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Same Night - Interview with Gabe Chamberlin
76 Plays20 days ago
In this powerful and transparent episode of the Uncommon Wealth Podcast, Phillip Ramsey sits down with Gabe Chamberlin—retirement plan specialist, musician, and Christ follower—whose life is a testament to what it means to live on mission. Though his career is rooted in the financial world as a wholesaler for Transamerica, Gabe stands out for his authenticity, his faith, and his refusal to conform to industry norms.
The conversation dives into Gabe’s transformation from a self-focused lifestyle to one centered on purpose and service. He opens up about a pivotal moment in 2007, when a night of drinking spiraled into legal trouble, jail time, and a life-altering wake-up call. It was in a cold jail cell, with nothing but books and God’s Word, that Gabe surrendered his life to Christ. And in a beautiful twist only God could orchestrate—his now-wife Brooke made the same decision to follow Jesus on the very same night, though they hadn’t spoken. That shared moment of divine alignment became the spiritual foundation of their marriage and their future.
Gabe shares how faith now shapes every part of his life: from how he works, to how he parents, to how he uses his musical gifts to lead worship. He also reflects on a meaningful men’s retreat, where an unexpected cold plunge became a symbol of courage and surrender. Letters from loved ones during that trip reminded him just how deeply his life has impacted others, often without his even knowing.
This is a story about redemption, mission, and the grace of second chances. Same Night is more than a title—it's a reminder that transformation often begins when we least expect it, and sometimes, when it happens in tandem, it changes everything.
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Transcript
Introduction to Uncommon Wealth Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Everyone dreams of living an uncommon life, and the best asset you have to achieve your dreams is you. Welcome to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast.
00:00:12
Speaker
We're going to introduce you to people who are living uncommonly. We're also going to give you some tools and strategies for building wealth and for pursuing an uncommon path that is uniquely right for you.
Meet Gabe Chamberlain: Mission and Profession
00:00:26
Speaker
Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of the Uncommon Wealth Podcast where I'm your host, Philip Ramsey. Today we have an in-studio guest, Gabe Chamberlain. um And so I'm going to give you kind of my one word when I think of Gabe Chamberlain and then we're going to talk about his bio because he's got a lot going on. But my one word for you, Gabe...
00:00:44
Speaker
is mission. Like you're just always on like a mission. You're intentional. Your life is a mission. You're Christ follower. You're also one of my wholesalers. You're retirement plan specialist at Transamerica. That's how we connected first. It is.
00:00:59
Speaker
And ah so what would you say your bio is? Because I can go down the Transamerica route. I can go down the whole friend route. What would you say your bio is? That's a really good question. You know, I think it When somebody in ah the work side of my life asks me that, it is I'm a retirement plan specialist outside of work. It's, you know, I'm a Christian. I'm a father. I'm a musician.
00:01:20
Speaker
um many things. i I would say that, you know, sitting here today, i
Building Authentic Relationships
00:01:24
Speaker
I'm ah i a Christ-following retirement plan wholesaler who loves his family and tries to honor and glorify God with his thoughts and his words and his actions. Kind of like you're on a mission.
00:01:34
Speaker
Like I'm on a mission. There you go. See? Very much so. Nailed it All right. So I've had, i think, two or three wholesalers on the show in the past, but never like this.
00:01:45
Speaker
Because they've always talked about, hey, this is the product that we're selling or this, that, and the other. I feel like we're going to talk very little about Transom. probably and i think the first time you called me you were like hey let me take you out to lunch or i'll take you to a drink or something yeah remember this i do i asked if you wanted to go have a drink and you're like yeah sure and we went to uh someplace here in ankeny that's right yeah that's right and you had a root beer i sure and i was like oh thank you like i wish i would have had a root beer or we could have met over coffee instead of out for a drink and that was like the first time i was like okay this guy's a little different because there's just so many wholesalers out there and quite honestly like nothing against wholesaling but it's it's kind of a shady it's just a lot going on you're traveling a lot you're away from your family and so there's there's openings to just do things because you're on your own whatever you want to say on that part but it just doesn't seem like it's the most brightest like it's a hard hard career and so when you find somebody that's uncommon you stick out and i love it you know me i kind of quite fond of uncommon. So we had our first, I'd say root beer and whatever. I think were drinking water. Like it was nothing crazy. yeah
00:02:54
Speaker
And I remember like barely talking about trans America, but more about your faith. And that's when I like, I got to hear your God story, which is amazing. And I got to hear a little bit more about your family. We've gone on a double date, your wife and my wife and you, it was awesome.
00:03:08
Speaker
And then also you have been on a, the uncommon experience where, We've got to spend a week on weekend together, which was life changing. It was awesome. And I want to talk a little bit about that later. yeah for sure. um Let's first give you some time because you're married to love your life. You got some kids. Let's talk about them.
Integrating Faith and Family Values into Work
00:03:24
Speaker
Yeah. So, I mean, I think kind of just maybe taking a step back to your point, like we wholesaling, right? Yeah. it is a It is an environment, a job that oftentimes gets a bad rap because people think you are a certain way. And early on in my career, I thought I had to be that way. um And then I was like, you know that just doesn't feel comfortable. I felt slimy in my own skin and it wasn't who I was. so I just kind of again, went on a mission and was like, you know what? I'm going to be authentic and I'm going to be who I am.
00:03:56
Speaker
um Wholesaling the same as I am when I'm at home and trying to just, you know, be real, just be a real person. And so that, you know, I've missed out on some opportunities probably in my career as a wholesaler because of that.
00:04:08
Speaker
But I've certainly developed relationships like I'm sitting here with you today that are far more than valuable. Valuable. and know Yeah. So. Yeah. yeah um So, yeah, so that's my job. um So quick, how do you stay, because we're in this, and I i want to ask this, I want to make sure, and this is kind of the reason why wanted you on, but I want to kind of get into more things.
00:04:27
Speaker
But how do you stay on mission for Jesus in such a worldly profession? And I think that can go to a lot of listeners of the Uncommon Wealth podcast, is because they might be working a nine-to-five job, but they are on a mission to be able to have a higher calling and use that vocation as something that they glorify God with. Mm-hmm.
00:04:44
Speaker
And I feel like you do such a good job of that. So how have you kind of transitioned from that time when you're like, all right I guess I have to play this part to, no, I feel like God has a calling higher calling for me.
00:04:55
Speaker
and this is what I'm going to now do. Yeah, it's tough. Yeah. You know, I think for me, it's it's it's always keeping eternity in mind, even during my meetings, right? And it is it is like knowing that, again, I have an ah authentic mission. And i say these four things to my kids every day, almost every day.
00:05:15
Speaker
We want to be kind, caring, love, and respect. Those are like our four core values as a family. And so I try to bring those to to meetings and you know be kind and caring and loving and respectful to these people.
00:05:28
Speaker
and And I think that's different in a lot of ways because I'm not going down. I don't talk about product. Very rarely do ever I ever start a meeting and it's like, let's dive into solutions. like yeah Oftentimes, Philip, I don't ever even talk about product.
00:05:41
Speaker
And so I think... There's been meetings that I've had with people like the meetings over and they're like, Hey, did you want to mention anything about product? And I was like, Oh yeah yeah, I'll send you an email or we'll catch up again yeah and we can talk about some solutions. So I think it's keeping those four core values in mind. and It's genuine. So I think there's a lot of wholesalers that try to do that tactic, but I don't think it's as genuine. So that's where I feel like you've really hit this spot for me is it's, it's genuine.
00:06:06
Speaker
You know, like I think there's a lot of people who like ask you about your business and only to be able to then shove product out your mouth. I got the perfect solution. And you do a really good job because you're genuinely, like, you want to be kind, caring, loving, and and respectful.
00:06:20
Speaker
Yeah, and I think the other part of that, too, is like there are some relationships um where I'm like, I'm just not feeling it. It's just, this isn't a good fit. And so like, I genuinely care about the people that I'm inquiring about further. Like if I'm asking you those questions, cause I really do care. And I don't, if I don't ask you those questions, I'm probably like, I'm not feeling it. and I really don't care. So we'll just move on. Right. hook I love
Family Life and Career Support
00:06:44
Speaker
it. Okay, family. Yeah. Brooke, let's go. Yeah, married to Brooke, ah my wife.
00:06:48
Speaker
um We've been married since 2009, officially. We've got two kids. We've got an 11-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, Ava, Avalyn, and Augustus are our kids' names. And um yeah, we're just it's a busy time of life, right? We're sports and events and all that stuff. Right.
00:07:06
Speaker
Does your wife stay home? She does. My wife's stay-at-home mom. um Which has to pass be the hardest job. I tell you what, ah I read an article in 2007 or 8 when we were considering whether she stays home or not. And the article was about, I can't afford for her for my wife to stay home. It was oh it actually says, I can't afford my for my wife to stay home. Oh, interesting. Weird headline, right? And I'm like, I got to read this because that doesn't I'm not understanding this. I can't afford for my wife to stay home.
00:07:35
Speaker
And then it started to break down. If you hired a nanny or cleaning people or all the people to do all the things your wife is actually doing at home, right you would be paying that person $100,000 a year and you can't afford that.
00:07:46
Speaker
So you can't afford for your wife to stay home. Not to stay home. And so you might as well do it because you can't afford to pay other people to do it. Right. um so it's been a blessing well just tell you what it's great just the fact of like the house is running smoothly and i think people who are working like double income is great but man think about how chaotic that is i can't imagine it's just like oh yeah it's got to be so hard so i i i my wife as well stays on it is such a blessing yeah for our family and our kids to be able to have that hundred has to be one of the hardest jobs though Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, she has her days, right? And I i try to remind myself to to thank her. You know, i think like, the food was great tonight. You did an amazing job. The house is clean, and like, all of these things are organized and in line. and
00:08:34
Speaker
It's great, yeah. Okay, so two kids. Two kids. Brooke, stay home. Let me ask you this quick. Where do you feel like you'd be if your wife didn't stay home? Like, what would your career path be? You know, like, have you ever thought about that? or like what Wow.
00:08:47
Speaker
What ways have she supported you in order for you to get to where you're at? Oh, wow. well Well, I certainly probably wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today um because prior to wholesaling, I was in another job that traveled a lot, a lot more than I do now, actually. I was flying all over the country, and she stayed home then.
00:09:05
Speaker
um and that was the time that she transitioned from kind of, do I want to work? Do I want to stay home? She was doing i was worked at a salon, rented a chair. And she she was very supportive of the job. Of course, the income was better. Sure. But we had to sacrifice some things, and part of it was her job. So she's been supportive the entire way.
00:09:26
Speaker
And it's finding like when I'm not traveling and I am home, ah it's like we're engaged. Let's go do something fun. Let's spend time together. Her and I have done lunch together you know a couple of times in the last few weeks, which is like – Life-giving. It's wonderful. Yeah. We're just her and I. So it's great.
00:09:42
Speaker
Where are you at now travel-wise, just for your vocation? So... um Usually it's like a Tuesday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday. um I'm traveling. um So I'll do one week in Des Moines.
00:09:55
Speaker
And then the next week, like next week, for example, I'll be in Eastern Iowa with the whole week. The week prior, I was in Omaha, Sioux Falls. okay um So I try to be home, though. I try to sleep in my own bed as much as possible. So I do a lot of like, I rent a car all the time. And I do a lot of drive to Cedar Rapids, ah get done with meetings at five or six, drive home, sleep in my bed, wake up early, drive out.
00:10:16
Speaker
Because I want to be able to be home, see my kids if I can, work out if I can, and then drive there. So um next week is ah is a heavy week. have three nights in a hotel.
00:10:27
Speaker
Extremely unusual for me, though. huh Very unusual. Heavy week. That's a heavy week of being gone and sleeping in hotels. Yeah. Right. All right, so let's talk about your God story, because I
Faith Journey and Personal Transformation
00:10:36
Speaker
love it. Yeah. So when did, was your parents believers?
00:10:39
Speaker
Did they bring you to church? Or like, what where did that start? Yeah, so um my this was at about 2007. um My mother was was saved, and so was my sister. um but My mom, um you know, she was ah going to a a church, and it was...
00:10:55
Speaker
um Was just a ah wonderful Christian lady. my My dad, he was sort of in it, but not wholeheartedly. He hadn't he hadn't been born again. He hadn't given his through motions. Going through the motions. And you we know we grew up in a Catholic household, but that's a very different environment. sure um It was, you know. Faith plus works. Faith plus works. Go confess your sins every Thursday or whatever.
00:11:18
Speaker
and so it felt more like a job and that there was this God out there that just wanted to punish you for everything. Right. So, yeah, I mean, I don't know how deep you want to get into my story, but we can go from... Well, you give much as you want to give, man. Well, okay, so... This is your show. I'm just going to be part it. It's a crazy story. And...
00:11:40
Speaker
um I grew up a Catholic, and then I fell away from my faith. Going to college, i was living for myself, um and just doing all of the things that people who are, not everybody, but I partied, and I drank, and I smoked, and I got after partying.
00:11:59
Speaker
um i played in a band and so sort of the the stereotypical band guy okay so you're a musician knew this but the yeah the listeners didn't know this and what are your what's your instrument that you play guitar and have for for a long time i'm was the lead singer of that band and still do a lot of musical things today with yeah with my church and some friends which we can get into you so Yeah, I was living a crazy life in college and just worried about myself. I was only concerned with myself. What college you go Buena Vista University. Oh, yeah. Buena Vista. Storm Lake. And did you learn how to play guitar?
00:12:33
Speaker
That would have been in college, probably 2001. There was a friend that lived down the hall named Nick Nystrom, still one of my really good friends. Okay. played guitar and stopped by my room and heard heard i played and we played guitar together for probably a year philip before he ever knew i sang and he's like yeah well you should start a band i don't remember how the conversation went but he mentioned we should we should start a band someday and i was like yeah i could sing he's like what do you mean you sing it's like well i kind of i mean i i sing a little bit but And then he's there. So we started a band and we played our first show in like 2002 or something in college. all right. But you were playing guitar before that.
00:13:09
Speaker
ah Before 2001 or two? Yeah. No. No. you I just picked it up. And he taught you. yeah Yeah. We kind of taught each other. we know Dave Matthews band. It was like, a baby like let's learn some Dave Matthews band. That's pretty sweet. So I had played instruments in high school, like a bass guitar in junior high. But no, I didn't pick up like an actual guitar 2001, 2000, 2001. All right. All Sorry. I made it distracted. All right.
00:13:32
Speaker
2007, you were safe. Yeah. Yeah. So lots of bad decisions, you know, living for myself. That's a tough life, too. It's a very tough life. Interesting. um it It didn't seem like it at the time, maybe necessarily, except for, you know.
00:13:47
Speaker
sickly feeling and getting all sorts of trouble. and And I got in trouble with the law. um And I had a history, unfortunately, of from the day that I graduated high school until this 2007 of just constantly getting in trouble with the law. And it was always drinking. It was always alcohol. was your vice. It was my vice.
00:14:06
Speaker
And it was a binge drinking problem that I had. um And in 2007, I got into a so an unfortunate situation where I had drank way too much. um and and blacked out and woke up in jail. And I had no idea why I was there.
00:14:22
Speaker
Unbelievable. Yeah, I woke up and I didn't know. And at this point you were married, right? i ah No, we were... Okay, 2007. Before we were married. So Brooke and I were together at the time. Okay. We just started dating. Man. I bought a house in 2007. So I'd lived in this house couple of months.
00:14:39
Speaker
Brooke moves in with me. So we're living together yeah already. Yeah. 2007. We were both living a crazy lifestyle. Okay. Yeah. And I had this ah night out on the town um the day after Thanksgiving in 2007. Okay. And seven and i woke up in jail, and I had no idea. Wow. Why I was there. Like a complete, like, I thought maybe, you know, i don't maybe I was walking home. Yeah.
00:15:02
Speaker
You know. I didn't know. Right. But like a hangover movie type thing where you're legit. Like no idea. My eyes were almost bleeding, painful. um Found out that, you know, the the the jailer was like, yeah, we had to spray you with pepper spray last night. Oh, my goodness. I was like, like what? like What do you mean? And they pull me out and they send me before the judge.
00:15:23
Speaker
And the judge says, you've been charged with second degree robbery. Unbelievable. You don't remember a thing. I have no idea. he's like, second degree robbery against a Gregory Jones of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. And I'm like, what?
00:15:36
Speaker
I don't know who that Second degree. What do you mean? And it was ah my heart sank. And i it's the craziest feeling I've ever had in my life.
00:15:48
Speaker
Because, you know, secondary robbery is a class B felony, I believe. I wouldn't know that. But OK. B or C or I don't really know. But it's not great. It's not great. And so, you know, I get out on, they they let you out on bail. I don't remember what happened because I was so shocked. But I get out and I go home and um to my wife or my my girlfriend at the time.
00:16:07
Speaker
And, you know, we had conversation and she didn't know what happened either. She was out with me, but she had gone home before me. And then I had come home much later or was trying to come home. Yeah, right, right. Much later. And she's like, I didn't know where you were. I'm scared, et cetera. And, uh, I explained to her what the judge said I did. Yeah. And now we have to start to put together the pieces, right? You got to figure out what just happened So it was, let's get a lawyer. Let's figure out like, you know, I don't even know what happened. And so we had to get the deposition and all these things and figure out what, what really happened. And, um, I mean, essentially what it came down to was that I was drinking too much in a bar. uh,
00:16:45
Speaker
Yeah. bartender who is a friend of ours put me in a cab to send me home the cab never got home somehow we ended up at a casey's gas station and ah evidently we got into an altercation a fight the caian and i got into a fight and he felt like i was trying to take his money Oh. And so when the cops came, they said, well, he's trying to take my money. And it was a fight. And because of that, it becomes second degree robbery. Like I was fighting him to steal his cab fare. Right, right, right.
00:17:16
Speaker
um And I don't forget remember, I don't remember any of this. I'm only reading it. ah and um So i got you know I got that charge. um And that was the reason why, second degree robbery. so Wow. This is at the same time in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the flood hits.
00:17:31
Speaker
Right. Oh, sure. Giant flood that wipes out. Yeah, a lot. All of Cedar Rapids. So this was in November. And there's a very long legal process. Right. And I think the floods happened in like May of 2008 or April or something in the beginning of 2008, which was right around the time that I would have been going to court and start to figure things out.
00:17:50
Speaker
The flood washed away all of our records. Like the courthouse sits in the middle of an island in the middle of the river and all of the records and things are completely washed away and and lost.
00:18:01
Speaker
So they're like, we can't do anything until we find records and figure out i what's going on. And this was before dig things were digital. Right, right. So a lot of it's really hard copy paper. Uh-huh.
00:18:13
Speaker
And so it took until I think October or November before they like figured out my case. and And they said, you know, um, based on the circumstances and the deposition, we don't think you were really trying to rob the cabbie. Yeah. Um, because that a, that's not, I'm not, I'm not a violent person. There hasn't been a history. There's zero the history of violence. There's only history of alcohol.
00:18:34
Speaker
Right. Because in, in college and things I mentioned, I had been in trouble with the law with right alcohol. And, uh,
00:18:41
Speaker
essentially the judge at the time says, we're not worried about you. um you're not a you're not You weren didn't rob anybody, but you have a problem with alcohol. So we're going to send you to jail. We're going to send you to jail for 90 days. who We're not going to charge you anything. We're going to drop down your your felony charge. So it's going to be a simple misdemeanor. I think it was, as our i don't think I know.
00:19:00
Speaker
It was ah like a fighting charge, an assault assault charge. ok Misdemeanor assault which is still serious. Yeah, still not ideal. Because we got into a fight and i you know he got ah some scrapes and and bruises from the altercation.
00:19:13
Speaker
Okay. So the judge says you have 90 days in jail. No. Were you like just dumbfounded? like i was. is this possible? I was like, that can't be. There's got be way to get out of it. you know like There's no way.
00:19:30
Speaker
I was still very selfish at this point. I was just i was praying that God would take like just take this away. Yeah, right. Like, this can't be. That's what I was praying for. And and um I was just thinking about myself, though, still. Yeah.
00:19:45
Speaker
um And so that's a long time to go to jail. And I was like, if this is like, that was final. There's no getting around it. Yeah, there's nothing to be able to appeal that. It's it. You're going.
00:19:57
Speaker
So I was like, let's go. I need to go right away. How scary that, though? Very scary. Yeah. Yeah. so I have an idea. I said, let's go right away. So I went in in October of 08. I think this timeline's about right. like As soon as it was figured out, it was like October, and I was like, let's go. So I was in jail October through January from 2008, I believe, right into the beginning of 2009. What did Brooke say when you were like, well, got to go to the slammer?
00:20:25
Speaker
So... um That was a really hard time. Yeah. It challenged our relationship. um But she was supportive. Wow. Supportive of getting it over with. Sure. Like, go. now And still staying together. stay Yeah. we were come I mean, we were like, don't know, we probably had questions at that time. But we're like, but are you going to do we live together. Right. Right.
00:20:50
Speaker
You know, like we were crazy and did all this dumb stuff together. We, we, you know, we made our own bed. Now it's time to sleep in it. Wow. So, uh, I missed Thanksgiving and Christmas and new years and, you know Halloween for whatever it's worth that year because I was in jail.
00:21:07
Speaker
And this is where trans America comes in a little bit. Right. That was a period of time in my life, um, where I had just left trans America. So I was gone for like a year from trans America and, um,
00:21:18
Speaker
A very good friend and colleague had heard about my situation. She worked at Transamerica. She Gabe, I don't think you're a robber. You didn't try to rob me. You're not a bad person. Crazy situation. right Come work for me.
00:21:32
Speaker
And I said, that's great. And I worked it out that I could get work release. So that I could leave whenever my shift started and I had to be back whenever my shift was over. And this lady, Amy, Transamerica. Yeah.
00:21:45
Speaker
She's like, Gabe, if that's the circumstances, she goes, you can show up the day, the minute we open. If you want to be here at 7 a.m. m and you can stay till 7 p.m. You'll work 12 hour days, five days a week if you want so that you can be out. But you'll work.
00:21:57
Speaker
Yeah. And then I had to go back. So I had a work release that on Monday through Friday, I got But you were working. I had to get But you had to be so thankful. Very thankful. Yeah. Like, very thankful.
00:22:08
Speaker
um So that made the weekends very long and very hard. And it was, I've got a thing called jail diaries that I wrote because I got to get out every day. I'd sit at my computer and over a lunch break, I would write, I would write. Whether it was lyrics to songs, I would write or I was writing what I was feeling in there. And I'd gone back and read these a few times.
00:22:28
Speaker
And it just, it brings back some crazy memories. um But it was while I was in jail that I started reading books like crazy. Here's a crazy story. okay Okay. I'd have a book shipped in like every couple of days. I love this. Because I would read it.
00:22:43
Speaker
And I had so many books, Philip, coming that the jailers on multiple occasions, the jail shut down and they came and searched my room because they thought that I was smuggling drugs in with these books. Right, right, right. And were just consuming them. Yeah. There's like nobody reads like this.
00:22:57
Speaker
What are you doing? i'm like, well, I'm really reading. Like I'm legit reading. And I i had some fiction books. I got the Bible. We'll talk about that in a moment. And a lot of like ah exploring my faith books, The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. Oh, yeah. Good book. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Deep books. Very deep. And and that...
00:23:18
Speaker
That paired with a pastor named Kurt Jurgensmeyer, who's where my mother went to church, was coming to visit me during the weekends and and asking me about my faith. Right. And really asking some tough questions. At the same time, I was reading the Bible, and I had nothing better to do than read, right?
00:23:37
Speaker
And that's, it was actually, it was right around Thanksgiving, right? which was almost a year to the day after the event happened, that I was in jail one night.
00:23:49
Speaker
It was a Saturday, obviously. And I got down on my knees and I just prayed um to to to receive the Holy Spirit in my life. And and I confessed every sin that I'd ever thought that I could ever. Like, I mean, from the time that I was little, everything I could ever think of, I just spilled it out to God.
00:24:09
Speaker
i was crying in my dorm room, dorm room, my jail cell. Give me goosebumps. This is so good. It was like 40 degrees in these rooms too. haven't even mentioned this. 45 degrees because the heat didn't work because of the flood. They hadn't fixed the heat. And so freezing cold, crying on my knees in jail, asking God save Yes.
00:24:31
Speaker
yeah That is a story. And so ah the next day, i called my wife. What a testimony. No girlfriend at the time. Thank you. Yeah. I called Brooke, my girlfriend at the time.
00:24:44
Speaker
And she was with my parents at Thanksgiving. Yeah. Because they were hosting Thanksgiving. and And Brooke's family doesn't live around here. So she was spending Thanksgiving with my family, and I was in jail. Yeah. And I told her, i was like, Brooke, you know i I accepted Jesus last night.
00:24:58
Speaker
like i I am done living for me. I'm living for him. I'm living for him to the best of my ability. Right. And she started crying and she said, so did I. No, that's my favorite part.
00:25:10
Speaker
She said it it's the same night, both of us. So it was like she was crying and I was crying. And like she accepted Jesus the same night I did. And we didn't talk about it. Right. We didn't coordinate efforts to receive Jesus the same night. Right. That was totally a gift from him. It really was. Now, we both had people working in our lives. My mother was talking to her and my pastor was talking to me. And on all directions were pointing us to that. Right.
00:25:34
Speaker
But we both accepted the same night. And so from that day forward, we we were changed people. It didn't mean we didn't have struggles and challenges and have sin in our life because that's not what the Bible says. We are sinners, right right? In need of a Savior.
00:25:49
Speaker
And so thankful for that Savior. But my mindset shifted that night and slowly became ah more sanctified throughout my life. um And that that was that was how it happened.
00:26:03
Speaker
unbelievable what a testimony but you're still working at transamerica too yeah i've been there ever since every time you got auto your work release every monday seven o'clock you're probably just waiting for that bell to hit 100 who would drive you you would drive yourself i
Faith, Family, and Career Growth
00:26:17
Speaker
drove myself okay so you had a car yeah they had a tracker they were like you had an ankle bracelet or something they knew i didn't have an ankle bracelet but they knew when my shift started they knew when my shift ended and they had the phone number to my boss And so they would check in periodically and make sure that I wasn't leaving and I was coming. like wow And they said, if you mess this up, yeah yeah you you you'll tack on. like You'll get tacked on another 60, 90 days, nine months, whatever. You don't want to mess You're not the average person that go to jail, though.
00:26:44
Speaker
No. It's that. No, no, not. And that was, I mean, that was an experience in there, right? You're surrounded by like, so I'm in a county jail, but there are a lot of like um transients that come through. Sure. And people that are- people. Very bad. There there was a murderer who who was in the cell with me that was moving from one jail to another. There were several- When was that? Before or after Jesus? Before. This would have been before. he was And I remember him because he was on a CPAP machine. And so he had this breathing thing all night and I never slept while he was with me. yeah because it was so loud and annoying.
00:27:17
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, it was there was a I had lots of roommates. I was in there longer than anybody in that jail. I was the one in there longer than anybody. didn't shave the entire time I was in there, so I grew a nice beard.
00:27:29
Speaker
And people would be like, dude, how long you been in here? I was like, i feel it felt like a movie, man. It felt like a movie. Castaway. It was crazy time. Unbelievable. But God used that to totally soften your heart. 100%. 100%. Wow. Without that in my life.
00:27:46
Speaker
Without that slap upside the head and me going to jail, I don't know that my life would have changed. i don't i would I don't know if I'd be alive, Philip. I was a mess. I was running hard on like straight diesel alcohol, like yeah getting after it. And i just I'm so thankful that I messed up so hard.
00:28:08
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, there's not a lot of people that can say that, but I love the story. I'm glad you went into it. I think that's probably another reason why the people like listeners are like, oh, that's why he wants one. So I've only shared that um a couple of times in my entire life.
00:28:22
Speaker
Well, then um good podcast. The first time I ever shared it was in front of about 300 men at a men's steak and corn feed at our church. Yes. Just last year or something. A couple years ago. Okay. I've always been pretty private about it because it's embarrassing. Yeah. um Dude, it's God's story, though. I know. and in ah And from me sharing it at that men's event, I heard of some other men who have come to know Christ because of it.
00:28:47
Speaker
um So cool. And so i'm I'm just more comfortable with it. I care less about what people think of me because of that. Yeah. I know who I know where I'm going. And if they're going to judge you because of that, you're not going to be good friends anyway.
00:28:59
Speaker
You nailed it. Yeah. Okay. So now you get out of jail. ah twenty So 2009. Yep, 2009. Yeah. And then you and Brooke get married shortly after. Yeah, so...
00:29:12
Speaker
the pastor who was visiting me in my church was like, hey, Kurt, Kurt, Kurt Jurgensmeyer. And he's, you know, you guys are living together. You're living in sin. Let's talk through Let's talk through that.
00:29:24
Speaker
And we had accepted Christ and he, and he laid out for us what it says in the Bible and, and and the biblical approach towards marriage. And we're like, yeah, okay, let's get married. And so we decided in June of 2009,
00:29:36
Speaker
Yeah. June of 2009. We're like, okay, let's, let's get married. And so we had a little ceremony, just my family, her family, and just a quick ceremony to get married and get it on paper so that we weren't living in that. Yeah. yeah So we had a bigger ceremony in April of the following year, April 17th, which is, you know, were technically we were married twice, right? Like the official and then the public display.
00:29:58
Speaker
um So if it's always been fun trying to Which one do we celebrate? That's right. Both. We kind of celebrate both, which is fun. That's right. So yeah. That's how football got married. That's good. Okay. So then, so shortly after that, so your career in Transamerica is starting to like grow, I'm sure. When anybody times when anybody spends 12 hours a day for five days a week, that's dedication. So I can see how you can start growing your profession as well. So when did you guys have your first baby? Like yeah how long were you were married? ah So we'd been married and we'd been trying to get pregnant for a long time.
00:30:29
Speaker
That was another um God working through us. Faith. A moment for us. um It took us several years. Avalyn was born in 2013.
00:30:40
Speaker
Because she's 11. Yeah. OK. I'm going to be 12. So so there was a long time from 2009 until 2013. We tried all four or five years. We went through you know lots of struggles with that. Sure.
00:30:51
Speaker
um But God blessed us with Avalyn in August, August of 2013.
00:30:57
Speaker
And then Augustus came along five years later. We had the same challenge. Yeah. Five years later, August 24th of 2018. Wow. What a blessing. Yeah. That you get both those. And there's a little bit of a struggle to get them. So you just really feel...
00:31:12
Speaker
Yeah, so god God has blessed us with challenges that at the end of that challenge is an incredible blessing. Yeah, right. Which is really what our faith is based on is that we've got life here on earth, yeah challenges, and the eternal blessing. right awaits us. right And we know that um the blessings that we have aren't the same as that eternal blessing, but we felt a little piece of like right that right right with Ava and marriage and Augustus and struggles for the for you know the thing that we've been wanting and needing in our lives. yeah So cool.
00:31:48
Speaker
right, so let's go back to guitar. So now you start strumming for a little bit different purpose. Yeah. But you've always had that desire. You've always had that gift. And now you're using it for the Lord. So tell me how that transitioned. So I was playing in a band before jail and then after jail. These were still my friends. um So I played in ah Bound to Be was the name of our band.
00:32:09
Speaker
um I still played with the guys. We actually gigged out for several years after that. um But it was a different approach by me. Yeah. At these events, gigs. So you know we would start playing in some cases 9 10 p.m. and you play till 1 or 8 p.m. midnight, right?
00:32:26
Speaker
um My life before then was I would just get after it hard. Full throttle. Full throttle. Diesel. um and But after that, like I had i want didn't want to do that anymore. So there was a ah a period of time where I avoided playing for a while because I didn't want to get back into it. In that rut.
00:32:46
Speaker
But I loved playing music, and I loved my guys. And so I started playing music again, and i I was exposed again to some of these things that were challenging in my life. And so I had to learn how to approach the bar scene.
00:33:00
Speaker
from my new life perspective. Right. um it It doesn't mean that I never had another beer yeah because I did. And it doesn't mean that I never even had any like steps back because there were a couple where I'm like, I shouldn't have done that last night. I shouldn't have drank like that last night. It never got to the point like it had prior. Right. But there were a couple steps back. Right.
00:33:25
Speaker
um as is with many people who have addictions, and relapses. I had a couple of relapses along the way, but I never, ever lost my faith. yeah And the faith is the only thing that allowed me to to feel the forgiveness of Christ because of what I did and allow me to move forward. Yeah, right.
00:33:40
Speaker
Without that, that relapse would have set me right back on that old path. Right. Spiraling down. Spiraling downwards. But thank God for the good news that I was like, all right, done.
00:33:51
Speaker
Right. Back on track. Yeah, you were tripping forward instead of tripping backwards. That's a great way to put it. i was tripping forward. Yeah. And so i you know we played for a long time together. And and slowly, i started to like just not even, that wasn't even.
00:34:03
Speaker
I could have a beer with the guys And they and i could see them, you know. Yeah, they could see that you're changed. I think so. right I think so. um You know, so yeah. and But at the same time, um I was also beginning to play at church with Pastor Kurt.
00:34:18
Speaker
So I started leading worship right shortly after getting out of jail, in addition to playing music with the guys. So I was leading lead worship at church. And it was such a different feeling than playing out at the bars.
00:34:32
Speaker
You know? and And I was hooked. I knew that i but I want to play music for the rest of my life in one way or another. And the satisfaction that you get from glorifying God with music is an amazing thing.
00:34:47
Speaker
And I'm so grateful that I get to do it. Right. And I've been leading worship or playing in worship bands um ever since then, really. On and off. you know I had to move churches when we moved to Ankeny.
00:34:59
Speaker
So there was like a year or two where I didn't because we were still finding our way, our church. I get it. But I quickly got plugged in at Lakeside Fellowship. Shout out Lakeside. All our thousand listeners. yeah but They're not thousands. Don't get your hopes up. That's awesome.
00:35:15
Speaker
but Yeah, okay, so this is really interesting, because, you know, like, when you hear somebody's story, you see it a different perspective. But I can see how God has really given you the gift of being in a hard situation, like playing at a bar, and yet being in a different, like, not being in this world, right?
00:35:33
Speaker
You're... You're in this world, but not of this world. yeah And that was kind of what an environment where I feel like he's he's pushed you. And so I can see how that really correlates to your wholesaling. Like, I'm in this world, but I'm not of this world.
00:35:44
Speaker
And like it's just really cool to see how that's now, like that's kind of like your mojo. like You can be in hard situations and yet still
Navigating Challenges with Faith
00:35:53
Speaker
glorify God. Yeah. We all can do that, but I feel like he's really equipped you in really specific aspects of your life, and you've done a really good job to glorify him. Yeah, I try. I try. I mean, yeah, that that's the hope. Okay, and so there was a time where you reached out to me, or I was going to do some guy's trip, and you were like, okay, I want to come.
00:36:13
Speaker
I was so pumped. yeah There was four guys. There were six guys total that went up to Minnesota. And we just had the best time. But I want to tell this story because in in a lot of the trips that I'll curate for guys for sure, a lot of times they have no idea what you're going to do.
00:36:31
Speaker
And everyone fills out this survey. I'm kind of giving way too much here. but you fill out the survey and one of us like, who's your emergency contact? Well, newsflash, I don't need your emergency contact. I don't feel like we ever do anything that risky. ah But what I do want the emergency contact with is because i need some backstory. Like I need, what is their favorite soda? What is their favorite chips?
00:36:50
Speaker
Like, and I, and I, and I work with, you know, your spouse in order to do that. Well, one of the things, because you don't know what you're doing, I'll tell the spouse everything we're going to do. So, but you would have no idea. Brooke knew.
00:37:03
Speaker
um And one thing when I called her, is like, hey, here's our itinerary. um And in this one, we were going to do a couple of cool things. One, we were going to go glass blowing, which is who can say they've gone glass blowing? Gabe Chamberlain. Yes, sir. And then we were going to do dog sledding which is so fun.
00:37:20
Speaker
Skajoring, which is kind of similar. And then one thing we're going to is a sauna and ice plunge. yeah And immediately she was like, Oh, this is going to be amazing. You just laugh. I was like, well, tell me more.
00:37:33
Speaker
And she was like, Oh, Gabe's one of Gabe's biggest fears is cold water. Like, and so I was like, Oh boy, like good to know. Thanks for letting me know. But so we go out to Minnesota and we do this whole thing. And, again, we don't even tell everybody that's happening what's happening until we're kind of doing it. So as we're driving up, we were kind of talking about like, how's God refined you and what things is like, he molded you into the person you are. And you shared this story. It was awesome. And ah other guys were kind of sharing their kind of testimony of how God's kind of really molded them into that. And I was like, okay, we're going to go glass blowing, like to kind of emulate of like, Hey, it was hot and we went to the furnace and now we have something beautiful on the other side.
00:38:12
Speaker
um And so that's that. And then next That evening we had awesome conversation and then the next morning we go get up and then we go to the ice and cold plunge. And you never were like...
00:38:25
Speaker
You never tipped your hand to say that you were scared or nervous, right? But I guarantee you, you were like, what are we getting our stuff into? So tell us about that. So we're driving to, um i can't remember, Sauna. It's called Sauna Poppy. You can look it up, but I don't think that's what it's yeah called, but that's his company. So Sauna Strong or something, I'm not sure. But we're driving there. Tell us your thoughts on that because i want hear Yeah. um I said to Brooke before this event, like, cause I didn't know what was going to happen. That's right.
00:38:52
Speaker
I said, I hope we're not jumping out of an airplane and I hope we're not jumping into cold water. And so I was, I wish I could have fly on the wall to see her face. Yes. she just poet And she didn't tell me anything. So I had no idea. She kept a really good secret.
00:39:06
Speaker
And so when we found out we were going to do this, you know, I'm like, okay, fine. Like I'm in, I'm in this event. I'm going to do it. I'm like, I'll get over it. So I was like, you you know, I'll just do it. Uh, that was of that mindset. Right. But which I really appreciate because a lot of people are like, I'm not doing it.
00:39:26
Speaker
I was ready to do it reluctantly because just the cold, like cold water hitting my back or like when I jump in a cold lake, it's the worst. It's the worst. I do not like No one do that. And you paid for it. paid for it. Oh my gosh. And I remember thinking like, all right, like I'll watch somebody else do it and then, and then ah I'll try this. Yeah.
00:39:46
Speaker
And boy, that was an experience. Yes. Okay. So let's just like reverse this little bit. So, so it's Gabe's turn. I think I've done it. I think Ryan did it at that point. Yeah. And then it was Gabe's turn. Yeah. And you could tell he was reluctant. I think that's the word I would use. Yeah.
00:40:03
Speaker
And I remember the owner like walks up. He's like, I need you to say that you can do this. And I remember you kind of like shaking your head. Yes. Kind of like, and he's like, no I need you to verbally say you can do this. And then you were like, okay, I can do this. Yeah. And I'll never forget this game for as long as I live. You look over at me and you go, if I black out, will you come get me? Yes. I was worried. I was legit. Like I, cause I had to think I had just put my feet in.
00:40:28
Speaker
Oh yeah. Maybe I just, yes, that was, just kind of gotten in. I'm like, this is way colder than I was expecting. And I felt like I could pass out cause I was going to hold my breath and I've got a history of like, Oh, you do that i didn i know that pass it out. ninety Like, uh, you know, like my brain goes crazy where sometimes I'll, I'll see a broken limb and if I see like a broken limb on TV or sports, I'll get all queasy. You'll reset on us. I will. and so I felt the blackness closing in when I touched that cold water.
00:40:58
Speaker
It was so cold. And you did it, dude. I was so proud of you. Yeah. Not only did you do it that time, you did it three other times. Yeah. I only did it, I think four. I think i did it three times. You ended up doing it four times. Yeah. Maybe. So proud of you.
00:41:12
Speaker
It was exhilarating. Oh yeah. After you do it, you're like, cause we, then we went outside and we did the actual, it was like five degrees outside. Yes. And we went to a sauna, which was like 200 degrees. Like i remember Chris was like baking his like calf because it right next to furnace. So that back and forth was incredible. And this, you know, it was exhilarating that cold, coldness and how you felt so great at any pain you had was gone. Yeah.
00:41:38
Speaker
Yeah. You didn't have time to think about pain. You did not. You did not. It was incredible. Yeah. ah So then we just had the greatest weekend. It was fun. We ended up going, um, well, ah so we ended up going, um,
00:41:51
Speaker
Dog sledding. Super fun. And and then we also then went skidjoring. If you don't know about skidjoring, you just have to look it up. But after we got home from... that I think is when we gave everyone like letters of affirmation from their families and loved ones and like mentors and stuff. And I feel like you had the biggest packet. Like it was just a huge packet I get got to give you.
00:42:14
Speaker
And honestly, like if I were to choose, go through the ice bath or read some of these letters, for some reason I would pick the ice bath. Like it's hard to read those. It's such an edifying thing, but there's, you know, we don't get that much. And so to be able to read some of those, like it's a hard thing. And I feel like you almost had the biggest,
00:42:31
Speaker
um not aha moment, but like you were touched probably the most from those letters.
Life Reflections and Advice
00:42:35
Speaker
Definitely. And I remember after that, we had a really fun dinner, ate an igloo at the end, but yeah ah had a really fun dinner. I remember you talking about those letters. So I'd like you to speak to that. Yeah, those letters were one of those moments in my life that I'll never forget again. like I've got those letters saved in a plastic bag in my safe right now um because they meant so much to me. And from my dad and my brother and my mom and my sister, right?
00:43:02
Speaker
But then some random people, like people from church and people like from my past, um these letters just explaining and saying how they feel about you. Uh-huh. Yeah.
00:43:16
Speaker
I've never had anybody do anything like that. so to to see and And some of them were more challenging than others. you know see some Some of the words that somebody wrote would would be like, I never even knew that you thought that way. right right But that it was like just so you realize that you make an impact on people.
00:43:33
Speaker
Without even knowing it. Without even knowing it, because I didn't know. And so there was there was that aspect of it, that you're making an impact on people way more than you know. And then there was also an affirmation of things like music. Like every single letter, I think, every letter, was like, Gabe, you have a gift from God to play and sing.
00:43:54
Speaker
continue to do it, and we love hearing you, listening to you, is and something of that. And so it was just really affirming, like, I am where God wants me to be. Where God wants me to be. I'm impacting people.
00:44:08
Speaker
um I'm doing what I love. I've got a job that I enjoy. I love it. And I'm playing music. Like, wow, what a life. Yeah, right. And so those letters were amazing.
00:44:19
Speaker
i've I've opened them up once since then to reread them and I had the same feeling. Wow. Same feeling. So cool. Yeah, I'll have those forever. Those will go with me to my grave. Wow. That's so cool. Yeah.
00:44:30
Speaker
all right, Gabe Chamberlain, what other thoughts? So if you could rewind and give yourself some advice when you were, let's say, 18, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
00:44:42
Speaker
I would probably point to Scripture, and I would say, read James 4, 7, and don't ever forget it. yeah Humble you' so yourself before the Lord. Resist the devil. or Resist the evil and the temptation in your life, and he it will flee.
00:44:56
Speaker
It's just life is... too short and it goes so fast right and it's easy to get sucked in by this world um enjoy your job enjoy your family and enjoy your friends and just live a life that honors and glorifies him oh it's so good isn't it great though how i don't think i would listened to myself even then And like God so graciously uses the experiences in our life to be able to point us to himself. Like, I just think that's so gloving. Yeah. He uses my own issues and then shows me how he can, I can love him even more. 100%. I just love it.
00:45:34
Speaker
Dude, Gabe, love you, brother. love you too, dude. you so much for being a part of this. i love just having this. I'm going reference this. I'm going to give this people to other people just to be able to see like you're in this world, but you're not of this world. You're man on a mission.
00:45:48
Speaker
You have your kind, your caring, you love people, and you respect people. So I appreciate you. Thank you for being Uncommon. Thank you for being uncommon. This has been awesome. This is fun. Glad to do it again. And if you have, or listeners ever feel like you have an uncommon story, I guarantee you do. I'd love to hear it.
00:46:05
Speaker
um So reach out, give us some just a shout out. I would love to connect and hear what your uncommon story is. Until next time, you've been listening to Uncommon Wealth Podcast. I've been your host, Philip Ramsey. Go be uncommon. Thanks for listening.
00:46:19
Speaker
That's all for this episode brought to you by Uncommon Wealth Partners. Be sure to visit UncommonWealth.com to learn more about our services. Don't miss an episode as we introduce you to inspiring people who are actively pursuing an uncommon life.