episode 19 season 2-seasons,time,purpose

The podcast hosts discuss the concepts of time, season, and purpose based on a scripture in the Bible. They talk about the importance of understanding the right timing for different things in life and how seasons can affect our actions. They also emphasize the significance of finding and fulfilling our purpose, as well as the dangers of comparing ourselves to others. The hosts mention that there is a time to let go of certain things in order to move forward and the importance of not getting stuck in grief or negative emotions. They reference a scripture about a man who had been in a pit of self-pity for a long time and how Jesus encouraged him to get up and move on. Good morning, and welcome back to another episode of The Daily Show, I'm your host, yo, welcome to Word of Mouth podcast. Hey, this is Dayton Shelby. Yes, we are here again, podcasting. The look that she just had on her face, it was, well, I can't wait to go video. I was hearing something. I don't know what it was. I got to see her looks. Oh, man. Welcome you all to Word of Mouth. Another episode of us just being honest, open, transparent, real, authentic, loving, caring, real. You already said that. You're just adding. And real. Alrighty, and we're going to jump in today with just talking about something that is edgy, because we don't go through scripture today. We don't have Shelby going through all this scripture today. Oh, she got the Bible in her hand already. And we want to talk about time, season, and purpose. Time, love, and tenderness. Wasn't that a song? That was a song. You know, the first song that came to mind when I said time. Time is on my side. Yes, it is. Alright, so we're going to talk about those things today. A time, a season, and a purpose. If you all don't know, there's a scripture in the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastics, chapter 3, and it talks about these things. So we're going to go through this book, this chapter, and talk about it in its entirety. Amen. Let's go. Before we start, I'm going to give a description about maybe two of those things, and then have Shelby give a description and start reading. Is that okay? Let's do it. So time. Time, as we know it today, we are real careful with the hours that's in the day itself. But when we read this particular scripture, it's not talking about the 24 hours that's in one day. It's talking about us having time to fix some things, having time to recreate. There's a time for certain things to take place, and it's not at 3 o'clock or at 6 o'clock. There are certain times for things to happen in your life. Seasons. We all know that there are considerably four seasons in a year. Winter, spring, summer, fall. So we do know that in each season, there is a certain feel in each season. Like I can't wear a mink coat in the summer season because it's... It's a... My mom would. Whoa. It's a little too hot. But also I can't wear a Daisy Dukes. Yeah, I went back. Yeah. What? I went way back. Can't wear Daisy Dukes in the winter with a crop top because it's too cold. So these particular seasons, sometimes we have to be careful in the season that we walk in because if you're out of character in that season, you're finding yourself... In trouble. In major trouble. Amen. Uncomfortable. Oh, come on. Come on. And discomfort. There it is. And so as I lob it over to Shelby, she's going to talk about purpose. Then let's just jump into this thing. Oh, I'm going to talk about purpose. Yes. Because, you know, I always harp on purpose because everybody has a purpose. Come on. That's your word there. It is. Everybody does have a purpose. God made you with a purpose. Yes, He did. So the definition for purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. That is why you're here. Wow. Because you were created for a purpose. For a purpose. Yes. Wow. I got it. The reason why we were born is for a purpose. Yep. The reason why you were created even. So it goes prior to you being born. My God. That's actually something very serious that we need to talk about. I've noticed, Shelby, and I don't want to... Well, actually, I do want to talk about it. Statistics, the last year or so, statistic-wise, the suicide rate has elevated. And I want to speak on that because I believe what you just said that everybody has a purpose. And your purpose may not be like someone else. And I think that's what happens. It's all individual. Yes. That's what happens with people that don't find themselves in the same place as someone else. So they feel inadequate. Comparison kills. Can we drop the mic right there? Just boom. Comparison does kill. And it causes people to go to a dark place because they're not like someone else. So they're not in the same caliber as someone else. Right. Well, and I think, and I've talked about this before, a purpose doesn't have to be something grandiose. But you may see it as minuscule, but the person that you were purposed for sees it as grandiose. Like, even if it's just giving someone a word that you don't even know, you just pass on the street or someone in Walmart or whatever, you know, it may really seem minuscule to you, but to that person, good Lord. To that person. To that person, your purpose was huge and may have saved their life. And we don't even know those things sometimes. Wow. Wow. Anyways. No, that's that's good. That's why purpose is important. Added with the time and the season. You spoke about the store Walmart. There was a time that you had to be there in that season of your life. You had to be in Walmart in that season of your life. Yeah. God's timing is always perfect. It's just not our timing, which really sucks. Yes, it does suck. It's difficult because we want what we want now. What we call it microwavable. We want it now. And I think that's where we go wrong. Let's talk about this in its entirety. In Ecclesiastes chapter three. Let's read through these. Love these verses. Love these verses. Okay. So there's a time for everything. That's what the chapter is called. A time for everything. And a season for every activity under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to uproot. A time to kill and a time to heal. Stop right there. Say what? Time to what? Kill. Yeah, it actually says there's a time to kill. Before you go any further, can you explain the time to kill? Is it physical? Depends on who you're talking to. The laugh for me. Well, well, I don't personally think. I hope. And mind you, this was Solomon that wrote this. So I don't know where his mindset was at when he said the time to kill. But I believe personally, just me, I believe that there are some things that need to die that was connected to you for so long. Maybe you're holding on to some past issues. Maybe you're holding on to cycles, maybe. I mean, whatever it is, you can be holding on to, I think. The past. Yeah. Dragging it into your future. That part, that part. And it may be time to kill it, because it is a time for it. And it's a season and a purpose for it. There's also like, I think it's talking about time to kill your ego. Oh, I think that should be every day. Me personally. Oh, absolutely. I'm not. Yeah. There is a time when your ego has got to go. Yes. Yeah. 100%. A number of things that I would want to kill in my life. There's a time for me to kill a lot of pride that I carried over from something that either I was taught or what matched on to me. And pride is a killer. My God. In and of itself. So why would I carry something that's killing me? Oh, praise. Sorry, that was for me. No, it's not just for you. So when you said that, a time to kill, I think that more of the things that we have carried over. When you move, if you've ever moved from a house to a house, are there some things that you leave behind? Yeah. Why? Because they don't suit your purpose anymore. So you don't need it anymore. No. Wonder why we're carrying so many things over from house to house. I'm sorry, go ahead. Uh-huh. I'm sipping my tea. Yeah, you're sipping tea over there. Uh-huh. Tea. Okay. Time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build. A time to weep and a time to dance. I've got a question. A time to weep? Hmm. I heard you... Weeping? I heard you a couple of weeks ago and you expressed it. You said a phrase that really, really got me and I'm talking about even today. I hear it over and over. There's a process in grieving and you spoke profound on it. When you are weeping or grieving, you're saying that there is a time for it. So we can't just do it all the time? I think when you're in grief, you may have to do it all the time, but yeah, only when you're in grief, really. But there's something to be said about a good cry. Okay. I think. I think it's cathartic. I think so too. But is there a time period? Yeah. Don't sit in that. Why would you say not to sit in it? Because you'll sit in it and you'll rot in it. You will let yourself just... That was good. Yeah. You'll let yourself just be absorbed into it and then it's really hard to get out. That's what depression is. Do you know your teacher right now? Oh my God, that was so good. She said that if y'all didn't hear that, sit and rot in it. That's what depression is. There are times where even it's okay to weep. You just said it's good to get a good cry. But if you sit there for too long, it'll become so consuming that you'll think that this is what you're supposed to do for the rest of your life. And you will rot there. Wow. Whoa. Wow. Thank you. There is a scripture to that. It's in all the Gospels. But one that's more vivid would be in Luke when Jesus walked past that man that had been there for about 38 years. And he was in his pity party begging for people to just help him. And he would cry out and weep and try to comfort him. And he would put on this huge pity party that he wanted someone to stir the water. And Jesus walked past him and said, hey, take up your bed. Get up out of here. All right. You've been there too long. That's 38 years. There's a lot of us that have been there too long. That's a good thing. I'm sorry. What you said was a good thing. Not being there. That was a good thing. All right. I'm sorry. Go ahead. A time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. I want a question about that one. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. Now, when I hear that, first thing I think about is a hug. Yeah, me too. Okay. So when do I let go is the question that that's what I'm getting. Time to refrain from embracing. But now, as you just read it, I'm thinking that that may be what we were talking about with the pity party. I can rub your head for so long, but now you got to get up in my Shelby voice and put your big boy draws on. Yeah. And get it going. So that to me would be refrain from embracing you. I'm not going to rub you anymore. Yes, that's what I'm getting from it. Yeah, I kind of think of it as embracing new ideas. I mean, initially, yes, I went to the actual embrace the hug, like you said, but sitting here, it's like embracing new ideas. And then there's time to be not so tolerant of new ideas. Oh, okay. Okay. So embracing the new and then when you get, I guess, enough? Well, no, there's some new ideas that you don't need to be embracing. Society wise, societal ideas. That's good. That's good. I know. All righty. Time to embrace and a time to refrain. Is there more? A time to search and a time to give up. Yeah. Yeah. You want to speak upon that? No, I do not. A time to search and a time to give up. That's a pretty heavy statement right there. It really is. That's like boom, you out searching. For something you ain't going to find, so you better give up. That part, that's really good, though. That's kind of sad, though. How many, for me, how many times have I searched for that one thing and I'm continuing to search for that thing and I might as well give up on the search because I'm not going to find that thing that I want to please me. Self-satisfaction. Yes. So God is saying, I already got this set up for you. You're searching for this. Yeah, that's good that you put it that way. That hit home for me. Yeah, and you're searching for something to fill that void instead of searching for the real thing to fill the void. Searching for something to fill the void, whether it's some type of abuse to your body, alcohol, drug, sex, whatever it is, you're searching for something to fill that other people. All right, I'm sorry. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be silent and a time to speak. That'll work. That's a tough one for me. Well, explain. What? Explain! Yeah. Pretty basic right there. God's like, you need to shut up. But I don't want to. Oh, wow. I have so many things to say. God, just let me. And he's saying, hush. Zip it. Wow. I think we all struggle with that. Sometimes we want people to hear us, so we keep talking. We keep talking. And sometimes when you talk too much, you talk yourself out of it. Yeah. Sometimes when you talk too much, you talk yourself out of it. Well, sometimes when you talk too much, people ain't listening anymore. Boom. It's just like the Charlie Brown teacher. Exactly. And when they stop listening, I mean, when do you shut up? Well, if you're looking for some kind of validation from the talking, you ain't going to get it if you've become a clanging cymbal. And a sounding brass, yes. You're absolutely right. There is a time to speak. And when you're in group settings or even in conversation, there is a time you have to just listen. And we're not real good at listening anymore, I don't think. We hear, but we don't listen. That's so good. Love from you. You said that prior. That's so good, especially in, please speak about this in relationships. When is it a time? Why do you always tell me to speak about this? Oh, that's why I need the video. Y'all would have saw her reaction when I said that. When is it time to speak when you're in a relationship or when you're, I mean, just anything that's kind of personable. When is it a time to be quiet? Do you find yourself checking yourself at that moment when something has been said that shouldn't be said? I think it, I don't think there's real parameters around it, but when you're having an in-depth conversation, you need to be listening and not just hearing. Mm, big difference. Yeah. And I learned that as a kid, we're parents now, but we were both kids before. And you ever heard your parents, they're saying, hey, you know, hollering your name while you're outside, maybe playing or whatever. And you hear them. But you ignore them? But you wasn't listening, right? But you heard them, but you wasn't listening. And I think we all go wrong in that, in this day and age, whether it's friendships, relationships, God speaking to you, we hear him, but are we truly listening? Because when you listen, that's when you begin to understand that it's a cost to pay attention. But when you hear him, you ain't paying nothing. Do you think it's free? I think a lot of times we're hearing just so we can have a response instead of listening. Whoa, you calling me out like that? For real? Well, I wasn't, but you just threw yourself under the bus, so. Man, that was me for a long period of time, if I'll be honest. Yeah, I'm the same. I could, yeah, I could own that too. Just to give you a response, I will hear the last, oh my God, I'm telling myself. Like you're just, you're already thinking what you're, what that person's going to finish saying so that you can just be like, oh yeah, well. Yep, yep, real talk. Well, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's for real. I have no idea what you just said, but I'm just going to rattle this off at you. Or, and I learned this in, and I hope I don't tell on psychology people, but I learned this in psychology. You listen to the last four words of the sentence and you just respond to those words. So whatever you said, I hear those last four words. I can reply because you would think that I've heard you. So in other words, I just really ain't listening to you at all. Okay, moving on. They're just like last four words, focus on last four words. Moving on, oh my God. But yes, sometimes you can, you're not, there have been times I didn't hear a thing. Oh yeah, we check out a lot of the time. Yeah, I'm not a person that's, I don't like confrontation. So when you start screaming, I check out immediately. Whether it's parents, children, people on the street, a relationship, once you start screaming at me, I check out. I can hear you, but I ain't paying any attention to you. Because now you're just, and that I think that's when it's time to be quiet. Because there's nothing, like talking to a brick wall. How many times have we screamed? Well, I heard the term, talk to me, don't talk at me. Thank God, I'm sorry. But there are times that talking to you requires interaction. Like, you know, there's times you're talking to someone and they're not reacting, yeah. I agree. So it takes something for them to hear it. I guess becoming creative. Let me use my children for an example. I've talked to my children before and they didn't hear me. That's all I had to say. We talk at our kids a lot. Yeah, buddy. But it's sad that when I talked at them, they heard me. Because there was going to be a punishment down the line somewhere. There was a consequence. And that's facts. When we know there's going to be a consequence, we're more akin to pay attention. And, you know, I just did a TikTok yesterday on if we would not take people for granted, basically. Yeah, yeah, you did. But we tend to do the principle where we don't pay attention until it's too late. And then we're like, oh, they really did contribute to my life. They really did help me with this. You know, it may have seemed something simple at the time, but now that they're gone, it's like. Yeah, I should have appreciated that more. Why is that human nature? Why is that accepted? Like, when do we? Because we take things for granted. That's what we do, especially in a throwaway society where we think we can just pick up another one and replace it. And speaking of people, too, we think we can just put one down, pick another one up and replace it. Yeah. We're replaceable when we're really not, because we each have a purpose and we're designed. It goes back to the very part of what you read. Yeah. We all are designed with a purpose. Right. And I'm guilty of it. I'm not saying I'm not. But, you know, I just we have to live with more intention. And we've talked about that before. Well, we all are guilty of that. We all are guilty of that. The times that we threw away people and. I guess years later, we realized it was it was purposeful for that person to be in my life, no matter if it was a friendship relationship or whatever it was. It was the time, it was the season. I was going to say that speaks to what we're talking about right now. There are seasons where we have people in our lives. But we also just need to be cognizant of not taking people for granted. Yeah. Yes, 100 percent. If you all haven't friended her on TikTok, man, you need to go and check her out. Her TikToks are amazing. No. Yes, they are. Yesterday when I did, when I went on it and I heard what you were saying, like it made me it convicted me to a place where there have been people in my life that I didn't even know, like it got so busy mentally for me that I didn't even know I threw away people. That's. Am I that busy? The purpose that that person or that entity was purposeful to my life. Yeah, I was my study today is on Galatians and the fruits of the spirit, and it was talking about friendship and what how significant of a commitment that is supposed to be. It's basically like a marriage. You know, it's a covenant relationship. But how many of us treat it that way? Wow. I know I don't all the time. I'm really not a good friend sometimes. Mm hmm. I can't say that. Not about you. I don't know about other friends, but you're pretty good. No, I have my I have my moments, but it was interesting to me. It struck me like. That's a little convicting. That is. That is. You're right. Okay, the next the next one's even worse. Oh, the next one is a time to love and a time to hate. Oh, I knew it was coming. I knew it somewhere up in there. I knew it was coming. So this is this is the one that I really I want to first ask a question, especially to you. Great. What's the difference for you between love and hate? What's the the dynamic? Is it from zero to 100? Oh, I think sometimes it can be a very fine line. Okay. Because if I if I have poured my heart out into you and and you abuse that. Oh, yeah, that's. They go straight to hate. Well, hate is a strong word. I really don't like that word, and I don't think that I hate anybody. It's a matter of hurt is what it is. Got it. And like you've talked before, it's a matter of fear. It is all fear. Yeah. Yeah. Looking at this verse, though. The writer said it's a time to love. When is the time to hate? Because now I can become very spiritual. Nate, when is the time to hate? Because you're asking me these questions and I never ask them back to you. So guess what? This is on you, buddy. I got you. I can I can give a super duper spiritual answer. Super duper. And say, you know, there are things that we love. Spiritually, that we love to do, and there are things that we need to understand that the enemy sends that we have to put a level of hate on it. Like, I hate the fact that I don't worship. Daily, I hate the fact, you know, and begin to understand that I can change from that because of based upon what you said, hate is a strong word. So if I'm using that, I understand that I have to change that. So you're talking about a spiritual sense of hate? Yes, that's that's my spiritual answer. Naturally, if you're talking about people. I guess I can say. I don't know if I can hate you, because the opposite of love is fear, it's not hate. But hate is a manifestation of fear, because once I'm scared. But there's OK, let's just get real. People are going to go to there's some heinous ass folks out there. Facts that have done some heinous things and don't deserve any love, right? Don't deserve any anything, right? Anything, right? Don't deserve the scum off the bottom of my shoe. That part. Or any time or any breath or any of that stuff. So isn't this word talking about how we get to feel about them? Volved it over. Wow. Um. So further in that in that chapter, there there are some things that even the Bible says God, there are seven things that God hate. And so I'm not saying that. I'm not going to use the word hate. Can I say I hate the act? Of actions that that person took. Yeah, yeah. Instead of hating the person themselves. Yes. So I hate the action. That's why when you talk about those people that are the scum of the earth, their actions made me look at them as the scum of the earth because they didn't have to do what they did. You know, killing innocent people or hurting children, hurting. Right. Stuff like that. That's that's terrible. It's horrible. And even the word says you're not to harm the little children. Thanks. So I hate the act and the act sits on that person. So. In your words, it's a thin line because that person still did the act. I'm trying not to hate the person, but I want to shake the act out of you. Yeah, exactly. And you're supposed to love the center and hate the sin. Mm hmm. But sometimes it's beyond humanity to be able to do that. I don't know. Me too. And I want to shake some people for real. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Shake them till you can't shake them no more. Yes. Because there's nothing left to shake. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Um. It was something here in the city that we live in. Something that happened right there in Walker Springs. I don't know if you saw it, but it was a mistaken identity. And there was one person killed in the driver's seat, the passenger seat, still in critical condition. And there was a four-year-old in the backseat. Now, this car was shot up, shot up for no reason. Of a mistaken identity. Yeah, I want to shake the person. Oh, yeah. If he's ever, or she's ever, whoever is caught, I want to shake the person. Stuff like that. I just, I struggle with stuff like that. Yeah. I think we all do. I don't think that that's. Because it's innocence. Like it's, as you said, children. Innocence. Yeah. I, I, I'm a human guy. Well, but the, like we said, the word even says that. The little children, yeah. Yeah. I get it, I get it. Jesus was all about the little children. Yeah. Yeah, that, that, that is a fine line. I'm gonna go back to your statement. The love and the hate is a fine line. How do you feel about that? Before we move on from a. What? Yeah, from a relationship status. Do you feel like it's quicker? Because those people know you more. So I go from love to hate, to hate really quick. Because they know personal, they know. They know the depths of you. They know, yeah, the intricacies and the intimate details that other people don't know. And those are the things that hurt the most when people abuse them or use them against you. You know, the vulnerabilities are a big deal. That's the biggest deal. Absolutely. And so when someone either intentionally maligns them or, you know, uses them against you, then yes, the line gets crossed, I think. You gotta hate real quick. Hate, hurt, anger. And I really think hurt is a better word than hate. Yeah, it is. I mean, it's what happens when that love is crossed, that vulnerability is tainted. It causes you to be so hurt that you would do some things out of hatred. And ultimately, it leads to consequences. Yeah. There are consequences for behavior. That is for sure. Yes. All right. Last one. What's the last one? A time for war and a time for peace. You know, I think that's kind of self-explanatory. We taught that at the beginning, even with spiritual warfare. You know, we have been in spiritual warfare for quite a bit sometime, but I believe that there's a level of peace that you have to carry every day. Mm-hmm. Bible says, wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. We wrestle that every day. Yes, we do. But I know, Shelby, that you have a dose of peace in your life every single day. Yeah, and I can't imagine people who don't have a relationship with God, I can't imagine living that way because I'm already a wreck having a relationship with God. And I don't, I would be a primordial mess. Well, I'm already a wreck. All right, well, we wanted to go back over some of those. There was one that you mentioned about gathering stones. Yeah, I thought that was interesting, too. Time to scatter and a time to gather. What's your take on that? Time to accumulate and a time to let go of things. Whoa, good answer. Man, I'll take that. Ding, ding, ding. I got it. I got it right. That was amazing. Wow, that was really good. Man, I have nothing to say. That was really good. Boom. I want to read further in, I think that says verse 17. God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed. A time to judge every deed. As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Oh. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals. The same fate awaits them both. As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath. Humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. Hey, I got a study. This is out of the words. All go to the same place. All come from dust and to dust all return. Excellent. Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth. That is really interesting. Oh my goodness. I think we stop at what I said, verse 17, and we don't keep reading. Now returning to dust, yes, I've heard that. Huh. That is really, really interesting. The similarities from animals and humans. Yeah, we're literally on air studying, but also inquisitive about, and that's good. And I declared that the dead who had already died are happier than the living who are still alive. That goes to exactly what you were talking about earlier about existing versus living. Yes, it does. Yes, it does. Whoa. What verse is that? That is 4, 2. Oh, Ecclesiastes 4. Yes. And I declared that the dead who had already died are happier than the living who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. Out. Oh, I'm in that scripture for the next. I'm in Ecclesiastes 4 for the next five days. I'm stuck right there. Thank you. That's good. But yeah, that 4, 2 speaks exactly to what you've been talking about. Yeah. Existing versus living. Yeah, what I shared with Shelby was I've been studying quite a bit on the difference between us living and us existing. And there's a lot of existing going on. A whole lot of existing. And I'm wondering, is this it? It's not. That's a real question. I really, really want you to hear me. Like, that's a real question that you will probably get from a lot of people that I'm not afraid to ask that question. Is this it? Is this what I have to deal with? This is what I have to go through? Look forward to. Like, nothing else? As good as it gets. That's a good statement. Will I ever be happy? Will I ever experience true peace? Those are hard. Those are difficult questions. Yes, they are. And even as believers, we deal with that. When the fact of the matter is, if we really absorbed the word and what Christ did for us and all that, we should be rejoicing every minute of every day. Not having one single care. Not having one single worry. Not being offended. Not being hurt. Not being buried or oppressed or depressed or any of it. But because we live in a fallen world, these are all the fun things we get to deal with. The fun things. Come on. Come on. The reason why I wanted to tackle that study, because a child, he wasn't a child, but a young man asked me that question. He said, why am I happy? Why should I be happy for a moment, knowing that this is all I have to work with in this life? I said, whoa. Wow. Whoa. And he was like literally saying, I need you to tell me something different. What did you say? That's heavy, right? That was one of the most biggest questions I've ever met. Like a pallet of bricks. Yeah. I had to look at him. And I said, son, I understand what you're saying. But there will be more joy after this. That was my only statement. Right. I couldn't give him nothing else. Because in all honesty, he had a really good point. Wow. That's a huge. It just threw me in the Bible. Like, I've been stuck like, come on, God. How many people are asking you this question? How many? And even for us, we have to at least be the hand and feet of you to give something, give hope. Yeah, hope. Without hope, people are, they're done. And that's the word I've been falling back on, is hope. What if that boy doesn't know God, and he doesn't ask God those questions, because he doesn't know God? That's why it's hope. We know God, and we get to ask those questions. And then also, and I'm glad you said it that way, for him to want to come to someone. Yeah. That has hope in God. Maybe he's not. Hope in God. Maybe he's trying to find that hope. Yeah. We can only hope. We can only hope. Can we honestly say as believers we're ready for that question? No, who is ready for that question? And be able to answer it? I'm glad he came to you and not me. Hard, but it, man, it floored me to where I was like, well, God, I got questions. Yeah. I got a couple of them. Wow. So how do we change from existing to living? Thriving. There are some scriptures that I had to jot down, and they have helped me better understand that the design of living, here's one scripture, in John 10 and 10, the Bible says that the thief comes to steal, kill, and to destroy. After that, after the comment says, but I have come that you might have life and to live it more abundantly. More abundantly. So the only way we can live is through the greater is he that is in me. There's no living without Christ. And that's all I came up with. For right now, that's my story I'm sticking to. You can't live without Christ. You will exist. And I understand, I'm not forcing people, or I'm not forcing religion. I'm not. I'm telling you about a savior. Right. For you to live. That's the only way we can live, Shelby. Our hope in Christ. Our hope in Christ. Other than that, yeah, we exist. We're just hanging around floating. Well, and I think that even in believers lives, there's times we're just existing. Yes. We've given up hope. Yeah, or we've just gotten wrapped up in ourselves or gotten wrapped up in the world. Well, that's good. Yes, indeed. And let the outside in too much. And now we have, oh, that's good. Now we have to exist because we have to maintain a certain image. You said to let the outside in. Now I have to look, I look like the outside. I have to act like the outside. Taking on that persona. Yes. Milli Vanilli. You've Milli Vanilli-ed it. But now you're really existing because you're Milli Vanilli. Well, they did pretty good for a while. They did. They did. I'm glad you said it that way, because you would do pretty good for a while until you're exposed. Oh. I'm glad you said it. I didn't. And the exposure always happens. Yes. Yes, it does. Yes, it does. It just depends on how many people get to see it. But it's going to happen. It's inevitable. Yeah. That's good. That's what we are. Thank you for bringing out that study. I didn't want to go into it, but you caught me up. Yeah. Well, just because I read it, and I was like, dang, that's exactly what we were just talking about. I'm not seeing that description. Thank you. So good, though. That's so good. What was verse two again? You said something about under the sun, the people that's under the sun. Verse three, but better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. Sounded like the question that he asked. Not even young people. There are people that can come to you, Shelby, and say, hey, I see way too much evil. This world is evil. Like, there's no, in my Shelby voice again, no care for humanity. Right. We're killing them. There's no value. We don't care about them, whether it's, I mean, at least back in the day, it was, we cared about women and children. I don't even care about women and children anymore. Crap. But there's no care for nothing. Once you're corrupt, once you have that warped mindset, that's it. Yeah. And you're saying, go ahead and just live in the world, and you're going to have to and you're saying, go ahead and just live in this evil world, huh? Just live here. You can exist here, but you can live, I guess, on a supernatural mindset. You can have living moments. Can I say it that way? Yeah. Because it ain't like we don't see it. We see the evil every day. Especially if you watch the news. That's the truth. But that's all they portray, anyways. There is still good out there, and that's part of the thing. We've had all the crap thrown in our face 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through the media, and there rarely is a good story. Right. So it makes you think that humanity has all gone to hell in a handbasket. And there's truth to that, absolutely, but there are still good people doing good things I agree. out in the world, and we need to promote that more to overcome the evil and the darkness. I agree. I want to read a little bit more of chapter four, though. Please, please. So this is talking about toiling, I believe. Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. That speaks to how much we need each other, whether it be in relationship, friendship, companionship, whatever. I mean, the word says right there, aside from women being, you know, created for man. Again, it's talking about we're supposed to be together. And I'm not just talking about the male-female relationship, but just relationships in general. You know, how can one keep warm alone? One can be overpowered, but two can defend themselves. You know, pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. This is all speaking to the fact that we are supposed to be a body and work together, help each other, carry each other. I feel like it's speaking to me. I've expressed already on the podcast that being an Islander, you know, it's it's now apparent that there are certain things that I can't do by myself. I made myself believe that everything that I do prior to years ago, everything that I was going to do, I was going to do it by myself. I didn't need no one. I didn't want to be around no one. I just, I was going to do it by myself. And that tells me that, yeah, it ain't going to happen. You need someone. That's not what God wants. That's not what God's design is. His design is better than that. And I'm in the same, I am the same way. Like I, you know, I got to a place where I started doing everything. So now I just do everything. And then someone generous comes along and wants to help me. And I'm like, um, no, step off. I got this. But seriously, I mean, I'm seeing that about myself and I've known that's a challenge for me. And that there's going to have to be a really strong person who's going to be able to break that in me because I am, I'm just used to doing things on my own. But it's to the point that I get offended and I get picked off when people try to do things for me, which is ridiculous. Maybe it won't just be a person. Maybe it may take a community of people to show you that they do have you and that they will help you. It may, may not just be one. But you know, it comes from the seed of disappointment. Yes, that I'm going to get let down by you. Because it's happened so many times in the past. And so I'm not going to rely on you, period. I'm going to rely on myself because I know that I. Yeah, yeah, I know. Because you and I are. Yeah, but that's how we are. We were programmed because I'm gonna use that word. We were programmed to be that way. Scripture just told us that we need each other. Myself and Shelby, we are affiliated with a community choir here in the city. And I love the choir director. He's great. He introduced a song. It's called I Need You to Survive. And I think the song is prophetic of what we're talking about right now. The song, some of the lyrics of the song says, I need you, you need me. We're all a part of God's body. That's, that's the common thing of what we're even talking about. We can't do it alone. Psalms 133, verse one, it said how good and pleasant it is for brethren to come together in unity. And verse three says, I command a blessing when you come together. Not when you're apart. We read scriptures all the time, or we, we cliche this word, but it's a scripture in Matthew that says when two or more are gathered together, I'm in the midst, two or more, not just you and you. But okay, let's look at ourselves, Nate, because here we are as two believers who have completely islandized ourselves, made it so that we only rely on ourselves. We don't rely on anyone else out of the sheer hurt that disappointment has caused us. And we're not alone. No, we're not. So if two strong believers can go there and do that, it's not going to take much for people who don't know God to be there and do that. You're right. And, you know, we're trying to work our way out of it. It's not the easiest thing in the world. No, it's not. And it can be kind of scary. Yes, it is. Yes, indeed. Very scary. We can do it. And, you know, I'm walking through it right now and it is, there are times it's like, yeah, it's very scary. But yet I'm the proponent of being vulnerable and I'm the proponent of being real and authentic and, and doing all this. And so I know God's like, hello, hello. Yeah. Do you get what we're doing here? Like, do you get, you're speaking to yourself the whole dang time? The whole time. Wow. The whole time. And we don't catch it till later. I get it. I don't want it, but I get it. Yeah, me too, me too, me too. It's, I think it's ironic how people can tell someone else how to survive. And you drown. Ouch. Thanks a lot. I'm sorry. No, that was for you. That was for me. I can help you live. But I can't do it myself. Okay. Obviously we are, yeah, we're getting a scolding today. Yes, we are getting intense, getting intense. But I think we, not only do we need it, but it needs to be said on this platform. We're not the only ones, you just said that, we're not the only ones. There are others that struggle in this area. And it wasn't just COVID that ironized people, trust me. No, we were already on our way there. But that threw us over the edge. Yeah. Absolutely. And that's when, you know, suicide and all that started picking up because we had been alienated from each other by outside forces, not just ourselves. So it reinforced all of us. Yes. And made it that much greater and heavier. Cool. Yeah. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. Amen. Amen. I feel like a hypocrite right now. I'm not, but I just feel that way. I'm not, but I just feel that way. I go back to a lot of stuff you've already said. I go back to a lot of stuff you've already said. Conviction is different from condemnation. Conviction is different from condemnation. For sure. Thank you, Jesus. And your conviction, my conviction right now, And your conviction, my conviction right now, has to push us to change. has to push us to change. I know, and I'm trying to do that. I know, and I'm trying to do that. But like you and I just talked off mic, I have this persona of being very confident. I have this persona of being very confident. And I am very confident outside of relationships. And I am very confident outside of relationships. And when I'm in a relationship, I am completely insecure. I am completely insecure. That's just being real. That's just being real. And I think it's the most wackadoo thing. It is. It's like the opposite of how you should be. I love your word, wackadoo. It is. That's why I'm sitting here just like, That's why I'm sitting here just like, on top of all the other stuff that you and I just admitted, on top of all the other stuff that you and I just admitted, that we're telling all these other people, do this, and do this, and try this, and this is the word, and blah, blah, blah, but yet we're like, I'm supposed to hear that? That's for me too? That's for me too? It's amazing. I can do it, or I can talk about it, but not do it. And we are trying to do it. It's not, and it doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. But that would be hypocritical if you continue to stay in that place. Yes. If I'm telling you that I'm going to get off the island, and I know that I ain't moving, that's a hypocrite. True. But if you continue to move forward in that area, and it's hard to listen to a person that's not doing, or not following their own advice. Right. Absolutely. Who wants to do that? And we're just talking. Right. I'm in conviction every time we get on mic, but we're just talking. Right. No, me too. I admit all the times that I get convicted on this. You are. You're welcome. Because obviously, God's trying to hammer it home with the two of us. All the way home. All the way. In all of this, you all, man, we thank you. We're walking through it with you. How about that? Yes. And we really are. I mean, that's facts. That's the absolute truth. That is 100% truth. We all struggle. She's not going to say she don't struggle. Oh my gosh, no. I just said it. Yes, she did. We all, and we're transparent, and that's the whole purpose of us having this platform to talk about it. Thank you all for listening today. We appreciate you. Yeah. Sometimes I don't know why people want to listen to us. Oh my God. But we love you. We do. We love you 100%. Thank you so much. God loves you. We want you to have a blessed day. Yes. Kick that devil square in the butt. Kick him hard. In Jesus' name. Yes. Thank you.