The green screen arrived two hours ago! Quick! Set it up now! If you're prone to going the extra mile, no matter the consequences, this podcast is for you. Our latest upgrade might just revolutionize our YouTube presence or leave us with a laughable blooper reel for the ages.
As we edge into the new year, we confront the tradition of resolutions and the daunting task of staying true to them. Ever thought of choosing a 'word of the year' instead? We get personal, sharing successes and stumbles, and pondering if a single word can anchor our intentions. Finally, we muse on the rhythms of life and the notion that with every sunrise comes a chance for renewal, to shape our habits into the identities we aspire to.
Tune in for an episode that's packed with reflection, inspiration, and a touch of whimsy, all seasoned with the reality that we're all just trying to find our way, one scoop—or word—at a time.
The green screen arrived two hours ago! Quick! Set it up now! If you're prone to going the extra mile, no matter the consequences, this podcast is for you. Our latest upgrade might just revolutionize our YouTube presence or leave us with a laughable blooper reel for the ages.
As we edge into the new year, we confront the tradition of resolutions and the daunting task of staying true to them. Ever thought of choosing a 'word of the year' instead? We get personal, sharing successes and stumbles, and pondering if a single word can anchor our intentions. Finally, we muse on the rhythms of life and the notion that with every sunrise comes a chance for renewal, to shape our habits into the identities we aspire to.
Tune in for an episode that's packed with reflection, inspiration, and a touch of whimsy, all seasoned with the reality that we're all just trying to find our way, one scoop—or word—at a time.
Hey everyone, welcome to the Plugged In podcast. Good to be back, guys, If you're joining us for the first time ever. My name is Matt. I'm the music director here in the Massachusetts division and I'm joined by my co-hosts, captains Nate Daniel and Larita Heinzman.
Speaker 2:Thank you, matthew.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the show Nate First time in 2024.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's true, good joke, nate, it's not a joke.
Speaker 1:This always happens to us. We get over ambitious and we were like, okay, we're going to record two Christmas episodes, then we're going to do a New Year's episode and then, yeah, life hits, and the holidays busyness it all hit and now we had no 2024 episodes. So, Nate, now's your chance. You can say happy New Year. Happy New Year everybody. He's been waiting. He got it in Lots of stew, lots of new stuff happening in 2024. Bill Belichick no longer head coach of the New England Patriots.
Speaker 3:That's true. Actually, you also have to. Our listeners are dying to know what you thought about Oppenheimer that was. Did you see those comments? I know Allison was like. I need to know Matt's thoughts on Oppenheimer.
Speaker 1:Oppenheimer Are we talking about?
Speaker 3:Maestro.
Speaker 2:I was like wow. I was like we're talking about that.
Speaker 1:Based on my research on atomic bombs and nuclear energy.
Speaker 3:Well, now I fully understand why you were staring at me like what are you talking?
Speaker 2:about Maestro Bernstein. I did not see those comments.
Speaker 3:Oh wait, allison was writing yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know. If I you don't want to hear my comments, it would be. It would be a whole podcast.
Speaker 2:We'd have to take a whole episode to, and a lot of tissues Tissues I'd have to get out my feelings.
Speaker 1:What are you?
Speaker 3:feeling. What are you feeling I?
Speaker 1:don't know if I necessarily feel emotions or feelings about the movie, that wouldn't get me going. I'm emotional about who Bernstein was, what he means to musicians.
Speaker 3:That's the emotional investment there.
Speaker 1:Yes, I could comment on the film and what I thought about it, but you get me going about Bernstein and I will talk for quite a long time. But anyways, so that was almost an opening rant, but I do have another opening rant.
Speaker 3:Alright, let's go Okay.
Speaker 1:So I just want to say it once and for all I am sick and tired of my whatever. It is inside of me that just feels like on a wing and a prayer. You have to try to go to the nth degree to accomplish something.
Speaker 3:Your extraness.
Speaker 1:So if you're watching on the YouTube feed, just know. So this green screen arrived this afternoon like at like, literally like noon. We're recording. It's 2.30 right now and I just like there's something inside of me that gets so excited. I'm just like we got to do this, we got to try this. So I throw it up, I'm trying to light it. This could look like the worst thing that we have ever put out on the Internet. So if you're watching on YouTube, I'm just going to we're going to lean into how bad this could possibly be. We might be at the beach.
Speaker 3:This might look phenomenal and we are talking about how terrible it is.
Speaker 1:We might be in an office. Oh yeah, who knows where we are. Maybe slap Justin Barter's face just in the backdrop, like that's like.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely, I think he should be here.
Speaker 1:So we're trying to harness studio and green screen technology. This isn't the first try, but also the first try was like like two hours of panic work and then, once you get into it, you're like.
Speaker 2:I'm so far down the rabbit hole you just can't stop, and that's just a.
Speaker 1:that's just a problem of mine.
Speaker 2:It's our extra problem Matt.
Speaker 1:It's not a problem. I do it with too many things, the standard is the standard. And so I don't even know what that is you would aspire. The standard is the standard.
Speaker 3:It's a Mike Tomlinism.
Speaker 2:It inspires oh my gosh, you inspire greatness.
Speaker 3:Oh wow, this is becoming a motivational speech.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go ahead and disagree with whatever you just said and going to say that sometimes I swing and today might be a giant miss.
Speaker 3:So, like I think that's a personal character flaw for me as well I like I like grossly underestimate the amount of time something will take. I'll be like, oh, I'm going to do this real quick, it'll take me an hour, six hours later, but I do it every time. And then I'm like but then at that point I'm too deep, I can't stop, I have to continue.
Speaker 1:You simply can't stop. Yeah, all right. Well, we're going to launch right into our podcast. If you are listening, it's possible that you are on your way right now to the Waltham Corps to attend. Friday night fellowship, that's right. Can you guys tell us a little bit about what's happening at Friday night fellowship?
Speaker 3:So about a year ago we took a different approach to what was at the time youth praise. We kind of put youth praise on pause and really wanted to focus on the fellowship aspect of what youth praise is. And so we started doing like ice skating, we did some bowling's, we did some other little things. So this is kind of, you know, walking back into that worship atmosphere after really putting a heavy emphasis on the fellowship side.
Speaker 3:So tonight at Waltham there's going to be some worship and devotional challenge and some small group components, some games, some table games, some creating some food, a lot of good stuff, but really kind of transitioning that strict emphasis on fellowship to combining the fellowship and the worship focus and kind of trying to re, you know, merge the two after coming out of crazy COVID years and change.
Speaker 1:If you're at Friday night fellowship tonight, I'm sure it's going to be a great time. You have to encourage your friends from around the vision to come, because I would love to see a day when we have, you know, the majority, if not all, of our core represented at a lot of the events that we do because it's just, you know, it's just good to see everyone, it's good to be together in fellowship. Outside of Friday night fellowship. We're already, you know, deep into the youth arts ministry season mass brass is rehearsing.
Speaker 1:all this stuff is going on. I'm just going to say one word and then maybe, Captain Nate, you can fill us in. The word is collide, Ooh collide. And go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so collide is actually the theme for our upcoming youth councils that will be taking place six months from today.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, six months. Sorry, sorry, five months, it's actually a little bit less Crazy panic attack.
Speaker 2:Five months from today.
Speaker 2:Math was never my thing, but collide is our theme for youth councils and really what we're focusing on this year is all of those collision points those points of impact that have left an imprint on our lives and have pointed us to the goodness of who God is, and so we're going to be talking about the people who've left an imprint on our lives. We're going to be talking about when we've collided with Christ, when he's intersected and crossed paths with us, how that's transformed our lives and enables us to collide with others for the good of, for our good, for their good and also for the glory of God.
Speaker 1:Got it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so youth councils May 17th to the 19th 2024, Camp Wonderland. And can I announce this?
Speaker 3:I mean now's a good time.
Speaker 2:What's going on Tell us, since we have such a captive audience. That's right. If you are a quarketette, if you are an active quarketette, if your quarketette lessons are up to date leading up to youth councils, you will get a reduced rate for the entire weekend.
Speaker 3:All right Breaking news.
Speaker 2:Say that one more time I am reporting breaking news here that if you are an active quarketette, and if you have no idea what quarketettes is.
Speaker 2:Talk to your core officer, send us an email. We'll make sure that you get set up with what the quarketette program is. It is a fantastic youth discipleship program. You go deep in God's word. You spend time discussing scripture, but also working together as a core on service projects and focusing on your own personal information, your devotional in prayer life. So, yeah, if you are an active quarketette and your lessons are up to date, leading up to youth councils, you will have a reduced rate for the weekend together at camp.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, awesome, lots of stuff going on. I don't know if either one of you wants to drop the 100th anniversary of Camp Wonderland. We're having an entire weekend celebration. I know all the details are still being formed, but maybe you can just share with us the date for that weekend.
Speaker 3:I would love to.
Speaker 2:It is what is the date 24th through the 27th Memorial.
Speaker 1:Day weekend. In fairness to Loretta, I totally put her on the spot. That was not in our show notes.
Speaker 3:I'm just going for it, and Loretta's terrible with dates, so say it again, nate.
Speaker 2:May 24th through the 27th, that is.
Speaker 1:Memorial Day weekend, correct?
Speaker 3:Yes, I think 26, not the Monday, 24, 25, 26. May 24th through 26. Sorry, wonderland is celebrating our 100th anniversary, 100 years of ministry and life changing summers at the Happy Summer Place.
Speaker 1:Oh look, we're sitting in front of the Rec Hall.
Speaker 3:Oh, my word. So you love this Rec Hall?
Speaker 1:It's so beautiful. We've been recording in this field the whole time. It's fantastic.
Speaker 3:So red. Sorry, I interrupted. It was good.
Speaker 2:I mean we have to draw attention to our green screen as much as we can. Are your allergies acting up? Is that why?
Speaker 3:What? No, I'm just sick.
Speaker 2:I'm very congested with you Well played, sir.
Speaker 3:Thanks anyway. So it's just gonna be a great weekend devoted to highlighting the the ways that camp has been impactful and has really shaped the lives of so many thousands of individuals over the last hundred years.
Speaker 3:It's gonna be really Classic to camp a skit night like a mini banquet, church services, carnival, all the things that make camp camp. Yeah, I'm really focusing on those things, celebrating those things, and there's an awesome committee that's been formed that we've met twice now and it's just fun hearing all the stories, too, of all the people that have come through camp and and now play a vital role in making camp what it is today.
Speaker 3:So yeah it's gonna be a great weekend and details are coming out Hopefully really really soon about registration, all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and burying of a time capsule. Oh yeah, I like that you know, 50 hundred years from now, whenever it's dug up again, if you are alive, if I'm alive it's crazy, if the world is still here There'll be some great.
Speaker 1:You'll have a bionic heart, so you'll be fine. I fully expect you to be bouncing around 100 years from now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we'll still be doing morning.
Speaker 1:They're gonna welcome you back and say every dy s of the past century.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, you guys are gonna come back and my electric hovercraft. Yes, scooter hoverboard.
Speaker 1:I think it's a hoverboard, I don't know I'm a big back to the future, fans.
Speaker 1:I like I like the hoverboard. Thank you All right. Well, I think that wraps up a lot of stuff that we have going on here in the Massachusetts Division. The whole point of the plugged in podcast when we started a year ago we are a year old, crazy was to keep people plugged into what's happening around the division, and that includes events and programs and Things that are going on. Yeah, this is our 16th episode, so we've done 16 in one year. I think someone else can do the math, but that's somewhere around like three Epis or an episode every three weeks.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think that's that math. Yeah, just Discluting all of the summer because we don't put anything out in the summer, so it's not even a full year that we've done. 16.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's been a fun ride, but a happy birthday to the plugged in podcast.
Speaker 2:Cake green screen Horrible looking greens can put a delicious cake on the green screen. That'd be fantastic.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, this is gonna be stupid.
Speaker 1:It's gonna say ever made this on the green screen.
Speaker 1:All right, we have a game that we're going to play. I don't know if you listening out there have ever participated in a blind ranking, but the idea behind it is we're going to choose a category for another one of the podcasters and we're going to list things off one at a time in a genre, and the person that's picking has to assign them a ranking, one through ten. Now you don't get to see the whole list, right, so you just have to put a number to it based on your gut, and the idea is you could have something horrible ending up at number one, or you just you don't really know so who wants to?
Speaker 1:Who wants to go first?
Speaker 3:I can start us off. Okay, yeah okay, so I Made a ranking list for Nate. You can't see my screen right Nate.
Speaker 2:No okay.
Speaker 3:So Nate informed me a couple days ago that just a couple days ago is National Dairy Day. Oh, happy National Dairy Day to you.
Speaker 2:Love it.
Speaker 3:And so I have put together a list of ice cream flavors.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 3:That Nate needs to rank.
Speaker 1:In the dead of winter, we're literally recording on like the coldest day of the year.
Speaker 3:Also, I think someone has the air conditioning on in this building my toes are frozen and I'm never cold.
Speaker 1:I think the compressor keeps coming on in this room, so I I'm sure they can hear that over the broadcast anyway, sorry, ice cream flavors.
Speaker 2:Yeah, crescent Ridge is open year round, so this is relevant. That's impressive.
Speaker 3:All right, nate, we're gonna. I'm gonna start read them down. You tell me one to ten also have to cough, so I'm sorry. Boom and out of the way. Here we go, number one rum raisin.
Speaker 2:Oh, I've never had rum or raisins Together or separate.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:I will go with that is that has to be the worst. That's ten. Wow, he's that is old lady ice cream, he's wow.
Speaker 1:He's a or old man, I don't know. Apologies, I'm raising number 10. He takes up the worst spot right away off the bat.
Speaker 3:Okay, mint chocolate chip.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's, you know, it's classic, but it's not over the top, it's a little just middle of the road. I'm gonna give it a five. Okay, butter can Also an old lady or old man ice cream.
Speaker 3:And our listenership is dropping off.
Speaker 1:Well, you realize, the majority of our listeners are.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not gonna say old ladies, I just think of, I just think of, like Jimmy Carter sitting on his front porch eating some butter. What's the number? Brah, I'm gonna say nine.
Speaker 3:All right, we're gonna flavor butter pecan okay on Straight up vanilla straight up vanilla again.
Speaker 2:Nothing special, nothing flashy middle of the road, but very beloved by many people. I'd say I'm gonna give it a six, six.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm also want to remind you I don't need a synopsis.
Speaker 2:No, I need to Just need a number. This is how I think it's.
Speaker 1:It's how I work out each time that, by the time you've gotten to the ranking, I've forgotten what the he hasn't stopped.
Speaker 2:I don't even know what numbers are left.
Speaker 1:That's where we have we have one, two, three, four and seven and eight. Okay, is what's left.
Speaker 3:Okay, I was being sure I had enough. Okay, it's like be controversial, but we're going for it, sherbert.
Speaker 2:Oh, sherbert, that's not ice cream.
Speaker 3:Well, give me a number, it doesn't matter, it's my list.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, it's not great either, so I guess, I guess seven all right.
Speaker 1:Seven for sherbert, for sherbert. Okay, is it sherbet or?
Speaker 3:sherbert. It's definitely sherbert and not sherbet, so thank you.
Speaker 1:I don't, I don't know, I don't know. Okay, I'm glad this is spelled like sherbet next, next one, neapolitan.
Speaker 2:Oh, that is, that's great. That's one of his favorites. That is my weakness your jam. Because I love variety, I'm gonna give that it's not the best but it's good, I'll give it a three.
Speaker 3:Okay neapolitan.
Speaker 1:What is his one? Is it even? Is it gonna be here?
Speaker 2:I'm just, I'm expecting something to just blow me away, okay all right Vanilla bean.
Speaker 1:Definitely better than vanilla. Why tell me the difference?
Speaker 2:It's just it's trying to go away from his synopsis.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, sorry.
Speaker 2:So what did I rank vanilla? You have vanilla at six and I have no chocolate chip at five you have four open.
Speaker 1:You have one, two, four and eight.
Speaker 2:It's better than vanilla but I don't think it's as good as four, but I'm gonna make it four.
Speaker 1:Okay, vanilla bean number four. So you have one, two and eight available Okay cookie dough.
Speaker 2:That is, that's a two cookie dough is two.
Speaker 1:What's the top Peppermint? Oh this is either one or eight.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's not bad, but it's not one. Yeah, I'd say eight, what's no? Eight was still available. No, I said.
Speaker 1:I made sure.
Speaker 3:I said like ten times he said it multiple times what's number one played into mine, so fantastic pistachio.
Speaker 1:Not terrible, but not number one. Okay, nate, here's your list. We're gonna recap. Okay, I'm gonna go from the top of the bottom, go bottom up. Okay, bottom up. Last rum raisin number nine butter pecan, eight peppermint, seven sherbet.
Speaker 3:Sherbet sure but sure bet number six vanilla.
Speaker 1:Number five mint chocolate chip. Number four vanilla bean. Number three Neapolitan. Number two Cookie dough and number one pistachio at least number two is a solid yeah two and three are solid.
Speaker 3:Thank you over thought a little bit.
Speaker 2:Two three and five are solid.
Speaker 3:Okay, congratulations.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, rum raisin is still trash. All right, larita, I have a list for you.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Are you ready?
Speaker 3:No, but yes, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I went off of your world famous Thanksgiving Draft that we've talked about in every in every episode. No, you said that you love appetizers. I do so. My genre is appetizers and I've listed these for you, so I'm just gonna throw these out. I'll make this hard. The first one that I'm giving you, I'm just saying dip, but that's including all of them. So we're talking spinach, artichoke dip, queso dip, buffalo chicken dip, salsa, guacamole this is just dip with, like you know, chips.
Speaker 3:I'm such a dip person. Yeah, I'm going to go the solid three.
Speaker 1:Solid three she's going with dip. Ok, mozzarella sticks. Oh, oh, oh. This is a good one, it's a good category.
Speaker 3:Thank you Four.
Speaker 2:OK, the way you introduced it. I thought it was going to be just potato dishes. 10 different.
Speaker 1:The podcast will be over Like pause, I have to.
Speaker 3:I sent Matt a video. I got my. I picked up my son from school a couple days ago and he called me Loretta Potatoe Heinzman and I said excuse me, what did you just say? He, he knows clearly, listened to it in the car and had and called me Loretta Potatoe.
Speaker 1:You didn't have to play that portion. That's a very like one second sound bite, nate thought it was hilarious.
Speaker 2:Sorry, he's a friend of the show Jackson Heisman.
Speaker 3:OK, friend of the show, Top listeners Caleb and Jackson.
Speaker 1:OK, where you got jalapeno poppers. Oh so far, you've used three and four.
Speaker 3:I'm going to go. I'm going to go like I don't like anything spicy. I don't like jalapeno. So I'm going to go eight OK poppers at eight. So I think there's still going to be OK, keep going.
Speaker 1:OK, let's go with a charcuterie board.
Speaker 3:Oh, I love a good charcuterie board. I'm going to two with the sometimes first I have my snack at night. I just make myself a little cheese, and that's very high. I could reward. I love it.
Speaker 1:All right, so you've used two. Dip is at three, Monterellas sticks at four.
Speaker 3:We got a full middle at eight.
Speaker 1:So you have one, five, six, seven, nine and ten available.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to keep my number one, but I don't want to end up with something terrible, ok.
Speaker 1:OK, we're going to go with sliders, and this can be like, it can be hamburger, it can be chicken, but we're going to go with sliders. I'll go five, five. How do you tell me how you like your sliders?
Speaker 3:I like either. I've had little mini like burger sliders or like chicken chicken sandwich. Sliders are always a good option. Those ones we had at the one birdies hot chicken, those little slider things are really good.
Speaker 2:White Castle. No, anybody White Castle.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 1:What movie is when they go searching for White Castle?
Speaker 2:It's not a program to go to White Castle.
Speaker 3:Harold and Kim are OK. Never seen it.
Speaker 1:Where you got. I don't know. This is not a super popular one, I don't think, but I'm going to call it cheesy pull apart bread. Oh you've had that.
Speaker 3:Yes, and now I'm wishing I had a little more flexibility in here.
Speaker 1:Because of course that's going to come with some marinara sauce Cheese baked in the middle. The bread is fresh.
Speaker 3:Cheese and bread, two of my favorite things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 3:I don't want to go one, but then my next high is six, I'll go six.
Speaker 1:OK, all right. Cheesy bread OK, let's go with the classic giant plate of nachos. You have one, seven, nine or ten.
Speaker 3:Oh, this is so hard. These are all so good.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 3:I'm kind of wait. Ok, let's go Nachos, let's go one.
Speaker 1:Notchos, no, no, let's go seven.
Speaker 2:But wait that's so different yeah wait, because I don't have anything closer Is this with the dip or without the dip, because just a plate of nachos without the dip.
Speaker 3:No, it's not chose with like like I'm saying any kind of nachos, so it could have chili.
Speaker 1:It could have, it's definitely going to have cheese.
Speaker 3:It's going to have jalapenos like beef. One to seven. That's such a jump, and I have left 10.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, One, nine and 10 left. Ok, we are going.
Speaker 3:Yeah, ok, I'm fine, a seven Go ahead.
Speaker 1:OK, we're going to go with bacon wrapped dates.
Speaker 3:I'm glad I left 10.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's your 10.
Speaker 3:Usually bacon makes anything good, but I don't know, doesn't sound, doesn't sound like it.
Speaker 1:OK, next one. So we have a quesadilla. I feel like you're in trouble here.
Speaker 3:Because if you if you pulled the move I left on Nate. Then there's a rough one left, I don't know.
Speaker 1:One or nine.
Speaker 3:Just to not end up in a situation, I'm going to put it in one, because it's still a decent appetizer.
Speaker 1:You can put some good stuff in it.
Speaker 3:Number one not as good as the stuff that I have behind it OK, and then that leaves number nine. Oh, no, oh no Chicken wings. Oh no, that would have been my number one.
Speaker 1:Number one.
Speaker 3:I'm close to it.
Speaker 1:I had a couple others listed that were I had more than 10. But on here I also had calamari. I love calamari, what else did I have? Meatballs yeah, love meatballs, meatballs and a little toothpick.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I was also waiting for like a the baked pretzel. I love a good pretzel.
Speaker 1:I thought about that. I did have deviled eggs here on the list.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank goodness you didn't throw that one in there.
Speaker 1:You don't like that.
Speaker 3:No, I do, but that doesn't pales in comparison to mozzarella sticks like OK all right.
Speaker 1:So just a recap. Loretta's list, so from the bottom up, number 10, she has bacon wrapped dates.
Speaker 3:I'm confident in that one.
Speaker 1:Nine chicken wings.
Speaker 3:Bummer.
Speaker 1:Number eight jalapeno poppers, seven nachos, six cheesy pulled apart bread, five sliders for mozzarella sticks. I'm getting hungry Just like I know. I know three Any kind of dip you want. Number two, charcuterie board and number one quesadilla.
Speaker 3:It's an interesting list, Loretta.
Speaker 1:All right, we're going to take, I'm going to, I'm going to play in just a second, we're going to take a quick break on the plugged in podcast and then, when we come back, we'll have my blanking as well as our devotional topic for today. So we'll be right back. Bye, all right, you welcome back to the plugged in podcast. It's my turn to put together a blind ranking.
Speaker 2:I'm so excited for this, oh no, who say Loretta?
Speaker 1:are you taking notes for my list?
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, let me get a I don't know OK who made my list?
Speaker 1:Nate, I made your list.
Speaker 2:Ok, I'm ready, so my list is why it's so funny Gosh. My list is just. It's like random invent, it's inventions. I guess let's just call it inventions. It's a catch all category. For what are these great inventions rated in your mind? Oh my gosh Right.
Speaker 3:Sounds like I'm a lot of wheezing laughter.
Speaker 2:Number one K cups. K cups, yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, it's a good invention. Oh man, I you know, I love my coffee.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:K cups. I'm going to start the list. I let's put that number seven, number seven.
Speaker 2:Good K cups Got it the Chick-fil-A drive through.
Speaker 1:You know what? Let me tell you it is impressive, it is, it is beautiful, it is art.
Speaker 2:It is literally they should run our government.
Speaker 1:Yes, chick-fil-a, no, I like man, that's got to be All right. I don't let's say number four. Ok, chick-fil-a, drive through, ok.
Speaker 2:Camera, the camera. Where does that rank on your list of inventions?
Speaker 1:Like starting back in like the 1800s, with like the flame and well charcoal?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean the camera be able to photograph the iteration of of camera photography, videography photography.
Speaker 1:Oh man, being able to capture stories moments in time, it's pretty awesome. Is it better than the Chick-fil-A drive through, though? No, so number five.
Speaker 2:Five. All right, ok, ok, pizza. Hmm, I consider that an invention. Thank you, italians.
Speaker 3:Number three Bread and cheese. I love some pizza.
Speaker 1:What's my? What do I use so far?
Speaker 3:You use seven, four, five and three.
Speaker 2:OK, ok, here we go, amazon Prime.
Speaker 1:Oh, number two.
Speaker 2:Number two.
Speaker 1:Amazon Prime Number two. Oh no, I'm worried for the rest of this list OK, the polio vaccine.
Speaker 3:I mean, I don't know what is wrong with my husband?
Speaker 1:I mean it doesn't, I could say it has no present bearing on me but because it was invented right Number 10.
Speaker 2:Number 10?.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, okay, yeah. Our ancestors are like what.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're rolling over.
Speaker 2:You've lived a really privileged life, matt.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is a privileged life I live.
Speaker 2:Okay, the automobile.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, I already said number two, right.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Do I have three open?
Speaker 3:No three is pizza.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, nice Five Photography.
Speaker 3:Chick-fil-A drive-thru is four, so you only have one. Six, eight, nine.
Speaker 2:Six. So what comes first, the Chick-fil-A drive-thru or the automobile?
Speaker 1:The question the way to trap me Nate.
Speaker 3:I put auto-bile Automobile.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, nothing to do with bile.
Speaker 2:All right, the iPhone.
Speaker 1:Oh man, I don't know what this is so hard. What do you slot at number one? I know, you know Well what's the next one. I have seven.
Speaker 3:Yep, no, you have seven. Seven is your cake up, Okay?
Speaker 2:I guess eight yeah, okay. Cake up over iPhone Wow.
Speaker 1:So there's two more left. Cake up was terrible. What a first one to start with.
Speaker 3:You have one and nine. Okay, great, great, I'm ready, All right.
Speaker 1:Indoor plumbing oh my gosh, this is so stupid. The ability to poop inside. I'm going with number one, Top of my list indoor plumbing.
Speaker 2:All right, which leaves only one more Yep, the trombone.
Speaker 1:Oh, all right, I'm okay. The trombone I think we talked about this off the air, but it evolved from the sack butt. Yeah, was the Renaissance era version of the trombone. Okay, so that's my number nine. That's my whole list.
Speaker 3:What would I add Bottom up, bottom up, the polio vaccine Nice, what I got to call it Polio vaccine. At number 10, number nine at the trombone. Number eight with the iPhone cake ups at seven. The automobile at number six. Camera and photography at number five. The Chick-fil-A drive-thru at four.
Speaker 1:That should be higher.
Speaker 3:This is quite an array.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is Nate's fault.
Speaker 3:It is. He came into my office last week. I need some other things. That's it Amazon Prime at number two and indoor plumbing at number one.
Speaker 1:Very nice solid.
Speaker 3:The list is called Matt's Inventions.
Speaker 1:I'm glad that indoor plumbing was number one I am thankful for that? Oh, that's good More so than the polio vaccine.
Speaker 3:Yeah thankful for both. But yeah, Quite a difference between your one and 10.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, that's our blind ranking. I don't know if we're putting that on socials. I don't, we haven't really talked about that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I also didn't. I've not done a great job at following up with the winners of all of these things. Oh, that's fine, I'll put something together to put on social.
Speaker 1:All right, we're going to transition this over to. Lorena has a devotional thought for us today.
Speaker 3:I do, and I apologize for my raspy voice as a cold is just going through our house, but I have a question for both of you. Do you slash? Have you ever made a New Year's resolution?
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, definitely.
Speaker 3:And well, what were they? What were some of your New Year's resolutions, and how long did you keep it?
Speaker 2:Want me to go? Go for it. I made a resolution that a few years ago that I wanted to learn another language and I stayed consistent with DuLingo for like a week. And I do not. I'm not fluent in another language, I'm barely fluent in English. And then I also made a resolution to learn the guitar.
Speaker 3:And that didn't happen either.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I remember that one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll give you one that I have succeeded at and one that I failed. The one that I continually fail is I feel like every year I try to imagine myself like oh, I really want to like better myself. I want to like. I want to read more. I want to be in the classics, I want to read more leadership. I want to like just read a lot, I want to become smarter yeah.
Speaker 1:And I feel like that always lasts through, like February, and then I get swallowed up by whatever I'm involved you know with. So I feel like I always fall short of my reading goals. Last year I did make a resolution to get healthier, so I went on that weight loss program and, yeah, did a good job of it. I think probably going in the other direction now, but at least last year it was a success.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I think at some point for myself, I realized like I suck at sticking to resolutions. You know, it's like you go in headstrong but then life happens and you taper away from whatever you may have implemented or thought about implementing in the new year. I'm terrible at coming up with things. Odds are, if I failed at a resolution the year before, I'll just redo it, you know, the next year. I think of how many times I told myself I'm going to, you know, eat healthier. And then you know Valentine's Day comes and chocolate, and then it's just, it's a downward spiral. So then the next year I'm like, oh well, you know what I'm going to be eat healthier again.
Speaker 1:And somehow they build like a taco bill next to your house.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, what are you supposed to do, like in walking to say, or a?
Speaker 3:physical age drive through.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly.
Speaker 3:But it's hard for me to stick it out, and I think I'm I speak for the majority of people too. But resolutions are often rooted in our resolve to do better and let's be honest, we often fail at better doing better being better. No matter how many times I I try to read the Bible more consistently, drink water more consistently, say no to sweets and limit the amount of time I spend on Instagram and increase the amount of time I spend on a treadmill, I rarely make it past January in consistency. I can go headstrong full of motivation, but it all just tapers away. So I started something new a couple of years ago. I now come up with a word and I give myself a word for the year, and that word can be a focal point for me in different things. That word is a motivator for me. That word is something that I write on the beginning of my planner. I write it on a sticky note. I have it on a on my Apple stickies. I have my word for this year, so that when I open my computer, when I'm doing something, I minimize a window, I see that word and it's just kind of a reminder to me.
Speaker 3:One year my word was intentional. I wanted everything that I did to be more intentional, not thrown together. I wanted there to be a why behind what I was doing, what I was, why I was doing what I was doing. Last year my word was simplify. I wanted to take on less stuff between work and personal and in total honesty, I wasn't great, I didn't stick to it really well, but I wanted to downsize the clutter in my house. I wanted to spend less and save more. But when I would contradict my own goal of simplifying, I would remember and I'd feel convicted and I'd see that word and I think to myself okay, next, tomorrow, do better. You know, next, whatever, do better. And it felt easier for me to remember a goal word as opposed to like an entire resolution.
Speaker 3:It was, it was simpler to me to strive towards that word. Ironically, back in 2020, my word was rhythm. I wanted to have some better rhythm. That I mean thanks to the world in early February that one went out the window, but I have decided for this year to reinstate that word. I'm going to pull in the rhythm again, and what I mean by that is I want to set better rhythms in my life. I want to consistently eat healthier. I want to consistently go to the gym. I want to consistently be deeper in my personal spiritual life and be more of a positive person.
Speaker 3:I have to think of my son, who's such a routine kid. Right, I think we've talked about this with our kids. When Jackson's routine shifts, we all pay the price. When he is off his rhythm, when he's off his routine, we all pay the price. He has a rhythm to his day and it's that rhythm that brings him structure, and that structure is what brings him peace, and that rhythm is a steadiness to the way we live our lives, our day to day. Sorry, but I was scrolling Facebook the other day and I saw this on my mom's page and my mom is always posting these little encouraging things from her page and I saw this and it was just a confirmation to me about my word for this year. It said in this second week of January, what you need more than splashy resolutions is steady rhythms. That was confirmation for me.
Speaker 3:I've developed some really poor rhythms in my life. Back in the summer I was on a video call with my doctor and I was telling her what our job is like in the summer and what we're responsible for what our day to day is. And so she's asking well, what are some ways you cope with stress? What are some ways? And I was totally honest. I was like well, usually I seek out some chocolate or like a Diet Coke. And so, hearing our day to day and knowing the stress that's on our plate in the summer, I think she panicked because she was like, oh my gosh, she's going to go off the chocolate deep end, like she was in total panic mode. She's like okay, can we think of some healthier ways to deal with stress? But that conversation, even there, started this confirmation within me about the rhythms and our routines and our day to day. The better potential, the better our routines and the stronger the rhythms, the good rhythms in our lives, the better potential there is for us to handle those unexpected things in a healthy way. Ian Voskamp, who's a writer, she wrote this our rhythms become our everyday liturgy, the sacred everyday cadence of the hours that reorient our tired souls.
Speaker 3:There was a study and I think it was done by the Barna group that said 45% of what we do everyday is habitual, performed almost without thinking in that same location or the same time each day, usually because of subtle cues. And I know for myself, when thinking of my routines and my rhythms, I think each morning, when I reach over to turn my alarm off, the first thing I do is look at either emails or social media notifications, because it's the first thing in my face. It's right there. The more I give it space in my mind, the more I discover just how poor some of my habits and my rhythms are like, even if there are any at all. But when we were in California for GYL, jennifer Dake, she led a session on self-care and she had all of us take out our phones and write down the first 20 things that we did each morning. I mean as specific as open your eyes, turn off your alarm, pet the dog, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, like really detailed.
Speaker 3:And then she said after every five or so actions, draw a line. And each line was supposed to represent a pause or, like in the Psalms, a sella, like just a pause. And that pause is supposed to be a moment to stop and thank the Lord and to make it and thank the Lord and to make that part of our routine. And she said something that will stick with me for probably forever. She said our hearts follow our habits, and I think about that in my my word this year my heart follows my rhythms and so is my heart following the heartbeat of my rhythms, or am I following the heartbeat, you know? Is that what's driving me? Yeah, if we are consistently keeping the same rhythms every day, we keep our soul from growing, from becoming run down. It's the rhythm of our own good habits that can make a way through the rhythm of our day to day, how we work through the good, the bad, the tough parts of our day. And Aristotle said we are what we repeatedly do. What we do repeatedly is our actual identity.
Speaker 3:And so this year I'm focusing on that course correction, trying to break down the areas of my life where I've developed poor rhythms and create more consistency in doing and being better. And so when I faced that curve ball in my day and that was something that as core officers every Sunday, we would say something is going to go wrong, but I'm ready for it. And so when I face the day with that kind of mentality, I'm better equipped, both mentally and emotionally, even physically, to handle it. And so the scripture that I'm kind of linking with this rhythm, this desire to be in a better rhythm, comes from 2 Corinthians. It says my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that Christ's power may rest on me, and that's kind of what steering my thought is that his power is made perfect in my weakness, because that kind of course correction can really start to reveal my own weaknesses and can reveal where I've gone astray.
Speaker 3:And so spending more time depending on him and setting that as a rhythm instead of depending on myself, and that's the rhythm and the heartbeat that I want in my year and in my day to day to have more consistency, to have more rhythm, good rhythms than bad rhythms. And so I wonder just today if you've set a New Year's resolution and you're you've already gone away from it and you're thinking you're already, you've already thrown the year away. First of all, any day is a new day, right? So start over. And also, maybe there's a word or a phrase or something that the Lord is putting on your heart. That's a little less intimidating than a full resolution.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 3:Because what we need. What we need are better rhythms and less resolution. We need more consistency, more time devoted to the things that matter. We need to be rhythm to people so that when we go off rhythm, it doesn't take us so far off course. Yeah, so I don't know if anyone else is feeling that today, feeling the failure of a resolution. A get back on track. Tomorrow's a new day. You know everything can start over. And B how does that, whatever you're resolving to do, how does that tie into your going deeper in your relationship with the Lord?
Speaker 3:Yeah so that was just kind of my thought, for that's good.
Speaker 1:I love the idea of a word and all encompassing word. I haven't really thought of that before, but I feel like it's important for people to celebrate your successes as you go. Yeah, and even having something as wide as a word, like a lot of things, can fall under the umbrella of that word, right? So I think, as you keep track of your successes, it's encouragement to keep going forward, to try harder. So I love that. And rhythm yeah, it's such a relatable thing to all of us.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know we generally all wake up at the same time. We have our routines in the evening, Like you kind of know what you're doing throughout the week. It's never like, it's never a series of like, such randomness.
Speaker 3:Exactly that. You can't predict your Exactly. You know your existence.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Random things do happen and unexpected that. You know curveballs come, but for the most part. You know we're pretty routine oriented people.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:At least in this society, this culture, and it's so easy to create bad habits.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, yeah, I think of like, when you've worked hard to overcome a habit, it doesn't take much to no Bam yeah. It's broken yeah. You get discouraged you like, solidify the bad habit, then you keep going down that road. Yeah, I struggle with, I mean my, my. The struggle of my life is with, with food and like my relationship with food. And at this point it's like it's either a mental issue or emotional issue. It could be a spiritual issue. I mean there's a lot of stuff going on to solidify those habits.
Speaker 1:But I just love that word, that word rhythm, yeah, and that's, that's good.
Speaker 3:And I think that goes right along with like also for me, the need for consistency, because, just a specific example, even in going to like the gym, I'd go to the gym for a couple weeks straight not see much change and I'm like why am I doing this? But it's the consistency. My goodness, my, my throat's getting dry.
Speaker 1:We're almost there.
Speaker 3:But just the consistency and and knowing that you may not see results right away.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But the rhythm is what is going to ultimately bring about that change and that, that growth, yeah, maybe.
Speaker 2:I love the verse you used. My grace is sufficient for you because my power is made perfect in your weakness Right.
Speaker 2:And I'm thinking how often I try to set the rhythm my own, without relying on the one who actually keeps the time and keeps the rhythm, and just relating that to you know, like a band setting where you know I can, I can be sitting in mass brass and doing my own thing, but if I'm not looking at you, Matt, as you're conducting and setting the time and setting the pace, will it really come into this beautiful, you know, harmony with everybody?
Speaker 2:else, with everything else that's going on, and so just you know our own human stubbornness. If we can humble ourselves and say, god, I I may not be great at this, I desire this, but I need to. I need to just sit back and let you do it, let you take the lead so that I can, you know, be in step with the rhythm that you desire for my life, and what just humility and and release and freedom that demands of us, but how freeing it can truly be.
Speaker 1:I know I've mentioned this on the podcast before, but just like some of the greatest examples of my life have been my parents, and just like when I woke up for school you know, I mean back then it was like the bus would pick us up at 630 am.
Speaker 3:So I mean, we were waking up at 545. It was insane, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I was waking up at 545, but there was my dad, there was my mom. They're like doing their morning devotions, like the first part of their rhythm was to spend the day with God, and what a discipline Like that's something that I will be the first to admit that I have not mastered that.
Speaker 1:That is a very I feel like a very difficult thing to solidify in your life, but it is certainly a one to emulate. Yeah, and but. Thank you, loretta. Thank you for that word today. Captain Nate, would you mind closing us in prayer? Of course. Yeah, let's pray.
Speaker 2:Father, god, we're thankful that, even in the midst of our lack of rhythm, you were the God who brings order to the chaos. God, if we look at your word, you spoke into the void of nothingness and you brought life, and you desire to do the same thing for each and every one of us. And so, lord, I pray right now that, as that passage says, god, that we would recognize that grace is available. And so, lord, may we have grace for ourselves, but ultimately, a grace that flows from the grace that you offer, lord. You have grace for us. And so, god, I pray that we would receive that, lord. But it's not a cheap grace, god. It's a very, it's a very profitable grace, lord. It's a very costly grace. And so, as we receive that, lord, I pray that we would desire to seek you more and allow you to really lead the way, have your way in us.
Speaker 2:God, I thank you for this challenge, I thank you for this word, I thank you for this new year. And how, lord. The start of a new year is really, god, just an opportunity for newness and freshness. And so, lord, we truly believe that you desire to do new things in each of us and that you are doing a new thing in us and so, god, we pray that, as we seek those, seek your will and your way, lord, that you'll reveal that and you'll make it possible, god, with you setting that rhythm in our hearts and in our minds. Lord, we just pray. Blessings over those who are listening today. Lord, you know each one of us, where we are, what we struggle with, lord, and you are able to meet us in the midst of that. So, thank you that your grace is sufficient for us. We just thank you and we love you and give you all the praise. Amen.
Speaker 1:Amen. Well, thank you guys. We're going to call that a wrap on the plugged in podcast, episode number 16. We are well into season two. Crazy, it was fun, as always.
Speaker 3:We'll take one last look at our green screen, green screen, it's going to be the worst video in the history of YouTube, do you?
Speaker 2:remember that we filmed from our, our living room. One time Like this is not going to be the worst.
Speaker 1:No, no, that's going to look way better than this. Remember it was snowing.
Speaker 3:It was beautiful, oh yeah, like a snow globe.
Speaker 1:No, we've come a long ways, but today, today may be a step backwards. So, All right, everyone it was. It was good to be with you again today. Today's drop date is January 26th. We'll have an episode for you in a couple of weeks. I'm sure we'll be talking about Valentine's Day and what's coming up in the Massachusetts Division. Until then, we'll see you next time.