This is the Truth Network. Coming to you from an entrenched barricade deep in the heart of central North Carolina, Masculine Journey After Hours, a time to go deeper and be more transparent on the topic covered on this week's broadcast.
So sit back and join us on this adventure. The Masculine Journey After Hours starts here now. Welcome to Masculine Journey After Hours. And we are, I would say, a skeleton crew, but none of us are close to being a skeleton. I'm just saying.
So, I mean, we are healthy guys. But we are here again with another topic. And Andy, this is your topic, sir. Yep.
So I'm not going to do the quite deep introduction. Whoa. Yeah. That's because he's wearing glasses. That's what I'm sure.
There you go. I finally got ready. That makes sense. He looks smarter. Yeah.
We know, though. Yeah, sure. Instead of wearing a. Hat next time I wear it. I would have said gentlemen, but you know, I mean, I ain't having it.
Yeah, nah. Yeah. I don't know what this is. Be careful, Danny. Be careful.
But um We thoroughly exhausted the definition of seasons or season or seasons of our life. In the last show, if you want to hear that, I think we went through a lot of different examples, and there's just no, there's not one. single definition that would give you an idea of Mm-hmm. It just It would it's not it's more than just you know, just one thing that you're going with. I think Sam mentioned at the break that you could be going through multiple seasons at a time and For that particular area of your life, and I think that's true.
And it's just why I brought it up to me personally. I think all of us are going through some different seasons. And personally, I am. I've been away from the area for some time, excited about coming back. I believe God has.
Moved me or pointed me or directed me to come back to this area to live. And I'm excited about that. And I've totally, thoroughly enjoyed the other season of where I was living. But it's just a distinct cut, I believe, that he does in lives. And there's plenty of Bible stories to support that.
But again, you can go back and hear all that on the first show. I think we spent the whole first half of the last season. Oh, let's go over it again. No, no, no. I don't remember what we said, Andy.
Can you recap this? You really want to burn your town that way? No, there's a whole season tied up in this.
Well, one of the other seasons that we didn't talk about that I thought about was: you know, we go through a season if you have kids of raising your kids, and you think, okay, now it's a time that I can just kind of rest. But then there's the season of taking care of your parents as they're getting older and their health starts to fail. Right? And it's just like, wow, I go from one right into the other. You know, and so it is, it's a constant changing.
You know, a little tickle as I smack the wiki. Hey, hey, now we graduated all the way to microphones, mouses, staplers, and microphones. It's nothing safe around me. I'll say that. One last point, too, though, is a lot of times God moves you from one stage to the other for you to bear fruit in that stage based on what the growth that you've experienced in another stage.
But I think the enemy sees it too, and I think he gets in the way, just like our calling, he opposes it. And I feel like early in this year, he knew what was coming. I had talked about it with other people. The enemy sensed it. I don't know.
I just feel like I know there was some times earlier in this year where I didn't feel good, I didn't have energy, and I felt opposed, and I was getting very frustrated. And I cried out to God a couple of times, and I had friends that Came through for me and encouraged me and helped me along with the way with some stuff. And that's something else I think we need. I mean, when Moses was stuck on the backside of the desert, he got direction from Jethro, I believe it was, and spoke into his life and how to take it. Yeah, I knew that was coming.
I knew there was going to be a clamping in there somewhere. But anyway, God is all up in the changes and the seasons of our life and helping us through. The Bible's full of it, of how He directs our steps, how we have to trust in Him and direct and He directs our steps. But we do, we were talking earlier too. One last thing is that the reason there are seasons is Life would be the same without it.
Just like we have weather seasons and there's variety in that, there's seasons of our life and it brings variety and growth.
So, that's a recap you did want to do. Oh, yeah, exactly. Let's get with it. All right. I'm just kidding.
On some of the shows I watch, there's a skip recap button. I don't think we have one though. No, we don't. You can stand Andy's mic. Sam, don't you have a clip?
Yeah, I do. Can you get on with the show, please? I'll try to move on. Oh, yeah. Make it fun of you, Andy.
You know, you're going to be gone here in a couple weeks for a little while, so I need to give you a hard time. And I'll be gone. Yeah, you will. Anyway, so my clip is a clip from the TV show News Radio, which is an old show, gosh, 90s, maybe I think it was. It was quite funny, had some really good moments in it.
But you had this guy that runs the radio station, and he owns a station, and he's single, and he meets this lady, and they haven't really dated, but they've kind of flirted a little bit. And he decides just to go up and propose to her. And so I want you to listen to this, and I'm going to talk about why I picked the clip after the clip, but it is I find it somewhat humorous and preposterous, but there is a a moral to it, so we'll talk about that on the backside. Melanie? Tom's single, you're single.
What do you say we get married?
Well, I'm glad you finally decided on the direct approach. Yeah, well, I'm a businessman at heart. As am I. What's your offer? Single-rich male seeks matrimony.
Primary residence? Westchester County. Would you be open to considering a secondary residence in Manhattan? Central Park West.
South. Done. Mm-hmm. Time spent together. Eight hours, five days a week.
Seven hours, twelve hours weekends. 55 hours aggregate specifics to be determined later. Time amenable to that, children. One, three, two. Done.
But one of them has to be a male. I'll see what I can do. Vacations. December, Hawaii. June, the vineyard.
June, fine, but Hawaii. Nope, the vineyard. Is that a deal-breaker for you? I'm afraid so. Me too.
Hello, we gave it a shot. I'm sure you'll find a better match. Thanks for the time.
Alright, so part of the reason I played that, obviously, if you listened to last week's show, you understand that I got engaged, right? And so I'm going to get married sometime next year. I know when it is, but I'm not telling you. But it's it's next year. We're getting married.
And uh uh we'd been dating for the better part of nine years, um with a little break in the middle there as we tried to get some things ironed out just individually. Um and there was a season There was a season of dating, but that season got over, and it was time to move on to the next step. And part of the reason I wanted to play that clip was, as ridiculous as that sounds, When you're getting married, this is not the first marriage for either one of us. When you're getting married for the first time and you're young, it's all about love and it's all about the future. And you may talk through a few little plans: hey, we'd love to have kids, that kind of thing, but it's very high level.
You know, there's no granular approach to it. When you're, you know, I'm in my early 60s, she's in her mid-50s, and so. I think she's okay with me telling you that, but I've already done it now. But anyway, that will be determined. It will be, yeah.
I'll, if I'm here next week. You have different conversations. You know, we're at a point in life where her life revolves around the area where she's in right now, which is about 45 minutes from where I live. My life revolves around the area I'm in, my work, the ministry stuff that I do. You know, it it's and so you have to navigate: okay, when we get married, where are we going to live?
Right? How long will we be there? What's retirement look like? When can we retire? What are we going to do when we retire?
Are we on the same page with that kind of stuff?
Sounds pretty much like that clip, right? It really does. But, you know, the difference between them and us, there's love involved in ours, right? But it's more than love because you have logistics. You also have to work out, you know, neither one of us know where we're going to be health-wise in retirement.
I can retire in five years. At 67, she can retire for her first time in five years. And so, you know, are we both ready to at that point? And are we going to want to travel? And we're going to want to do these things and do my goals and her goals align.
Right. Because otherwise what happens, you get down the road and you have a huge disappointment. You have a reason for the enemy to step in and split. You know, and it sounds silly, but you have to work through wills. You have to work through, okay, what things you want to make sure your kids get.
What things do I want to make sure my kids get from my life before now? What do we want to do with our previous assets and then shared assets? And how's that all break up when something does happen? Because at least for me, I'm at the second half of my life, well past the second half, right? I'm in the home stretch, and I don't know how many years that's going to be.
Hopefully, a lot more. Right, but we don't know, but you have to prepare for that. And so it does look more like that negotiation at times. But like I said, ours has a lot of a lot of love there as well. And we know that that's where we want to go.
And part of You know, I've heard a lot from friends and family. Wow. finally, it took you long enough.
Well, actually, you know, it may have, and it may have been me dragging my feet a little bit in some areas, but honestly, I think it took the right amount of time. 'Cause for me to try to rush into that next season without getting the healing that God's really given me in the last six months? Would have not went well for her, it would have gone well for me. It would have been very hard to navigate. Not that it's not hard already, you know, making changes and living together.
You know, I went through having never lived alone to now being, and then having my kids every other week for the whole week, to I've been an empty nester for the most part for a little while.
Now my son's back home part-time, you know, as he goes to grad school. And so I'm in these constant seasons of change, but I'm going to have to learn what's it like to live with somebody every day again. I haven't had to do that. Right. You know, if I get home and just don't I want to eat cereal, I just eat cereal.
You know, I mean, I don't have anything I have to do. And so, you know, there's a lot of change that comes with that. And change is good, even though it's not the most comfortable thing. The last thing I want to kind of talk about is you are in multiple seasons of your life. You know, I'm nearing the end of my work season.
Right, I've got five more years that I want to work, and yes, and if you've listened to any of our shows on the stages of the masculine journey, it'll make sense to you. If you haven't, go listen to them, and then it'll make more sense. But you know, I'm going less from being in the king stage, which I have full authority over whatever my realm is. I still have my own community, but I've been called more and more along the way into the stage stage. to really teach and mentor other kings.
Yes, I still have some king activities, but it's more about what's the legacy that I want to leave behind more than what's the task at hand. Right. What's yeah, I have my checklist I have to get through every day, but life at this point for me has to be more than a checklist. It has to be a bigger picture thing of, okay, what do I want to impart on this company while I'm still here? From all the seasons I've been through.
Right. From all the seasons I've been through, because I've lived it that way. Right. You know, a few years ago, I had. a potential opportunity for promotion.
I was asked about if I would consider it. And a younger me would have said, yes, absolutely, because I would be thinking about the more money and how that could provide more things. A well-seasoned me, having gone through different seasons, the answer is very clear of no. Yes, the more money would be good, but what would I have to give up? in order to get that.
Would be a lot more of my free time. And at this point in my life, time is the most valuable commodity I know I have. We live so much of our life not realizing how valuable time is that when you can sense that somewhere down the road the end is near, you start to live differently with my time is my biggest commodity. That's right. Right.
And I want to invest that where I want to invest it the most with my family, my friends, you know, with God. those types of things. Yeah, w work can take away More than it gives a lot of times. And you just put up with those most of your life, and you're at a good season where you're like, you know what? I don't need to do that.
I'm fine. I've worked really hard, worked really well, and I'm just going to go on. Yeah, that's good. Good.
Well, you know, I mean mentioned it at the first show, you know, where I'm at with this diagnosis. We don't always weigh this gonna go. And I find, Sam, that that I lean more toward the sage part of my life and pouring into people at work that that need some pouring into, need some encouragement to step into other areas and and that kind of thing and, you know, with my son and with, you know, those around me. You know, 'cause, you know, family's the the the main thing, the main thing. You know, and you invite Jesus into that.
And, you know, I love what you talk about, you know, with your conversation with Misty and The The uh oh the uh oh Awesome. The difference is you have Jesus in it, and both of you have Jesus, and you've brought that into your life. And, you know, those conversations are obviously not like your clip. Yeah, no, the clip is very business. You're not even Bill Murray in the Groundhog Day.
I'm really close on that. Yeah. I'm really not. But anyway, well, Rodney?
Well, before we go there, I was going to share one other thing. You know, this summer I've had an intern. You know, and he's going into his senior year of college, and yes, I have been showing him the nuts and bolts, the X's and O's of what we do. But honestly, more of our conversations is about life things. You know, he's looking at taking a job next year, and I'm having conversations with you're going to try to start deciding on money only.
But the question you got to ask yourself is am I going to enjoy that job in three years? Four years. Because you'll take the money and then you'll get stuck. And just trying to help him with advice of, okay, think about this differently. He's 21, he probably won't.
But at least he can look back and go, oh, that person tried to tell me, and he'll think about it before the next time. You have to learn one step at a time.
Some of us learn a little quicker, some of us don't. Yeah. We have your inherited clip here, Mr. Smoot. Yeah, I inherited a clip already put in by Jim.
So Jim had somebody else put it in the technical.
Well, we want to get really.
So, this is really a hand-me-down clip, is really what it is. Jim just goes out and says, Hey, can somebody cut this for me? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know. I used to have to do it.
Now you're doing it. Let's see, Jim. Jim, I'm expecting a response on Facebook.
So come on. Yeah. And It's one of those things where When you're In trying to get something done like this, and you're talking about all these seasons, and one of the things I've had the last year is a lot of memory loss, and it's just. Not really. I just can't remember anything.
It's like I just need a prompt. Like today when Andy, you said something about a time frame and I'm like Oh, yeah, there was that time when I came to Christ and all this stuff was changing and moving, and it was a season. And, like Sam was just saying, with a lot of things going on in his life, I don't always see them right now because all I really kind of focus on is just where I'm at. I don't really. Worry about the past.
I don't worry about the future as much. I'm just like, okay, this is where I'm at. This is what I'm dealing with. What do I have to deal with today? I am much more.
I guess focused. There's things going on in my life that are all around, and that's one of the things I do think about the clip here: it has a little bit of. Other stuff that you can hear a few things that are in the clip about. where they might be thinking. But again, it's really just With the 20 things you got going on today.
How can you focus that down to where it's like two or three I'm going to really focus on, and the rest of them I'm just going to get done, do whatever? And not worry about them being perfect. Because they don't have to be. They just have to be done.
So if you can go through that and just keep working it one thing at a time, the more you can narrow that down and not have 20 different things going on, it helps. Kids, wives. you know, other things that are going on in your life. Just Allow them to just be there, things at work. You know, just let that stuff kind of be there and go and take care of them.
But then. When you're out of work, Really make sure that you're focused back on your life because that's one of the hardest things I've learned to. try to get more situated is My own personal life. Yeah, what you're talking about is really be present. And Jesus tells us to do that.
Quit worrying about the past or tomorrow. Worry about where you're at right now. That's good wisdom. Go ahead, Danny. Let's play a few.
Secondhand lines? Yeah. So this is the bar scene. I'll just go ahead and set it up real quick where Hubb is kind of questioning his uh it Garth and Hubb are questioning their um Their purpose and their benefit to society, or whatever. And they've got this young nephew that they're.
Just getting to know, and they end up going and kind of mentoring him, but they are challenged by these troublemakers. And Hub has got some experience in handling troublemakers, and you'll hear that in this clip. Tell me. How's that barbecue? Give me some.
We're busy. we'll get lost, all right? Yeah. What did you say? Here's a perfect example of what I've been talking about.
He's been given everything but discipline. And now his idea of courage and manhood is to get together with a bunch of punk friends and ride around irritating folks too good natured. to put a stop to it. Hey. Who do you think you are, huh?
Just don't kid her dunking. Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Hub McCann. I fought in two wars and countless smaller ones on three continents.
I led thousands of men into battle with everything with horses and swords to artillery and tanks. I've seen the headwaters of the Nile. And tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I've won or lost a dozen fortunes, killed many men. And loved only one woman with a passion a flea like you could never begin to understand.
That's who I am. I go home.
Okay. Get out your knife. Yeah. Now boys, you're fixing to let those teenage hormones get you into the world of trouble. Garth, did I ask you to bud in?
Cup, you just come out the hospital, well. Hey, there's a There's only four of them. Yeah, but well look, look, you fight this one first, and then I'll let you fight the other three after, okay? Yeah. Watch out, kid.
Now you. You better pick that knife up. Because Okay. You're going to need all the help you can get. Yeah.
Come on, Frankie. Get him, Frankie, cut him. Frankie, get him, Frankie, Frankie, get him. Get him, Frankie. Cut him.
Come on. Shoot. All respect in a book.
Okay, okay, fine. Hold it wrong, son. Not like this. You always do it like this. Smooth.
Alright, trendy. It's just a great movie. There's so much that happens in this movie, and you can see the different. characters in it and the place that they're in right now in their story. And to understand Where, how does that?
Because his whole life was. fighting. His whole life was being a warrior. And now he's an old overweight, retired guy sitting around really not doing a whole lot. They sit in their front yard with their shotguns and rifles shooting people when they come around.
You know, at least pointing their guns at them and shooting them. At least the salesman, anyway. Yeah. They're always coming because they know they got money. And there's all this scenario going on, and it's just really, really Fine.
to watch the movie where you can think, Man, What would my life be like? If I had all that. Because you really don't want to. Yeah. Okay.
No, you're good. I'm good. All right, so I think we want to play. I got a couple, but I think play the rookie clip. But let me set it up real quick.
This is the story of Jim Morris. He was a high school teacher and baseball coach. And his baseball team needed, I mean, they needed, they were taking batting practice, and he let a few go. And he had been a pitcher before, and he had had an injury, and he had given up on that dream. And this is a season in his life where it's about to change, where that dream comes back into focus.
And But these kids have lost their they've never developed a desire to have a dream. They just l think they're going to grow up in this town and get a job and not really dream. And they challenge him and he challenges them and we'll talk about it when we get back. Anybody want to tell me how we lost that game? How about taking a look at the numbers on that scoreboard out there?
Okay. What do those numbers tell you? How to get a hold of Bo's tire barn. Quit out there.
Well, what is it? I think people don't care about baseball around here. Think the school's gonna drop the program? You're just making it easy for 'em. Sad part about it is I see it and you don't.
Most of you. You're gonna finish up school here, you're gonna work the rigs, you're gonna work at Bo's tire barn, you're gonna raise a family and retire, and you're gonna do all that right here in Big Lake. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm doing it. But if you're looking for something more after you're done here, You better give some serious thought as to how you're going to play out the rest of this season.
What difference does it make? I mean it's not like any of us are getting scholarships. Yes. I'm not talking about college. I'm talking about wanting things in life.
I'm talking about having dreams. And all that starts right here, okay? Right here. You don't have dreams, you don't have anything. Coach, wh what about you?
I mean, you talk about our dreams. You're not talking about me. Yeah, come on, coach. Every time you throw, I gotta ice my hand. Every time.
You're the one who should be wanting something more. I've had my shot, all right? Just. We gotta practice tomorrow. Let's go.
So you take another shot. It doesn't work like that. It does if you throw hard enough. I don't throw hard enough.
Now let's hit the showers. Come on. Now, wait a minute. We start winning. You try out again.
Last time I checked. Scouts aren't looking for high school science teachers.
Well not many science teachers throw like you. A heck of a lot more than a couple of wins to get me to make a fool of myself. All right. What if we win district?
Okay. What if we win district and go to state playoffs then? Serious? Yeah. And all I have to do is just find some kind of tryout somewhere.
That's it, man. Hold on. UN district.
So they actually did win district. And he actually did try out. And he actually did go to the major leagues and pitch in games and struck out some Pretty pretty formidable. uh ba hitters. And so, I mean, it's it's a great story, but you know, he he his season of dreaming he thought was gone.
And he brought and God brought that in. He's Christian and motivational speaker now. But that dream became a reality again and then It became a dream for those kids. I think a lot of them went to college after that. I mean, a great success story.
But it all had to do with a change of seasons. He was comfortable being that science teacher. He was good with that. But he was challenged. What happens if they would have never challenged him?
What if he never challenged them? And that's You know, God bringing in and a change of season. It's like a new vision that the Bible talks about of not just being complacent in where you are. There's nothing wrong with that. He said that.
And sometimes that's what God calls you to be is to stay and be faithful in what you are. But a lot of times he wants us to risk. It's like the guy that, you know, buried his talent instead of investing it.
So anyway, I love that clip. It may have not spoken directly to my story, but my story is still developing. I don't know what coming back here will mean and how my life will change. All I know is, is I. To Sam's point, you know, you get these times away.
It allows God to heal you because I needed some healing. Yeah. It caused me to get quiet. This is what I got some of those two videos that somebody I just randomly saw that spoke about the time of being away and being. by yourself.
This one. They um they really spoke to that time of of I really did. Allow Jesus a deeper place in my heart in that healing that he did and the restoration, the confidence, and all the stuff that came with it.
So, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the show. Evaluate your life and where God has you and the season you're in and the season you're headed. Yeah, you can pick up this show on any podcast format. You can go to masculinejourney.org. You can find all the podcasts there and other information.
You can find out about our upcoming boot camp at. In November 20th to 23rd, at Royston, Georgia, Camp Little Light. Camp Littleite. Yeah, I knew it was this little light of mine or something. Yeah, something like that.
But anyway, and you can register there. Go ahead and register. And we will talk to you next week. Yeah. This is the Truth Network.
Yeah.
