Full Transcript for ShopTalk

transitions of just relationships and, just where we are now, man, it's just it's a blessing. So it's just it's a blessing to just see you, you know, I mean, just on how you've elevated in many ways to the complete one eighty. You know, because, you know, three six is back in the same spot, back in the same spot. One eighty is opposite direction. So seeing, you know, just that one eighty and all of us like I you know, as well. I mean, we know of each other, you know, in school. But. Speaker 2: Man. Speaker 4: When we started working together and me seeing how God elevated and changed him as a man and a man that I admire. You know, I mean, he's also inspired me to run. Absolutely. You know, I did my first. Speaker 2: I saw you, yeah, the one at Merrill Island, right? Speaker 4: San Francisco, same thing. He's the one that inspired me to do that. So, you know, in spite of it all, man, God has been a faithful man. And I'm just thankful just for just the process. You the process is not always the way that you want it to be, but it's for you. It's meant to be for you. So, you know, other than that, man, it's a blessing. Speaker 2: I heard that man, you know and I could appreciate everything you said because I've seen I was Running mates like you said, you know, we've walked through a lot and just to see y'all circle how it changed from you coming into the shop and how everything came in here and just when Trail was still here like I remember like y'all like how faith-based even it wasn't like y'all push it but like just to have that place for people back then to even talk about you know it was it was always something I like but I just never was into it but I was I used to respect it because I come in the shop you know I had to watch my mouth you know you know I couldn't do certain things before I came in here for trail be looking at me crazy man you know and ⁓ Brian man I haven't known you the longest you know we've known each other for I've personally known each other for I've known of you For years, you know from your from your past but in this last year, You bet you've been an impact big impact on my life man and and holding this this shop talk together as Like between you three, bro You you guys have shown me so much and just like the words like Brian go live last shop talk, bro. Oh My pops was here and I told him I ain't gonna lie to you that was the best one we like was up there cooking man Speaker 4: Come on! Speaker 1: It's all fun. Speaker 3: fire. Speaker 2: And I Speaker 4: I told him, I told him, said, I hit, well, I hit you up there next day. And I was like, man, I see for me, I wasn't praising him. I was praising the God within him. You know I'm saying? So you know, man, to your point, man. Speaker 2: Absolutely. And you can see like now that I'm walking in this walk brah I can see how that like when it gets you brah like it gets you and you you like he was like you even though you knew he was like man I could probably stop like you was

going and it just like it was cut brah and everybody was receiving it brah and it was just such a good one brah like and from that date I was the first time I heard your testimony, you know, so I mean from your life just coming in and now being a pastor brah and being at a church How is everything you know seeing yourself full circle like this just? you know. Speaker 3: And it's definitely a lot to take in and adjust to, especially coming from the lifestyle, you know what I'm saying, that you come from growing up in the streets and you know that whole story, you know I'm saying. But God is a God of transformation. God is a God of transformation and a God of fresh starts, man. So it's just really just adjusting, you know I'm saying, to what God is doing and just trusting, you know what I'm saying, that wherever, you know, he's leading you to, he's already equipped you to do it. And, you know, he's giving you everything that you need and you just got to continue to follow his leadership in your life and but it's been good man it's been really good man I can honestly say that I'm finally finally at a place of peace in my life you know what I'm you know just God is good man Speaker 4: was good. Speaker 2: That's a blessing, bro. That's a blessing, man. I've been seen so I've been shown so much in this short last year I mean bro like to see what I mean even like I think about the stuff I went through in the past and now like knowing you guys and what y'all I How I like man, how did they hold up doing this stuff man? And to see now I now I know how like that people go through things and they can still get up and go handle business and still stand and always say this man, I forgot how I say it. Now is my saying and I don't even say it, but like we suffer well. You know, I always tell like, man, I had to learn how to suffer well. And that was something that was a hard thing. So I mean, I appreciate y'all for, you know, coming on here and doing this with me, because we've all been through some suffering. And it's just glad, you know, that we've all came to what I would call the other side. So as we get into this podcast, man, before we get too far, I want to start with a quick prayer just to always let everybody know what we're doing here. Speaker 4: side. Speaker 2: You know, this is the topic we're here to talk about. Guy, we're here to talk about our testimonies, talk about what we can do and... That's what I need. And that's why I always want to make sure that I start with a prayer. All right. So if you know, I ⁓ think thank you, dear Lord. Thank you for being here today with us and allowing us to meet and giving us this opportunity to share with people we may know. We may not know. Please open their ears and their hearts to guiding, to listening to us and to guiding us as well, to making sure that we're all on the same path and that we are setting the foot in a path that you designed for us, Lord, that we're going down your right, your right light and we're following you. Keep watching over us and keep blessing us and keep ⁓ bringing people to us that can help us and keep pushing the forward. Keep pushing everything forward towards you Lord. Amen. My man, my guys. What's up fellas? Y'all ready to get into it man? ⁓ Come man. ⁓ Man, first off bro, how did Shop Cout get started man? did this all come about here in this itty bitty city? Speaker 1: So I get the mic, huh? Man, OK, shop talk, OK. So originally shop, you know what? I can originally say that I know Donald could touch more on detail, but ⁓ Montreal and Donald opened up this barber shop with the intention of just, you know, just being a successful business, but also a Christ centered barbershop. So ⁓ they did hold Bible studies here. So when I came into the barbershop, it was every Wednesday. Speaker 2: Yeah. Speaker 1: And so, you know, it was crazy because my walk with the Lord back then was not strong at all. so I would just cut hair and leave on Wednesdays. And I sat in on a couple of them, you know, towards the end of Montreux's departure. And then as he left, it was crazy because not only did he leave, but I feel like his presence was, you know, it left like an atmosphere. that's still lingered here, you know what mean? Of just holiness, you know what I'm saying? it was, you know, as I'm seeking God in my walk, you know, I just felt the need to start it back up again somehow, right? And I'm thinking to myself like, man, you know, I'm no pastor, you know what saying? I'm not really educated with the word. Like I didn't even grow up in the church. I grew up, you know, whole, opposite, if I'm being honest with you. And just having that on my heart, man, I just I kept ignoring it and I kept ignoring it and probably about a year later I'm like, okay, I was talking to Donald like, Donald, we need to do something about this. So, man, we started talking and he was like, well, man, what you wanna do? I was like, man, I think we should start it back up again. And so, you we prayed on it and I'm just asking God like, God, just use me, you know what I mean? You're putting this on my heart for a reason. however I need to do this, I need your help to structure this the right way. And so I think we had, we hold one? We held like maybe one or two before Shop Talk even started. And I was nervous, like I said, because it's kind of like my idea. I'm leading, you know what I'm saying? And man, bro, you know, it was never me, you know what I mean? So I just let God kind of do his thing. Holy Spirit was here and it was cool. And a mutual brother of mine that I actually grew up with, you know what saying? Well, we were both in the world just going crazy right back in the day. Man, bro, I tapped in with him, been cutting his hair off and on in this barber shop. And he was telling me about some brothers in Sacramento who got something called Shop Talk. And essentially, he was at a barber shop in Sacramento. they just, you know, after the shop closed

once a week, they would hold a man's Bible study. you know, I think I went to a couple of them and I'm like, OK, this is like the vision right here. This fits exactly what I feel like God has put on my heart to do. So, you know, talking to meeting with Brother Brian Sacramento. ⁓ Absolutely, that's that's that's that's home base for so ⁓ and the brothers, man, we just came to an agreement, man, and everything just was felt right. Everything was aligned. We prayed on it and we both felt like this is where God wanted shop talk, Vallejo to be branched out at. And so, ⁓ you know, with that being said, well, we're over a year strong now, but a year strong. Speaker 2: Shout out Speaker 3: September will be the second year this year. Speaker 1: And it's crazy because it's really like God formed the Avengers, you know what I'm saying? I didn't plan on this, you know what mean? I didn't even plan on Brother Brown right here, man. It's just the way it happened. Everyone just played their role how God wanted ⁓ to use us, right? We have our meetings about certain things on what should align the right way as far as structure goes. And since then, man, we just took it off and it's been some great, great things, some amazing. testimonies that's been coming out of this barber's side. And I know you being one of them, you know what saying? You could witness to just what you've experienced and just the breakthroughs. Speaker 2: Absolutely, bro. I like I said, I mean, I guess I've talked about this multiple times on my podcast. This was the biggest change for me because I didn't have a church. I didn't have a place to go and worship. ⁓ I didn't know how to worship. didn't like we was third week, third ⁓ one. I had told you I didn't even have a Bible. You feel me? And Pastor Ricky Nutt, you know, like I said, I talk about this on every episode because it's how impactful it was for me because it's important. And I didn't even know that like, because I've heard about, you know, I used to go to other churches and I've heard about men's groups. I had no idea. I'd never been to one. I went to one when I got baptized in like 2015, 2013 actually was. That's when I first got baptized. Like I had went to one because it was part of the baptism. But then I got realized like, ma'am, this might not be for me right now. You know, and so it was to come back now later and just see how. You guys have built this thing and had people men grown men come in here crying and feeling vulnerable enough to talk about what they've gone through, bro. It moves mountains, bro. Just not alone for us as our mental, but for God, bro, because he has nobody. had no idea how much people had gone through like me, like, you know, and to have that space for other men. mean, when I first started coming, it was 10, 50. The other day it was 30, so almost 25, 30 people in here, man, like packed out. And so, I mean, Shop Talk is by far was the it pushed found my home church now, you know, I go to a revival center here in Vallejo from the pastor that gave me the Bible, you know. ⁓ it's having a place for men like this. It's important, man. And y'all y'all doing like so y'all doing the Lord's work because it we're seeing how much this is filling up. And this is this is important, man. Y'all y'all are making a killing and y'all are doing. Speaker 4: Did you, I wanna just, know Lowe's did, B, did y'all see this? Did y'all see it like this? Did you see it like this? Speaker 3: I had no idea and if I can just interject, I was just here one day getting my hair cut and I was sitting right there ear hustling, Los and the other brother talking about shop talk and I was looking for a men's group myself. I wanted to get more connected with men of faith and to help me kind of, you know what I'm saying, growing mature. And so I overheard Los and the other brother talking. I'm like, well, okay, I'm at that, I'm coming. And so I showed up to, I think it was two of them that they did here. And man, I just saw the power of God in this place. saw the need for it. And it just felt right. You know what saying? ⁓ I just believe I felt led to it number one and I believe that God put it on my heart man and really connect with these brothers. You know what I'm saying? Because I just saw the need here in Vallejo. You know what I'm saying? The response that it it had for the brothers, you know, like brothers were looking for something like this that fit. You know what I'm saying? Where they were, you know what I mean? To where it was it was something that was outside or it is something that is outside of the usual church traditional setup. And this is no, you know, disrespect or shot to the church. but it's just something that's being done differently that brothers feel comfortable with coming in, you know what I'm saying? And experiencing God in a different way, because God will meet you right where you are. You know what saying? God will meet you in the pit. God will meet you on the dirt road to Damascus. You know what saying? It ain't just got to be in the church. And so I just didn't know that although I was looking for a men's group to be a part of, it never crossed my mind that God was going to have me partner with these brothers to help facilitate, you know, but. Here we are. Speaker 4: Here we are. To God be the glory. Speaker 2: be the glory. And you know, that kind of, you know, ties into perfectly like what I wanted to talk about today was purpose, you feel me? ⁓ Purpose, like we kind of talked about it before we got on here, you know, we had some questions. There's some purpose for me was hard, because it was like, my purpose was my family. Like that was easy. That's no that's easy. That's not I don't have to think about that. Whatever that looks like, I'm gonna take care of it. But purpose in my life beyond work. It was like, just family work. That was all I did. I didn't have. then like once I started coming here, even just like when I started coming to shop

talk, even just like being out in public, like I got told I was talking to my boy, like I used to be a I used to be a closet Christian. Like I remember I'm like, yeah, I went to I went to church every blue moon. I popped in. I popped out. I was a holiday. I was a holiday. You know, Easter, Christmas, you see him. Speaker 3: Christmas Mother's Day. Speaker 2: In Easter, you know, and let's see, I got away from Mother's Day because my parent, my mom wasn't really into the church for a long time. So it was like I just Christmas and Easter. I was two of them. So ⁓ it has to find a purpose outside of what I thought was all I had was a made like mind blowing. So I want to ask you this question. We kind of already talked about it. But do you believe purpose is something we choose or something God calls us into? B, you know, you, you know more about anything to do with God than at least I can't say about for y'all, but me for sure. Speaker 3: I'm still learning, man. He's just that big. as we touched on a little earlier, I believe it's multifaceted. You know what I'm saying? That we can choose our purpose, you know, what we think we're good at and what we think we want to do. And that's good. And there's nothing wrong with that. You know what I'm saying? But I think that there does come a point in time in our life where we discover our God-given purpose and what we were created to do. But then once we come to that place of discovering what God has created us to do, Then we have a choice whether or not we gonna answer or we gonna run. But we look at the story of Jonah and we know how running, you can't run from God. Where can you go? You know what I'm saying? And so, you know, I believe it can go both ways. And I believe that, you know, whatever you choose to do as your own personal purpose or that thing that you're good at, you can do that and still do it to the glory of God and do it. You know what I'm saying? Look at Steph Curry. know what mean? Steph Curry has used his gift and his talent and his platform to glory. God and so but I believe through that, know what I'm saying? You will come to a place to where God will reveal what his True purpose is for your life and then you have a choice to say alright God I accept that I'm not ready for that one thing that I've discovered Is you can't run from God? can't run from God sooner or later you in a corner and he gonna have you in the corner of that ring Speaker 2: catch up. Speaker 4: All right. Speaker 2: Yeah, ain't no more rope a dope, bro. You can only run for so long. I mean, it's like that's kind of like, like I said, like it for me, kind of just like I talked about, I didn't have like a purpose besides my family and life. And like now, like me and Donald went out to have some coffee and you know, the way that conversation, but the way it got orchestrated to make this happen, bro, like it was beyond divine intervention, bro. Like that was the craziest hour and a half. Speaker 3: I mean, I surrender.

That's it. Speaker 2: That just the way it all worked out, bro. The lady at the end. That's where she threw it. She's like, thought y'all was over there recording a podcast and bro, my whole body melted, bro. Confirmation, bro. I had everything done. I was ready. Instagram made like, are we going to get started, brother? And like you said, that's that choice. Now you've got it. What are you going to do with it? I've never had that before. But only thing like, but when I was younger, it was football and I got hurt. Speaker 3: confirmation. Speaker 4: you created the Speaker 2: choice was to go to rehab or go hang out, hang out like, and I had to come to a realization with my previous life that like when I was partying and stuff, I used to blame, ⁓ God didn't have my back when people would pass away, God, ⁓ who's God, like he angry. Like, and I'm like, as I get older, I start to see, as I get, not older, as I get into my walk more, I start to see it was like, these are choices that I'm making. It's not blaming, I can't blame him. So like now that in this purpose, like now I got to make my choice. and to see when you pick the right choice of and follow into that purpose, man, it was mind blowing, bro. I don't know about, that's how I feel about it at least. Speaker 3: question. Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good. And you know, and. One thing that I feel like a lot of people don't talk about is when you step into your purpose, there's going to be a lot of doubt and the enemy is always going to try to plant seeds that you're not worthy. You're not good enough. It's going to bring up your past a lot. Right. All the wrongs and the stuff that you committed. And it's going to he's going to try to hold that weight. You know what I mean? And that's when you just got to stay grounded. You I stay grounded in your purpose and what God wants for you. You know what saying? And as you start to just seek that and pursue that and be faithful to that and steward that God and the stewardship is big with that, you what I'm whatever your purpose is like what B said, know, Steph Curry being a basketball player, that's his purpose. He's doing it well to the best of his ability and he's giving God the glory. And it's like so much opportunity has happened for him, know, deals and just, you know, yeah, he may get hurt from time to time that comes with the game, but it's just, he's exceeding in his purpose right now. You know I'm saying? So. You know, just we all should be mindful that when we step into our purpose, there will be doubts and the enemy is a, he's a dirty devil, man. He's gonna throw them sticks on that walkway when you walk in, you know what saying? To get you to fall. ⁓ But step into it, man, and push through. Speaker 2: No? Speaker 4: You know I was gonna say was it's funny he said it because the thing that came to my mind was I always sell the time that ⁓ Haircutting or being a barber is not the dream. It's the vehicle to my dream. Mmm, so I say that to say that

barbering for me I believe was part of my purpose, but that this was just only a vehicle to get me further. You know what saying? And so I'll look at just the process. You know, I mean, you all have heard different stories about and Derek, like what you said, man, they didn't make fun of me left and right at school, clown me, talk about me. But I was just so committed to just like, man, I get good at this. I'ma prove them wrong no matter what. And I feel like that's the same thing. I feel like when you walk in this walk and when God orchestrates just your steps, I look at Barber and that it was part of just that process for me. I wouldn't say it's part of my purpose, but I believe people is where I'm at, as far as like. Horned to people, connecting people, speaking life over people. You know what mean? I feel like that's just part of my purpose is just people. Lesson guys, people, man, in whatever way that may be. And so I look at it just overall, like as far as like how Barber and was for me, it was just like it was just part of the process to where I'm at now. to you, brother, right now, just being faithful to this class. Yeah. So I think overall, yeah, man, I believe, you know what Brian said, I think is Speaker 2: Amen. Speaker 4: is both ways. I believe, you know, when you operate in your purpose, you know, through obedience and with low-sit as far as stewarding it well, man, it's gonna open up. It's gonna make a difference for sure. Speaker 3: And I'll just add to that man when you are walking in your purpose and you're doing what God has called you to do The way that God has called you to do it and he's responsible for the outcome ⁓ Speaker 4: All right ⁓ Speaker 2: See all. Speaker 3: And I just want to throw it in there brother this feels right This feels right you man. I've been thinking about you so much, and I know we just met me But I'm so excited for you bro to finally get number one Speaker 2: That's bruh. Speaker 4: Cook it up, Speaker 3: Back in the right relationship with God because first things first, right? And you just you've been coming in you've been being poured into You know what i'm saying? You've been receptive and then now you You step into what you believe god was calling you to with this podcast bro And it just feels right and when you do what god has called you to do the way he's called you to do it Not only is he responsible for the outcome man, but things are just gonna fall into place with least effort You're not gonna have to fight, know, you're not gonna have to struggle like god is gonna provide Speaker 4: Thank Speaker 3: everything that's needed whether it's equipment what God is gonna provide it right because if it's God's will it's God's business. Speaker 2: I appreciate it. Speaker 3: This is what and to think brothers that this is an extension of what God is doing through shop talk. This was birthed out of out of shop. God had this in mind before the foundation. even think about it. And it's just a beautiful thing, They call me. I'm like, I got to come and I got to be part. Speaker 2: Yeah. Ain't no coincidences, bro. I appreciate it. Speaker 4: And you know to even add to that, that's why I say it's just crazy because I think about what just came to my mind right now was when I ran into B at Saks Hot Dog. That was about what, 15 years ago? Speaker 3: About 13, yeah, because my 13th year in ministry. 13 years ago, when I first started. Speaker 4: 13 year mission. 13 years ago, I haven't seen B. It was some years that I've seen you since. Since we was on Benicia Road. I ran into him and man, he just had this look. And that day was when me and B connected. Speaker 3: Venetia. Speaker 4: and to see him operating his purpose, you know, answering the call, the man, you know what saying? And seeing how God, like he said, God is just orchestrating just everything. And I think a lot of times, too, man, that's where we we tend to kind of hit our head a lot of times because we try to move before God. And I believe, man, you just let them just move on your behalf, man, and everything else is just going online. And I feel like just these relationships, you know, with, you your brothers like a man I share with a brother. the other day, man, it's like. I would have never thought like I would be so engulfed in community like with all these different brothers from all different walks of life. You know what saying? Like being here at Shop Talk, I always say all the time, man, Shop Talk is not only diverse in age, but also in race. You know what saying? So we got people from all different backgrounds, you name it, that come inside of these walls, And they come in here with broken hearts, know, asking the questions. Why ⁓ Speaker 2: Yeah, Speaker 4: asking the question why and you know, Derek, you know, with Joe Pops, you know, giving his life to the Lord, you know what I'm saying? Like we just seen it move and it's not something that we we forcing issues. It's naturally just happening, you know, to the point where, man, I really look forward to coming to Shop Talk. I really do. And I come in here with an expectation, you know, that the Lord is going to move and we not, you know, being like, you know what I'm saying? We not doing Speaker 2: bro Speaker 4: all the extra bells and whistles and we haven't done no flyers. ain't. Speaker 2: Simple. We've been doing It's one flyer. Speaker 4: And it's just like, you know what mean? Just the Lord just, you know, moving out. And I say this and I'm going shut up. I always say all the time, like how things are just like aligned. And I'll never forget when me and Montreal, we decided to leave the old shop where we were at. My dog, Ed Parker, he blesses. But. Leaving from that shop. I never forget that we had got a building down the street And it was a big bill is actually that Bible bookstore down the street. So we had got that building first, signed the contract, everything had the pastors come over there and blessing

and all the nails and whistles. We was like, oh, man, we got big spot, you know, everything. And long story short, there was a we were looking at the build out. It was going to cost some bread. And so we like bread. We ain't got no money like this to be building this thing. I will be going. Speaker 2: Yeah. Speaker 4: you gonna be cutting one quarter and I'm cutting this quarter, what we gonna do? And we was over here stuck, like, bruh, I don't know how we gonna do this. And so what happened, bro, ⁓ the bottom basement of that building, had flooded. And so would it have flooded? The city came out and was like, this is black mold. And so we was able to break the contract that we signed, got our money back. We was able to break the contract. Then forget I come down the street Springs Road. I'm always looking at building. Lord told me to turn left on Springs. I come in the parking lot. And then Lord was like, look left. I look left. And it was a small little police in the window right here at this space. Speaker 2: Yeah. ⁓ That's crazy. Speaker 4: And I look at that, seeing that sign, to seeing all these signs right here, on how the Lord move on our behalf. so, back to B's point, man, when you put God in the forefront, man, you just let him just move on your behalf. Speaker 2: But he said, Jesus, take the wheel, man. I mean, I think like for that's one of the main reasons why I wanted to start this podcast is because people, they don't know. You don't know what you know, and that's in life regardless. You don't know until you know. And like I didn't know how God moved for his people, bro, like I didn't know. And so coming here, especially with my past, I'm like, ain't no way he moved. I'm all right. I didn't do too much, but I forgot. it's already been taken care of. God already died on the cross. Jesus already died on the cross for us. God sent his only son to die. How do you send your only son, And now I gotta ask you this because it's gotta, ⁓ who went to the top of the mountain to sacrifice their son? ⁓ Abraham. Abraham walked up there, I read that. Speaker 4: Come on. Son of a you Abraham say on the way up? Speaker 3: So the servants y'all stay here. I'm in the lag go up there, but he said we'll be back. Speaker 2: He already had the that he was coming back. And to go up there and find that ram in the bushes, bruh, is just like, like, that's what, like, once I started to see that I can openly just let him have it all, bruh. That's what I want people to know is that you can, from whatever background, whatever walk of life you came from, God is, he's waiting for you. Speaker 4: Man, that's good. Yeah. Speaker 2: He is waiting for you and you need to, people need to know like that's why Shop Talk is so important because like you said, this was my church for a year, bro. And that's, it was only once a month, but that was once a month that I, like Don said, I was excited. I was on fire to come to Shop Talk. Like this was everything. So having this man, you know, finding my purpose through this. You know, it just lets other people know that you can still, like it's never, one is never too late. You know, I mean, Henry Ford didn't start Ford until he was 51 years old. You know, I mean, there's, you got time is what you have is when, you get it is what you make of it. And right now, like, man, I'm just trying to grab by the horns and take it. Speaker 4: You know, you know, D, you know what you saying? And I'm gonna go back to what B said, man, this, this right here feels right. It feels right. I, I don't, well, this may be, I'm gonna probably say outside of something that I did. This is the first, well, second, this is the second podcast I've been on ever. Speaker 2: ⁓ wow. Yeah. I you did a whole bunch. Speaker 4: I just, I just, you know, I think, man, you know, for me, man, I don't want to just be doing stuff just to do it. You know what mean? And so I just feel like, you know, this this this feels right. And especially, you know, with you brothers, you know what saying? You know, like I said, you know, earlier on, know, sin, you know, los, you know, go through his process, be, you know, yourself, man. These are just true, you know, testimonies, man, of just like on how the Lord moves. And, you know, I said all the time, bro, like for me, you know, I don't, I don't cry, but man, bro, when it come to the Lord, bro, man, I've been keeping a honey. Speaker 2: week to ⁓ Speaker 1: Yeah. Speaker 4: Your heart just get opened up and you just like man, like you just kind of just be like, man, like God, you still blessing me in spite of all these different things I've done and people I've heard the things I've done wrong the wrong way. When I intentionally just rejected you, you still show up anyway. You know I'm saying? And it's just like for me, man, it's just like overall, man, to what I said earlier is like God. is he's just constantly always faithful. He's going to find a way to get your attention. And I remember my boy Rashad said this. said, ⁓ he said, man, I was afraid of my dad, my biological dad whoopings, but I'm afraid of the father's whoopings. You know, when he get your attention, there's something totally different. You know what saying? And so, know, this right here, shop talk, man, is not nothing to play with. And I'm learning that just day by day. You like you said, man, this was your church for a whole year straight. You know what saying? And so like even for us, I'm constantly, you know, checking myself in certain things and certain areas and certain ways on just making sure that I'm aligned and I'm focused and, you know, I'm allowing the Lord, you know, to lead me and cover me and cover all of us. But most importantly, man, I just say like, man, this... This feels right, It feels good. It doesn't feel forced. Speaker 2: You know, it's. No, not at all. It's crazy because I'm like, I'm reading through these questions I got in this. We I've only asked one question, but I'm like,

we answered that. They talked about that. I'm like, man, I'm like, that's just it, bro. That's just how it goes. just like it's like one of the next question I had was, why do you think so many men today struggle with film purpose, purpose, purpose, purposeless? ⁓ Because and I'm like, but we've talked we talk about. Like, and just having conversations, like, it may not seem like we're talking about it, but it's people can find it by finding God and getting into him. He will find you. You can find the purpose. Like, it's not saying we've answered the question because there's still more we can go into, but it's just funny how we're just like the conversation just it feels good because we're just flowing, bro. Speaker 4: You know, to that question, though, I would say if I was supposed to say something to that man, the devil, man, he, you know, it says he he's a deceiver. He's a deceiver. But, um, man, distractions. I feel like, you know, when you're distracted, you don't you don't see you don't see clearly. You don't see clearly at all. And what I was saying earlier was funny. because me, I was sharing with y'all, I used to play Matting a lot. so, Matting, I remember one of my favorite years on Matting was when they came out with the QB Vision. You heard of QB Vision? Speaker 2: I don't ⁓ Speaker 4: If you look into this yourself, Matt and had this year what they called a QB vision. So basically it was like a yellow tunnel. so based off a quarterback's rating will determine how big his vision is. His vision is. And so it was quarterback that wasn't really that good. His vision was very small. But if he was like a paid man, he covered the whole field. But one thing stuck out to me with that was. You think about this when you have a smaller vision, you overlook a lot of different things. And so there may be certain receivers that you miss out on that are wide open, but you don't hit that target. Here we go. And so I feel like just with us, when we don't have that clear vision of life, we miss all these different points. We miss all these different connections. We miss the different interactions with different brothers. And so I would say just even on my own walk. part of my vision when I ran into B at Saks Hot Dogs and we stayed connected. was the second time. Speaker 3: It actually the second time we ran into each other at Starbucks. Speaker 4: ⁓ we did. But you know, I'm saying just like, ⁓ when you lock in on your vision, as your vision gets clear, it's going to become bigger. You're going to be able to see just different things more clearly. So then even your walk is more intentional. The time that you spend with people is more intentional. You're not wasting time with certain people anymore. The way that you used to because you understand your time matters now. You know what saying? And so it's just like with this, it's just like, no, man, like my time matters. And I'm seeing like I look at Lowe's, he trains every single day. Wildly running 16

15 20 25 miles running from the little to Oakland Speaker 2: Literally Sacramento Sacramento, bro, y'all not from the Bay Area, California. Let's put it like this, bro. That's that's that's far. That's 40 or 60, like 60 some miles you ran. It's a lot, but it don't matter. Speaker 4: And you see that, but he had a vision. There was something in him that said, I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna lock in. With him locking in, his vision got clear. He started to understand, okay, I need to get these shoes. I need to do this certain die. But guess what too though? With his vision, it also came alignment. Because guess what happened? How do you get faster? You run with people that's faster than you. And so just that whole process, man. So it's just crazy how things work. Speaker 2: Yeah, bro, that is crazy. I like it's I've seen, like as I'm walking through this, like like you said, like my distractions have gotten smaller. Like I stopped like even with my phone, like I still I still, you know, dream scroll. I work at night. I got nothing but time, you know. And so like but that's where I also read my Bible. But then like I started to see the the the things that normally would have took me off the. Speaker 4: You Speaker 2: the edge took me the other way, made me turn right or turn left instead of staying on the path. Like, you know, when my daughter got sick, she was, I don't think I've ever told her, I don't think I've talked to her about a lot of people, hardly anybody. My daughter was in ICU for like five days. She had RSV when she was on her first birthday. So we had to take, you know, ambulance all the way up to the hospital, bro, hooked up to a CPAP machine. Bro, I knew like for a slight minute, bro, I knew it was not, I was not going home with her. You feel me? And I'm like, run it everything. But this was after my DUI. This was this was right before I started coming to shop talk that this happened November 15th, 2024, 2025 January. I started coming to shop talk. You feel me? Because I I saw how he moved like I started. My focus was clear because I had been starting my walk. But this was after Juneau started. Texas started sending me to Speaker 1: you Speaker 2: thing and it started sending me flyers. know, that's, bro, pull up. And it ⁓ wasn't, hey, man, you need to come. It was, bro, pull up. Simple text. like, but like you said, my vision, it started to get clear on what, stop, like you said, we talked about early, back you into a corner, bro. You can only run for so long. Speaker 4: on, man. That's a Martina. Speaker 2: Come on, man! Speaker 1: You see, in walking into your purpose, man, you're surrounded around community. And this is why it's so important to be in community, because let's be real, you can't do stuff alone, You cannot. You cannot paint a whole car and prep it and strip it down. I mean, you could do it alone. Yeah, it's going to take a long time. when you have somebody to help you, it just cuts the time and have a community being around people. Speaker 2: You Speaker 1: who are like-minded, who are aligned with your vision and your heart alignment, most importantly, you know what mean? We could be good friends. I know we're both Raiders fans. And so we can talk about the Raiders all day. We can hit on that all day. But see, our heart postures are separated at that point because we're talking about sports. So when we're both seeking God actively, bro, outside of church, in a place like a barbershop that you wouldn't even expect. But once you're here, bro, it just... It's that old school, that old school, you know, it's iron sharpens eyes because when you're here, bro, there's things that you may not know or you may be going through at shop talk and you don't even know that it's a brother in the room that been through it. And 10, 15 years ago already, you know what I mean? community, bro, is. Speaker 2: and Sharpen. and through it all. Speaker 4: I want to say one thing right quick, man. I know we on time and whatnot, but it's funny you say as far as, ⁓ know, when you have vision. With vision, you have to understand with vision that ⁓ it's okay if people don't see your vision. Like that. It's okay if people don't see what you see because it's not meant for them to see. And so I think about first thing that came to mind was Noah and the ark. Speaker 2: Hmm Speaker 4: You know, the Lord gave him a word and told him to build his art. He, how many years was that he's building up? 40 years. 40 years. So 40 years he was building that art. You know how many people walked past him and said he was tripping. You don't know what people was probably talking about his family and his kids. dude crazy. He built an art. Undenying faith. You? What? Speaker 2: Bro crazy bro. Speaker 3: Seem right for it. Speaker 2: Never seen rain. It ain't even go. It's not supposed to we don't know what that is Speaker 4: Yes. And so I feel like a lot of times, you know, through that, when we talk about those distractions is like as men is that people we get discouraged when people don't see what we see. And so then what we do, we do whatever it is just to blend in with everybody else. know what I mean? And I feel like part of part of, know, part of this walk, man, is that, you know, you not you're not going to be liked by everybody. You're not going to be accepted in every room. You're not going to be invited out no more. I'm a firm believer. You can gauge where you are in your faith based off on what people invite you to. Speaker 2: That's a fact, bro. That's a fact. For real, though. bro. Speaker 4: You can gauge where you are in your walk based off of what people advise you. If people don't invite you to certain things, I think you're doing a pretty darn good job. Speaker 2: Tuesday. Yeah, I'll be getting my boys. I'll be getting my boys. y'all just outside, huh? Give me the opportunity to tell you, though. OK, that's all I want. I want the opportunity to tell you, know, you know, I ain't coming.

But let me tell you, I can't come. But I know they're not inviting me. But hey, just tell me. ⁓ So y'all know. But I don't know. coming. Speaker 3: To piggyback on that man to be honest man the vision is not for everybody you know everybody not gonna understand What God has shared with you because it was for you? know what I'm saying, but there are I believe and just from my experience there are select individuals that God will bring into your life You know what I'm saying to help push you into your purpose, you know Over the years You know these 13 years of me being in ministry obviously coming from you know the world and rapping and all you know it was a whole Speaker 4: I'm out. ⁓ Speaker 3: whole different group of people that I was around and ain't no love lost. I still love him. still absolutely, you know, tap in with a few cats here and there. But, you know, God has brought different people into my life now. You know what I'm saying? That server purpose, you know, for us to push each other into our purpose and for us to discover what that purpose is and for us to help cultivate that purpose in you. You know I'm saying? I believe the more you walk with God and the more you grow, you'll learn that, you know, you just can't share everything with everybody. Absolutely. Because not everybody is ⁓ has the same. You know level of faith that you do, you know, some people are still thinking carnally, you know what i'm saying? And so and then you're have people that's just gonna hate on you. That's just what they do You know i'm saying and I was just reading the story of nehemiah when he you know went back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem You know, he got everybody together at when jeremiah when nehemiah first went to look at the wall He said I didn't tell anybody what god had put on my heart to do But he said I went out there and I looked at it first to assess what needed to be done Speaker 2: That's what they do. Speaker 3: And then when he assessed what needed to be done, he went back and he told the people that he was connected with. And the Bible says that they got together and they began to do the work. You know what I'm saying? To build the wall, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. But there were a couple individuals that when they saw what they were doing, they were hating on them. Like, what you guys doing? Like, you know what saying? Like they was hating on the fact that these, these individuals came to rebuild that wall. And so what that says is that, you know, not everybody is going to be in a grience with what God has given you to do, but you just got to do it anyway. Absolutely. You know what saying? And just let the naysayers say what they're gonna say and you just keep pushing to whatever it is that God has told you to do and God will equip you with the people to help push that vision. Yeah, God will send you the people that you need. the vision. You what I'm saying? You're gonna know who they are, you know. Speaker 2: Mm. And they pop up apparently. mean, it's not like they just like when I started, like you said, when you start walking in that vision and it's the vision is there for a reason, right? You got this. I want to the when it's when people walk into it, there you're there's going to be people to walk into it, but they're just going to pass by. And you know that. But then when somebody stands out and they're showing you that this is what what you see is what I see is like it. When it when it happens, you can't undeniable. And you can't stray away from it because it's so undeniable. mean, like that just like y'all having this happen like this was undeniable. There was no way it couldn't have happened like this. You feel me like, yeah, we were supposed to do one individually with each of y'all. But which I still would love to do regardless, because y'all still got your own testimony. But the way that this needed to happen, right. And as soon as you said it, bro, bro, I got excited. I was still dead sleep when you called me and I. Speaker 4: You know what's funny is because you know getting B out is kind of challenging man. He on that grill man. Stop it. Cooking them steaks man. So to get him out around this time. boy. Bruh. Man, he on that grill. Speaker 3: That wasn't nothing but the Lord though. I was just sitting at the house available. Speaker 2: I got time today. Yeah. Low state. We supposed to do it Thursday. Today I got time. Didn't even know it, Speaker 3: sitting there waiting on the call talking about doing it but you know I'm that's how God that's how God what he in the body like ⁓ you want to do no I'm bringing them all together at once yep Speaker 2: Because this just needed to bruh. I mean, like that's the only way I could see this happening. Couldn't go any further without this happening first, feel like, you feel me? Because this is something that, like I said, I've talked about so much on my show already. To introduce y'all to everybody, you I think it's a big deal, you know, and talk about purpose and how we're following through with ours. I think people need to see that. I mean, especially for the people that do know us prior to our old lives and see how, you know, at another platform that all three, all four of us, different walks of life are, that's how. fast and easy he can bring people together. You know, it don't take much. ⁓ you know, I had so many of these questions I keep talking about, man, and I just, ⁓ there's one that keeps popping up to me. And I gotta ask it before, you know, it gets too late. What is your guys' long-term vision for shop talk, man? Where do y'all see this going in five to 10 years? Speaker 4: Hey, come on. That's Martinez. Speaker 3: Take us off, Lowe's. Speaker 2: You Speaker 4: You Speaker 1: All right, kick us off. Nah, man, so we, you know, we we've been talking and I feel like God right now may be expanding us a little bit as far as like through the ministry. So I know we were talking about shop talk teens

because there's a lot of young men out here that's just like, let's face it, this generation is just so different. And so they're raised by TikTok and Instagram. You know what I'm saying? They're raised by social media and what is ⁓ wrong. You know what saying? Everything is just It's just totally twisted, you know what saying? So we want to continue to just let the Lord lead and just have a place for these young people, man, just to be in, bro. You know what mean? A lot of them come from fatherless homes, no parents in the streets. You know I'm saying? And I know there's somebody here that can just like, just water them, you know what I mean? You know what I mean? And I don't know if you want to touch on that. Speaker 2: water. Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely. The shop talk teams is something that we've been talking about that's been on our hearts and we just kind of praying and strategizing to see how we can really bring this together. Because like Lo said, man, these young people need us, man. They're out there lost with no sense of direction. You know I'm saying? And we come from that lifestyle so we can relate. And I believe, man, if we can get them in here, that's a start. You know, that's just pouring into them. You know I mean? And helping them see the purpose on their life. You know I'm saying? Helping them see that it's more to it you know what I'm saying that there's somebody you know what I mean that you know God has created them with the purpose you know and I believe that You know that it will be ⁓ effective and impactful once we get this going. Absolutely. You know what I'm saying? Because young people, man, they just want to feel loved and they want to feel noticed that somebody sees them. You know what I'm saying? And that people validation, you know, validation, there you go. And so I believe, yeah, shop, talk, teams and, honestly, man, just whatever God has planned for this ministry, man, I'm just excited to see. And like we were saying in the beginning, we had no idea that it was going, God was really going to just blow this You know what I'm saying the way that he has because I think the first shop talk we did we were all kind of in here like man you think people gonna show up Speaker 4: I said the feeling. Speaker 3: Invited a few people man, but we and you know, it's not about numbers, you know We're not you know bragging because God is not only concerned about you know numbers But he said go out into the highways and hedges and compel men men and women to come so that my house might be full So so God is not just looking at the the numerical growth But God is also concerned about the spiritual growth as well You know what I'm saying? And so we just had no idea that all these brothers was gonna show up, but it just to the fact that there was a need in this community and that you know God has allowed us to be a part of this to help meet men where they are in their brokenness and their hurt in their pain and that we're able to lead them to God in a way that's unorthodox in a sense is outside of the regular church tradition because I think if we would have did this inside of a inside of a you know church thanks to sanctuary A lot of brothers probably wouldn't come, you know what I'm saying? Because a lot of brothers feel like, I got so much dirt on me or I'm involved in so much stuff that I can't walk into the church house. Because if I step into God's church and he gonna strike me down, and that's just not true. You know what I'm saying? Because God accepts you just the way that you are. But God loves you too much to leave you the way that you are. And that's the transformation part. And so to be able to, yeah, man, to be able to lead brothers to God, Speaker 2: to right where you Speaker 3: in a setting and an environment that we all used to. Yeah. You know what I'm Like I look forward to coming to the barber shop to get a hit. Cause I know it's like Donald Handle it. It's more than the cut. Like I'm coming to really, it's community in here. When I come to get a haircut, I look forward to coming in here and you know, hearing what, you know, the subject, what we talking about to connect with these brothers. And so it's an environment that we already used to. We comfortable with being in. Speaker 2: Talking about in our own lives. ⁓ Speaker 3: God is meeting us in this place and that's what's so dope and dynamic about shop talking. So whatever God has planned, wherever he wants to take this, I'm just grateful that he has allowed us to be a part of the blessing and be a part of the breakthrough and to be a part of the transformation in these brothers' lives. And bro, I just want to say, well, I got the mic and I'm gonna shut up. It's so much more in store for you, bro. I'm echoing what I said in the message. Couple weeks ago, man, but this is just a tipping point for you. This is just the beginning for you, Derek. What God has for you, man, it's mind blowing, man. And I'm excited for you, man. You stepped out on faith and you trusted that, you know, God put this on your heart and you stepped into it, brother, and you're doing it. And that's all God is looking for is just some obedience. Willing vessels, willing vessels, man. And there's so much more and I'm excited to see where God is going to take you to, man. So keep pushing and keep trusting him. Speaker 1: you want to yes Speaker 2: Donald had to kind of bring this to my light. Because I was always behind the scene. I don't like being in front of the camera. was always the manager of a band. I wasn't in the band. I know managers, you know, they talk about what's his name. You want to come to Death Row, where your manager ain't all in your videos. You know, like I was always behind the scenes. So Donald was like, like you got to think about like all the stuff that. I've been through like just being out on shows, being out on the road, the people that I met that have seen this other side of me that now seen this and

he's like, I would have never thought that people even took notice. I really appreciate that because like it had the validation. Even the young people, us too, we like validation. We men, we like validation. We like to hear it. And I appreciate that because for real, because that it means a lot. But it's also not say like this, but it's also like, I know it and I feel it. You feel me? Because I was, like, beginning of year, my wife sent me this prayer, and it was like, don't allow yourself to step in front of your blessings. And so I had to stop. I was the one. Nobody else stopped me from getting the blessings I could have received. It was me. So I'm like, every time there was an opportunity for something like for not to work out, I, all right, you know what, it's cool. You busy? Don't trip. Do it another time. But now I'm like, nope, we're going to do it. You're free like you hit me up. Hey bro. All right, cool Thursday. Let me talk to shark. Let me get this going down a Donald. I kept texting him. I sell toshara. So I'm gonna keep calm tough. I'll sleep. Keep texting him because he ain't responded. I said, I know Donald busy, but he gonna get back. So here you go, bro. We now we all know that ain't the truth, but that's brother timing of how it works. Are you supposed to happen, bro? I mean, if if every I feel like bro was shop talk. And if every city had something like this, bro, like the world could be a better place. And they do they do have them at the churches and in other places. But like how Sacramento, Vallejo, like, bro, like we are in a broken city. Let's keep it real, right? It's rough. It's been rough. It ain't this ain't something this ain't new. Like, you know, but now it's like I moved out. I've been out of Laleh for, shoot, 10 plus years now. You feel me like from Vegas? And then I was here for a couple and then bounced right back out when I was younger, moved to San Diego. came back bounced out like as I was I knew where I would end up if I stayed in the city. So it was like for me, like I would always like to come back and like try to help and do things. I used to come coach at the Vallejo General or the Jaguars now, you know, and come try to do community things. But I never had the right tools. You feel me? I never had my strap that I needed to come with. I came with a wrong one. Now that I got my Bible, bro, I'm coming to be able to. have a shop talk teams, bro, I think would be amazing. You know, I got an 18 year old bro about to be 18 in a couple of weeks, bro. Like he needs it. He's about to be out on his own bro. Like luckily I've got him to come to he's coming to church with us every Sunday. You know, he wants to be involved. So like, you know, I'm trying to get him to come to a shop talk, but it's that the kids were raised differently being in public. I, bro, they don't be outside. They be on the Speaker 4: I was saying, you these are called me back and they call me a drug baby because you know, just get drug to church

You know, mean, so you know, I mean but I was gonna even add you know to this to Derek for you, bro God sees what you're doing, bro. I want you to really you know hone in on that man because I'm gonna keep on reminding you on bringing your father here Speaker 2: Yeah Speaker 4: to that last shop talk, bruh, was powerful. Speaker 2: That was hard. Speaker 4: It says every soul, I'm paraphrasing, but every soul that is saved, they're worshiping and praising heaven. you think about, you know, for your father and the other men, which then goes to what you said as far as like, imagine if our fathers, you know, had spaces like this, you know what mean? Where they have brothers to lean on. My dad didn't have many friends like that. You know what saying? We could probably look at some of the OGs we know they didn't have. You know, they ain't got nobody like that. ⁓ Speaker 2: Mm. Speaker 4: So being able to connect, you know, with you brothers at this point in time in my life, man, it was it was was only alignment. I thank God for you. I thank God for you. Absolutely. But you know, you being a man that you are, you know, I mean, and you operating, you know, in your purpose, but it was meant that I ran into you. Absolutely. To see where things are now. Lowe's I said the same thing for Lowe's. know, Lowe's, went to high school together. We knew of each other, but we didn't get connected. I really feel like we were working here at the shop. But I would say within the last... Speaker 3: you Speaker 1: I was gonna say about four or five years. Speaker 4: I was probably like when jars pass, yeah, when jars pass, man, it was like, man, our relationship just went even. I don't even call him, you know, I call this my brother. Yeah, I'm saying because it's just the level and space of transparency that we share, you know, for one another. And then, you know, D for you, man, just seeing you, you know, just like. Just seeing who you are today, bruh, like I'm extremely proud of you, bruh. I'm extremely proud of you, bro, just to see the man that you are continuing to come and you're growing into and just even the vision that you're forecasting for your family. You you walking this walk, man, you're making that road much easier for your own family. You know what saying? And you just allow the Lord just to be the pilot of the play. You just get on board. Let him just move. So man, I just want to just share that with y'all. I'm thankful and I'm honored, man, to just walk this walk with y'all. Speaker 2: I'm just riding. Yeah, for real, this has been absolutely amazing, I really appreciate all three of for doing this, getting on here, you know, talking about this, man. There's more, man. I want to do more. want to, you know, at some point, like, I ⁓ want to get the setup where I got camera. can do a shop talk live, you feel me, and use what you got panel, you know, and do all this. Like, there's so many things that I want to try and just to push the word of God and what I've learned. just, if I, like I said, I've said this in the past, if I can help one person, bro, my days, I'm good. That's it, bro. And because I know what it looked like for me to get help. And I'm just one person, bro. I'm nothing. But with God, I've become everything. You feel me? And that is what other people need to know. Come on, man. He got you. Speaker 1: I got a question for you. Yeah, we wrapped this up. you being just who you are now and me seeing your growth because you grew a lot that from what I see from when you first started coming to shop talk. What would you say to somebody who's watching this right now who doesn't know their purpose? They don't know their purpose and they could be as young as I don't know. That just shows alignment. Speaker 2: ⁓ I'm questioning, For real, for real. Speaker 1: But I'm saying like, mean, there's we have we have I'm sure we have partners our age that still don't know their purpose. And can name a few. But but I do want my lifestyle change and my consistency on what what I'm doing right now to be a testament that God can change and he could shape and he can develop and open doors and stuff like that. You know what saying? So what would you say to somebody who's watching that right now? Speaker 2: I'm right there with you. Man, my biggest thing is for one is to start, right? ⁓ And that for and for me, it was showing up to shop talk. It might not be the same path for everybody, but you have to find something. ⁓ And if that may be some people are good with doing a Bible app, some people are good with doing YouTube. Like ⁓ when it first started for me, it was YouTube. Before I started coming here, I was watching ⁓ church online, watching podcasts. you know, trying to learn a little bit. But that it just starts the ball rolling. And once you start the ball rolling, it doesn't stop if you stay with it. You know, and and it's it's about consistency. One thing when I when I first started going through all this, I was going to A.A. and they always say, you know, just keep coming, just keep coming, just keep coming. It's funny story. I digress, but I'm going to have to say this. So like. ⁓ one of the one of the pastors here. don't know if he's a pastor, but the older man that talked about the Popeye's darned nail man. ⁓ bro. Funny story. But he said the first time I came, he was like, you know, I'm alcoholic. I'm always going to be alcoholic. And he said he pulled me to the side and he said, he said, you weren't alcoholic. And he looked, he said, you don't know what that means yet, but you will. And I used to always think like, ⁓ I'm going to be alcoholic forever, but that's gone. Like that's gone. And but the one thing that a. The one thing that AA did stick with me that's still sticking with me is just keep coming. Just show up. You know, it may not be comfortable. It may not feel good. may not be like, bro, I'm telling you, first time I started going back to church, bro, the pastor's talking to you and

you only. He knows that you're there and he is this service is this sermon is for you. Like, and that's how it happened. Like it may feel, it may be uncomfortable, but you have to be able to. And go back to me saying earlier, you have to be able to suffer well. And once you start to learn what that looks like and start to understand, it becomes easy. It's not about, ⁓ you know, not knowing. It's just about trying, you know, and because I don't know, I still don't know. mean, I'm like 18 books in in the Bible. ⁓ I still got was how many is it total? Sixty six. I got a long way to go. But I'm at 18 books in. And so I'm like, but I had never read a Bible before. I mean in Sunday school when I was a kid, yeah, it was read. I never read the Bible. And I'm 18 books in and it's only been a year. So I got a long way to go and it's not enough. Like, I'm like, what am I gonna do when I finish it? I'm gonna read something, I'm gonna read it again. You know, because every time I read a different chapter, I learn something new. So don't give up. ⁓ It's when, like B said earlier, when you do get into your vision, into your purpose, in June, low 72, things are gonna attack you. It's gonna hurt. There's gonna be things that you wanna maybe curse out a guy. And I'm not saying, and this may be wrong to say, but I'm not saying that it's wrong to yell out a guy, but sometimes it's gonna hurt. And to me, like I had to ask him, why, what happened? Talk to me. And it's not about getting the answer back, it's about knowing that I have the peace that I know he made a decision that it's gonna be okay. And I'm gonna be okay with his decision, good or bad. And that's the piece I had to find because I kept coming and I kept coming back. I kept trying. And as it as I kept trying, it got more and more and more and more involved in defining a church and the want to get baptized again, because I felt like the last time I got baptized, it was wrong. You know, I didn't make the right. I wasn't making the right decisions when I did it. You know, I want to get my son. I want to my wife baptized. You know, like those are things my wife has never been baptized. She's now talking about being back. ⁓ you know, so it's like those are all of it happened because I kept Speaker 1: You're the head of the house. You know what saying? You're the leader and they look. That's what the family wants. That's your family, You're stewarding your family the right way now. You know what saying? And now look at the beautiful domino effect to that. Now your wife wants to get baptized. Now your son's going to church. Who knows what's next? It's not up to you to worry though. Speaker 2: who that master that's the. No, no, no, no, no, no, Speaker 3: I just want to piggyback on something, man, like you just talked about, man, when you do step into your purpose and what God is calling you to, there will be opposition, there will be adversity. You can bet that because we have an enemy, amen, and all his plan is to stop us from doing what God has called us to do. the attacks are confirmation that you're doing what God has called you Because if you're not doing anything for the Lord, you ain't got to work. Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. You ain't gotta worry. Speaker 3: Attacks and you know I'm saying but I've come to learn that man That's just confirmation that I'm moving in a direction that God is calling me to but as Jesus said that What he told Peter that upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it So it's nothing the enemy can do to stop what God The Bible says that he who has began a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So what God started in you, what God started with this ministry, man, the enemy cannot stop it. He gonna try, but you just keep yourself grounded and rooted in the word of God. Keep yourself grounded and rooted in prayer. I'm telling you, bro, higher heights and deeper depths. Speaker 2: Yeah, that's amazing. I'm excited. I'm excited man. I'm so happy I got y'all here today, bro This was such ⁓ what a blessing, bro. I mean says, know I ain't Lowe's took my last question and have made me ask I mean, but that's what it is, man I want to see I want people to know that there's there's a place to start, you know, there's fine somewhere in your community fine I mean to be real like this Could be a national like this needs to be that could be this needs to be a national thing barber shops across the world man that need to that this needs to be touched on because every community is just like ours. You feel me? Every community that have people that look like us is just like us with a barber shop doing the same exact thing that we don't know yet that they don't know. And so, I mean, like this is something that, ⁓ know, I like I said, I've talked about it a lot. Y'all talked about it, man. I'm more than thankful to have y'all here, man. God has blessed us, like you said, in abundance. And this is something I'm so happy that we got to do today. Yeah, I appreciate y'all man. Well, man again, I appreciate y'all. This is the this is the end, bro. We have made it to the other side family. I appreciate y'all for coming on, man. ⁓ We are going to keep on pushing the issue. Keep on pushing towards God, And we're going to make this thing right. All right. I appreciate y'all. Once again, one love, man. Welcome to the other side. Come on baby! Speaker 4: did it right. Speaker 3: You Speaker 2: That was real fun. on. Come on. I was sitting here and I'm like, I was like, ooh. I don't know how long people, I gotta be up all night. I'm like, I don't know how long they gonna be. Yeah, you good. You have to start going. Speaker 4: Yeah, it's so fun this way. Speaker 3: And my wife takes me. Speaker 2: Y'all know, right? Speaker 4: Where you at? Did your camera cut off? Yeah. got to put this on. Let me make sure. Stop it. Speaker 2: It's still recording. Did it? It's still recording? Good. Oh, thank God, for sure.