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. We are excited to have you at the end of the year, beginning of the next year, depending on when you listen to this, the beginning of next year. So we're glad to have you in 2025. And we're looking forward to what God's adventures have for us this next year and what boot camps will do and if we'll do any entrenchments and where those will be and that kind of thing. And so we're just kind of working through that now as we ask God some of the plans for this next year. But right now we're revisiting last year on 2024 on the things that God's done for us specifically in the masculine journey. And what's our favorite memory of a boot camp, a radio show, another time we got together, our personal journey with God through the masculine journey, just anything like that or multiples. And so we're kind of talking through some of that today as we put an end to 2024, you know, put the last nail in the 2024 box and pack it away. And so we'll kind of go from there. But before we get going, any thoughts you guys have that you'd like to share? I'm looking around, everybody's got a blank stare. I was thinking about, you know, in the other show, Robby was talking about how our prayer time at boot camp and, you know, it is full acceptance.
It is a piece of heaven. And Robby, I would agree with you there. I think that's probably where I found a solitude, if you will, in this team was at those moments, knowing that you really were who you said you were. And you accepted people for who they were. And here comes another crazy guy into the team and, you know, been embraced, open arms. No kisses yet. Just hugs.
Just hugs. Just X's, no O's. I think that's how that works. I don't know which X's are or which O's are. No, I think that's just O's. It's just O's. It's being O my. O my. O no. O whatever. O golly.
You fill in the mic. One of my favorite memories from 2024 boot camps, and I'll talk about some other stuff here in a minute, but was the last boot camp we had in the fall and the guys from the rescue mission. We've been very grateful to be able to partner with the rescue mission and they send some of the guys that are in their one-year program over to spend some of the weekend with us. They spend all weekend with us. And we've had some amazing guys come through that program and just really got to know them and got to know some of their story.
But this year, this falls group was just different. You know, you might have one or two that are typically kind of, I don't want to say engaged, but are more talkative than others. But this whole group from top to bottom was very engaged in the boot camp. They were very talkative. They were just a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun with those guys and just really seeing what God's doing in their life was just a really cool thing to hear some of what he's been doing for them.
And I've enjoyed getting to know them more. One of the things that happened at that boot camp that I didn't think about until you just mentioned that, that I haven't had a chance to tell on the air, was that we do a thing called listening prayer, which is like one of the riskiest things you'll ever do is everybody's listening and asking God who he wants to speak to and then what does he want to say to them. And of course, it's like stepping off a cliff expecting God, you know, like, okay, we're listening and something always happens that blows us away. Well, this year, you know, shortly after we started, I just heard Mark. And I got the word, you know, because as soon as you hear something, you're supposed to say, okay, I heard Mark. I didn't even, my brain did not process that Mark is my brother, my, you know, blood brother, my real brother. Well, you guys are my real brother. You want to say that? So as soon as I said it, I went, oh, I bet that's my brother, right?
And then people listen for a word. And I was sitting there with kids mostly from my youth group. I don't know how I got them, but, you know, I had Hayden in there and I had Caleb, if I'm not mistaken.
And, you know, so these are young guys and they just start firing off words for Mark. And I did not know in any way, shape, or my brother couldn't make the boot camp because he had some problems with his back and this kind of thing, really wanted to be there. And I didn't get around to calling him to tell him about this, that, you know, we'd heard his name and I had all the words written down. But when we finally connected, oh, my gosh, he had been through a war that night that his wife had come back from a long trip with all sorts of problems, one of which was she had gotten COVID again.
And COVID had almost taken her out, you know, unfortunately, about three years before. So it just devastated my brother. And they were such encouraging words for somebody that that's what we were praying right then. It was like battle and keep the faith and blah, blah, blah. It was all these things that just meant the world to my brother once, you know, it was shared with him. And I'd written it, or actually, Eli had written all that stuff down.
And I had it in my notes and shared it with him. And, again, when you're faithful to something that you know God has come through for you time and time and time again, you know, to actually come through for your brother and to see it encourage his faith like it did, it was awesome. Yeah. Yeah, it that is very cool listening prayer. This last boot camp was very active.
It was one of the more active ones that we've had. I'll go with the clip first. Mine comes from a TV show called Silo on Apple TV. And basically what you find out pretty early on if you have these people living in a silo underground, they've lived there longer than any of them have been alive. It's been 140 years that they know of that they've been in the silo and a lot of their history before that, the days in the silo has been erased. They don't know what happened. They just can't talk about it. They can't even have relics from that time period. Right.
They're not allowed to have any of that stuff. And so what's happening is they have a generator that keeps the silo running and keeps the groundwater, you know, pumped out of the bottom of the silo and things like that. And so the generators have an issues and they're going to have to shut it down for a series for a period of time so they can work on it. And so the mayor, she's at the police station and she's there with the deputy who's the chief officer at the moment. There's something happened to the sheriff, but you can watch and figure that out if you want. But she's staying with him for the evening as they, you know, wait to see if anything comes up from this power going out. And so she goes in and tries to sleep in one of the cells and then comes back out and says, I can't sleep.
And that's where we pick it up and we're going to listen to the clip and then we'll talk more about why I chose it. I can't sleep. Then don't. Ten thousand people aren't sleeping right now. Terrified power will come back. Afraid maybe the groundwater will rise and will drown.
Maybe a bunch of nut jugs will bust out through the top, let the poison in. We've always been one catastrophic failure away from the end of it all. And this just makes everyone conscious of it. Maybe that's not a bad thing.
Makes you appreciate today, yeah. So if you couldn't really catch that, you know, he's just talking about what all the people are fearing right now is the power's out. They've never experienced that in their life. They've never had a blackout.
Right? You know, some of them are afraid the power won't come back on. You know, and they're growing their own food with, you know, down in the silo, right? They're afraid someone will bust out through the top and let in the poisonous gas that keeps them in the silo. At least they believe there's poisonous gas.
They don't know. It's been 140 years, right, since anyone's been out there. Or, you know, maybe the groundwater's going to come up because the pumps aren't working, you know, and people are going to drown. And so what I liked about this clip is when he says, you know, we've lived our life only one catastrophe away, you know, from it all being over.
Right? And that's our everyday life. You know, we can have a car wreck, things can happen, stuff can happen, but we don't live our life like that. And 2024 for me was a very, very difficult year in a lot of ways. At the end of 2023, I lost my brother about halfway through, a little less than halfway through the year. Lost his wife of 50 years.
Again, kind of unexpectedly, both of those were unexpected. Health issues with my grandson, just lots of things have been going on, just pulling at my heartstrings. But when I saw this clip, it reminded me of one of the many reasons I love this team of brothers that I have is that I have a space where I can come share what's on my heart. I can talk about it and you guys listen. First and foremost, you listen.
You know, which is rare these days. A lot of times people don't listen. And you listen to hear, not listen to respond.
And there's a big difference. Not only listen to hear what I'm saying, but you listen to hear what God's saying. In the midst of it. And you help me with context. You help me to have the context of everything.
And that's what the deputy was talking about was maybe it's a good thing to have these things come up because it gives you context of your life. I hate the fact that my brother passed away and I miss him greatly. And I miss my sister-in-law, you know, a lot as well.
But there's been good things that's come from him passing away. You know, I don't take for granted my other siblings anymore. You know, when I see the phone ring and if I'm busy and I can't answer at all, I do.
You know, unless I just can't answer, I answer for my siblings. You know, and I answer for family and for friends as much as I can because it's changed my behavior. It's changed my outlook.
It's changed the context of which I see life. And I hope that I hold onto that throughout this year. But, you know, you guys have always been a great sounding board for me. I don't listen to everything you tell me.
Nor should I, right? I mean, I should listen to God. But you guys are always pointing me back to God. And that's what I really love about this group and what it means to me to be able to do that. Because that's really rare that you have a group of friends that you can do that with that will, A, listen.
B, with all their heart try to give you the best wisdom they can. And at the end of the day, they're going to point you back to God. And, boy, I couldn't ask for any more than what I have here.
So thank you guys. Robby, you want to say something? Yeah, well, you know, it's just a really amazing thing when you think of the honor that God gives us all to have whatever people you've got in your life, right, as you're sitting there thinking about it, that to really just have people that will listen. And, you know, yesterday, unfortunately, I was with some members of the church, and she had lost a daughter about a year and a half ago to cancer, and her other daughter had just had brain surgery for cancer in her brain, right?
And you really don't know what to say. But you can listen, and you can just look them in the eye and just, you know, just listen. And it's fascinating to me how God came for her as you just sat back and kept praying. I mean, that's one thing it seems like as you're listening that prayer is a giant thing of it, and sometimes God has to kind of mash your face into the fact, have you got anything for this? Well, try me, you know. That's a real gift in anything that you're doing, I guess, is to add prayer into the equation. And, you know, there's no doubt that when people get real, as people do at boot camp, as people do in this circle, then they will go over your pay grade.
In other words, you will not have answers for that problem. Because they're overwhelmed, you're going to be overwhelmed too. Well, good, because when you're overwhelmed, then at that point you go, well, God, this one is more than I have, you know, thank goodness. That he can bring me to that point of understanding that I desperately need him. So we talked a little bit about some boot camp stuff. We've talked a little bit about just the Mascoon Journey team. One thing for the radio show I want to mention, and then we'll get to you, Art, with your clip. One of the things that's happened this year is really something that God's had on a lot of our hearts over the last several years, is we're starting to see other ministries be willing and excited to come on the show and talk about things they have going on. We had that happen a couple times this year. Very hopeful it will happen more this next year, because we're really grateful for the platform that God gives us to be on here.
If you've listened to us long, none of us really deserve to be out here based on talent. It's on here on God's grace, right? And what he has to say, and it just sounds like us sometimes, I think. But it's been just my desire to have it be a platform where God's love gets shared multiplied. And to have – Bob's been on here from Ohio, Mike's been on here from Ohio, Mitch from Indiana, from different groups that come on and talk about what they have going on, and being able to promote those things, because I know that people are going to find more intimacy with God when they go to these events, and excited what's going to happen with people they're never going to meet on this side of heaven. Maybe one day they'll go, hey, I went to a camp that you talked about on your stuff, and just how amazing that is that God's let us do that. And so that's been exciting for me and a great memory to have people come on and be a part of the show and be a part of what we do as they talk about what they do.
And so that's been good. Well, one of the things in 2024 we got to go up to – I got to go up for the first time and meet some of the guys up in Ohio that are kind of a brotherhood ministry, kind of do the same things we do. And that was really cool to see faces and put life to know that it's not just some little old obscure thing right around here. There's a world out there of like-minded warriors.
And I've met some brothers up there that I can pick up the phone and call them if I need to about something, and have some special relationships developed there. So that's kind of cool. Yep, absolutely. Art, do you have a clip for us this week? Do you want to tell us a little bit about your clip?
Yes. Well, first of all, let me explain that I'm not one of the talkative ones. I'm one of the not talkative people. But they let me come over here to the radio station and put a microphone in front of me and practice at it. I practice at it. So I'm grateful for that opportunity I have here that you all give me.
Thank you. Getting to my clip and another first for this show, I've actually created my own reel on social media. And I'm going to use that as my clip here for this show.
It started with me because I got a trail cam and set it up. And then I got a really cool pic of me riding my four-wheeler with my dog Bella riding behind me and kind of pushed up against me kind of like a backpack almost. And I thought that would be such a good – that was such a good picture. And I thought I would use that. And, of course, I had to get my other dog Max in it. We have to get them both in it.
So I made this reel. The first picture I've just described. The second one is we're taking the four-wheeler and going into the pasture. And Max is out front. He's looking forward to what we're going to find down in the pasture today. And Bella is sitting on her seat ready to ride. And then the third picture is kind of an older picture.
Just Bella sitting on the four-wheeler looking at the camera. So – and I took these pictures and put them to music. And the music is Stefan Wolf, Born to be Wild, which goes back to our spring boot camp. It was played. We sat around and ate popcorn and watched this movie. Yeah, Wild Hogs.
Wild Hogs, thank you. Yeah. I'm not very talkative. You have to – just help me out whenever I need it there. You're doing great, Art.
So just keep it up. Okay. So in the movie, you know, the four characters, they're having troubles in their lives. And they set out on motorcycles on an adventure. And let's go ahead and play the clip now and just listen to the music. And imagine that you're setting out on an adventure as you listen to the music. Okay.
Oh, tell me why. That's hard to stay – yeah, that amps you up. As soon as you hear it, it gets you going. Gets your motor running, right? Yeah.
Yeah, you hit it on the highway. Yeah. But all this came about kind of independently of – well, the little – the reel I made came about independently of the show, the topic of tonight's show.
And they just came together like in the last day. I mean, this is what we're talking about here, the book Wild at Heart and our desire to be free. And I think what's happening is all that – those themes are actually taking root in me. And it calls me – you know, allowed me to have these thoughts and make this real with those thoughts in mind.
It applies to everything I've been learning here. And maybe I'm becoming – you know, God is working through me and causing what we do here to take root in me. That's awesome.
That is awesome. Well, when I think about art and the idea of true love, I mean, to know art is to know – that man loves those dogs. Like, it's actually a remarkable relationship that he has with those dogs. And it's kind of cool, you know, from my standpoint, because when we start talking about one of the core desires of a man's heart is adventure. And that – for a lot of us who, you know, are going to church, whatever, where's the adventure?
You know, where's God taking us? You know, that – from the standpoint of the church. And it's fascinating to me how once art applied that, actually, idea, that he brought the people along that he loves dearly in on his adventure. And then he used his own artistic expression, right, to create the real. And that in itself is a whole adventure, right?
And the artistic – and then putting it out there for people to see and hopefully inspiring them to want to take adventures, you know, with their animals or whatever it is that they want to do. On your dog's art, was Bella a rescue? Bella was a rescue.
She was given up by a couple that were getting a divorce and neither one wanted her and didn't know a whole lot about her. We knew that she might be, you know, a little nippy. We could tell that. Only if you try to take her ball. Yeah.
If you try – yeah. Andy was very fortunate. Yeah, but, you know, through time and looking at and seeing her reactions to various things through time, it becomes evident to me that she was treated really, really poorly where she was. So that was unfortunate and I know at one point – and like I said, I'm not very talkative – but one day I were expressive, but one day something happened with her and I probably shouldn't even say what, but I really wished that day – well, let me say this. It's a good thing I didn't – I don't know who had her because that day I would have probably contacted them and said some things I probably shouldn't have to do. But she's a great dog for me.
We still have a little bit of trouble with vet visits, so I am – yeah, I'm working on a plan on how to get a sedative in her right now because the last couple of times we've tried she started to bite and the previous time she actually did bite, so we have a little trouble there, but everything else, you know, as long as I'm mindful of what I'm doing, we get along great. Well, the reason I wanted to bring that up is literally Bella means beauty. You rescued the beauty before you ever went on the adventure. I mean, Bella means beauty, and so you rescued her. So yeah, you started the adventure, you know, early on with her, you know, and now she's being part of your adventures with you, so I think that's pretty cool.
Well, Art, Bella and Max, I think it was spring boot camp. You brought the wood down and you had the dogs, and Bella runs security. I mean, you watch the dog, she knows what she's doing, but it's amazing to see how she does respond, and if you respect Bella, Bella will love on you. She will come to see me.
She loves people, everybody, there's just certain. But you're right, you don't get the ball. She will let you know she has a ball and you can't have it. Oh, she'll show it to you, but you're not going to. But now Max and I played ball down there at the fire pit, and Max will play ball as long as you want to play ball, but evidently he had the wrong ball because Bella switched with him.
So it was hilarious to watch, but their interaction, Robby, you're absolutely right. Art loves those dogs, and those dogs love art. I don't think you would want to mess with art when there's dogs around. I'm pretty sure that would probably be bad. Yeah, that's not why I decided to get a dog.
I didn't have that in mind at all, but yes, they provide security, yes. Bella will run the perimeter. It's funny to watch, but she knows what she's doing.
She's checking everything out. We have just a little bit of time left. Any final thoughts on closing out 2024? Anything you'd like to add that we didn't get a chance to talk about? Thank the Lord for it. Yeah, yeah. We're grateful we made it through the whole thing.
That's something to be said for it. I'm sure that your year was up and down like everybody else's year, but it has passed us and we're on to a new beginning. And so just praying that this year will be a great beginning for you that you will find first and foremost more intimacy with God because everything you want is going to hinge upon that.
Right? I know it doesn't sound like that's the way it is, but it is. The more you pour into God, the more you get closer to Him, the more of these things that you worry about fall away. Your troubles don't go away, but He's there with you through the midst of them. And what more could you ask for than to have Him there with you? So go to masculinejourney.org if there's anything you'd like to let us know about. And then this week, let somebody love on you well and love on somebody else well. We'll talk to you next week.
