Aug. 31, 2026

“God’s Love Language” with Laura (332)

“God’s Love Language” with Laura (332)
“God’s Love Language” with Laura (332)
Global Outpouring
“God’s Love Language” with Laura (332)

The concept of “love languages” has been extremely popular over the last few decades. You probably know what your own love languages are! But have you ever considered what God’s love language is?

Laura, a dear friend of the Busses, recently joined them to teach at the Generation Awakening Youth Retreat. Along with her sweet puppy, Alice, Laura shares what the Lord has been speaking to her about His love language that can be found all through Scripture: obedience. Laura draws many parallels between her experience with lovingly training her dogs and our experience in lifelong obedience training with our Father.

Laura explains why freedom without obedience to God is dangerous, and how operating in trusting obedience in the small things brings joy to God’s heart and opens the door for freedom and assignments we could not have handled before, just like her sweet puppy, Alice. You will love this revelatory teaching!

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WEBVTT

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Obedience makes even humans feel loved and honored.

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So if you want more freedom and more difficult

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assignments, it starts with the small stuff.

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Sit, stay, lay down. That's so good. Yeah, obedience

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is God's love language, and you can't do enough

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for God to make obedience up to Him. God promises

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in Joel 2 .28 to pour out His Spirit on all humanity.

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Welcome to Global Outpouring, where we contend

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for that promise outpouring, we equip for that

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outpouring, so that we may engage in that very

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outpouring. I'm Philip Buss. And I'm Sharon Buss.

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Welcome to the podcast today. We have with us

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a very dear friend that has been a member of

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our ministry for, well, she's actually second

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generation, so she's been with us a long time,

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and so is her family. So this is Laura, and she

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is bringing a wonderful message that she brought

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at our youth retreat, our Generation Awakening

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youth retreat recently, and it's all about God's

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love language. And she also has an assistant

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named Alice. You'll meet Alice shortly. Thanks

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so much for joining us today. We're really happy

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that you're with us, and we look forward to spending

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this little time with you and with Laura and

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Alice. It's going to be a wonderful time. But

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before we get started, we want to encourage you,

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if you haven't already done so, to go to our

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website, globaloutpouring .net. Make sure that

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Outpouring than just this podcast. So we encourage

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you to do that and just scoot around our website

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to... getting to know you better, you can send

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is feedback at globaloutpouring .org, or there's

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.net, that you can use to fill it out and let

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us hear from you. Let us know where you're listening

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from. It's going to be a blessing to us to get

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some feedback from you, and we want to help encourage

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you and help to build you up and equip you for

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the things that are coming in the Spirit of God

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as He pours out His Spirit on all flesh. So,

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Laura, we are delighted to have you with us on

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this podcast. This is... This is your first time

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on a podcast, isn't it? Or did we do one? I believe

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so. Yeah. Okay. So just by way of introduction,

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you grew up in a Christian home, right? Yes.

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I was homeschooled. You were homeschooled and

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you came to our conventions starting at what,

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age 10 or something like that? And that's over

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30 years ago, right? Yes. So you've been with

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us for a long time, and we just love you and

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your family. And we're just so happy that we've

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watched you grow. We've watched you develop into

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an amazing woman of God and an amazing teacher.

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I've sat in your classes a few times now, and

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I'm very impressed. with your ability as a teacher.

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Of course, you come by it honestly. Your mother's

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a teacher too, so it's in your DNA. And I love

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what Dean Braxton talks about that in heaven,

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families have colors and they tend to be from

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the same kind of stock, like teachers are often

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in the same family. So I just think this is just

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another example of what God does in his eternal

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plans. So Welcome. Thank you. We're just really

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happy. This is going to be really good because

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you brought this amazing teaching on obedience

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at the youth retreat. And you used Alice as a

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visual aid. Yes, that's a good way to call it.

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So should we introduce Alice? Sure. Alice. Hi,

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sweetheart. Come on. Mom. She'd already fallen

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asleep. Oh, I'm sorry. So this is Alice. So tell

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us a little bit about Alice. So Alice is an eight

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-month -old Cavapoo, and she wants to get down.

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So hello, everyone. Let me go back to sleep.

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Yeah, that's it. She's like, I was getting into

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a good nap. You guys don't know. So. Yes. So

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Alice was one of those things where I'd always

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wanted a little dog. I'd always had big dogs

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growing up and I was a little intimidated by

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the yappy and nippy that little dogs can be because

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they can be a bit of a mess depending on, I mean,

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a big dogs can too, but I had gotten to a point

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with dogs that I could walk into a shelter, I

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could pick one out and I was never wrong about

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that. And I realized that that was the grace

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of God, but. But the little dogs, I was intimidated.

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So, but I was like, you know what? I'm just going

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to do it. We had other young dogs and it's like,

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might as well, you know, in for a penny, in for

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a pound. And so Alice came into my life. So my

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husband and I, four years, had been trying to

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have children. That was the one thing that I

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knew from the time that I was very young that

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I wanted to be a wife and a mother. So we, you

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know, realized at a certain point it was like.

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This is not going to happen. So when I had started

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praying into getting another dog and being like,

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God, I don't want to go outside of your will

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because I had once chosen a dog. And I didn't

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ask, but I also virtually put my fingers in my

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ears and la la la'd in case God was going to

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object. So I was in complete disobedience. And

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then I get this dog and I realize, even though

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she was the dog of my heart, my absolute love

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dog, that I needed God to have this dog. I saw

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enough that I was like. I was so arrogant to

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think that I could do this without you. Oh, my

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gosh. How could I have thought such a thing?

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So repented so that when I went to go get another

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one, I was like, OK, we're not making the same

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mistake. God, is this something that I should

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do? You know, should I get another dog? And if

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I am going to have another dog, then I started

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praying into what I wanted. So finally. the breeder

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that we had ended up selecting. Making cavapoos.

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Tell us what that is. So Alice is a cavapoo,

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which is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mixed

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with a poodle. And the purpose? Well, personality

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is one of them. But of course, poodles are very

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popular right now because they carry the trait

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that makes them not shed. So they have more hair

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so that they are. Depending on what their genetics

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turns out in that mix, they can be way more hypoallergenic

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and so therefore not shed all over you. And so

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I admit, I had seen both Cavaliers and Poodles,

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liked both dogs very much. I wanted a hybrid

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because I wanted hybrid vigor, which is the health

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that comes from when you cross the two purebreds

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together. It's usually much better than if you

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had a purebred of one or the other. So I wanted

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a very healthy dog. So I like I'm next up on

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the list because the breeders generally they

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have a list of people who are in line for the

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litters. And he sends me pictures and I'm like

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thinking, I'm going to pass on this one. This

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is not going to be it. And but those were the

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early pictures. And then he sends the next photos

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and he says, this is Alice. And I was like, oh,

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my gosh. because Alice was the name that my husband

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and I had chosen for our first child because

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we thought that we would have a daughter and

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we had agreed on the name Alice. So I hadn't

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actually intended to name this dog Alice. It

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was on the list of possible names, but it was

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not the top one. But when that happened, it was

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like, okay, it's Alice. And apparently that's

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the one that God has chosen for us. And so then

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he's just had me walk this out by faith ever

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since. That's amazing. Absolutely amazing. And

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Alice's brother. Yeah. So the other name that

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we had picked out for in case there was a boy

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and we were wrong about that feeling it'd be

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a girl first was Axel and her brother's name

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was Axel, which it's not uncommon for litters

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to have this starting with the same letter. So

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that's pretty normal. But there's lots of A names.

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It did not have to be Alice and Axel. Could have

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been wrong. And we had choice in it. But we decided

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to be like, OK, that looks like God. We're going

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to go ahead. Yeah, that's beautiful. Yeah, beautiful.

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So you got Alice. And then what happened? So

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Alice, because I prayed into this dog and because,

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you know, God had highlighted so strongly that

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Alice was mine. It was like, well, you know.

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I think that maybe she could, you know, help

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come with me and minister. And so we asked and

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we were given permission and it really worked

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out because, I mean, I kind of wanted her to

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come anyway. But when God had told me what I

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was to share at the youth retreat for my message,

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it was like, oh, well, this would be so much

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better if Alice came along. It's one of those

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things where it's like, obviously it can be handled

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without Alice. How much more fun is any sermon

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at a youth retreat when there's a dog involved?

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I mean, come on, a puppy. I'm an eight -month

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-old puppy. I mean, I instant hit right there

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regardless of content. You know, I just stand

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up with the puppy and everybody cheers. Yeah.

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And so what did the Lord speak to you about bringing

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for a message? So I was to talk on God's love

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language. Oh, yes. So that was one of the things

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that we had felt when we were praying into the

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retreat, that this was going to be about God,

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that he wanted to be known in this retreat, who

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he is, what his preferences are. And so the biggest

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thing is, you know, because we talk about the

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five love languages and, you know, what's more

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common for us, there is one thing that's not

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really thought about when it comes to God. because

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people find it so inconvenient. And that is that

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God has a love language that he spelled out pretty

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strongly, and that is obedience. God's love language

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is obedience. And if obedience isn't first, then

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nothing else will matter after that. Yeah, because

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that's how Adam and Eve blew it. They weren't

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obedient. True, true. And we've been suffering

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ever since. But if not, someone else would have

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done it. They just unfortunately have the honor.

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Human nature, right? Right. Well, yeah, we won't

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go there. Anyway, so bring what you brought to

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the youth retreat, because I feel like it's such

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an important message. And I love the fact that

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you called it God's love language, because we

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tend to think about obedience with a little bit

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of rankle. Because, you know, face it, it's a

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fleshly trait to be rebellious and to not want

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to obey. But, you know, you've been training

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your little Alice for, since she was two months

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old and now she's eight months old. So for six

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months, you've been working with her to develop

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obedience. So tell us more. Well, my text for

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this one, you know, just so that I'm not making

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claims about God that, you know, are unsubstantiated

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by the Bible. Right, right. In John 14, 15, it

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says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

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Amen. So it's one of those things where you're

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tempted after you read that because you're like,

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well, that just said it all. I will just, you

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know, I can just leave now. You guys got it,

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right? This is good. But it's like, okay, yeah,

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we're going to keep going. and just tease that

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out because, especially with the enemy, he likes

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to make us all a little thick. I'll go with that.

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You know, it's like, it should be so simple after

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that, but it's like, no, we need more. So, you

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know, it can be stated quite a few different

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ways. If you love Jesus, you will obey him. If

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you keep Jesus's commandments, you will be showing

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love for him. And then, of course, you have the

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opposite side, you know, just so we can tease

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this out properly. So if you don't keep Jesus's

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commandments, then you don't love Jesus. Or those

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who don't obey Jesus don't love him. Wow. That

00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:04.379
puts it very succinctly. Yeah. So after all of

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that, we only love Jesus to the degree that we're

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willing to obey him. Yeah. Yes. Ouch, hallelujah.

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And I think most people's minds rebel and they're

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like, wait a second, that cannot be right. But

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you need to just consider this. How do you feel

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if your friend ignores what you say? Yeah. If

00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:30.120
I told my friend that I don't like pink and yet

00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.340
every gift or thing that that person brings to

00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:38.500
me for me is pink. I'm not going to feel loved.

00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.120
At first, I might be like, oh, isn't that sweet?

00:13:41.220 --> 00:13:45.259
They tried. But it keeps coming. And I'm going

00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:47.700
to be like, I've told this person time and time

00:13:47.700 --> 00:13:50.379
again, why on earth they must not care much about

00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:53.840
what I think or how I feel. If you told a person,

00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.679
you know, what your preference was, whether you

00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:59.100
liked something or didn't like something, and

00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:03.389
they just. Wouldn't listen. You told them and

00:14:03.389 --> 00:14:06.190
if they cared about you and your feelings and

00:14:06.190 --> 00:14:08.210
your preferences, then they would do something,

00:14:08.309 --> 00:14:12.230
but they just completely ignore you. Well, that

00:14:12.230 --> 00:14:14.990
is the same way about God. In the word, he has

00:14:14.990 --> 00:14:18.230
taken time to tell us how he feels about certain

00:14:18.230 --> 00:14:21.370
things. Yes. And we have a choice right there

00:14:21.370 --> 00:14:24.629
whether to listen and be like, you know what?

00:14:25.169 --> 00:14:27.549
You've just told us what breaks your heart. You've

00:14:27.549 --> 00:14:30.639
told us what you find disgusting. We should take

00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.960
note. We should consider and actually change

00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:36.679
our behavior because we love you and we care

00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:39.100
about your feelings and what you think about

00:14:39.100 --> 00:14:43.779
stuff. Yeah. So one of the big ones is in 1 Samuel

00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:48.419
15, 22 through 23a. Has the Lord as much delight

00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:51.240
in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying

00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:54.399
the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better

00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:57.340
than sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams.

00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:00.720
For rebellion is as the sin of divination and

00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.879
insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.

00:15:04.220 --> 00:15:08.299
So the gift that God wants is your obedience.

00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:12.639
And if you don't obey, not only are you not loving

00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.340
God, but you are guilty of witchcraft or divination.

00:15:16.860 --> 00:15:19.919
So according to the Bible, the definition of

00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:24.759
witchcraft is disobedience. I recently had this.

00:15:25.690 --> 00:15:29.149
Yeah, I recently had this on a trip I went on

00:15:29.149 --> 00:15:32.389
with the church and disobedience was allowed

00:15:32.389 --> 00:15:35.110
and that opened up the doorway for witchcraft

00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:38.830
right then and there. Oh, boy. So it was very

00:15:38.830 --> 00:15:43.649
eye opening. I looked up a lot of like what was

00:15:43.649 --> 00:15:45.830
out there for defining witchcraft because, you

00:15:45.830 --> 00:15:47.909
know, it's like it's almost something that we

00:15:47.909 --> 00:15:49.549
don't think much about. And like, what on earth

00:15:49.549 --> 00:15:52.470
is this? And it ultimately ends up being aligning

00:15:52.470 --> 00:15:55.590
yourself with spirits other than God. Wow. And

00:15:55.590 --> 00:15:58.289
it is relying on them for power, information,

00:15:58.370 --> 00:16:02.389
or anything else. That's a great definition.

00:16:03.070 --> 00:16:05.850
Yeah. Then we go with, like most people, they

00:16:05.850 --> 00:16:07.330
want to be on the fence. And it's like there

00:16:07.330 --> 00:16:09.950
is no neutral territory. There is no demilitarized

00:16:09.950 --> 00:16:12.750
zone. It is either you are for God or you are

00:16:12.750 --> 00:16:15.929
against him. So divination or witchcraft is nothing

00:16:15.929 --> 00:16:18.529
more or less than going to something other than

00:16:18.529 --> 00:16:21.389
God, whether that be yourself or another spirit

00:16:21.389 --> 00:16:24.830
that is not aligned with God. So God has a way

00:16:24.830 --> 00:16:27.730
of driving these points home for me. I see things

00:16:27.730 --> 00:16:30.169
and understand the world through pictures. I

00:16:30.169 --> 00:16:32.570
really can't understand a concept unless there

00:16:32.570 --> 00:16:35.450
is a picture to go with it. So my husband and

00:16:35.450 --> 00:16:37.710
I, we decide to allow this young man to come

00:16:37.710 --> 00:16:41.389
stay with us who's an alcoholic. And, you know,

00:16:41.409 --> 00:16:43.409
we decide that we're going to be his rehab facility.

00:16:43.730 --> 00:16:46.490
So we're like, OK, so we set out the ground rules.

00:16:46.549 --> 00:16:48.169
So here's the list of rules. These are the things

00:16:48.169 --> 00:16:50.289
that need to happen. One of them was no cell

00:16:50.289 --> 00:16:52.309
phone for 30 days because it's pretty standard

00:16:52.309 --> 00:16:55.330
for rehab facilities. And then the next one was

00:16:55.330 --> 00:16:57.889
you need to be up at 7 a .m. I didn't care when

00:16:57.889 --> 00:17:01.289
the young man went to bed, but 7 a .m. was when

00:17:01.289 --> 00:17:03.669
they needed to wake up. So they just. It was

00:17:03.669 --> 00:17:06.150
clearly out there. This is where your day will

00:17:06.150 --> 00:17:10.690
start. And so the cell phones, though, they double

00:17:10.690 --> 00:17:13.930
as an alarm clock. So every morning I had to

00:17:13.930 --> 00:17:18.250
go knock on the door to get up this guy. And,

00:17:18.250 --> 00:17:20.809
you know, I finally, you know, it's like this

00:17:20.809 --> 00:17:23.109
awkward I find getting other people up, especially

00:17:23.109 --> 00:17:26.670
adult people. I think parents find it awkward

00:17:26.670 --> 00:17:29.769
enough with their kids. How old was he about?

00:17:31.690 --> 00:17:35.609
One is heading to 30, I think. Oh, wow. But I

00:17:35.609 --> 00:17:37.109
mean, he didn't have an alarm clock, so it was

00:17:37.109 --> 00:17:39.970
nothing that he could have done. So I was like,

00:17:39.970 --> 00:17:41.910
I was like, yes, he's getting his cell phone

00:17:41.910 --> 00:17:44.390
back. We have hit our 30 days. I don't have to

00:17:44.390 --> 00:17:46.529
wake him up anymore. I can just give him the

00:17:46.529 --> 00:17:49.769
cell phone. He sets the alarm. Hallelujah. And

00:17:49.769 --> 00:17:57.650
7 a .m. on day 31 comes and it goes and he has

00:17:57.650 --> 00:18:04.279
not appeared. And I am like. What the heck? Bang,

00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:07.019
bang, bang on the door. He comes out and I'm

00:18:07.019 --> 00:18:11.339
like, what the heck? Oh, I didn't set my alarm

00:18:11.339 --> 00:18:15.819
clock. I decided to just wake up naturally. I'm

00:18:15.819 --> 00:18:18.960
like, that was not at all what was agreed on

00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:22.700
whatsoever. No. So there were a few exceptions,

00:18:22.819 --> 00:18:27.049
but. With very few exceptions from then on, before

00:18:27.049 --> 00:18:29.289
he got a job, which nulled that portion of their

00:18:29.289 --> 00:18:33.609
contract or the rules, he did not get up at 7

00:18:33.609 --> 00:18:37.329
a .m. any of those mornings. And then there were

00:18:37.329 --> 00:18:39.589
a few times that I would ask him to do something.

00:18:39.930 --> 00:18:42.150
And instead of saying, I can't do that right

00:18:42.150 --> 00:18:46.970
now, or I won't do it, or, hey, this isn't really

00:18:46.970 --> 00:18:49.029
working for me. Let me do something else instead.

00:18:49.630 --> 00:18:54.069
He just wouldn't do it at all. I can't even begin

00:18:54.069 --> 00:18:57.230
to describe how disrespected I felt. He was in

00:18:57.230 --> 00:19:02.490
our home, under our roof, eating our food. And

00:19:02.490 --> 00:19:04.250
my husband may not have felt this way, but I

00:19:04.250 --> 00:19:07.650
felt it invading my space that I need for other

00:19:07.650 --> 00:19:12.390
things. Yeah. And he wouldn't do what I asked.

00:19:13.210 --> 00:19:16.390
And so then the fateful day came that just really

00:19:16.390 --> 00:19:18.789
drove home the point. I do wonder if God just

00:19:18.789 --> 00:19:21.369
sits up in heaven and laughs sometimes. Oh, yeah.

00:19:21.529 --> 00:19:24.089
Bible says he does. You know, like, watch this.

00:19:24.190 --> 00:19:25.789
Well, I meant laugh at me. I mean, I understand

00:19:25.789 --> 00:19:27.990
he laughs at his enemies, but, you know, I like

00:19:27.990 --> 00:19:31.910
to think I'm not most of the time. Like, so he's

00:19:31.910 --> 00:19:34.049
like, okay, I'm sorry this is going to hurt you,

00:19:34.089 --> 00:19:37.750
dear, but wait for it. It's my birthday. And

00:19:37.750 --> 00:19:42.400
he gets me a birthday card. And it was an expensive

00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:46.259
one that folded out. And this young man did not

00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:49.920
have a lot of money. I cannot begin to describe

00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.259
the things that ran through my head on what I

00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:56.299
wanted to do with that birthday card. I thought

00:19:56.299 --> 00:20:00.119
about tearing it up in his face. Maybe, yeah,

00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:05.559
spitting on it also came to mind. Calmly walking

00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:08.599
to the drawer, pulling out the lighter, flicking

00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:12.680
it, and just watching it. Burn. Oh, my flesh

00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:17.799
was so happy at those thoughts. I could not bear

00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:21.859
to look at that card. It was disgusting. It is

00:20:21.859 --> 00:20:26.819
such a disgusting insult to me. And I realized

00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:29.359
that God has got to feel the same way, or at

00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:31.380
least something can do the same if we dare to

00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:34.960
speak for God and his feelings. Oh, my gosh.

00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.559
To think that after all of that, that a gift.

00:20:40.580 --> 00:20:44.460
Somehow is going to make it all right. But somehow

00:20:44.460 --> 00:20:48.559
you could buy your way out of all of that disrespect.

00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:56.519
And just why? And I was like, oh, I get it. I

00:20:56.519 --> 00:21:02.329
get it. Oh, my goodness. So. Obedience is better

00:21:02.329 --> 00:21:05.250
than sacrifice. I mean, the Bible said it very

00:21:05.250 --> 00:21:07.390
clearly. We may not have had a picture for it,

00:21:07.410 --> 00:21:11.569
but now we do. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

00:21:11.750 --> 00:21:15.470
And you cannot give God enough presence to soothe

00:21:15.470 --> 00:21:19.150
him or to make up for not obeying. And from experience,

00:21:19.349 --> 00:21:23.690
I now know. I agree with God. Gifts without obedience

00:21:23.690 --> 00:21:26.910
is a source of disgust. If we love him, we will

00:21:26.910 --> 00:21:32.380
obey him. That's good. So good. So if you're

00:21:32.380 --> 00:21:35.079
like me, then you're why people. I love to know

00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:38.920
why on everything. Like this whole blind obedience

00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:42.039
is not fun. And even if it does minister to God's

00:21:42.039 --> 00:21:43.779
heart, because I know how it is, like even for

00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:47.799
parents, sometimes when the kid asked why you

00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:50.700
asked them to do something, you just want them

00:21:50.700 --> 00:21:53.259
to do it because you asked that the wise and

00:21:53.259 --> 00:21:54.579
the wise. And you're just like, can you just

00:21:54.579 --> 00:21:57.079
do it? Because I said so, because I asked you

00:21:57.079 --> 00:22:01.420
to do it. And it's like. Okay. So God has to

00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:03.660
feel that way too. He probably has a why for

00:22:03.660 --> 00:22:05.819
absolutely everything, but sometimes he probably

00:22:05.819 --> 00:22:08.279
is just like, could you do it just for me? Just

00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:11.220
because I asked you to do it, you know? Yeah.

00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:15.779
Very much a parent thing. Yes. Yes, it is. I

00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:18.920
always told our daughter, you can ask why after

00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:22.980
you obey. There we go. There we go. Obey first,

00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:26.839
then you can ask why. Yeah. So then this comes

00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:28.660
with the other picture that God has put into

00:22:28.660 --> 00:22:32.000
my life. I realized as I was working with one

00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:35.180
of my dogs, her name is Orly. Orly is prone to

00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:39.380
shoulder injuries. And Orly... Her world, her

00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:42.359
entire universe revolves around going and chasing

00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:44.799
squirrels in the woods. That is what makes her

00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:48.279
come alive in a way that just doesn't anywhere

00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:51.799
else. But when she gets injured, she can't go

00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:54.380
out to the woods because that would not be loving

00:22:54.380 --> 00:22:56.740
on my part to go and put her in a position where

00:22:56.740 --> 00:22:58.619
she is going to keep reinjuring that shoulder.

00:22:59.140 --> 00:23:14.019
And I wondered when she. And I realized she will

00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:18.539
never understand. Dogs are the perfect example

00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:22.539
of blind obedience because they will never understand

00:23:22.539 --> 00:23:28.160
why. All they know is that I love them and they

00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:33.920
love me. When I tell my dog, no, I have a good

00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.180
reason because I love them. I'm not interested

00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:39.039
in thwarting their will for no reason. Like I,

00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:42.380
there's a point to all that I asked them to do.

00:23:42.460 --> 00:23:45.940
And none of it is to amuse me or to make me happy

00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:48.519
at their expense because I love them. I want

00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:51.259
them to be happy. I want to fulfill them. I want

00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:54.519
them to have joy, but they're never going to

00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:57.859
understand the nose and I'm never going to be

00:23:57.859 --> 00:24:00.980
able to explain it to them. Wow, that's so good.

00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:04.019
You know, we had a dog like that. They would

00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:06.740
run one of the fastest dogs, and he was a squirrel

00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:10.319
hunter. He'd go after squirrels. And he had an

00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:13.480
injury. He'd fall on the pickup truck. He jumped

00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:16.339
out while it was moving. He jumped out, and it

00:24:16.339 --> 00:24:18.940
was an expensive fix. Yeah, it was a broken hip.

00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:21.500
Broken hip. But he would re -injure himself,

00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:23.779
and it was the same thing. He would just run

00:24:23.779 --> 00:24:26.400
hard. Then he would hurt himself. And I thought,

00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:29.269
why can't that dog understand? You know, just

00:24:29.269 --> 00:24:34.410
don't do this. But, you know, they don't understand.

00:24:34.609 --> 00:24:36.650
Just like you were saying, they don't understand.

00:24:36.970 --> 00:24:39.349
I mean, they just run with their whole heart

00:24:39.349 --> 00:24:41.710
and with reckless abandon. Reckless abandon,

00:24:41.930 --> 00:24:46.250
yeah. So then, you know, as I continued to meditate

00:24:46.250 --> 00:24:48.509
on, you know, the picture of a dog and obedience

00:24:48.509 --> 00:24:51.329
and everything, I thought about the three different

00:24:51.329 --> 00:24:53.549
states that a dog can be in. There's many, but

00:24:53.549 --> 00:24:56.309
we'll talk about the three. So the dog can be

00:24:56.309 --> 00:25:00.549
leashed. fenced, or free. Oh, that's good. So

00:25:00.549 --> 00:25:03.369
a leash dog never has the opportunity to do anything

00:25:03.369 --> 00:25:05.490
very good or bad. You know, its freedom is very

00:25:05.490 --> 00:25:07.390
limited. If you want them to sit, you can make

00:25:07.390 --> 00:25:09.190
them. If you want them to come, then all you

00:25:09.190 --> 00:25:11.450
need to do is just reel them in. If you need

00:25:11.450 --> 00:25:13.130
them to correct them, then you just pull on the

00:25:13.130 --> 00:25:15.769
leash. And if a leash is the best that a dog

00:25:15.769 --> 00:25:18.789
can get, it is good. And it's so much better

00:25:18.789 --> 00:25:20.569
than them staying at home all the time or being

00:25:20.569 --> 00:25:23.289
in a crate. But how much better is it if they

00:25:23.289 --> 00:25:26.130
have a fence? I mean, we're really cooking with

00:25:26.130 --> 00:25:30.869
a fence. Compared to a leash, a fence is so much

00:25:30.869 --> 00:25:32.970
better and they have way more freedom. If they

00:25:32.970 --> 00:25:35.509
see a squirrel, they can at least chase it to

00:25:35.509 --> 00:25:38.470
the edge of the fence. And they have a certain

00:25:38.470 --> 00:25:43.450
measure of autonomy. But we keep the dogs on

00:25:43.450 --> 00:25:47.190
the leashes and or in the fences for their protection.

00:25:48.920 --> 00:25:51.319
So what would it take to make the world safe

00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:53.400
for a dog and dogs safe for the world? Because

00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:56.140
we know that it goes both ways, that it's dangerous

00:25:56.140 --> 00:25:58.440
for a dog to be out, but it can also be dangerous

00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:00.799
for a human if a dog is out and uncontained.

00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:05.039
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think it would require obedience

00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:08.099
that the dog knows its limitations, even if it

00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:11.140
doesn't have a fence. Okay. So I thought about

00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:13.819
it and I was like, well, if you don't have something

00:26:13.819 --> 00:26:15.880
that is going to be restraining them the whole

00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:19.119
time, then you would need someone that is going

00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:21.319
to be looking out for them the whole time. Someone

00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:24.819
that will watch them, in fact. Like a shepherd.

00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.019
Yes, exactly. Someone to shepherd the dog. If

00:26:29.019 --> 00:26:32.180
we're talking about keeping the dog safe, then

00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:33.779
someone would need to watch what they're doing,

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:36.119
where they're going, observe them, and to be

00:26:36.119 --> 00:26:39.599
able to call them out of danger. And then if

00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:43.180
the dog itself is capable of being a danger to

00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:45.920
others, then again, you would have to look out

00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.660
and watch and give the dog's directions to keep

00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:51.140
them. I had that with Emma, which was the most

00:26:51.140 --> 00:26:53.579
special dog I ever had. She had had such a rough

00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:55.500
upbringing that there There were some dogs that

00:26:55.500 --> 00:26:58.819
she took exception to. She just was not OK with

00:26:58.819 --> 00:27:01.740
them being too close to her or too near her on

00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:04.640
this planet Earth. And but I was able to take

00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:08.519
her out because I was watching her the entire

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:11.539
time and I had taught her to obey me. So when

00:27:11.539 --> 00:27:13.940
we saw another person, when we saw another dog.

00:27:14.759 --> 00:27:17.680
We came away. We came to a safe distance and

00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:21.779
we sat and we watched as they went safely by

00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:25.559
us. And then we continued on our merry way. It's

00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:28.880
a good dog. Yeah. It's a good owner that trained

00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:33.200
it. Good owner. Yeah. So you would need, in order

00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:35.559
to be able to teach your dog, though, to be able

00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:38.940
to. understand things that dogs and humans are

00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:40.859
not the same species and we do not speak the

00:27:40.859 --> 00:27:44.039
same language so there needs to be a time of

00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:47.160
training in which you teach them your language

00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:50.359
and how you speak and it's best if it goes both

00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:52.740
ways and you understand their language as well

00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:54.839
because then when you're not misunderstanding

00:27:54.839 --> 00:27:58.119
your dog makes life a lot easier but the most

00:27:58.119 --> 00:28:00.400
important actually though is that they understand

00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:03.970
your language and are able to interpret it So

00:28:03.970 --> 00:28:07.410
there needs to be a time of training. That isn't

00:28:07.410 --> 00:28:09.730
enough because just because they understand what

00:28:09.730 --> 00:28:11.309
is being asked of them doesn't mean that they

00:28:11.309 --> 00:28:14.269
will do it because they have a will of their

00:28:14.269 --> 00:28:19.710
own. And it is the same with us. Yes, it's the

00:28:19.710 --> 00:28:22.970
same with us and God. We only think we understand

00:28:22.970 --> 00:28:25.970
the world and it's dangerous, but we do not.

00:28:26.730 --> 00:28:29.930
God does because he knows everything. God has

00:28:29.930 --> 00:28:32.589
a way of speaking to us and it is a language

00:28:32.589 --> 00:28:35.910
that we too must learn. So Alice's training will

00:28:35.910 --> 00:28:38.589
never end. I will be teaching her her whole life.

00:28:39.170 --> 00:28:42.670
And in God, our training never ends. Because

00:28:42.670 --> 00:28:45.490
for God, we're always going to be in school and

00:28:45.490 --> 00:28:47.470
he's not so much interested in our perfection

00:28:47.470 --> 00:28:50.769
because that's for eternity. In this life, he

00:28:50.769 --> 00:28:55.589
wants our growth. So our life on earth is school.

00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:59.200
And heaven is graduation. Oh, that's good. I

00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.460
like that. Yeah. So after I have spent time teaching

00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:06.660
my dogs the tones of my voice, because I do not

00:29:06.660 --> 00:29:09.299
like to shout, and I have found with dogs that

00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:11.460
is so much more important the tone than the actual

00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:15.130
words, though the words do matter. So I teach

00:29:15.130 --> 00:29:17.309
them what I want. There's also understanding

00:29:17.309 --> 00:29:19.930
my expectations of what they're going to do,

00:29:19.950 --> 00:29:22.470
wherever they go, and how they're going to behave

00:29:22.470 --> 00:29:24.549
themselves. And then I also teach them certain

00:29:24.549 --> 00:29:27.210
commands. And then there needs to be a time of

00:29:27.210 --> 00:29:30.720
practicing them. So we practice everywhere because

00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:33.079
just because a dog can sit at home in the kitchen

00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:35.460
does not mean that when you take it outside that

00:29:35.460 --> 00:29:38.200
it actually can manage to sit outside. And then

00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:40.559
can it sit when there's distractions around?

00:29:40.859 --> 00:29:43.079
Every place that you have to go, you have to

00:29:43.079 --> 00:29:45.680
keep doing the basics because every new environment

00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:50.059
changes the game. So no matter what the circumstances

00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:54.480
or the location they are in. They must obey me

00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:57.059
and I must teach them how to obey me in all of

00:29:57.059 --> 00:30:01.160
those different places. Yeah. So think about

00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:04.440
this. If I didn't take the time to teach Alice

00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:08.660
and I just decided that I was going to unclip

00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:12.640
the leash and let her go. Let her run. Alice

00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:16.019
might be happy in that moment. But is that a

00:30:16.019 --> 00:30:19.799
loving act on my part? Not if she goes into danger.

00:30:20.019 --> 00:30:24.759
Yeah. It's not loving at all to unclip the leash

00:30:24.759 --> 00:30:27.279
and to just let them go. Because if they don't

00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:30.000
know to return, there are some dogs that they

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:33.900
will just not stop running. And so then who's

00:30:33.900 --> 00:30:36.059
going to feed them? Who's going to shelter them?

00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:39.039
And then when they finally stop running and they

00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:43.299
finally realize that they are alone and that

00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:45.259
they don't know how to get back and they're scared,

00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:50.089
how is that loving to them? Yeah. So it's the

00:30:50.089 --> 00:30:54.019
same with us and God. He is not going to unclip

00:30:54.019 --> 00:30:58.980
that leash and let us free until we have learned

00:30:58.980 --> 00:31:02.480
his voice, until he has proven our obedience

00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:05.640
to us. Because in God's case, like I need to

00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:07.279
test her because I honestly don't know because

00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:09.740
I'm not God. I don't know if Alice is going to

00:31:09.740 --> 00:31:12.000
obey in every single situation. I can only go

00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.779
off of her past events. But God does know in

00:31:14.779 --> 00:31:16.920
every situation whether we are going to obey

00:31:16.920 --> 00:31:18.980
him and how we're going to behave. But we don't

00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:23.519
know. True. He's teaching us what our limitations

00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:28.000
are. That's so good. Helping us understand our

00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:30.839
role in all of this. Yeah. We've been to Sight

00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:33.259
and Sound Theater a number of times. Oh, yeah.

00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:36.960
And they have live animals of all kinds. And

00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:40.619
one time we went backstage. We got a backstage

00:31:40.619 --> 00:31:43.660
pass and they took us back. They showed us, you

00:31:43.660 --> 00:31:45.839
know, told us everything, showed us all the animals.

00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:50.269
And when they prepare them to be out, You actually

00:31:50.269 --> 00:31:54.269
perform with the whole play that the animal has

00:31:54.269 --> 00:31:58.609
to do it 100 times without a mistake. Whenever

00:31:58.609 --> 00:32:01.309
they do something, you know, and if they can

00:32:01.309 --> 00:32:04.470
pass 100 times, then they will use the animal

00:32:04.470 --> 00:32:07.869
in a live play. But if it messes one time up,

00:32:08.069 --> 00:32:10.869
then they have to start all over again to train

00:32:10.869 --> 00:32:14.170
it. That was amazing. All different sheep, camels,

00:32:14.210 --> 00:32:17.029
you know, all kinds of animals, you know, which

00:32:17.029 --> 00:32:20.319
is how did they get them to do that? Obedience.

00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:24.099
Yeah. Trainers. Trainers. Yeah. Yeah. So it's

00:32:24.099 --> 00:32:26.180
like a big thing with God is, you know, you can

00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:29.500
understand what he wants of you. You can understand

00:32:29.500 --> 00:32:32.279
his tones of voice. You can understand his commands.

00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:34.200
But then the next thing that has to be built

00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:36.960
into you is the self -control to be able to obey.

00:32:37.400 --> 00:32:40.500
Yes. One of the things that's missed a lot of

00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:44.099
times in today's age. Our training ground for

00:32:44.099 --> 00:32:46.700
learning to obey God has actually started with

00:32:46.700 --> 00:32:49.660
learning to obey our parents. Very true. So we

00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:52.559
only will obey God to the degree that we've learned

00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:55.859
to obey our parents because it's a self -discipline

00:32:55.859 --> 00:32:58.500
issue. It's an idea of knowing what you're supposed

00:32:58.500 --> 00:33:01.460
to do and being able to give up your own will

00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:03.720
and have that self -discipline to obey because

00:33:03.720 --> 00:33:06.980
the authority figure said to do it. And so with

00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:09.339
God, we have to do the same thing. We have to

00:33:09.339 --> 00:33:11.759
develop the self -control, the self -discipline.

00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:18.039
be able to do what he's asked of us. If we think

00:33:18.039 --> 00:33:20.880
about this process, we know that I teach Alice

00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:22.859
to obey me so that she can have more freedom

00:33:22.859 --> 00:33:25.299
safely. Like that's the ultimate goal of this.

00:33:25.480 --> 00:33:27.700
You know, I don't want Alice to have a leash

00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:30.819
-sized or a crate -sized existence. I care about

00:33:30.819 --> 00:33:33.099
her. I want her to have as much of the world

00:33:33.099 --> 00:33:36.920
and of enjoyment that she can have safely, being

00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:39.740
safe for herself and safe for all the other human

00:33:39.740 --> 00:33:41.859
beings, because some people just are not into

00:33:41.859 --> 00:33:44.849
dogs and they do not want to be harassed. buy

00:33:44.849 --> 00:33:48.309
a dog, no matter how cute, you know? So she also

00:33:48.309 --> 00:33:50.910
like, you know, Alice is a really friendly dog.

00:33:51.029 --> 00:33:54.289
She wants to go up and, and wag her tail at everybody.

00:33:54.990 --> 00:33:58.509
And she's had to learn at least at home that.

00:33:58.920 --> 00:34:00.960
She has to be invited. The other people have

00:34:00.960 --> 00:34:04.599
to want her around. She cannot just go adorably

00:34:04.599 --> 00:34:06.700
and sweetly wiggle her way up to people because

00:34:06.700 --> 00:34:08.420
some people are really afraid of dogs. And that

00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:11.440
would be an unloving act to them to allow Alice

00:34:11.440 --> 00:34:13.780
to go up to them, even though her heart is pure

00:34:13.780 --> 00:34:15.460
in the matter. I mean, she just wants to say

00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:17.480
hello and be sweet. But if they're terrified,

00:34:17.619 --> 00:34:19.860
doesn't matter how sweet and pure her heart is.

00:34:20.340 --> 00:34:24.000
And they have no idea. Because you want to make

00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:27.119
her a therapy dog, right? Well, I do hope for

00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:29.599
that. Like, it's one of those like, you know,

00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:32.519
she's her own person. So it's like I want her

00:34:32.519 --> 00:34:34.380
to have the capability of becoming a therapy

00:34:34.380 --> 00:34:37.460
dog. But if it's not in her, if that's not something

00:34:37.460 --> 00:34:40.119
that she's going to ultimately enjoy, I'm not

00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:42.099
going even if she can pass the test, I'm not

00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:44.099
going to do it. I need to see that this is actually

00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:46.690
something that she. takes delight in and she

00:34:46.690 --> 00:34:49.429
enjoys doing this, loving on other people. And

00:34:49.429 --> 00:34:52.409
so we'll see as she grows, you know, who she

00:34:52.409 --> 00:34:55.670
ends up being. Exactly. You know, right now things

00:34:55.670 --> 00:34:59.130
are looking promising, but we just, I won't know

00:34:59.130 --> 00:35:02.760
until later. She's just a puppy. Exactly. So

00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:05.480
like Alice has certain choices in the matter.

00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:08.400
Like if Alice chose to not obey me, if I couldn't

00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:10.659
trust her to the degree that I currently am able,

00:35:10.780 --> 00:35:12.960
then Alice would have never made it all the way

00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:15.940
out to Arkansas and stayed in a hotel and gone

00:35:15.940 --> 00:35:17.860
through all those hours in the car. She would

00:35:17.860 --> 00:35:20.940
have had to stay back in Maryland because she

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:23.460
hadn't proven herself. You know, she would have

00:35:23.460 --> 00:35:25.800
had a much smaller existence, but because she

00:35:25.800 --> 00:35:29.420
had learned to obey to this degree, then she

00:35:29.420 --> 00:35:33.789
could come with me. This was adorable. So she

00:35:33.789 --> 00:35:36.869
didn't even she obviously Alice's life is blind.

00:35:36.949 --> 00:35:39.730
She has no idea what's going on in life. I start

00:35:39.730 --> 00:35:42.289
packing up the car instead of Alice following

00:35:42.289 --> 00:35:44.849
me from room to room and doing her own thing.

00:35:45.409 --> 00:35:48.369
She just sat in the car. The car's open. I'm

00:35:48.369 --> 00:35:50.449
loading things in. She's not following me anymore.

00:35:50.570 --> 00:35:53.550
She is sitting in that car. She is going. She

00:35:53.550 --> 00:35:55.309
was determined. You're not going without me.

00:35:55.409 --> 00:35:58.949
Oh, that's so cute. The other dogs, they're following

00:35:58.949 --> 00:36:02.349
me around. Alice, no. She has got her station

00:36:02.349 --> 00:36:05.110
in the car and she is there. She's like, this

00:36:05.110 --> 00:36:07.489
is happening. And I was like, you were right

00:36:07.489 --> 00:36:11.010
this time. This is absolutely happening. That's

00:36:11.010 --> 00:36:16.690
so cute. I teach Alice the word sit, and I make

00:36:16.690 --> 00:36:19.130
her do it over and over again. First with reward,

00:36:19.389 --> 00:36:21.309
and I do it with lots of praise, but as time

00:36:21.309 --> 00:36:23.110
goes on, the reward and the praise, they stop.

00:36:23.849 --> 00:36:26.690
And she's just expected to do it. And if she

00:36:26.690 --> 00:36:30.550
can't do a basic sit, then I will never be able

00:36:30.550 --> 00:36:32.489
to teach her something harder or expect her to

00:36:32.489 --> 00:36:36.429
listen. If she never learns to obey me, if she

00:36:36.429 --> 00:36:40.000
never... would listen, then the best that Alice's

00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:43.320
life could be by her own choice would have been

00:36:43.320 --> 00:36:46.960
a crate. Because if I can't trust her to not

00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:50.019
go potty in my house, then her life would have

00:36:50.019 --> 00:36:54.360
become a crate -sized existence. And it would

00:36:54.360 --> 00:36:56.280
have been miserable and it would have broken

00:36:56.280 --> 00:37:00.480
my heart, but she would have been in a cage of

00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:03.820
her own making. She would have limited her freedom.

00:37:04.699 --> 00:37:07.650
That'll preach. Because it wasn't my will. My

00:37:07.650 --> 00:37:11.329
will is for her to come with me. My will is for

00:37:11.329 --> 00:37:15.889
her to go from Maryland to Arkansas and the nations

00:37:15.889 --> 00:37:19.409
if they let dogs go, you know, and to love on

00:37:19.409 --> 00:37:24.530
people and to be a blessing. But she can limit

00:37:24.530 --> 00:37:27.170
my will. And in the same way, God allows us to

00:37:27.170 --> 00:37:29.949
limit his will as well, because he. wills us

00:37:29.949 --> 00:37:32.349
to be free. And so we are free to make these

00:37:32.349 --> 00:37:36.469
choices. And though he might want so much more

00:37:36.469 --> 00:37:39.710
and so much better for us, we have that choice

00:37:39.710 --> 00:37:43.230
in the matter of, do we want all that God has

00:37:43.230 --> 00:37:46.510
for us or not? Or do we want that little tiny

00:37:46.510 --> 00:37:48.989
cage? And we don't want God to put a shock collar

00:37:48.989 --> 00:37:53.690
on us, you know, if we go out of, yeah. So obedience

00:37:53.690 --> 00:37:57.329
always, you know. The term I use, it felt like

00:37:57.329 --> 00:37:59.809
God hit me over the head with a two -by -four.

00:38:00.309 --> 00:38:02.949
But it was my own choice because of decisions

00:38:02.949 --> 00:38:07.150
I made. I had to get out there so far that he

00:38:07.150 --> 00:38:09.750
had to just take one thing after another away

00:38:09.750 --> 00:38:13.980
until... You know, there's dead and nothing.

00:38:14.219 --> 00:38:16.920
And I said, well, I've got my last choice. It's

00:38:16.920 --> 00:38:19.800
like I want to do what I want to do. I want to

00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:22.280
be a good bowler. I'm going to have a high -performance

00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:24.860
car, you know, run on the street, all these things.

00:38:24.980 --> 00:38:29.079
And one by one, it all went away until you're

00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:33.440
just so miserable, you know. I mean, that's what

00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:36.500
happened to me, everything. And then boom, my

00:38:36.500 --> 00:38:40.239
unemployment was cut off, and I had to make a

00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:43.610
decision. You know, and I understand how easy

00:38:43.610 --> 00:38:45.769
it is to get homeless. And that's right when,

00:38:45.829 --> 00:38:50.630
you know, I just said, uncle, you know. Not so

00:38:50.630 --> 00:38:54.309
many words. And, you know, it's amazing, you

00:38:54.309 --> 00:38:57.030
know, what the benefit of saying uncle. Yeah.

00:38:57.110 --> 00:39:01.239
And what that means is saying I give up. I give

00:39:01.239 --> 00:39:04.300
up. I surrender. I don't hear that much anymore.

00:39:04.380 --> 00:39:07.119
It's like if somebody's twisting your arm around

00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:11.239
your back. Say uncle. Say uncle. That means I

00:39:11.239 --> 00:39:16.460
give in. Yeah. Your capitulation. You win. Yes,

00:39:16.539 --> 00:39:21.219
yes. God wins. Yeah. If we think about these

00:39:21.219 --> 00:39:24.039
all in God's terms, he's a good father and he

00:39:24.039 --> 00:39:27.380
wants you to have freedom. But with freedom,

00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:29.920
there's a risk. And God doesn't want you to only

00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:32.239
have a crate size existence. He wants everything

00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:35.219
for you because he loves you and he will only

00:39:35.219 --> 00:39:38.980
give you what you can handle. So obedience ultimately

00:39:38.980 --> 00:39:42.699
brings freedom. Yes. Because we belong to a good

00:39:42.699 --> 00:39:45.780
God, a good father, he will never give us more

00:39:45.780 --> 00:39:48.579
than what we can handle. True. So I constantly

00:39:48.579 --> 00:39:51.159
test my dog on the basics under easy circumstances.

00:39:51.380 --> 00:39:54.659
And slowly as they prove themselves, then they

00:39:54.659 --> 00:39:57.420
get to go out and I test them there. And if they

00:39:57.420 --> 00:39:59.739
listen there on a leash, you know, wherever I've

00:39:59.739 --> 00:40:01.900
taken them, then I'll see if they listen in a

00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:06.400
fence. And the whole time, the dog never understands

00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:10.590
why. This is so good. We can have the vision.

00:40:10.630 --> 00:40:12.949
We can see this. We can get this teaching and

00:40:12.949 --> 00:40:16.889
understand and be like, oh, this is why. But

00:40:16.889 --> 00:40:20.769
they never do. I mean, how great is their faith,

00:40:20.869 --> 00:40:27.969
honestly? Just puts us to shame. So God will

00:40:27.969 --> 00:40:30.230
ask you to do seemingly insignificant things

00:40:30.230 --> 00:40:35.070
that make no sense to you. So one example, wear

00:40:35.070 --> 00:40:38.050
a blue shirt today. And it doesn't make any sense.

00:40:38.210 --> 00:40:40.269
And at the end of the day, it still doesn't make

00:40:40.269 --> 00:40:43.429
any sense. You had no epiphanies. There was nothing

00:40:43.429 --> 00:40:46.469
that came along that you were just thinking,

00:40:46.550 --> 00:40:48.949
like, I was supposed to wear the blue shirt.

00:40:49.369 --> 00:40:54.269
But that's the thing, is you think it was for

00:40:54.269 --> 00:40:58.789
nothing. And it was not for nothing. Because

00:40:58.789 --> 00:41:01.929
there's that, will you do it just because I asked?

00:41:02.210 --> 00:41:07.400
Yeah. Simply because he said so. Because we know

00:41:07.400 --> 00:41:10.000
as parents, like when your kid just, they don't

00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:12.059
understand why and it's a struggle for them.

00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:14.539
And they do it just because you asked, is there

00:41:14.539 --> 00:41:16.880
anything that blesses your heart more? Right.

00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:20.599
I mean, it is just the best thing. Like, just

00:41:20.599 --> 00:41:22.219
because you said so. I mean, because they're

00:41:22.219 --> 00:41:24.019
in essence looking up at you with those doughy

00:41:24.019 --> 00:41:26.000
eyes being like, I don't want to do this. I don't

00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:28.579
like to do this. But just because you asked,

00:41:28.599 --> 00:41:31.280
I'm going to do it. And we can give God that

00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:34.420
same blessing of just because he asked us to

00:41:34.420 --> 00:41:37.420
do it. And at the same time, like, that's an

00:41:37.420 --> 00:41:39.860
easy thing. He's just asked us to wear a blue

00:41:39.860 --> 00:41:42.539
shirt. Like, and if you can't do it when there's

00:41:42.539 --> 00:41:45.119
no negative consequences, then how on earth can

00:41:45.119 --> 00:41:47.460
he possibly ask you to do anything that might

00:41:47.460 --> 00:41:50.059
be remotely hard if you can't even handle something

00:41:50.059 --> 00:41:54.019
so easy? It would be reckless and unloving for

00:41:54.019 --> 00:41:56.880
him to ask you to do something in a harder or

00:41:56.880 --> 00:41:59.219
dangerous situation because if you continue with

00:41:59.219 --> 00:42:01.940
God, he will put you in hard and dangerous situations,

00:42:01.960 --> 00:42:05.679
but only after he has tested you in the easier,

00:42:05.840 --> 00:42:08.280
the less dangerous circumstances after he has

00:42:08.280 --> 00:42:12.619
proven your obedience ultimately to you. That's

00:42:12.619 --> 00:42:16.320
good. puts you in a situation in which you were

00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:18.679
not ready for because you had proven time and

00:42:18.679 --> 00:42:20.360
time again that you couldn't handle it, then

00:42:20.360 --> 00:42:23.039
he would not be a loving father. Because good

00:42:23.039 --> 00:42:24.920
parents don't do that. When they know their kids

00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:27.619
can't handle something, they don't just run them

00:42:27.619 --> 00:42:29.679
out to the deep end and be like, go swim. You

00:42:29.679 --> 00:42:33.380
got this. Oh my, yeah. Yeah, that's so true.

00:42:33.699 --> 00:42:36.699
So if I know that my dog isn't going to come

00:42:36.699 --> 00:42:39.900
in a fence, then it would be reckless of me to

00:42:39.900 --> 00:42:41.920
think that they're going to come outside of that

00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:45.840
fence. True. So I want you to come away with

00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:48.719
a new perspective. The small things that you

00:42:48.719 --> 00:42:51.780
feel led to do are not nothing. They are the

00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:53.980
small things that add up to big things. So in

00:42:53.980 --> 00:42:57.519
Luke 16, 10, Jesus said, he who is faithful in

00:42:57.519 --> 00:43:00.500
a very little is faithful also in much. And he

00:43:00.500 --> 00:43:03.079
who is unrighteous in very little thing is also

00:43:03.079 --> 00:43:07.699
unrighteous in much. So God is testing your obedience

00:43:07.699 --> 00:43:10.159
and is teaching you to recognize his voice. And

00:43:10.159 --> 00:43:12.500
when you obey. and there doesn't seem to be any

00:43:12.500 --> 00:43:14.719
praise or reward, because we all like those little

00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:17.780
treats, then you know that that is being saved

00:43:17.780 --> 00:43:20.179
for heaven. God is saving up that reward for

00:43:20.179 --> 00:43:23.599
you. And you are blessing your father and loving

00:43:23.599 --> 00:43:27.579
on him. Amen. And then just remember that disobedience

00:43:27.579 --> 00:43:30.960
feels like a slap in the face. So you remember

00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:33.980
going back, we remember that alcoholic that we

00:43:33.980 --> 00:43:37.179
tried to help. Obedience makes even humans feel

00:43:37.179 --> 00:43:39.619
loved and honored. So if you want more freedom,

00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:41.840
And more difficult assignments, it starts with

00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:49.219
the small stuff. Sit, stay, lay down. Yeah, obedience

00:43:49.219 --> 00:43:51.880
is God's love language and you can't do enough

00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:55.099
for God to make obedience up to him. And God

00:43:55.099 --> 00:43:57.420
had an entire manual written so that you can

00:43:57.420 --> 00:43:59.840
know for sure exactly what God requires of you

00:43:59.840 --> 00:44:02.099
and what he thinks on any given subject for the

00:44:02.099 --> 00:44:06.019
most part. And if you've realized that as I'm

00:44:06.019 --> 00:44:08.539
talking, which maybe not for this audience, but

00:44:08.539 --> 00:44:12.739
some people that you don't care how God feels,

00:44:12.920 --> 00:44:16.800
you don't care about how he thinks, then. I'm

00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:19.500
going to just encourage you to start there. Ask

00:44:19.500 --> 00:44:21.940
God to change your heart, to make you want to

00:44:21.940 --> 00:44:24.760
obey him, to make you care. So in Philippians

00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:27.739
2 .13, it says, For it is God who is at work

00:44:27.739 --> 00:44:31.239
in you both to will and to work for his good

00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:34.320
pleasure. So we can't even obey God without his

00:44:34.320 --> 00:44:36.820
spirit to enable us to do it. That's so true.

00:44:37.119 --> 00:44:40.599
So without God, you can do nothing. That's true.

00:44:41.019 --> 00:44:44.500
That's true. That's what he said. So I had written

00:44:44.500 --> 00:44:46.960
this sermon or message that I taught the kids

00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:51.579
months ago, and I had then recently been through

00:44:51.579 --> 00:44:53.880
this tremendous amount of warfare and battle

00:44:53.880 --> 00:44:56.980
that had just laid me out and absolutely devastated

00:44:56.980 --> 00:45:00.119
me. out in the woods with my dogs getting some

00:45:00.119 --> 00:45:02.619
puppy therapy because it just blesses me to watch

00:45:02.619 --> 00:45:05.059
them running around enjoying themselves. And

00:45:05.059 --> 00:45:09.699
I see Alice down the trail and I hear her yelp,

00:45:09.699 --> 00:45:11.940
but sometimes she yelps not because there's a

00:45:11.940 --> 00:45:14.079
problem, but because she's realized that she

00:45:14.079 --> 00:45:17.480
doesn't know where I am. And that's her, oh my

00:45:17.480 --> 00:45:21.159
gosh, where is mom? And I need to find her. And

00:45:21.159 --> 00:45:23.940
then she kind of snaps at the air. And I'm like,

00:45:24.059 --> 00:45:27.519
okay. And then she comes tearing down the path

00:45:27.519 --> 00:45:31.019
towards me. And I'm thinking, okay, she just

00:45:31.019 --> 00:45:35.000
couldn't find me. And then I realize that Alice

00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:38.460
is in trouble. Alice is being attacked by wasps.

00:45:38.460 --> 00:45:41.579
A nest of wasps. She must have gotten into it.

00:45:41.579 --> 00:45:44.699
They're attacking her. And so she runs to me.

00:45:45.230 --> 00:45:48.829
And I immediately go down and I am starting to

00:45:48.829 --> 00:45:52.650
pull the wasps off of Alice. And eventually I,

00:45:52.949 --> 00:45:54.349
you know, I'm like feeling like I just can't

00:45:54.349 --> 00:45:56.230
get them off of her fast enough and I can't get

00:45:56.230 --> 00:45:58.429
them killed. So I just pick her up and I run.

00:45:59.369 --> 00:46:01.969
And that was like where the Holy Spirit just

00:46:01.969 --> 00:46:05.230
talked to me and he's like, if you being sinful

00:46:05.230 --> 00:46:08.500
will do so much for your dog. Because I didn't

00:46:08.500 --> 00:46:10.840
want to get stung. I didn't want to be dealing

00:46:10.840 --> 00:46:13.780
with the wasp. I didn't want, in essence, to

00:46:13.780 --> 00:46:16.460
put me between the wasps and know that by grabbing

00:46:16.460 --> 00:46:18.500
her and running that I was going to shield her

00:46:18.500 --> 00:46:20.199
with my own body. And if that nest was going,

00:46:20.280 --> 00:46:22.800
then it'd be tearing after me as I protected

00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:28.480
her. But I did that without hesitation or without

00:46:28.480 --> 00:46:32.260
thought for the most part. And he was like, and

00:46:32.260 --> 00:46:35.940
you're wicked human. Like, what would I do? for

00:46:35.940 --> 00:46:38.519
you. And of course, we have that picture of Jesus

00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:41.059
on the cross that he inserted himself between

00:46:41.059 --> 00:46:44.380
us and what we rightfully deserved. And he took

00:46:44.380 --> 00:46:47.739
the stings and he took that. And, you know, Alice,

00:46:47.880 --> 00:46:49.480
obviously in her case, she didn't do anything

00:46:49.480 --> 00:46:51.920
wrong. But one of the things that we deal with

00:46:51.920 --> 00:46:54.679
is sometimes when we get into the wasp nest,

00:46:54.900 --> 00:46:57.559
we had been told to leave that wasp nest alone.

00:46:57.780 --> 00:47:01.960
That's true. We had been warned. And so when

00:47:01.960 --> 00:47:04.860
we go in there and we draw that down on ourselves,

00:47:05.159 --> 00:47:07.559
then what the next thing we do is we run in shame.

00:47:08.500 --> 00:47:12.360
And because we feel like we can't go. But it's

00:47:12.360 --> 00:47:17.139
like if Alice had messed with the wasp nest in

00:47:17.139 --> 00:47:21.380
disobedience and still run to me, I still, the

00:47:21.380 --> 00:47:23.800
result would have been the same. I still would

00:47:23.800 --> 00:47:26.219
have been pulling the wasps off of her. I still

00:47:26.219 --> 00:47:30.679
would have picked her up and run. We think that

00:47:30.679 --> 00:47:33.599
when we bring it on ourself, that God's going

00:47:33.599 --> 00:47:36.280
to stand there and look at us and be like, yeah,

00:47:36.320 --> 00:47:38.820
honey, you brought this on yourself. I'm not

00:47:38.820 --> 00:47:41.579
going to do a thing. Humans would say that. You'd

00:47:41.579 --> 00:47:46.440
be told. But no, he wouldn't do it. And I was

00:47:46.440 --> 00:47:48.699
just so clear because I wouldn't have even thought

00:47:48.699 --> 00:47:51.059
for a second that way. It wouldn't have been

00:47:51.059 --> 00:47:53.599
like. oh my gosh you deserve this it would have

00:47:53.599 --> 00:47:56.539
still been me pulling the wasps off of her and

00:47:56.539 --> 00:47:59.940
then think about this okay so she gets into the

00:47:59.940 --> 00:48:02.199
wasp she's in disobedience and then she runs

00:48:02.199 --> 00:48:07.280
in shame away from me well i would have run after

00:48:07.280 --> 00:48:11.260
her she would have gotten hurt worse the damage

00:48:11.260 --> 00:48:13.300
of them constantly stinging her would have been

00:48:13.300 --> 00:48:16.260
prolonged and she would have suffered more yeah

00:48:16.260 --> 00:48:19.690
but I still would have gone after her. I still

00:48:19.690 --> 00:48:21.349
would have pulled off the wasp. I still would

00:48:21.349 --> 00:48:23.909
have picked her up and run. And so I was just

00:48:23.909 --> 00:48:26.210
like, it was so clear. I was like, God will do

00:48:26.210 --> 00:48:28.909
that for us. So I was like, okay, so we all need

00:48:28.909 --> 00:48:33.590
to be like Alice, whether it be in a mistake

00:48:33.590 --> 00:48:36.969
or whether it be disobedience. Right. We need

00:48:36.969 --> 00:48:39.710
to go running to God because he's the only one

00:48:39.710 --> 00:48:42.309
that is going to be able to help us, to be able

00:48:42.309 --> 00:48:44.710
to pull those wasps off of us, to be able to

00:48:44.710 --> 00:48:49.590
insert himself between us and them and save us.

00:48:50.409 --> 00:48:53.409
That is so good. So I really want to know, did

00:48:53.409 --> 00:48:56.400
you get stung? I did. Yes. And I actually was

00:48:56.400 --> 00:48:58.840
grateful because then I knew what she was going

00:48:58.840 --> 00:49:02.260
through because wasps can sting repeatedly. And

00:49:02.260 --> 00:49:05.360
even though she is nine pounds and I'm much more

00:49:05.360 --> 00:49:07.519
than that, and I got one and she got multiple,

00:49:07.639 --> 00:49:11.059
I still understood to a certain degree what she

00:49:11.059 --> 00:49:13.840
was going through so that I could watch her more

00:49:13.840 --> 00:49:16.659
effectively and care for her better. Yeah, that's

00:49:16.659 --> 00:49:19.760
true. That's so beautiful. Such a good lesson.

00:49:19.800 --> 00:49:22.800
So, so much in that. I really love that. And

00:49:22.800 --> 00:49:25.039
I love the fact that you called it God's love

00:49:25.039 --> 00:49:28.119
language. You know, we don't think of it that

00:49:28.119 --> 00:49:31.659
way. Yeah. No, we don't. And I love how you've

00:49:31.659 --> 00:49:35.079
brought that out. It's so strong. So strong that

00:49:35.079 --> 00:49:38.159
if you love me, keep my commandments. Yeah. Yeah,

00:49:38.380 --> 00:49:40.960
that's beautiful. Yeah. And like we know that

00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:44.119
just like me, all of my commands to my dogs are

00:49:44.119 --> 00:49:46.219
ultimately for their well -being and their good

00:49:46.219 --> 00:49:49.400
because I want them to have the best, fullest,

00:49:49.460 --> 00:49:51.679
happiest life possible. And it's the same with

00:49:51.679 --> 00:49:53.800
God's commands. Like we find them very inconvenient

00:49:53.800 --> 00:49:56.880
at times, but they were all written and made

00:49:56.880 --> 00:50:00.619
for our ultimate happiness and joy because no

00:50:00.619 --> 00:50:02.679
good thing does he withhold from those who walk

00:50:02.679 --> 00:50:05.880
uprightly. He wants good things. He wants the

00:50:05.880 --> 00:50:09.739
best for us always. And so there's rules. Even

00:50:09.739 --> 00:50:11.199
though they're thwarting our will and they're

00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:12.860
keeping us from chasing that squirrel that we

00:50:12.860 --> 00:50:17.079
think we need to be chasing, that it's because

00:50:17.079 --> 00:50:19.300
he's protecting us and loving us and not because

00:50:19.300 --> 00:50:22.300
he's just there to take away all of the fun things.

00:50:22.800 --> 00:50:27.480
Yeah, so many times people get the wrong idea

00:50:27.480 --> 00:50:29.579
about God, especially if they don't know him.

00:50:30.099 --> 00:50:34.519
The longer I walk with him, the more amazed I

00:50:34.519 --> 00:50:38.730
am. at his love and his character. And, you know,

00:50:38.809 --> 00:50:44.409
just it's continuously growing for me, this admiration

00:50:44.409 --> 00:50:48.369
and awe and amazement at how much he loves us

00:50:48.369 --> 00:50:50.710
and how much he cares about every little detail

00:50:50.710 --> 00:50:54.289
of our lives. And he's just like you said, like

00:50:54.289 --> 00:50:58.389
your goal for your dogs is to give them the best

00:50:58.389 --> 00:51:01.670
life that they can possibly have and teaching

00:51:01.670 --> 00:51:05.369
them obedience. gives them that freedom. What

00:51:05.369 --> 00:51:09.550
a marvelous illustration of, you know, the natural

00:51:09.550 --> 00:51:13.989
being a type of the spiritual. So beautiful.

00:51:14.170 --> 00:51:17.190
And I encourage you guys who are dog owners that,

00:51:17.269 --> 00:51:19.289
you know, if you watch and think about them,

00:51:19.389 --> 00:51:22.269
dogs can teach you so much more. I mean, the

00:51:22.269 --> 00:51:25.949
parallels, this is, I just use dogs in this parallel.

00:51:26.760 --> 00:51:29.360
oh my goodness, do I have so many others that

00:51:29.360 --> 00:51:32.659
God has shown me through my dogs. And it's just

00:51:32.659 --> 00:51:36.079
absolutely incredible. Like, you know, just what

00:51:36.079 --> 00:51:37.980
he can teach you with the thing that you love.

00:51:38.059 --> 00:51:39.840
So it's like, if your thing's not dogs, then,

00:51:39.860 --> 00:51:42.559
you know, wherever, whatever thing you're interested

00:51:42.559 --> 00:51:44.920
in, whatever thing captures your heart and your

00:51:44.920 --> 00:51:47.659
imagination, I promise you God is in it and he

00:51:47.659 --> 00:51:50.000
can teach you something about him. That's so

00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:52.639
beautiful. Beautiful. Would you pray for our

00:51:52.639 --> 00:51:57.300
listeners and viewers? Sure. Father, I ask that

00:51:57.300 --> 00:52:00.679
you would work in us both to will and to do of

00:52:00.679 --> 00:52:02.880
your good pleasure. Amen. Father, give us the

00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:06.139
heart to want to please you, that we would have

00:52:06.139 --> 00:52:08.320
a tender enough heart to care about your feelings,

00:52:08.639 --> 00:52:12.480
to not do things purposely that you have said

00:52:12.480 --> 00:52:15.579
not to do, to not break your heart with our disobedience,

00:52:15.659 --> 00:52:18.400
and which ultimately, since you wrote these rules

00:52:18.400 --> 00:52:21.360
for us, is going to lead to our own hurt. And

00:52:21.360 --> 00:52:24.119
Father, that you would have to just sit there

00:52:24.119 --> 00:52:27.289
watching us choose. hurtful things and bring

00:52:27.289 --> 00:52:29.210
them on ourselves time and time again. That just

00:52:29.210 --> 00:52:32.230
must be so painful. And so, Father, I just ask

00:52:32.230 --> 00:52:35.789
that you would help us to be able to have a shift

00:52:35.789 --> 00:52:38.289
in our eyes and our mindset, open our eyes to

00:52:38.289 --> 00:52:40.949
be able to see these things, the areas in which

00:52:40.949 --> 00:52:43.329
we're hurting ourselves and we're hurting you.

00:52:43.409 --> 00:52:46.449
Father, help us to be. your lovers, people who

00:52:46.449 --> 00:52:49.130
care and protect your heart and not people who

00:52:49.130 --> 00:52:51.150
are selfish and just want whatever makes them

00:52:51.150 --> 00:52:54.670
happy or feel good at that time. Father, give

00:52:54.670 --> 00:52:57.250
us the vision for the long shot, Father, because

00:52:57.250 --> 00:52:59.610
most of these things, we want the short term,

00:52:59.690 --> 00:53:02.030
but you have determined that we should look for

00:53:02.030 --> 00:53:04.289
the long game. And so, Father, I ask that you

00:53:04.289 --> 00:53:06.730
would help us to see the long game. Father, that

00:53:06.730 --> 00:53:09.389
you would help us in our self -discipline and

00:53:09.389 --> 00:53:11.349
in our obedience. Father, that you would help

00:53:11.349 --> 00:53:13.690
us in our self -control, that we would learn

00:53:13.690 --> 00:53:16.099
to be able to freely give up these things to

00:53:16.099 --> 00:53:18.260
you. And Father, that you would help us to do

00:53:18.260 --> 00:53:20.420
it because we love you, Father, because that's

00:53:20.420 --> 00:53:23.239
what we ultimately want. I don't want Alice to

00:53:23.239 --> 00:53:26.219
obey me because she's afraid of me or because

00:53:26.219 --> 00:53:29.599
she doesn't want me to be angry at her. I want

00:53:29.599 --> 00:53:32.679
her to do it because she loves me and because

00:53:32.679 --> 00:53:36.000
she cares about me. And so, Father, I just ask

00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:38.300
that you would help us to be better lovers of

00:53:38.300 --> 00:53:42.159
you. In the name of Jesus, amen. Amen. Now I'll

00:53:42.159 --> 00:53:44.679
see if I can't get Alice. Oh, never mind. Sorry,

00:53:44.800 --> 00:53:48.119
guys. She is twitching. So she's completely chasing

00:53:48.119 --> 00:53:50.159
a rabbit. It would be cruel of me to wake her

00:53:50.159 --> 00:53:53.380
up for that. So just go back to the beginning

00:53:53.380 --> 00:53:57.860
and you'll get a picture of Alice. Well, thanks

00:53:57.860 --> 00:53:59.420
so much for joining us. You're welcome. This

00:53:59.420 --> 00:54:01.960
has really been a blessing. And I know that it's

00:54:01.960 --> 00:54:03.559
going to be a blessing to our listeners and our

00:54:03.559 --> 00:54:13.889
viewers. Yes. Amen. Amen. Please subscribe, rate

00:54:13.889 --> 00:54:16.610
and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts or

00:54:16.610 --> 00:54:19.389
wherever you listen to podcasts. Your review

00:54:19.389 --> 00:54:22.230
helps the podcasting platform suggest this podcast

00:54:22.230 --> 00:54:24.809
to other listeners who are also looking for a

00:54:24.809 --> 00:54:27.489
great move of the Holy Spirit. Check out our

00:54:27.489 --> 00:54:30.309
website at globaloutpouring .org to find out

00:54:30.309 --> 00:54:32.889
more information, read our blogs, connect with

00:54:32.889 --> 00:54:35.909
us and donate. You can also browse our web store

00:54:35.909 --> 00:54:38.969
for life changing anointed books. Until next

00:54:38.969 --> 00:54:42.260
time. This is Sharon Buss. And I'm Philip Buss.

00:54:42.360 --> 00:54:45.500
God bless you with His overwhelming, loving presence.