and we'll be right back. Don't get down when you're seeing the worst Cause the last will be the first What a day I'm telling you All things will be new Living up in a down world Yeah we're living, yeah we're living Living up in a down world This is Jimmy Internet and we are coming to you from the Living Up in a Down World studio in the heart of Fredericksburg I can't even say it Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg What's wrong with you?
I've had too much coffee A little jittery Cause it's morning, it's Thursday morning and I'm jittery and you're working, you need to get off your computer I know, I'm gonna get off my computer right now Thank you We're at work and it's one of those busy days and we're like if we don't do a podcast right now this isn't gonna happen I actually enjoy doing it at the studio more than doing it at home because I don't like building a tent city in my office It's ghetto It is ghetto, it was ghetto
but we just don't have a little Chevy with us I know, Mr. Chevy is at home in his bed, I don't say his cage cause it's not puppy jail He loves his bed which is crazy He loves it and he doesn't mind when we shut it up He's like, oh good, that means you're gonna be gone for a while and I'll just sleep I'm good to go, he doesn't care So we are on episode number 78 and we're rolling along Feels like we just did a podcast We did, on Sunday Sunday afternoon, it's Thursday
and at our age you blink and a week is gone I mean that's just the way it is, right? That's for sure But I wanted to get one in even though we're gonna make this one a little bit short cause we have an appointment coming up We got some good friends coming in that we love to visit with but they're going through some stuff and we're just gonna get some time with them But we wanted to welcome you to the podcast Go to livingupinaworld.com Oh, Living Up in a World?
I did it again I told you and Adam said everybody has livingup.com so we can't do that So it's your fault Wait a minute Living Up in a Down World We have a sign I know, I'm reading it right now Livingupinadownworld.com It's because you're trying to talk too fast I am, I don't know why I do that It's cause of the caffeine Right?
I've had two cups of Black Rifle coffee and that will do it right there and I'm about to get my third That and Patriot Brew will do it Yeah, I know, for sure Thank you Rick Green from the Patriot Academy and your great coffee, Patriot Brew Livingupinadownworld.com, go there Subscribe to our newsletter You can do that easily on the front page of our website but also go to the blog section The blog is listed across the top I do daily devotionals I post them every day
I may skip a day every once in a while but they're on there every day The archives are there and they're just short little three, four, five sentence devotionals that will help you kind of kick your day off so be sure and go there and then like us on social media or actually leave a review That is so helpful and that actually gets more things out there when you do a review So talk to me Oh, you're telling me to speed up Well I have to do this part I know, we usually do that at the end
But diving in I want to just go right for the jugular First of all, we want to remember the folks the good people of the storm What are you doing?
I know, I'm just trying to get comfortable You can't hold your microphone I should be able to hold it like you do on stage I have to scoot up Yeah, scoot up You're vertically challenged Yes, very much So now if you'll turn your microphone this way and then spin I will, don't worry Okay, you're good I got it Stop You act like I've never done this Sorry for all the noise Sorry Now we need to talk about the hurricane I know And its effect on so many people Six states
And what our government is not doing Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people impacted Already No water, no electricity So we have two situations going on We have boots on the ground Steve Maxwell who lives in Polk County, Florida He's coordinating all kinds of things We're going to help We did get the information today on where to send that So we're going to help and do our part We're going to help this week But then we're also going to take up an offering on Sunday in both services
But I just, we've got to get help out there to people He's already sent three full semi trucks They've got another one They've got front end loaders They're using to help clear roads So Steve's doing a great job out there Like I said, he's boots on the ground He lives there And this is his home And so they're also sending trucks up to South Carolina There's a lot going on But this has been a massive They're saying now it's already impacted It's larger than Katrina Wow
And yet the federal government's response Has been almost nil Now I reached out to Adam Curry Who has a lot of boots on the ground friends And I actually asked him about that I want to pull up what he wrote Because I asked him, you know, what's going on He said there are conflicting reports Here's how he put it Where is it? You know what?
It hasn't come up yet This is what frustrates me sometimes about Technology Technology and the way it's supposed to I'll just pull up on my phone Because I've got it here handy I was trying to not have my computer open Because it's distracting So let me tell you what Adam said He's got, Alexi's got getting boots on the ground reports He says this Conflicting reports I'm hearing that the state does not want the government to come in I don't know what state There's six states involved
So I don't know if this is Florida or whatever Therefore and not allowing them to operate under Title 10 Which means they come in and declare emergency And that means they have total control Ah That makes sense They don't want the same mess as what happened with Katrina and the feds Still unconfirmed but it sounds plausible He said he was listening to all the local radio stations in North Carolina yesterday
On the internet and it was only the Christian radio stations that were even talking about what was going on And were assembling goods and funds So yay, go brothers and sisters in Christ Of course Were participating in that as well That's what the church should be doing Absolutely Not the government anyway He said it's beautiful to see citizens of America helping each other out Regardless of race, background, creed, religion, and political affiliation And I give a hearty, hearty amen to that
And so yeah, he says there's I ask him, I said I said Steve said the boots on the ground are the civilians and local responders No feds that he's heard of as of yet He says correct No feds No federal helicopters flying As with everything in this early stage it's very hard to determine what is true or not But for sure we're not seeing federal response on the ground But nobody knows what's the truth Exactly That's what's hard
So I guess we shouldn't bash the government if we are in the understanding that maybe they don't want the government to be involved They want to see who else can come in Either way the fact that our president and vice president Vice president was partying in Hollywood with celebrities all weekend And our president was on the beach in Delaware Just having a great weekend while Rome was burning while the world was falling apart And thousands and thousands of people
Oh but he was on the phone for two hours A couple hours on Sunday Yeah So man thank you Joe Biden for handling that Lord I know I'm going to move right along because I will get sucked down that black hole It's so frustrating But we need to pray for those people There are so many people that are not found And people are assuming that their loved ones have passed away Which is so sad and we want to pray for those families And that they will be able to find their loved ones
And that people are hanging on And I just pray for peace in the midst of this storm Yes And the only one that can give that peace in the midst of the storm is the peacemaker And that's Jesus I want to give a good update from Steve Maxwell He says this He says revival is breaking out in these communities Listen to this Revival is breaking out in these communities One church is wearing t-shirts as they deliver goods that say Will I see you in heaven?
It's the opening It's opening the door for the gospel to be shared Wow And I said not surprised Aslan is on the move in the midst of a world in chaos He tends to work that way Steve says suffering gets our attention No drag queens in sight Wow And I said in the Mike Smith documentary Into the Light Boone Cutler says the truth is we have not felt enough pain to change My former boss Dave Ramsey says the pain of staying the same has to outweigh the pain of change Indeed suffering does awaken us
For those who have ears to hear No divas will be found in the midst of real life chaos That's true And I said real men run into the fire Wow And so yeah thank God for those people that are boots on the ground Those civilians that are helping one another And I agree with Adam that you know when the bomb drops like this You don't worry about whether you're a dim, you know you're a dim Republican It doesn't even matter Or conservative It doesn't matter No but you just Or what color you are
You try to save lives Yes And help people and that's really It's sad but it's when things get tragic and catastrophic That the good side of humanity comes out I mean also the idiots come out looting and robbing And man may God, may the canopy of God's justice be over them And it will I'll just put it that way Definitely will be So I wanted to visit just for a minute because I know You and I have had a conversation about your story You know we were at a wonderful event this last Tuesday night
Over in Kerrville, Texas and it was for the pregnancy resource center there And Kelly Lester was the keynote speaker and she's got a wild story and testimony And the whole time she's talking I'm thinking about you Because I'm like this is your story Except for the hardcore drugs Yeah I didn't do drugs You weren't part of that dark drug culture in the end Thank God You had a fair share of weed But I was around many people Well I didn't really do a lot I didn't really I didn't either
That wasn't my thing I didn't like how I felt even trying that So that wasn't a big deal for me Listen to Kelly I was thinking you know what You need to tell parts of your story that you've not shared And I want you to take a few minutes to just talk about that and how God heals and redeems Well I talked to Kelly and Monica Klein who was the one who invited us to this event And told them you know Kelly's telling her story about how she went to Planned Parenthood
When she got pregnant and they offered her an abortion Or information on how to get an abortion And it brought back a lot of memories for me She ended up having multiple abortions And then ended up working for Planned Parenthood And she really exposed the tactics that they use to lure women into going ahead with an abortion When women have questions And it made me think about as I have told my testimony I have not really shared much about my experience with Planned Parenthood
And I did go to Planned Parenthood a couple of times First time thinking I was pregnant And I wasn't although I really was it was too early to tell And them giving me a bunch of condoms I remember them giving me a sack full of condoms Instead of giving me education on why this is not good for me at 15 years of age They are just saying here you are going to do it anyway Here go give this to your boyfriend And I will never forget that
And I remember it was my boyfriend's best friend that took me to Planned Parenthood And I was so angry when I got in the car Just because I don't know why I was so angry I should have been happy that they were trying to keep me from getting pregnant at that age Because that is good I don't need to be pregnant at that age But I remember us driving off and there was a big trash bin And I just threw it in there I was just like
But I remember them saying come back in a couple of weeks it may be too early And I went back two weeks later and sure enough I really was pregnant At 15 And the very first thing they did was tell me I was really too young to be pregnant Really interesting I wasn't too young to have a lot of sex But I was too young to Right and they were going to give you something to help that Yes and help that But then they gave me I remember them handing me a piece of paper
And it was the name of two different abortion doctors and said you need to call them There wasn't any education there wasn't we are here to help you It was just that was the only solution from them And this was back in what 78 77 and I'm just going I look back and I'm like wow as far back as 77 When when this was years ago Planned Parenthood had come out and said no we don't talk about abortion at all Well now it's very obvious that they do
But there were many years that they denied it and it was during those years that they denied it when I knew what they were really doing And that's when I had my first experience with them my last as well And I didn't know if they were pregnancy resource centers I didn't know anything about a Christian a center Tell the difference between those well a pregnancy resource center will give information to the pregnant woman to educate them to help them
They will do a sonogram so that they can hear the baby's heartbeat and see that this is a real human being from conception not when it's when the baby's birthed So they'll suggest options They'll suggest options And they do not do abortions They don't do abortions and they and they give you information on really what the abortion entails which they don't do that at pregnancy resources
They're not going to tell you that they're going to pull every organ and mean it at the excuse me at Planned Parenthood They don't tell you that they're going to pull every limb and organ out of a baby you know and destroy it they don't tell you they're going to kill it exactly Exactly what it is they they don't give you any of that information but at the pregnancy resource center if you're asking about that they will tell you exactly what it entails
So you didn't have that option so you're hearing from them that they'll do an abortion they'll get you taken care of and you're thinking what I'm thinking I think I had enough sense Well for one I was trying to get pregnant which is because in my little young mind immature mind I thought that was my only way out of a bad home situation That was the dysfunction but thank God I had the fortitude to know that there is a baby in there and that I don't want to destroy this child
I'm different from a lot of people a lot of people had aspirations especially around our decade of growing up They had aspirations of big things and maybe a baby gets in the way for me it was the only thing that was going to save me And I had such a horrific childhood because I didn't have the love of my parents they didn't by the time you know I came along they didn't
They were just too wrapped up in their own social activities and I was just kind of the afterthought and so I needed to feel loved I didn't realize at that time that the love I really needed was the love of Jesus 100% and that that would fulfill me I wanted to mix the two I wanted Jesus but I also wanted a baby that I could give the love to that I so desired and which is basically what happened
The great thing is the good thing about you know what I love about God is even when we make poor choices and we have challenges that are sometimes beyond our control God can turn it around for His good and there is scripture that talks about that and for me I got to see a change in my father because of having my daughter I got to see a father that I always wanted and desired to see in my life but it wasn't through me it was through my daughter
because he just I don't know what happened to him but he absolutely adored her which was so unbelievable to me because he didn't treat me the same way but I got to see a glimpse of it with her not with me until his deathbed but with her I got to see the father I always wanted So you know God turns things around but you know I think my hope and prayer for someone who finds themselves pregnant and you don't know what to do
Go to a Pregnancy Resource Center, don't go to Planned Parenthood, go to anything but Planned Parenthood because the options they give you are going to cause you to have problems with shame and you are going to lose hope. There is a lot of people I know that have had abortions and God can forgive that He can forgive anything. I'm sorry I feel like an interviewer here but how did the people in your church, your mom's church
They loved me so much they gave me a baby shower. So there wasn't judgment? No there was no judgment in my church. That's beautiful. They treated me They knew that I had made a poor choice obviously but they treated me with love and respect. So in one sense you made a poor choice but then you made a good choice The poor choice was obviously to have premarital sex and try to get pregnant out of that dysfunction but the good choice was to say I'm not going to kill a child
I'm not going to kill a child and I'm going to. And you know I had the opportunity for adoption. I did have a family in our town Because again that's another viable option. And I had a very wealthy family in our town that came to me and they desperately wanted a baby and asked me if I would consider I mean looking back I don't know exactly what choice was the right choice but for me the right choice was to keep Alicia. And I think if she would have gone to that family
She would have been just fine because you don't ever want to believe that you've made that wrong choice. You want to believe that the choice you made was right at that time
And I wouldn't change that. I want to share a scripture so while you were talking I couldn't help but go to Psalm 139 And it says this it says for you speaking to God for you formed my inward parts you knitted me together in my mother's womb I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Wonderful are your works for my soul knows it very well my frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret intricately woven in the depths of the earth the womb
Your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written every one of them the days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them How precious to me are your thoughts oh God how vast is the sum of them this is such a clear statement of understanding from the scripture that life begins at conception
That God has a plan for that baby not that little mass of cells or this quote embryo is dehumanized no for this baby and any mother I've ever been around when they feel that kick in their stomach Usually about four months you feel it and there is nothing like it but when you hear the heartbeat you know and you're in your you know probably two months along two to three months
And that's when you pretty much find out you're pregnant and you can hear when I heard the heartbeat that was the only thing we didn't they didn't do sonograms back then Oh there's a piece of fetal tissue inside of my body with a heartbeat and that pretty much solidified for me this is a real child and because I wanted a child I kept the child
That's really what it comes down to is when does that baby become a human and it becomes a human the moment those cells interact and begin to multiply life has begun Thank you for sharing that I think that's really important for people here I've not really shared that much of I have so much testimony There's another element we need to talk about and that is your rape scenario and the stalker scenario which we've talked a little bit about that but you've not talked about the rape scenario
We'll talk about that another time but people need to understand they always think that pastors and people who are leading churches have just got this squeaky clean perfect life And when I meet people like that and there are a handful of people out there but when you get behind the veil and you peel the layers back you realize oh no there's stuff Everybody has a story and every story has multiple arcs and valleys and twists and turns and there's just life is hard on this planet it's not easy
I gave my testimony a couple weeks ago at church and I left some things out just because it's so much and literally a part of me didn't want to tell especially the rape because of shame It's almost like the enemy wanted to bring that and go okay well if you tell that now you've really you know you're going to discredit yourself But you know what's going to happen when you talk about that there's going to be a lot of women who are going to go oh my gosh she knows she's been there
I feel really compelled to you know I'm in the women's ministry here I'm writing it now as of this year at our church and I'm going to be speaking quite a bit And I felt like the Lord would give me a time to where I can give those little testimonies And one of the things that Tina said that I really needed a topic that's really big on her mind and what she feels like is on every woman's mind is rejection
And so I felt like oh I could easily in January you know speak to that and intertwine that with the rape because that you know plays a big part of that
Because of why I'm not telling the story so anyway. Thank you for telling that yet another facet of your story It makes me love you even more it makes me so grateful that God trusted me to be your husband and to do this love together I don't think I could have gotten through any of this without you without your love because you have literally shown me the love of Jesus
Thank you and I'm grateful. It's an honor and a privilege to do this life 32 years almost November I know we are coming up on 32 years of wow Oh next month. I know here we go. Big diamond ring. No I'm just kidding. One thing I want to land the plane with. You ignored me. I know I know
I'm going to land I'm redirecting the art of redirection. I just want to say thanks to Adam and Tina Curry we got to spend an evening with them We don't do that enough because we're all running in different directions, but just so much fun There's so much life that happens when you find there so Mike Smith made this comment to me now. I just want to all in with this He said there are people who come into your life for a reason for a season and for a lifetime and I love that
The Curry's came in all three for a reason for a season and now for a lifetime. Just so thankful Adam and Tina check out their Amazing podcast Curry and the Keeper on any of the platforms you can find them there there and also Adams Media deconstruction with John Dvorak no agenda. Definitely check those guys out again. Thank you for being real Thank you for being transparent and honest. You and I are both are just brutally transparent
But but is there any other way that you'd want to live? No, no, me either. Me either. I love you Well, we do need to thank James Barron for giving a donation this week. Thank you James I told you don't do it because I know you're on a very small fixed income and he keeps doing it
We love you James. God's gonna bless you Adam Adam brought in a nice huge hundred thousand seven seven seven And and I'll just give me a quick Striper booze, but so appreciate others who are giving and so thank you for supporting us Yes, and we're until the notes David Foley. Thank you again for your letter. Awesome. You're amazing
You're you and your wife are amazing amazing people in our lives, don't we? We do absolutely This was short really short Sure, we got folks coming in probably walking through the building right now Yeah, with us, but we want to say we love you keep living up in a down world I will try to slow down my speech. Yes, get that out there and look at the sun. No, I know. Hey guys Have a wonderful week. What's left of it? We'll catch you next week. God bless you You