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2 Young Pastors
2 Young Pastors explores the intersectionality between lifestyle and Christian spirituality. Elijah and Jajuan are literally 2 young pastors who are actively pastoring in the Washington DC area. They open up about the ups and downs of pastoral life. Each will bring their experience, jokes, questions, and ideals into discussions on topics ranging from romance and family to theology, race, politics, and personhood.
2 Young Pastors
Steward Your Season Effectively
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The guys unpack purpose, preparation, patience, and the danger of overlooking today while waiting for tomorrow. Because sometimes the blessing isn’t the next season; it’s what God is trying to teach you in this one.
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Hey, all welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of the Two Young Pastors Podcast. Listen, we've been on a little bit of a break. Juwan had a camp meeting. I had a new transition, but we're back with some new episodes. Uh, and um uh we're gonna be talking about seasons, the different rhythm of life that we all go through, what season Juwan and I are in, and then if you're in any other season, uh we want to give you some advice. Um, I don't know what what if you're looking at the video, Juwan is making some some signs. I have no idea what those signs are.
SPEAKER_01It's sign language, it is sign language. For you young, why, why pass past and I was doing this by mistake. I was like, is this P? And then I was like, nah, this is P. This is I don't know how it's P. It looks like an A. Yeah, you know, I didn't create sign language, but anyway, we're talking about seasons.
SPEAKER_00Yes, look at the podcast, Jaman. Man, uh let's uh let's let's go ahead and define the season, and then let's say it if we're in the man. The reason that this is important is because life is not a straight line. Like, I feel like that's what um I think Christians kind of get confused about a little bit. We think that once we accepted Jesus, everything is gonna be great, great and cozy. Uh that's not the case. In fact, I talked to some people that I've baptized, uh, and right after they're baptized, they go, Hey, life turned bad. They're like, I didn't have to deal with this one thing before, and now because I'm baptized, now I have to deal with this one thing. And they're like, Life would have been easier if I didn't make it make the decision to follow Jesus, right? So I think we kind of get it confused. If you've been born into this thing, it it feels a little bit easier. But if you're new and you're entering into it, you see the lifestyle change you have to make. Uh, and it's very important that we don't get this confused with some of um you know that that manifesting culture that's around us right now. I kind of heard uh like this one influencer man talking about manifesting, and it sounded so close to what some people preach, right? Yeah, and then I'm like, I don't want to get confused with that stuff. Um, because it's not uh this isn't about manifesting good energy and things in your life, right? It's just practically identifying where you might be, right? And then some spiritual guidelines on what we can do as Christians, as followers of Christ, to get to set ourselves up for success in the next chapter and um the next decisions you might have to make. And bro, uh, we were also talking about how we can be in different rhythms and different areas of our life, right? So personally, you could be in a hard time, but professionally you're growing, right? So this isn't like an overall thing, it's just identifying the different areas of your life that you might be kind of going through some stuff in, and then what the Bible has to say in terms of guidance and maybe even structuring that'll help us to grow. But bro, um uh you want to start off uh with maybe the first um rhythm.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And just a reminder, just you know, feel like we we gotta say this at the beginning of every episode now. Yeah, yeah. This this is the barbershop. This is this is not the scholastic, you know, symposium where we're giving you, you know, super research things, you know. Um, at least not today. Um we're this is just us talking through um and yeah, man, let's start it off. You know, I think uh every every year, at least in the US, uh often we start off with winter, right? Uh in Maryland, especially. In in January, you are in winter season, okay? Um, and you know, winter season is an interesting season. Um, because when you think of winter, you think of cold. Uh, you often think of uh dry, dry. Um, and I say dry because you know, summer you typically find more humid, humid, uh, it's a more humid time. Uh, but nah, nah. Uh in winter, uh my my my my cat's litter is is definitely uh dry and it becomes a little dusty if you're not careful. Um but uh in a winter season, uh it's often at times, you know, that that probably that hidden season. A lot of people often think about hidden um uh because people go inside their houses more. They're typically tucked away. Um and so the winter season is often represented by, you know, you really being kind of sort of like in your cocoon era. Um, you know, sometimes, and you know, to a certain extent, I feel like I've been telling myself, bro, you know, like every station is gonna be like cocoon. Ever since I left uh Oakwood, I've been telling myself, you know, hey, Andrews, those are gonna be my cocoon years. It's gonna be like essentially my winter season. Once I pop out, people gonna be like, who is this? And then when I when I when I was going to Metro, I was like, oh man, this is about to really be my cocoon time, you know. Like I'm I'm an assistant pastor, I'm just getting on the scene, you know. And then when I get my own church, I'm gonna pop out and people gonna be like, who this? Yeah, now that uh I, you know, I'm a pastor in a much less known space, bro. Um I I I still found myself saying, I'm I'm I'm like I'm cocooning. I'm cocooning, I'm cocooning. You know, once again, I am cocooning. And I at some point when I when I pop out, you know, people are gonna say, so that's kind of sort of like what that what this season is, okay? Um, and I I I think you know, uh when you when you think of this season, you can possibly feel like not a lot is happening. Um you know, things have slowed down. Uh, and so this is like that truly that waiting season or the waiting, waiting, not waiting, waiting, like waiting in the water, you know. That's that's what it's kind of sort of like main maintaining or secretly, secretly like developing. Uh, and and so I would say that that's what that season is. Have you ever had a winter season, bro?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I feel like that was me when I was an assistant, too. Like it uh and if we get this part mixed up or we fail this part, it really jeopardizes everything, right? Uh, because uh if we're not careful in respecting what part of life we're in, we're not setting ourselves up for success in the next part of life, right? So, like I'm talking about even in our professional life, if we're asking for too much too soon, we're gonna end up having a failure, right? That that will destroy you. And I feel like I had to have a good mentor, which was Doc Peeler, that will like so so he said this, and this is how I realized I was in like in my cocoon, right? Still growing. I thought, I thought I was a full-blown butterfly, dude. I thought I had my wings, I thought I was ready to fly. And then and then um I remember when I first got to Capitol Hill, he was just like, no, I he gave me some assignments, and I was like, hey, Doc, I could do more. Like, like, please like assign me more. I thought I was being a good student, right? I was like, hey, like I'm ready, you know, whatever. And then he humbled me very quickly, uh, in like the nicest way possible. He was just like, he was like, Hey, I I I know you can do more, but it would be more work for me if I have to come back and handle the messes that you've made. Oof, oof, right? And I was just like, and it had nothing to do with like my character, what I could do, and whatever. It was just, hey, this is not your time to shine, just yet. Yeah, like your job right now is to absorb, do what you can, and do what you're able to do, but learn, right? That's your job right now. And I felt like if I had a different personality, I would have taken it differently. But because I think the Holy Spirit was like, hey, you're an assistant, you're there to assist and to grow. So take the assignments that that you that that that you're able to get, do 110% on those things, yeah, right? Uh and I feel like now in my current assignment, uh, which is different from being an assistant, I'm using those skills that I've learned and patience, right? And it's it's like it's dividends on dividends right now. Um so man, it's it's like it's very important that you respect the winter season of your life. Because I feel like it's that building block time, you know?
SPEAKER_01And you're so right. But can I also say like you gotta be you gotta be careful in the winter season? Cause like um if we're if we're just following along with like the this theme, when you kind of sort of get into like that I I guess that maintenance phase, like, and I think that this is what this is kind of sort of what this season and from my view is about. It's kind of sort of like maintenance. Um there are certain things that kind of sort of fall between the cracks in maintenance season, right? Um, and and this is why, you know, spring cleaning is a thing. Um, because in the spring and in the summer, you're probably doing a little bit more like activity. Like if you're cleaning the house and doing spring cleaning, you're cleaning those baseboards, like you're you're mopping up more often, you're you're probably doing more. And it's because you know the sun's out a little bit more, it's higher temperatures, and so it's it's it's less convenient. When it gets to like winter, like we begin to peel back a little bit because once again, it's it's maintenance, it's maintenance season. And so when you get used to doing the same thing over and over again, at times, you know, depending on how passionate we are about the work that we're doing, we can begin to slack off if it's not necessarily a quote unquote passion. Like, because there's a difference between passions versus uh skills versus, you know, like I would say those drudges. You know, the passions are the things that if you if if you weren't paid, you would still love to do it. Like the skills are the things that like you're good at it, and it's a good thing that you're getting paid for it. Okay, like like you know, it may it may not be your favorite thing, but somehow, someway you still good at it, right? Yeah, and like those drudges are the things that you're like, oh I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. And here's the thing like in a summer season, spring season, you're probably more willing to do the things that you hate, right? But when you go outside and you start feeling that cold, you're like, uh, I don't want to do that. And so like you gotta watch out because in a winter season, like you can become more sensitive to your dislikes, right? Like going to the gym is not always something that I want to do. I know it's something that I need to do, but because in a winter season it's cold outside, I could I could rationalize a whole bunch of different reasons for not going to the gym. Like, oh, like what if I get sick, you know? Oh man, when I go to the gym, I gotta I I gotta go with a hoodie, with sweatpants, with all this extra protective. Uh it seems like it's so much. Oh, it gets dark outside real early because it's winter time, you know?
SPEAKER_00And so don't both get cold when I touch them. It's wintertime.
SPEAKER_01Listen, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. So so like we can make excuses in this season that will impact how we show up. And like I say this, I I remember me and Janelle, we were in like this season, maybe in like year three or year four of us being of us being together. Um, we weren't yet married. I know that's probably shocking to some of y'all because you know, y'all be trying to get married in two years or less, and then you know, you'll be trying to figure out why y'all are struggling in this first couple of years of marriage. Um you know, you know. Uh what ended up happening, what ended up happening is year three, year four, we were in that dry, it was a it was a dry season. It was a dry season, bro. Winter. Like winter wasn't coming, winter was here, okay? It was cold. And like don't you know how like, you know, um John when he's talking to us to the seven churches, uh, I believe it's Ephesus, you know, uh, he's like, hey, remember, remember what your first love was. Remember, you know, when it when it was hot and passionate in the beginning, like it wasn't a it wasn't a passionate season. Uh it was definitely a season where it was just like, hey, we just getting by.
SPEAKER_02We just getting by.
SPEAKER_01And every day it felt like doing the same things uh but just getting by. Um and this is what's bad, right? Because in those seasons, you know, if you're not careful, uh you can you can lose, uh you can lose uh what you once had in a in a prior season. You can lose the passion, you can lose the intention, uh the the intensity, uh you you you can lose the clarity that you had in one of those seasons. And so uh don't don't disdain the winter season because there's a lot of preparation that can take place in the winter season, but also be sure that you don't get like too comfortable in the waiting season because you never know when the opportunity for more is going to come. And so that's that's that's what I wanted to say. But what's the next season that we're talking about, bro?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um, in case you did not know, after winter um is uh this thing called spring, right? Um I'm I'm right, right.
SPEAKER_01In case you're in a country, in case you're in a country that does that's different, that's different, or you know, it goes straight from it goes straight from winter to like fall for some reason, you know. Here here in Maryland.
SPEAKER_00Honestly, I didn't even consider any country outside of the US. I mean I didn't even there, yeah, there probably is no spring in like the islands, right? It's or in the same way that it shows here, right? In the in in at least where we have all four seasons, because there's a huge weather change, right, between winter and spring. Um and one of the ways that it that that I see it happening, at least here, is um you want to start to plant here in the in like the early spring for your grass to grow a little bit, right? I and and even sometimes um like those patches of grass on our lawn, like you want to you want to plant those seeds in the fall, like like fall, so that they have time to kind of mature and germinate and then grow again in springtime. So it's not always like springtime is the best time to plant, but springtime could be that that time when you're seeing the fruits of your labor starting to grow, right? From from that pruning season, discipline season in winter. And then also it starts to warm up, man. Um, I'm thinking about um like this is where uh especially in the Bible, we see a lot of that early, early time of new growth where farmers can see um where where things are growing, what is growing and what to prepare for, uh, and then how hard of a year it might be, whether in summer or in fall, right? When all those harvesting time happens. Uh, but but spring is that time, um, especially in our life. Uh, at least for me, I feel like I was in my spring, springtime of my of my professional life, um, probably like three years into pastoral ministry, where I was like, all right, I feel like I have some of these basics down. I've also made the relationships with individuals that that are genuine and that are have been stress tested, right? Um, and then I after that, I feel like now it's it's time to to put things down. Like it is time to start planting seeds. Uh it's it it's time to stop waiting. Like, that's the whole idea. Is is um we we we get too comfortable waiting, and then waiting goes from from from waiting into disobedience very quickly, right? Like, I'm back that. What do you mean by that? Listen, um waiting, like there is always a good time to wait, right? Like it's always wisdom when you get a new opportunity, right? And you're like, all right, let me take a day or two or the weekend to think about this new opportunity, right? Even though it might be everything that you are looking for, right? It's always good to take a deep breath, wait, and then to jump in, right? It's always good to read the signs, right? Yeah, but if you've been praying about a job and you've been praying, God, I need this and this and this and this and this, God, this is the place that I'm in right now, whatever. And then God, by his grace, gives you the opportunity, right? Hey, it's always a good time to take a second and go, all right, you know, it does meet all my things that I've been asking God, right? Um, let's go ahead and do it. But it goes from waiting into disobedience very quickly when it meets everything that you've been asking for God, it meets the core, right? Like the core needs of your life, but then you're like, God, I don't like that it's red, right? Like, I wish I wish I wish it came in blue, right? That goes from waiting into disobedience very quickly. And and it's like uh it it it it is a simple, it's those small uh issues that we make into mountains, right? Uh I'm talking about the jobs that we've been praying for, God, uh that that we have been praying for, and then God gives it to us. We're like, God, I gotta be in office now. Like, you know, I wish it was a remote job, right? But listen, you got bills to pay, you wanna be here, like there, like there are people that are relying on you, and and God is giving you this opportunity in a tough market, and you're saying no, that goes from waiting into disobedience very quickly. Uh, and and it it in the in the season, right after that that waiting, that maintenance period, when opportunities do come up, this is that that springtime when we are in in a mode of being refreshed, right? It's like, all right, what is God calling me to do? What has God been preparing for me to do? And does this new opportunity meet the standards, meet the values, meet the direction in life that I think God is leading me towards? Again, right, don't get it confused with manifesting, all right? This is really, really God in his word guiding you and saying, Hey, these are the values that matter the most to me. Here are the core values. Does this opportunity meet the core values that that that God has expressed in his word? If it's a yes, it's it's a simple of now, do I want this or do I not want this? And that's kind of what we're kind of dealing with in our in our springtime. Have you ever been in that chapter or in that um season joy?
SPEAKER_01Dude, I think like like if we're like as pastors, you know, and both of us, we are we we we recently transitioned. It's it hasn't been a year for either of us yet, right? Um I think that like oh really?
SPEAKER_00I thought, oh wow, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I I I didn't get I didn't I I didn't get installed at one of my churches until August 16th of last year. Oh wow and then after that I went on like vacation. I went on vacation.
SPEAKER_00That's true, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Despite despite being so if I really didn't start at both until like September, right? Uh but all all that is to say, all that is to say, um when when you are kind of sort of transitioning, you are kind of sort of coming off of like that that winter lawn and you're going into like that that planting seed season. And like this is where a lot of pastures kind of sort of mess up. I and and I and I say this as a person who's done it. So sometimes, sometimes, you know, like you you mistake spring for summer. Um you know, like you're not trying to plant seeds, you're trying to harvest already. You're trying to harvest and move. Um and yeah, man, I think that like if you are a Pastor in the first season in the first year, you're probably still in the springtime. Like you're you're you're planting ideas, you're planting seeds, you know, uh so that so that they can grow, so that they can grow. Um, and there's possibly like some newness at like once again, you know, just got married five months ago. Janelle and I are in the process of still figuring out what is our marriage story going to be? Like, what is our testimony going to be, you know, like and we've been talking about this more than ever. Yeah, different couples, they want different things. Like, what really works for us, you know? Um, and so it is an interesting season because you're balancing what was with like winter, uh, while also trying to embrace what is with spring. Um, and you're also putting things back together. So, yeah, bro, uh, to be honest with you, I feel like to a certain extent, spring is the season that I think I'm currently in uh where I'm I'm pushed to uh still set like still plant seeds. Um I am experiencing some some rainy days, um, you know, but I'm also experiencing some of the the warmth uh that that cut that gives me the the understanding that hey, you know, it's not as cold as it used to be. Um we're not like fully burning in a summer light, but like like I'll take a good 60 to 70 degrees, you know. I yeah, I probably prefer that over over the hot days of the summer anyway. Um and I'll say this, bro. Like what I hate about planting seeds, um, what I hate about planting seeds is the process of having to plant new seeds. Um if that makes sense. I I hate the process of having to plant new seeds because there were seeds already planted um in winter, like in my in my winter. Uh but because it's this new season, I now have to plant new seeds. I now have to plant new seeds. And there there's a labor that goes into planting new seeds and starting fresh. Um, fresh is good sometimes. Fresh is not always good all the time. So that's what I would say. Uh what about you, dude? What are your thoughts?
SPEAKER_00Um man, I like I got really into planting, uh, and really into or sorry, gardening, right? I don't want to sound like I'm in yeah, yeah. Uh um, and I got um I bought like these like uh these bulbs, right, that you put in the ground and then they come back um every season, right? Um or they come back annually. And um I was looking at when the best time to plant them is, right? And the one thing that I that that I learned and uh that really stuck into my mind is that uh not every season is a good planting season, right? Like not every season is a time, like there are some seeds that have to be sown in the fall that if you sow them in the spring, they won't have the the right growth, uh temperature and moisture and everything else, right? So what I'm trying to say is that there was there were some things that I was trying to do in my life when I was in the season that I was doing too early. Like, like it's it's not always a good thing to do things too early. Either, listen, even either in your relationship, right? Like, there's reasons that you always have to be in questioning mode, right? The first few dates, because you don't want to start love bombing, right? Um, because it'll put you in jeopardy and the other person in jeopardy, right?
SPEAKER_01Like we you you can you can you can you can share a whole lot of things that you don't need to be doing too early. Yeah, some of y'all getting a little too intimate too early, mercy. Like mercy.
SPEAKER_00Like there are like like winter and spring really do put you in a confinement period. Yeah, right. It's uh it's a planning and stress testing period for for I think both of these because um if I am remembering correctly, um the success of the colonies, right? So like when people would come over from England to hear, right? If they survived the first winter, that's how they knew that they could make it, right? But if they died, but if they weren't able to survive the first winter, like most people died that first winter because either they weren't prepared for it or whatever, and then in that spring, it was crucial to start preparing for the next winter, right? Yeah, because if you're able to survive the first winter, your survival rate like skyrocketed. But if you weren't able to do it, then you it looks like you'd you die within that year, and that's what that the spring phase is like is you're seeing what survived in winter, right? You're saying, All right, I went through a maintenance phase. What did I have to change? Oh, I changed this, I changed my work ethic, I changed the time I got up, right? All right, now what can I use to build um in this new part of my life, which is good habits? Is it a devotional time, right? Now that you're up at 6 30, can I have time to go work out? Can I have time to have another 15-20 minutes, right? In the word and praying. So like I feel like that's what that springtime is. It's not only it's it's starting to build good habits, man. Uh, but and enough about spring, bro. I love me some summer, bro. So please.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, please, dude, yeah, man. Um, summer's interesting, right? Because like, and I don't I don't want us to like like there's growth that takes place in all in all all these seasons, right? Yeah, yeah. Uh there's there's there's there's growth in a way that takes place in the winter season, despite the barrenness, despite the the dryness. Um definitely, definitely spring. Because you know, typically if you're a farmer, you typically plant in the spring. You know, you just need to make sure that you plant the right things in the spring. Summer, though, um this is another this is another tricky, a tricky season, right? Uh because when you think of summer, you think of hot, right? But also when you think of summer, you think of popping out. You know what I'm saying? Um like like as and and you however you want to take that is is is is you're probably right. Like you're you're probably right, you know, because a lot of people they they pop out um in in in in the summer. You said it again.
SPEAKER_00Yes, sir, yes sir.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so like, but what's interesting about the summer is is that the summer can be uncomfortable. The the summer can be uncomfortable, uh, because the summer um it is marked by a lot of heat. Uh think about heat, think about discomfort. Uh but the thing about it is that despite the the heat and the discomfort, this is probably one of the seasons where you'll experience like some of your best games. Like what's crazy is this. What's crazy is this, you know, people often say, like, you know, plenty of people are at the gym in January. Right. Um and probably by quarter number two, by April, you know, all the people who you once saw in the gym in January, maybe February, they're gone. They're gone. Can I can I can I tell you this thing? Like, people be showing up in the gym during the during the summer, okay? Like, because it is kind of sort of like the summer is like that halfway point in the year where you're like, all right, so the first six months of the year, I know I wasn't, I wasn't really hot, right? Like, I wasn't hitting it as hard as I could, you know, but now, you know, like, all right, it's July, it's July, and you know, the sun's out, and so because the sun is out, I I don't have to worry about like seasonal depression anymore. It's warm. So because it's warm, I I want to be active, and because it's warm, you know, a lot more is happening, you know, even though it's not football season, you know, you got a whole bunch of festivals, you got a whole bunch of, you know, like cookouts and things like that taking place during the summer. And so, like, you know, like you outside, you outside, right? But here's the thing about it, this is the season where you can experience the most growth if you continue to grind. Right. When I think about summer, I really do think about grinding, right? And I I know some of the people might might still be in school, and so like you don't you don't understand what it's like, you know, being in the summer, right? But summertime is like one of the most crucial times because think about it, like when plants are growing, right? They like when crops, plants are growing, like due to the sunlight and how much sunlight there is, you know, a lot of growth takes place during the summertime.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And so, and so, you know, what summer means for many of us, it is like that that true stretching season. That season, you like if you're in the summer season, you're in a season where you're stretching a lot, where you're experiencing the discomfort that that comes from the heat and the and the elements that you have to deal with. But this is your grinding season. If you can grind, if you're grinding in this season, like my encouragement to you is to keep going because the grinding is going to end up in something real good. It might be busy. You might even feel like you're about to burn out. But the blessing of being in this season is that because like everyone is often rejuvenated to give it another shot in this season, you got people around you that are off that are also trying to grow with you as well. And so, you know, the person who is in their summer season, right, they're in the mindset of go, go, go, go, go. Right. And, you know, this is the season where you can begin to see the games. All right. And so my advice to you is this one, don't get distracted by the games or don't get content with the gains that you see. Because some people, and I feel like Elijah, you and I have probably all have experienced this. Like, just a couple of days in the gym, like, I got good enough genetics, genetics, where if I work my abs enough, I can start seeing the outline, right? And because I'm seeing the gains, because I'm seeing the gains, I can get a little too like comfortable. Like, oh, okay, all right. And at times I'll be tempted to like maybe go and have some uh some I green. Let me get a nice burger.
SPEAKER_00I want something sweet now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, like so, like, there's a lot that could take place in in a summer season. It is a hot season, it's an active season, it's a grinding and working season. Uh, and so you know, Elijah, um, have you have you experienced uh a summer season? Are you in a summer season? Talk to us.
SPEAKER_00I feel like I'm transitioning into a summer season right now. Um yeah, I I feel I feel like I'm right at the end or the almost done with my spring, entering into my summer. So there are some some things in my life where now it's just building accountability, building um sustainability, right? Um closing your wings.
SPEAKER_01I haven't seen it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, dude. So like, okay, we're all so like me and Juwan, we're uh like we share our what's it called? The fitness tracker phase. Yeah. I think one time I got like an alert that you had like finished like training at like 11 30 or something at night this past week, and I was like, what the heck is Juwan doing right now? I was like, I was like, I'm getting ready to go to bed. This man's closing his ring.
SPEAKER_01Bro, you you gotta, you gotta like, you gotta get it in whatever time you can, man. Like bro, the weight gotta come off. The weight gotta come off, okay?
SPEAKER_00And so like I feel like that's kind of where I'm at right now, which is like the weight has to come off. Whether it's it's it's um, you know, just bought a new home, right? Um, so I'm trying to, by God's grace, and I can share that more here on the podcast uh later, but got got a new home. Now it's paying adult bills, right? And um it it's now I have to build the I have to use the good work ethic I had when I didn't have a home. Now I have to polish it and and redo it so that when I'm living through life, right, I have the good habits. And I feel like that's kind of where I'm entering into my summer season, which is like I'm I'm I'm making sure what I have planted is growing now, right? Yeah, like I am making sure that I'm not making any terrible financial mistakes, right? Like uh if you ever bought a new home, right? Don't go and finance your furniture, right? Like, don't go and get a credit card and then buy all these expensive couches and TVs and everything to fill your house. Like that is the number one mistake most people do, right? Um, so it's like do it beforehand. You do it beforehand with your parents, you do it while you're living with your parents.
SPEAKER_01So when you move, you already got stuff, yes, or save, right?
SPEAKER_00Invest in save and and and and and and then use Facebook market, right? Use Facebook market, um, like unless unless you're a millionaire, like there's no there's no reason for us to be okay. Sorry, this is a whole nother thing, right? Summer, like I feel like there are there's there's parts there's parts of my life where I'm entering into summer, even in my uh professional life, man. Like I feel like um I've been putting down some group some great seeds. I've pulled some things out, I'm putting some things in. Now it's like, all right, let me put um the right people around it, let me build up the right leaders, let me do these things so that when they're growing in in this summer period, I know what to expect down the line of saying, hey, now now that we've done it, I can I I won't be taking my foot off the gas pedal, but I can now put my energy in towards different things, right? Because there's always things that need to improve on, but if you do it all at once, you're gonna get burnt out, right? But but if you can focus it on the most important priorities in your life, the ones that have the highest return right now, um, then then you'll you'll start to see number one, the burden like lifting up off of you, right? And then you'll also see growth happening in your life. So like I'm just I feel like I'm in that area right now in a lot of parts of my life, um personal and professional. Um I I think I'm exiting the spring season of of like prepping and growing and planting, and now I'm kind of entering into that summer where um like now it's hey, let's things are starting to grow. Now, now let's see what it looks like to to prepare for things to happen down the line, right? So I feel like there are parts where it's still mid spring and late spring, but summer is like right around the corner, man. Uh, and I love I I love summer over spring. Uh like I love summer, I love the heat. Uh, I love going out of my tank uh and showing my small gains I made in winter. Um like you know, I love me that stuff, man. I love that stuff.
SPEAKER_01Yes, listen, and just listen, y'all. Make sure, just make sure that in this season of summer, just really, because we're we're about to touch on the last the last season, which is fall uh or autumn, depending on how y'all talk. But make sure that in a summer season, watch out for burnout, uh, and watch out for uh life imbalance. Life imbalance. Sometimes you could be so focused on making gains that you forget to pour into other aspects of your life, okay? Don't be so focused on certain goals that you neglect the other areas of your life. It is so easy, okay? So don't don't neglect the relationships, don't neglect some some health, like like getting the sleep that you need. And on the opposite end, don't work so much so that you do not properly recover. Okay. Like you do not want to you don't want to be in the sun too long. Like I know that this is the first year, like like this was the worst year that we had for cat meeting in terms of the work that we had to do. And like this is the first time that I came back like sunburnt. Like, we were actually like I it was the last day, I didn't put enough, you know, sunscreen on and stuff like that. Like I came back and one, I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm super dark as is. Like my my wrist is still like you know, like recovering. It's still recovering, it's still recovering. Um but I came back and like on my face, like skin just started to build, you know, and I was like, goodness gracious, goodness gracious. Um, and it's because I was in I was in the sun way too long. I got burned. Make sure that like you don't get burnt out, okay? Don't get burnt out. It's a very it's a quick season. You could be so focused on the work that you're that you forget the harsh conditions that you at times are working in. So make sure that you avoid that. But let's get to our last one, bro.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, man, and that that's a great pivot because uh if you're burnt out, the fall season is kind of like receiving the rewards of all the hard work that you put in, right? Yeah, um, like uh you could kind of look at the fall. So, like if we're thinking if we're thinking about a life, right? Like your 50, your your late 50s, your late 60s is kind of when you're starting to see the fruits of all your labor, right? Um, so it's it's you're thinking about retirement now, right? Or or you're in retirement by God's grace. Like this is that moment where you're just like, hey, I am I have done all the hard work, right? And then uh the Bible talks about, right, in due season we shall reap, right? Um if if we're not burnt out, right? Or if we've planted anything at all, right? Like this, this, this is the season that we're able to do that. And I think a part of it that some of us try to get, but we kind of get it confused, uh, is that not only is this a season where uh not only is like your house built, things are working, um, like either you've been in that exercise program for like two years, right? And now you're starting to see your body change, right? Things are happening, uh, and you're starting to see the like the great health benefits, right? Now, now it's time to see. Not only are you enjoying that, but now it's hey, if I see someone else struggling with their thing, right? I'm I'm not putting myself out there, like, hey, I've been through the same thing too, right? Here are the things I use. So now you're going from uh consuming, consuming, consuming, right? To now you're getting back, right? So you now you're able to give because you've you've you've done you've done the hard work. Yes, fall is usually used as like the harvesting season, right? But I feel like we that's such a consumer mindset, dude. I don't know if I fully agree with that anymore, where it's just like, well, falls fall is only to harvest, but that's like taking in, right? But uh when God talked about sacrifice, He He asked for the first fruits of our labor as a sacrifice. So imagine having a plant all throughout the year, and then you see the first grapes or the first fruit on your trees, right? You can't eat that. Like God is asking you to take it off and then give it to Him, right? And then you enjoy the next one. For for someone that has like changed their life around, done done everything great, right? That's a hard thing to do. But the but the promise is that because we are giving back, uh God blessed Abraham to be a blessing, right? Like that was that promise. It's like I will bless you so that you will bless the nations, right? I feel like that's the same mindset we as Christians have to have. It's it's it's not only receiving and then putting into what we have, but it's it's receiving, putting in, and then giving away, right? What what not not only what we're able to, but God talks about a sacrificial offering, right? It's this idea of uh we only budget to give away certain things. And and you know, we're just like, uh, yeah, it works, right? Like, I have the cash, you know, but God is talking about unbudgeted expenses, right? We're more willing to put those things in and spend the money when it's for us, but we're not that willing to spend things that we've been saving for a whole other thing. So, like, practical example, right? Um, uh, I think was it when I was trying to go eat somewhere? Um, I think it was in like college or something, and I started to work out, uh like working, and I only had like a certain amount of money, uh, either like go buy Chipotle or something. Um, and then I saw this guy that was asking for money, and I I was like, Well, this is only a half thing for Chipotle. I was like, ah, well, what I want to do, what I want to do. So, like, I I ended up giving him the cash I had on hand, right? And then because the way that I was working was if I had cash, I could spend it. If I don't, I can't spend anything, right? So I ended up giving the cash and I was like, all right, I I guess I have to go home and eat now, right? Um, that's such a small thing, but it has such a huge mental impact in me where I had to figure out if I was willing to give this person this cash that I was saving for Chipotle, or if I wanted to eat the Chipotle. And there was a huge part of me that wanted that Chipotle, right? Uh and um I don't think God would have been upset at me if I did one or the other. That's not what I'm trying to get at. What I'm trying to get at is that we have to stop thinking about ourselves in the fall season when we are receiving the benefits of our good work, right? Like let's start to think about other people too. Um, but yeah, man, have you ever been in a fall season where it's just like you're starting to reap the rewards of your labor?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man. I mean, like, I think for every Christian, especially if you are in the church, you know, um, if your church is truly um engaged in like building, kingdom building, like every year you're probably engaging in like revival season, uh, some sort of like um campaign to win more souls to, you know, for the kingdom. And so, you know, it's not like a we just do it one one week and then we're done. No, like we start planting seeds very early in the year, you know, like I know um um from what we learned under Dr. Peeler, we start planting seeds as early as like March, you know, and then we we really begin to work throughout the entire year. And it culminates in, you know, like these revivals that we have, these conferences that we have, that, you know, prayerfully it it ends in uh baptism. And you know, it's it's very rewarding. It's it's very rewarding when you finally see maybe this person that you met at a barber shop, you know, uh when you see like these students that you met from the back to school like blog party that you did. Like it's it's rewarding when you see like these individuals who just started out as like you know, pop possible uh acquaintances that you came across who make like these amazing decisions, you know, to of course make God, you know, their Lord and Savior. Um, and and so like, you know, uh for instance, for instance, uh few years back, you know, I was like the Bible, the the Bible uh study instructor at G Peter's, you know, I had been doing it for a couple of years. And, you know, it could be a lot of work, you know, because them kids are kids, you know, they're not they're some of them are middle schoolers, you know, none of them are high schoolers, and many of them are elementary kids. So, you know, you got like second grade in there sometimes, you got third grade, and you know, when you get all these kids together, especially at once school is done, they're they're they're they want to be rowdy, they want to talk and stuff like that. But what ends up happening is that you know, there were over uh 16 kids one year in one year. You know, I started the the the Bible studies in October, you know, we got to April, we got to April. Um, and that was my my harvesting season, you know, because 16 kids decided to get baptized um that that year. And it's just like, man, all this hard work, you know, um, and to see it pay off and to see like them making these decisions, um, especially with God, it was it was just like, man, you you you did a good thing, you know, you you did it, and like to this day, got kids who still remember me, you know, like at Camp Meeting, they were like, Pastor JJ, Pastor JJ, you know, like, and for like the real benefit was it was two kids, you know, Paige and Hunter, who got baptized. And because they got baptized, their mom, Marquita, she also decided to get baptized. And, you know, just to see that not only are they participating in ministries, clubs, like Pathfinders, but to also see her there as one of the volunteer parents, you know, like really being integrated in and and like really like just being a Christian life, it's like, dude, this is what it's all about. And so, you know, like it's just like one of those moments where it's just like, man, God, you know, like it came together. Like we're we're reaping, we're reaping, you know, the harvest that God promised. Um, and so yeah, that definitely had one of those seasons. What about you?
SPEAKER_00Have you that's good, that's good. Yeah, man. Um uh I feel like uh when I was leaving Capitol Hill, uh, oh yeah, yeah. Of just like all the hard work that was put in, right? Of just like, hey, now I feel good leaving because all the systems are created, right? Like all the people are in place that I could possibly put in place. And um, I feel like I I accomplished what I was there to do, which was equip people, train them, and then keep Christ at the center. And that's and I feel like I was able to do that with the small portion that that I was given. Um, and then it was great to kind of see um and be a part of what Dr. Peter was was um doing with the overall church as well, right? To kind of see, and then I kind of reaped the rewards of what he did because when he left, I was interim for a bit and I could and I was reaping the rewards of what the things he had built, right? So it was like a um like someone else planted, and now I'm reaping the rewards, right, of what they did, and then now I'm hoping because I planted the current staff is starting to reap the rewards, right? Um, of what of what we both did. Uh, and it was just great, man. So uh I I feel like I will eventually get back into that season, right? Uh, but again, it takes years. So all the things that we talked about aren't like the same thing of like three months, six months, whatever. It takes years, it's like three and a half, it took five years to reap to reap any type. Well, not any type. It took five years, right, to get to the point of being, hey, now I can start to reap the rewards of building good leaders, right? So if you're entering into this thinking, it's gonna be a quick turnaround. No, it's gonna be tough, it's gonna be hard, but the great part is that there is a there is a time natural that happens when you can reap the rewards, and the Bible calls it right that harvesting season. And the crazy thing is you'll also reap the rewards of your bad actions, right? You'll also reap and harvest the consequences of your mistakes, of our mistakes. Um, and the I I feel like the hard thing though is that you reap the consequences of bad mistakes before you can reap reap um the consequences of good mistakes, right? So I feel like punishment happens faster than the reward, right? Like we're punished for bad mistakes faster, like they're more like they're realized faster than if you make a good decision, yeah. The reward is not is not gained or realized as fast, right? That's like that delayed thing. So like if you're making good or bad choices, yeah, in whatever season you're in, there will be a time, which is what what we call the fall season, where you'll start to reap, right, or feel the consequences in of all your actions.
SPEAKER_01And and and so you know, you know, we we we really used the seasons as a as an illustration, right? You know, to for those of you who are in whatever season that you're in, you know, you you could be in a season where you feel like you're grinding, and you know, you've probably just been thinking, man, I just feel like I'm grinding. Like, and it's probably because you know, you're probably in that summer season, but keep going. You're almost to the finish line. You could be in your down season, you could be in that winter season where it doesn't seem like you're producing anything, and you're just trying your best to maintain, you know. Um, and you know, we just want to encourage you to keep going. Same thing with spring season. Things could be on the up and up, and you're like, man, I'm in a good season. Like I feel like, you know, there's some fresh life, and that's good. That's good. It could be new relationship that you're starting, new job that you're starting, you know, or you could be like in your your harvest season, your fall season, put, you know, and in whatever aspect of life, you know, me and Janelle, um, our our harvest season was our wedding that we had in February, and boy, was it a grand time, you know? Um, whatever season you are in, whatever season you're in, we we just want to make sure that you are aware of it, that you can put some language to it, which is why we gave you these these these seasons as illustrations. Because some of you, you've probably been trying to figure out what type of season you're in, you know, and you've been trying to put some language to it. Hopefully, this put some language to it. But as as as Elijah stated, man, you know, there is a good way for you to steward whatever season that you are in. And we hope that you know we gave you some things to consider for each season. Only let only thing that we didn't do, Elijah, is just give son for uh the last season. Um, you know, to yeah, for people to can to keep in mind. Um, you know, yeah. Oh well, actually, no, you said that, you know, make sure that it's not just about you. Um so yeah, that's good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. And and celebrate, right? Take a moment to celebrate your the the things in life, right? Like a birthday is a fall period, right? Like where I spent a whole year and now it's time to celebrate the year and look forward to next year, right? Um, so take moment, take a moment and celebrate, live in the moment, but then also be planning. Um, but yeah, we hope that you enjoyed this. We hope that uh it was as beneficial to you as it was for us. Uh, so we'll catch you on the next one. If you have any comments, make sure to like, share, and subscribe to the Two Young Patriots podcast. And we will catch y'all on the next one. See you later.
