October 5, 2025 • 39 mins
Richard and Pat discuss the blessings and joy that come from going through hard times in your life. How putting your faith and trust in Jesus during life's trials, will lead you to great joy and peace when you come through them.
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Episode Transcript
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Pat (00:23):
And welcome to the two Unlikely Christians podcast.
I am comedian and recoveringidiot, pat McCool.
And now across the Great BlueOcean to London, England, where
we find our co-host, worldrenowned.
A psychotherapist and addictionspecialist and a man who once
(00:44):
broke into Windsor Castle to usethe bathroom just so he could
find out what type of toiletpaper the royals used.
Richard Turrell.
Rich (00:55):
Thank you, pat, for, uh, that introduction could probably
get me like hung for treason.
Um, but uh, yeah.
As long as you didn't getcaught.
Richard, what kind did they
Pat (01:08):
do?
Rich (01:08):
They're gonna come after me now though, aren't they?
You know, with a big fur hatsand, you know, red jackets, you
know, parade me off to the Towerof London.
I'll be there for years, pat.
Pat (01:19):
Well, you know what, well, hopefully at the Tower of
London, they use the same tissuepaper they, that the Royals use.
So you'll have that going foryou.
Rich (01:26):
Well, I'll be able to let you know when I'll write to you,
you know, scratch out a letter.
Scratch,
Pat (01:33):
scratch out a letter and make sure you put, uh, Richard
was here in the stones on theTower of London before they take
you off and hang you or draw andquarter you or whatever.
Uh, you guys have a history ofsome really nasty ways of.
Ending people's lives.
I've
Rich (01:52):
just, oh, yeah.
Yeah.
It's funny, we, I was looking atthis the other day.
I've seen the history of thisand like we, you know, we, like
burning was quite common until afew hundred years ago.
You know, um, burning people atthe stake.
Hung, drawn.
Do you know what?
Hung, drawn, quarteringinvolved.
Pat (02:08):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That was the one that really gotmy attention.
That's, that is what would'vekept me in line, uh, had I been,
uh.
It's
Rich (02:16):
like they continue to abuse your dead body and do
terrible things to it.
You know, like,
Pat (02:22):
I mean, you're dead.
It's like, yeah, in America,we're, we really just, we hung
people.
They just cut'em down and thatwas it.
Put a bullet like, okay, thebloke is dead.
Let's see what we can do to himnow.
So yeah, that's really drive thepoint home anyway.
Yeah.
Well now that we've enlightenedeverybody's day by getting them
(02:44):
to picture, being drawn andquartered, let's move to our
topic of the day.
The blessings of struggle.
And I have to tell you that thegreatest blessings in my life
has come from the times of mystruggle because you look back
with such gratitude.
So much of the peace and the joyand happiness I have comes from
(03:05):
the gratitude of coming throughtimes where I struggled, where I
was devastated with something,and everybody goes through this.
If you're a follower of Jesus,if you believe in God and you
keep your faith in God, you willcome through it and you'll look
back and realize some of thebest things that ever happened
to you were because of thestruggle that you went through.
(03:26):
Uh, and people that are goingthrough that now should know
that I've had so many times Ican't even count and I'm not
gonna go through all of them.
But there, and I don't know ifwell, God's testing me or if
you're, you know, I never knowwhat that all means.
I just know we all go throughstruggle and if we put our faith
(03:46):
in Jesus and get our strengthfrom him, that we will come
through on the other side in amuch better situation.
And that struggle will end upgiving us great peace, great
joy, and great gratitude.
And gratitude is the.
The biggest recipe for living alife of joy and happiness.
You can't be sad.
You can't be upset.
(04:07):
You can't be depressed whenyou're focusing on gratitude and
all the things that God has donefor you.
And if everybody that'slistening, if you go back
through your lives and you lookat it, you will see.
There were times when Godbrought you through things, even
before you came to faith becausehe knew you were coming
eventually.
Because as we discussed in thelast episode, God chose you and
he's had his eye on.
(04:28):
You just like he's had on me andRichard and I, I touch on that
in my book sometimes wherethere's so many examples.
But, uh, I'm just, lemme startwith a, an example of, you know,
in my book where I mentioned Iwent through my life of a heath
and I end up in this jail celland I come out.
I'm going to, you know, I'mwaiting to see if I'm gonna get
(04:49):
free room and board by the stateof Mississippi and, uh, in an
orange jumpsuit.
And I don't, and I'm starting toput my life back together and
getting things together.
I don't know if I'd evenmentioned this in the book, but
I started dating this girl.
I went to work at a company thatmy, um, my brother's
father-in-law owned.
He owned one of the biggest,the, the biggest manufacturing
company in the city where Ilive.
(05:14):
And I go to work there and it'sactually.
It kind of depressing place.
You know, guys, it was a papercompany where they made
envelopes and they cut paper andstuff and all these guys walking
around missing fingers was alittle alarming.
Um, and the, uh, I think I wasmaking, probably pulling in a
good 115 bucks a week.
(05:34):
So, but it was actually quite,quite a motivating experience.
'cause after a few months I waslike, I, okay, I gotta go make
something of myself.
But I met this girl.
Remember, I'm really down on myluck.
I'm start, I'm, I've had mymoment where I'm starting to
follow God, but I got a long wayto go and I start dating this
(05:54):
girl.
I fall for this girl.
Uh, we're going to get married.
We even had the marriagecertificate.
That's how close we were.
So, you know, even though Ifound myself in this bad
situation, I found this woman Ithink of, of my dreams.
And I'm smitten.
I'm in love.
She's a country girl, and Idon't know if you know what I'm
(06:16):
talking about.
She lives way out in thecountry.
I even went out, I, I boughtsome cowboy boots.
Richard bought some cowboyboots.
You'd be proud of this.
I got a John Deere hat bought afishing pole.
I had never fished in my life,but I was gonna be a country
boy.
I started listening to BarthGirth and you know, whatever.
Country music I could find.
(06:36):
And I was ready to, uh, you hot
Rich (06:38):
one young.
Pat (06:39):
All in, all in, oh, probably eating the jerky.
I would've eaten the jerky,chewed the tobacco, all the
stuff, the stereotypical stuffthat you thought that I did, I
was probably doing it back then.
I'm fishing pole.
What's that?
Moonshine.
Moonshine, yeah.
Could have brewed my ownmoonshine, the whole nine yards.
And she lived in a trailer wayout in the country.
(07:01):
I could have easily set my stillup out there.
I just, the whole, you know, thewhole thing was I was in and a
woman will do that to you.
And fishing.
I went fishing.
One day to learn how to fish.
And I was enjoying it because itwas very peaceful and it was
kind of at the end of the dayand then a fish hit my line.
And you know what an animal guyI am, I felt so bad for the fish
(07:25):
and I'm like, geez, what have Idone?
I got this hook and this fish, Imean, I'll eat all the fish in
the world.
I just don't wanna be the onewith the dangling on the line.
So I, uh, that was my end of myfishing, but I was full on
country Boy.
Then one day the girl dumps mejust out of the blue, just
(07:47):
breaks up with me and dumps meand I'm crushed.
And women can dump you in a waythat that really hurts.
'cause they'll tell you thetruth.
It's like, you know what?
Because she had met this otherguy.
She's like, no, I'm now seeingthe, and I'm like, well, what
does he have that I don't?
She was like a good paying job.
(08:09):
Like, okay.
And she was right.
The guy worked offshore, youknow, he made pretty good money.
And so there I was, and I mean,I'm, I was heartbroken, so I've,
I've.
Starting my journey, followingGod.
I'm trying to put my life backtogether.
But now this is a massivesetback.
I am not only heartbroken, but Iam being dumped.
'cause I am a toll loser.
I'm knocking back 115 bucks aweek.
(08:32):
Uh, I'm probably going to onlyhave about eight fingers.
You know, if I keep working atthe same job that, that I'm
working, uh, I'm double knit onparade.
I, yeah, I was one of these guysthat didn't know how to dress.
You know, I didn't have sisters.
I was the guy that would buylike the members only jacket
five years after they went outtastyle.
(08:53):
Do you remember the members onlyjacket?
Rich (08:55):
We, I'm aware.
'cause I've spent time over inthe US I'm aware of members
only, but we did, we don't haveit over here, but, um, but yeah,
no, I'm, I'm aware you, youpaint a picture.
I mean, I can, you know, in my,in my mind's eye, I've got, I've
got a vision of you.
Yeah.
Right.
Pat (09:10):
But yeah, the point is, not only am I a total loser, not
only have I been broken up with,not only have I been dumped, not
only am I not making any money,I'm working at the I'm working
this, uh, this dead end job.
Uh, I don't know how to dress,so I don't have the things going
to, you know, collect the womanthat I'm wanting to.
And I tell the story in my bookof how when I do the day, I do
(09:30):
meet my wife and I'm going topick her up.
And the family, the far family,you're not familiar with them.
Uh, do you know Brett Farve is?
No.
Read my book.
Okay.
Well, he was a Hall of Famequarterback.
He played here at SouthernMississippi.
Basically lived with me his lastyear or two in college.
His, I had his, his brother hadone, lived in one of my rooms.
(09:52):
And Brett and I spent a lot oftime together and I actually
took his wife to the hospitalwhen she had her, her first
baby, uh, which is anotherstory.
But their family would all cometo my house before I had a house
right off campus of the college,and they would come to my house
to.
A tailgate before the game.
It was right behind the footballstadium.
(10:12):
So we would all eat, the wholefar family would come.
Sisters, aunts, well he had asister and I was going to pick
up my, my wife for the firsttime I had met her.
And I was walking out of thedoor and I had on this really
nice pair of, of dress slacks.
'cause by then, you know, I'm inthe insurance business.
I'm now making a good bit ofmoney and everything, but I
still have not learned how todress, which is important to
(10:34):
attracting.
A quality girl, I'm sureShereen, you know, picked up on,
on your ability, uh, on yourability to match clothes.
I had on a pair of slacks I hadon penny loafers with a bite
taken out of'em.
'cause one of my dogs had bitthe top and I had on, yeah.
(10:56):
I had dogs that slept with me,but the pants covered that, that
wasn't my biggest defense.
My biggest defense was I put ona a hundred percent polyester
football shirt that said theUniversity of Southern
Mississippi, and it had an eagleon it.
And in other words, it just didnot match.
But I didn't know it.
I thought I was, I thought I wasshowing style going to the game.
I'm walking out and Brett'slittle sister looks up and says,
(11:20):
whoa, whoa, whoa.
Where are you going?
I'm like, I'm gonna pick up mydate.
Why?
What's the problem?
She said, well.
Okay, I'm nevermind.
She said, I don't wannaembarrass you.
And I said, well, I would ratherbe embarrassed now in front of
the far family than I would whenI go pick up my date.
So my wife goes, and, uh, soBrandy takes me, but she says,
what have you got in the closet?
(11:41):
She got any other shirt?
She goes in the closet andstarts going through my, my
dress shirts, pulls one out andsays, alright, put this on.
Put that, roll that sleeve up.
Unbutton it right there.
You're Gucci take off.
I'm ready to go.
I go on the date with my wife.
It all works out.
Obviously we get married withina hundred days before she
discovers that I don't have afortune stashed into Caymans.
(12:04):
And weeks later, after we weremarried, she told me, she said,
you know, one of the re I said,you know, how did I, you know.
Uh, that I did, I reel in soquick.
She said, you know, one of thethings about you that I noticed
when you came to pick up pick meup that night was how well you
were dressed.
She said, because a well-dressedman, it's, that says a lot about
(12:26):
them.
And then I took her back thereand showed her the a hundred
percent polyester double knit onparade I was wearing, she said.
I would've not gotten in the carwith you.
So it all worked out.
But back to my story, I'mcrushed in all of this.
So I continue my faith in God.
I'm growing, I'm following God,my faith in, and I haven't
(12:48):
really given my life up to Jesuslike I told you later, but I
kept going and that led me.
To getting the job, you know, inthe insurance business.
I'd started going back toschool, led me to meeting my
wife, which led me to gettingthe position with the Fortune
500 company and led me toeverything that I have now.
(13:11):
35 years of marriage, threedaughters, eight grandchildren,
filled with incredible joy and.
'cause that girl dumped me andthat girl, without getting into
its life, did not work out well.
I'm not saying that in acelebratory way, but it just was
not a path and wasn't somethingthat, the point is, I, I, I can
(13:34):
remember thinking, I'm believingin God.
I'd started believing in God ayear or two too earlier.
And I'm like, well, how couldthis happen?
I think I'm believing in God.
I'm following Jesus, and nowthis has happened.
I, I thought following God meanteverything works out for you.
That is not the case.
What it means is everything doeswork out and end, but you are
(13:58):
going to go through strugglesand.
That's just always been anillustration.
I always just look at my wife,who, who just is this shining
star to me that has been thecause of so much joy.
So much happened.
It's the person God had for me.
And I just think, wow.
Had that not happened.
But I have a good memory and Iremember how horrible I felt at
(14:19):
those times.
Back when I was at one of mylowest points.
God was working and he was, hewas.
Preparing.
He had a plan for me, and that'swhat I just want people to take,
um, to take solace in.
When you're struggling, you arereally going through something
that is setting you up for greatjoy and peace, and I'm sure you
(14:41):
have some illustrationsyourself.
Rich (14:44):
Yeah, absolutely man.
And you know, like of phrasethat always I really like is,
um, sometimes the best giftscome wrapped in very strange
packages.
You know, and, um, you know, Imean for me it was like being,
you know, sometime into mysobriety.
Many good things happening in mylife externally.
(15:07):
Um, but being so unhappy andlost and, and kind of wrapped up
in, uh, different um, likenon-drug and alcohol addictions,
you know, deeply like troubledand, um, yeah, just miserable
man, like, so empty.
And um, and then it was itgetting.
(15:28):
Really caught out for some ofthe stuff that I was doing and,
um, you know, having to go backinto treatment, uh, you know,
with years of recovery behindme.
And that was where it, it reallyhappened for me.
That was where I already foundmy faith.
You know, that was where Ireally started to experience it,
was in this period of likeextreme pain.
(15:50):
And it was so, it was being solost and being so empty and
being so hopeless that thatbrought me into the church in
the first place.
And that was where I started tocome to know Jesus.
Right.
And then, you know, when I gotbaptized and there was some
relief from the, you know, thekind of, you know, my, my
demons, right?
You know, we use that expressionthat's kind of part of our
common like language, even ifyou're not in faith, right?
(16:11):
You say like, he's got hisdemons right.
And I like, I have my demons,right?
And I, and I, and actually now Iknow what that means, right?
But like, so I was baptized andI, and I got some relief from,
from, from all these things thatwere plaguing me.
And I went through the PurposeDriven Life book with, with a
group of friends and lot ofChristian friends.
And I've had this, you know, Ihad this, um, I had this sense
(16:34):
that my life was supposed to bedifferent, but, and I, and I
would pray and I would ask mylife to be, you know, please
show me what it is that I'msupposed to be doing.
Please help me be less wrappedup in like the world.
Please help me.
People are less, just, yeah,just less lost really in, in all
of those things in the world.
And, um, yeah.
And then it happened, man.
Do you know what I mean?
(16:54):
My life changed in really, like,quite a dramatic way in that,
you know, a lot of stuff thatI'd been up to came out and, um,
you know, I had to go away and,and do some serious, like,
psychological work on myself,right?
But it was in that place in the,you know, in the desert of
Arizona, right?
That, um, but things started tohappen to me.
(17:17):
You know, there was a chaplainthere who's an amazing man.
Um.
Best friend, really the Amandabecame one of my best friends,
came, came into the facility asa patient who was man of, and he
was a real man of God, you know,not without his own struggles
'cause that's what he was doingthere, but, um, but yeah, like
he was a pastor,
Pat (17:38):
right?
Rich (17:39):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He was, he was going
Pat (17:41):
for,
Rich (17:42):
yeah.
And that was, and that was whereit really started to happen for
me.
And it was just in that, like,in that pain.
It's just that absolutedesperation.
There's something about gettingto that place, place of
brokenness where you can justlet him in.
For me, it was like actually,like that place of brokenness is
the place where I realized thatactually, like what I'm, you
(18:05):
know what, what I'm doingdoesn't work.
You know, like what I'm doingdoesn't work and what.
You know, what I need to do isallow someone else to take the
reins of my life, you know?
And, you know, like we spokeabout before, it's like, I, I, I
don't do that.
I'm not an A grade student atthat.
You know, I'm not someone thatsits in faith acceptance, trust,
(18:27):
hope, you know, like everyminute of every day far from it,
right?
But like, I do have a deeper,you know, when I look at my
life, I can see that actually,like I was led to, I was led to
a place where things couldchange, you know?
And, um.
I remember feeling so when I wasin my act, you know, chaotic,
active drug addiction, rememberfeeling so lost like that I,
that I'd started to pray.
(18:48):
I'd started to get on my kneesand pray and like, I didn't
really, you know, I certainlywasn't praying to Jesus at that
point, but I, I had a belief inGod.
Um, it also about that in theAlcoholics Anonymous big book,
it says, you know, deep down inevery man, woman, and child is,
is a concept of God.
And so I had this idea.
And anyway, point being when Ilook back over my life, like I
can see that I was like in thecare of, and I was taken care of
(19:12):
and I was guided and there were,you know, a number of times
when, you know, one inparticular as you know, where I
should have died, right?
It was very close to death as aresult of this stuff I was
doing.
But, um.
I was led to that place and Ireally believed that, you know,
but it was only, it was, I wouldsay the greatest periods of
growth in my life have been bornof the greatest periods of
struggle.
You know, simple as that, youknow, simple as that.
Pat (19:36):
Yeah.
Well, that's been my experience.
That's where you get closer toGod.
That's when you get a muchbigger awareness of Jesus and in
Him and your life.
So you get closer to God if youdo that when you're in the
struggles.
If you put your faith in God andput your faith in Jesus, get
closer and get closer.
(19:57):
I don't, like I said, I don'tknow if God just tests us on
purpose.
He knows where we're gonna gothrough it.
There is a scripture,Philippians four 13, and I think
gets misunderstood a lot oftimes.
It says I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens
me.
Well, a lot of peoplemisconstrue that into I can do
(20:18):
anything well, like, you know.
I can't be the quarterback ofthe New Orleans Saints.
If I'd started trying, workingout when I was two days old.
I can't be a nuclear physicistif I tried.
There's, you know, I can't dothat.
That's not what the verse issaying.
People think of it like, I cando anything I want if I just
(20:39):
have faith in God.
What that verse is really, ifyou look at the context of that
verse, I can do all things.
Yeah, I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens
me.
What he's saying is you can getthrough anything.
Mm-hmm.
I can do all things.
I can, I can Not, that I canaccomplish, uh, all things.
I mean, if you have a calling,you're gonna have a struggle and
(21:01):
you can accomplish that.
There's, there's part of that,but a lot of it.
Is the gist of what he's tryingto tell us.
You can get through anything.
There's nothing you can't getthrough if you put your faith in
Jesus because he strengthens youand that, and people just need
to remember that as a greatexample that you gave because
your journey and your strugglebrought you closer.
(21:23):
To God.
It brought you to theunderstanding of Jesus.
It brought you to the pointwhere you gave it all up and it
has led you now to thisincredible, joyful place you're
in about to get married, andit's just, I don't know if
you're like me, but I, I dailyam reminded.
Of the things I went throughwhen I'm watching TV or watching
(21:45):
something about prisons in jail.
I think when I was 18 years old,I could have easily been in one.
I'm, I thank God for everythingsitting on my porch, looking at
the lake, drinking water.
I think about all of the times Iwent through financial struggles
and God was always there for me,always.
It worked out.
It's just led me to this inintense sense of gratitude, and
(22:07):
I don't know if you have that.
Um, but you're now about tomarry this beautiful woman, and
do you look back like I do.
And, and or do you just kindaleave the past behind?
I tee it stays teed up in mymind of all of the bad things
that I went through.
Not that I'm focusing I'm on ina bad way, it just gives me joy.
Like, oh wow, look how fortunateI am.
Rich (22:27):
Yeah, look.
So for me it's like there's this'cause I, you know, I've, I know
what it is to have nowhere tolive, right?
I know what it is to like, livewith, um, you know, to be scared
every day.
You know, that like someone'sgonna catch up with me.
That the, you know, be that thepolice or people I owe money to,
you know, I know what it is tobe like scared a lot to not, you
know, to be wondering or I'mgonna sleep that night to be
(22:49):
wondering, you know, if I'mgonna have anything to eat.
I know what it's like to bescared of like, am I gonna be
able to get the money totogether today for the drug
'cause that I need to stop mebeing sick, you know, like, um.
So I know what it is like to,you know, I know what it is to
like live in that place.
So like, although I don't, I'mnot, I think different to you
Pat in some ways in that like,it's not an intense gratitude
(23:11):
that I feel all the time, butthere's this base level of
gratitude.
Like just, you know, even forhaving a bed, you know, to have
a bed to sleep in.
You know, every night and tohave a front door that I can
close.
And I know it's not gonna comeflying if it's hinges, but, you
know, like to be able to, youknow, to have choices like in
what, you know, like, am I gonnago, you know, am I gonna go and
(23:31):
eat in a restaurant tonight oram I going to get something out
of my fridge, which is for thefoot?
You know what I mean?
It's like that, that is never,that never escapes me.
You know what I mean?
That never escapes me.
Like how fortunate I'm, youknow, um.
Hundred percent.
That's, well,
Pat (23:46):
yeah, that's the gratitude, the, that's you, it gives you
great joy.
I get great joy out ofeverything that I have or
everything that's going onbecause of the struggle.
Had I not gone through thestruggle.
I wouldn't have the intense, uh,gratitude that I have now, and
you wouldn't have that.
Oh, this feels so good laying inthe bed, and I just want people
(24:07):
to know that are out there, thatare going through struggles.
Uh, you're going to come outtait and, and that struggle is
going to give you great joy.
As you go on through life, andif you do it right, if you put,
if it causes you to put yourfaith in God, it causes you to
learn about yourself, you getcloser to Jesus, you're gonna
get that peace and joy in life,and you're gonna benefit great
(24:30):
greatly from the struggle.
And if people just know thatwhen you're going through it,
hang in there.
I, uh, just to, to close onestory of.
And I did talk about my book,you remember the TV show that I
had created, you know, just tomake the small, uh, to condense
this.
You know, I gave up a job makingan awful lot of money.
(24:51):
I go out, I'm doing comedy, I'min New York, and people kept
telling me, you know, you gotthis amazing story.
Why don't you, because the guy,you remember the New York guy
that I ran into a bunch ofreally funny characters.
So we start writing this sitcomand it's a, it's a, a very funny
sitcom.
I'm not just saying it myself.
We had, we sent it to aproducer, um.
I had, I didn't know how towrite a sitcom, so I hire a guy
(25:14):
to start helping me with it.
And this guy's a professionalwriter.
And after a few sessions hesaid, look, I'll make a deal
with you.
He said, I'll start charging youif you give me co-writing
credits on this.
'cause we're going somethingwith this.
We're going somewhere with this.
And.
We, so I make that deal and hesaid, and then I'll, I'll hook
us up with my producer that'sworking on, you know, this guy's
(25:36):
doing a lot of stuff.
You ever see a movie called TheDeuce, uh, a show on HBO called
the Deuce?
Aware of it?
I've not seen it.
Yeah.
Um, it was a pretty, pretty bighit.
Well, this guy was the, was thecreator of the original creator,
the producer.
So we, anyway, we write theshow.
Um, I, you know, I'm excited.
I got the writer on board.
(25:57):
I send the show to the producerand the producer.
Loves it.
We're waiting to hear, he'sflying to LA and he sends the
things back.
Uh, he sends a message backsaying, this is great.
He wants it.
He buys the show and he's gonnap uh, pitch it.
He brings a guy named MontelWilliams on, you don't know.
Probably don't know.
Do you know Monte?
I know who?
Monte
Rich (26:16):
Williams.
Yeah.
He is a talk show host, right?
Pat (26:19):
Yeah.
So Montel comes on board andthey, they form a partnership
just to pitch this.
This TV show that yours trulycreated, just started putting
together, had no clue what I wasdoing, but they loved this.
Montel was reading the scriptand he's bouncing up and down
his chair.
So I think I'm on my way, allthe struggle because I didn't
(26:39):
include in the book a lot of thestruggle I went through in the
comedy business.
But man, it's, you know, it'snot easy building yourself up to
have some success.
So it's all about to pay off.
As a matter of fact, going tothis party, uh.
After he's bought it and they'regetting ready to pitch it.
And then when I met Montel, I goto this party in New York City
(27:01):
where Macy Gray is performing atthe party.
There's only like a hundred, 150people there.
It's like$25,000 to get into theparty.
Uh, the Prince of Luxembourg.
Is there, I don't know who theprince in Luxembourg, but you
know how impressed I am with youRoyals.
I'm like, Scott, I'm, I'm in aparty with the Prince.
Something's going on here.
(27:21):
Uh, and I get on the elevatorand Danny Glover, you know who
Danny Glover is?
Rich (27:25):
Yeah.
Pat (27:26):
I get on the elevator with Danny Glover riding, riding up
to the top and I act like youcan.
You'd appreciate this for me.
I act like I know him'cause Istep on the elevator and there's
a couple other people on there.
He looks at me, I look at himand I said, Hey Danny, how you
been?
Not how you doing?
How you been like, I've seen youbefore.
And he is like, oh, fine, howyou been?
(27:46):
And so we walk off the elevator,I walk beside him like I'm
buddies with, with Danny Glover.
So, so I'm high hatting it and,and I end up sitting next to
this woman who does the Foxbusiness news.
Maria Barter, Romo.
I'm sitting next to her.
I'm feeling, I'm really feelinglike I'm about to step into the
big business.
And so these guys go to LA andthey pitch to, to a number of
(28:07):
networks.
And he sends back a message andhe said, look, we are in a
marathon session with Netflix.
They're really interested inthis and we are on, uh, he said,
we, uh, we have found ournetwork, and he's coming back
and asking me questions.
About, you know how I, they'reasking him, he doesn't, you
know, you'd have to understandhow Hollywood works.
(28:28):
They don't really want you therewith them.
They want to control thesituation, but he's asking me
questions.
The point is, I feel like we areabout to close this still.
I'm about to get this TV showgoing so excited.
And while we're waiting, theysaid it's gonna be a few weeks.
At that time of year, Hollywoodkind of closed down or the movie
TV business, and he said, we'll,we'll know in a few weeks, but
(28:49):
they're really liking this.
I'm pretty sure we're gonna geta pilot out of it.
So I'm driving through New YorkCity listening to a baseball
game, a Mets baseball game, andI won't bore you with this, but
I became a Mets fan because Idid a show at City Field for a
guy named Ron Darling.
He's, he's the guy that does theplay by play for the Mets.
Tv, uh, games and he has acharity over there.
(29:11):
So I went over and did the, thecomedy show and I met all the
Mets players.
And, uh, after the show I talkedto him for about 20 minutes.
So, naturally, since I talked tothis guy for 20 minutes, I felt
like we were like this, youknow, we're, we're obviously.
Buds at this point.
So I'm, I'm considering myselffriends of these, these players.
I'm being sarcastic obviously,but, uh, so I'm listening to the
(29:34):
game as soon as the game ends.
And so we had breaking news, uh,HBO producer, uh, Hollywood
producer, or whatever they callit, Mark Henry Johnson.
This was the guy's name of MarkHenry Johnson.
Production has been arrested inthe death, and then they named
the woman.
She's a well-known doctor.
(29:55):
In New York City.
So he had been having this, notreally an affair, but he was
kinda live, living the Hollywoodlife and doing a lot of drugs
and the cocaine, and had arelationship with her.
She OD'ed at a, an apartment inChelsea.
With him and the drug dealer.
(30:17):
Although the drug dealer in, inthe TV and movie business isn't
like Skeeter on the corner, youknow, it's not like what me and
you dealt with.
Yeah.
You know, this, this guy'sliving in a really big doing,
you know, he, and they don'twant the police to to come, so
they don't call 9 1 1.
They act while she's havingthis.
Part of this, this overdose,they take her downstairs to try
(30:42):
to take her to the hospital'cause they don't want the
police coming there to the drugdealer's house and she dies in
the vestibule of this Chelseaapartment complex.
He calls 9 1 1.
They come, he walks away.
She's very well known.
Um.
You know, he made a horribledecision and he was arrested for
(31:02):
it, and the guy ends up doing ayear in a federal penitentiary
and that completely blew our TVshow up.
That was it, and you have toknow how Hollywood works.
You don't get a crack at it.
Two and three years, he kind ofsaw that guy has come back and
gotten his life back together.
Actually, it has brought him tofaith because.
(31:25):
Uh, I had just written my book.
The book ends with him tellingme, you know, we, we found our
thing and I'm saying, uh, youknow, whatever, wherever God
takes me, I'm fully prepared.
'cause I, you know, I know it'sjoy and peace.
It's very ironic'cause I don'tknow that in, after I finished
the book, while we're gettinginto publication a couple of
(31:47):
weeks later, this is, this isgoing to happen.
But this happens, destroyseverything.
And boy, if you think I, I meanI am really lost'cause I, I had
made this deal with God that I'mgonna get into the entertainment
business and you're gonna makeme a big deal.
And then I'm gonna telleverybody that I put my faith in
you.
Do you see how that works?
I, God didn't really, wasn't onthe other end of that deal, but
(32:10):
that's how I had decided it inmy mind.
So I'm sitting here and this iscompletely blown up.
Um.
The, the, the show's dead.
I'm sitting there.
I had postponed while I'mworking on the show, writing the
book, I have, uh, you know, notdone a lot of the shows that
(32:30):
I've been doing.
So I'm absolutely devastated.
But a funny thing happened.
The book came out and I'mthinking, I'm, I'm talking to
God.
Like, God, I don't get this.
I, I've done all this.
My, I've put my faith in you.
I thought this is what youwanted me to do, and where do I
go from here?
And then the book came out andsome people start, started
(32:53):
reading it.
And somebody in a church or arecovery center read the book
and invited me to, to comeperform and do my show.
Well, I had a, maybe a PG 13.
Type act.
I didn't, and I cleaned it allup, wrote a G-rated show, and
then included my testimony inthe show.
I went and did it.
(33:14):
I'm on stage and I'm goingthrough I'm, you know, I, I'm
telling, doing my comedy, andthen I get to the point where I
start telling my testimony andRichard, I started crying.
Just bawling in the middle ofthe show.
I got these chills that came allover me and it was just in this
(33:34):
incredible joy, and it wasalmost like I could hear God
going, this is what I want youto do.
Mm-hmm.
This was the purpose I hadchose.
The purpose I had chose.
Was a lot of money, lot of fame,a lot of fortune.
You know, I had a great thingthat I had lined up for myself.
He had something else, but I hadnever experienced that type of
(33:54):
feeling, and it was just thisincredible joy that came from,
from using my comedy.
To spread the gospel, to spreadthe word of Jesus and, and the
feeling that I got after that.
And someone approached me afterthe show with telling me, look,
I was just crying listening toyou.
I, because I make jokes aboutsome of the stuff that I did,
but then I tell them, I run intopeople all the time.
(34:16):
They were like, you don't knowwhat I did.
And I'm like, I bet I can topyou.
And I start telling'em, and, andI realized I'd made a difference
in a person's life and thatthat's what God wanted me to do,
that Richard led me.
To what I do now, which is, uh,has filled me with joy.
I love doing comedy, but makinga difference, living in God's
(34:38):
purpose.
So I thought that everything wasgone in the down the tubes, but
God was using it.
And God was working.
God plays the long game in allof our lives.
He knew what you were goingthrough all the time.
You were going through it, andhe knew where you were going.
Think of the difference that youmake now.
I've had people that have sentme texts like I've listened to
(34:59):
what, um, Richard, your Englishfriend has said, and it's made
such a huge difference.
You're making this difference inlife.
It's just given me incrediblejoy to find that purpose.
And I just wanted to share allthat to people that are
struggling.
Your struggle is leading you tojoy.
Your struggle is leading you toa peace and a, and a happiness
(35:21):
and a purpose that God has foryou, and it's far better than
anything you've experienced.
So I just wanted to, uh, toshare these stories with those
that are experiencing the.
Revival and the new foundspiritual waking, or anybody
that's just like us that's goingthrough struggle.
You will put your faith in God.
Put your faith in Jesus, youwill come out of it.
(35:42):
Uh, and I'm gonna close with onescripture and you could add
whatever you would like.
But Isaiah 43 19, do not losehope in times of trouble, for
God is working on the unseen.
His hand is steady and histiming is perfect in bringing
good out of difficulty.
Everybody should, they shouldwrite that in their heart and
(36:05):
they will come through it.
So, uh, any closing thoughtsbefore we leave there?
Rich?
Just thanks
Rich (36:12):
for sharing that, pat.
Really like, I think it's justwe all, we have these ideas
done, we about where our lifeshould be going, you know, and
we've become so, become soattached to them, you know, and,
um, you know, the loss of themcan feel so devastating, but it,
you know, it's.
Sometimes it just need tosurrender to the fact it's not,
(36:32):
it's not our path.
There's a saying in, in thefellowships, in know, to throw
step fellowships.
It's like bands are things youmake while God's laughing at
you.
Yes, yes, yes.
But, uh, I, yeah, he's offagain.
Do you know what I mean?
With his ideas.
You know, I, I, I sometimesthink, you know, I've
experienced success in mycareer.
(36:54):
When I look at it like there'stwo or three key decisions I've
made, you know, like not many.
The rest of it's just life'sjust sort of happened, you know?
And um, I think we, we have thisidea that our hands are like so
securely on the tiller of ourlife, you know?
And we are the one plotting thecourse and.
Not that, you know, it's not thecase.
(37:15):
When I really think about it,when I really look back at my
life, it's like there's two orthree key decisions that I made.
You know, walking through thedoors of a 12 step meeting, you
know, uh, making the decision tomove to London and work for
myself.
You know, like, I dunno, man,the rest of it's just gonna
happened really, you know?
So, um, yeah, a hundred percentI think it's.
(37:37):
Understanding there's a plan anda purpose.
And, and you know, anothersaying that I I like from the
fellowships is like, if it, ifyou're, if you're going through,
hell keep going.
No.
Um, yeah.
Pat (37:52):
That is a great way to end it because I didn't think about
that, but that is my life.
Two or three decisions and therest is just bumbling along.
There are times I look back andgo, man, how did a fool like
you?
That was the name of the TVshow, by the way.
Not McCool, it was Mc Fool.
Like why would a guy do suchfoolish things?
(38:12):
And I, I Like You, sometimesthank God is just sitting up
there and he goes, Hey.
Peter, Gabriel, y'all comearound and watch what this moron
is doing right now.
So great way to end it, rich.
Great, uh, great talking to you.
And, uh, now you can go backdown and help Shireen, uh, put
together some more of that IKEAfurniture, my man.
(38:34):
So God bless you brother andeverybody out there, and we will
see you next time.
God bless you.
We'll see you later.
And welcome to the two Unlikely Christians podcast.
I am comedian and recoveringidiot, pat McCool.
And now across the Great BlueOcean to London, England, where
we find our co-host, worldrenowned.
A psychotherapist and addictionspecialist and a man who once
(00:44):
broke into Windsor Castle to usethe bathroom just so he could
find out what type of toiletpaper the royals used.
Richard Turrell.
Rich (00:55):
Thank you, pat, for, uh, that introduction could probably
get me like hung for treason.
Um, but uh, yeah.
As long as you didn't getcaught.
Richard, what kind did they
Pat (01:08):
do?
Rich (01:08):
They're gonna come after me now though, aren't they?
You know, with a big fur hatsand, you know, red jackets, you
know, parade me off to the Towerof London.
I'll be there for years, pat.
Pat (01:19):
Well, you know what, well, hopefully at the Tower of
London, they use the same tissuepaper they, that the Royals use.
So you'll have that going foryou.
Rich (01:26):
Well, I'll be able to let you know when I'll write to you,
you know, scratch out a letter.
Scratch,
Pat (01:33):
scratch out a letter and make sure you put, uh, Richard
was here in the stones on theTower of London before they take
you off and hang you or draw andquarter you or whatever.
Uh, you guys have a history ofsome really nasty ways of.
Ending people's lives.
I've
Rich (01:52):
just, oh, yeah.
Yeah.
It's funny, we, I was looking atthis the other day.
I've seen the history of thisand like we, you know, we, like
burning was quite common until afew hundred years ago.
You know, um, burning people atthe stake.
Hung, drawn.
Do you know what?
Hung, drawn, quarteringinvolved.
Pat (02:08):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That was the one that really gotmy attention.
That's, that is what would'vekept me in line, uh, had I been,
uh.
It's
Rich (02:16):
like they continue to abuse your dead body and do
terrible things to it.
You know, like,
Pat (02:22):
I mean, you're dead.
It's like, yeah, in America,we're, we really just, we hung
people.
They just cut'em down and thatwas it.
Put a bullet like, okay, thebloke is dead.
Let's see what we can do to himnow.
So yeah, that's really drive thepoint home anyway.
Yeah.
Well now that we've enlightenedeverybody's day by getting them
(02:44):
to picture, being drawn andquartered, let's move to our
topic of the day.
The blessings of struggle.
And I have to tell you that thegreatest blessings in my life
has come from the times of mystruggle because you look back
with such gratitude.
So much of the peace and the joyand happiness I have comes from
(03:05):
the gratitude of coming throughtimes where I struggled, where I
was devastated with something,and everybody goes through this.
If you're a follower of Jesus,if you believe in God and you
keep your faith in God, you willcome through it and you'll look
back and realize some of thebest things that ever happened
to you were because of thestruggle that you went through.
(03:26):
Uh, and people that are goingthrough that now should know
that I've had so many times Ican't even count and I'm not
gonna go through all of them.
But there, and I don't know ifwell, God's testing me or if
you're, you know, I never knowwhat that all means.
I just know we all go throughstruggle and if we put our faith
(03:46):
in Jesus and get our strengthfrom him, that we will come
through on the other side in amuch better situation.
And that struggle will end upgiving us great peace, great
joy, and great gratitude.
And gratitude is the.
The biggest recipe for living alife of joy and happiness.
You can't be sad.
You can't be upset.
(04:07):
You can't be depressed whenyou're focusing on gratitude and
all the things that God has donefor you.
And if everybody that'slistening, if you go back
through your lives and you lookat it, you will see.
There were times when Godbrought you through things, even
before you came to faith becausehe knew you were coming
eventually.
Because as we discussed in thelast episode, God chose you and
he's had his eye on.
(04:28):
You just like he's had on me andRichard and I, I touch on that
in my book sometimes wherethere's so many examples.
But, uh, I'm just, lemme startwith a, an example of, you know,
in my book where I mentioned Iwent through my life of a heath
and I end up in this jail celland I come out.
I'm going to, you know, I'mwaiting to see if I'm gonna get
(04:49):
free room and board by the stateof Mississippi and, uh, in an
orange jumpsuit.
And I don't, and I'm starting toput my life back together and
getting things together.
I don't know if I'd evenmentioned this in the book, but
I started dating this girl.
I went to work at a company thatmy, um, my brother's
father-in-law owned.
He owned one of the biggest,the, the biggest manufacturing
company in the city where Ilive.
(05:14):
And I go to work there and it'sactually.
It kind of depressing place.
You know, guys, it was a papercompany where they made
envelopes and they cut paper andstuff and all these guys walking
around missing fingers was alittle alarming.
Um, and the, uh, I think I wasmaking, probably pulling in a
good 115 bucks a week.
(05:34):
So, but it was actually quite,quite a motivating experience.
'cause after a few months I waslike, I, okay, I gotta go make
something of myself.
But I met this girl.
Remember, I'm really down on myluck.
I'm start, I'm, I've had mymoment where I'm starting to
follow God, but I got a long wayto go and I start dating this
(05:54):
girl.
I fall for this girl.
Uh, we're going to get married.
We even had the marriagecertificate.
That's how close we were.
So, you know, even though Ifound myself in this bad
situation, I found this woman Ithink of, of my dreams.
And I'm smitten.
I'm in love.
She's a country girl, and Idon't know if you know what I'm
(06:16):
talking about.
She lives way out in thecountry.
I even went out, I, I boughtsome cowboy boots.
Richard bought some cowboyboots.
You'd be proud of this.
I got a John Deere hat bought afishing pole.
I had never fished in my life,but I was gonna be a country
boy.
I started listening to BarthGirth and you know, whatever.
Country music I could find.
(06:36):
And I was ready to, uh, you hot
Rich (06:38):
one young.
Pat (06:39):
All in, all in, oh, probably eating the jerky.
I would've eaten the jerky,chewed the tobacco, all the
stuff, the stereotypical stuffthat you thought that I did, I
was probably doing it back then.
I'm fishing pole.
What's that?
Moonshine.
Moonshine, yeah.
Could have brewed my ownmoonshine, the whole nine yards.
And she lived in a trailer wayout in the country.
(07:01):
I could have easily set my stillup out there.
I just, the whole, you know, thewhole thing was I was in and a
woman will do that to you.
And fishing.
I went fishing.
One day to learn how to fish.
And I was enjoying it because itwas very peaceful and it was
kind of at the end of the dayand then a fish hit my line.
And you know what an animal guyI am, I felt so bad for the fish
(07:25):
and I'm like, geez, what have Idone?
I got this hook and this fish, Imean, I'll eat all the fish in
the world.
I just don't wanna be the onewith the dangling on the line.
So I, uh, that was my end of myfishing, but I was full on
country Boy.
Then one day the girl dumps mejust out of the blue, just
(07:47):
breaks up with me and dumps meand I'm crushed.
And women can dump you in a waythat that really hurts.
'cause they'll tell you thetruth.
It's like, you know what?
Because she had met this otherguy.
She's like, no, I'm now seeingthe, and I'm like, well, what
does he have that I don't?
She was like a good paying job.
(08:09):
Like, okay.
And she was right.
The guy worked offshore, youknow, he made pretty good money.
And so there I was, and I mean,I'm, I was heartbroken, so I've,
I've.
Starting my journey, followingGod.
I'm trying to put my life backtogether.
But now this is a massivesetback.
I am not only heartbroken, but Iam being dumped.
'cause I am a toll loser.
I'm knocking back 115 bucks aweek.
(08:32):
Uh, I'm probably going to onlyhave about eight fingers.
You know, if I keep working atthe same job that, that I'm
working, uh, I'm double knit onparade.
I, yeah, I was one of these guysthat didn't know how to dress.
You know, I didn't have sisters.
I was the guy that would buylike the members only jacket
five years after they went outtastyle.
(08:53):
Do you remember the members onlyjacket?
Rich (08:55):
We, I'm aware.
'cause I've spent time over inthe US I'm aware of members
only, but we did, we don't haveit over here, but, um, but yeah,
no, I'm, I'm aware you, youpaint a picture.
I mean, I can, you know, in my,in my mind's eye, I've got, I've
got a vision of you.
Yeah.
Right.
Pat (09:10):
But yeah, the point is, not only am I a total loser, not
only have I been broken up with,not only have I been dumped, not
only am I not making any money,I'm working at the I'm working
this, uh, this dead end job.
Uh, I don't know how to dress,so I don't have the things going
to, you know, collect the womanthat I'm wanting to.
And I tell the story in my bookof how when I do the day, I do
(09:30):
meet my wife and I'm going topick her up.
And the family, the far family,you're not familiar with them.
Uh, do you know Brett Farve is?
No.
Read my book.
Okay.
Well, he was a Hall of Famequarterback.
He played here at SouthernMississippi.
Basically lived with me his lastyear or two in college.
His, I had his, his brother hadone, lived in one of my rooms.
(09:52):
And Brett and I spent a lot oftime together and I actually
took his wife to the hospitalwhen she had her, her first
baby, uh, which is anotherstory.
But their family would all cometo my house before I had a house
right off campus of the college,and they would come to my house
to.
A tailgate before the game.
It was right behind the footballstadium.
(10:12):
So we would all eat, the wholefar family would come.
Sisters, aunts, well he had asister and I was going to pick
up my, my wife for the firsttime I had met her.
And I was walking out of thedoor and I had on this really
nice pair of, of dress slacks.
'cause by then, you know, I'm inthe insurance business.
I'm now making a good bit ofmoney and everything, but I
still have not learned how todress, which is important to
(10:34):
attracting.
A quality girl, I'm sureShereen, you know, picked up on,
on your ability, uh, on yourability to match clothes.
I had on a pair of slacks I hadon penny loafers with a bite
taken out of'em.
'cause one of my dogs had bitthe top and I had on, yeah.
(10:56):
I had dogs that slept with me,but the pants covered that, that
wasn't my biggest defense.
My biggest defense was I put ona a hundred percent polyester
football shirt that said theUniversity of Southern
Mississippi, and it had an eagleon it.
And in other words, it just didnot match.
But I didn't know it.
I thought I was, I thought I wasshowing style going to the game.
I'm walking out and Brett'slittle sister looks up and says,
(11:20):
whoa, whoa, whoa.
Where are you going?
I'm like, I'm gonna pick up mydate.
Why?
What's the problem?
She said, well.
Okay, I'm nevermind.
She said, I don't wannaembarrass you.
And I said, well, I would ratherbe embarrassed now in front of
the far family than I would whenI go pick up my date.
So my wife goes, and, uh, soBrandy takes me, but she says,
what have you got in the closet?
(11:41):
She got any other shirt?
She goes in the closet andstarts going through my, my
dress shirts, pulls one out andsays, alright, put this on.
Put that, roll that sleeve up.
Unbutton it right there.
You're Gucci take off.
I'm ready to go.
I go on the date with my wife.
It all works out.
Obviously we get married withina hundred days before she
discovers that I don't have afortune stashed into Caymans.
(12:04):
And weeks later, after we weremarried, she told me, she said,
you know, one of the re I said,you know, how did I, you know.
Uh, that I did, I reel in soquick.
She said, you know, one of thethings about you that I noticed
when you came to pick up pick meup that night was how well you
were dressed.
She said, because a well-dressedman, it's, that says a lot about
(12:26):
them.
And then I took her back thereand showed her the a hundred
percent polyester double knit onparade I was wearing, she said.
I would've not gotten in the carwith you.
So it all worked out.
But back to my story, I'mcrushed in all of this.
So I continue my faith in God.
I'm growing, I'm following God,my faith in, and I haven't
(12:48):
really given my life up to Jesuslike I told you later, but I
kept going and that led me.
To getting the job, you know, inthe insurance business.
I'd started going back toschool, led me to meeting my
wife, which led me to gettingthe position with the Fortune
500 company and led me toeverything that I have now.
(13:11):
35 years of marriage, threedaughters, eight grandchildren,
filled with incredible joy and.
'cause that girl dumped me andthat girl, without getting into
its life, did not work out well.
I'm not saying that in acelebratory way, but it just was
not a path and wasn't somethingthat, the point is, I, I, I can
(13:34):
remember thinking, I'm believingin God.
I'd started believing in God ayear or two too earlier.
And I'm like, well, how couldthis happen?
I think I'm believing in God.
I'm following Jesus, and nowthis has happened.
I, I thought following God meanteverything works out for you.
That is not the case.
What it means is everything doeswork out and end, but you are
(13:58):
going to go through strugglesand.
That's just always been anillustration.
I always just look at my wife,who, who just is this shining
star to me that has been thecause of so much joy.
So much happened.
It's the person God had for me.
And I just think, wow.
Had that not happened.
But I have a good memory and Iremember how horrible I felt at
(14:19):
those times.
Back when I was at one of mylowest points.
God was working and he was, hewas.
Preparing.
He had a plan for me, and that'swhat I just want people to take,
um, to take solace in.
When you're struggling, you arereally going through something
that is setting you up for greatjoy and peace, and I'm sure you
(14:41):
have some illustrationsyourself.
Rich (14:44):
Yeah, absolutely man.
And you know, like of phrasethat always I really like is,
um, sometimes the best giftscome wrapped in very strange
packages.
You know, and, um, you know, Imean for me it was like being,
you know, sometime into mysobriety.
Many good things happening in mylife externally.
(15:07):
Um, but being so unhappy andlost and, and kind of wrapped up
in, uh, different um, likenon-drug and alcohol addictions,
you know, deeply like troubledand, um, yeah, just miserable
man, like, so empty.
And um, and then it was itgetting.
(15:28):
Really caught out for some ofthe stuff that I was doing and,
um, you know, having to go backinto treatment, uh, you know,
with years of recovery behindme.
And that was where it, it reallyhappened for me.
That was where I already foundmy faith.
You know, that was where Ireally started to experience it,
was in this period of likeextreme pain.
(15:50):
And it was so, it was being solost and being so empty and
being so hopeless that thatbrought me into the church in
the first place.
And that was where I started tocome to know Jesus.
Right.
And then, you know, when I gotbaptized and there was some
relief from the, you know, thekind of, you know, my, my
demons, right?
You know, we use that expressionthat's kind of part of our
common like language, even ifyou're not in faith, right?
(16:11):
You say like, he's got hisdemons right.
And I like, I have my demons,right?
And I, and I, and actually now Iknow what that means, right?
But like, so I was baptized andI, and I got some relief from,
from, from all these things thatwere plaguing me.
And I went through the PurposeDriven Life book with, with a
group of friends and lot ofChristian friends.
And I've had this, you know, Ihad this, um, I had this sense
(16:34):
that my life was supposed to bedifferent, but, and I, and I
would pray and I would ask mylife to be, you know, please
show me what it is that I'msupposed to be doing.
Please help me be less wrappedup in like the world.
Please help me.
People are less, just, yeah,just less lost really in, in all
of those things in the world.
And, um, yeah.
And then it happened, man.
Do you know what I mean?
(16:54):
My life changed in really, like,quite a dramatic way in that,
you know, a lot of stuff thatI'd been up to came out and, um,
you know, I had to go away and,and do some serious, like,
psychological work on myself,right?
But it was in that place in the,you know, in the desert of
Arizona, right?
That, um, but things started tohappen to me.
(17:17):
You know, there was a chaplainthere who's an amazing man.
Um.
Best friend, really the Amandabecame one of my best friends,
came, came into the facility asa patient who was man of, and he
was a real man of God, you know,not without his own struggles
'cause that's what he was doingthere, but, um, but yeah, like
he was a pastor,
Pat (17:38):
right?
Rich (17:39):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He was, he was going
Pat (17:41):
for,
Rich (17:42):
yeah.
And that was, and that was whereit really started to happen for
me.
And it was just in that, like,in that pain.
It's just that absolutedesperation.
There's something about gettingto that place, place of
brokenness where you can justlet him in.
For me, it was like actually,like that place of brokenness is
the place where I realized thatactually, like what I'm, you
(18:05):
know what, what I'm doingdoesn't work.
You know, like what I'm doingdoesn't work and what.
You know, what I need to do isallow someone else to take the
reins of my life, you know?
And, you know, like we spokeabout before, it's like, I, I, I
don't do that.
I'm not an A grade student atthat.
You know, I'm not someone thatsits in faith acceptance, trust,
(18:27):
hope, you know, like everyminute of every day far from it,
right?
But like, I do have a deeper,you know, when I look at my
life, I can see that actually,like I was led to, I was led to
a place where things couldchange, you know?
And, um.
I remember feeling so when I wasin my act, you know, chaotic,
active drug addiction, rememberfeeling so lost like that I,
that I'd started to pray.
(18:48):
I'd started to get on my kneesand pray and like, I didn't
really, you know, I certainlywasn't praying to Jesus at that
point, but I, I had a belief inGod.
Um, it also about that in theAlcoholics Anonymous big book,
it says, you know, deep down inevery man, woman, and child is,
is a concept of God.
And so I had this idea.
And anyway, point being when Ilook back over my life, like I
can see that I was like in thecare of, and I was taken care of
(19:12):
and I was guided and there were,you know, a number of times
when, you know, one inparticular as you know, where I
should have died, right?
It was very close to death as aresult of this stuff I was
doing.
But, um.
I was led to that place and Ireally believed that, you know,
but it was only, it was, I wouldsay the greatest periods of
growth in my life have been bornof the greatest periods of
struggle.
You know, simple as that, youknow, simple as that.
Pat (19:36):
Yeah.
Well, that's been my experience.
That's where you get closer toGod.
That's when you get a muchbigger awareness of Jesus and in
Him and your life.
So you get closer to God if youdo that when you're in the
struggles.
If you put your faith in God andput your faith in Jesus, get
closer and get closer.
(19:57):
I don't, like I said, I don'tknow if God just tests us on
purpose.
He knows where we're gonna gothrough it.
There is a scripture,Philippians four 13, and I think
gets misunderstood a lot oftimes.
It says I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens
me.
Well, a lot of peoplemisconstrue that into I can do
(20:18):
anything well, like, you know.
I can't be the quarterback ofthe New Orleans Saints.
If I'd started trying, workingout when I was two days old.
I can't be a nuclear physicistif I tried.
There's, you know, I can't dothat.
That's not what the verse issaying.
People think of it like, I cando anything I want if I just
(20:39):
have faith in God.
What that verse is really, ifyou look at the context of that
verse, I can do all things.
Yeah, I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens
me.
What he's saying is you can getthrough anything.
Mm-hmm.
I can do all things.
I can, I can Not, that I canaccomplish, uh, all things.
I mean, if you have a calling,you're gonna have a struggle and
(21:01):
you can accomplish that.
There's, there's part of that,but a lot of it.
Is the gist of what he's tryingto tell us.
You can get through anything.
There's nothing you can't getthrough if you put your faith in
Jesus because he strengthens youand that, and people just need
to remember that as a greatexample that you gave because
your journey and your strugglebrought you closer.
(21:23):
To God.
It brought you to theunderstanding of Jesus.
It brought you to the pointwhere you gave it all up and it
has led you now to thisincredible, joyful place you're
in about to get married, andit's just, I don't know if
you're like me, but I, I dailyam reminded.
Of the things I went throughwhen I'm watching TV or watching
(21:45):
something about prisons in jail.
I think when I was 18 years old,I could have easily been in one.
I'm, I thank God for everythingsitting on my porch, looking at
the lake, drinking water.
I think about all of the times Iwent through financial struggles
and God was always there for me,always.
It worked out.
It's just led me to this inintense sense of gratitude, and
(22:07):
I don't know if you have that.
Um, but you're now about tomarry this beautiful woman, and
do you look back like I do.
And, and or do you just kindaleave the past behind?
I tee it stays teed up in mymind of all of the bad things
that I went through.
Not that I'm focusing I'm on ina bad way, it just gives me joy.
Like, oh wow, look how fortunateI am.
Rich (22:27):
Yeah, look.
So for me it's like there's this'cause I, you know, I've, I know
what it is to have nowhere tolive, right?
I know what it is to like, livewith, um, you know, to be scared
every day.
You know, that like someone'sgonna catch up with me.
That the, you know, be that thepolice or people I owe money to,
you know, I know what it is tobe like scared a lot to not, you
know, to be wondering or I'mgonna sleep that night to be
(22:49):
wondering, you know, if I'mgonna have anything to eat.
I know what it's like to bescared of like, am I gonna be
able to get the money totogether today for the drug
'cause that I need to stop mebeing sick, you know, like, um.
So I know what it is like to,you know, I know what it is to
like live in that place.
So like, although I don't, I'mnot, I think different to you
Pat in some ways in that like,it's not an intense gratitude
(23:11):
that I feel all the time, butthere's this base level of
gratitude.
Like just, you know, even forhaving a bed, you know, to have
a bed to sleep in.
You know, every night and tohave a front door that I can
close.
And I know it's not gonna comeflying if it's hinges, but, you
know, like to be able to, youknow, to have choices like in
what, you know, like, am I gonnago, you know, am I gonna go and
(23:31):
eat in a restaurant tonight oram I going to get something out
of my fridge, which is for thefoot?
You know what I mean?
It's like that, that is never,that never escapes me.
You know what I mean?
That never escapes me.
Like how fortunate I'm, youknow, um.
Hundred percent.
That's, well,
Pat (23:46):
yeah, that's the gratitude, the, that's you, it gives you
great joy.
I get great joy out ofeverything that I have or
everything that's going onbecause of the struggle.
Had I not gone through thestruggle.
I wouldn't have the intense, uh,gratitude that I have now, and
you wouldn't have that.
Oh, this feels so good laying inthe bed, and I just want people
(24:07):
to know that are out there, thatare going through struggles.
Uh, you're going to come outtait and, and that struggle is
going to give you great joy.
As you go on through life, andif you do it right, if you put,
if it causes you to put yourfaith in God, it causes you to
learn about yourself, you getcloser to Jesus, you're gonna
get that peace and joy in life,and you're gonna benefit great
(24:30):
greatly from the struggle.
And if people just know thatwhen you're going through it,
hang in there.
I, uh, just to, to close onestory of.
And I did talk about my book,you remember the TV show that I
had created, you know, just tomake the small, uh, to condense
this.
You know, I gave up a job makingan awful lot of money.
(24:51):
I go out, I'm doing comedy, I'min New York, and people kept
telling me, you know, you gotthis amazing story.
Why don't you, because the guy,you remember the New York guy
that I ran into a bunch ofreally funny characters.
So we start writing this sitcomand it's a, it's a, a very funny
sitcom.
I'm not just saying it myself.
We had, we sent it to aproducer, um.
I had, I didn't know how towrite a sitcom, so I hire a guy
(25:14):
to start helping me with it.
And this guy's a professionalwriter.
And after a few sessions hesaid, look, I'll make a deal
with you.
He said, I'll start charging youif you give me co-writing
credits on this.
'cause we're going somethingwith this.
We're going somewhere with this.
And.
We, so I make that deal and hesaid, and then I'll, I'll hook
us up with my producer that'sworking on, you know, this guy's
(25:36):
doing a lot of stuff.
You ever see a movie called TheDeuce, uh, a show on HBO called
the Deuce?
Aware of it?
I've not seen it.
Yeah.
Um, it was a pretty, pretty bighit.
Well, this guy was the, was thecreator of the original creator,
the producer.
So we, anyway, we write theshow.
Um, I, you know, I'm excited.
I got the writer on board.
(25:57):
I send the show to the producerand the producer.
Loves it.
We're waiting to hear, he'sflying to LA and he sends the
things back.
Uh, he sends a message backsaying, this is great.
He wants it.
He buys the show and he's gonnap uh, pitch it.
He brings a guy named MontelWilliams on, you don't know.
Probably don't know.
Do you know Monte?
I know who?
Monte
Rich (26:16):
Williams.
Yeah.
He is a talk show host, right?
Pat (26:19):
Yeah.
So Montel comes on board andthey, they form a partnership
just to pitch this.
This TV show that yours trulycreated, just started putting
together, had no clue what I wasdoing, but they loved this.
Montel was reading the scriptand he's bouncing up and down
his chair.
So I think I'm on my way, allthe struggle because I didn't
(26:39):
include in the book a lot of thestruggle I went through in the
comedy business.
But man, it's, you know, it'snot easy building yourself up to
have some success.
So it's all about to pay off.
As a matter of fact, going tothis party, uh.
After he's bought it and they'regetting ready to pitch it.
And then when I met Montel, I goto this party in New York City
(27:01):
where Macy Gray is performing atthe party.
There's only like a hundred, 150people there.
It's like$25,000 to get into theparty.
Uh, the Prince of Luxembourg.
Is there, I don't know who theprince in Luxembourg, but you
know how impressed I am with youRoyals.
I'm like, Scott, I'm, I'm in aparty with the Prince.
Something's going on here.
(27:21):
Uh, and I get on the elevatorand Danny Glover, you know who
Danny Glover is?
Rich (27:25):
Yeah.
Pat (27:26):
I get on the elevator with Danny Glover riding, riding up
to the top and I act like youcan.
You'd appreciate this for me.
I act like I know him'cause Istep on the elevator and there's
a couple other people on there.
He looks at me, I look at himand I said, Hey Danny, how you
been?
Not how you doing?
How you been like, I've seen youbefore.
And he is like, oh, fine, howyou been?
(27:46):
And so we walk off the elevator,I walk beside him like I'm
buddies with, with Danny Glover.
So, so I'm high hatting it and,and I end up sitting next to
this woman who does the Foxbusiness news.
Maria Barter, Romo.
I'm sitting next to her.
I'm feeling, I'm really feelinglike I'm about to step into the
big business.
And so these guys go to LA andthey pitch to, to a number of
(28:07):
networks.
And he sends back a message andhe said, look, we are in a
marathon session with Netflix.
They're really interested inthis and we are on, uh, he said,
we, uh, we have found ournetwork, and he's coming back
and asking me questions.
About, you know how I, they'reasking him, he doesn't, you
know, you'd have to understandhow Hollywood works.
(28:28):
They don't really want you therewith them.
They want to control thesituation, but he's asking me
questions.
The point is, I feel like we areabout to close this still.
I'm about to get this TV showgoing so excited.
And while we're waiting, theysaid it's gonna be a few weeks.
At that time of year, Hollywoodkind of closed down or the movie
TV business, and he said, we'll,we'll know in a few weeks, but
(28:49):
they're really liking this.
I'm pretty sure we're gonna geta pilot out of it.
So I'm driving through New YorkCity listening to a baseball
game, a Mets baseball game, andI won't bore you with this, but
I became a Mets fan because Idid a show at City Field for a
guy named Ron Darling.
He's, he's the guy that does theplay by play for the Mets.
Tv, uh, games and he has acharity over there.
(29:11):
So I went over and did the, thecomedy show and I met all the
Mets players.
And, uh, after the show I talkedto him for about 20 minutes.
So, naturally, since I talked tothis guy for 20 minutes, I felt
like we were like this, youknow, we're, we're obviously.
Buds at this point.
So I'm, I'm considering myselffriends of these, these players.
I'm being sarcastic obviously,but, uh, so I'm listening to the
(29:34):
game as soon as the game ends.
And so we had breaking news, uh,HBO producer, uh, Hollywood
producer, or whatever they callit, Mark Henry Johnson.
This was the guy's name of MarkHenry Johnson.
Production has been arrested inthe death, and then they named
the woman.
She's a well-known doctor.
(29:55):
In New York City.
So he had been having this, notreally an affair, but he was
kinda live, living the Hollywoodlife and doing a lot of drugs
and the cocaine, and had arelationship with her.
She OD'ed at a, an apartment inChelsea.
With him and the drug dealer.
(30:17):
Although the drug dealer in, inthe TV and movie business isn't
like Skeeter on the corner, youknow, it's not like what me and
you dealt with.
Yeah.
You know, this, this guy'sliving in a really big doing,
you know, he, and they don'twant the police to to come, so
they don't call 9 1 1.
They act while she's havingthis.
Part of this, this overdose,they take her downstairs to try
(30:42):
to take her to the hospital'cause they don't want the
police coming there to the drugdealer's house and she dies in
the vestibule of this Chelseaapartment complex.
He calls 9 1 1.
They come, he walks away.
She's very well known.
Um.
You know, he made a horribledecision and he was arrested for
(31:02):
it, and the guy ends up doing ayear in a federal penitentiary
and that completely blew our TVshow up.
That was it, and you have toknow how Hollywood works.
You don't get a crack at it.
Two and three years, he kind ofsaw that guy has come back and
gotten his life back together.
Actually, it has brought him tofaith because.
(31:25):
Uh, I had just written my book.
The book ends with him tellingme, you know, we, we found our
thing and I'm saying, uh, youknow, whatever, wherever God
takes me, I'm fully prepared.
'cause I, you know, I know it'sjoy and peace.
It's very ironic'cause I don'tknow that in, after I finished
the book, while we're gettinginto publication a couple of
(31:47):
weeks later, this is, this isgoing to happen.
But this happens, destroyseverything.
And boy, if you think I, I meanI am really lost'cause I, I had
made this deal with God that I'mgonna get into the entertainment
business and you're gonna makeme a big deal.
And then I'm gonna telleverybody that I put my faith in
you.
Do you see how that works?
I, God didn't really, wasn't onthe other end of that deal, but
(32:10):
that's how I had decided it inmy mind.
So I'm sitting here and this iscompletely blown up.
Um.
The, the, the show's dead.
I'm sitting there.
I had postponed while I'mworking on the show, writing the
book, I have, uh, you know, notdone a lot of the shows that
(32:30):
I've been doing.
So I'm absolutely devastated.
But a funny thing happened.
The book came out and I'mthinking, I'm, I'm talking to
God.
Like, God, I don't get this.
I, I've done all this.
My, I've put my faith in you.
I thought this is what youwanted me to do, and where do I
go from here?
And then the book came out andsome people start, started
(32:53):
reading it.
And somebody in a church or arecovery center read the book
and invited me to, to comeperform and do my show.
Well, I had a, maybe a PG 13.
Type act.
I didn't, and I cleaned it allup, wrote a G-rated show, and
then included my testimony inthe show.
I went and did it.
(33:14):
I'm on stage and I'm goingthrough I'm, you know, I, I'm
telling, doing my comedy, andthen I get to the point where I
start telling my testimony andRichard, I started crying.
Just bawling in the middle ofthe show.
I got these chills that came allover me and it was just in this
(33:34):
incredible joy, and it wasalmost like I could hear God
going, this is what I want youto do.
Mm-hmm.
This was the purpose I hadchose.
The purpose I had chose.
Was a lot of money, lot of fame,a lot of fortune.
You know, I had a great thingthat I had lined up for myself.
He had something else, but I hadnever experienced that type of
(33:54):
feeling, and it was just thisincredible joy that came from,
from using my comedy.
To spread the gospel, to spreadthe word of Jesus and, and the
feeling that I got after that.
And someone approached me afterthe show with telling me, look,
I was just crying listening toyou.
I, because I make jokes aboutsome of the stuff that I did,
but then I tell them, I run intopeople all the time.
(34:16):
They were like, you don't knowwhat I did.
And I'm like, I bet I can topyou.
And I start telling'em, and, andI realized I'd made a difference
in a person's life and thatthat's what God wanted me to do,
that Richard led me.
To what I do now, which is, uh,has filled me with joy.
I love doing comedy, but makinga difference, living in God's
(34:38):
purpose.
So I thought that everything wasgone in the down the tubes, but
God was using it.
And God was working.
God plays the long game in allof our lives.
He knew what you were goingthrough all the time.
You were going through it, andhe knew where you were going.
Think of the difference that youmake now.
I've had people that have sentme texts like I've listened to
(34:59):
what, um, Richard, your Englishfriend has said, and it's made
such a huge difference.
You're making this difference inlife.
It's just given me incrediblejoy to find that purpose.
And I just wanted to share allthat to people that are
struggling.
Your struggle is leading you tojoy.
Your struggle is leading you toa peace and a, and a happiness
(35:21):
and a purpose that God has foryou, and it's far better than
anything you've experienced.
So I just wanted to, uh, toshare these stories with those
that are experiencing the.
Revival and the new foundspiritual waking, or anybody
that's just like us that's goingthrough struggle.
You will put your faith in God.
Put your faith in Jesus, youwill come out of it.
(35:42):
Uh, and I'm gonna close with onescripture and you could add
whatever you would like.
But Isaiah 43 19, do not losehope in times of trouble, for
God is working on the unseen.
His hand is steady and histiming is perfect in bringing
good out of difficulty.
Everybody should, they shouldwrite that in their heart and
(36:05):
they will come through it.
So, uh, any closing thoughtsbefore we leave there?
Rich?
Just thanks
Rich (36:12):
for sharing that, pat.
Really like, I think it's justwe all, we have these ideas
done, we about where our lifeshould be going, you know, and
we've become so, become soattached to them, you know, and,
um, you know, the loss of themcan feel so devastating, but it,
you know, it's.
Sometimes it just need tosurrender to the fact it's not,
(36:32):
it's not our path.
There's a saying in, in thefellowships, in know, to throw
step fellowships.
It's like bands are things youmake while God's laughing at
you.
Yes, yes, yes.
But, uh, I, yeah, he's offagain.
Do you know what I mean?
With his ideas.
You know, I, I, I sometimesthink, you know, I've
experienced success in mycareer.
(36:54):
When I look at it like there'stwo or three key decisions I've
made, you know, like not many.
The rest of it's just life'sjust sort of happened, you know?
And um, I think we, we have thisidea that our hands are like so
securely on the tiller of ourlife, you know?
And we are the one plotting thecourse and.
Not that, you know, it's not thecase.
(37:15):
When I really think about it,when I really look back at my
life, it's like there's two orthree key decisions that I made.
You know, walking through thedoors of a 12 step meeting, you
know, uh, making the decision tomove to London and work for
myself.
You know, like, I dunno, man,the rest of it's just gonna
happened really, you know?
So, um, yeah, a hundred percentI think it's.
(37:37):
Understanding there's a plan anda purpose.
And, and you know, anothersaying that I I like from the
fellowships is like, if it, ifyou're, if you're going through,
hell keep going.
No.
Um, yeah.
Pat (37:52):
That is a great way to end it because I didn't think about
that, but that is my life.
Two or three decisions and therest is just bumbling along.
There are times I look back andgo, man, how did a fool like
you?
That was the name of the TVshow, by the way.
Not McCool, it was Mc Fool.
Like why would a guy do suchfoolish things?
(38:12):
And I, I Like You, sometimesthank God is just sitting up
there and he goes, Hey.
Peter, Gabriel, y'all comearound and watch what this moron
is doing right now.
So great way to end it, rich.
Great, uh, great talking to you.
And, uh, now you can go backdown and help Shireen, uh, put
together some more of that IKEAfurniture, my man.
(38:34):
So God bless you brother andeverybody out there, and we will
see you next time.
God bless you.
We'll see you later.
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