Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
7: What Is My Role As A Christian?
234 Plays4 years ago
In this week’s episode, Jill Devine sits down with Justin Shiroma. In addition to highlighting Jill’s faith story/journey, she also wants to highlight other faith stories.
Highlights from the episode include:
*The people God put in Justin’s life
*Dark days
*Science is the way
*Twins
*Justin’s wife and her consistent walk with God
*Not being good enough
*Accepting baptism
*Hearing from God and what it felt like
*FCA
Normal Goes A Long Way Website: https://www.normalgoesalongway.com/
Normal Goes A Long Way Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normalgoesalongway/
Normal Goes A Long Way Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Normal-Goes-A-Long-Way-110089491250735
Normal Goes A Long Way is brought to you by Messiah St. Charles: https://messiahstcharles.org/
Recommended
Transcript
From Radio to Faith Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
The following podcast is a Jill Devine media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible.
00:00:24
Speaker
Yet here I am hosting a podcast about faith. The Normal Goes Along Way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation.
00:00:42
Speaker
If you have followed along from episode one, I've explained that this is my faith journey and the spiritual mentor that I have, Laura Fleetwood, and also the millennial mentor I have, Ryan Finler, they conduct all the interviews.
00:00:57
Speaker
but not today. I'm conducting the interview and then Laura is listening in and she's going to ask the questions in the bonus episode. And the reason why
Introducing Justin Troma
00:01:07
Speaker
I'm conducting the interview today is because one of the things that I wanna do is besides talking about my faith journey, I wanna find others who have faith journeys that kind of go along with what we're talking about. And what we have been talking about in these first few episodes
00:01:27
Speaker
Really, what does it mean to be a Christian? Who is God? And some of these just basic questions that are also serious and can get meaty and deep. And this week's guest, I know nothing about, which is so exciting because I have just been told that he is kind of in the same situation as me. And I thought it would be interesting to talk about that. So I would like to welcome Justin Troma to the podcast.
00:01:56
Speaker
Let's just start with the basics. Let's start with where you're from and move into, you know, your personal life now, married kids, and then we'll get into what you do for a living, and then we'll get into the faith part. Sounds great. I live here in St. Charles with my wife and twin babies. I was actually born and raised in Hawaii. Ooh, that had to have been nice.
Career Exploration and Fulfillment
00:02:21
Speaker
on my way to Missouri on a football scholarship to a small school in the middle of Missouri and worked my way east. And then that stuck and I really loved it ever since. What was the college you went to? Missouri Valley College. Okay. Go Vikings. And then I came to St. Charles and went to Linda Wood where I got my master's where I then met my wife and the journey went on. And so here I am living in St. Charles and
00:02:50
Speaker
I went to Linenwood too. I got my undergrad and my master's there. My master's is in education. And are you a master's in education too?
00:03:02
Speaker
I actually was on a long journey in school. I went to college for nine years trying to find myself and what, you know, profession fit me best. And I started in business, didn't like the idea too much of having to peddle and appeal to people all the time. And I know that could be just my own impression, but that's the way that I felt.
00:03:25
Speaker
I knew I played sports, obviously I was on a football scholarship and so I kind of went down a path of fitness and wanting to help people around me be healthy. Then I kind of got into it. I was a personal trainer working at a gym and all and I found that to be very much a business as well.
00:03:45
Speaker
as much as I wanted to help people, I still had to sell that service and try to convince people when really I was like, I'm trying to help you. So
Religious Upbringing and Disconnect
00:03:56
Speaker
I really thought about what profession puts me in a position to really serve others and help them be healthy. And I really wanted to work with athletes. Being an athlete, I was like,
00:04:11
Speaker
I want to work with other athletes and so that drew me to first coaching and then you know understanding that as a teacher I'd have a platform a classroom to teach people about health and wellness and fitness and and all those things and so that's what pushed me down the path of that to education and here I am nine years into it.
00:04:35
Speaker
What age do you teach? I'm a high school teacher. I actually teach out in Wentzville at Timberland High School. I teach PE and health classes and I was formerly a football and track coach.
00:04:48
Speaker
And so you're not coaching anymore? Taking a break for a family this year. So I also was a coach. I was a cheer coach. Justin, we have a lot in common. And same thing. When I got pregnant with our oldest, it was like, OK, it takes up too much time, especially for their ages right now, maybe down the road. I don't know. But it was one of those things with coaching
00:05:13
Speaker
when I still have the first girls that I coached reach out to me on social media and they're like, hey, coach, how are you doing? Or they will say things to me about the impact I made in their life. I mean, there is nothing better than that. And I always joke around because I was a tough coach. I demanded
00:05:35
Speaker
The best. Because it was a direct reflection on me, too. But I also wanted to set them up like, hey, you are not going to just be able to walk through life and have everything handed to you. You have to work to what you get. And I find that the girls that I most of the girls I was pretty hard on, I find that they really appreciated it. Maybe not then. Right. But now they're starting to know. Yeah, exactly. All right. So.
00:06:05
Speaker
We are obviously on a faith podcast, so we have to talk about that. When you were younger, did you attend church in any way or have God anything in your life?
00:06:21
Speaker
God was always present in ways. So we were the holiday churchgoers growing up. You know, we went to Christmas Mass and tried to get to Easter and other big holiday services. But we weren't in your everyday Sunday goers.
00:06:43
Speaker
And even then, I think me and my brother, who's two years younger than me, we'd still resist at times to even go to the holiday masses. But we also both went to Catholic school. So my brother went to Catholic grade school up through high school, and then I went to Catholic high school.
00:07:03
Speaker
So we were surrounded by religious teachings. I think I grew up with a lot of different perception and misinformation and misunderstandings of church history, you know, maybe even being in church and not catching the message.
00:07:22
Speaker
at times, not understanding the language that was being used. And so I felt like I was kind of disconnected growing up in the church. And I never did think it was a big deal. It wasn't a big deal to me. Growing up as a kid, I didn't yearn for the desire to connect more.
00:07:41
Speaker
I wasn't baptized as a kid and didn't go through confirmation school or anything. And so yeah, I grew up with a lot of lack of information, some misinformation and lack of understanding at times.
00:07:55
Speaker
I'm going to ask you a question that Laura Fleetwood asked me or maybe it wasn't even a question it was more of a statement like, obviously those decisions of going to church on the big holidays, and even the school choice that was on your parents. So, what was
00:08:13
Speaker
their connection to religion, faith, whatever it may be for them. It had to have been important to them, right? I definitely think it was important enough for them to ensure that we had the opportunity to know God and to know Christ. I think for us to be
00:08:35
Speaker
school and I think with the confidence that we'd be instilled with the values taught through religious schooling. I know my dad grew up Catholic. I think my mom was Protestant growing up. But it wasn't evident. There was no differences. I felt between the two and I felt they did have, you know, they were on in step with, again, the path they wanted us to walk.
00:09:05
Speaker
I know that the school that you teach at now is a public school. And so you talked about going to high school, a private Christian high school or a Catholic. And that's been a reoccurring theme to throughout this podcast, trying to figure out. And I don't think we're ever going to figure it out. Everybody's story is different.
00:09:27
Speaker
your experiences as a high school student at a Catholic school. And obviously it's different now that you're an adult teaching in a public school, but
00:09:40
Speaker
Is there a difference? Is there something that you held on to from your time in school that you really, really value and you love? Or was it a barrier for you moving forward with your faith? Does that make sense? Yeah, actually, so going to, and again, this was my perception and my perception was my reality and
00:10:05
Speaker
You know what, what maybe others reality was could be very different than my own.
00:10:13
Speaker
But I very much felt, in my experience, that I didn't belong in the Catholic Church, from being in the religion standpoint, with receiving communion and engaging in all of the practices of the church. Because I didn't understand or know or I misunderstood, I felt that excluded in ways.
00:10:39
Speaker
And so I think that did, when I left high school, part of that feeling of being excluded, again, my perception of feeling excluded, I think eventually led to my complete disconnect from religion and Christianity as a whole.
Struggles with Faith and Identity
00:10:59
Speaker
Moving into the public, I did not take anything.
00:11:03
Speaker
Based on what you just said, you got done with high school, went to college, and that was it. No religion, no church, no praying, no... No, not completely the case, actually. I think God has always and constantly
00:11:24
Speaker
and faithfully put and kept people in my life to try to draw me back and so yes leaving high school I felt the way that I felt and the disconnect began there but throughout college you know I was surrounded by guys that wanted to go to church
00:11:40
Speaker
and a part of our group like just being with the group you know in a social setting we would go to church from time to time on Sundays you know we found a small we found a small church in the small town that we were in and we attend you know it wasn't by any means consistent but it did become a more than holiday
00:12:01
Speaker
you know, venture for me, I guess, you know, where we, yeah, times I would go on holidays when I returned home for, you know, holiday breaks, but then, you know, through a football season or throughout the school year with the group of guys that I hung out with, we would go to church off and on.
00:12:20
Speaker
stick with me enough to carry me through, and that's what has led me to my new faith journey. But I know God has always put, looking back now, God has always continually put people there to say, come on. And whether it was up to me to take it and accept it and really dive into it. There was never a point where you hated the church, you hated God,
00:12:48
Speaker
Not hate, but there was definitely a point I got to where it's not real. Oh, can you elaborate on that? Yeah. So we'll go from college and at Missouri Valley, you know, and then that, you know, just that it's just had at the time just continued to decline my connection and with my face and of faith. And even then when a church I go and just try to
00:13:12
Speaker
Listen for me. Is there a message for me? And find something that connected with me. Oh, how can I apply that to my life? And then as time went on, when I left and I was not around a group of people, I stopped going to church and Satan takes hold on you when you disconnect.
00:13:32
Speaker
and was able to convince me that science is real, which science is real, but science is the way and God what God. And so I got to the point where I felt more comfortable in my life, not, I guess, not feeling those feelings of being excluded or feeling of guilt because I didn't do something the right way. And so I,
00:14:02
Speaker
I still try to live for people and help people, serve people, try to be the best person I could be. You know, I would say, if heaven was real and if God exists, then I believe I live my life in a way that He would accept. That I was nice to people. I was kind to people. I helped people.
00:14:22
Speaker
And I was a loving person that he would expect from me. And that was enough. That was enough if it was ever real. Now I also say to my baptism sponsor, Paul, he's one of the people that God put in my life to always be there.
00:14:39
Speaker
And he was that person to everybody, like maybe not on a faith journey, but he was always there for everyone in need always. And he was always someone that I felt comfortable knowing that he was strong in his faith. I was comfortable enough to tell him that I didn't believe in it.
00:14:57
Speaker
And he didn't push me. He didn't try to change my mind. He didn't, you know, nothing. He would say, I understand you and what you're thinking. But small messages like, you know, when you know, you know, you know, kind of thing. And, you know, I would tell him, I would believe if God just spoke to me. Someone, if God just came or someone just came, I was like, it is real. Then I'd flip around and believe. I'm like, yeah, I would.
00:15:26
Speaker
abandon all of my old, you know, thoughts and beliefs. I'll abandon everything that I, you know, convinced myself of in my head and say, okay, then I'm on this journey. You know, or I'm, you know, I do believe. That's almost exactly what happened a year ago. So before that, I mean, I guess when I went into this period of darkness, and it was a long time, you know, where I just, it
00:15:53
Speaker
Long story short, I was just in a way that was very self-fulfilling. Everything that I strived to do was what, and I wanna say it was like, what about me? But what can I do? Okay, what is my role? How does this benefit me? And things like that.
00:16:18
Speaker
I had strong feelings of insufficiency. I was not good enough for things. I didn't know what I liked, what I enjoyed.
00:16:29
Speaker
I had spent a lot of time serving others in such a way that it became a distraction from trying to figure out what are the things that made me happy. It became what makes me happy makes you happy. But I struggled with that because when everybody's happy and you've done that part, you're only left with yourself.
00:16:54
Speaker
And so it was just really this this period of I would call it just dark, you know, and people from the outside could see, you know, Justin or Coach or Mr. He's happy. He's a cool dude. He's happy. So nice. Or XYZ, beautiful family, you know, got a beautiful wife. He's got it all, you know, but behind closed doors and in the dark and in
00:17:22
Speaker
and more of the intimate closest relationships I had, those struggled because I wasn't the best version of me to them. I just wasn't really living this fulfilling life that probably anybody could have imagined that I was, or I would have all of these great thoughts. Being a coach,
00:17:46
Speaker
being someone that had a desire to help other people and make other people feel good about themselves or help other people get healthy. I thought, how are these plans for myself? I want to be able to do this. I have this plan. I write out these plans.
00:18:04
Speaker
and they'd never go anywhere. And they'd stop at the planning portion. So as years and years and years have gone, oh, I know this desire to improve, but yeah, I look back at years and years and years and say, I'm still in the same place.
00:18:22
Speaker
What am I doing? Where am I going? What am I doing? And I think some of that turned into anger and resentment. And it was really a reflection on myself that was projected onto, I think probably the most important person was projected onto my wife. And she had to live with this guy.
00:18:38
Speaker
And a year ago, just one day, it kind of just came to a head. And actually, let me back up just a little bit. It didn't only become between the relationship and between just me. If we think about the year ago and the year we had starting in 2019 into 2020,
00:18:59
Speaker
you know, I know it was rough for everybody, you know, and things that were going on in society, the divides that were happening, you know, and then the mass worry that was happening was so entrenched in like,
00:19:17
Speaker
media coverage and some of those issues too, that I've bared the way to some of that. And I didn't understand why. Like, why do I care so much? It was like, why does it bother me so much? And I just felt like I was taking, it was overwhelming. It was overwhelming to me. And so all this happening around me,
00:19:44
Speaker
My babies were born in December 2019, right before the pandemic. You know, it was something that I think for, I've always wanted to have kids, always. Truth be told, I wanted to always have twins.
00:19:59
Speaker
always I mean growing up me and my brother we'd look at each other and wish we were twins because we're so close in age and I mean don't get me wrong we're extremely competitive and we still are to this day but but but we're really close and we we we at times we'll look at each other as if especially as we got older was we'd look at each other as
00:20:21
Speaker
same age equals and we'd say we were twins and all the things that we could have done together. And so this concept of twins was always fascinating to me.
00:20:35
Speaker
So that was kind of step one in December of 19. We start going through that year and they're just, they still are perfect babies. And we look at each other and me and my wife would look at each other and just like, wow.
00:20:53
Speaker
How did this happen? And couldn't find an answer. How did we get so lucky? Would be the words. And again, that kind of went on. The pandemic hit and that was a blessing for us. I know it really hit.
00:21:08
Speaker
everyone hard and a lot of people lost people. But for us, we were able to stay home with them and watch them grow and get to be their parents through that time. And, you know, my wife did struggle. My wife is, I mean, her mom, my wife's mom says to me all the time, Cassie was born to be a mom.
00:21:28
Speaker
And she was. She's the greatest mom. And so she really struggled with even the idea of letting her babies go to someone else. It didn't matter who that person was. She wanted to be there for them. So for us, we were able to be there with them for 11 out of the 12 months of their first year. So anyway, all these fortunate events,
00:21:50
Speaker
that allowed us to be with our blessings that we cherish so much. But in that time, it was just, for me, I'm like, going back to this feeling of feeling like I wasn't good enough, why do I deserve this? Of all people, why do I deserve to get what I want? Why do I get to get to have the things
00:22:19
Speaker
or the best version of, and, you know, I still struggle with that feeling of not good enough, but, you know, there are better people out there. Why do I
Spiritual Awakening and Marriage Impact
00:22:30
Speaker
get this? You know, perfect family, perfect babies. And, you know, again, like the struggles that I was having with myself is projected onto my relationship. And it just, it came to head where I think I literally felt
00:22:47
Speaker
God had to step in and say, stop it. Like, come to me and I will show you why. And then like, then it just full wave. It's like every, every doubt I've ever had, every question I ever had, every argument I ever had against God and the church, all of it was answered and clarified for me. How? In an instant, what do you mean by that?
00:23:13
Speaker
I think a lot of my doubt, a lot of my questions, a lot of my angst against the church resided in people and the people of the church. And how can these people of the church claim to be of God when they act or behave in this way? And so I was taking some of the actions of a little, projected onto all,
00:23:37
Speaker
and would even go back to like historical events or historical things you know that have happened through the church whether it was Catholicism spreading through the world and of course people are going to believe in this religion when you put a sword to their throat you know and things like that um but in that moment what answered the question was really
00:24:02
Speaker
You're a sinner and so are they. I love you. What makes you different than them or what makes them different than you? And so it kind of was like, whoa, you know, it was just this big breakthrough in my mind that
00:24:19
Speaker
you know, all of the sinning in my sinning ways is no different than another person at any time. And if God can love them, or no, if God can love me, then God can love them. And so that's kind of where it answered every question was they are not God, they are not even representatives of God. They are them, just like I am me and God is God and it's greater than everything else.
00:24:48
Speaker
Does your wife have a faith background? She grew up in the church and I think she's always had a connection. Now her attendance to church on Sundays wasn't perfect. For her, I think it just, you know, like kind of went on, you know, she kind of rode the wave of life, you know, but but never a
00:25:10
Speaker
question about her faith. She never questioned her faith and what she believed in. She's always been strong in her faith. Whether she was actively in prayer or actively attending church, that kind of went with the waves of life. Would it be safe to say that you two, did you have arguments? Oh yes. Okay. Oh yes.
00:25:34
Speaker
We can go there too. One thing I told you when you asked me about the podcast was,
00:25:43
Speaker
if I can help even one person understand me or somebody, you know, or if they can relate to me that can draw them closer to God and draw them closer to Jesus, I will share it. And even if it's through my vulnerable stories, but, you know, she always, even in the talk of kids, wanted to get the kids involved in church. And I was not supportive of it.
00:26:09
Speaker
I'm like, we're going to be lying to them. I don't want to be lying to them. I want them to find their own way in life. That was me. And it would kind of go up and down in these arguments. And even in my concessions in the arguments, I would say, OK, fine. If you want to take them to church on Sundays, you can go to church. Well, that would be a bad example to the kids. OK, fine.
00:26:36
Speaker
Then you go to church and I'll go serve at a homeless shelter. That can't be bad. That's what I would say. I would just try to find absolute ways for me to not be in church, even when it came down to getting the kids baptized.
00:26:52
Speaker
Yeah, how did
Transformation Through Baptism
00:26:53
Speaker
that work? Yes, even down to the week before the kids were baptized, which was the when I got my calling, I was saying, I'm only doing it for the kids as an example for the kids, so that when they ask, is that baptized?
00:27:09
Speaker
we can say yes and they can go on their merry way and it was always up until then was always for them. One week before like I said I felt God come to me and basically just I mean one thing I felt he said to me and word for word was like I'm not here for them I'm here for you and you're not gonna come
00:27:29
Speaker
to pretend get baptized for them. You're going to come for you. You're going to be saved. It was wild. It was the wildest thing. It's kind of a joke with me and the women in my community group that I'm in because sometimes they'll talk about, you know, hearing the voice of God. And I'm always like,
00:27:48
Speaker
You know, I've never heard the voice of God and I'm getting frustrated and we all laugh and we talk about it. And people will say, you know, sometimes whatever that joke is or tale is about how the man's drowning and he's like, God saved me. And all of a sudden a boat comes up and he was like, no, I'm waiting for God. And then an airplane and then a helicopter and he
00:28:09
Speaker
says no and he dies and he's like, God, you're supposed to save me. He's like, I tried like these little things that happen. And so sometimes it's not a voice, but then sometimes it is. And that's fascinating to me and encouraging to instead of being aggravated or confused and frustrated. It's now turned into a oh my gosh, that's pretty awesome. OK, so he spoke to you.
00:28:39
Speaker
And it felt like it comes through your ears. Right, and that's the other thing I'm still trying to learn. Like it's not, it's literally not him like, hey, Jill. The way that I described it, it came right through my chest. And it almost came in one word or one breath. It wasn't long, but I said everything I needed to hear. And just that one breath has changed you. Yeah.
Living a Faithful Life
00:29:03
Speaker
So I know but I don't know the entire the details but you got baptized with your twins. Yeah and one of the amazing experience it was I mean considering a week before I felt
00:29:21
Speaker
a participating observer in the event to it being my day. Not even as well, it was my day, because theirs were there, that was their day. But when it was my turn to step up to the altar, every word that was said by Pastor Chuck, everything that, I know he was speaking for the three, but God told me like it's for you.
00:29:46
Speaker
Even on the day, as we set it up, I didn't hold any of my kids leading up to that point because I felt I couldn't carry them spiritually into that moment because I was also being carried into that moment. So it was big. And I'm thinking of your wife. I can only imagine how she felt. Yeah.
00:30:14
Speaker
Did you know Pastor Chuck before then, as far as having a relationship with him, or was it the baptism that spoke to you and formed that relationship? It was the baptism, yeah. It was how it landed with the schedule, you know, their baptism schedule. And he ended up being the guy. And since then we've formed a strong relationship. You know, I do definitely view
00:30:43
Speaker
him as one of my mentors and I looked at him, you know, definitely added more people to my life, you know, and I needed that. But yeah, Pastor Chuck was the big, you know, he was my beginning.
00:30:57
Speaker
I remember being in church one day. Actually, back that up, you all got baptized and I had seen it on our churches, social media, and knew of you and your family, especially working there. But then it was the Jubilee Sunday. And when he put the picture of you two, Chuck and Justin,
00:31:24
Speaker
on the big screen as one of his favorite days of the past year, it was like, holy moly. Like, this is what it's about. As we wrap up this episode, before we bring Laura in to ask some questions, tell me a little bit about that relationship with Chuck and how it's intersected into your professional life. That's what Chuck, you know, he definitely
00:31:52
Speaker
to the person that I would look to if I had questions or wanted to just hear how things were supposed to be is really what it was was how's life supposed to be and so I'm on this journey and the year has not been the easiest year but it's been the most amazing year.
00:32:09
Speaker
And so my journey hasn't been this found God and it's been up virtually the whole time. And I'm glad you said that because I do think that we need to talk about that more in these episodes. Like once you realize everything isn't just peaches and roses, there's things. Yeah. And so, you know, I just didn't know a lot of it was how do I do this? I've never read the Bible before.
00:32:38
Speaker
I've never prayed before, other than asking God for things. Even way back when I was in Catholic school, I felt it was more of, please help me not fail this test, or please look over me, or my family, or keep us safe, you know, asking things. And as a relationship
00:33:02
Speaker
and my growing faith, it was, that's not what I want to pray about. So how do I do it? How do I pray? How do I walk this path? And so those would be a lot of questions or conversations that I have with Master Chuck. And so it actually led to a, I don't want to call it a challenge, but I will. He challenged me.
00:33:25
Speaker
because we talked about a lot of things. I had a lot of questions about my, even my personal life of like what I wanted to do. I was doubting things that I was doing. I didn't know that I wanted to be in the profession I was in anymore. Not in any convincing way. He wasn't trying to convince me one way or the other to stay here to go. Very good listener. How do we get God involved in this decision that needs to be made? Long story short, it came to a head where I am gonna stay in the profession that I'm doing. He said, there are fellowship of Christian athletes
00:33:54
Speaker
at your school. Well coincidentally, and I'll use my air quotes coincidentally, the sponsor who had previously been running the huddle at Kimberlin was retiring and there was an open spot and he said it's your spot. I challenge you to take on that FCN huddle at your
00:34:14
Speaker
high school and grow it without knowing anything. Never ever been to an FCA Hello meeting before, not knowing anything about FCA. I said, okay. Well, I said, okay, kind of hesitantly. And then he said it in church and I'm like, oh, no, I really got to do this. But then amazingly, we talk about godly people in their life. He proclaims this to the church that Justin Sharoma is going to be starting FCA at Timberland High School. I'm like, oh my gosh.
00:34:41
Speaker
This is happening. I really didn't know if I was super committed to it. Now I am. Well, leaving church that day, I'm walking out and a student from Timberland High School who is in church that day holds out as coach, I'm here for you. I want to do anything possible to help get this thing going. So it is amazing how God
00:35:03
Speaker
you know, when you have doubt, God comes in and says, don't worry, I got your back. And that's how it's been the moment I opened my eyes to it.
00:35:11
Speaker
I have so many things that I want to say, but I'm going to wrap it up because I know Laura has some questions that she wants to ask you. And I'm so thankful for your honesty and vulnerability because it is hard sometimes to admit those things, to admit the dark days and to admit that you failed.
00:35:35
Speaker
but it is going to help someone, and that's the reason why I'm doing this. We'll go ahead and wrap it up. We're gonna have Laura come in. She's gonna ask some questions, and hopefully somebody else will be compelled to learn more about God and go that next, or take that next step, I guess I should say, to figuring that out. So here's a little preview of what's to come.
00:36:03
Speaker
Let's talk about this moment when you heard from God. So cool. So cool. I thought it was interesting how you explained it that it didn't come through your head. It came from your chest, like almost this gut knowing.
00:36:19
Speaker
that he was speaking to you. Have you felt that again? Yeah. I mean, it's almost like once you feel it, you don't stop feeling it. It's like a channel's been open. I hope that's what all Christians feel, that connection.