Adventures With The Father After Hours

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A 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 talking about adventures with the Father today. Not your father, well, yes, your father, but the Father, not your earthly dad, which can be part of the topic we talk about, but it's more adventures with our Heavenly Father that we're talking about. And so the topic was that, the adventures with the Father that are expected and unexpected, and it was pretty much left at that, and everything else was up for interpretation.

And so that's what we're kind of getting, kind of like most weeks, interpretation of the topic, you know, lots of different views of it. And so on the first show we talked about some different things, and now we're going to transition to Harold, who has the next clip with his favorite band. Am I right in saying that's your favorite band, Harold? What's your favorite singer in that?

No, I'm just kidding. I have to admit, I knew nothing about Coldplay. I was doing a search, trying to find a clip, and the title reached out and grabbed me about it being an adventure. And when I listened to it, I immediately knew that that was the one I was going to use. And I've come to realize after comments made earlier this evening of how predictable that I am, that invariably I will have something about my sweetheart, my Susie, my Jan, or whatever other affectionate term I want to use for the woman that I've been in love with for a little over 60 years. So that's where this selection comes from.

Absolutely. All those names, that keeps the adventure going, right? You don't know who you're going to see from night to night, right? Well, it was a funny thing that happened back when we went to Columbus, Mississippi, and moved over there. There was a lady that we knew because she was from Columbus, but we had been living in Prattville, Alabama. Well, her brother was there, and we went to church together, so she knew both Jan and me.

And she also then, when I moved to Columbus, she worked in the same department. And so, I hadn't been there very long, and I showed up one morning, and I was talking about what Susie and I did the night before, and her eyebrows arched, and she looked at me, and I mean, she knew Jan, but she didn't know Susie. And so, I kind of had to explain myself. But the reason that I think of this as an adventure is that I had a different adventure in mind. I thought I was going to travel and see the world at the expense of the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot.

And I had been moving in that direction far enough to take the written exam for AOC, and so then all I had left was graduate, pass the physical, and get into training, and hopefully make it through that. But God had a different idea for my adventure, so a fellow that ate at the boarding house where I worked came up one day, and he's quizzing me, and I'm not paying much attention at all to what he's doing. Later, I realized he's identified the fact that I'm not engaged, not going steady, I'm in town for the weekend, and I got nothing to do on Friday night.

Then he tells me that his sister's coming down for the weekend, and she's got a date for the ballgame and stuff, but nothing on Friday night, so he wants me to double date with him and go out with his sister. I wasn't real keen on that idea, and I tried to get out of it by saying, well, I got an ego problem. I don't date girls taller than me. Oh, she's just 5'2". So she was taller than you.

Nice. But when we showed up over at her cousin's dorm where she was staying, and I first laid eyes on her, it was like, wow. I mean, I don't think I could have been floored anymore if somebody had hit me in the head with a ball bat. And it was so fast. I mean, this was on the Friday night before Thanksgiving 1962. At Christmas 1962, I find myself down on one knee asking her to marry me, and I had not even given one thought before then. God had to be doing it.

It wasn't me. And so I actually dropped out of school and went to basic training in the Air National Guard, and I was scared to death of what I was going to do to make a living, because my curriculum was industrial management, which at Auburn at that time was a hybrid of industrial engineering and business, and most of the kind of jobs available just had no appeal to me. And so I was scared to death of my future. But my first class after I got back that fall from my last year in school was computer programming, and it was a similar reaction to when I first saw her. It was like, wow, I know what I want. And so God took me on an adventure that has lasted for all this time. She still excites me. And so that song that you're fixing to play talks about feeling my heart come alive.

That's what she does for me. All right. Well, here we go.

We'll listen to it and come back. Me. Because you make me feel.

I wish everybody could have that. I feel so blessed that the good Lord took me away from an adventure that would have probably ended in a bad way. A lot of guys about my age that got through and were flying over Vietnam got shot down at horrible time in prison camp or death or both. And I was spared that.

I don't feel like I was a cheater. I spent six years in the Air National Guard. I didn't have to see combat or anything, but I did have a responsibility. But God took me on a different adventure, and I'm so glad he did.

Yeah, and I'm sure that your sons are glad because they wouldn't be around. That went on the adventure with Susie and Jan and the three of you. Just two, but it sounds like three. And the sweetheart. And the sweetheart. Yeah, four. There's four.

He's got nothing now. Kind of like the Trinity. He's married to the Trinity.

He's married to the Trinity. There you go. Very biblical. Yeah, there we go.

We're right at the back to the Bible. Well, Harold, I actually liked the song quite a bit. It was good. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed your take on that. That was good. So thank you for sharing that. Kenny, is there anything you'd like to share with us about adventures with the Father? Yes?

Jeopardy music. Well, we could. But do we look for it?

Or do we see it? Each day is an adventure because we're not going to go back through this again. Do we really want to gleam it for its best? Because I used to just rush through things, and I miss a lot of stuff, and God had to knock me down. You know, you get caught up in success or chasing success, and you really miss life. But that's what Christ said he came to give us. Abundant life.

It's not about abundant stuff. It's about, to me, these times together. These memories that we make. That's what I've been hearing in people's heart.

You're about connecting with your sons or your children or your spouse or your friends or your neighbors or people at work and just enjoying that time together. I think that's part of it. We want to get back to the, I think the garden was a playground in a way. Because they just sweated. The brow wasn't in the game yet. Yeah, they had work and some things they tended to, but it was like kids playing, I think, like in the playground.

Enjoy this and enjoy that and God's blessing everything they're doing. Wasn't a lot of thorns and that kind of stuff. Yeah, that's right. But that's where we messed up, or they messed up. God said you don't need this knowledge. But there was another tree over there.

It's called the tree of life. What does Satan get them to chase? Knowledge.

And he'll get us to chase that same thing, knowledge, instead. Really, life. Because Christ is the life. He is, to me, is that tree of life that he brings back to us. And we see it again in the Proverbs, in Revelation. That's what's really going to fill our hearts.

And it's got to be that walk with Christ and other people. Like we was talking about being the best at something. Are we best friends with people? Do we want to be that best neighbor? Do we really want to love God with all our heart, mind and soul, and love our neighbor as ourself? And that's the battle of the spirit and the flesh. But that's my adventure every day, is get Kenny out of the way and get Christ. Take the crown off of me and keep it on him.

Because I like to take that crown and dance around like I am something. But that's that flesh. That gave me a visual I really didn't want to see. We can boot camp.

I think Burger King is the house. We can do that. You said something that made me think. I like to think that I'm pretty critical of Adam. But how many times have I taken the bite off of the tree of knowledge instead of looking for life? I've done that same mistake so many times. And I would have made it in the garden 99.9.9.9.9%. Well, you knew that was going to happen. If he hadn't have done it, I would have.

Yeah, I would have been right. I'd have gotten in front of Andy and Eve instead of Adam and Eve. I'm older than you.

I've gotten in front of you. Yeah, you're older than me, Kenny and Eve. What I heard Kenny say there, too, and I was thinking the same thing earlier. It comes from Rodney's clip on the first show, From the Great Outdoors. When you're experiencing adventure, you're present.

That's my word from the year. But it comes into so much. You can't have relation without being present. And so much of our stuff is activity, activity and this and that. And part of your adventure are those activities.

I'll explain some of mine. But it means nothing without relation tied to it and being present with that. Instead of being on your phone or whatever, I really just went camping and I really had to constrain myself from going to those other things. And I just wanted to be present with nature.

And it was life-giving. Yeah, it's amazing when you leave your phone in the other room and don't do anything with it for a while. What all you can get done and how much you can stay engaged in things and how big of a distraction it really can be. But sometimes when it's away from you like that, you're doing all that, but then you realize it's not there and then you get fidgety.

Well, I may need to go check it. Yeah, it's today's addiction. It's a phone addiction.

I just haven't been identified with it yet. We keep feeding our mind with stuff. It is a distraction. It'll take us away from the moments if we're not careful.

That's one thing I love about my grandkids. They make me slow down and enjoy the little rocks and the flowers and all the beauty that God's put all around us. We just slow down and look at it. They're exploring and venturing through fresh eyes.

We walk right past it. Yeah, we need that childlike wonder back in our lives. It's kind of like spending the day with Robby, except he might tell you the Hebrew word for it and a couple other things in addition. Robby very much sees those things. He talks to us about it sometimes on the air, but off the air just like the different flowers and things.

He's very observant with that. Well, Andy, it kind of gets to your clip now, so if you want to tell us about that. Art, you're coming up soon for your adventure story, so be prepared. Andy, you're up next. This is a movie that's kind of hard to explain.

I'll do my best and I'll ask my team to keep me honest and help me out with the story. It comes from Field of Dreams. Ray is this corn farmer in Iowa and he gets this word, we suppose, from God that says, if you will build it, he will come.

It's like, huh? Then he gets led into going. His wife's reading about this author and this author has kind of checked out on life. But they both, Ray and his wife, dream about them going to a Boston Red Sox ball game with this author. So he goes and tracks him down and they go to this game and this is what this scene's from. But ultimately what's going on here is Ray's got some wounds. His dad was involved with the Black Sox scandal from way back. And Ray said some hard things to his dad and then shortly thereafter his dad was killed. So there was a wound there from them being, you know, a broken relationship. So they're at this ball game, Something Man, Terrence Man, I believe is his name. And they're at the ball game and it's just their dialogue. Well, as this voice that Ray heard, he'll hear it again and it's leading to the next step.

So this is based, they kind of go on a road trip and it eventually leads back to Ray and reconciling with his father. But this is part of that road trip and it's just kind of been something I feel like God's done with me on road trips. So, here we go. So what do you want? I want them to stop looking to me for answers, begging me to speak again, write again, be a leader. I want them to start thinking for themselves and want my privacy. No, I meant, what do you want? Oh, a dog and a beer. Two.

Seven bucks. OK, I understand you should be entitled to as much privacy as you want, but why stop writing? I haven't published a word in 17 years and still I have to endure a lunatic like you.

What do you think would happen if I suddenly came out with a new book that would bleed me dry? Go the distance. Go the distance. What's the matter? You didn't see that? See what? I'm sorry, I guess you didn't have to be here.

What? Whenever you want to go, we can go. Fine, let's go. What is it you're not telling me? I've already taken up too much of your time. I wish I had your passion, Ray.

Misdirected though it might be, it is still a passion. I used to feel that way about things, but you got another message, didn't you? You think I'm crazy.

I already think you're crazy. What did it say? It said the man's done enough.

Leave him alone. Moonlight Graham. Saw it. Saw what? Saw it. New York Giants, 1922. He played one game.

He never got to bat. You saw it. What did I see, Ray?

Sargism, Minnesota. God damn it, man. We were the only ones who saw it. Did you hear the voice too?

It's all right to admit it. It's what told me to find you. Did you hear it? Go the distance. Yes. Do you know what it means?

Yes. What? It means we're going to Minnesota to find Moonlight Graham.

So I just picked up on something when we were listening to it. I really didn't hear this, but you hear about Terrence and how he was kind of checked out and all. He needed to go on an adventure with the father as well in conjunction with Ray.

He needed, you know, he had become bored with life and disenchanted. And so he gets pulled in the adventure. But it leads to Ray playing catch with his dad, which is, you know, that's near the end of the movie. And his dad says, hey, Ray, they're throwing the ball around and he's built this field and they've played this game. And his dad was like, is this heaven?

And Ray says, like, no, this is Iowa. But essentially it was heaven to them, the way the restoration of the relationship happened. But God's, you know, to come after me that way. You guys have heard so much about God making some changes in 2016 and a new job hooked up with this ministry. And I really kind of began to pursue this message of God as being my father, taking me on some adventures. And I've just continued to do that. And every time that I have an opportunity to travel with work or I live up in Boone and do some exploring or discovery there, just try to keep that childlike wonder, an open heart to what do you have in this and not just going out there.

I'm bad. I want to hit all the high spots. I want to see what all the tourists want to see.

I want to do all these things. But it's just like I was talking earlier on the camping thing of just slowing down. I have one of the best pictures of Table Rock Mountain with my fire sitting there, you know, from my tent. And it was just like he was there. I mean, I took a hike.

I go down. I sit down on this rock and I look down and I see this at first. It's just a piece of bark. But I looked at it close and it looks like this hawk or eagle's eye and just it was squared off or whatever. It wasn't perfect or whatever.

But if you first glanced at it, you'd say, that's a bird of some type, you know. Really cool. Kept it. I had, during that day, I gave up my camping spot because I felt like I'd stayed my time. I wanted to get back and do some stuff at the house.

But I wanted to get off the mountain and do some other stuff. And as I did, this guy came along. I was able to get my campsite and told him I had prayed about it and kind of felt like God had released it. This guy had come in from Maryland. There was no camping sites available and he was able to get it kind of testified to God's goodness that basically God had worked on my heart and answered his prayer.

So it was cool. And then shortly after that, I go into Blowing Rock. I'm at this restaurant.

I just sit down and just want to get something to eat, get back home. People sit down next to me. They start talking. And it was just a cool thing that transpired.

I mean, they were talking to somebody else who was kind of annoying me and then they started talking to me. And come to find out, the guy introduces himself as this guy that's known for making all the trails on Grandfather Mountain, which I'd love to do, those trails and stuff. He wrote a book. I saw the book in a bookstore recently and I made note of it. He shows me the book on his phone. I thought it was right.

Sure enough, that was the one that I saw. It was just really weird how it all transpired. I made a friend. Just had a good conversation. I used to never would talk to strangers like that. It was like I'd be into myself and not worry.

Had a great time. And those are the kinds of things I believe God leads you into. There's a relational thing. There's a mission.

God wants to win hearts, but there's also just being kind and relational to people and just looking for his opportunity to lead you into those things that you normally wouldn't do. You're taking risk. Well, thank you, Andy. I appreciate that.

Art, it is over to you, my friend. You're not making eye contact, but I can still see you. Well, I am now. I'm looking at you now.

I'm ready to talk. Well, I had a hard time preparing for this topic tonight because I was thinking I don't really have adventures. My life is more like a TV reality show than an adventure. Those are adventures. Well, well, well, in talking and listening to the show and listening to the guys talk, it's coming around to me how this is actually an adventure and how it is part of God's plan. So, yeah, I learned and I gained an awful lot sitting here listening, and I put something together. So in my reality TV reality show, I'm kind of like it's kind of like the show, Alaska, The Last Frontier. Yes. Auto culture. His name, I think. Yes. It's kind of like that where he's always he's got to go do some job and something breaks.

So he has to stop and go do another job, fix something else before he can do the job that needs doing by a certain deadline. And those kind of things happen. My dogs, they found the copperhead snake the other evening. My prize heifer, she had a miscarriage and we had to get her to the barn and get the doctor out. And we put her in the head gate and the doctor went around behind her and she decided to lay down and she wouldn't get up. So she was effectively choking herself in the head gate. And me and the doctor and the doctor's helper were we were all frantically trying to get her up or get the gate open or something to. So she wouldn't die.

I mean, she would have died if we didn't have got her out of there. And finally, I got a my wood splitter was sitting there and I have this this hook that I use to to grab wood, grab chunks of firewood. It has a sharp point on it. And also, I had a half an ax there. So I was able to put the hook of that sharp point of that hook in between a couple of parts on the head gate and hit it with the ax and get it open.

It wouldn't open because she was putting pressure on it. So so we got out of that. So we have things like that.

Yes. But in thinking about it, you know, I've been able to retire from a career and I was able to come back to the family farm and I stay busy with things like that. And that is it's probably a good thing for me. It's probably part of God's plan for me to have something to do because, you know, as old country boys, maybe we don't know what to do with ourself if we don't have some job to go and go work at some. So that's that's fine.

Well, God said for us to go work and to keep. And that's exactly what you're doing. I would have thought you would have talked about your adventures with your dog, Bella. Yeah, because I mean, that's been an adventure for you as well. Well, it certainly is.

But we talk so much about that. Yeah, well, she was kind of in it with the snake and I had to get my dogs away from that snake. And I've kind of trained them.

They found black snakes several times and I've taught them to give the snake some room and don't try to kill them or anything. And so so it worked out. We got away from it.

Finally got around a snake that would kill back. Yeah. Well, this is this has been a great topic. Anything else you guys want to share before we kind of wrap up, Kenny? He's talking to you earlier about the old man joke.

I say, well, the only one I can think of is how many old men does it take to walk a dog? We don't know. We can't catch him.

I thought you had a joke. Are you trying to catch the old man? Yeah, Harold walks fast, man. I can't keep up with him. On the pickleball court, man, you're not going to keep up. Well, no, I won't even challenge him there. Jim learned his lesson challenging him on the pickleball court.

I was smart enough not to do that because he would school us all. I'm pretty certain. Amen.

Yeah. Well, go to masculinejourney.org to register for the boot camp coming up. When, Andy, do you remember when it is? November 16th through 19th.

16th through 19th. Or the weekend before Thanksgiving. Either or, but it is the same. Yes, it is the same. It is the weekend before Thanksgiving. So don't get confused. Masculinejourney.org. We'll talk with you next week. Love somebody well this week.