Hello, everybody.

Hello.

All right, you can tell that I'm in the driver's seat today, which means Derek is not here, actually, due to sickness.

He's not here today, but he will not be here for the next couple weeks because he is going to be traveling on a mission trip to Honduras.

And that's amazing.

So round of applause, everybody.

Yay.

Alright.

But with me today is Christian Straight.

You might remember him.

Hello.

From when we interviewed him about his time at college at Florida State and the shooting that happened there.

But that's not what we're going to be talking about today.

We have a completely different kind of show in mind.

But buckle up and welcome to the Truth Response.

Hello.

I'm gonna go ahead and pray.

All right, Father, thank you for today.

Thank you for Christian, for being on the podcast and for all that.

Tune into us, Father.

Help us to be a voice to you and to talk about the things that we're going to talk about.

But lead us in all that we do and help us in everything that you do for us to make us better reflections of you.

Help us to be your shining light in the world in Jesus name.

Amen.

Amen.

All right, so what I want to start out today talking about is.

You guys might not know this.

Christian just put out a book.

What's the name of the book?

It is called A Strange Measure.

A Strange Measure.

And what kind of book is it?

It is poetry.

It's a poetry book and it is available on Amazon.

On Amazon.

Hopefully we can attach a link as well to this episode when we post it so that you can know where you can buy this thing.

But he's really excited about it.

So tell me, Christian, how did.

First off, when.

When did you realize that you were like, I think I should write a book?

When everything really hit the fan, man.

Life was getting stressful and I needed an outlet, truly.

And I mean, there was a lot on my heart and the only way I could get through it was praise in a way, just like.

So I started writing poems just about glorifying God, you know, about prayer and how important it is to pray, you know.

Nice, nice.

So it's like a praise you in this storm kind of thing?

Yeah, yeah, that's exactly how it went.

I dig it.

That's pretty awesome.

So now, when did it hit you that, like, this could be a book?

Like, when was that kind of like.

I don't really know.

I mean, I just.

They kept flowing out of me like it was.

It's not like I was a thinking kind of Thing.

It was just.

This is what's on my heart.

I just have to write this down.

And so I just start typing it in my phone every day.

And then it started getting lengthy.

And then I'm like, oh, well, how long are poetry books?

Because I had a Shel Silverstein book.

Yeah.

That was just sitting there.

And you know, he's a huge inspiration for poets.

Silverstein.

Yeah, of course.

Because the illustrations.

Well, yeah, it's pretty amazing stuff though.

I like a lot.

And so I just kept writing and I'm like, yeah, well, it got to around 30 pages and I was like, I'm happy with this.

And then.

It's a book now.

It's a book now.

All right, so.

All right, so you said it's all based in worship, right?

Okay, so tell me a little about that.

So it's.

The whole thing rhymes, you know.

I mean, it's just.

It's really hard to describe because I don't.

I can't even describe the state that I'm in when I'm writing these things down.

You know, it's just everything finally is quiet for one moment.

Do you like just get like random inspiration or.

Yes, random things.

Like, you know, random things that then I start writing and it's like, oh, that's kind of symbolic.

Or some things, you know, that maybe I don't really know the exact meaning of.

But it works.

And it makes so much.

It makes sense when you read it, but not, you know, it's so.

So much is up to interpretation, you know.

Right on.

Does it start with like, just like maybe like a couple words?

What's up?

Like.

Like.

Like.

Is it a phrase that starts it like.

Or just a feeling or it's just.

I. I don't know.

I guess it's a feeling.

I'll see.

Like, one is called Bees on the Wall.

Why is it called Bees on the Wall?

Because I saw there's.

Because you saw bees on the wall?

Because there's.

Outside of my house one day, there's a hole in my wall right next to my room.

And a bees are building a nest there.

And they're not bothering anybody or whatever, but I just start thinking about bees or they're getting into my home, you know, and it all just gets just random thoughts that connect somehow.

And then it's about protecting the queen and this, that and the other.

You know what I mean?

That's pretty cool.

So you're pretty creative person.

Yeah, I mean, I can relate.

So I was always an artist growing up, and I love things that I can see as an art.

So, you know, in high school and such like that, I took like every art class that they had.

When it came to writing, I loved creative writing.

And actually I was one of those weird students that like was way too into Shakespeare.

When we got there, it drove my English teachers nuts because honestly I was not a great English student.

I could care less.

Most of the time I was in the class, which was frustrating to the teenagers.

But when you got onto Shakespeare, I was like straight A student because I loved it, which was opposite of so many of the other kids, but I loved it for its design.

I grew up in Baltimore where big Edgar Allan Poe people loved his work.

And I used to write all kinds of different things.

I actually a little bit of an author myself.

I've not done some works, but I also have done poetry, write songs, stuff like that over the years.

My wife actually loves to remind me that I used to write her a lot of poetry when we first started dating.

And I have not done so as much 10 years of marriage.

But I probably should get her.

I feel like when she says it though, I get guilty.

I'm like, well now if I write a poem, it's because she's asking me.

To write a poem.

I'd rather just write one because I'm inspired.

I was so caught up in the beginning of that relationship.

I was like the creative juices were flowing.

But no, I get it.

Sometimes just something grabs you in an obstacle obscure way and can spark you.

Do you do other kinds of like creative stuff?

Do you paint?

Do you?

What, what do you do?

So I really, I mean my.

My first passion and love was acting.

I did that for so many years.

And so now I'm just exploring different outlets because acting, you know, stage acting especially taking so much time and just dedication, you know, as I'd love to do that again but however my slate's filled, it's got to be something accessible.

I get you.

I mean, you never know when that might come into play.

But you also have.

You've been exploring a possible pull from God into ministry, which gives you with the ability to be on stage.

That could be great.

Especially if God's calling you to speak in any capacity, whether that's in front of a small group or large group, like I've done in the past.

You know, some people will look at you and go, how can you do that?

And honestly, my secret is that I just, I feel all the emotions before I do it.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Like sometimes and it's not every time the same way.

But there's been times where like right before I go to preach or teach, I'm like, I get the nerves, I get the.

And I'm like, all right, well, I'm allowing myself to feel it right now.

And then when it's go time, I do what I call walking through the curtain.

And it's kind of a barred phrase, but like, all right, there's no curtain there.

But it's like, alright, I'm gonna go into it now.

And that means you all have to stay here.

All these things and now I have to just go to work.

And it's interesting that that helps me, you know, but yeah, I love the creativity and trying to explore things.

I've always had that need to, you know, to create or to see something as a canvas that can be made into something.

Right.

It's actually how I got into cars.

Ah, yeah.

Little expression through choosing your parts and whatnot.

Yeah, yeah.

Cars for me are.

My son, my son's starting to get a little bit of the bug.

My one son.

Where we see cars as not necessarily how they are, but how they could be.

Right.

You know, and it's so many different.

It's like every aspect of it, you know, everything from as simple as like, what color we like it to what do we want the headlights to look like, what do we want it to sound like, how do we want it to handle, what do we like.

All these things that suddenly become realities.

And the more I got into cars, the worse it got, honestly.

Because especially certain cars.

I have a little project car now at the house that I'm going to be slowly working on.

But it's contagious.

As soon as I get to one thing, it grows to another thing.

I'll be thinking about the suspension, then I'll be thinking about the.

Then I think about what this looks like and it just kind of keeps folding into the next thing.

And you know, when I think about start to finish, I'm like, man, people have no idea how much work it'll take to go from where I see it now to where I want it to go.

And to some degree sometimes you're never kind of happy with it.

But I'm also the kind of person that doesn't love a finished work.

Oh, really?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm a great dreamer.

Not a great.

I don't like, like I can finish projects and all that and all that stuff.

I don't.

But like, once it's done, I'm sad.

Like I'm the kind of person, I love a good story, you know, and like, I get sucked into movies that I didn't have any intention in watching because, like, I get into the story now, I want to see where it goes.

But the problem is, is when a TV show or a movie ends, I'm sad.

I'm like, well, it's over now.

I guess that was me when I.

Was a little kid with the Harry Potter books.

Man, I started crying my eyes out when I had finished the last book.

But from then on, man, I love finishing a project and just starting the next one.

So that's where we differ.

Or else, I don't know, I'll start or start a second project in the middle of the first.

And then.

Yeah, well, there's something that I guess is intriguing about something that's not finished is that you.

There's still the work to be done.

Whereas when it's done.

See, the problem is, like, for me, like, I also paint, you know, and when I have a painting done, the first thing I'm gonna do is now I'm sad that I'm done.

And I'm trying to convince myself there's more to do when I know there's not.

And then I'll just critique it.

Well, I didn't layer this, you know, I see hard on myself that way.

Yeah, that's tough.

Yeah.

And then it's like, well, I got to do better next time.

Which means there has to be a next time.

That's the only time I find joy.

It's like, well, there's a next project, right?

You know, as long as it hits my, like, baseline of work, I'll hit a nice.

Good enough and then I'll move on.

You know what I mean?

It's just.

That's so odd how.

How different.

Yeah.

You know, and then like, I. I actually enjoy putting things together too.

So I don't know, I just.

My mind loves to just see how things are supposed to be.

So even.

Like I made a joke about IKEA furniture in a sermon recently, but like, I actually enjoy doing that, putting furniture together.

Like, it's like strangely thrilling to see it all come together, but.

But then once I'm done, I'm like, well, you know, is there anything else to put together?

See, that's the.

I'm so different in this in that respect, because the best part is always when I'm finished and it's nice and set up, but it's like a stress induced fever dream.

In the midst of doing this stuff, I'm just Like, hand me this.

Come on, let's go.

Let's get it done.

But then the one moment it's finished, I'm like, oh, my gosh, look at it.

It's beautiful.

Worth every second.

I wish I was like that.

Maybe to where.

No, maybe not.

I mean, I just get.

I have a strange, calm focus when I'm in mid project, especially when I know what I'm doing.

When I'm outside of my normal element, I get a little stressed.

But if I have the flow, if I have a feel for it, I'm calm as cucumber.

I'll give you, for instance.

So working on cars, especially when I know what I'm doing, I'm calm.

Nothing really bothers me.

Even when something goes wrong.

I was working.

I'm not as familiar with motorcycles now.

There's a lot of similarities, obviously, but I was working on a motorcycle with a buddy of mine recently, and I felt stressed out about it because it wasn't something I knew.

And he had the knowledge, but I didn't have the knowledge.

And so I was like.

He's like, why do you get so stressed?

I'm like, I don't know.

I'm like, if I was doing the same thing on a car, probably be fine.

But because it's on this and I don't know it, I'm like, stress, yeah.

No, but, yeah.

When it's done, though, like, I'm searching for something else about it.

Like, if I put something together, like, the first thing I have to do is, like, it can't be this.

Can't be the end of it.

So you'll find me going and grabbing somebody and go, like, I'll go to my wife.

Hey, look at this.

Look at this.

What do you think about this?

Because I'm looking like, let's keep it going just for a second.

What do you think about this?

You know, like.

And then once everything's done, I'm like, well, that's done now with my life.

So anyway, you get to this book, right, and you've got all your creativity down, and so how many pages is your book?

27.

27 pages?

Front and back?

Yeah, front and back illustrations.

All that.

All right.

Yeah.

And so do you have, like, a favorite?

Like, is there.

Spoiler alert?

Like, can we, like, is there a favorite?

That's a great question.

I think.

Straights and Rain.

Straights and Rain?

Yeah, you know, both, like, you know, straight Body of Water.

I love playing on that, you know, But, I mean, I don't know if I could Spoil it.

I just have to pull it up on my phone real quick.

You don't have to spoil it.

Yeah, I would rather.

It's something beautiful, though.

And it's.

I'll give you the last line.

It's just something like.

It's strange how I now love the rain.

I like it.

And that's.

That really speaks to the storm that.

That I was in when I was writing this.

You know what I mean?

Would you consider yourself a romantic?

Yeah, it's pretty bad.

That's okay.

I mean, shoot.

I was.

I'm like, hopeless romantic guy sometimes myself.

I was definitely.

Especially when, like, I feel, like, bad, like, you get kind of, you know, like I said earlier, you know, 10 years into my marriage, I love my wife to death.

There's.

I love her more now than I did then.

But, like, I remember getting caught up in those emotions and doing things, and now it's like, well, you know, things have become kind of.

Well, you know.

Well, we're 10 years in.

You know, things are kind of.

There's normalcy now.

I don't want to take it for granted.

But, you know, it's funny that, like, I find myself going, man, I'm not doing some of the gestures that I did before.

And it's weird to think that because, like, I wanted to do things before.

Now I'm like, now I'm just kind of normal.

I need to get you on some love letters, man.

Maybe I do.

I know my wife would probably enjoy it, so I should probably do something like that.

Switch it up, though, from the poems, you know, maybe.

What else you got, man?

Yeah, so when it comes to.

You got all these poems and you said they're like worship.

So then my next question would be like, what?

How do they relate to the Psalms?

I guess I really, like.

You know, I didn't look at anything or think of my inspirations, but I was.

I've been reading.

The book is green, right?

Yeah.

It's because I guess what I read the whole time when I was going through this was a little green booklet.

It was New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs, like, I guess, Gideon International.

Little Bible.

Yeah, those little giveaways.

I love them.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so it's like, you know, apparently green's just the color they put in the hotels or something like that when I looked it up.

But okay, I didn't care, man, because I just read the Psalms and Proverbs and they.

I mean, I've never, like, understood.

I've never taken advice.

You know what I Mean, I had a very hard time up until the point where I came to Christ taking anyone's advice.

Then I start reading this and it's like, this is beautifully written and it's some of the most sound wisdom I've read in my life.

You know what I mean?

I mean, I don't know.

I highlight them all the time.

Now.

I still am working through them, and I'll probably never be done working through, what is it, a hundred and something psalms you'll never get.

I mean, professionally speaking, you never get done reading any scripture, right?

Yeah, but.

Yeah, I mean, you know what's a cool challenge to do and.

Well, it would have been great to start this month doing it, but December will be good, too.

Well, technically, you can do it at any month.

But the reason I say those months is because a month with 31 days, there's 31 chapters in Proverbs, right?

And so you read a chapter a day for that month.

Now, there are some that say you could do that every month.

And you can.

You just, you know, maybe hurry up the last couple of chapters or combine.

But, like, it is kind of neat to go through one book, one chapter of wisdom, so to speak, a day and see that.

And see also see how it plays out in your life.

When I was doing that, oftentimes, you know, I tell people, anne, I need to do more of this myself sometimes.

But, you know, go to God ahead time, like God, the things I'm reading help this become real in my life.

Help me to instill this in my life and into my heart.

And it's amazing to see, you know, what he'll do with that.

Where you'll see them come into play, especially when it comes to, like, Proverbs, is amazing.

When you see it, say something about how to live life or how not to be, and then you see something in real life, you're like, oh, man, look at that.

It's like, right on display.

Oh, my goodness.

That's been one of the toughest things is identifying, like, thinking in a different way that I never would before.

And then it's just like, you know what the right thing to do in situations is.

And seeing, like, people who maybe don't have this wisdom, it hurts sometimes, man.

It's been tough.

No, I gotta tell you, it is tough.

I think the longer we grow a heart for the Lord, the more we come to love him and His Spirit and His law.

I think things affect us in this world that things that aren't of him start to affect us greater.

Like I have this tremendous sorrow for people who just won't.

Who just reject Jesus, who just won't let him in, like, you know, and don't want.

It burdens me in a weird way.

Like even reading Revelation and Revelation, you know, we know that there is going to be a time where people know flat out, you know, God's there and they're going to still reject him.

And that hurts, right?

It's like, how can you stand in the face?

Like, now people would say, well, how can you stand in the face of the evidence or, you know, the reasoning or what?

You know, there's plenty of stuff that backs up apologetically, you know, Christianity, yet, you know, people are willing to just reject it flat out ahead of time, you know, even like.

And it's everything.

It's not just scientists, because some people like to pick on scientists that want natural, you know, naturalistic explanations of things.

They're an easy target because they purposely will cut off their nose if it means that they can avoid talking about creation or Creator or anything like that.

But, you know, so that they make themselves.

But there's plenty that just want to live their lives the way they want to.

They want to be their own God.

They want to do those things.

And because of that, like, they just won't accept any responsibility to anyone else and especially a creator.

And it hurts to see people that are just like, no, I can't, you know, for whatever reasons.

And I don't know, maybe that's the pasture of me that just aches for people.

But, like, these are things like, you see.

And when you come to understand this is how life should be lived, this is how God wants it, and you start to love that he designed things certain ways.

I think you start to ache a bit when you see people that aren't on board.

Yeah, it's just people, a lot of times, people choosing misery and they don't realize that that's the choice they're making.

Yeah, that's good.

I like that.

They are.

They're choosing misery.

It sucks.

It does, because they just come and they're so.

They're still so upset.

And it's like the solution has been here the whole time and you're still hurting and it's still.

And you're people.

What's been a big frustration for me is that people.

A tool will break, right?

And they replace it with the exact same thing instead of, you can get you.

There are better things out there.

You don't have to keep buying the same thing over and over again.

And you know, I'm not necessarily talking about tools here, but yeah, they try to fill holes with the exact same things over and over.

Something that's gonna fail again.

Exactly.

I get where you're at there.

So talking about this experience and what you're watching, how people experience things, what do you kind of hope when it comes to people who experience your book?

Because, I mean, that's what poetry book is supposed to be, right?

Right.

And you want people to kind of meet you.

So what's the hope there?

My hope is that it just.

It gets people into a better prayer life because I.

When I was in the lowest of the lows, the whole thing that kept me afloat was my prayer life.

Praying non stop whenever I was alone because it hurt so bad, you know, and so this whole thing is just acknowledging the Lord as best you can and praying.

You know, prayer is such an important tool.

Right?

Yeah.

I mean, it is.

Do you think that some of your poems will take the form of.

Or do they take the form of prayer?

They could definitely certain parts of it, but not.

Not the whole thing.

Not the whole thing.

Yes.

And, you know, some of it is just me flat out speaking to the reader in like a meta way.

But it's, you know, it's.

It's odd, it's strange.

I like odd and strange.

Yep.

And that's.

The whole thing is a little strange.

It's.

It's called the strange measure for a very good reason.

I like it.

So.

All right, cool.

Now you have.

Okay, first, before we get to that.

What, so it's on Amazon?

Yep.

What is it currently going for on Amazon?

It is 9.99 for the paperback.

That is not a bad price.

All right.

And 699 for, you know, you can just get the ebook and start reading it right there.

I love that feature.

Although I will say, you know, I find myself liking having the book actually in my hands.

The smell man.

Well, it's not just the smell.

Like, you know, there's something that doesn't replace the experience.

I started getting into ebooks, you know, years ago, and I thought, oh, this is great, because of this feature or that feature or being able to search things up, especially when I was in like college or seminary, like master's level classes, and you're like, I gotta find this as quickly as possible.

You know, the workload is tremendous.

But anyway, that's not the point.

Point being is that, like, I love some of the features, but when it came down to reading just for fun, I missed having the book and Turning the pages and being able to mark my spot and go back easily and kind of is different, you know, especially when it comes to scripture, man, a Bible in my hands, I love so much more.

I don't know what it is.

Oh yeah, honestly I Do you think the same?

Yeah, I enjoy the thing is, then I start to mark it up to the point where it's.

I can barely open this frickin thing without ripping off sticky notes and all that.

So the phone, that's where it's been useful, at least for the Bible in particular.

All right, all right, yeah, well I can say like.

So I got into.

I mean I would read scripture on my phone, you know, it's the travel version, so to speak.

And then, you know, I do a lot of work especially here.

Like I do a lot of work on computer too where I'll take a verse and I'll do deep word studies and different things and kind of whatever.

A lot I put into even just a simple.

What some people would say that's a simple line of scripture.

No, it's not.

But that being said, like there's still like to be able to hold it in my hands and like it's like a.

It's like holding a gift to me, you know, I feel like there's like a cheapening a little bit, you know, I'm not dissing anyone who loves ebooks.

Like I get the benefits and it's convenient as can be, it really is.

But I don't know, there's just something about having that book.

The inconvenient thing about books though is that as you collect more, you gotta put them somewhere.

So I have quite a collection.

Hey.

But I mean, at least me personally, I get to feel cool, you know, I'm like, yeah, look at this, look, I'm well read.

Yeah, look at this.

And knowing half the books don't have a single crease in them, you know what I mean?

Haven't even touched the things.

But.

Well, I mean I love.

Plus like, you know what there's a. I heard.

You know, you see someone whose bagel's falling apart and I'll show you someone whose life isn't.

You know what I mean?

Like that is.

That is so amazing to think about because.

Yeah, I mean my wife, I got to tell you.

So this is a real story.

My wife and I started dating and this is.

I wanted to dote on her, you know.

Of course.

And I took a big risk, honestly, because I wanted God to be at the forefront of our relationship.

So I Went.

I went through a divorce in my early 20s.

It was.

I'll put it this way.

I didn't really have the right mind.

Space going in, and things didn't work out.

And then it was like, what was that all about?

That is like putting it in the smallest abbreviated nutshell without so much detail.

One of the things I knew about that marriage is that God wasn't in.

Really wasn't.

We were unequally yoked.

And so I knew that if I was going to do that again, I wanted God to be in it.

I wanted to know that this was blessed by him and that I didn't want to do it without him.

So when we started dating, one of the first gifts I got her was a Bible.

I'm not kidding.

It was wild.

I was in.

I felt like I needed to.

I went to Barnes and Noble.

I think it was Barnes and Noble, and I was looking at different Bibles, and I saw one for mothers, and I was like, perfect.

And because she, you know, she's mom.

And I was like, I'm gonna.

I'm gonna go for it.

I was gonna see.

And I thought, this is gonna be.

I remember having this moment of just, so what if she's like, why are you giving me a Bible?

You know?

Right.

But to my joyful surprise, she loved it.

She has used that Bible ever since.

Like, it's.

It's pretty beat up at this point.

It was so, you know, we started dating in 2013 or.

Yeah, 2013.

2013.

Yeah.

2013.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh.

I'm so messed.

I'm from the 1900s, so everything's messing me up anyway.

So Everybody from the 1900s is hurt a little bit.

I just love that phrase now because at first it hurt, now it makes me laugh.

But no.

So she loved it.

If you look at it now, she has written on the edges.

Like, at one point, I think one of sides says, this is how I fight my battles.

And I thought, that's amazing.

And, like, the pages are beat up, and you can tell that things have been spilled on it.

And it's just.

It's been through it.

She's got everything that you could write notes on is filled with notes.

She's got extra notes in there.

You know what I mean?

And I look at it sometimes, and I'm like, man, who would have thought?

I don't know.

In my nervousness, I didn't know how it was going to go.

I didn't know by far that it was going to be today.

What it is.

That it's been her trusty companion to the Lord.

And it's weird because I feel in a way connected to it, but I also feel kind of not.

I feel like it was a test to see if God was going to be in the relationship.

And then it became something for her to continuously work with him on her.

So I'm kind of like, only from the outside.

It's kind of a strange thing that I often almost don't even think about the fact that I gave it to her.

I just see this.

And I tried to get her a new one.

I did.

And she said, no, no.

Well, at one point she let me do it.

And then she hasn't yet used it.

Wow.

That's how it goes.

That's how it goes.

That Bible has been with her.

So, yeah.

Anyway.

So anyway, having something in your hands.

So I would assume, like.

I mean, obviously you make maybe a little bit more.

If they get a hard copy.

I mean, a soft copy.

Right.

As compared to.

But, you know, I think, you know, if you're going to order it, best way to get poetry, especially you want to write notes.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

And that's highlight.

I just.

I don't really draw.

And everyone around me tells me that I'm a good artist.

I just.

I really don't.

I don't enjoy the process.

I don't.

You don't enjoy.

I don't.

I get.

You know, I was just saying earlier, I like finished products.

I really dislike drawing because I get my hands all dirty.

My hands hurt.

I'm just like, what did I just do?

But it.

I get so frustrated throughout.

Like, this line looks awful.

This.

That I guess I just don't want to practice.

But I drew sketches for the whole.

The whole book.

That's cool.

And it's like, you know, the sort where it's like some of them bleed from one page to the other.

Some of them have a few here and, you know, like.

Like I said, Shel Silverstein, particularly Falling up is some poetry that inspired just the way I even framed the book.

Yeah.

I mean, with the illustrations as well.

I was thinking about her and like, where the Sidewalk Ends and such like that.

Like, those were.

I think I have three of her works at home.

I have Falling Up.

I've got where the Sidewalk Ends.

And I got another one, which was the other one I have.

Can't remember.

I'll go home and I'll see it and I'll kick myself later.

Anyway.

Yeah.

So.

Well, that's really cool.

So what do what's next.

I already started writing more poetry.

Really?

Volume two?

Well, I don't know, it's writing about like parallels almost.

And it's.

I'm inspired by an old book that really was cool in college.

It was like biblical parallels and they look at Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and you're looking through, seeing which, you know, sections of scripture are included.

What's not in the synoptics.

Yeah.

And so I'm thinking about parallels and I'm thinking about.

I was talking to someone and they said they were feeling melancholy today.

And I'm like, well, you need to be feeling sublime.

You know, I start thinking about, you know, loving is what I got.

All this other stuff, I'm like, melancholy and sublime.

That sounds like a pretty okay working name.

And let's just write about, you know, let's write about my emotions whenever I'm feeling.

Is that the working title for your next word?

Oh my gosh.

I just, I. I love that title so much.

Thank you.

Melancholy and sublime.

I can't wait for that one.

Oh yeah.

So awesome.

So I mean, you said you're already at work.

Yeah.

Yeah, man, I love that.

You already got one out and now you're getting another one out soon.

I can't help it, man.

I got to do something with my, with my expression.

You know, I just.

In college, man, I. I lacked it and I was doing so much self destructive, just silly things.

And then I get back to expressing myself and some way, shape or form through, you know, artistic expression and I feel, I feel fine again.

You know, things aren't as up, down and sideways all the time.

Do you?

I mean, have you ever considered that God purposely designed you to be creative?

To bring like creativity into the world?

I guess not phrased like that.

I've always just thought, well, I'm gonna have to do something.

I guess not really then.

Well, I mean, you got a couple books.

You never know what kind of impact they could make, you know.

And like we've talked about, you have been feeling the ministry call.

Creativity is a big part of ministry, you know, because we're always trying to figure out a new way or a different way.

Not because the old ways are different.

We're trying to find ways to help people understand, you know, and help it stick and help them remember and so that creativity is a huge part of that.

So for instance, whether it's a sermon, like when Nick or I work on making a sermon or trying to outline one or whatever it is, we're often thinking about what is it we want Them to leave with.

How can we creatively get them to understand or get it?

I. I'll tell you what, one of the greatest compliments I get, no matter when God has used me, is when someone's like, ah, I get it, you know, oh, you said it in a way that I can understand it.

I'm like, that's all that I'm hoping to do, you know, honestly, is that I want you to be able to get it.

And so, like, you know, whether it's, you know, Nick saying something like he does sometimes loud or off the wall or whatever it is that helps people kind of connect with it, or me doing something nuts, you're always trying to help them to remember it in a way.

So I read a book by Andy Stanley, son of Charles Stanley, and he's got a son, Andrew Stanley, who's a comedian now.

I think it's amazing.

A bunch of speakers and God's going to use each one of them in different ways.

But Andrew wrote a book, it was called Communicating for a Change.

It's a really great book, especially when you want to look at ministry.

I might have an extra copy.

Okay.

I might get my hands on that.

Might have to.

I'll look for it.

If I have an extra copy, I'll totally hook you up.

But it's really.

It gives kind of an outline of a basic.

What it is to put a basic message together.

But it gives a little bit of the reasoning why.

And the reasoning why, I think is awesome.

I mean, the general outline he gives is decent.

It's a way of thinking through, okay, how to put.

Help it stick in different ways.

But the reasoning is that, like, you want something that helps them call back to it easily and understand God.

But the purpose, ultimately being is like imagine, he said in his book, something along the lines of, you know, imagine it's your son who's in the back of the congregation and this sermon you're going to give is the make or break on whether he gets to heaven.

And it's like, how much serious.

How serious did you take this sermon?

How important is this message?

And therefore, how much did you put everything you got into it and kind of thing?

And it was to me, especially when I read it in undergrad, and I thought, that is wild.

It put a lot of pressure.

I put a lot of pressure on myself for it.

But it does also give us a headline of like, okay, this is important work.

Take it seriously.

Right?

And so.

But you're.

But there's a lot of creativity that goes in with it he talks about creatively looking at a phrase or something like that.

Your ability to create could be an incredible tool for the Lord going forward.

And that's for anyone, Anyone who has the ability to create.

God's given you that ability for a reason.

He gives us the passions of our hearts.

If we're like, well, is this really a passion from him?

Is it something that's good, that can inspire, that people can admire in good and healthy ways?

Because those are the things he does.

And so go for it.

I love painting.

I'll tell you, when it comes to ministry, my wife tried to convince me to do a video series online, and she wanted me to call it Preach and Paint.

Really?

Yeah.

And I was like, I don't know what I would preach about while I'm painting.

To me, I wanted them to connect.

And I was like, I can't.

I can't imagine it yet.

Well, I mean, that's the idea, like, because I can paint like him.

So she's like, you should.

You should do it.

And I was like, yeah, but he's mainly talking about making the painting.

Right.

I.

You know, for me, I'd have to be thinking about a lesson or Bible point or Bible study while I'm painting.

And are they going to connect?

Is the point thing I'm painting intentional to what I'm talking about?

Like, that got me so messed up that I haven't been able to do it yet.

Yeah, that's.

Actually I'm trying to envision doing it now.

It's like, well, the.

You know, it says they bird.

The feathers.

Yeah, but like, that's one thing.

Yeah, yeah.

So I'm like.

But I will say this.

It has helped me.

There are people that have creative minds that when they heard I did these things, it opened up an avenue for me to be able to, you know, interact with them in new ways.

And so God can use things in ways we can't even expect.

You know, I became closer with a friend of mine from up north because he and I ended up being in the same art class one day.

You know, like, you never know what exploring the passions that God's given you can do.

You know, I have a passion for cars and it.

And working on them and hooking them up.

And that has introduced me to people who have very similar interests.

But we can talk God about it.

We can.

You know, I have some thoughts on maybe what I could do with that going forward, but you never know.

We can't be too quick to dismiss the gifts that we're Given because it doesn't look like something else We've seen.

Our God is not in a box.

He is more creative than we are.

So if he's giving, you never know.

It's not a definite yes, but it's not a definite no.

Right.

You know, and so, you know, obviously, pray about it.

It's always a good way.

But, you know, if he's.

If you feel those creative yearnings, like, man, let God use that.

You know, it can be a.

It can be a form of worship, just like your book is kind of a form of worship, or, you know, using this is like, thank you, God, for this passion.

Thank you for this ability.

And, you know, use this, you know, kind of thing.

And you never know what he'll do with it, you know?

Why?

Why?

You know, especially when it's.

When it's something good, you know, poetry, painting, podcasts, poetry and knowetry.

And know.

It's tricky.

That's the first poem.

That's the first poem.

Poetry and knowetry.

Poetry and knowetry.

Oh, man.

Some context, you know.

Yeah, well, I got the privilege because you showed me your manuscript.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I got to see some of it, and I love that you have.

I can see some of your influences.

You definitely listen to rap music.

Oh, my gosh.

All the time.

Because I can tell, like, there's certain ones I read, I'm like, he's got a rap background.

Yeah, well, you know, it's.

Because I was in so much musical theater, and Hamilton had just come out when I was starting, and it's.

And I realized, you know, I was watching, like, other Lin Manuel Miranda works, like, 21 Chum street and in.

In the Heights.

Oh, my gosh.

So.

And it's all just rhyming all the time, you know, And I. I want to rhyme all the time, too.

All right.

All right, cool.

Yeah.

So you said you have, you know, so Stein, you have some rap influence.

What other influences might we be able to see, do you think?

I guess that.

Oh, like, you know, definitely Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss, of course.

You know, sometimes you gotta make up words.

That's a classic.

Yeah.

Stretch out your little.

You know, you gotta use improper English.

Like, I threw a little thing in there that says, like, it don't make no sense.

Yeah.

You know, but it's like, why not, you know, have fun with it?

I mean, it's a creative work.

Right.

It's not supposed to be like some proper novel or anything like that, you know?

I love it.

All right, cool.

So Dr. Seuss.

I gotta say, who didn't grow up reading Dr. Seuss.

Exactly.

Right.

And he was like, the king of making up words, I swear.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

You know, just all you have to.

You don't even have to read it.

Just watch the Grinch.

Oh, my gosh.

And such a classic, too.

Some.

Others you're like, what did he just say?

Yeah.

So, okay, let's.

Dr. Seuss.

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Probably is the Grinch, man.

The Grinch.

Yeah.

I do love the Grinch who Stole.

Christmas as a kid.

Mine was Green Eggs and Ham.

See, I didn't like green Eggs and ham at all.

Really.

We had Green Eggs and ham day at school, and I thought it looked disgusting every single time.

So I started to not like Sam I am, man.

I don't like that guy.

Oh, my gosh.

I do not like that Sam I am.

Okay.

Yeah.

But the Grinch I always loved because his heart grew, man.

Okay?

I was an emotional, emotional child to the point where I.

Movies, anything make me cry.

The Grinch's heart growing.

Cry my eyes out.

I watched the spongebob movie.

Spongebob and Patrick, you know, like, they almost die at the end, but then, you know, their tears form a little heart, and then it turns on the sprinklers and they survive.

My mom says that for the first.

You know, maybe seven to ten times I watch it, even if I knew that was gonna happen, cry my eyes out.

Because I thought they were gonna die, even though I knew they didn't.

You know what I mean?

I've always just been.

Or All Dogs Go to Heaven.

Oh, my goodness.

Those were traumatizing for children, I swear.

Well, maybe that's it.

But I was 1 and 2 and I watched them back to back.

Oh, I don't think I ever saw the second one.

What?

Yeah, I just saw the first one.

I was like, happy ending.

He lived.

You know?

Yeah.

You don't even know about Easy Street.

I don't even.

That's about.

That's the second one.

Watch the second one, you'll know what Easy street is.

Okay.

Oh, for my People who love All Dogs Go to Heaven, one and two.

You know what?

Easy street is, all right?

So.

Yeah.

Yeah, that one's hard.

I tell you what, Some of.

I look back at some of the shows or movies like that I watched as a kid, and I'm like, man, they were traumatized.

I don't even understand why we would.

You'd think that parents would be like, this has been pretty Emotional, in a way, it helped prepare us, I guess, like, life can be hard.

That's true.

It can be upsetting and.

Yeah, I don't really know any other way to put that.

I mean, it's true.

Yeah.

And not everything's got a super happy ending.

And that's the other thing is, I guess it.

I. I really appreciate nuance and for some reason, I always had a heart for the evil characters, man.

You know?

Evil characters.

Yeah.

Well, not that the evil ones, but the misunderstood.

Because of All Dogs Go to Heaven.

Like the villains like that.

I felt like so many people are misunderstood, like within, you know, media and art, but also in real life.

It's just like people who are evil most of the time think they're doing right or they think they have a side too.

You know, not a lot of people do evil for the sake of doing evil.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, I do.

Actually.

That's a really good thing to think about.

Try to see the good in all people.

It's an amazing quality to have, whether we realize it or not.

Because ultimately, when we look at everyone around us, even those who have done us wrong or that we perceive as doing evil in the world, the Bible teaches us not to look at them.

It's to look at what's behind them, the thing that's driving them there.

Exactly what was interesting.

So I brought this up in different platforms before, and I'm not saying it's a perfect movie or book.

They're not perfect.

So those who like to pick on it don't come at me.

But the Shack.

Have you seen the Shack?

No, I haven't.

So I read the book first and I watched the movie.

And the movie, for those who don't like reading books, the movie has this scene where the guy is trying to judge someone who's done something bad to him and his family and he's trying to condemn him.

And God basically points out like a little bit about how that guy got there, that God sees everything else.

And I think that's pretty amazing.

I mean, we tend to look at things through singular perspectives all the time.

And then God's like, well, I know every perspective.

I know how he saw it.

I know how you saw it.

I know how I know the real truth.

You know, because that's like, any situation that happens, there's always three versions, Right?

There's like what that person said, that person said would actually happen.

Right, Right, of course.

Well, he knows all of that, and it's interesting to see that play out.

I mean, but that's kind of like, you know, what you're trying to get over, I guess maybe, like, maybe in your book you're giving a new perspective in some of your words.

Giving some thought provoking things, some feeling provoking things, you know, that's kind of part of the experience.

Usually with poetry, your experience is trying to be passed into some so somebody else can experience it.

Yes.

Do you agree?

I completely agree.

And it's.

That's exactly what it was.

Is, you know, huge transition time of my life.

And one of the poems I speak about how I'm in the passenger seat, but I'm happy that it's finally getting used.

Whoa, I like that.

That's deep.

He's got deep stuff, all right.

And you know, that's.

It's nice to not carry these burdens by myself anymore, you know.

And that's only through Jesus that I'm able to feel this way, you know.

When did you first like, feel this, like, creativity in your life?

Do you remember?

Yes, I was.

Well, I guess this isn't the exact time, but this is what I knew, like I had to do something.

I was in fourth grade.

We did a little play in the class where we were.

It was something so silly.

It was like based off of the facts of history.

Three people are Abraham Lincoln, only one of them is the real Abraham Lincoln.

And it was a little presentation for the parents.

I was one of the fake Abraham Lincolns.

But I loved it, man.

And I hated sports at the time.

So I loved just being.

Pretending to be somebody else for a little while.

And that just.

That helped me, I guess.

And then it turned into.

I tried to write, you know, nonfiction.

I mean, I try to write fiction.

I can't do that, at least not at this point.

I still really.

I have a horribly awful time doing it.

Really?

Yeah, I just.

I like writing about.

I don't know, I just don't express myself that way, you know.

That's interesting.

So one of.

One of the things I'm working on is a nonfiction for sure.

But fiction to me is kind of fun because you can.

I think it's where a lot of creativity comes into play because like when I'm writing nonfiction stuff, it's easy to a point, because like I'm recalling memory, you know.

Well, what I'm doing in that you're recalling facts and stuff like that.

So you're working off of something that's real and exists.

But the creativity you get when writing non fiction or writing fiction is that like, it can be anything.

You know, it can go any way you want.

You're in the driver's seat, so to speak.

I think that's kind of fun.

That is a fun way to put it.

Yeah.

It's like, well, the story's gonna go this way now.

Or this is the.

This is.

This character.

This is exactly who they're gonna be, and this is gonna be their character arc.

I have a lore problem.

A lore problem.

Lore.

L O R E. Because in anything I interact with, video games, any piece of media, I want to know if they actually build the whole storyline.

And it's not.

It's always been this way.

Is.

I'm.

I'll be playing Skyrim.

Right.

You know.

You know, Skyrim, Right.

Familiar.

You know, they have very diverse religious systems in it.

Yeah.

And I'm 13, trying my hardest to learn the very background and foundation of the religious systems in a completely fictional world and learning who interacts with, oh, this person's going to this shrine on this day, and things like that.

And so.

Because.

Is that me?

Oh, is that your phone?

Yeah.

Sorry.

But because I want to know so much.

Whenever I would create fiction, it's like, well, I don't have all this set up.

Why am I.

How am I gonna write if I can't even.

Why is my character here in the first place?

And I want to get deep into it, you know?

Okay.

Well, I usually put my.

I like to play the part, so I'll put myself in that role emotionally.

I'll put that.

So this person is this way because of this and that.

And I think about the kind of things that might have molded them and shaped them into that person and what drives them and where their ultimate ambition is and stuff like that.

And that's how I think about.

Well, then how this is how that person makes decisions, you know, and are they analytical?

Are they reactive?

You know, what is so.

You know, those kinds of things.

Anyway, one of these days, I gotta get some of these things out.

I admire you because you've actually put a book out there.

Oh.

Whereas I need to finish some of the stuff that I've been working on.

It goes back to what we said at the beginning, man.

It's our viewpoints, you know?

Yeah.

I like that, though, you know, because to be able to put a different perspective out there, unique or whether it's, you know, so one is about.

The one I'm working on is a perspective in how I got to where I was in faith, is really what the book's about that I've been writing.

And it's a, you know, from the person of, like, now that I'm here, let's take a look back and see how God brought me here.

And it was kind of neat to look in the rearview mirror and see how terrible I did at times and how, you know.

But yeah, so that's fun.

But yeah, when I'm doing creative, it's like, well, what's fun about that is you get to put a bit of yourself in there that people wouldn't normally see.

So for instance, if you're.

You really want to talk, if you do a book that has romance in it, people will see how you view romance.

A bit of how you view romance or what you yearn for in it is going to come out in the book.

Or how you view love.

If you are doing adventure, you're going to see how you view adventure.

You know, all these kinds of things.

I read a book, I'm trying to remember the name.

It's pretty good though, I want to say I can't remember, but the idea of it is it was different ways of trying to approach God through different scenarios.

Time of being quiet, time of being outside to time being inside, and different ways of going to experience him in a spiritual way.

It was cool to go through those exercises and see different ways of doing it and experiencing something.

Sometimes I think that's what literature can do for us, is help us to experience what we normally wouldn't.

I mean, I'm the same way.

I like video games, but.

And I like role playing video games.

Yeah, me too.

Those are my favorite.

Like, I've played other ones.

My boys are really into.

Like, especially my one son, he's really into like looter shooter type things where he, you know, gets put in with a team and they have to go.

And I can't do it anymore, man.

After destiny, I was big into that.

I just, I could play a little bit, but those get worn out.

I'm done.

Like, I don't want to compete whether the people online.

I want to escape into a world that doesn't, you know.

So I play games that.

Where I can be anything, whether it's somebody that doesn't exist or it could be like a superhero.

I've played Spider man games, Batman games, right?

Oh yeah.

I'm Spider man today.

I'm Batman today.

Yeah.

And I love the video games now.

I mean, like when I was a kid it was different, but like now you have such open world where you can do anything you want, of course, and get lost in it.

There was a game.

My favorite.

One of my favorite games of all time came out in 2013.

It was Assassin's Creed, Black Flag.

Oh, that's.

And first off, that's an amazing video game series.

A little violent for the kids, but it's.

What was really cool is that you get to play this guy who's not only, like, trying to take out assassin missions, but he's also a pirate.

So you get to, like, build a pirate ship and go out and rule the seas and travel around the Caribbean.

And, like, I get.

I could go on there and just get lost doing whatever I felt like doing for hours.

And it to me, like, being able to escape into a new world like that.

And would you say that's what writing is like?

You're in your fiction?

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

It's creating a person.

My wife and I actually have an idea for one together.

We.

We're driving down the road one day, and I can't remember what sparked the conversation, but I do know that within about an hour, we had outlined an entire book that could also be a movie.

It's an amazing book, and we talked about characters, how they develop, what happens, the problem in the beginning and how the adventure takes place.

It's actually kind of a romantic book, but not in a weird way, but.

And I really have.

I really enjoyed kind of outlining that with her.

And then, you know, it's one of those things, like, we've got a.

She and I usually have way too many projects on the table.

You know, she's.

She has been growing her.

So she's like in the kind of, like in the medicine field.

She's a holistic kind of.

She's actually going to be a holistic doctor.

That's awesome.

So she's a naturalist and nutritionist and all these things.

And she's been growing her membership and all that stuff into that, and it's really awesome.

Like, my wife is brilliant, and I married a brilliant woman on purpose because I like people who stimulate my mind, and I didn't want to be married to someone that did not.

So.

But she.

I mean, let's just be real.

She does.

But, you know.

But she also has these other things.

She has a devotional that she was writing at one point that she.

She's like, I got to finish doing this.

And then I.

It's funny because we'll talk to each other about that.

Like, well, there's this project and there's that project.

There's that thing we talked about doing together, and then there's this, like.

Right, right.

And you're like, where do we find the time?

You know, as busy as we are right now, because we have five kids and, you know, we're running in all different directions at all times, so I can't even imagine.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, man.

But one of these days, hopefully, we'll start putting these things out there.

And, you know, I, like, in a way, like, I'm looking up to you.

Right.

I know that you're younger than me, but I'm kind of looking up to you right now because you actually put it out.

Thank you.

I just.

I literally sat there and said, is it done?

Okay, it's done.

It's done.

And now you're both literally and physically and figuratively turning the page.

Yep.

And you're working on work number two.

Yep.

And it could be like a.

Not necessarily a continuance, but like a series of different works.

Yeah.

Kind of like where the sidewalk ends and falling up.

Yes.

Different.

I love it.

I love it.

One day we'll.

We'll have the Christian straight box set.

Oh, Lord.

No pressure.

No pressure.

That could be a lot of fun, you know, so do your audience.

That's one of the things I need to.

I wanted to touch base on before we wrap up.

Like, who do you see as your audience?

Is it a general audience?

Is it more of a mature audience?

Is it.

What kind of.

Who are you shooting for here?

It's a general audience.

I'd say, you know, what age do you think, you know, you'd give a Bible to a kid and not have, like, you know, you.

You just let them have it, but work with it, you know?

Middle school.

Absolutely.

I mean, elementary school.

I was reading Bibles in elementary school, so that's.

But not every kid's going to want to go to that kind of literature.

When I first got to the Bible, I was fascinated by certain aspects of it.

Like, honestly, what was really weird thinking about it now is that I was immediately fascinated with the law, what we call the Torah.

The first five books of the Bible were some of the most fascinating parts of the Bible to me, because I was like, this is what God says, you know?

And I started looking at the law like, oh, he says to live this way and not do this, but do this.

And, like, okay.

And I started taking what God said seriously in that aspect, which was a strange thing for a kid to do of that age.

I was in early.

As early as I could start to understand the words.

I was fascinated with what God had to say on things which Is really strange to think about now considering that I had a little falling away period.

But I was really fascinated in that.

And then I got into Proverbs was the next thing.

So odd because mine, mine is the exact same way.

It was not, it wasn't until high school.

But what really got me into learning about anything about, you know, I was just like, everyone's Christian or I was Christian and what is going on?

I don't know.

It's like, it's like we're.

We got a wrap it up music.

No, it was because I had a Jewish friend.

And that was the first time I started realizing, well, people actually have other religions and do other stuff.

Like he was, you know, he was wearing his yarmulke.

And then I had a falling away period.

And then what got me back was the Psalms.

Well, actually it wasn't what got me back was the Psalms.

Well, it's like that's what I.

But no, so I started with the, with the Torah and then I expanded to the Proverbs.

Like I was still going to church as a kid and so I was listening to the other stories, you know, like you got David and Goliath and you got Jonah and the whale and you got the Exodus and all these, you know, that they get brought into, you know, so kids can start to understand them.

But you know, where I was reading on my own, strangely enough, was I spent a lot of time reading what like Deuteronomy, which was strange.

And then I went into the Proverbs and then honestly, what I went.

It was my teens is when I really started to expand more and I went from there to the Gospels and I was like, all right, these are cool.

And I started reading different stories in the Gospels of what happened.

Then I jumped back.

Then if I tried to jump to Revelation, it just looked like gobbledygook, but I didn't understand anything.

Now I love the book of Revelation and I'll talk about it with anyone, but I have a perspective that not everybody agrees with.

But anyway, James, yeah, I was reading James.

I'm not even sure how I got there, but in my about mid teens I was reading the book of James and I was in chapter three and chapter three starts out and I think the NIV that I was reading back then.

Nice.

I think it was worded not all should become teachers because they'll be judged more harshly.

I think it used the word harshly and it scared me in a way that I couldn't fully put into words.

And I had an amazing looking back in and out.

An amazing moment of turmoil.

I felt like God was pulling me in one direction, but I suddenly knew I was so.

I so missed the mark.

And that problem led me to go, all right, I got to push back against this.

I can't do that.

And that's actually what led me into my.

It wasn't necessarily pulling away from God, although part of it kind of happened.

I started not living.

I spent a couple years not living for God at all.

It wasn't that I was rejecting him, so to speak.

I mean, some people could say that way in a technical basis, but it wasn't like I was trying to outwardly not be religious.

It wasn't like I was trying to outwardly reject God or the Bible, but I was trying not to be involved in church because I felt like if I got involved in church, they're going to try to make me do something.

And I can't be a leader.

I can't be a teacher.

Really.

Yeah.

And so I just pushed against the church completely.

And that led me to not like, really put him in focus of my life the way it could have been.

So that kind of led to the darkest time of my life because, yeah, I was just living for me.

Yeah.

And I look back and I'm like, man, you really were.

I don't like who I was then compared to when he finally was like, all right, it's time.

Wrap it up.

Wrap up the.

You know what your fun stuff.

Well, it wasn't even that.

It was more like you're forgetting something.

So.

Yeah.

And that's a much bigger story.

It'll be in the book.

So.

Yes, sir.

But no.

So all right.

But yeah, it's amazing what can happen when we go to read the books like that and how that can affect you, hopefully your readers.

I hope that you get a tremendous amount of them.

It looks like I said, I got to see.

I don't want to give anything away.

I got to see the manuscript.

You got some really cool stuff in there.

I got to read some of it and I'm excited about it.

And it's for everyone.

Yes.

I put 13 and up because I.

Used the word whore.

That's probably good.

All right, there we go.

And then.

And it's 9.99 for the paper, which is the best, of course.

And then you got the ebook for.

Was it $6.99?

$6.99.

And Amazon.

And the name of it is again, A Strange Measure.

A Strange Measure by Christian Straight.

Did you use your regular name right?

Yeah.

Okay.

I think I was blessed with two.

I love that name, Christian straight, you.

Know, it's a good name.

Yeah.

I. I actually considered when I go to publish, like, should I use my name or a pen name?

Because I know a lot of people do use pen names, but my last name gets mispronounced so much.

But it looks so good on paper.

It looks good.

Yeah, it looks, but they don't know how to pronounce.

It's four letters, but it's.

Nevermind, you know, it's E S, E R, which is eserv, which actually is derivative from ezer in the Bible, which means helper.

Right.

But people try to add another S and make it esser all the time or they make something crazy happen with it.

And I don't even understand how they do it.

Right, right.

And so it's one S and when you have one consonant, then it's a long vowel.

So anyway.

And it's Christian straight with no Jesus.

This is a guy that did not like English class.

And I just gave an English lesson.

But no.

Yeah, so I was like on the fence.

We'll see what happens.

But no, I'm excited for it.

The new book's out Amazon.

Check it out.

If you are into poetry or you know someone that is.

Maybe it'll be a good holiday gift.

Coming up.

There you go.

If you know someone who loves poetry, that could be a great stocking stuffer.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not.

I mean, I say it with a laugh, but that, that could be awesome.

And you know, if you have any questions, reach out.

The man is in church all the time.

Send us some questions.

We'll send it to him.

Maybe we'll get him back on the show and be able to answer some of that.

That would be awesome.

Keep your eye out for Matt Eser's releases.

We'll see, we'll see.

One day I gotta finish it.

I actually talked to an author recently, within the past year, and talking about some of his stuff.

And he told me to.

He's like, look, man, these are the ways to go about it.

And he was kind of excited about what I told him.

And we'll see.

Well, let's see.

I got to make the time.

I got to finish it, so.

All right.

Thank you so much for tuning in.

I know it's been a little different today.

We got to talk about the book and kind of go on our own little rabbit holes in different ways.

And hopefully you enjoyed that next couple weeks.

I'm not even sure who my guests are going to be yet, but it'll be me at the captain's seat again.

So tune in for that.

Go ahead and like and subscribe.

Send in any questions you have or if you have something like, hey, I'd love for you to talk about this in an episode.

That's what Derek and I would love to hear from you because we are a creative bunch, but, you know, sometimes it helps.

So send that in.

Don't forget that we're trying to get to a hundred subscribers on YouTube.

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And then of course, we have our Patreon, which is just the Truth response on there.

You can subscribe there and there's different levels and I think that's about it for today.

So thank you to the Truth response for having me yet again.

Thank you.

It's great.

It's awesome to be here.

As always.

Thank you guys and God bless.

God bless.

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