The C.A.S.T.
The C.A.S.T.
S2 Ep4: Finding Light in the Midst of Life's Storms: Stories of Faith and Perseverance
Ever found yourself at a crossroads, wrestling with a difficult decision? Join us on a journey where we reveal the true power of perseverance in the face of adversity, sharing personal stories, lessons learned and how faith can keep you grounded. We start off reminiscing about a scuba diving adventure that taught our host, Mike, a powerful lesson about tackling life's curveballs with strength and decisiveness.
We don't shy away from the tough stuff here. Mike delves into a time he dared to chase his dream, leaving a secure job while his wife was pregnant, a decision that didn't quite pan out. But here's the twist: It's through these trials, these unexpected detours, that we truly grow. Drawing from James 1:12, we delve into how faith and perseverance can lead us through the darkest tunnels towards a more resilient self.
But hey, life isn't all about trials. We switch things up and lighten the mood with an animated discussion on our favorite movies. From Mike's love for 'Tommy Boy' and 'Shrek' to Jaret's fascination with 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'The Dark Knight', we debate, laugh, and crown the Joker as cinema's greatest villain. Join us as we navigate through life's highs and lows, demonstrating that there's always room for joy and laughter, even in the midst of adversity. So, hit play and let's jump right into it!
Welcome to the cast. Hey, and welcome back to another episode of the cast. I'm Jarrett, I'm Garth, I'm Mike and I'm Trey, and welcome back to Season 2. We are so thankful that you are tuning in to listen to this. We have kind of came up with an idea for the next four episodes. We are reincorporating the wheel that we had for Season 1, but we're going to do it a little bit differently over the next four episodes. What we're going to do is we're going to spin the wheel and it is going to land on either my name, garth, mike or Trey's name, and over the next four weeks, if you will, we're going to kind of talk about. Each guy has come prepared at any given time to discuss and break down some life advice, and we're going to talk about a variety of different topics through that, and what we're going to do is just spin the wheel and whoever's name that it lands on. You're the one bringing the heat. Are we ready to spin the wheel, guys? This is where the sausage is made. Are we ready?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Okay, all right. Before we spin the wheel.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 4:Yeah, go for it.
Speaker 1:Heavenly Father, we just thank you for this day. Lord, I pray that you just be with us. Lord.
Speaker 2:I pray that everything that we do is just of you and just the name of the praymen. Amen.
Speaker 1:All right. Since we spun the wheel, our parade. Now we're going to spin the wheel, all right, and the wheel has landed on Mike Nice.
Speaker 2:We're all in for a roller coaster.
Speaker 1:Buckle up.
Speaker 4:So just to paint a picture for you listeners, the tray and Mike are burning up their electronic devices right now. Trying to figure out what they're going to talk about.
Speaker 2:I dodged the bullet, so no, I actually made a tray. So, listen, I think perseverance, I want to talk about perseverance, Okay that's the advice.
Speaker 2:No, there's another advice. So, all right, this is the show may not be just PG 13. No, just kidding. So sometimes I wish that you guys could see everybody's facial expressions. But I would say you know, when I was in middle school, I got certified to scuba dive. Okay, really, yeah, my brother is two truths and a lie. No, it's true, I think it was a middle school college. No, no, it was either. It was either. My freshman year it was like eighth grade.
Speaker 4:So they had like a middle school team, or what is, what was this?
Speaker 2:No, it was my dad. We were going to go on a cruise and with and my dad was already certified because he was in the Navy. He's like I was like you guys want everybody to get certified. So my dad, my mom got certified and then my brother and I and my mom actually we all went through and got certified together, whole family. Yep, and then my sister came back from college to get certified. So so my brother and I we went um, maybe sarcastic. No, no, no, no.
Speaker 4:I don't know a lot of people that scuba dive and your whole family was certified.
Speaker 1:Gosh, they were taking notes. I'm going to circle back.
Speaker 2:Perseverance, scuba and he goes oh yeah, so anyway, uh, so the one of the guy's name, uh, his name was Morgan and, um, his, his, it was the, it was the instructor's name was Morgan and they called him. He said, hey, call me captain Morgan. And when I was younger I had no idea what that meant.
Speaker 4:What kind of little captain? What do you mean? What is that? That's a spiced room. We do not condone drink, right?
Speaker 2:And I had no idea I was like, and I was later in life I was like oh, that's the reason why they call him Captain Morgan, cause he always was drinking and um, but anyway so one certified to scuba dive by a drunk guy named. Morgan, so perseverance.
Speaker 4:And that leads to my topic.
Speaker 2:And so he gave this advice and he goes listen, I'm going to teach you guys some stuff that's not in the books. And I said, and my brother and I, we were like we were young, and he goes, so I'm going to use the the, you know, uh, he said crap happens, that's, but he didn't use the word crap, he used another word. But so crap happens. And and what he was talking about is that if you're, if you were, a hundred feet down and something goes wrong, you have to be able to solve the problem. You've got to be able to make a decision and move forward. And, uh, and that is one of the best advice that I ever received as a kid is that sometimes in life, crap happens, but you have to be able to persevere and make a decision and move forward. And that and and so I would say the advice that I would give is crap happens, persevere, persevere, move on. And so that would be my advice. Anybody else want to chime in on this? Is?
Speaker 1:that how we're doing this. You were kind of supposed to ask questions to get the dialogue going.
Speaker 2:Oh, I didn't realize that was the the topic. But okay, so this obviously had a major impact on your life. Yeah, I did, oh, kat Morgan.
Speaker 4:So like what was the last time when was the last time you you were under some significant adversity that you had, that you were under significant pressure, but you still operated and functioned and got through it, um, or any time in your life?
Speaker 2:Probably every week.
Speaker 4:Um but this week we're in a team, I think that's the thing is that it's always happening yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so something's always going on, it's. But but when you go through bigger you know, bigger um trials, uh, you know, and um, and I just to name a few, you know just like your job right when you deal with the telecommunications company.
Speaker 4:there's a lot of uncertainty and pressure with that, yeah.
Speaker 2:And especially, you know, when I worked, when I worked for them, they it was, it was always high pressure. We were always, you know, we were held responsible for somebody else's results. But I was held responsible for them and negotiating space and you know we had to drive revenue. But but some of those conversations I mean, you know I got belittled on an everyday basis with my last, last manager, like he, just it was. It was horrible, it was a horrible experience. But if I didn't, if I didn't learn how to deal with people like that, it it probably you know it I kind of can deal with anybody.
Speaker 3:So what I'm hearing is that you are that guy for Jared and I.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you put, he puts you down. I'm not a jerk.
Speaker 1:I don't belittle him. Well, it's not what we told HR.
Speaker 2:I am HR.
Speaker 3:That's why I'm not the one being dumb about it.
Speaker 1:No, so I think I think what you're talking about, though like big picture is true. I think it's a great life advice, sound advice. I was trying to make it applicable. Yeah, you know how can we? When we look at it, we are faced with trials, right, and stuff does happen in life and perseverance, you know, we have to persevere over it. We can look at it from a lot of different ways. We use you, love, james.
Speaker 2:Yeah so.
Speaker 4:James one 12,.
Speaker 2:It says blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that the person will receive the crown of life and that the Lord has promised to those who love him. And so it's saying that, no matter what you know, and like I said, the first part says consider it pure joy. My brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, well it's, you've got to. It's difficult to be joyful in that moment, but when you come through that, that season or that trial man, you're like man. I am so glad I went through it. That means that you can make it through the next one.
Speaker 3:But I think joy is also. We talked about this in season one joy versus happy.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, you know, when we say count it all joy, it doesn't mean you have to have a big smile on your face as you go through it, but knowing that in the midst of this trial Philippians 413, I can get through this, yeah. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. I can. I've learned how to go with, how to go without, how to be brought high, how to be brought low, but through it all.
Speaker 4:The testing of your faith.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:Yep. So can any of you guys look at what Mike's talking about? His life advice, right of perseverance and stuff like that Can? Are you guys relatable in that arena In any way?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, oh for sure, yeah, I mean. I think I mean there's like stuff. We use the word stuff instead of crap. Yeah.
Speaker 2:We use another word, but yeah, it's a family show.
Speaker 3:But, but stuff happens all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean let me ask you this straight Is that? Is that I know that you, when you were, you were at a larger church and you were asked to be a children's pastor there before you came to Bali? I know that there was a used car salesman at one point, but when you were at the also knew yeah, gave that warranty out. So when you were at that, when you were at that church, and when you left, when you left there, you left under a lot of pressure, didn't?
Speaker 3:you.
Speaker 2:So how did you, how did you react in that and during that time?
Speaker 3:It was very difficult. It was, you know, I don't I'm not here, I'm not going to speak ill of the church. There was just some differences between them and me. It would. It became clear very early on that we did not mesh and that's OK. The kind of church that they, that they are, works for them. But it didn't fit with me and my style and my personality and what I needed from a pastor and from a leadership team and it was it was a. We had Lacey and my wife and I we moved away for that job. We moved out of state. We were several hours away from family. The day after we moved is the day that we found out we were expecting our first child. So I mean it, let nobody would hire my wife because she was pregnant Me and we pot was whistling.
Speaker 4:I'm telling you everything.
Speaker 3:We were newly wed. We've made six months, I mean, like it was. Life was just coming at us very, very quickly and it was. It was a lot I've, I've, I've just I've described that as the loneliest year of my life, because Lacey was at home struggling. She, you know, she was pregnant. She didn't have a job, she didn't get to spend her pregnancy with her mom, she was sick all the time. So I didn't want to come home and put all my stuff on her, so I just kept a lot of it to myself, which is not necessarily the best way to handle it, but for guys that's a lot, but it's what we do, and we talked about that last episode.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we just got to be the strong one.
Speaker 3:You have it all together provide, protect, right. But you know, the opportunity came for us to to leave and we did it was. It was not easy, because in that moment, you know, because that was my dream job at least that's what I thought it was, yeah, it was my dream job, but it just wasn't there, sure, and you felt, you know, God's called me to this. I pursued this, I've, you know, it's here, it's right here in my lap, and then for it to fall apart was very, very difficult. I remember, I remember what we had to move back in my parent. I mean it was a lot but um. But looking back at that now and knowing that we remained faithful to God, we remained faithful to the calling that God placed on our lives and obviously he is always faithful.
Speaker 3:We never lost sight of his faithfulness. Had we not gone through what we did there, we would not have been set up and prepared for what God had for us here. The lessons that I learned and the perseverance and the testing of our faith and all that good stuff that James talks about it was proven in our life and now we are walking in God's calling for our life and this is my dream job and it's where I'm supposed to be and it's night and day, but I had to go through that to get here.
Speaker 1:So can you try to walk us through that a little bit? How did you go from that here moment to there where you are currently? What are some practical things that you learned along the way?
Speaker 3:So obviously you have to be completely reliant on God, but you have to also do. You have to be reliant on God and you have to trust his plan and his process. For whatever season you're in, it doesn't look the way you want it to look. I didn't want to sell cars, that was not what I wanted to do. But in that season that's where I was. I was providing for my family. I had a baby at home. My wife wasn't, you know, she didn't. She was at home with the baby and it was not what I had pictured for myself.
Speaker 3:But I relied on God, I trusted his plan. I relied on my wife for her support, her encouragement. I allowed her to support me and encourage me because, I mean, you know, that's what, as helpmates and spouses, that's what you're there to do, more so than I did when we were actually in the ministry position out of state and we got through it together. You know we didn't know what the finish line was or the light at the end of the tunnel. We knew that God had a call in our life and we rested in that. You know, that was the big thing is we knew what God promised and we can have faith in his promise, because his you know he's not going to lie, he doesn't lie, he doesn't let you down. And we knew that. That's where our security was, not in what we were looking at, not in our present situation, but in the promise that he had given to us, in the call that he had placed on our lives.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's great I see, like, as you're sharing that, I just saw scripture jumping out through that and I thought of Romans 12 12, where it says be joyful and hope, patient and affliction, and faithful and prayer. And I feel, like your, your story and the way that you navigated, that you were joyful and hope and you had to be patient through that trial right Through the. You know to overcome it and then you know be faithful and prayer and all of that. When you look at it like that's, you know you're living out the word. And I think when we talk about you know stuff coming up in life and persevering over that, you know we've got to be rooted in in the promises and knowing that to help us through those times.
Speaker 4:We need the storm right Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Like it's not something you want.
Speaker 4:It's not like man, I hope it's rough tomorrow, you know. But you need the storm to see the Savior and, like you know, you've got a personal testimony about the you know the deration. That was a storm, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Like a real storm, real life, Like here comes some.
Speaker 4:You know, 70 mile an hour straight line wins, you know. I got a G Brangler with the Thompson doors on. But that was a big moment in your life.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, part of your testimony.
Speaker 4:Yeah, changed your life forever in one storm. You know the storm that you went through, and then with Mike. You know the deal with your job and then the life lesson from Captain Under the sea. But you know it's a recurring theme that we're all hitting on. You know like you need it. As painful as it might be, as much as it might suck, you need that storm to see God in your life. He's the one that gets you through it.
Speaker 1:So when we look at this whole, you know we'll just call it a little mini series for the next four weeks of you know, advice for life, of kind of what we're throwing out there. Let's just kind of wrap this episode up before we go to our post game show. Let's just kind of go around the horn here and the topic is perseverance. You know, just give some sort of insight of to the importance of perseverance, how to persevere, whatever you want to do, but this is our advice for life. Obviously, mike, this was your topic, this was you know you're what you wanted to talk about with it, so you can kick it off but, like, why did you choose this?
Speaker 1:And then we'll kind of give our input on our advice.
Speaker 2:I think, I think we inflation's high, you know, and you've got, the world is sometimes. Sometimes we feel like the world just closing in and I was talking to somebody the other day and they were just talking about man. It's just hard to pay for groceries and I think that you know, hey, we're in an interesting time in our lives and I would say, hey, I don't wanna say we're all struggling, but everybody's struggling with something, and just remain faithful, remain constant. You know, don't shift with the tide, just be constant. You know and just know that God is still sitting on the throne, he is still in control. He, you know, he has defeated the enemy. And as long as you remain faithful, watch you be blessed. But in that moment you may not feel blessed, but trust me, you're blessed. Just continue to persevere through that storm or that trial, because God is always faithful. That's good.
Speaker 3:I think for me, it's with perseverance. If you're focused on the storm going on around you, it's very easy to get wrapped up in the stuff, in the crap that's happening.
Speaker 4:If you're looking for reasons why you're not gonna make it, you're gonna find some Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 3:They're very easy to find and the enemy. That's what he wants you to focus on, man, if he can get your eyes off of the Lord, off of his promises. But that's the thing is, your focus has to be on God's promises, and you know, is it? What? Is it Matthew six, if he dresses the lilies with beauty, I mean they don't worry.
Speaker 3:The birds of the air and the flowers in the field. They don't worry. And if he takes care of them, how much more will he take care of you, his most prized creation? Right? So it's easy to say, it's a lot harder to do. But you have to take your eyes off of the swirling stuff going on around you and keep your eyes on him and his promises, because his promises are yes and amen.
Speaker 1:That's good, yeah, and to kind of tie off of that, you know, when we look at, yes, it's easy to say right, but how can we kind of get into that mindset where it's not just easy to say but it's how we live, it's a perspective that we go from? And I'm just reminding of Psalm 107, verse nine. It says for he satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul, he fills with good things. And I just I've reflect on that and I start to question, you know, are we hungry and are we longing for the presence of God? And when we are trying to, you know, persevere and overcome these things, there's a lot of noise out there and, you know, can we just remove the distractions and hunger and thirst for God and really kind of just get into his presence in a way that we never have before? And through doing those things?
Speaker 1:That's where I thought, I think we start to see the victory, and it's, you know, a lot of it. We could always, I think we could go back, on this topic in particular, to one way or another perspective, whereas you're going through these things. If you have a positive perspective, I think you will persevere at a higher level. But it's like it's. I think, garth, you said you know if you're gonna, you know, look for something like you're gonna find it. And so I think, coming to those grips of knowing, like being hungry for God, and sometimes because of the storms that we go through and the things that we have to persevere over, we get a hunger for God and we find a deeper relationship with him through that.
Speaker 4:Like second Corinthians, four, eight through 12, we were hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. Perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned. Struck down but not destroyed we are. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body, for we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It ain't over until he says it's over, and it ain't over until it's good, because he is good.
Speaker 1:All right, mike, this was your topic, your advice for life. Closing thoughts go.
Speaker 2:Crap happens, keep going, keep going. Yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:All right, you heard it here first.
Speaker 3:All right, well, let's get into our post game show man. It's like a hard shift there, but we're gonna do it All right. So we're gonna do a little draft day and they are not prepared. They have, no, they have no idea might never is.
Speaker 3:Oh, but this is gonna be fun for Mike. I already know his number one pick off the board. I'm gonna let you go first, sweet, because I want you to get your number one pick. That way there's no excuses, right? Well, I just don't want him to be, because I thought you might take it. I don't know. So we are gonna. You know, I think you can tell a lot about someone from their favorite movies. Oh, here we go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a trouble Shrek. Now. So no, no, no, I know my, I know Mike's favorite movie yeah.
Speaker 3:All right, so we are gonna draft as a snake draft. So, mike, you'll go first, sweet Jared You'll go second. Okay, garth, you'll go third and fourth and then we'll go back and then you'll get three. But now, remember, I get to pick the winner. Okay, we got you All right, mike. Yeah, number one pick off the board, can I guess? Yeah, go ahead, tommy boy, that's right.
Speaker 4:When you want a steak you don't stick. That guy's good at college for seven years. Yeah, they're called doctors.
Speaker 3:All right number one pick.
Speaker 2:Wingy so much here, right here. No, you don't have a mark on your face.
Speaker 3:This is gonna get us a trouble. Copyright.
Speaker 1:I mean you guys were pretty spot on. That was pretty good. All right, Jared number one pick I'm gonna go with. Uh, we're gonna go with the Infinity war. Oh he's playing the judge.
Speaker 2:He's playing the judge.
Speaker 3:The good pick. Jared's going with the Avengers Infinity War. It's like he thinks he knows me or something. All right, Garth.
Speaker 4:If it were me, yeah, I would pick Rambo, but I'm not doing it. Um, I Think Star Wars man.
Speaker 3:But which one there's like 87 my personal preference I'm.
Speaker 4:I'm all about some return of the Jedi.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 4:I have no idea which one is which and Pirate Strikes back would be a close second thing.
Speaker 3:You just gonna draft all of them.
Speaker 4:No, no, no okay.
Speaker 2:Okay, one.
Speaker 4:All right number two. All right number two, I think. I think I'm. Jurassic Park was a good movie the first one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yes, if you said Jurassic Park movie came out.
Speaker 4:It was like what?
Speaker 3:yeah, it's a fantastic movie. All right, jared number two If you just pick all MCU movies. No, that's not gonna be the opposite.
Speaker 1:This time, the Dark Knight.
Speaker 3:Oh, it's a great movie. It's a right now, guys the Dark Knight.
Speaker 4:So we're talking Heath Ledger we're talking.
Speaker 3:We're talking the greatest like 2000 movie. Mike, your second pick, joe.
Speaker 2:Joe Deertay, I Know I'm gonna go with the little mermaid. I'll go. Shrek, the first one.
Speaker 3:Tommy boy Shrek, yeah, all right.
Speaker 2:It's like my favorite cartoon.
Speaker 3:All right, you get the last pick. Well, your last pick, it's back to you. Um Shrek's, your favorite. I'm a flying talking dumb.
Speaker 2:I like Kevin Costner too, and so there's two. One I really like, draft a, which is Maybe doesn't get enough love. It doesn't? It's fantastic, and I also like the Guardian.
Speaker 4:It's a good movie I picked draft.
Speaker 3:I haven't seen the Guardian.
Speaker 4:Well, I haven't seen a guardian. I haven't seen that one.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's amazing yeah.
Speaker 3:I'd pick draft a just to you know cuz Right because you like it because I'm the one judge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm gonna go with Guardian. Okay, but I can't believe you've never seen the Guardian man's got Ashton Kutcher in it.
Speaker 3:All right.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna go dumb and dumber.
Speaker 1:That's a great movie.
Speaker 4:Good day man over there's Seabass.
Speaker 1:You show my bird to a blind kid.
Speaker 3:Final pick of the draft.
Speaker 4:Okay. All right, I gotta go.
Speaker 2:Man. I keep forgetting about some of those movies.
Speaker 1:Why don't you go home?
Speaker 3:All right this is quite. This is all right. Let's review. You get in the hole.
Speaker 2:Did you see where they reenacted that?
Speaker 4:That's the late great Bob Barker. Pretty good shot with a nail.
Speaker 3:All right, well, let's review, mike. Your team is Tommy boy. It's a good one. Shrek and the Guardian.
Speaker 4:That's a pretty straight no. It's not the winner, that's it. That's quite the list.
Speaker 3:Jared trying to cover all your bases. Jared went. Infinity war, dark night and and dumb and dumber it's pretty good. That's pretty good. Garth went return of the Jedi, jurassic Park and happy Gilmore. So Garth went very classic. Jared went very superhero. He's trying to play me, he's trying to make you, trying to pull it the judge here because he wants to win. That's not Jared's top three movies.
Speaker 1:Two of the three are I love the dark night.
Speaker 3:Yeah, my movie. Mike's on his own island. I'm trying to be true to myself. I know I appreciate that Love. My favorite movie of all time, number one, and it's honestly not close is the dark night. What did I mean? I think it's a masterpiece.
Speaker 4:Nolan man.
Speaker 3:Gosh so good, but oh, but Garth there's in that movie with Heath Ledger. Yeah, okay, yeah, I gotta give it to.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I've got to give it to Jared. How do you go against the? But I mean, he is the best villain ever in a movie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was what you say, shrek would beat the Joker one on one, he would he would, he would hands down, hands down the Shrek, shrek the.
Speaker 3:Shrek Jared, congratulations. You have won this episodes draft day and the post game show only because you have the dark night. Thank you, drag, it's no. Well, you kind of it's all up to me.
Speaker 4:But I'm glad to smile on that face. Yeah, I'm glad y'all Good.
Speaker 3:I'm glad y'all had fun with all your movie quotes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was. That was a good change of pace. Good job, Trent, yeah, yeah yeah, well, hey, thank you guys. So much for tuning in. Before we close it out, I am gonna let Garth close us in prayer father, thank you for this hour.
Speaker 4:We hope this Conversation has been pleasing in your sight. Bless our listeners as they listen to it, and we pray all these things in Jesus name, amen.
