February 23, 2024 • 40 mins
Imagine the echo of laughter as another friend takes a graceful (or not so graceful) slide across the ice—our latest gathering at Pirelli Veterans Arena was a night filled with such moments, binding us together through shared slips and spins. With a community that's more like an extended family, weaving tales from a young man's icy dental debacle to the warm-hearted antics that keep us chuckling, our 18th episode peels back the layers of life's less polished, yet genuinely endearing experiences.
We all have those days when even a simple task like chopping veggies can turn into a mini-saga worth sharing over a family dinner. This episode brings you into the kitchen where everyday adventures await, from the gratitude for unexpected gifts to the hilarity of the Wendy's chili finger tale. The chat takes a twist with odd finds in fast-food orders and the subsequent corporate responses, reminding us that it's these quirky encounters that add spice to our stories.
Finally, we share the subtle art of disarming conflict with love, reflecting on how kindness, even to those who disagree with us, can change the atmosphere around us. By embracing the transformative power of love and the comfort we receive from Christ, we're not just nourished; we're equipped to extend the same support to those around us. Come join us as we discuss the joy of Christian fellowship, the importance of community in the post-COVID world, and how acts of love can uplift and unite us, one cake pop—or podcast—at a time.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Plugged In
podcast.
Hello, good to be back.
I almost said good morningbecause it is morning here.
We don't often record in themorning.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
No.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's kind of an afternoon show.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Kind of feeling the lull today.
Yeah, I need some coffee.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
None of us have coffee here.
That's a problem.
That's a problem.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
We've run up against that before, and here we are
again.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I think we've learned .
Speaker 1 (00:35):
But we are in episode number 18 of the Plugged In
podcast.
One thing that comes to mindright away is that about a year
ago, we were talking about howpoor Loretta and I were at ice
skating yes, and how Nate isbasically a wizard.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Of course I don't know how.
Of course I don't know how?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
But Mass Youth recently had Friday Night
Fellowship.
Let's just start off thepodcast.
Can you guys give us a brieflittle recap of Friday Night
Fellowship at the Ice SkatingRink in 2024?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yes, so we went back to the Pirelli Veterans Arena in
Franklin, massachusetts, which,first of all, they are
phenomenal.
Yeah, they're so kind, theygave us a free assembly room to
have pizza.
Normally they charge like ahundred bucks an hour.
They gave it to us for free, sothat was awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
We sometimes, when you're like I'm the Salvation
Army, people are ready to helpyou out.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And then when you repeat and it's like hey, I'm
coming back and we have a hugegroup coming, yeah.
There's perks.
You get some perks.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
No doubt those people buy pizza and other stuff.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
No, they were awesome .
We had a great group.
We had about nine core come out.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And I'd say about 75 people, 66 people on the ice,
and it was really cool to seesome new groups from core that
we haven't seen in a while,which ones which ones, the
things Like seven, kids eightkids and some friends from camp
that we knew.
Salem North Shore brought anice group of seven and that had
been a while since we had seenthem, and a great group from the
(02:03):
crock was there as well.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, so he did.
He got out on the ice, captainChicago.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Who had the hardest fall?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Okay, Was there a documented fall?
There was, and actually I don'tknow if I can share this, but
there was.
There's an incident report.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
There was an incident report.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Oh, I won't mention names, but there was an incident
report.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
It was filled out within the first five minutes of
the event.
Wow, a young man fell.
A young man.
A young man.
I won't say what core or whathis name is they?
Tripped in the lobby, oh yeah,yeah.
Well, ended up cracking histooth.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Oh, no, yeah, Now I feel bad that I left.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, it's, it's an, it was a, it was an incident, so
yeah but the arena was great.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
They brought ice, they brought a little baggie to
put his little tooth in and takehome with him.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Nate's laughing, so that's a problem too.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
And then, but to edit this out, yeah, I don't know,
but he, he seemed to be okay.
Other than you know, yeah, thatincident to start the night.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Sometimes I heard your pride more than it does
physically.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I think it did, cause he was asking for a mask to
wear the whole night.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Oh, no, all right.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, but it was a great night.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
It was a fun poor guy .
We do have Friday nightfellowship coming up in March.
Yeah, I know details about thatare coming out soon.
We'll be moving back to we'rekind of doing like an every
other.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Right.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
We're doing like a worship and kind of a study type
of format and then we're doinga fun fellowship type of event.
So in March that's coming upsoon Information is going to
come out about Friday nightfellowship.
I do have an opening rant today.
Oh boy, for you listeners outthere, I'm sure that you can
imagine like the worst weekendof your entire life, like I just
(03:44):
experienced mine yeah.
And it wasn't just me, it wasthe whole family endeavor.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So I went to um.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
I went to the New York area.
I went to help call therecording session with the New
York staff band for their mostrecent their newest album is
going to come out.
It's a lot of fun.
The recording session was wasgreat so, but the first thing
that happened is I was basicallysick as a dog.
My my throat was swelling upLike I didn't feel great.
I told Nate off the air.
I think that I, for the pastlike five or six days, I'm on
(04:14):
every single anti histamine thatyou could possibly buy from CVS
Walgreens, Like so you're alsolike tired, as can be, because
you're like yeah, I'm trying tobuy the boxes that are the
non-drowsy ones, but I'm just atthis point, I'm just like yeah,
I'll take anything to get youknow to get me the walking
pharmacy.
So that was the first thing.
I had to be like razor sharpfocus and it was like really
(04:35):
hard to work my way throughthese anti histamines in my
brain, but anyways.
So after the recording session,it was a holiday weekend
president's day on Monday and mywife and I had the thought okay
, instead of me coming backafter the recording session, why
don't we meet halfway inConnecticut, Nice?
We'll stay at a hotel and we'lltake the kids swimming.
Awesome, Perfect, It'll be agreat weekend, Perfect.
So at the end of the recordingsession, I started to get texts
(04:59):
from my wife that was just likeI don't, I don't know why we I
don't know why we did this.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Why did we do this?
Why did we do this to ourselves?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
So she packed up the dog.
The two kids made this like twohour drive in the Connecticut
and the kids weren't doing greatin the car, the dog wasn't
doing great in the car.
She gets to the hotel and it'snot like it's.
There's not great thingshappening.
So of course they put us on thefourth floor, like a half a
mile away from the elevator.
So I'm not there, yet I'm stillin the recording session.
(05:29):
So she arrives with our dog andwith our two like infant
children and our luggage andlike like a hero is trying to
make her way, like into thehotel room.
So every parent's like worst,worst nightmare.
The dog is like not behavingwell, and so the two kids are in
the hotel room.
The dog is in the hallway andlike sneaks out and starts to
(05:52):
run out.
So Heather, like justinstinctively goes to grab the
dog, the hotel door closes.
Oh no, with the two kids inside, oh, my God, I know so like
panic, panic.
Oh, she's texting me like, oh mygosh, this is like the worst
possible thing, so like herheart drops.
Caleb was on the other side ofthe door and she was able to
instruct him.
Caleb, can you turn the handlefor mommy?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
and he was able to turn the handle and open the
door.
So like oh my gosh, I have likegoosebumps.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I need to speed through the rest of this, but
we get into the hotel room andit like it smells like heavy
smoke.
Lovely, so that was.
That was like number one.
Yeah, how good.
Later the dog went to use thebathroom and I don't know how to
say this like over in the room.
Well, we took her out, orHeather took her outside, but
(06:41):
she had blood in her urine.
So the dogs like having someissues.
Caleb ends up not sleeping thatnight.
So he he wakes up about threeo'clock in the morning and come
in, is just like that's it, Likehe's on our bed, he's kicking
us in the face, he's rollingaround, he wants, he's like
ready to play.
So if you have any toddler thatdoesn't sleep at night, you
(07:04):
know the next day is going to belike so it gets worse.
So we don't sleep that night.
There is also a party happeningthe floor above us.
That is like going on at likethree, four, five AM.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh, you know, just average president's day party,
that's all.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Really so I'm like sick as a dog.
Neither one of us slept.
Caleb didn't sleep.
In the morning we go to thebreakfast buffet.
This is the.
This might be the worst part.
So we're in the hotel breakfastbuffet and in the lobby Heather
is holding baby Mackenzie inline for the food.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Mackenzie projectile, vomits her entire bottle like
like across the entire breakfastbuffet.
Oh no, oh no.
And on top of that, caleb's atan age where, like when
Mackenzie has thrown up before,he like steps in it and he's
like, oh, that's yucky.
So like I scoop Caleb, I draghim out of there.
Mackenzie's like crying,heather's like mortified, like
(08:02):
getting towels and trying towipe this up.
We like, oh, it was crazy,there's more.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
You have time for more?
Do we have time for more?
Just lay it out, let's go.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
OK, so after that happens we leave the breakfast
bay.
We decided to take the kidsswimming.
Still there's like a billionkids in the pool, so Caleb's
more or less intimidated.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
So we like quote unquote swam you know, in the
pool for what that was.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
We go to a restaurant after we leave the hotel and
that's a horrible experience and, like toddler refusing to eat
food, go to the bathroom likeblah blah.
And then here's the, here's thekeystone, or the capstone and
the story.
We leave, we have two cars,obviously.
Well, we came separately.
We leave the restaurant, wedecide to meet up at a Duncan,
get a coffee and then we'regoing to drive home.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Heather drives to the wrong Duncan.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Oh man.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I call her on the phone to say hey, where are you?
When she answers the phone shegets pulled over by a cop
because in Connecticut you can'tbe on your phone.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
So you set her up, bro yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So the officer basically like walks up and like
Heather didn't say this, but inher mind, in her mind she's
just like just write me a ticket.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Just, I don't even care, I'm just don't explain it
to me.
I don't have the, I don't havetime or the mental capacity oh
my gosh.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
So then Heather drove home with the kids and
Mackenzie threw up two moretimes in the car.
Oh geez and yeah.
So we made it home, you alllived, and then the next day was
Mackenzie's birthday.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
And you guys had some great photos of your birthday
on Facebook, so it looked likeit was all fake.
It was all.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Photoshopped Fake.
Happiness is right, is what isgoing on.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
That's the true life of a parent right there.
That was way too long of a rant.
Oh my gosh, matt.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I feel like someone out there can be like worst
weekend of my life, somethinglike that.
You need to get that out, man.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Oh my, that's insane, that's my story.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
I'm sticking to it.
Wow, god bless you guys.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, we had, like just in the past couple weeks,
had some wild things happen.
Nothing is wild as the Mattyeah.
But, Nate what happened in inLole, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
So I'm a very forgetful person.
During the summer at camp, Iwill lose my keys.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Ten times a day with the Apple tag.
With the Apple tag, I'll losethem yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I'll say at the HQ here.
So Nate loses his keys so muchthat he, just when he unlocks
his office door, he just leavesthe entire key chain in the door
.
And then he'll come to myoffice and be like where's my
keys?
And I'd be like, bro, did youcheck your door?
They're still in your door.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
I mean, our house keys are in the door, right.
But then he'll say LaRuta, haveyou seen my keys?
I think you had them last on myhoney.
That's not the reality.
Yeah, but keep going it takes avillage.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
So thank you guys for being my village.
So I forget things a lot.
I'm in mass brass.
I always forget my folder.
Matt will tell you that therehave been many times where I've
shown up to things shown up toconcerts, shown up to rehearsals
.
Have not had my folder, but soI have no comment Okay.
So the next episode is ramp.
Nate and his music, so twoSundays ago, pause.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I've also found like five folders in cleaning the
house.
So I keep finding all of themSorry.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
You know how much music I practice in so many
locations.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Oh, please.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Here's what I'll add to this story.
You know how many photocopies Ihave to make in preparation of
people losing folders.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Okay, I'm done.
I've killed a lot of trees, I'msorry.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Keep going, keep going Okay.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
So two weeks ago it was Junior Soldier Sunday at the
Lowell Corp, which was amazing.
Great See, the Junior Soldiersreally doing their thing and
leading in worship.
But I was playing in band thatday and I had gone to band
practice on Tuesday.
I was really excited.
I was like, all right, I needto make it in time for
preliminary music.
So we had the.
We had Yam the day prior andplayed in brass.
(11:39):
Here I get into Lowell, I openup my horn case and my horn is
not in the horn case.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
The horn is not there .
We brought an empty case, Ibrought an empty case and the
horn is literally sitting right.
He didn't notice.
Bro, how did you pick that?
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I mean, I've been working out, so maybe it just
seemed a little lighter.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Oh, there it is.
Somehow it has to complimentyou.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
No, the horn is still sitting in the chapel here at
DHQ in my Yam formation.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
No.
So he like we're sitting inchapel at DHQ chapel yesterday.
He looks over, he's like, oh,there it is.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Oh yeah, chris is like is that your horn, bro?
I was like yeah, let me tellyou this story.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Oh, my God.
But, I that's not as bad as thestory you told in the podcast
when you run it over.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
We're just not doing great with this poor horn is the
bottom line.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I'm really thankful for Ernie McNess.
If people know Ernie, he's thebandmaster there.
He is great man.
He pulled out this boozy andhawks horn and it's ready to go.
Gave me the whole history abouthow this horn was.
Of course it was his dad's hornfrom I don't know 20, 30 years
ago, and that was one of thenicest horns I've ever played.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
It turned out to be.
It turned out to be a blessingin disguise.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
So thank you, Ernie McNess, you're my hero.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
That story like shocks me.
0%, no, like, like it's just aday in the life.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Ernie probably had six horns down there oh he was
ready to go.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
That were oiled up like ready to go.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah, the social media content for this episode
will be.
Are you surprised that Nateforgot his horn?
Are you surprised that Erniewas ready?
Are you surprised?
That'll be the content.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah, shout out to Ernie, I like that.
I like that Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
So mine you have to find the thread in mine because
it goes a different route.
Anyway so we have been likereally intentional about making
meals and like eating lower carband like trying with different,
like veggies, and just reallytrying to be in touch about food
.
And so I was on Amazon a coupleof days ago and you know those
(13:38):
veggie choppers that you like.
Put the veggie in and you'relike yep see them all over
TikTok and I've been obsessedwith them, but I haven't bought
one.
When it was on sale I was like,let me do this, so I get the
veggie chopper.
I'm chopping veggies, I'mmaking like almond bites to
freeze.
I was on a roll.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, she was.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Then I'm slicing carrots to put in our salad and
they come with that like thatguard.
Like you put the veggie in theguard but the carrots were
getting too thin.
So I put the guard to the sideand then I'm like, I'm like
chopping, and I get theslightest bit distracted.
And like I, I sliced the carrotand it took a chunk of my
(14:18):
finger.
Oh, man.
Like right on the knuckle andso.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I mean it's immediately.
My first thought is it couldhave been worse.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
A hundred percent could have been worse.
And then like I send it to likea text to our family chat and
my dad's telling me how he'sdone worse.
I'm like thanks, thanks for yeah, I'm like thanks for affirming
me, dad, but this is about me,so anyway.
So I get this chunk of myfinger off Jackson's like I need
to see it.
Oh my gosh, oh my goodness, mom, your finger.
So it was a whole saga.
(14:45):
Wrap my finger, and of courseit's my middle finger.
So I have to like hold my handup to stop.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
It was a whole thing.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
But then Nate proceeds to tell me he's like
you know it could be, it couldbe worse.
And I was like I know, honey, Iknow it can be worse.
Let me just wallow in my youknow, whatever right now he's
like did you know that?
Speaker 3 (15:03):
here comes Nate with his facts.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Did you know in like in like 2007, that someone found
a finger, in a way that hefound a finger in a Wendy's
chili, and I was like what I waslike you never heard this
before.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, Was that in Quincy Illinois?
I don't know, I reread thestory because I feel like that's
a story of, like my childhood.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
It's an urban legend passed on from generation to
generation.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
So then, so then, that prompts a whole like deep
dive into the Wendy's chilifinger.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
It was a saga.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
But then we find out that that was all a hoax.
But listen, so the womanplanted the, planted the finger
in her own chili.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Didn't she get a ton of?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
money, I think.
So I don't know if she had topay it back or what, but she
like planted it, she like got afinger.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Where do you get a finger?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Her husband works in like some.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Black market bro Industrial.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So, anyway, that prompted the whole thing.
But then here's the end of thethread.
It reminded me when we werewe've already said the name
Wendy's when we were driving oneday, I think it was 2019.
We stopped at a Wendy's on oneof our travels.
I got I think I just got aniced tea, drank the iced tea and
(16:13):
we had like hours to go.
We get home and I'm like shakethe iced tea.
I'm like how is there still icein this thing?
Like this is amazing.
I open it up.
My goodness, there was a usedchapstick in my Wendy's cup.
It's fantastic In the bottom.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
You could be a millionaire, I could have.
Well, she tweeted at Wendy'sand Wendy was like oh, here's
some coupons.
They were like what?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
They wrote and they said, oh, dm us with, like, the
store number.
And so I was in contact andthey were like, well, send us
your address, we'd love to sendyou something.
I was like I really don't wantany food from you.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Should have gotten bacon eight years for life.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And I was like they offered you coupons, yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
It's like oh, you didn't like your experience,
Come eat with us again.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
But then you also want the coupons.
Anyway, it was just like thiswhole our dinner conversation,
that's the whole thread, and Iwas like, wow, we have really
we've covered a lot, because Ichopped my finger on the carrot
chopper.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, yeah, I'm glad you still have your finger, I
know.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
It could have been worse.
Could have been worse we couldhave ate your finger for dinner
by accident.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I either rewind quite a bit in that story because I
just have to say so.
You mentioned your dad and like, giving you know he's like, uh,
he's a man's man and he givesfatherly advice and like, but I
feel like he's also he's seen Idon't you know, I don't know
your family that well, but heseems very protective of his
daughters, you know, and one ofthe better videos that I have
seen in a long time was onsocial media.
(17:35):
So your sister, I'm so scared,no, no, I think you're going to
know in a second she'sconvincing your dad at the table
that she did a really goodthing by paying $400, $100 per
tire to get specialty air put inthem.
And your, your dad is literallylike doing everything inside of
him to not be like you did.
(17:57):
You did what?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
He's trying, he's, so he's like ah, I wish you would
have told me it's so good, butLarissa is playing it out.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
It's a prank.
Yeah, it's a prank and she'sjust like wait, I didn't, I
didn't do a good thing.
I thought I was like takingcare of my vehicle and he's like
$400.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Well, once you can see the moment it clicks because
she's like so I shouldn't havepaid $100 per tire.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Oh man, and then he goes.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
He like he pauses for a second.
He's like you paid $400.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
You're joking Like he was instantly.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
But it was so cute because he did not at first
respond the way she wanted himto.
She wanted him to instantly belike what?
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Yeah, but he was like so like he was really gentle at
the beginning and then Larissajust did not know how to respond
.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
She's, yeah.
Larissa is all about the pranks.
We don't ever know what's true,what's not.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Oh, it's so good, it was good.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It was good, I loved it.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
It was like, it was like one of those like when you,
when you see it on social media, I probably watched like 14.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
So I was like this is just great.
We need to have my obnoxiouslaugh in the background.
So you know it's all good.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
We're going to take a quick break here at the Plugged
Podcast and when we come backwe have three devotional
thoughts, brief ones, to sharewith you, and then we'll get you
on your way.
So, just to recap, this isepisode number 18 of the Plugged
Podcast.
We'll be right back.
All right, welcome back to thePlugged Podcast.
(19:23):
This is part two of episodenumber 18.
We have a couple of devotionalthoughts for you today to sink
your teeth into, or sink yourbrain into.
I don't know I was going withthe cliche, but then I was just
like that doesn't really work.
I'll start today.
So my thought is simple.
It's just.
You guys know that my brainworks in song most of the time.
(19:49):
So as we come into the Easterseason, you start to get
familiar tunes that pop up, andone of my all time favorite
hymns has this lyric.
It says Jesus paid it all.
All to him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow.
My two favorite parts aboutthat are the choices of words of
(20:14):
color, like crimson.
That's like such a, it's aweighty word, and then he washed
it white as snow.
I want to read this verse.
This is a familiar one, butit's Romans five, six through
eight.
You see, just at the right time, when we were still powerless,
christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die fora righteous person, though for
(20:36):
a good person someone mightpossibly dare to die, but God
demonstrates his own love for usin this.
While we were still sinners,christ died for us.
I have a friend who a friendthat is like I feel like in the
(20:57):
most recent I'm not explainingthis very well he's brushing up
with suicidal thoughts on like apretty regular basis and it has
to do with different kind ofaddiction and just the scenarios
and circumstances he findshimself in.
And I was just recently hitwith this verse I think we've
(21:18):
talked about like a Christmastime, you kind of like.
Once you internalize the story,you don't I don't know if you
think about how remarkable it isanymore, and I feel the same
way.
Well, I mean about Jesus'entire life on earth.
But at the end of his ministry,at the end of his life, you
come down to this like ultimatesacrifice and when you think of
like the heroes in the form oftoday, in this like hyper world
(21:42):
we live of, like superheromovies.
Even when you think of asuperhero, you may not think of
the first thing being like thatperson's willing to die.
To die to die for the peoplethat he's protecting.
So, while Christ went to die onthat cross and I think the part
about it that we internalizeand we just kind of like he died
(22:05):
for me, christ died for me, buthe didn't just die for me and
he didn't just die forChristians or he didn't just die
for people that are trying hard, but he died for the least of
these and he died for all of usand that was God's plan.
Like that was the blueprintfrom the beginning.
(22:26):
And so I've just been thinkingabout my friend and I'm just
trying to offer gentleencouragement and you're kind of
always in a situation where youdon't really know what to say.
You don't want to push themaway and you don't want to
overwhelm, but you remind themthat you love them, you think
(22:48):
about them, you care about them.
But ultimately I've just beenthinking about as we come closer
to Easter Christ died for me,but he also died for this person
and whatever situation theyfind themselves in.
That was part of God's plan.
And so that's just been kind ofon my mind, this idea of
ultimate sacrifice, and you canpin it on yourself Like would I
(23:11):
be willing to die for my friendwho's having suicidal thoughts?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
That's tough.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Would I give up my own life?
I don't know, no like so.
Anyways, I'm just that's a.
There's no ultimate resolutionin that thought, other than the
fact that there is comfort inknowing that the death wasn't
the final destination.
But that's just kind of been onmy mind today, and I'm sure
that people out there are.
(23:39):
Now we're in the lint season,so I mean there's been a lot of
talk and chatter and thoughtabout Easter and what it means
and the journey to the cross andthen ultimately rising again.
Good stuff.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Thanks, matt, yeah, yeah, you want to go neat, sure.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
I can go.
Well, if you're anything likeme, you're probably over the
political season already Done.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, right, I'll check.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
And it just seems like every day another sound
bite comes out of someridiculous statement or some
accusation or some blame game orsomething that sounds like this
yeah, something like that.
Right Subtitles on the bottomyeah.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Let me sometimes yeah .
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yeah.
So I mean you're good, matt,you're good.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
But I don't know what it is.
I go to the gym at night andthey have CNN and they have Fox
News right there when I'm on theelliptical and so I'm just like
my I'm already mad that I'mlike exerting energy and running
and then I have to look up andread like, oh, what ridiculous
statement was said today.
And this season really breeds alot of just hostility and
(24:47):
division and conflict.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
And it just speaks to a larger problem in our world
that we live with people that wedon't necessarily agree with,
and sometimes that can lead usinto sin, but sometimes it gives
us opportunities to be aredeeming presence in the midst
of that.
And so I've been reading thisbook, live in Grace Walk in Love
by Bob Goff.
It's a 365 day devotional veryshort, really emphasizing the
(25:14):
importance of being people oflove, being people of grace,
being people of mercy andintentional in the way that we
interact with one another,ultimately representing what
Christ has done for us.
And in one of the passages inhere, bob talks about how
oftentimes, when he he's aspeaker, he's an author, he's a
(25:35):
pastor, oftentimes he'llinteract with people who don't
necessarily agree with him orsay something against him or
really just start conflict withhim.
And his way of disarmingconflict is, rather than adding
to the noise, is he will sendthem a cake pop in the mail with
no return address, and it'lljust be like disarming conflict
(25:55):
with an act of love.
And one of the things that heposed in here was am I more
concerned with being right or amI more concerned with being
like Christ?
And how oftentimes our opinions,our truths, what we hold and
what we value, sometimes we makethat primary and central to who
we are and at the expense ofthose who don't agree or vote or
(26:19):
look like us or necessarily,you know, think the same things
that we think.
And that led me to Ephesians,chapter four, verse two.
It says this be humble, begentle, be patient, tolerate one
another in an atmosphere thickwith love.
Make every effort to preservethe unity that the Spirit has
created, with peace binding youtogether.
(26:41):
I love that, the way that'sdescribed in atmosphere, an
atmosphere thick with love.
You know, like if you think ofwhat you're breathing in, right,
is it nourishing you, is itbuilding you up, is it
contributing to your health andwell being, or is it something
that's bringing you down?
Is it something that are youcreating an atmosphere where
(27:02):
others are walking intohostility and conflict and
aggression?
And so, being humble, beinggentle, letting our love be
louder than our opinions.
It's not an easy process, it'snot an easy practice, but when
we look at the Gospels and wesee how Jesus lived it out, I
think of his encounter wasZacchaeus right, this tax
(27:23):
collector that nobody wantedanything to do with.
And here's Jesus, intentionallygoing out of his way and
spending time with this man andthrough the intentional
interaction, right and that actof love, zacchaeus ends up like
following Christ, like leavingbehind his entire career and
livelihood and whole lifehistory of being this
(27:45):
contentious, divisive figure.
And I think of the crowdslooking in on Jesus and it says,
here's this guy who's hangingout with this notorious sinner,
what does he think he's doing?
And Jesus, in just this radicalact of rebellion, not adding to
the noise but disarming thenoise with love.
And what a challenge that isfor us in our world that is so
(28:06):
noisy, so chaotic, so divisive.
Can we disarm the noise withlove?
Can we disarm conflict withlove?
Can we be more concerned withletting love be louder than our
opinions?
And what a transformative, whata redemptive, what redemptive
power is found in that.
Yeah, yeah, that's that's whatI feel God has been laying on my
(28:28):
heart in these, these days,where it's so much easier to
just type something on acomputer, hit, send and, you
know, add to the noise.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
It's like so, it's so true, like it's just how often
do you read an article or read apost or something like that and
you're just like disgusted bythe comments?
Yeah, yeah, and you know,sometimes people are will hide
behind, you know, I think onTwitter or what used to be
Twitter.
Yeah, like you don't signnecessarily your name, yeah, you
(28:57):
don't have to be verified.
Same thing with Facebook, likeif you really wanted to make
some false identity.
Yeah, there's just like thisability to get on the computer,
say whatever you want to saywhatever kind of vitriol or
hatred, or just like at theexpense of others, and hide
behind that computer screen.
And it's not that itnecessarily wouldn't happen in
(29:17):
person, but it's just like it'sunfortunate that technology has
driven us to this point of Iguess it goes for everything but
so much potential for good.
Yeah.
That's being twisted for eviland dividing us and pulling us
apart, yeah, but I don't know, Ilike those acts of love.
(29:38):
It's tough because you don'twant to go out there and promote
your acts of love and be likehey, look at this.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Yeah, look at what I'm doing.
Look what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Right, but on the flip side I feel like that's
also inspiring and people needto see that level of good in the
world to try to balance out theevil.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
There's a tough like.
It's a tough balancing act.
It is you don't want to promoteyourself.
It's almost like those storiesneed to be told, not necessarily
by the person doing them.
That's tough.
I don't know how to find thatbalance.
Yeah, but you need good news,you need good stories you need,
like acts of love that are outthere in the it's not self
promotion, it's more just likerecognition of I don't know just
(30:26):
.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
we always hear about the bad.
It's good to hear about thegood, yeah.
And also how do you send a cakepop in the mail?
That sounds amazing.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
I think that's pretty awesome yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I'm like I think like a Starbucks cake pop putting it
in a bag, but I'm like, no, Ican't be.
I overthought that part of thestory a little too much.
But yeah, thank you, yeah,thank you.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Just finding a way to to highlight the motivation for
why you respond that way.
Because because of Christ'slove dwelling in us, I have no
help.
There's nothing I can do butextend it to you.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Well, that kind of links up to what has been on my
heart recently.
We were at a core couple prettyrecently and I was just talking
to the core officer there and wewere just talking about some of
the things that that she'sfacing with her family and some
of the the things that you knowaren't aren't publicized but we
don't necessarily know aboutuntil you have that one-on-one
(31:20):
conversation.
And she was saying that shereally inadvertently ended up
having a conversation withsomeone else in the division who
had gone through something verysimilar to what they had gone
through and, as a result, likethis beautiful friendship has
kind of blossomed in the inrecent days because one person
(31:41):
went through something reallydifficult and another person's
going through something verydifficult, but there's just
wisdom that is being sharedbetween the two and like, okay,
you're gonna need this, you'regonna need to stop at Starbucks
and get yourself coffee on theway, like there's just this
encouragement and it's just it'sa reminder that I've needed in
my life too, to know the thingsthat I've gone through, the
(32:04):
things that I've experienced.
How many times I've come in orI've run into or been in a
situation where someone else isgoing through something very
similar.
And I'm like listen, I canempathize with this, but I can
also, like I can, speak intothis, because I have experienced
something very similar and itjust continually reminds me of
(32:25):
this verse from 2 Corinthians,where Paul is right into the
church in Corinth and he says,speaking about Jesus, he says he
, jesus, comforts us in ourtroubles so that we can comfort
others when they are troubled.
We will be able to give themthe same comfort that God has
given to us.
For the more we suffer forChrist, the more God will shower
(32:47):
us with comfort through Christ.
Even when we are weighed downwith troubles, it is for your
comfort and your salvation, forwhen we ourselves are comforted,
we will certainly comfort you.
And I remember this verse yearsago was linked to a devotional
book that I was doing at thetime called Streams in the
Desert, and there was a line inthat devotional that said Christ
(33:09):
comforts us, not so that wewill be comfortable, but so that
we can be comforters of others.
And so just it kind of, youknow, lessens the severity, not
lessens the severity, but itgives purpose to some of the
things that we've gone through,because the Lord is going to use
what we have been broughtthrough to comfort others within
(33:30):
our spheres.
And just so, whatever we'regoing through, whatever our
listeners are going throughtoday, whatever comes to mind as
you hear that verse, just acomfort in knowing that not only
is the Lord near, but he'sgoing to use whatever we face
not only for his glory, but tobe able to be a comforter to a
(33:54):
brother or sister who's going togo through something similar.
And so it was all, just in thepast couple of days, been been
re, you know, re brought to mindas I've seen it lived out in
this friend.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
So yeah, yeah, there's something I was thinking
about just in terms of what wedo here on the podcast.
Like I want to encouragelisteners out there Like you
don't have to have a podcast tofind someone who you get along
with and to just be with themand share and talk and have a
(34:25):
conversation.
And like when we record thispodcast people won't know this,
but I mean we, you know we pressthe record button for 30
minutes, 45 minutes, whatever itis but we've probably talked
for 45 minutes before we pressrecord and when we're done
recording, we might talk foranother 30.
And it's because we enjoy beingwith each other.
(34:49):
We bounce ideas off each other,we vent our troubles and we get
advice from each other.
And that's like to me, one ofthe things.
When you talk about coming outof the COVID era, there's a lot
of stuff from the COVID era thatI like.
How do I phrase this?
I actually miss it, like thelevel of traffic, like the
(35:11):
busyness of the schedule, likeall that stuff, kind of like
compound stress in your life.
But when you talk aboutChristian fellowship, being with
people a reason to likephysically be in church as
opposed to virtually doing it.
It's like this kind of stuffit's not even necessarily I
don't know, like the I don'twant to say anything, I don't
(35:33):
know too risky, but I mean likethe coffee and fellowship time
with Christians after the churchcan be every bit as spiritually
fulfilling as the actual act ofworship While you're sitting in
the pew.
And so, along with what you'resaying, like I just like I hope
(35:54):
people are still pursuing thatconcept.
You don't have to have apodcast to do it.
And we and even if we didn't, ifthe podcast ended tomorrow, I
think we would still hang out,we would chat, we would vent,
we'd share happy stories, likethat's just what it is.
And so, going along with whatyou're saying, I just, if you're
listening out there, I hopethat you have that person.
(36:15):
If you don't have that personor people, you can, you know,
find a Bible study, yeah, youknow.
Find the core, the church, theplace that you feel like you can
have that type of socialengagement and fulfillment.
Yeah, we need community, weneed one another.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
I think I've found in myself.
It's so easy, it's so easy forme to be an island.
You know it's so it's.
I don't have to we were justtalking about this too.
I don't have to, you know, relyon others.
I can just be.
You know, rely on myself.
If I don't get it done, it's onme and not a frustration with
other people.
It's so easy to be an island,but it's so much more fulfilling
(36:50):
to, to collaborate, to worktogether, to have people have a
community, have people that youtrust.
It's very it can be very scarybecause it's a very intimidating
and, you know, vulnerableprocess, vulnerable for sure
Vulnerable is the word, yeah,but that community that's built
(37:10):
is something that there justcan't be, you know you can't, it
can't be quantified in any kindof, you know, measurable or
whatever.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
It's just that's one of the things, too, that I
appreciate most about the justthe concept of the Salvation
Army.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Like I've been fortunate to do a lot of
traveling in my life.
And I think I've been to 10different countries and in all
of them.
I have visited a Salvation Army.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
And it's just like it's the same.
Yeah, that's what's like soweird.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
It's the same Like there.
There might be a brass bandthere, or there's a corps
officer in uniform, or someoneis, like you know, ready to say
hello and pray for you.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
You know, there's an altar call at the end of the
message, like you go around theworld, and there's this
community of believers that arealready your brothers and
sisters before you walk in thedoor.
And that's just like I don't.
I don't have history in otherchurches, this has been my whole
life, but it seems like that isa very unique concept.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
You've already knocked down several barriers
before you even step foot in thedoor.
Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
It's amazing.
Yeah, I was just going to say,you know, I think a lot of times
our culture tells us that if wedon't, if we can't handle it
all by ourselves, if we don'thave it all together, then
something's wrong with us.
And the reality is like we'rehuman beings and we need to have
grace for ourselves andrecognize that we've been wired
for relationship from the dawnof time, like Christ created
(38:38):
Adam and Eve in relationship,you know to compliment each
other and to to affirm eachother and to encourage one
another.
And then that's how the church,the early church, was formed to
model community.
And so I think anytime that wehave an opportunity to lean into
community, it teaches us notjust a lot about ourselves and
(38:59):
those around us that God hasplaced in our midst, but it
teaches us about him, becausehe's a communal God.
So yeah, great thoughts, greatthoughts.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Great thoughts, everyone yeah Around the little
table, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
I like this.
Well, guys.
That's going to bring us to awrap of episode number 18 on the
Plugged In podcast.
Before we go, I do want to saywe'll have this person on the
podcast pretty soon, but we'vesat on social media and it's
gone around in emails, but it'sbeen a thrill for me to welcome
Chris Molinaro, yay.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
To the music department Solid.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
And we've mentioned him on the podcast before, I
think as it comes to archery andcamp wonderland, and handbells.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Yeah, yeah and handbells.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
So we'll have Chris on the podcast sometime soon,
but he's off to a great start inthe music department.
And if you're in theMassachusetts circles, you've
probably already seen him insome emails and you've seen him
at Yam and he's already a partof what we do.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
He's family already yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
So All right, well, we're going to.
That's going to be a wrap, yeah, any closing thoughts?
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Nope, exhausted on the thoughts.
Okay, no more thoughts.
I hear that imaginary music.
There it is, there it is.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
All right, everyone.
Episode 18 of the plugged inpodcast.
We will see you next time.
Oh, he got it.
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Plugged In
podcast.
Hello, good to be back.
I almost said good morningbecause it is morning here.
We don't often record in themorning.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
No.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's kind of an afternoon show.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Kind of feeling the lull today.
Yeah, I need some coffee.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
None of us have coffee here.
That's a problem.
That's a problem.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
We've run up against that before, and here we are
again.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I think we've learned .
Speaker 1 (00:35):
But we are in episode number 18 of the Plugged In
podcast.
One thing that comes to mindright away is that about a year
ago, we were talking about howpoor Loretta and I were at ice
skating yes, and how Nate isbasically a wizard.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Of course I don't know how.
Of course I don't know how?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
But Mass Youth recently had Friday Night
Fellowship.
Let's just start off thepodcast.
Can you guys give us a brieflittle recap of Friday Night
Fellowship at the Ice SkatingRink in 2024?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yes, so we went back to the Pirelli Veterans Arena in
Franklin, massachusetts, which,first of all, they are
phenomenal.
Yeah, they're so kind, theygave us a free assembly room to
have pizza.
Normally they charge like ahundred bucks an hour.
They gave it to us for free, sothat was awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
We sometimes, when you're like I'm the Salvation
Army, people are ready to helpyou out.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And then when you repeat and it's like hey, I'm
coming back and we have a hugegroup coming, yeah.
There's perks.
You get some perks.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
No doubt those people buy pizza and other stuff.
Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
No, they were awesome .
We had a great group.
We had about nine core come out.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
And I'd say about 75 people, 66 people on the ice,
and it was really cool to seesome new groups from core that
we haven't seen in a while,which ones which ones, the
things Like seven, kids eightkids and some friends from camp
that we knew.
Salem North Shore brought anice group of seven and that had
been a while since we had seenthem, and a great group from the
(02:03):
crock was there as well.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, so he did.
He got out on the ice, captainChicago.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Who had the hardest fall?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Okay, Was there a documented fall?
There was, and actually I don'tknow if I can share this, but
there was.
There's an incident report.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
There was an incident report.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Oh, I won't mention names, but there was an incident
report.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
It was filled out within the first five minutes of
the event.
Wow, a young man fell.
A young man.
A young man.
I won't say what core or whathis name is they?
Tripped in the lobby, oh yeah,yeah.
Well, ended up cracking histooth.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Oh, no, yeah, Now I feel bad that I left.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, it's, it's an, it was a, it was an incident, so
yeah but the arena was great.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
They brought ice, they brought a little baggie to
put his little tooth in and takehome with him.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Nate's laughing, so that's a problem too.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
And then, but to edit this out, yeah, I don't know,
but he, he seemed to be okay.
Other than you know, yeah, thatincident to start the night.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Sometimes I heard your pride more than it does
physically.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I think it did, cause he was asking for a mask to
wear the whole night.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Oh, no, all right.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, but it was a great night.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
It was a fun poor guy .
We do have Friday nightfellowship coming up in March.
Yeah, I know details about thatare coming out soon.
We'll be moving back to we'rekind of doing like an every
other.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Right.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
We're doing like a worship and kind of a study type
of format and then we're doinga fun fellowship type of event.
So in March that's coming upsoon Information is going to
come out about Friday nightfellowship.
I do have an opening rant today.
Oh boy, for you listeners outthere, I'm sure that you can
imagine like the worst weekendof your entire life, like I just
(03:44):
experienced mine yeah.
And it wasn't just me, it wasthe whole family endeavor.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So I went to um.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
I went to the New York area.
I went to help call therecording session with the New
York staff band for their mostrecent their newest album is
going to come out.
It's a lot of fun.
The recording session was wasgreat so, but the first thing
that happened is I was basicallysick as a dog.
My my throat was swelling upLike I didn't feel great.
I told Nate off the air.
I think that I, for the pastlike five or six days, I'm on
(04:14):
every single anti histamine thatyou could possibly buy from CVS
Walgreens, Like so you're alsolike tired, as can be, because
you're like yeah, I'm trying tobuy the boxes that are the
non-drowsy ones, but I'm just atthis point, I'm just like yeah,
I'll take anything to get youknow to get me the walking
pharmacy.
So that was the first thing.
I had to be like razor sharpfocus and it was like really
(04:35):
hard to work my way throughthese anti histamines in my
brain, but anyways.
So after the recording session,it was a holiday weekend
president's day on Monday and mywife and I had the thought okay
, instead of me coming backafter the recording session, why
don't we meet halfway inConnecticut, Nice?
We'll stay at a hotel and we'lltake the kids swimming.
Awesome, Perfect, It'll be agreat weekend, Perfect.
So at the end of the recordingsession, I started to get texts
(04:59):
from my wife that was just likeI don't, I don't know why we I
don't know why we did this.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Why did we do this?
Why did we do this to ourselves?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
So she packed up the dog.
The two kids made this like twohour drive in the Connecticut
and the kids weren't doing greatin the car, the dog wasn't
doing great in the car.
She gets to the hotel and it'snot like it's.
There's not great thingshappening.
So of course they put us on thefourth floor, like a half a
mile away from the elevator.
So I'm not there, yet I'm stillin the recording session.
(05:29):
So she arrives with our dog andwith our two like infant
children and our luggage andlike like a hero is trying to
make her way, like into thehotel room.
So every parent's like worst,worst nightmare.
The dog is like not behavingwell, and so the two kids are in
the hotel room.
The dog is in the hallway andlike sneaks out and starts to
(05:52):
run out.
So Heather, like justinstinctively goes to grab the
dog, the hotel door closes.
Oh no, with the two kids inside, oh, my God, I know so like
panic, panic.
Oh, she's texting me like, oh mygosh, this is like the worst
possible thing, so like herheart drops.
Caleb was on the other side ofthe door and she was able to
instruct him.
Caleb, can you turn the handlefor mommy?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
and he was able to turn the handle and open the
door.
So like oh my gosh, I have likegoosebumps.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I need to speed through the rest of this, but
we get into the hotel room andit like it smells like heavy
smoke.
Lovely, so that was.
That was like number one.
Yeah, how good.
Later the dog went to use thebathroom and I don't know how to
say this like over in the room.
Well, we took her out, orHeather took her outside, but
(06:41):
she had blood in her urine.
So the dogs like having someissues.
Caleb ends up not sleeping thatnight.
So he he wakes up about threeo'clock in the morning and come
in, is just like that's it, Likehe's on our bed, he's kicking
us in the face, he's rollingaround, he wants, he's like
ready to play.
So if you have any toddler thatdoesn't sleep at night, you
(07:04):
know the next day is going to belike so it gets worse.
So we don't sleep that night.
There is also a party happeningthe floor above us.
That is like going on at likethree, four, five AM.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh, you know, just average president's day party,
that's all.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Really so I'm like sick as a dog.
Neither one of us slept.
Caleb didn't sleep.
In the morning we go to thebreakfast buffet.
This is the.
This might be the worst part.
So we're in the hotel breakfastbuffet and in the lobby Heather
is holding baby Mackenzie inline for the food.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Mackenzie projectile, vomits her entire bottle like
like across the entire breakfastbuffet.
Oh no, oh no.
And on top of that, caleb's atan age where, like when
Mackenzie has thrown up before,he like steps in it and he's
like, oh, that's yucky.
So like I scoop Caleb, I draghim out of there.
Mackenzie's like crying,heather's like mortified, like
(08:02):
getting towels and trying towipe this up.
We like, oh, it was crazy,there's more.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
You have time for more?
Do we have time for more?
Just lay it out, let's go.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
OK, so after that happens we leave the breakfast
bay.
We decided to take the kidsswimming.
Still there's like a billionkids in the pool, so Caleb's
more or less intimidated.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
So we like quote unquote swam you know, in the
pool for what that was.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
We go to a restaurant after we leave the hotel and
that's a horrible experience and, like toddler refusing to eat
food, go to the bathroom likeblah blah.
And then here's the, here's thekeystone, or the capstone and
the story.
We leave, we have two cars,obviously.
Well, we came separately.
We leave the restaurant, wedecide to meet up at a Duncan,
get a coffee and then we'regoing to drive home.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Heather drives to the wrong Duncan.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Oh man.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I call her on the phone to say hey, where are you?
When she answers the phone shegets pulled over by a cop
because in Connecticut you can'tbe on your phone.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
So you set her up, bro yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So the officer basically like walks up and like
Heather didn't say this, but inher mind, in her mind she's
just like just write me a ticket.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Just, I don't even care, I'm just don't explain it
to me.
I don't have the, I don't havetime or the mental capacity oh
my gosh.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
So then Heather drove home with the kids and
Mackenzie threw up two moretimes in the car.
Oh geez and yeah.
So we made it home, you alllived, and then the next day was
Mackenzie's birthday.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
And you guys had some great photos of your birthday
on Facebook, so it looked likeit was all fake.
It was all.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Photoshopped Fake.
Happiness is right, is what isgoing on.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
That's the true life of a parent right there.
That was way too long of a rant.
Oh my gosh, matt.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I feel like someone out there can be like worst
weekend of my life, somethinglike that.
You need to get that out, man.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Oh my, that's insane, that's my story.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
I'm sticking to it.
Wow, god bless you guys.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Well, we had, like just in the past couple weeks,
had some wild things happen.
Nothing is wild as the Mattyeah.
But, Nate what happened in inLole, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
So I'm a very forgetful person.
During the summer at camp, Iwill lose my keys.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Ten times a day with the Apple tag.
With the Apple tag, I'll losethem yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I'll say at the HQ here.
So Nate loses his keys so muchthat he, just when he unlocks
his office door, he just leavesthe entire key chain in the door
.
And then he'll come to myoffice and be like where's my
keys?
And I'd be like, bro, did youcheck your door?
They're still in your door.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
I mean, our house keys are in the door, right.
But then he'll say LaRuta, haveyou seen my keys?
I think you had them last on myhoney.
That's not the reality.
Yeah, but keep going it takes avillage.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
So thank you guys for being my village.
So I forget things a lot.
I'm in mass brass.
I always forget my folder.
Matt will tell you that therehave been many times where I've
shown up to things shown up toconcerts, shown up to rehearsals
.
Have not had my folder, but soI have no comment Okay.
So the next episode is ramp.
Nate and his music, so twoSundays ago, pause.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
I've also found like five folders in cleaning the
house.
So I keep finding all of themSorry.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
You know how much music I practice in so many
locations.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Oh, please.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Here's what I'll add to this story.
You know how many photocopies Ihave to make in preparation of
people losing folders.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Okay, I'm done.
I've killed a lot of trees, I'msorry.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Keep going, keep going Okay.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
So two weeks ago it was Junior Soldier Sunday at the
Lowell Corp, which was amazing.
Great See, the Junior Soldiersreally doing their thing and
leading in worship.
But I was playing in band thatday and I had gone to band
practice on Tuesday.
I was really excited.
I was like, all right, I needto make it in time for
preliminary music.
So we had the.
We had Yam the day prior andplayed in brass.
(11:39):
Here I get into Lowell, I openup my horn case and my horn is
not in the horn case.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
The horn is not there .
We brought an empty case, Ibrought an empty case and the
horn is literally sitting right.
He didn't notice.
Bro, how did you pick that?
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
I mean, I've been working out, so maybe it just
seemed a little lighter.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Oh, there it is.
Somehow it has to complimentyou.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
No, the horn is still sitting in the chapel here at
DHQ in my Yam formation.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
No.
So he like we're sitting inchapel at DHQ chapel yesterday.
He looks over, he's like, oh,there it is.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Oh yeah, chris is like is that your horn, bro?
I was like yeah, let me tellyou this story.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Oh, my God.
But, I that's not as bad as thestory you told in the podcast
when you run it over.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
We're just not doing great with this poor horn is the
bottom line.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
I'm really thankful for Ernie McNess.
If people know Ernie, he's thebandmaster there.
He is great man.
He pulled out this boozy andhawks horn and it's ready to go.
Gave me the whole history abouthow this horn was.
Of course it was his dad's hornfrom I don't know 20, 30 years
ago, and that was one of thenicest horns I've ever played.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
It turned out to be.
It turned out to be a blessingin disguise.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
So thank you, Ernie McNess, you're my hero.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
That story like shocks me.
0%, no, like, like it's just aday in the life.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Ernie probably had six horns down there oh he was
ready to go.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
That were oiled up like ready to go.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah, the social media content for this episode
will be.
Are you surprised that Nateforgot his horn?
Are you surprised that Erniewas ready?
Are you surprised?
That'll be the content.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah, shout out to Ernie, I like that.
I like that Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
So mine you have to find the thread in mine because
it goes a different route.
Anyway so we have been likereally intentional about making
meals and like eating lower carband like trying with different,
like veggies, and just reallytrying to be in touch about food
.
And so I was on Amazon a coupleof days ago and you know those
(13:38):
veggie choppers that you like.
Put the veggie in and you'relike yep see them all over
TikTok and I've been obsessedwith them, but I haven't bought
one.
When it was on sale I was like,let me do this, so I get the
veggie chopper.
I'm chopping veggies, I'mmaking like almond bites to
freeze.
I was on a roll.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, she was.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Then I'm slicing carrots to put in our salad and
they come with that like thatguard.
Like you put the veggie in theguard but the carrots were
getting too thin.
So I put the guard to the sideand then I'm like, I'm like
chopping, and I get theslightest bit distracted.
And like I, I sliced the carrotand it took a chunk of my
(14:18):
finger.
Oh, man.
Like right on the knuckle andso.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
I mean it's immediately.
My first thought is it couldhave been worse.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
A hundred percent could have been worse.
And then like I send it to likea text to our family chat and
my dad's telling me how he'sdone worse.
I'm like thanks, thanks for yeah, I'm like thanks for affirming
me, dad, but this is about me,so anyway.
So I get this chunk of myfinger off Jackson's like I need
to see it.
Oh my gosh, oh my goodness, mom, your finger.
So it was a whole saga.
(14:45):
Wrap my finger, and of courseit's my middle finger.
So I have to like hold my handup to stop.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
It was a whole thing.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
But then Nate proceeds to tell me he's like
you know it could be, it couldbe worse.
And I was like I know, honey, Iknow it can be worse.
Let me just wallow in my youknow, whatever right now he's
like did you know that?
Speaker 3 (15:03):
here comes Nate with his facts.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Did you know in like in like 2007, that someone found
a finger, in a way that hefound a finger in a Wendy's
chili, and I was like what I waslike you never heard this
before.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, Was that in Quincy Illinois?
I don't know, I reread thestory because I feel like that's
a story of, like my childhood.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
It's an urban legend passed on from generation to
generation.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
So then, so then, that prompts a whole like deep
dive into the Wendy's chilifinger.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
It was a saga.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
But then we find out that that was all a hoax.
But listen, so the womanplanted the, planted the finger
in her own chili.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Didn't she get a ton of?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
money, I think.
So I don't know if she had topay it back or what, but she
like planted it, she like got afinger.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Where do you get a finger?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Her husband works in like some.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Black market bro Industrial.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So, anyway, that prompted the whole thing.
But then here's the end of thethread.
It reminded me when we werewe've already said the name
Wendy's when we were driving oneday, I think it was 2019.
We stopped at a Wendy's on oneof our travels.
I got I think I just got aniced tea, drank the iced tea and
(16:13):
we had like hours to go.
We get home and I'm like shakethe iced tea.
I'm like how is there still icein this thing?
Like this is amazing.
I open it up.
My goodness, there was a usedchapstick in my Wendy's cup.
It's fantastic In the bottom.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
You could be a millionaire, I could have.
Well, she tweeted at Wendy'sand Wendy was like oh, here's
some coupons.
They were like what?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
They wrote and they said, oh, dm us with, like, the
store number.
And so I was in contact andthey were like, well, send us
your address, we'd love to sendyou something.
I was like I really don't wantany food from you.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Should have gotten bacon eight years for life.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And I was like they offered you coupons, yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
It's like oh, you didn't like your experience,
Come eat with us again.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
But then you also want the coupons.
Anyway, it was just like thiswhole our dinner conversation,
that's the whole thread, and Iwas like, wow, we have really
we've covered a lot, because Ichopped my finger on the carrot
chopper.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, yeah, I'm glad you still have your finger, I
know.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
It could have been worse.
Could have been worse we couldhave ate your finger for dinner
by accident.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I either rewind quite a bit in that story because I
just have to say so.
You mentioned your dad and like, giving you know he's like, uh,
he's a man's man and he givesfatherly advice and like, but I
feel like he's also he's seen Idon't you know, I don't know
your family that well, but heseems very protective of his
daughters, you know, and one ofthe better videos that I have
seen in a long time was onsocial media.
(17:35):
So your sister, I'm so scared,no, no, I think you're going to
know in a second she'sconvincing your dad at the table
that she did a really goodthing by paying $400, $100 per
tire to get specialty air put inthem.
And your, your dad is literallylike doing everything inside of
him to not be like you did.
(17:57):
You did what?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
He's trying, he's, so he's like ah, I wish you would
have told me it's so good, butLarissa is playing it out.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
It's a prank.
Yeah, it's a prank and she'sjust like wait, I didn't, I
didn't do a good thing.
I thought I was like takingcare of my vehicle and he's like
$400.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Well, once you can see the moment it clicks because
she's like so I shouldn't havepaid $100 per tire.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Oh man, and then he goes.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
He like he pauses for a second.
He's like you paid $400.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
You're joking Like he was instantly.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
But it was so cute because he did not at first
respond the way she wanted himto.
She wanted him to instantly belike what?
Speaker 1 (18:34):
Yeah, but he was like so like he was really gentle at
the beginning and then Larissajust did not know how to respond
.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
She's, yeah.
Larissa is all about the pranks.
We don't ever know what's true,what's not.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Oh, it's so good, it was good.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It was good, I loved it.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
It was like, it was like one of those like when you,
when you see it on social media, I probably watched like 14.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
So I was like this is just great.
We need to have my obnoxiouslaugh in the background.
So you know it's all good.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
We're going to take a quick break here at the Plugged
Podcast and when we come backwe have three devotional
thoughts, brief ones, to sharewith you, and then we'll get you
on your way.
So, just to recap, this isepisode number 18 of the Plugged
Podcast.
We'll be right back.
All right, welcome back to thePlugged Podcast.
(19:23):
This is part two of episodenumber 18.
We have a couple of devotionalthoughts for you today to sink
your teeth into, or sink yourbrain into.
I don't know I was going withthe cliche, but then I was just
like that doesn't really work.
I'll start today.
So my thought is simple.
It's just.
You guys know that my brainworks in song most of the time.
(19:49):
So as we come into the Easterseason, you start to get
familiar tunes that pop up, andone of my all time favorite
hymns has this lyric.
It says Jesus paid it all.
All to him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow.
My two favorite parts aboutthat are the choices of words of
(20:14):
color, like crimson.
That's like such a, it's aweighty word, and then he washed
it white as snow.
I want to read this verse.
This is a familiar one, butit's Romans five, six through
eight.
You see, just at the right time, when we were still powerless,
christ died for the ungodly.
Very rarely will anyone die fora righteous person, though for
(20:36):
a good person someone mightpossibly dare to die, but God
demonstrates his own love for usin this.
While we were still sinners,christ died for us.
I have a friend who a friendthat is like I feel like in the
(20:57):
most recent I'm not explainingthis very well he's brushing up
with suicidal thoughts on like apretty regular basis and it has
to do with different kind ofaddiction and just the scenarios
and circumstances he findshimself in.
And I was just recently hitwith this verse I think we've
(21:18):
talked about like a Christmastime, you kind of like.
Once you internalize the story,you don't I don't know if you
think about how remarkable it isanymore, and I feel the same
way.
Well, I mean about Jesus'entire life on earth.
But at the end of his ministry,at the end of his life, you
come down to this like ultimatesacrifice and when you think of
like the heroes in the form oftoday, in this like hyper world
(21:42):
we live of, like superheromovies.
Even when you think of asuperhero, you may not think of
the first thing being like thatperson's willing to die.
To die to die for the peoplethat he's protecting.
So, while Christ went to die onthat cross and I think the part
about it that we internalizeand we just kind of like he died
(22:05):
for me, christ died for me, buthe didn't just die for me and
he didn't just die forChristians or he didn't just die
for people that are trying hard, but he died for the least of
these and he died for all of usand that was God's plan.
Like that was the blueprintfrom the beginning.
(22:26):
And so I've just been thinkingabout my friend and I'm just
trying to offer gentleencouragement and you're kind of
always in a situation where youdon't really know what to say.
You don't want to push themaway and you don't want to
overwhelm, but you remind themthat you love them, you think
(22:48):
about them, you care about them.
But ultimately I've just beenthinking about as we come closer
to Easter Christ died for me,but he also died for this person
and whatever situation theyfind themselves in.
That was part of God's plan.
And so that's just been kind ofon my mind, this idea of
ultimate sacrifice, and you canpin it on yourself Like would I
(23:11):
be willing to die for my friendwho's having suicidal thoughts?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
That's tough.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Would I give up my own life?
I don't know, no like so.
Anyways, I'm just that's a.
There's no ultimate resolutionin that thought, other than the
fact that there is comfort inknowing that the death wasn't
the final destination.
But that's just kind of been onmy mind today, and I'm sure
that people out there are.
(23:39):
Now we're in the lint season,so I mean there's been a lot of
talk and chatter and thoughtabout Easter and what it means
and the journey to the cross andthen ultimately rising again.
Good stuff.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Thanks, matt, yeah, yeah, you want to go neat, sure.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
I can go.
Well, if you're anything likeme, you're probably over the
political season already Done.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, right, I'll check.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
And it just seems like every day another sound
bite comes out of someridiculous statement or some
accusation or some blame game orsomething that sounds like this
yeah, something like that.
Right Subtitles on the bottomyeah.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Let me sometimes yeah .
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yeah.
So I mean you're good, matt,you're good.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
But I don't know what it is.
I go to the gym at night andthey have CNN and they have Fox
News right there when I'm on theelliptical and so I'm just like
my I'm already mad that I'mlike exerting energy and running
and then I have to look up andread like, oh, what ridiculous
statement was said today.
And this season really breeds alot of just hostility and
(24:47):
division and conflict.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
And it just speaks to a larger problem in our world
that we live with people that wedon't necessarily agree with,
and sometimes that can lead usinto sin, but sometimes it gives
us opportunities to be aredeeming presence in the midst
of that.
And so I've been reading thisbook, live in Grace Walk in Love
by Bob Goff.
It's a 365 day devotional veryshort, really emphasizing the
(25:14):
importance of being people oflove, being people of grace,
being people of mercy andintentional in the way that we
interact with one another,ultimately representing what
Christ has done for us.
And in one of the passages inhere, bob talks about how
oftentimes, when he he's aspeaker, he's an author, he's a
(25:35):
pastor, oftentimes he'llinteract with people who don't
necessarily agree with him orsay something against him or
really just start conflict withhim.
And his way of disarmingconflict is, rather than adding
to the noise, is he will sendthem a cake pop in the mail with
no return address, and it'lljust be like disarming conflict
(25:55):
with an act of love.
And one of the things that heposed in here was am I more
concerned with being right or amI more concerned with being
like Christ?
And how oftentimes our opinions,our truths, what we hold and
what we value, sometimes we makethat primary and central to who
we are and at the expense ofthose who don't agree or vote or
(26:19):
look like us or necessarily,you know, think the same things
that we think.
And that led me to Ephesians,chapter four, verse two.
It says this be humble, begentle, be patient, tolerate one
another in an atmosphere thickwith love.
Make every effort to preservethe unity that the Spirit has
created, with peace binding youtogether.
(26:41):
I love that, the way that'sdescribed in atmosphere, an
atmosphere thick with love.
You know, like if you think ofwhat you're breathing in, right,
is it nourishing you, is itbuilding you up, is it
contributing to your health andwell being, or is it something
that's bringing you down?
Is it something that are youcreating an atmosphere where
(27:02):
others are walking intohostility and conflict and
aggression?
And so, being humble, beinggentle, letting our love be
louder than our opinions.
It's not an easy process, it'snot an easy practice, but when
we look at the Gospels and wesee how Jesus lived it out, I
think of his encounter wasZacchaeus right, this tax
(27:23):
collector that nobody wantedanything to do with.
And here's Jesus, intentionallygoing out of his way and
spending time with this man andthrough the intentional
interaction, right and that actof love, zacchaeus ends up like
following Christ, like leavingbehind his entire career and
livelihood and whole lifehistory of being this
(27:45):
contentious, divisive figure.
And I think of the crowdslooking in on Jesus and it says,
here's this guy who's hangingout with this notorious sinner,
what does he think he's doing?
And Jesus, in just this radicalact of rebellion, not adding to
the noise but disarming thenoise with love.
And what a challenge that isfor us in our world that is so
(28:06):
noisy, so chaotic, so divisive.
Can we disarm the noise withlove?
Can we disarm conflict withlove?
Can we be more concerned withletting love be louder than our
opinions?
And what a transformative, whata redemptive, what redemptive
power is found in that.
Yeah, yeah, that's that's whatI feel God has been laying on my
(28:28):
heart in these, these days,where it's so much easier to
just type something on acomputer, hit, send and, you
know, add to the noise.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
It's like so, it's so true, like it's just how often
do you read an article or read apost or something like that and
you're just like disgusted bythe comments?
Yeah, yeah, and you know,sometimes people are will hide
behind, you know, I think onTwitter or what used to be
Twitter.
Yeah, like you don't signnecessarily your name, yeah, you
(28:57):
don't have to be verified.
Same thing with Facebook, likeif you really wanted to make
some false identity.
Yeah, there's just like thisability to get on the computer,
say whatever you want to saywhatever kind of vitriol or
hatred, or just like at theexpense of others, and hide
behind that computer screen.
And it's not that itnecessarily wouldn't happen in
(29:17):
person, but it's just like it'sunfortunate that technology has
driven us to this point of Iguess it goes for everything but
so much potential for good.
Yeah.
That's being twisted for eviland dividing us and pulling us
apart, yeah, but I don't know, Ilike those acts of love.
(29:38):
It's tough because you don'twant to go out there and promote
your acts of love and be likehey, look at this.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Yeah, look at what I'm doing.
Look what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Right, but on the flip side I feel like that's
also inspiring and people needto see that level of good in the
world to try to balance out theevil.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
There's a tough like.
It's a tough balancing act.
It is you don't want to promoteyourself.
It's almost like those storiesneed to be told, not necessarily
by the person doing them.
That's tough.
I don't know how to find thatbalance.
Yeah, but you need good news,you need good stories you need,
like acts of love that are outthere in the it's not self
promotion, it's more just likerecognition of I don't know just
(30:26):
.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
we always hear about the bad.
It's good to hear about thegood, yeah.
And also how do you send a cakepop in the mail?
That sounds amazing.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
I think that's pretty awesome yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I'm like I think like a Starbucks cake pop putting it
in a bag, but I'm like, no, Ican't be.
I overthought that part of thestory a little too much.
But yeah, thank you, yeah,thank you.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Just finding a way to to highlight the motivation for
why you respond that way.
Because because of Christ'slove dwelling in us, I have no
help.
There's nothing I can do butextend it to you.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Well, that kind of links up to what has been on my
heart recently.
We were at a core couple prettyrecently and I was just talking
to the core officer there and wewere just talking about some of
the things that that she'sfacing with her family and some
of the the things that you knowaren't aren't publicized but we
don't necessarily know aboutuntil you have that one-on-one
(31:20):
conversation.
And she was saying that shereally inadvertently ended up
having a conversation withsomeone else in the division who
had gone through something verysimilar to what they had gone
through and, as a result, likethis beautiful friendship has
kind of blossomed in the inrecent days because one person
(31:41):
went through something reallydifficult and another person's
going through something verydifficult, but there's just
wisdom that is being sharedbetween the two and like, okay,
you're gonna need this, you'regonna need to stop at Starbucks
and get yourself coffee on theway, like there's just this
encouragement and it's just it'sa reminder that I've needed in
my life too, to know the thingsthat I've gone through, the
(32:04):
things that I've experienced.
How many times I've come in orI've run into or been in a
situation where someone else isgoing through something very
similar.
And I'm like listen, I canempathize with this, but I can
also, like I can, speak intothis, because I have experienced
something very similar and itjust continually reminds me of
(32:25):
this verse from 2 Corinthians,where Paul is right into the
church in Corinth and he says,speaking about Jesus, he says he
, jesus, comforts us in ourtroubles so that we can comfort
others when they are troubled.
We will be able to give themthe same comfort that God has
given to us.
For the more we suffer forChrist, the more God will shower
(32:47):
us with comfort through Christ.
Even when we are weighed downwith troubles, it is for your
comfort and your salvation, forwhen we ourselves are comforted,
we will certainly comfort you.
And I remember this verse yearsago was linked to a devotional
book that I was doing at thetime called Streams in the
Desert, and there was a line inthat devotional that said Christ
(33:09):
comforts us, not so that wewill be comfortable, but so that
we can be comforters of others.
And so just it kind of, youknow, lessens the severity, not
lessens the severity, but itgives purpose to some of the
things that we've gone through,because the Lord is going to use
what we have been broughtthrough to comfort others within
(33:30):
our spheres.
And just so, whatever we'regoing through, whatever our
listeners are going throughtoday, whatever comes to mind as
you hear that verse, just acomfort in knowing that not only
is the Lord near, but he'sgoing to use whatever we face
not only for his glory, but tobe able to be a comforter to a
(33:54):
brother or sister who's going togo through something similar.
And so it was all, just in thepast couple of days, been been
re, you know, re brought to mindas I've seen it lived out in
this friend.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
So yeah, yeah, there's something I was thinking
about just in terms of what wedo here on the podcast.
Like I want to encouragelisteners out there Like you
don't have to have a podcast tofind someone who you get along
with and to just be with themand share and talk and have a
(34:25):
conversation.
And like when we record thispodcast people won't know this,
but I mean we, you know we pressthe record button for 30
minutes, 45 minutes, whatever itis but we've probably talked
for 45 minutes before we pressrecord and when we're done
recording, we might talk foranother 30.
And it's because we enjoy beingwith each other.
(34:49):
We bounce ideas off each other,we vent our troubles and we get
advice from each other.
And that's like to me, one ofthe things.
When you talk about coming outof the COVID era, there's a lot
of stuff from the COVID era thatI like.
How do I phrase this?
I actually miss it, like thelevel of traffic, like the
(35:11):
busyness of the schedule, likeall that stuff, kind of like
compound stress in your life.
But when you talk aboutChristian fellowship, being with
people a reason to likephysically be in church as
opposed to virtually doing it.
It's like this kind of stuffit's not even necessarily I
don't know, like the I don'twant to say anything, I don't
(35:33):
know too risky, but I mean likethe coffee and fellowship time
with Christians after the churchcan be every bit as spiritually
fulfilling as the actual act ofworship While you're sitting in
the pew.
And so, along with what you'resaying, like I just like I hope
(35:54):
people are still pursuing thatconcept.
You don't have to have apodcast to do it.
And we and even if we didn't, ifthe podcast ended tomorrow, I
think we would still hang out,we would chat, we would vent,
we'd share happy stories, likethat's just what it is.
And so, going along with whatyou're saying, I just, if you're
listening out there, I hopethat you have that person.
(36:15):
If you don't have that personor people, you can, you know,
find a Bible study, yeah, youknow.
Find the core, the church, theplace that you feel like you can
have that type of socialengagement and fulfillment.
Yeah, we need community, weneed one another.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
I think I've found in myself.
It's so easy, it's so easy forme to be an island.
You know it's so it's.
I don't have to we were justtalking about this too.
I don't have to, you know, relyon others.
I can just be.
You know, rely on myself.
If I don't get it done, it's onme and not a frustration with
other people.
It's so easy to be an island,but it's so much more fulfilling
(36:50):
to, to collaborate, to worktogether, to have people have a
community, have people that youtrust.
It's very it can be very scarybecause it's a very intimidating
and, you know, vulnerableprocess, vulnerable for sure
Vulnerable is the word, yeah,but that community that's built
(37:10):
is something that there justcan't be, you know you can't, it
can't be quantified in any kindof, you know, measurable or
whatever.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
It's just that's one of the things, too, that I
appreciate most about the justthe concept of the Salvation
Army.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Like I've been fortunate to do a lot of
traveling in my life.
And I think I've been to 10different countries and in all
of them.
I have visited a Salvation Army.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
And it's just like it's the same.
Yeah, that's what's like soweird.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
It's the same Like there.
There might be a brass bandthere, or there's a corps
officer in uniform, or someoneis, like you know, ready to say
hello and pray for you.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
You know, there's an altar call at the end of the
message, like you go around theworld, and there's this
community of believers that arealready your brothers and
sisters before you walk in thedoor.
And that's just like I don't.
I don't have history in otherchurches, this has been my whole
life, but it seems like that isa very unique concept.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
You've already knocked down several barriers
before you even step foot in thedoor.
Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
It's amazing.
Yeah, I was just going to say,you know, I think a lot of times
our culture tells us that if wedon't, if we can't handle it
all by ourselves, if we don'thave it all together, then
something's wrong with us.
And the reality is like we'rehuman beings and we need to have
grace for ourselves andrecognize that we've been wired
for relationship from the dawnof time, like Christ created
(38:38):
Adam and Eve in relationship,you know to compliment each
other and to to affirm eachother and to encourage one
another.
And then that's how the church,the early church, was formed to
model community.
And so I think anytime that wehave an opportunity to lean into
community, it teaches us notjust a lot about ourselves and
(38:59):
those around us that God hasplaced in our midst, but it
teaches us about him, becausehe's a communal God.
So yeah, great thoughts, greatthoughts.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Great thoughts, everyone yeah Around the little
table, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
I like this.
Well, guys.
That's going to bring us to awrap of episode number 18 on the
Plugged In podcast.
Before we go, I do want to saywe'll have this person on the
podcast pretty soon, but we'vesat on social media and it's
gone around in emails, but it'sbeen a thrill for me to welcome
Chris Molinaro, yay.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
To the music department Solid.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
And we've mentioned him on the podcast before, I
think as it comes to archery andcamp wonderland, and handbells.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Yeah, yeah and handbells.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
So we'll have Chris on the podcast sometime soon,
but he's off to a great start inthe music department.
And if you're in theMassachusetts circles, you've
probably already seen him insome emails and you've seen him
at Yam and he's already a partof what we do.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
He's family already yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
So All right, well, we're going to.
That's going to be a wrap, yeah, any closing thoughts?
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Nope, exhausted on the thoughts.
Okay, no more thoughts.
I hear that imaginary music.
There it is, there it is.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
All right, everyone.
Episode 18 of the plugged inpodcast.
We will see you next time.
Oh, he got it.
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