Ep. 246 "January 21st" (A Diary Entry from your Host)

[00:00:00] Hello, diary listeners. Today's diary entry is going to be called The Date. I rather liked that last time. It made it real easy. And yeah, yeah, at this point in, in doing this on a regular basis, I think I'm going to lean I'm going to lean into the gifts that I already have.

[00:00:23] And go with this week's title as January 21st. So happy Tuesday and happy January 21st diary listeners. I hope you enjoy. Welcome to The Apprenticeship Diaries where raw meets refined. Let's be real. We're still working on refined. What it took, what it takes, and the stories that are made. Join us as we learn from professionals about how their stories begin.

[00:01:05] Last week, something miraculous happened. I have to reiterate it because I said last week, by the end of the diary entry, that I was going to get for you the quote that I, of the Bible, that I, the verse that I quoted for my baptism.

[00:01:31] And it was miraculous because I had, I changed everything up last week. And as, as I have this week, I'm, I just decided to title the diary entry the way you would a diary entry.

[00:01:45] And I went with, um, the date itself, all of that. And, uh, when it came down to, you know, if you've been following the podcast for any stretch of time, you realize that I am, uh, a person who likes to put out a social media post. Sometimes a video, sometimes it's, uh, sometimes it's, uh, sometimes it's a, uh, just a collection of photos.

[00:02:11] Sometimes it's a combo, but I'm, I'm playing with that avenue, social media in general. The reason why I'm playing is because the rules keep changing. And, um, uh, the second, I think somebody is teaching some plan about how to get more influence online.

[00:02:30] Um, I almost feel like they change everything up so that you can never really keep your eye on how to create content and, you know, deliver it to your people. In fact, um, from what I understand, um, from what I understand, TikTok's going through all of that and whatnot. And it's just kind of, kind of crazy right now.

[00:02:53] As far as, uh, as far as content areas and creation, I have seen some, some, uh, app creators that I think is pretty, pretty cool. Um, I don't know, like, I'm sure the first frontier of app creation will be something that you have privacy on and maybe authority and ownership of, one would hope.

[00:03:22] You know, that you're, you're, it looks like a, like a private webpage, you know, like I'm paying, uh, Wix to host my webpage, my web address. And I constructed a whole website there that is an independent thing that I own, that I owned a domain of. And, you know, maybe that that's the way to go in the future.

[00:03:47] And I, I would say that if you're a person who very much so is in a rhythm of TikTok or anything like that, uh, the things that I've discovered in CapCut, that because it's so, uh, formulated, I think it's, um, it has a lot of, um, pre-designed, uh, TikTok posts and things like that,

[00:04:15] that if, if you wanted to just create your own app, like if you have a following of people and, and all of that, uh, and, and things are taking off in that way and an influencer way and a creative way and a coaching way or any of that.

[00:04:31] I would look into the apps, um, because it seems to me that if you create your own space where people can buy specifically what you do and they can go for you because they love you, then, then do that.

[00:04:49] You know, like that, that would be a great way to, uh, interact with people and, um, create a space that you can really have ownership of and design of. Instead of using all of these social media tools that ultimately, I mean, we all know they use our creations to their benefit.

[00:05:16] They sell our information to other people who would seek to sell us. And, you know, they create lists, they do all this stuff. And so I, I think it would be, I don't know. I haven't looked into it personally. I'm not a kind of person that a lot of people, I'm not even sure if they'd come for what I create. All I'm saying is that CapCut is very specifically designed to make those kind of TikTok posts.

[00:05:45] And so if you got CapCut and created your own app and you already have a litany of, uh, pre-made content, or you just want to sit down and create content and you need a device that can help you do that. Uh, and, and make sure that it's not going to just be taken down and all the people who follow you, you know, completely taken down. Well, that's, that's a good benefit.

[00:06:13] And, and also, you know, it might be, it might be good. I don't know if TikTok's still up, but if you guys are on there and you count on the following, um, have them send an email to a specific email address so that you can create a list. So you can create a email list, you know, have them sign up for some kind of email list so that you know the people who follow you.

[00:06:42] Um, lists are what it's all about. That's what they're selling on those pages. So, but getting back, um, this freaking tangent, man. Um, I hope I can keep it together today. But last week I didn't know what to call the, uh, the episode and how to, um, frame it once I called it January 14th. So I just looked up January 14th.

[00:07:09] I literally Googled it and I found some cool facts about January 14th. And I took a screenshot of my Google search and shared those things with you. And then I also had, I had God answer me. Um, there's no proof for this. You'd have to actually be sitting in my seat, experiencing it with me.

[00:07:33] But all I can do is tell you the truth that when I did that, I saw, you know, those frequently asked questions that come up. You know, people also ask these questions to Google and, um, within those pre-prescribed questions was a Bible verse, the Bible verse of the day.

[00:07:58] Now, if you keep searching, the Bible verse of the day will, will change. Like there's different places that will say it's a different Bible verse for the day. I'm sure they all have their Bible verse of the day. But the first one that came up that I read was exactly what I read at my baptism. So I was looking for that. I couldn't remember it.

[00:08:22] And as you guys remember, if you remember last week and you were listening last week, I couldn't recall what I stated on my baptism day, what verse I quoted and recanted. And, uh, I knew it started with beloved because that's my name. And that's the first association that I meant, you know, to make with that and, and to say like, Hey, you know, my name isn't said in the Bible.

[00:08:50] And that's how I led my, my baptism too. Um, and it was also kind of a, a comment on the fact that most of my life I've searched for love and, uh, you know, really looking for love in all the wrong places, honestly.

[00:09:09] And so I, I, I use this verse or these verses to explain what I was going after. Now I only, um, I only did seven and eight, but the whole thing, uh, it is pretty beautiful. And what it is, is first John four, seven through 21.

[00:09:37] But I, I read only, only this much beloved. Let us one love one another for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love.

[00:09:58] So that's what I read on the day of my baptism, because it was finally falling into and starting my life, knowing agape love that you can only really hope to get from the divine space, which is God. God is love and only through God can, I think we experience love and know it, express it.

[00:10:26] Um, and my name means beloved, which, you know, to, to find out after a lifetime of kind of being a hopeless romantic feeling very awkward and disconnected from people.

[00:10:44] Um, sitting there wondering why some people seem to have, and I didn't, you know, my, my attitude in the beginning of my life was very much so one of deficit and lacking. My mother brought up once at church that I was very jealous of my brother. Um, was it at church that she said that? It might not have been.

[00:11:13] No, I think it wasn't at church. I think I thanked her for saying that at church. Um, we were having another discussion that pretty much I was, I don't know. We were talking about me in some way. I don't remember exactly how it went, honestly. All I remember is my mom saying, you were always jealous of your brother. And I never quite understood why.

[00:11:41] And I had to really think about that. The truth of the matter is I'm very jealous of many people, if I'm honest. And I told my mom as much after she convicted me of it. And I sat on it for a while. And I am. And I told her I'd work on it because it's not a good feature. God calls us not to be envious. Um, and I'm, I'm really trying not to be.

[00:12:10] Uh, but, but the truth is, is that I, I felt quite, um, inadequate in the beginning part of my life. And, um, it's been hard to feel like I am worthy to take up space. Um, I don't think any of us should get too haughty. That's not good either. So finding out balance is, uh, is always the trick.

[00:12:41] Uh, so that was, that was a pretty cool thing that happened. I mean, what are the odds, right guys? That, you know, I, I look up January 14th and the Bible verse that comes up first out of all of them. And I didn't know it. See, that's the thing is that like, it's 111 times that the Bible says, says beloved.

[00:13:11] So out of all of those different times that it says the word beloved, even if the computers were listening, even if the algorithms were listening for that verse to be the one that, that God provided that, that was provided for me. Right then and there last week. I don't, I can't tell you the odds of that.

[00:13:36] At least as far as I can tell, it's mind blowing to me that that was the verse of the day. I mean, even if you bring it down to the 111 times, the beloved is said, right? Which 11s have been popping up everywhere. I've been, I've been catching 111, 1111, all of those things.

[00:14:03] Even, I mean, I don't know if you're like, numerology is just fun for me. Like, I don't really put much into it, except for it's another way that God can show himself in our lives. And, uh, and I do say himself because it's a preferred pronoun that was brought up this week too.

[00:14:26] Um, and I liked the way I ran it last time where I moved throughout the week and I examined church from, you know, like let it sit for like a week and then look at it. Ooh, I forgot guys. I forgot my, my Bible, my Bible and, um, and my notes. Cause I got to look back.

[00:14:51] But one thing I can say, and maybe it's appropriate that I did forget it because everything I think is like everything is happening everywhere all at once. And, and, and as it should be. Um, so, you know, it's just, it's just happening, but, um, maybe it was meant to be that I forgot to get my, my Bible and my notes. But the one thing I wanted to say from last week is that prayers were answered for Jack.

[00:15:20] I asked everybody to pray for Jack and, um, things are better now.

[00:15:27] I don't want to divulge too much of what happened, but essentially I think that when we're, when we're asked to, uh, stretch our beliefs or consider things from a different angle, sometimes it's really hard if we're very convicted a certain way or very raised in a certain way, which just, it's, it's hard.

[00:15:57] It's hard to, um, think differently. So essentially I, I just wanted some peace and rest to come to Jack, uh, because I like him and I, I think he is trying to be a better person.

[00:16:18] His, his, his continual showing up at church and submitting himself to what seems uncomfortable for him seems to be a good quality. And, um, a lot of what I was worried about last week has been, uh, you know, alleviated this week.

[00:16:41] And at this past Sunday, it felt better and everybody seemed like they were moving forward and questions were answered, et cetera, et cetera. Um, you know, we, we only take like an hour to explore the Bible and we usually get through a couple of verses.

[00:17:03] And so when you move at that kind of slower pace and you're analyzing the verses like that, our pastor, of course, tries to keep us on point, tries to give us the historical relevance. It's very, very repetitive. It's very slow. And then he allows for everybody to kind of give their understanding of everything. So it, it moves slow. And sometimes you forget about what was said the week before.

[00:17:34] And we are, we are in revelations. And so revelations is quite a place to start with the Bible for some. And in some cases, a lot of people are not really abreast of it in general because they're the orders that they grew up in never looked at it and didn't, didn't speak about it at all.

[00:18:01] So revelations is a, and you know, you basically with my pastor said is like, look, I'm giving you my best understanding. This is revelations. It's yet to come. It's in the future. There are people who believe that we've already gone through the millennia, that revelations has already happened. But that is not the view of my church. And it is not my opinion either.

[00:18:31] I think it's all yet to come. In fact, I think it's continually happening. I think for me, revelations is not that important to, if you convict yourself based on what is said in revelations.

[00:18:52] And you hold revelations in your, your mind about what was seen and prophesied and you hold it as a personal call to measure yourself perpetually.

[00:19:11] I don't think it really, I mean, it matters because it's, if it, if any of these things physically take place and they happen, even, I mean, if they happen literally, it's going to be devastating. But what I told the people at church once was that when I read revelations, it's much how I felt when I finally realized that I was full of shit.

[00:19:39] That everything that I did really wasn't building me towards anything that wasn't going to get utterly smashed and taken away from me in the end. And that my heart just broke.

[00:19:55] And to realize the truth of my efforts and who I am in the face of everything was truly magnificent and terrifying all at the same time, because you have to reorder your whole life and you have to be very truthful. And you don't really know where to go from there because you've done things so long a certain way. And you're like, well, crap, what do I do now?

[00:20:25] So it's, it's pretty, um, it's pretty shattering or shattering, um, in general. So I'm, I'm doing, uh, what I did the last time. Uh, I searched January 21st. What is special about January 21st? Let's see.

[00:20:52] I don't see in the, uh, people also ask section anything about, uh, Bible verses yet, which is interesting, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I did click on a couple things before that came up. Like fun facts. So I'll read you the fun facts. Cause I think that would be a cool thing for us to like do together on the show. Well, why not? You know, like why not?

[00:21:20] Um, so what it says for the first thing, what is special about the 21st of January? Now the, this question was also, um, at the top for January 14th. So famous birthday include Grigory Rasputin. Oh, wow. Uh, Gina Davis and Jack Nicholas. January 21st also marks national hugging day and national banana bread day.

[00:21:49] Just so y'all know. Uh, who, who, we have so many dumb things. I swear national banana bread day, Lord, uh, the, uh, the next question, what happened on the 21st of January this day in history, January 21st generating a sonic boom.

[00:22:13] As it traveled through the atmosphere at supersonic speed, the Concorde, a commercial aircraft built with funding from the British and French governments begun regular service on this day in 1976. Well, that's fun. All right. Let's see here. It is still, still no Bible verse of the day. That's very interesting that that's not it.

[00:22:39] Well, now I'm going to purposely just punch it in here and see, because I want to know. I want that because it was a, it was a, it was a very amazing thing for that just to happen. So first thing, first thing that popped up was, uh, Romans one seven, which I, oh, wait a minute.

[00:23:04] That was the first thing on daily versus.net, but let's see what the people also ask thing is because they always give like a different one. Um, so what is the Bible? Oh, I lost my connection there for a second. Bible verse for today, uh, January 21st. So says people also ask. So I'm going to go with that one just because that's where I got the one from last week. So this is what they quote today.

[00:23:34] Uh, Psalms 1913. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuousness or presumptuous sins. Presumptuous. Sorry guys. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous. Let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

[00:24:04] So as of last week too, there was what this question answered in the people also ask section, but then right next to it was a little picture that also had a Bible verse. And it was different from the one that I needed, which was the John, the first John one. I didn't read that one. I didn't care.

[00:24:28] I was so taken aback that first John four, seven through eight. Well, actually seven through 21 was there pretty much. It wasn't seven through 21. That's what it had listed. But it, I think it was just expel, you know, expanding the whole, that whole space is many verses. But, um, the fact that that was there for me, it was wild. So right next to his Proverbs, which by the way, I love Proverbs. Proverbs is one of my favorite.

[00:24:56] It's all about wisdom and what makes a person wise. Now, therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways. And that's Proverbs 8, 32. So there are two Bible verses that you can kind of fall on. And just for shits and giggles, because it was the first that I saw, um, this is Romans 7. It says 7b, which I don't, I don't understand.

[00:25:25] But the King James Version is grace to you and peace from God, our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So there you go. I mentioned preferred pronouns earlier. Our father, Lord Jesus Christ. These are, these are pronouns that are attached to a male. And throughout the Bible, that's how God talks of himself. So I'm going with it either way.

[00:25:53] The, uh, the answer that both myself and my friend, Carol LeBaron offered to why we refer to God as he is that language is imperfect and we are mortal and imperfect human and imperfect stuck in a fallen world. Uh, and truly in my experience, what is divine goes beyond words.

[00:26:19] Like it, it, he doesn't limit God any more than it limits a person. If you truly believe that, um, you know, we're only bound by our sex so much. So what does it actually dictate for us? What is it? What does it actually mean about us? Certain things, but past this mortal coil, what would it?

[00:26:45] And I, I doubt highly that it would, it would, uh, be a framing of what we are beyond that point. Unless of course it was something that we felt attached to, but I don't, I don't think that it binds God nor does it us. So, but it, but it is expressed in the Bible as a preferred pronoun. And typically when people tell you what they are, it's probably wise to believe them.

[00:27:12] So I think that, that runs even truthful to God. Uh, right after last week, I mean, I had a fun time on the podcast last week. I don't know if y'all had a great time, but I did. Um, it was wonderful that it went on for a while and, um, it, it felt good. It felt fun.

[00:27:35] It was, uh, a very welcomed, um, just, just stream of consciousness that I was able to give to you guys that kind of went from one thing to the next. Uh, so yeah, uh, I, I think I'm a little gassed out this week to be honest with you.

[00:27:59] Um, just because so much happened yesterday and that was pivotal in the country that, and there's, there's been a lot that I've been digesting. Honestly, I've been bouncing through a lot of different things. Um, I believe it's called a boy and his horse, which is a sequel to the lion, witch in the wardrobe by CS Lewis. I'm currently listening to that though. I stopped for a second. It's good.

[00:28:27] I will say this for CS Lewis that I said to my client this week, when I read CS Lewis, it's definitely some privileged, you know, white European stuff, you know, like even me, like I'm, I'm kind of analyzing it. I mean, I don't think that that's the way you should look at it. I think you should look at the human experience and dare to dream.

[00:28:52] And he paints such fantasy full places and, and realms and, and all of that, that I don't see why, you know, especially if you're reading them as a young person, why your brain wouldn't wander. And isn't that the point, you know, just to, to have you go to some other place to take you away and show you a possibility that you might not feel in the moment.

[00:29:19] But if you're, I guess, the type of person that needs to be able to see yourself in something, um, before you're hooked, CS Lewis might not really call to your experience. I mean, it's a very interesting thing. Like it's very daddy Warbucks in Lion, Witch of the Wardrobe. These four children get sent to this professor's huge house because their parents are going

[00:29:48] through, you know, something at the moment. I don't remember exactly what it was, but you know, the professor, there was like a whole book before the Lion, Witch of the Wardrobe that tells you about Narnia and like the establishment and the witch and all this stuff. And so, you know, about the professor already, he's already in your mind as a good character, but if they just started there and they said, we just shipped these kids off to a random old dude's house and that was fine. Um, a lot of people nowadays would be like, what?

[00:30:19] What? You don't, you don't give kids to a random old dude, especially not an old wealthy dude. That's, that's going to be problematic. And, you know, not always, not always, but, uh, history has definitely shown that that could be very, very, very problematic.

[00:30:42] Um, so yeah, uh, I, I do like listening to things like that and kind of seeing how society's feelings of things have changed. The magic hasn't been lost on me, nor the wonder or any of those things. And C.S. Lewis is also the one that, and I'm going to bastardize this quote, but he essentially said that, uh, you know, may you, may you get old enough to want to read or enjoy fairy tales again.

[00:31:10] And I think that that's, um, it's very potent. And I think a lot of people, uh, strive to, even as they grow in wisdom, kind of retain an openness to wonder. And, uh, as this podcast is moving in direction where I really want to share with you guys, you know, the way that God works in my life.

[00:31:37] Um, I, I, I like kind of reporting those things. So, uh, the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe are, uh, in the Nardian series is some of his more famous works, uh, that have been made into films and whole manner of stuff. Uh, but C.S. Lewis has done a lot of works that I greatly love and that I recommend people checking out. And, and they're not long books.

[00:32:06] In fact, one of, one of his best friends was Tolkien and Tolkien would get mad at him because he spent all his time on the Lord of the Rings. And meanwhile, C.S. Lewis is just popping out book after book after book after book. And I, I love C.S. Lewis's writing too, because he, he allows himself at times to be a character in his own stories. And he also breaks the fourth wall.

[00:32:36] I don't, I don't know how else to explain it. He talks directly at you. So it's almost as if the character in the film or the narrator in the film, you see him for a second and he looks at you. That's, that's kind of how C.S. Lewis crafts a lot of his stories. And there's moments of that and it's very attractive. Um, I actually, I'll, I'll get to this later.

[00:33:05] Hopefully I'll remember it, but I actually saw a really good, um, movie last night that was, uh, surprising, very surprising. Um, and I'll have to, I'll have to give it to you guys because it had some, it had some mainstream actors in it that I was shocked to see. I never heard of it. And, um, it was actually a really good movie.

[00:33:33] I've been, I've been trying to look into different media just because our household gets very repetitive with what we listen to because, uh, you know, you want to stick to what's safe. And then also you want to, you want to be able to digest it fully. And usually I'm doing something else. So if I'm, if I'm drawing or something like that, designing for people, I can't really

[00:34:00] listen too much beyond that. So we, I, subtitles are out, um, which there's another film that I will, I will talk about too, that I think everybody should watch, but is completely in another language. So subtitles is a part of it, but I think it was a very great, um, film that also has

[00:34:25] an amazing journey and hero story and, um, everything. There's a lot that I want to announce that just happened today in itself that I thought was wonderful and miraculous, but I'll get on to the rest of the week so that the show can get on a roll. And, um, oh, there are two. Usually there's two. Sorry guys. I had a sneeze.

[00:34:56] So Wednesday, Wednesday really start, start of the week. Um, I was designing Wednesday. I was sending off for the most part artwork to my clients. It was a very stay in your pajamas kind of week because we got a lot of snow here in Maryland. And so there wasn't, um, there wasn't much reason to get out of my house. My husband was amazing. He did everything. He did everything.

[00:35:25] He was like spectacular. He shoveled everything, cleaned all the cars, took care of all of the, you know, uh, stuff around the house for the most part. Did the one thing that I asked him to do for them. I just want him to take off his boots. So he was pretty good about that. Um, he likes to come in and out of the house and do a lot of stuff like that.

[00:35:51] And he loves boots, particularly boots that don't have zip up sides. They're things that you have to lace up. And he just bought a new pair that are thermal and keep his PDs warm. So, uh, yeah, uh, he's, he was wonderful. He kept me warm. Didn't ask anything of me. It was lovely. I felt very spoiled this past week and, uh, I was able to do art.

[00:36:21] I was able to focus on, you know, the tattoos that I had coming up and that was amazing. Um, there was a drama that happened that I'm, it has a lot more to it, but I think I only want to ask without blowing up much, uh, to pray for Bailey. Um, she's been on the show. She's lovely.

[00:36:51] I, um, see a lot of beauty in her and potential. Um, I just, I know that she's going through quite a growing pain right now and traversing some very dark waters and I am praying for her.

[00:37:16] I don't know, uh, all the details of what's going on, but from what I do know, it's, uh, it's, it's, it's, it's a mess. It's a mess. And, uh, so if I can ask listeners to pray for Bailey Scott and, uh, you know, let her

[00:37:42] pull through, uh, give her wisdom, pray for God's will because that's always the best. And, um, I just hope she learns. I really do. I hope this is, I can't take away anyone's story and this is a part of hers, but, uh, it's pretty wild, man. So pray for her if you could, she needs it.

[00:38:11] And, uh, that's where I'm at with her at this point. Oh, so that was Wednesday, Wednesday drama Thursday. Um, I think it was just more art. I don't really recall too much, honestly, cause it's not on my calendar and, uh, it's probably just a bunch of art that I did.

[00:38:39] And I, I got approved for two of my tattoo designs. One of them was Epic as far as I'm, well, both were Epic because one was a chess piece and one was a first tattoo. And let me tell you guys, it's wild, man. It's wild when you're tattooing people who are a lot younger than you.

[00:39:06] Um, he's, he's older than my client last week. Um, not much, not much, like five years older. So still I'm, I'm like a seriously older than these people, but it was very, uh, comforting

[00:39:25] this, this first tattoo because, um, I, I truly feel that this man, he, uh, got the best tattoo for what he was going after. His name is Chris and I met him at my, um, class on the constitution on the U S constitution. He, uh, was a part of that class. I actually met him at church.

[00:39:51] Um, my friends, Tilo and Malini brought him to our church. And from there, all of us kind of heard about IOTC Institute on the constitution and, uh, attended it. Um, my friends, Tilo and Malini hosted it and I got to further, uh, run into this character. Everybody has talked about getting tattoos, uh, specifically Tilo and Malini.

[00:40:19] They, they all confessed that they had a going pact that if, um, Donald Trump was able to get back in office, so they were going to get weed, the people tattoos and none of them are tattooed. That's all their first tattoos. But Chris was the one to pull the trigger. Ultimately the quickest on this.

[00:40:43] Um, I have no doubt that Tilo and Malini will, I'll do this tattoo, but Chris was, was in on it and he really wanted it. And he had been thinking about it far before that even was made. And, uh, he also is going to school to be a gunsmith, which is really neat.

[00:41:03] And, uh, so we included, um, some, uh, bullets that are, uh, an American made, uh, round for the most part, from what I understand, at least the, what is it? The, um, AR-15 rifle bullets is an AR, AR-15 is an American made weapon.

[00:41:27] And from what I understand, this is what Rico said, and I hope I'm getting that correct. I'm not fact checking right now. And I will admit it fully if I am wrong. And if anybody fact checks me, but we did a two, two, three, um, bullet. One of the casings was already discharged. So we did three of those with, um, an American flag kind of look like yours, your flesh is being

[00:41:56] torn and there's an American flag underneath. And then we, the people on top, he sat like a beast. Um, wonderful, very refreshing human. Um, obviously I love to talk guys. I have a podcast, so you all know I like to talk. Um, but one thing I like about Chris is when I asked him about himself, he was like, I'm not really used to, you're gonna have to ask me a lot of questions because I'm not usually used to talking about myself.

[00:42:26] And that to me in this world of TikTok and influencers and people who post a bunch of stuff that I'm just like, oh my God, like why, why would you ever, why would you ever put that out there? Like, why, why, why, why, why? Um, and, and half of it doesn't even seem genuine because you'd have to like set up a fucking camera to get what they do.

[00:42:55] So I don't, it's, it's baffling. It's baffling to me. Some of the things that, that happen online that people put out online, but, but to me, a younger person of the Gen Z's generation, generation that, um, that really, um, was not too keen on talking about himself. I felt was cool. It was very cool. And, uh, 29 got his first tattoo. It's awesome.

[00:43:25] Last year of his twenties. Again, great timing, you know, so much is going on in his life. He is a professional. He's been in the professional world for 10 years. He took an apprenticeship in HVAC, which is awesome. I mean, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. As far as like, you know, things that he has done in his life that I think really, you

[00:43:53] know, has pushed him forward. And when you meet Chris or if anyone does, he's just a lovely guy, uh, smiling for the most part, um, most part, most part, um, and he's a lovely person. So I, I was fortunate to be able to do that tattoo. Very honored.

[00:44:17] Um, very, very rarely do you feel like a tattoo like that is, uh, merits a huge personal connection. I mean, the only people I can think of are like people who have served in the military or, you know, maybe, um, maybe, uh, a politician.

[00:44:44] I don't know, you know, but a servant of the people for sure. But, you know, when you usually, you feel like you're making a grand sweeping statement that isn't personal, but with Chris, because we shared what we shared and we went to a constitution class together. I met him at church.

[00:45:06] Um, and, and then knowing his friends, knowing, um, you know, just certain key things about him and then learning that he's becoming a gunsmith. I was like, wow, this is very, very you in a lot of ways. And it's very cool. So I, um, felt very honored to do that for him. And then was my friend, Rachel.

[00:45:34] I was finally able to give her a gift. I, I hinted towards it last week, but I'm able to talk about it now because I've given it to her, um, along with the gnomes that I got last week as cutouts that I, I ordered from Amazon. I got this free cutout, which was a hamsah. And, um, hamsahs are Middle Eastern, but it's very adopted by the Jewish faith.

[00:45:59] And you can, I painted it and I gave it to Rachel because within our first years together as client and tattoo artist, she gave me a beautiful hamsah. And I don't know. I, she always now comes with trinkets. Um, if you've been my client for any amount of time, you know that I'm really torn about tipping.

[00:46:27] I'm not, I'm not a huge, uh, person that wants tips. I really, I really think it's, I would like it if it just went away as like a, you know, it's kind of like buying favor or just this un, un, un, unaddressed prospect that people feel obligated to do, but they don't really want to do.

[00:46:53] Uh, they want, they want to meet the societal expectation, but they don't really like it if they're honest. And I, I've witnessed that at my dad's salon. So once, once that's taken off as a thing, people are so happy and they always express how much they hate it everywhere else. And so I don't, I don't really care if you give me a tip. Um, I don't.

[00:47:22] What my clients end up doing because they do want to give me something as they usually give me like a trinket. And with Rachel, she always gives me beautiful crystals, um, gorgeous crystal crystals that I, I typically just leave in that space. So they can absorb whatever energy is produced in, in that space and decorate this beautiful little, you know, sanctuary for my other clients.

[00:47:48] So when I got that Hamsa, I was thinking about something I should do for her because I don't know, she's been my client for forever. And she always brings me such beautiful gifts and thinks about me in that way and leaves a part of herself. And it just felt cool. And Hamsas, by the way, you can, you can, you can, when you, when you make them upright, they mean something else. So when you put them facing down, they mean something else. It's kind of like a, like a horseshoe.

[00:48:18] Um, when you change the direction of how they're hung, it means different things. So yeah, like she gave me a Hamsa and I received a Hamsa out of nowhere, right back before this big tattoo she's getting, which is a, you know, huge statement piece on her chest. She gave me the privilege of doing this chest piece for her. I'm really, really stoked, um, about it.

[00:48:48] I really don't, I will tell you this. I don't want to show it until it's more on the way. Uh, but I'm excited about it. And I kind of framed the Hamsa after I'll show you the Hamsa since I talked about that. And since I feel, feel like God kind of deliver that to me because he knew I was kind of searching for something particularly for her that I could do. And it was awesome. And wouldn't you know, and she's been doing this, she's, this is now I think her second

[00:49:18] or third year she's done this, but she always books a tattoo appointment on her birthday. So when I gave her the Hamsa, it was in fact her birthday and she was getting her chest piece. So it was an amazing day. I got to meet her friend Becca, which I've been wanting to meet for a while. Becca is awesome. She made the time so fun. And she was a superior, uh, tattoo friend, which she kind of jumped back from because she was like, you know, what do you mean?

[00:49:46] A good tattoo friend, great tattoo friend. Um, what do I mean by a great tattoo friend? Somebody who doesn't get in the way, somebody who helps, who doesn't demand that the tattoo artist make, make the entire experience. You know, like if my client is like, Oh, I'm feeling a little too hot because the heater is on, they'll pop up as the friend and turn off the heater without me having to de-glove and manage the situation.

[00:50:15] She was a person who knew how to facilitate certain things and make the entire time better for her being there. And that is a rare quality because I have, I have seen tattoo friends and some, I mean, they're typically guys. It's not, it's not usually the girl though. I have met those two where they're like, Oh my God, are we done yet?

[00:50:39] And they'll just whine and cry about things not progressing in a way that they really want things to go. And they just become a drag. So, you know, that's what, what can happen if you bring the wrong friend to your tattoo appointment and, you know, they just kind of, they don't add anything, you know, they're just there.

[00:51:00] And if they're looking for the tattoo experience to wow them, they're probably lying to themselves because tattooing or watching somebody get tattooed, unless you're a tattoo artist or somebody of art, artful interest, kind of, at least to me, looks like paint drying. It gets very dull very quickly unless you have dialogue and you're having fun, just, you know, kind of hanging out with your friend.

[00:51:30] So yeah, like it was, uh, it was wonderful. Becca was wonderful. I had a great time meeting her. Um, we've discussed possibly her getting her first tattoo, which I learned she wanted three. So three all this week. Um, as I said, uh, ones have been popping up.

[00:51:58] We have our 47th, uh, president, which if you add those two things together equals 11, then Rico, like he went and got, um, certain items at, um, at the grocery store. We needed, um, cat food. So that was a big thing. He was fearing the incoming snow and he didn't know whether or not you should move or do anything.

[00:52:26] And I had forgotten both days that I tattooed to get baby food. That's what we call them, our babies. And, um, so he had to go out and get cat food. And I was kind of dismayed because he kept pushing it off because he was like, I'm just, you know, if I want you to stay home from church and I don't really want you to go out in this. And we're going to wait until it's safe to get baby food. We'll feed them whatever we have to. And I was like, well, they need to eat. They don't have anything here.

[00:52:56] We really don't have much. And he's like, they have dry food. They'll, they'll be fine. Well, it didn't snow as early as he thought. I was totally able to go to church, totally able to worship. I definitely called it earlier coming home than I would have just because my parents didn't come and my mom was freaking out that I was there. Apparently it was snowing where she was more than it was where I was. And she was just worried about me.

[00:53:23] So I, I checked out a little early from church than I usually do. But, and while I left church, by the way, um, I not only caught a hawk, which I identify a lot of spiritual, um, significance to it's, it's like God kind of winking at me whenever I see a hawk. So I saw two on my way home and, um, it also didn't start snowing until I pretty much got off the exit to my house. So that was pretty cool.

[00:53:52] And then Rico, when I saw him, he always suffers this time of year with like a lot of things. It's hunting season. So he never gets as many deer as he wants. So one, one prayer I would ask for you guys to have is that while he's out today, he gets a buck or a deer, some kind of deer, big bucks.

[00:54:16] Um, but when he went out, he, he, or as he's been going out, he's noticed that he's been really cold. So he got new boots and he's also noticed he gets a lot drier and his hands get cracked. So he also got gloves because, you know, he's been going out and cleaning off our cars and doing all this stuff without any gloves on. So he got gloves. And this last time at Walmart, when he went to go get baby food, he found this really awesome

[00:54:46] deal on a, um, pack of bolts, like for his crossbow, real cheap, uh, great, great item and, uh, bought gloves, his, uh, scent free soap. And when you know it, after all of that, when the total was tallied, it was $111 and 11 cents. Isn't that crazy?

[00:55:10] Um, so just, just synchronicities, things popping off left and right. Um, God revealing himself constantly. Um, I see it all the time. I'm amazed and in awe of it. Um, just have fun. Uh, I was very grateful to watch the inauguration.

[00:55:38] Um, I think that Martin Luther King's day was a great day to usher in the next presidency. Um, oh shoot. I saw a whole bunch of movies that I have to tell you guys about. All right. This podcast is getting long. I don't want it to be too much. I have felt like I'm rambling a little bit more this time. Mostly because I feel like I need some water.

[00:56:08] Uh, here we go that way. Uh, I don't, I don't usually get that way, but I feel like I need some water and I don't have it. Just like my Bible and my notes. So this is gonna, this is gonna wrap things up. So, the movies that I have watched this week as I've been stuck inside and that I do recommend and will, will bring me around to, uh, some things. Uh, some of them I have to look up their actual, um, titles.

[00:56:38] But one of the ones that I can say that you'll enjoy, or at least if you're me, you'll enjoy, is, uh, Waiting for Dolly. It's a really good film. It is completely in a, in different languages because there's multiple languages that, that are spoken in it, French and Spanish. Um, but it's a really great love story. And, um, honestly, I, I felt a lot of God in it, to be honest with you. Um, I re, I really did.

[00:57:08] Um, because it was kind of all about doing the right thing. Um, and there's a character in it that really is like a super fan. And he wants something, wants something, wants something, wants something. And it's, it's kind of like love.

[00:57:35] Um, that the more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you stop, it'll come to you. And that's kind of what happens, uh, within this is that like, he's trying and trying and trying this one character. And it just never comes to him. In fact, it becomes even more difficult. The more he pursues it, it eludes him.

[00:58:02] And the second that he stops caring and just falls into his own greatness, it happens. And so it's a really, really good movie. And like I said, there's a love story in the background that's gorgeous. And the whole thing is beautiful. It's very beautiful. Very, very well done. Um, I'm looking up this other one right now so that I can give it to you.

[00:58:31] That was actually really good. Um, I think I remember the name of the porn star. All right. Oh, I was, oh, the name of the movie is her porn star name, which I should have remembered. Okay, so this movie is called Electra Lux. It's very good. It's all about a reformed porn star.

[00:58:56] And, um, lots of God in this as far as I can tell. It's not, um, overt, though there is a moment where it kind of gets spiritual. Um, what's her face? Julianne Moore plays Mary, the mother Mary.

[00:59:18] So there's this moment in the film that the porn star kind of has like a crossroads. And it's, it's a really good movie. Like, I highly recommend it. Um, I watched it just last night. Beautiful film. Um, really, really, really good.

[00:59:44] Uh, the other ones that I watch and Rico and I both love them. Um, let's see. One of them was The Holdovers. That was amazing. Paul Giamatti, uh, was the character that I, you know, the actor that I, I know the most. It was, uh, Emmy nominated, um, or was it Oscar nominee? I don't remember which, not Emmy. Um, whatever the, the high award is.

[01:00:13] Um, Rico's like everybody that was in that film should have gotten an award. That form of the film did get an award in 2023. Um, but, um, Rico wanted every actor that was in it to get an award. And it's super good. Uh, if it's, you know, if you're looking for a good film that covers a time in our history

[01:00:40] that I think a lot of people lose touch with because there was a lot of cocaine and partying and bad decisions. It's like the 1970s. This is set as set in a, like a boy's school. Um, I always, I really love settings like this because I don't know. It's kind of like Proverbs. Proverbs is supposed to be God's word and instruction to make a wise man.

[01:01:08] So that's, that's how this movie kind of sits with me. Um, what I love about it is, is there's no sex really. Um, there's, I mean, there's no like real action really. There's, it's plot. It's very engaging, very good plot, very great characters. Um, wonderful story.

[01:01:37] I can't talk well enough about it. So it's called The Holdovers. Um, that we watched. We also watched, um, Murder on the Orient Express, the remake, the 2017. It was so good with Kenneth Branagh. Um, fantastic. Uh, Rico absolutely loved it. And we also watched Death on the Nile, which was the,

[01:02:06] I guess, sequel. It was just like a, a spinoff from that and new drama, which was also very good. Rico absolutely loved them. Um, both, all of these films are gorgeous. Like they're beautifully shot, um, different styles, of course, but beautifully shot.

[01:02:26] Um, however saucy or sexual or whatever any of them get to, they, they stop short of being, uh, gratuitous. So they're, they're good. And they don't, they don't, you know, make you feel gross afterwards.

[01:02:53] You, you feel like you, you know, you went on a nice ride and got a thrill and it was, you came out on top. Really good films. But to, to get to MLK day and inauguration day and all of that, um, a friend of mine, I, I had made a post on Facebook basically saying, you know, that I'm, I'm happy I get to watch this.

[01:03:18] You know, and what I meant was, um, I'm happy that my day was open and free. It had snowed. It was cold. The whole thing had been moved inside, which hasn't happened since Reagan, by the way. And I was just happy. I could be in my house and experience it and watch it all and take it in and kind of absorb the whole day from the comfort of my home.

[01:03:47] Being able to make art and, you know, live kind of peacefully. And I really, I really took in the day. So I made that post on Facebook just saying, you know, I'm really happy I can watch this today. You know, it's a blessing. And, uh, on the podcast page, I had, I called to Martin Luther King Jr.

[01:04:10] And posted a clip of him in black and white and his, I have a dream speech. I also caught on the way home from church on Sunday, um, uh, a billboard of him, uh, saying I have a dream. Um, and, um, you know, I, I thought it was beautiful.

[01:04:33] Well, a friend of mine, well, first my mom posted that she never drinks and that she was having for once in a very long time an Irish coffee as she sat and watched the inauguration. Cause she's, she's been talking about politics my whole life and this has been a lot for her.

[01:04:53] So I think it was, it was just, you know, like a moment she was taking for herself and she, she was going to celebrate and just kind of relax on what is a holiday and a big day in, in our national history. And so then people started posting their drinks and one of my friends actually had bought a wine called Trump and it was a rosé.

[01:05:18] Well, this brought me back to murder on the Orient Express because there's a moment, which by the way, the entire film is star-studded cast. Both of them, death on the Nile, murder on the Orient Express, wonderful, wonderful films, got lots of people in them. Um, but one of the characters was William Dafoe's characters and he kind of makes a very racist claim against the, the one black guy that's in the movie.

[01:05:48] And, um, this, uh, character who's a, basically a, uh, what do you call them back in the day? Like they used to teach the children, like they, they were, um, educators, but nannies, um, wards. What I don't, I remember governess, governess came up with it.

[01:06:12] She was a governess and, um, she challenged, you know, kind of his, uh, dislike of being seated in the same space as this black man. And she was like, what do you, like, you know, what do you mean, man? Like the, some of us don't share your feelings about this basically. And he said, madam, there's just, there's certain things you don't mix. He's like, it's like wine.

[01:06:42] You know, you have red and white to, to blend them together would ruin them both. And she then picks up her red wine and pours it into her white wine and sips it. And she goes, hmm, I myself like a nice rosé. And, um, the wine that my friend showed me in a picture that was the Trump wine happened to be a rosé. So it was, it was interesting to me.

[01:07:09] It's a, it's a leap in my assessment, but the point of the podcast is just to kind of show you all the different things that I pay attention to that are synchronicity to me. And that kind of illustrates to me that God is there and speaking and interacting with me all the time.

[01:07:33] And to pay attention and to listen and to participate and to have fun and to play and, um, absorb. Verb. You had to, I didn't like the last part that I just, I had to, I had to stop it right there, guys, just for a second. Cause I didn't like anything I said after that, or at least I didn't articulate it well.

[01:07:57] Uh, in conclusion, there's been some fun things, uh, that I have noticed about the week. One of the things is we like drama. Even if we say we don't, what we don't like when it comes to drama is unelected drama. We love elected drama. I know because the entire week has been filled with cinema and, um, you know, we do like those things.

[01:08:26] The, the celebrities of today, the influences are influencers, the TikTokers, everybody. They would not be what they are if we did not like drama. We love it. So, uh, with that said, I would like to plead a defense for those who would give unsolicited advice.

[01:08:51] Now I will say this as, as I plead the defense, I have hated unsolicited advice about as much as I've given it. So I am guilty full circle. But the one thing that I will say about people who get involved and give their opinion, I would ask any listener to just receive the opinion.

[01:09:20] This has come up a couple of times this week with different characters in my life. Try to look at what that person giving the advice, what their motivation would be. Um, and if they have nothing to gain from that advice and they only have to lose from it,

[01:09:47] then I would, you know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't, I wouldn't get too defensive or anything like that. I would just simply say thank you and, and plant, plant that in the back of your head. Now, I've definitely gotten very defensive about the unsolicited, unsolicited advice I've gotten in my life. Certainly.

[01:10:11] Um, at this stage in the game, I try to think that most people care about me and are just worried when they, when they offer critique or an observance that I didn't ask for. I just kind of let it be that. And I, I let it be more about them than it is about me, but it doesn't mean I don't listen. I, I am listening.

[01:10:32] I just have to see if it, if it's advice or an opinion that will manifest into something that, that I need for my life. You know what I'm saying? Like if, if it, if I can't see what this person's saying and I don't think they're correct, it's not that I don't, I'm going to cache what their advice is.

[01:10:57] It means that I'm just going to let it sit in the back of my brain and watch things for a while. Um, but, but know this, that I am extraordinarily grateful for the people in my life who have told me things that weren't easy to hear.

[01:11:16] And at times put us at odds for many years, uh, until I saw the fruit of that seed, the, the idea that they gave more of their opinion. And once I realized that they were trying to warn me and give me, you know, give me something that, you know, was only meant for my betterment.

[01:11:44] I, I, I've been humbled and I've counted those people as some of the most tried and true friends in my life. Um, so, you know, for the people like that, that have never held back in their opinions or their thoughts towards me about me, what I was doing, I'm very grateful to you and I understand, you know, like it's, it's hard to mind your business.

[01:12:11] It, it really isn't, it's really not something you can do if you really love someone. Um, something I wanted to offer that I would like people to check out is, uh, the most recent SNL skit with Dave Chappelle. His standup, uh, time there was really good.

[01:12:34] Uh, I'm hopeful that humor and humanity will return and that we'll figure out the balance between all of those things and stop getting so ridiculous. Because it's a lot, guys. I'm really tired. I, I wanna, I, I just, I want things to like not be so freaking difficult anymore. It's not like, it's not like I'm up for the challenge.

[01:13:03] It's just that like, I feel like things are made more difficult than they have to be. And Dave Chappelle is just, he's such a master at comedy. It's really good. Check him out. So that's another drama that I would love for you guys to enjoy. I think it's pretty awesome. He has a lot of good things to say. And the last shout out is my friend Gunnar Gaylord. He's been on the podcast too. He just started his own YouTube, uh, channel.

[01:13:33] And his first video's up. It's 13 minutes of your life. I think you should go and check it out. Gunnar is such a good human. He's doing some really awesome things. In a, in a, in an essence, this is called the Apprenticeship Diaries. And it's kind of chronicling at this stage. It's evolved into this. It's chronicling at this stage, much what he's expressing in his YouTube channel, but

[01:14:01] it's his expression and right out the gate, he's taking ownership for it. Um, so it's called Reflections of a Journeyman. And, uh, it's, it's good already. And, um, you know, look, if you come here and, you know, maybe you don't like, maybe you just don't like me. I don't know. You don't have to like me. Um, but you know, maybe, maybe you just want to try some diversity of, you know, I like listening to men.

[01:14:30] Uh, I like the tone of their voices a lot. And, um, Gunnar's a great dude. Uh, he's on a spiritual journey in a lot of ways. He's, he's going to chronicle it. He's going to express it and share it with all of you. So it's funny that we're kind of doing the same thing, but I know it's going to have, um, you know, him attached to it.

[01:14:55] And in this world, all of us have to find our mentors and our, you know, the, the person who can get the information through. So he shares in his first video, a quote and a book that really impacted his life. And I've read it and I know what he's talking about. And I'm very excited for him. It's kind of the same journey I'm on.

[01:15:22] And I'm, I'm kind of moved at this point by the Bible, but, and I would encourage anyone to get into that. But I think that there are, obviously, I think there are many human creations that are spectacular. I really, really enjoy us people. They are really cool to me.

[01:15:51] Um, because I think that God uses us and God created us. God created this, this world. And it's all so incredible as you pay attention to it and you watch it unfold and open up in front of you. And when you learn to smile and not take it, you know, not feel hurt by it, even if it's hurting you to just really admire the beauty where you can.

[01:16:21] So with that, I'm going to get some water, uh, and continue the rest of my day. I have to produce this podcast. So I will say adieu. Everybody drink some water. It is dry. It is cold. Nobody drinks enough water anyway, particularly in the winter. I know I don't. So I'm going to go do that. Everyone have a powerful week. Happy Martin Luther King Day. Uh, I know that's post, but happy Martin Luther King Day.

[01:16:50] Dream, dream and go after them. I love you all. God bless. Catch you next week. Thanks for listening. You can find the Apprenticeship Diaries on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Our IG is the underscore apprenticeship underscore diary. If you would like to offer constructive criticism or an interview, drop us an email at theapprenticeshipdiaries at gmail.com.

[01:17:19] We look forward to hearing from our listeners.