
All right, I'm going to bring it home here, yeah.

Speaker 1 (50:51):
Last week.
Last pick of the draft.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
Let me do this there.
It is All right Again, anotherclassic one that we watch for
sure every year the Grinch.
You said it and I was like,don't take my Grinch Jim Carrey,
bird Jim.
Carrey.
Jim Carrey I mean the animatedone is great, but the Jim Carrey
they're like ooh, ah, that's it, I'm not going.

(51:15):
And he walks off.
It's so good, there's so manygood.
Like little silly Jim Carreyone liners, and only he could
pull off.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Now you have really long hair.

Speaker 2 (51:23):
Have you ever tried to make it like uh, I have 100%
picture of doing that I took uma a coffee mate bottle and put
it on top, and then I put myhair over it.

Speaker 1 (51:33):
Yes, yep, chris missed that picture for the
YouTube for the YouTube fall forthe, for the podcast, the video
I'll try and find it.

Speaker 3 (51:40):
It was two summers ago, from Christmas in July at
Camp Wonderland.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
No, that was a wig that we wore.

Speaker 3 (51:44):
Oh, nevermind.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
No, this was like 10 years ago.
Allison and I were snowed inand we were just being wild.

Speaker 1 (51:51):
Nice but.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
I, we were like hey, I wonder if this fits under the
Rita's hair.

Speaker 3 (51:55):
And it did.
Do you guys have any other oneson this list that, like I, was
trying to?

Speaker 1 (51:59):
Yeah, I was trying to think like I feel like there
are more, so we're obviouslybypassing.
Like could you put the entiretyof the hallmark output into one
category and just say hallmarkChristmas movies?

Speaker 2 (52:12):
But if you did that, it would have to.
You'd also have to do NetflixChristmas movies, because
they're starting to.
I just watched Lindsay LohanLohan a.

Speaker 1 (52:19):
Christmas movie just a couple of days ago.
Yeah me too and uh, but thehallmark Christmas movies.
Like I can, you can.
Pretty much we could write amovie right now.

Speaker 2 (52:26):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (52:29):
Like a successful businesswoman moves to town and
she wants to.
You know she wants to reallymake her business.
You know, win it all.
But along the way she learns alesson that, like it's not all
about money and also like somePrince Charming, swoops into her
life Some farmer.
Yeah, some, some, some guy withno money shows up and they all

(52:50):
learn that family is the mostimportant time you know part of
the year.

Speaker 3 (52:53):
It's basically the plot of sweet home Alabama in a
Christmas movie.

Speaker 2 (52:57):
I love sweet home Alabama, one of my old time
faves.
I'm just a sucker for like arom-com, yeah.
And so when Christmas comesaround, I will, even if they
absolutely suck, I will watchevery single one of them.
Same plot.
Nate's like I'm leaving theroom because this is so stupid
and I will fold all the laundryand watch.

Speaker 3 (53:14):
Starring Candice Cameron-Barre I almost picked.

Speaker 1 (53:17):
Uh love, actually, I know that like that.
Uh, it's like right on the,it's not even right on the verge
.
It's like it's inappropriate,it's like it's very much an
adult movie, yeah, uh, but it'sshocking because it's really
build on TV like a familyfavorite, and so that thing's on
TNT TBS like all the time Rightand I was just saying to you.
when you click on like holidaycollection on Netflix, it's the

(53:39):
first thing that pops up, soI'll just say, if you watch love
actually on TV and that's theonly version of it that you've
ever seen, the first time youever watched the actual version
you'll be like, oh, my goodness,like this is shocking you will
be in for.
Don't watch it next to yourparents, don't so.
But okay, so here's roundingout our draft.
Uh, the draft is over.

(54:00):
Nate, your five picks.
Uh, you want to read them off?

Speaker 3 (54:03):
Sure I went with elf home alone to lost in New York.
Jingle all the way the 1970version of Scrooge and diehard
Nice.

Speaker 1 (54:12):
I still love that jingle all the way.
Pick mid draft.
It's really solid.
That's good.
I love, I love that movie,thank you, thank you.
Uh, my picks, uh, first round.
I have a national lampoon'sChristmas vacation.
Uh, the Santa Claus forChristmases, uh, the claymation
version of Rudolph the Rudolphthe red nose reindeer, and then,
uh, mickey's once upon aChristmas.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
And then I have home alone the holiday, the family
stone, a Christmas story and theGrinch.

Speaker 1 (54:41):
Nice, all right.
So those lists, uh, we'll makeit to social media soon and then
you'll uh be able to vote forwhose uh list is your favorite,
but also, uh, if you think thatyou have a better list or if
we've just forgotten some.
Yeah, we would love to hearfrom you, yeah.

Speaker 2 (54:56):
Let me know we should agree to watch all of our picks
.
We should all watch all of them.

Speaker 1 (55:01):
Oh, I like that, let's do it.
Let's do it For a second, I waslike what are you talking about
?

Speaker 2 (55:05):
I know I had to keep explaining because no one
responded.

Speaker 1 (55:09):
I was.
It was lost on me.
No, that would be.
That would be fun.
Uh, you guys have any uhChristmas traditions you're
looking forward to coming up, orjust anything in general that
got your eye on this season.
I'm an.
I know I'm putting you on thespot.

Speaker 2 (55:22):
I don't know I just we got our Christmas tree.
That's one of our, our bigtraditions we go out and get a
real tree um and decorated it.
Uh, that was a bit of acatastrophe.

Speaker 1 (55:33):
How's Jackson with the ornaments?
I was just going to say he'sgetting.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
He's gotten better.
This year has been better.
Last year was the worst, sogood luck.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
Well, I was just like .
So we were decorating the treeand Caleb was into it and we had
an ornament of our uh weddingcake we used to have an ornament
of our wedding cake.

Speaker 3 (55:52):
I used to have an eardrum too.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
That thing shattered that thing shattered into a
million pieces and he was justlike oh, I sorry, mama.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
Oh my goodness, jackson's his new thing is I so
start I never do that again.

Speaker 3 (56:04):
I'm like liar, but we we set Jackson up for failure
though, because we have, like, aMickey mouse ornament, we have
a spider man ornament so he likethinks they're toys, but Mickey
mouse is plastic, and so he canhave that one.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
but we're getting better.
We're getting better, but theydo end up as projectiles.

Speaker 3 (56:18):
Spider man's head has come off multiple times.

Speaker 1 (56:21):
Thinkin' is for super glue guys, this is the first
time we've ever hit the exitmusic like in stride.
Wow, that was good.
I didn't have to add this inpost.

Speaker 3 (56:30):
It's happening in real time.
Well done, guys.
God's timing is perfect.
God's timing is perfect.

Speaker 2 (56:38):
I mean, one thing had to go right this episode,
everything else is kind of beenyeah, it's been off the rails,
all right.

Speaker 1 (56:42):
This has been the plugged in podcast season two,
episode number 14.
It's part one of our Christmasspecial.
We're going to be back in acouple of weeks.
We've got some more Christmasthings in line for you.
Make sure you check us outwherever you listen to podcasts
and also on YouTube at SA massmusic.
All right, everyone, we willsee you next time.