WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.400 Welcome to the Funny Kind with Erica Gummeny bringing heart, humor, 2 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:09.599 and hope to everyday life. Laughter and love really do 3 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:13.599 make a difference, and Erica's here to prove it. Part 4 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:16.960 deep dive, part stand up for the soul, this show 5 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:20.480 blends humor, heart and real talk to help you stop 6 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.839 believing the lies that hold you back. Whether she's flying 7 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:27.839 solo or chatting with guests, Erica brings her signature mix 8 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:32.759 of authenticity, wit and wisdom, reminding you that growth doesn't 9 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.439 have to be so serious. So pull up a chair, exhale, 10 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.200 and get ready to laugh, reflect, and reconnect with the 11 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:44.920 extraordinary human you already are, because this is the funny 12 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:48.960 Kind where humor meets healing and inspiration meets action. 13 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:56.079 Hello, Welcome to this episode. I am so glad that 14 00:00:56.119 --> 00:01:01.280 you're here, whether you're watching or listening. Thank you, Thank 15 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:04.599 you for being with me today. Today's episode is going 16 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:06.640 to be a little bit different, so let me give 17 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:10.359 you a little lead in before we kind of dive 18 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:13.680 into what we'll be talking about, or what I'll be 19 00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:18.159 talking about, because I'm all by myself today. Okay, So 20 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:22.000 a few weeks ago, I attended this women in business 21 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:26.959 conference here in Milwaukee hosted by Wendy Babcock, who is 22 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:30.920 the founder of When Stories and she does a lot 23 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:35.159 of awesome things for women. I'm a certified when Stories 24 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:39.200 coach or a speaker, i should say, and it was 25 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:42.640 a wonderful opportunity and everything she does is amazing Wendy Babcock, 26 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:46.359 I'll share information about her, but AnyWho, So I attended 27 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.599 her women in Business conference a couple of weeks ago, 28 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.400 and I was one of the speakers, which was so 29 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:56.159 much fun. So one of the other speakers did a 30 00:01:56.200 --> 00:02:01.760 session and she had us break out in two pairs 31 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:04.920 with somebody that we didn't know. So I met a 32 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.719 woman named Bobby Joe, who I had never met before. 33 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.520 But you know how it is when you meet somebody 34 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:15.159 and you're like, you know, bizzell. So we fell in 35 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:19.280 love instantly and started crying as we both introduced each other. 36 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:23.719 And Sandy, the person leading the session, couraged us to 37 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:26.039 not just talk about our business, but kind of the 38 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:28.639 heart and the mission of what we were doing and 39 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:33.319 why we were doing it, and really advocate for each 40 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:37.120 other as we kind of communicated. So as I started 41 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:42.599 talking to Bobby Joe, I was feeling. I was just 42 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:44.759 kind of sharing about my book Journey from the Ashes 43 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:49.080 and what that's all about and the podcast The Funny Kind, 44 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.039 and out of just out of nowhere, I said, you know, 45 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:55.919 and I really love connecting with strangers. And I started 46 00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:01.680 to cry. And in that moment, I remembered I originally 47 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:07.120 started this podcast, and it was to kind of go 48 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:10.680 out into the community, like coffee shops or wherever. I 49 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:13.719 kind of felt like I wanted to go and connect 50 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:17.879 with people there and either interview them or listen to them, 51 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.639 or just have some kind of a connection and share 52 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.199 them with you on The Funny Kind with the intention 53 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.159 of showing that there really are great people in the world, 54 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:31.240 and there is goodness and there is kindness, contrary to 55 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:35.159 what our algorithms and the Internet wants to tell us. 56 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:39.159 So as I'm telling her about this love of connecting 57 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:44.039 with strangers, it just really made me emotional. So at 58 00:03:44.039 --> 00:03:46.120 the end of the session, Sandy the speaker, is like, Hey, 59 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:50.319 does anybody want to speak about what really impacted them? 60 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:54.080 So Emily, if you could, Emily's our producer today, Emily, 61 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:58.599 if you could just pop up that picture here we 62 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:01.960 are on stage. Sandy's on the left, Bobby Joe's on 63 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.240 the right, and I'm in the middle, sobbing, telling the 64 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:08.960 story of remembering why the Funny Kind started and why 65 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:14.840 we're here. So I'm telling you that because I had 66 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:20.040 my first i'll call it encounter. So a couple weeks 67 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:25.680 after that conference, I went to a ministry leader's retreat 68 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.040 and my friend encouraged me to go to this retreat. 69 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:34.079 He's one of the leaders of it, and he's a 70 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:37.040 pastor friend of mine, Jonathan. You might know him from 71 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:40.279 some other podcasts that we've some other episodes we've done 72 00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:43.879 here on the podcast together. And I'm not a pastor, 73 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:46.879 I'm not a minister, but Jonathan encouraged me that even so, 74 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:52.720 the work I'm doing is a ministry So I said, okay, fine. 75 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.800 So I went up to this retreat that was held 76 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:02.160 in ryan Lander, Wisconsin, up way up now in Wisconsin. 77 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:09.879 And that is a special city, Ryanlander, because my grandfather 78 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.519 used to have a cabin up there, and while I 79 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:14.600 was too little, I don't really I don't remember going 80 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:19.920 up there my older sister, my sister remembered it fondly 81 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:23.439 and it was her spirit place. She my grandfather sold 82 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:25.480 the cabin but she ended up connecting with the person 83 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:29.279 that bought it, and her and her husband and children 84 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.240 went up there a lot. And she always wanted me 85 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:34.600 to go, but I'm a city girl and I prefer 86 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:40.480 buildings over tents and air conditioning over mosquitoes. So I 87 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:44.279 said no, but she had She's been passed away now 88 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:46.480 for a couple of years. So being up in Rhinelander 89 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:50.199 for this camp made me really feel connected to her, 90 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:53.399 and I could almost hear her in the spirit saying, yeah, sure, 91 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:57.079 now you go up there. But AnyWho, So I go 92 00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:59.560 up to Rhinelander and I'm just kind of looking at 93 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:02.000 my notes here just to stay on track, because I 94 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:06.120 don't want to miss anything. So I go up to 95 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:08.920 ryan Lander and I go to this ministry leader's retreat, 96 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.000 and I connect with all these amazing people doing really 97 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:17.160 powerful work to help people in this world, and to 98 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:20.959 serve people who need service and help people who need help, 99 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:23.600 and just people who have a heart to kind of 100 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:26.519 heal former versions of themselves. If that makes sense, I 101 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:30.399 think that's a lot of reasons why US entrepreneurs are 102 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:34.279 in business in the in the you know, not just 103 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:36.480 in making a million dollars, but in really helping the 104 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:40.839 world be better and helping other people heal and find 105 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:45.120 their way forward. Anyways, so I have this thought still 106 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:50.279 in my mind about the experience at the conference. So 107 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:53.160 we're at dinner one night at the retreat and sitting 108 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:56.639 there chatting, and all of a sudden, the sweetest old 109 00:06:56.680 --> 00:07:00.160 man no offense, came and sat next to me, and 110 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:03.360 I like instantly loved him. As he started talking, I 111 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:05.800 was like, Okay, is it weird if I ask him 112 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:08.800 to adopt me? Like I loved him instantly, just had 113 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:13.240 this just kindness and sweetness emitting from him. And he 114 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:17.360 was such a good storyteller. So he started telling us 115 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:21.040 all these awesome stories about how his family founded Fort 116 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:24.720 Wilderness like seventy some years ago, eighty years ago or 117 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.000 something like that. And he's been going to Fort Wilderness 118 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.160 since he was like ten. So I can't do math, 119 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:34.360 but a long time, so him and his family and 120 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:37.160 just all these stories of how he met his wife there. 121 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.360 I mean, I was just bummed that I didn't have 122 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:42.720 my phone on record. As he like instantly started telling 123 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:46.160 these gems of stories. It was so great. So as 124 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.680 he's talking, I'm like, oh my gosh, I should ask 125 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:52.360 him to do some kind of recording with me for 126 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:55.560 the Funny Kind podcast. And in my mind, of course, 127 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:58.360 the other voice is like, don't be stupid. That's awkward. 128 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:00.759 He's not going to know what's dagging about. Don't be dumb. 129 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:04.519 But I thought, you know what, no, So I did. 130 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:06.519 After he was done talking, I asked him if you'd 131 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:10.120 be willing to meet with me the next day and 132 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:12.879 have this conversation. And I gave him a little bit 133 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:15.399 of background, and he was so cool. He's like, absolutely, 134 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:18.319 how about tomorrow after breakfast you come over to the 135 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:20.199 wood shop and find me and we can have a 136 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:24.240 little chit chat. So next day, I get up and 137 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:29.120 I bravely walk over. You know, it's like spring day 138 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:32.080 in Wisconsin, so it was forty degrees, so I had 139 00:08:32.120 --> 00:08:36.960 my little park on and walk over to the wood shop. So, Emily, 140 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:41.000 if you could pop up the little picture of mister 141 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:44.279 Ron Robertson and I in front of the wood shop, 142 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:49.480 that would be awesome. So Ron's there and he's waiting 143 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:52.360 for me, and he's working on a wood project, a 144 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:56.159 sawing project whatever, I don't know, sawing project, you. 145 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:56.559 Know what I mean. 146 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.159 And he's making this big tower for some game that 147 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:02.600 the kids are going to be playing at an upcoming camp. 148 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.840 And he's just smiling and telling me about these kids 149 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.720 that are coming and how great it is. And he's like, 150 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:10.399 all right, well, let me put my tools down and 151 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:13.000 let's go over into the trailer where we can have 152 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:17.600 a little office space and sit down and chat. So 153 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:22.440 we get into the trailer and he leads us in 154 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:25.919 a little prayer and he just jumps right in like 155 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:29.000 he was just like, no big deal, you know, sure 156 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.320 record me talking, no problem. He wasn't nervous. He had 157 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:36.519 such ease about him that it made me feel comfortable. So, Emily, 158 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:39.720 if you could play the first video so that you 159 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.000 can meet my new Bestivron. 160 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:48.639 Okay, Hi, it's Ron. It's a beautiful day up here 161 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:49.960 in the north Woods. 162 00:09:50.679 --> 00:09:50.879 You know. 163 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:56.080 Last week I had an interesting thing happened. My daughter, 164 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:02.200 who's forty, is having a birthday, so we thought, wouldn't 165 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.519 it be nice to give her a just a gift 166 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:10.279 card at a woman's store, which I don't often go into. 167 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.440 And so I was stopped in at this woman's store 168 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:15.039 to get a gift card. 169 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:16.600 There was no one in there. 170 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:19.440 There's a girl way in the back working on putting 171 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:23.200 stuff on the counter, and then a girl at the counter. 172 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:26.480 So I walked up and I said, hey, I'd like 173 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:30.679 a gift card. And I noticed on her shoulder she 174 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:33.559 had like a spaghetti straptop on it, and she had 175 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:40.600 these very interesting tattoos, very colorful, beautiful color. And I said, wow, 176 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:44.879 those are really brilliant. I said, those are really nicely done. 177 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:49.200 Tell me what they mean. And she said, oh, my goodness, 178 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:54.159 don't you love these tattoos. And I've learned that, you know, 179 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:57.960 if you want to have a nice conversation with someone 180 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:00.159 that has a tattoo, they love talking about. 181 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:02.879 My skin's too old for them. 182 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:06.279 But anyway, so we had a nice little talk and 183 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:09.799 nobody came in the store. And you know, that morning 184 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:14.279 I had prayed and said, Lord today I'm going to town. 185 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.039 How can you use me today? You know, I could 186 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:20.440 pray with somebody, maybe I could share the gospel with 187 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.759 somebody or help somebody. 188 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:24.360 You figure it out and just let me know. 189 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:28.840 And so I realized, ah, this is the time right now. 190 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:34.440 And so she said, well, this means my mother loved me. 191 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:37.960 That's why I did this tattoo. And then she had 192 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:40.000 faithful and few things out of her arms. 193 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:42.440 I said, what do those mean? 194 00:11:43.399 --> 00:11:47.600 And she said, well, I've had some sad things happen 195 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:50.799 in my life, and I want to find somebody that's 196 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:55.320 faithful to me and loves me in a faithful way. 197 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.000 And she had other things like that, and. 198 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:02.120 I said, you know, I said, you missed something in 199 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:05.080 your life and she said what is that? And I said, 200 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:09.600 there is somebody who loves you a lot and is 201 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:13.600 waiting to have a conversation with you. She said, no, 202 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.679 nobody loves me. I said, yeah, there is somebody that 203 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:20.840 loves you and really knows a lot about you. And 204 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.679 she said, well, what are you talking about. I said, well, 205 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:28.279 it's a little different, but it's Jesus, and he died 206 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.600 for your sins and he knows all about you. He 207 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:34.879 died for you, and he's been waiting to have this 208 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:38.639 great conversation with you, and maybe that's why I'm here today. 209 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.000 And she said, well, I want to know more about that. 210 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.759 So I said, well, give me a minute. So I 211 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:47.519 went out to the car and got a Bible in 212 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.519 a little track that explains what we were talking about, 213 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:54.879 and we came in. Still, nobody came into this big store, 214 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:59.080 and so she took the stuff, and I said, I'd 215 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:02.000 love to pray for you, and so I just reached 216 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:05.679 out and grabbed her wrist so that I could have 217 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:08.840 the human touch, and I prayed for her, and I 218 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:11.919 prayed that God would meet her there and that she 219 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:13.120 would learn more about him. 220 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:13.919 She was very. 221 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:17.600 Excited to know this stuff, and so I said, Lord, 222 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:20.279 I hope someday to know the end of the story, 223 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:23.200 if you would let me know. And I came back 224 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:25.559 about ten days later just to check on her, and 225 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:27.200 she had been moved to. 226 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:30.080 A different store. But she's in God's hands. 227 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.720 And when you tell somebody about Jesus, it's nice to know, 228 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:35.799 but you know, it's in his hands. 229 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:41.240 Said he said that he learned. You know, he didn't. 230 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:43.759 So many times Christians get such a bad rap of 231 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:47.679 being like, you know, so judgy and my way or 232 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.639 the highway, and you're all a bunch of sinners if 233 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:51.720 you don't believe what I believe. That is so not 234 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:57.039 the vibe that Ron brings. It's so beautiful and so 235 00:13:57.320 --> 00:14:04.799 kind and not pretentious or aggressive in any way. And 236 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:09.759 when she said nobody loves me, oh right, And for 237 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.879 him to just go there and know that that's why 238 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:14.399 he was there, and to be able to talk to 239 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:17.120 her and tell her that somebody loves her. Who knows, 240 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:20.679 who knows the impact that that had on her life 241 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:25.480 that day? Who knows. I love how he said, you know, God, 242 00:14:25.559 --> 00:14:28.000 you you figure it out and just let me know. 243 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:31.559 I love that he has such a willingness to just 244 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:34.840 follow and not a I got it all figured out. 245 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.799 I'm the master of my of my own destiny kind 246 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:45.320 of a vibe. Oh and I my other favorite thing 247 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:47.919 is when he reached out and touched her and said, 248 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:51.679 you know, just to have the human touch. I know, 249 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:55.159 the Pope just did a big thing about our returning 250 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:58.799 to our humanity and the power of the connection that 251 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:02.600 we have with each other. So just oh, I love Ron. 252 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:07.759 So let's hear a little bit more from Ron. So, Emily, 253 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:11.120 if you could play that second clip please, if you 254 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:15.399 could summarize so many of these conversations that you've had 255 00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:20.840 with people, and so many lives that you see impacted 256 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:25.080 because of God's love where they didn't feel like anybody 257 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:31.279 loved them. How does one change from the moment of 258 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:38.000 feeling abandoned or unseen to being like you came to 259 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:40.759 that woman where some people would be like, oh my gosh, 260 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:43.240 look at that tattoo, Oh my gosh, look at she's 261 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.080 wearing spaghetti straps. Oh kids today, And here comes this 262 00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:51.639 sweet older man who just loves her as she is 263 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:55.000 and speaks to her heart. How does that changed people? 264 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:55.559 Do you think? 265 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:02.399 Well, you know, when you see people that don't fit 266 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:04.639 your norm you know a lot of times we go 267 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:08.159 to church, everybody is exactly the same, and you go 268 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:11.559 out in the world and if their hair is is orange, 269 00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:14.039 if you've gone to a church where no orange hair, 270 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:14.639 you go, WHOA. 271 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:18.840 I don't like that. 272 00:16:18.840 --> 00:16:21.159 That's the part where I said, Jesus, I want to 273 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.879 be able to see the people. Those outside trappings mean nothing. 274 00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:28.559 They're just expressions of who they are. That's why people 275 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:31.720 love tattoobs, because they go, hey, I've got a story 276 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:36.759 to tell here, look at it. And so we need 277 00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:39.559 to be able to look past that, you know, because 278 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:43.240 God loves them. Why can't we love them? And why 279 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.679 should we be judging people? You can when we can 280 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.600 see them for who they are or what their needs are. 281 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:52.120 And so that's a freeing thing. 282 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:55.320 I just want to be like Ron, you know, to 283 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.600 be able to see past I like, can we call 284 00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:58.480 them trappings? 285 00:16:58.519 --> 00:16:58.600 Like? 286 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:02.879 I don't think it's trapping the person, but it traps 287 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:06.160 us into trying to put everybody in little you know, 288 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:09.799 judge boxes. I know I do it. You know it's 289 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:11.759 funny because remember the picture of the two of us 290 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:14.559 were both not only don't we look related? I just 291 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:16.839 want to point it out, okay, because I still want 292 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:20.119 him to adapt me just ps. But we were both 293 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.079 wearing parkas, so he had no idea that you know, 294 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:27.960 I have tattoos and he didn't know that that ministered 295 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:33.319 to me too. So really just love everything about him 296 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.200 and his lack of judgment and just seeing past that 297 00:17:37.640 --> 00:17:42.079 and how freeing it is, how relaxing it is, how 298 00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:45.039 peaceful it is to just be at ease and to 299 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:50.599 see people with love and not to judge people. Ooh, okay, 300 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:55.680 let's watch the last little bit from ron Emily, if 301 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:59.000 you could please share that last clip, tell us the 302 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.799 three things again that are part of your everyday morning prayer. 303 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:09.599 Oh yes, good morning, Lord. I'm available today, Lord, and 304 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.720 I'd like to pray with somebody, or maybe I could 305 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:16.839 help somebody with my hands, or maybe I could tell 306 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:20.680 somebody about you and your love. Maybe I could witness 307 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:26.920 to somebody today. I go from there, pray for my family, and. 308 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:32.000 Then just things just happen, and you feel do you 309 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:36.519 feel these like hey, maybe you like maybe you should 310 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:38.519 go to Walmart today? Maybe you should go to this 311 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:42.799 oil change place. And you're you're aware because of the 312 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:45.680 way that you start your day, you have the intention 313 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:50.279 to look for that that God is putting before you. 314 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:54.319 I had a Bible study of like six couples and 315 00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:58.160 they met with us in our home and they were 316 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:02.279 all different ages, and I would encourage them and say, 317 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:07.880 do something radical today. And so one day Phil came 318 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:10.960 back and he said, hey, I was he was a 319 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:14.480 chef and he would buy He bought all these vegetables 320 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.000 and everything, and he brought him up to the and 321 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:20.200 Walmart and this girl said, how do you know how 322 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:23.240 to do all that stuff? And he said, would you 323 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:27.240 like to learn how to cook? And she said, well, 324 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:30.559 maybe you know? And he said why don't you? And 325 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.880 your is that your husband? She said, I have a 326 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:37.759 friend I live with. He said, why don't you come 327 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:40.240 to my house and I'll teach you both how to cook? 328 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:44.160 And they came like seven different times and he led 329 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:48.400 them both to Christ and we were having so much 330 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:53.200 fun because these seven couples every week had a new 331 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:57.839 story and they were excited and it had changed their 332 00:19:57.880 --> 00:19:58.880 outlook a little bit. 333 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:03.559 So I have enjoyed this time with you and can use. 334 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:08.920 The yeah for sure, thank you, yes, thank you, so good, 335 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:15.359 so good, so good. I love that run inspired other 336 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:20.799 people by his bravery. You know, he he has generations 337 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:24.000 above him of pastors and people that would go out 338 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:26.640 and talk to people like this, and so he was 339 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:28.599 a little boy and he would look up and watch 340 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:31.559 them do that, and so he was able to follow 341 00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:35.799 in their footsteps and can now go out and have 342 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:39.319 these conversations with people so comfortably and kind of push 343 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.079 past those awkward moments like can you imagine the guy 344 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:44.799 at Walmart saying, would you like me to teach you 345 00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:50.240 to cook? Wasn't your first thought, like you creep? Right? 346 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:53.119 Because we're so conditioned that way now that if someone 347 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:56.640 actually reaches out in that way, we're already like thinking 348 00:20:56.680 --> 00:21:02.920 it's something picky. And just like with that girl who 349 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:07.319 worked at the store, who knows the impact that those 350 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:12.079 cooking lessons had, Who knows the ripple effect. 351 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:10.880 Of that. 352 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:16.200 Moment and how that went on, and how brave for 353 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.079 that man to again just can go in a Walmart 354 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:22.000 getting some food to make some dinner, and he has 355 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:27.200 that conversation with somebody and pushes past that accordity to 356 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:34.160 impact another person's life life. And I, you know, I 357 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.680 talked about how Ron is such a great storyteller. There's 358 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.640 this book that I picked up at the camp called 359 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:42.599 port Lore. I tried to find a link pord online 360 00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:44.799 and I couldn't, So I have a link in the 361 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:47.720 description for the camp. And I'm sure if you wanted 362 00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:52.359 to go to the camp or b get the book, 363 00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:54.480 I'm sure they'd ship it to you. But it is 364 00:21:54.680 --> 00:22:00.839 a whole little book of kind of the story of wilderness, 365 00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:04.160 the story of Ron and his family, and all these 366 00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:07.480 different little stories of people that have come to the 367 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:13.160 camp and experiences that they've had there. And I mean, 368 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:16.759 when you're with Ron, you want him to tell you 369 00:22:16.839 --> 00:22:23.960 a story. And it's just he's so sweet. So as 370 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:29.640 my first like stranger connection kind of making my dream 371 00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:33.279 come true, I was so proud of myself that I 372 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:39.119 pushed through the awkwardness and the uncertainty. I pushed past 373 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:41.599 the awkwardness of putting this out there because I'm like, 374 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:46.400 oh my gosh, people get so uncomfortable talking about certain 375 00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:50.519 things with our faith. But you know what, that's okay. 376 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:53.839 We can we can handle it because God loves you. 377 00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:57.039 And you may not believe what Ron believes. You may 378 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:00.319 not believe what I believe, but nonetheless God loves you, 379 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:05.599 and you are not alone and God sees you. And 380 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:11.440 I pray that every person that hears my voice, my Midwestern, 381 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:18.839 strange voice, that we hear this call to see people 382 00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:23.039 and to go out and put our judgment down and 383 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:27.079 love people the way that God loves them. Imagine if 384 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.920 we started our day the way that Ron did, the 385 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:34.640 way that Ron does, and say, Lord, how please use 386 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:38.160 me today? Show me who I can help, show me 387 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:41.119 who I can minister, to show me who I can 388 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:47.200 see you figured out and you let me know. Imagine 389 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:51.400 if we started our day that way, the world could change, 390 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:58.440 the ripple effect, the impact, it could be amazing. So 391 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:04.079 I'm really I was really changed by what Ron shared 392 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:09.640 and inspired. And I am now now that I got 393 00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:11.839 that one out of the way, if you will now, 394 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:13.720 I'm ready now I want to go to the next 395 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:17.400 place and see who pops up and who we can 396 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:20.799 talk to next on another episode of the Funny Kind, 397 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:23.599 so they won't all necessarily be like that, I don't 398 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:25.799 know what I don't know. That's going to figure it 399 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:29.319 out and he'll let me know. So I love you. 400 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:34.119 Thank you for being with me on this episode. Please 401 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:37.400